Music’s Power

The prompt for this one initially made me thing of the movie, “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” but that went nowhere. Next, I thought of Chopin’s various Etudes, but that died after only a sentence or two. Finally, I went a little broader in scope and discovered what really wanted to be written.

Wisdom and Philosophy are limited in scope. They cover only definitions, facts, arguments, and logic. They reveal man’s thoughts and his capacity for thought, but these are cold, like a forsaken anvil longing for the heat of the iron.

Music is the furnace that supplies that heat. It fills the inherent void in the very core of man and ignites his passion. Logic made Frankenstein’s monster exist, but the music of the storm gave him life. So, too, can music shock your soul into life.

It’s interesting to note that on the back of the paper this was written on were two integral calculus problems worked out. I’m actually a rocket scientist – I have a degree in aeronautical engineering and I have worked in technical analysis of ballistic missiles – and I sometimes help tutor members of our improv group who are still in high school or college. This night, I was helping a fantastic writer who is not very mathematically inclined.

Our local writing community is very tight and I do what I can to keep it that way.

Manuscript Update: First Draft, 46 pages, 10,299 words, ~6 months until pitch