Dennis Brown introduces the wonder of relative note and rest values

While the solar eclipse captivated most of America this week, a wonder of a different sort captured my attention. Groveland’s Pine Cone Singers are gearing up for another season. In preparation, Music Director Dennis Brown is teaching the group how to read a musical score. He opened the classes to the public, so I had the privilege of receiving excellent, hands-on instruction from a gifted teacher.

On Monday, we stepped out a few at a time to don the requisite eclipse-viewing glasses and sneak a peek. However, most of our focus devoted itself to the mathematics of melody. Whether a moon and a star align predictably, or the musical beats in a measure produce a pleasing sound, the wonders never cease. That in itself is a marvel. But the wonder of it all is that human beings have such a capacity for awe. 

The natural rhythms of life

We also have a penchant for woe. These days, our public hand-wringing is enough to create a lucrative market for restorative salve. Although, we likely could not agree on which healing properties to include in the formula. Perhaps one answer to our rising levels of anxiety and our crippling sense of powerlessness is to pay attention to the natural rhythms of life that surround us. It’s interesting that the smaller we feel in the face of masterpieces like heavenly constellations or complex music scores, the greater the glow we feel inside.

Our capacity for wonder begins in early childhood when all things are new and every question is “why?” Regardless of our age, religious affiliation, or lack thereof, we can still allow the mystery of life to do its restorative work in us. Many explanations exist for the rapture we feel when we experience beauty. We don’t need special glasses to recapture that sense of wonder (unless we are viewing a solar eclipse). We need a renewed hope that life is good.

Related blogs: Afraid to sing? The Naked-Fear Dream 

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