My First CD: Bach Masters Of Classical Music

Source: (Pexels)

        Calculations Of here. As many as you know, music is a HUGE part of my life. I make it, perform it, and try to immerse myself in it daily. One of the first things I do in the morning (besides showering and brushing my teeth) is listen to music. My music collection ranges from Lady Gaga, Gucci Mane, or George Gershwin (THE REAL G'S). One of the first CDs in my collection was a classical music CD called, Masters Of Classical Music: Bach. This CD literally changed my life.

        I grew up in a somewhat religious environment, and listening to secular music (mainly hip hop) was discouraged by my mom. When my dad was in the military he listened to music frequently to pass time when he was deployed in other countries. My diverse taste in music came from my dad (and my mom believe it or not too despite what I said earlier). Growing up we used to take long road trips and my dad would play various Motown records, bands from the 60's and 70's, and also current pop tunes. It never was just one musician or one genre. We'd listen to a plethora of music ALL the time. When I started studying music these musical restrictions were thrown out the window.

Source: (Pexels)

        When I was in the 8th grade I started playing classical music more aggressively. I've been playing music for about 4 years now (viola and clarinet), and would love to practice so much it used to drive my parents crazy. In these 4 years I had the opportunity to see several symphony concerts, but I wasn't really listening to classical music. This all changed when my mom bought me that Masters Of Classical Music CD which was in the dollar bin in Walmart. This is when stores sold CDs and people actually bought physical music (crazy I know).

        Back then portable CD players were a thing, and had a feature where you could boost the bass. I listened to this CD so much with the bass boosted I memorized and could hum the intricate bass lines Bach wrote. While everyone was bumping the likes of Master P, Three 6 Mafia, & NSYNC, Bach was running through my headphones 24/7. Don't get me wrong I would listen to other music besides this album, but this album was I actually was made fun of a lot for listening to this CD religiously.       

Source: (Discogs)

        This CD had all of Bach's classics. From the spooky organ bangers he put out, light heart pieces for flute, and his various chamber orchestra pieces. I instantly fell in love with it, and listened to it all the time. Two of my favorite pieces from this was Bach's Overture No.2 Badinerie and Easter Oratorio, BWV 249: Sinfonia. The first piece Badinerie, is a bouncy flute piece with an aggressive bass line. It's a pretty fast piece that won't put you asleep. The second is an orchestral piece that has violin, oboe, and horn solos. It's a piece that makes you think of royalty when you listen to it (as if a king had his own theme music).

        This CD exposed me to classical music more in depth and would eventually lead me to go to several art schools, conservatories, camps, and college. If my mother hadn't bought me this CD my career path might have been completely different. I'm listening to this CD as we speak (well on Spotify), and so many memories are rushing back. I owe my career, and really my life to this CD. Hats off to you Bach and thank you for exposing me to the beauty of classical music.

Source: (Encyclopedia Britannica)