Haleigh Hutcheson Music Prompt

           When I was very young, around seven years old or so, I would always go to my grandparent’s house after school. There I would get to watch any TV show I wanted, I could eat cookies, and my grandfather would always pamper me. He loved whenever I sang, and he would always have me sing any song that I learned in school that day. One day, my grandfather introduced me to a special room they had in their house that held a giant grand piano in it. He sat down and began to play, and I would sing along to whatever he produced, even if the lyrics I sang made absolutely no sense.

I loved all the music he played, and I could always find something to sing to join his melodies; however, one day, I was unable to do so. The song he played was so beautiful that I didn’t want to ruin it with my voice. I didn’t know what it was, but I remember the feelings and emotions it expressed without words. I was drawn towards it, and I knew instantly that I fell in love with this piece of music: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It was so beautifully constructed that nothing seemed to compare to it.

I was mesmerized by the way my grandfather could move his hands across the entire piano, the way he touched each note, and how the slight inflection in his wrist could change the emotion he was portraying. I learned to play the piano shortly after hearing this song. When my grandfather died, I promised myself that I would learn the song on the piano as well, and hoped that one day I would be able to play it as beautifully as him. All other music before this song was simply noise; something that I could sing along to, but not something that had any meaning to me. I didn’t find out the name of the piece for a long time, and eventually forgot about it until high school.

In tenth grade, my piano teacher gave me a CD as a gift. I didn’t really consider it anything special, but it was titled: Beethoven’s Sonatas #8, 14, 21, and 23. When I plugged it into my computer, I briefly listened to each song, and found that the Sonata 14 was the one my grandfather played. I rushed back to my teacher in our next lesson and forced her to teach it to me. I mastered the song shortly after that.

            I believe that everyone should listen to Beethoven Sonatas, specifically the Moonlight Sonata (#14). The tension it creates at the beginning of the song is slow and deliberate, keeping the listener hanging on every note. It’s a mournful tune at first, slowly evolving and changing into a more hopeful melody. With the few keys that the song incorporates, it hits notes that throw the reader into the emotions expressed in the song. It is even more beautiful when played in real life. I rarely emotionally connect with music; however, this song touched me in a very deep and personal way. It is perfect to listen to if you are studying, or if you simply want to experience the true power a song can have over you.  I love this song, and feel that many other people will be able to relate to this. 

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on YouTube