Dr. Sheila Fling

Music parallels my Philosophy and Meditation interests. The resonance, harmony, interdependently co-arising, interweaving, and vibrating on into infinity surely reflect mystical experience of the oneness or not-two-ness beyond/within the multiplicity and diversity of the individual sounds.

I may not have the right to claim music as one of my interests. It’s primarily as a listener. I love music and admire musicians, almost idolatrously! The three loves of my life were classical musicians—an organist, a pianist, and a singer. Any musical ability of my own hardly exists. I had little bits of piano and violin lessons in childhood, interrupted by family moves or the teacher’s move. I was a little better later in school bands—bell lyre, clarinet, and bass clarinet. I have sung alto in church choirs, university and civic choruses, and even had a few voice lessons, but I am not a soloist! I get ecstatic when I sit between two much better altos and can blend with them and the group enough to get a sensation of expressing the beauty of the music.

Many kinds of music enthrall me, with my favorite being classical music, for example, Bach organ music, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Beethovan’s 9^th. I am spellbound by opera and am a loyal season subscriber. I am transported to meditative states by chants from many ethnic and religious traditions. Familiar Christian hymns bring tears. Folk music is a favorite. Space age music is great for massage. Musicals are more for light entertainment, with my favorite being The King and I. Some popular music, like Tina Turner’s Rollin’ on the River, gets me up dancing to exhaustion. Two-steppin’ or line-dancing to country music like Garth Brooks is such relaxing fun. Some jazz is ok, for example, Keith Jarrett; and I’ve even resonated to meaningful lyrics in some rap!