Life Lessons from Music Class

In my Music Appreciation class, we are currently studying the Baroque period in music (1600-1750). And I'm finding that this class, besides teaching me the basics of music theory and history, is also teaching me life lessons.

Have you heard of any of these composers? Tomoso Albonini, Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, Christoph Willebald von Gluck, Johann Sebastian Bach, Girolamo Frescobaldi?

If you're like me, the only one you may have heard of is Bach. But guess what? Bach wasn't a very well known composer while he was alive. These other guys were famous in their time. They were probably admired like the rock or rap stars of today.

Bach was known more for his church organ and harpsichord playing. When he wasn't on tour, he worked at his "regular job"...he had to write an "cantata" - an entire church service worth of songs - every week! Back then, musicians were primarily hired by the church or nobility. It was his job to compose music and he had quotas and deadlines.

So he lives and he dies, and he leaves behind hundreds and hundreds of musical works (many which have since been lost). And it's not until 80 years after his death that his music becomes not just popular, but revered for its beauty and genius of musical architecture.

Once of the things I sometimes struggle with at my job is boredom and drudgery. Most days lately it is just not any fun. I do mundane tasks and wonder when I will next get to do something creative or meaningful. I wonder if Bach ever felt that way. Maybe he liked composing, but sometimes felt it was boring because he had to churn out so much of it.

But we don't know what impact our lives and our work will have now and in the future. At work, I may never be known as the "Bach of project management", but the work I do is contributing in an important way to the success of a company that employs 30,000 people.

And in life we all contribute, in many ways, to either the good or the bad of this world. We all have an impact, even if we never know it.