Tchaikovsky's Legacy

I'll be completely honest: I first heard of Tchaikovsky after growing up watching Barbie in the Nutcracker. I know, a classic work of musical art, and it came into my life through BARBIE ... I was 7 when this movie came out, give me a break!

That said, thanks to this film's introduction of Tchaikovsky's work to my life, he is the only classical composer I listen to on a semi-regular basis. I use his music (specifically, anything from The Nutcracker Suite) to create a calm environment, to inspire my creativity, and to connect to my Grandpa.

Calm

I can't write when I listen to music with lyrics -- I've tried, but I just end up having a dance party or karaoke session, every single time (which there is nothing wrong with, except when you're trying to be productive). Most of the time, I'll put on a movie I've watched numerous times, as background noise. When the writing is crucial though -- when I need more focus and a calmer environment -- I will put on Tchaikovsky. Something about his work, especially The Nutcracker Suite, brings me joy and uplifts me (... in a zen way, not a dance party way, lol). The playlist I've provided above has 12 Tchaikovsky songs -- including Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy -- are the few that have the power to keep me focused (which, for someone living with anxiety, is important to me; if my mind wanders too far, it can take me hours to get back on track, leaving me with an unproductive day).

Creativity

As a creative individual, I believe inspiration comes from all kinds of sources -- including music! One of my favourite modern movies is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a beautiful re-interpretation of the story of Clara and the Nutcracker. I've had the idea to write a Nutcracker retelling, as a standalone young adult novel, for a few years ... but it's nice to see how the music and story are used as inspiration in other mediums, such as film. (I've also dreamt of seeing the ballet performed live, at some point in my life, for awhile now.) The difference between screenwriting and novel writing is that scripts are written with the purpose of being performed, whereas books are written with the purpose of being read. Music is a medium that, likes screenwriting, is written with the purpose of being performed (otherwise, I guess it would be considered poetry instead) ... so transforming Tchaikovsky's work into a written story will be a thrilling creative challenge for me!

Connection

My Grandpa passed away November 29th, 2019. The loss of his physical presence in my life is still painful -- this was someone I used to call once a month, and chat with for over an hour. My Granpda travelled the world for work AND leisure ... and I couldn't tell you every single country he's been to, which I wish I could (but I don't know if I ever asked him). I do know a few of his favourite places he's been to, one of which was Russia. He talked about booking a train ride across Russia, for 2020 I believe -- I think he didn't end up booking it because of his health, and obviously it would've been canceled that year anyways ... but I would love to honour his memory one day (when the world calms down) by visiting Saint Petersburg. In the meantime, anything related to Russia -- like Tchaikovsky! -- reminds me of the legacy my Grandpa left behind: an appreciation for world cultures.

Music is an outlet for so many emotions; it can bring out the happy and sad and angry feelings within, and can either pump us up or calm us down. It can even elicit inspiration and/or memories. Music is powerful, not just because of the musician -- the listener gives new meaning to songs based on their own experiences. So for me, Tchaikovsky means calm, creativity, and connection.