Deep in the heart of Tanglewood...
When I was about 9 years old my best friend’s family took me to Tanglewood for the first time. I remember Rachel’s mother showing us the echo bench, and how we would divulge our secrets on one end to have it heard on the other, throwing us into fits of giggles and solemn promises to keep them safe. We would then take off running, on the endless sprawling lawns, only to find our way back to the bench again. I remember how thrilled I was that the Pops knew the song that Looney Tunes used in their commercials. (Later I was to deduce, it wasn’t that they were so pop-culture savvy to know what Bugs Bunny knew, but Mozart’s EineKleineNachtmusik had been around much longer.)
But Bugs Bunny aside, I did know we were a part of something special. Having the music floating around us as we picnicked on the lawn with hundreds of other families, couples and friends, we were all connected by the enchantment that is Tanglewood. I know what you’re thinking… a 9 year old thought this? I dare say yes, because that day has stuck with me, and when I began working at WAMC, I understood the magic of Tanglewood when I learned they were such an integral part of summers at the station.
It has always thrilled me that we broadcast the concerts every Friday and Saturday nights at 8PM, and Sunday afternoons at 2PM through August 24th. For those of us who can’t make it to the Berkshires, we can close our eyes and imagine sitting on the lawn with a glass of Chardonnay, sandals tucked off to the side, and feel the notes dance around us. Or we can do one better, and grab our crank radios, blanket and go out to our backyards or park, and have our very own Tanglewood experience right here. It’s the ability to take a break from what you are doing, and enjoying the now. As my best friend’s mom always says, ‘live in the moment’.