My Musical Memories
By Melinda Bargreen
The sounds of music greeted us when we children walked in the door at my aunt and uncle’s home, where we often visited on weekends. My brother and I, both grade-schoolers, had our piano lessons in a nearby house, and Dad loved to visit his twin brother and his family on the way home after the lessons. Usually we got there just in time for the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast, a sacrosanct listening tradition for my opera-loving aunt. Of course, I knew nothing about opera; there was no Seattle Opera company yet, and we didn’t travel much – and we probably couldn’t have afforded opera tickets even if we had had the opportunity to attend.
My aunt turned up the volume on the radio when we arrived. It sounded strange, with all these singers bellowing away in a foreign language, along with the full orchestra. “What are they doing?” I asked my aunt.
“This is ‘La Boheme,’ ” she sighed happily. “They’re falling in love.”
That was my introduction to an art form that has become all-important to me, and to an increasing sector of music lovers around the country. Then, as now, classical radio was a vital force in bringing opera to the people. Of course, Classical KING FM now has enhancements (like the Opera Channel), online and on the air, in ways we never dreamed of back in the old days. Nor did I imagine that the station, through its website KING.org, would one day be able to send great music online to every corner of the globe through the World Wide Web. I grew to appreciate this “streaming” opportunity in particular, because we live in an area of poor FM reception.
I wonder how many youngsters have heard their first opera, symphony, string quartet or solo piano piece via Classical KING FM – discovering an entirely new world of sound, full of so many exciting possibilities.
These are a few of the reasons I’m delighted to be a part of the Classical KING FM family, and proud to be a supporter. And, since the transition to the listener-supported format, I especially love listening to the music without the previous commercial interruptions.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting this great tradition in our community. What a great way to start off another year of wonderful music!
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