Il Volo – LuceStellare

INTJ Women ~ Value Knowledge

The MBTI personality type INTJ female are a minority in society. Men make up about 2% of the general population and women about 0.8%. The common term for this group is Mastermind or Architect. Certainly they are excellent thinkers and have strong powers of deductive reasoning. This trait enables them to appear mildly psychic when it’s probably simple logic applied to a routine situation. INTJ women value knowledge and enjoy exploring a wide variety of interests. Often, one curiosity leads to another. The depth of knowledge may be astonishing as not much is left undiscovered once a fascination takes hold. INTJ women are lifelong learners and self motivated to know about a great many things.

Learn/Acquire Knowledge

INTJ’s commonly educate themselves continuously throughout their lives. Typically, there is an initial period of fascination with something or someone. The topic will be thoroughly explored not only with book knowledge, but also through practical experience. There may be an acquisition period where things are gathered in the home for exploration. Introverts prefer to learn at their own pace, quietly and methodically. There is comfort in having the interest around in different forms. The intense interest may continue for three or five years, perhaps a lifetime. After as much knowledge as can be absorbed occurs,, another topic of interest will come along and sweep them away.

An Example of INTJ curiosity ~ Arts ~ Culture ~ Travel

In 2012, I became charmed by an Italian pop-opera group. I tuned into a PBS program about half-way through the broadcast and my attention was caught by the excellent lyric tenor in the group.

When they sang the Charlie Chaplin song, “Smile”, the INTJ fascination tuned in. Many years ago, Chaplin became a personal hero. I fell in love with his character, Charlot or the Little Fellow and enjoyed his films. Chaplin was a superb storyteller and filmmaker. The films were humorous and engaging. However, they didn’t strike me so much as funny but poignant. The attraction to the character went in quite deep. He tugged at feelings. INTJs are clever at not letting feelings rule the moment. We don’t often give in to their power. The Little Tramp captivated audiences with the sincerity of his feelings. Chaplin was a charismatic actor who showed us the heart of this character. The term genius is not misapplied. Chaplin had a great understanding of human nature and tuned into the challenge of needs in relationships.

Most INTJ women will repeat a tale of not fitting in to the family, workplace or with social groups. Their social skills and values are not conventional. They want to be taken seriously because of who they are, not their place in society. Often, they are outsiders and prefer their own company. INTJ’s do not follow the crowd and consider those who do to be suspect.

Chaplin’s character routinely came into a situation alone. He is cast as an outsider with no permanent home, family or social network. He works for the necessity of money. Being alone, he often becomes a target for misdeeds or misadventures. Sometimes, he is the culprit causing a ruckus and getting in the way. The tramp often displayed a blindness to authority. Most INTJ women are aware of power structures but don’t follow the rules. Chaplin was quick to kick anyone in the pants that crossed him. He was not always the aggressor but was no push over.

His struggles to fit into society, a sense of having come down in the world, and mostly, his ability to connect to an audience are fascinating to watch. He is often left out, despite his efforts not to be. He is me, I don’t have the funny bone and his habit of getting even or outsmarting his adversary. However, in so many moments, so many looks, he reveals what he felt deep inside. How close this man’s spirit was to mine. The fondness for this fictional character is difficult to convey. INTJ’s feel things deeply, we just hesitate to expose them in public.

The Little Fellow often left a story on his own, either kicked out or running away. Sometimes, he is seen hobbling away in despair for having misjudged the situation. He put himself at risk by exposing his feelings and they were squashed. As the character shuffles on, he suddenly sparks and snaps out of the mood. It’s as if he said, I’ve been alone and abandoned again, but I can survive, I can pick myself up and carry on.

Chaplin walks into scenes with a certainty about himself. No matter what is happening, he stays in balance and in character. He learned somewhere along the way to become his own best friend. INTJ women carry this ability, learned through painful interactions in social situations. The trait of self-reliance and self-acceptance is a prime support to most INTJ women.

INTJ Pathways of Exploration

The pop-opera trio revived my appreciation of Chaplin and the important place he has in my life story. The trio also brought back enjoyment and appreciation of classical music and opera. In my teens and twenties, I commonly listened to Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart. I had a tape of famous opera arias routinely listened to Friday afternoons. Placido Domingo was a prominent tenor on the recording.

The trio sing in Italian, Spanish and English. As I could understand about one word in fifty in the other languages, a spark to learn Italian took over. This led to a continuous study of Italian until this day. Much of the learning is solitary as I cannot find a local language class. The motivation to learn connected with a pen pal in Italy. The fascination with all things Italian took over and I explored Italian culture and eventually traveled to Italy twice. The discovery of Italian wines has been fun. This article was written at the beginning phase of Italian fascination. The Labels are Pretty but Where Do I Start?

The revival of a love for classical music led to a new appreciation of opera and Mozart’s collected works. The local cinema offers Met Opera simulcast on Sunday afternoons. I listen routinely to the Mozart opera “Lucio Silla” during the daily work commute. I was so captivated by the music I eventually traveled to Toronto to see the opera live. It is not often staged and so, I found the courage to go. The adventure is told in this blog: Review of Lucio Silla at Opera Atelier Toronto

This is a typical INTJ path of exploration. The motivation to get out and experience it hands on pushes the means to save, plan and eventually, find the gumption to travel out into society to experience the curiosity in person.

As it is almost seven years since the fascination took hold for the Italian trio and interest has waned. They were a springboard to other paths ready for exploration. During my travels to Italy, I did visit the hometown of the lyric tenor and met his mother in Sicily. The adventure proved to be outstanding as Sicily is rich in complex cultural histories including Greek, Norman, Roman and more. The baroque architecture is beautiful to behold. The cities on the island are all unique and offer much to enjoy. The quality of life, folklore, panorama and cultural experiences offered this INTJ a bounty never expected.

Fandom Follies

It was one glance, one song well sung that led to adventures. The only negative experience was the behavior of obsessed fans. After spending some time around and in different fan groups, it became obvious the crowd placed the Italian trio on pedestals. Other fans needed to follow the crowd for acceptance. The choice was go along or move on. The behavior was too controlling by strangers whose intention was association to the trio in some way. Fans would steal artwork and relabel it as original if it drew positive attention. Any challenge to the so-called influencers was met with a public pillory.

The social structure of the fan groups required a setting aside of values and willingness to follow self-appointed leaders. INTJ’s are well grounded in the common shortcomings we all possess. INTJ’s bow down to no one. It’s fine to be star struck for a while, however, the rational inclination reminds us to stay grounded. Some of the encounters were painful as INTJ’s put all of themselves into acquiring knowledge. We are not at all superficial. Interactions matter. Activities matter. Friends matter. Our actions matter and if we are exploited, the instinct is to move on.

Perhaps it was my affection for Chaplin’s character that stopped a full immersion in celebrity. I love his works, and the character he created. Chaplin achieved great fame as a celebrity. However, his biographies and personal reflections reveal a driven, brilliant artist with many flaws. It’s the artistic expression that brings enjoyment. It is how the art brought satisfaction and comfort into my life on many levels. The persona and not the person.

The pop-opera trio reconnected previous enjoyments and expanded my horizons. While I appreciate the prompt, I put things in motion and achieved goals long dormant or never dreamed. The obscuring of reality in fandom is something INTJs would see through sooner rather than later. It’s the art, that opened doors.

This article demonstrates how an INTJ women acquires knowledge. We are sincerely curious about many aspects of life. When the motivation is strong, we’ll go anywhere and within reason, do many things to understand a topic in every way. While at times it appears the article rambles, it’s typical of how one interest reveals another, and another and the remarkable depth of knowledge acquired as a way of life and an attempt to understand the order of things.

Opera! Or, How to Step into Grand Theater Part I

How to Appreciate and Listen to Opera

Perhaps it’s a moment tuning the radio dial and there it comes, an exciting flurry of classical music and voice in a language that is not quite clear. Or, in the memory of a grandparent who played an Enrico Caruso album on Sunday afternoons. An old curiosity lost through the years given to education, labor, parenting and aging. For whatever reason, the interest to appreciate opera comes and so what to do? How can the average person gain entry into this fine art. It can be done, with a few suggestions from an opera novice, it can be done. I started my intensive journey into opera several months ago and am excited to encourage others to give it a try. To make this an inviting experience to the newbie, instead of lines of dry text, I will post a short operatic piece and hopefully, describe in language using the lingo of opera, what is being heard and what is happening. As in the study of a new language, it is best done in short sessions. This is the first of several articles to be presented here. Hopefully, the beauty and delight I have found will encourage the curious beginner to explore.

Opera at its core is story telling expressed through the fine arts of music and song. Opera is the human experience of emotions, desires and dreams.

My background in classical music is that of a concentrated listener. I did take piano lessons for several years but put no claim to being a pianist. From an early age, I listened to classical music, particularly Frédéric Chopin. His nocturnes and concertos were often heard in the home to honor his and our Polish heritage. When I was a teenager I gained an appreciation of Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 during a summer vacation. My family rented a home in Vermont for a week. The house came with a stereo system and several classical music albums. Curious to hear an entire symphony, I played this every evening fascinated by the energy and beauty of it. Years later, I acquired a cassette tape of Operatic Arias by Placido Domingo. On Friday afternoons, I enjoyed turning up the volume every time. Maestro Domingo’s voice has a lifting quality. Domingo sings with passion and that energy connected in me. The interest was long there and these moments stand out in memory among many.

Foreign Language Skills Not Required

The reader may be relieved to know it is not necessary to have one word of a foreign language to understand the story. Opera performers must have a fine voice for singing and capable acting skills. The singer often exaggerates the language it is in. The composer has crafted the music and the voice to present and give the audience the opportunity to hear an expression of optimum beauty. The goal of an opera, is to move you emotionally. Much of acting is body language and facial expression. A good opera performer combines these theatrical arts.

However, the beauty of opera is a combination of the story (libretto), stage setting, costume, voice, instruments, theater and the musical composition.

An opera is grand theater. I say with some comfort that a fairly large amount of the audience attending any opera may not speak the language in which it is sung. However, having an ear that is accustomed to hearing foreign languages will be helpful. I was raised in a culturally diverse city in Massachusetts. The neighborhoods were defined by culture and language. Riding the city bus through the city, block by block the languages changed from Spanish to Greek to Lebanese, etc…I was raised in a household where Polish was spoken with regularity. I have studied Polish, French, Spanish, Japanese and lately Italian languages. I am not fluent in any but get by best in conversational Italian. My major in college was International Studies. The exposure to different cultures is something I embrace and enjoy. Opera is an opportunity to explore different cultures as entertainment.

Opportunity to View

One way to access quality opera recordings may be through the local public library. There are a number of DVD’s of popular operas for loan available with English subtitles.

The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City simulcasts performances to local theaters. This is an excellent way to attend. The performance will have a host to explain the history of this opera along with a brief synopsis. The opera will have English subtitles on the screen. The Met is meticulous in costume and stage detail.

You Tube has numerous performances from single arias to a complete opera.

PBS Television airs a program titled: Great Performances. Viewers can check their local listings for the weekly showing. The program aired this week has: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart. This is one of the most famous operas ever performed and one every opera fan will hopefully enjoy knowing well.

Baptism by Barone

The opera bug had been inside me for years but in a state of dormancy. The curiosity and desire to know this fine art has been reborn in the person of Piero Barone. The name alone is quite poetic and conjures up an image of a romantic Italian singer. Barone is a member of the trio of singers from Italy named IL Volo. In September of 2013, I attended an IL Volo concert in Boston, MA. I became a fan after viewing a performance on PBS Television. I was impressed by the quality of their voices and the natural charm beaming through the camera. The group has as members also Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble. They sing a wide range of music and are interpretive artists. The range of musical presentations includes classics from Broadway, cinema and pop. They also perform classic Italian favorites as well as an occasional operatic piece. The trio include a light baritone, lyric tenor and a dramatic tenor. The group sings each song in a unique style with each singer performing a solo verse but ensemble in the chorus. The effect to the listener is a harmonic vocal sound. Each singer amplifies the other and it becomes a true trio of voices. The musical scores have been well fitted to their voices and well carry the positive momentum of the song. They fulfill one of the key requirements of performers, they are able to raise emotion with their songs. Through their interpretation they allow the listener to feel these emotions in a raw state. A listener can easily become mesmerized by the harmonics and emotions opening their own capacity to resonate in artistry and touch their own tender transformation. Here is an example of their artistry as presented at the Latin Billboard Awards 2013 “El Triste” (The Sad One”) written by Roberto Cantoral.

Opera Lingo ~ Dramatic Tenor

Barone’s vocal skills and range are that of a dramatic tenor. A powerful voice that will ring around the theater. His voice is commanding and raises emotion with a rich, timbre. He has superb stamina and breath control. During an IL Volo concert, each performer does have a solo number. It was Barone’s performance of “No Puede Ser” that brought back the interest in operatic music. I was so taken by the show in Boston, MA that I traveled to another show later that month in Stamford, CT. There again, he delivered an even more spectacular performance. His breath control and power were impressive. That sensation of being overwhelmed by his emotion, the sound of his voice and energy it raised all at once pinned me to my chair. I was literally in the song. At that moment, I experienced the profound joy of music. Here is a performance recorded in Westbury NY.

Lyrics in Spanish

No puede ser! Esa mujer es buena.
No puede ser una mujer malvada!
En su mirar, como una luz singular,
he visto que esa mujer es una desventurada.

No puede ser una vulgar sirena
que envenenó las horas de mi vida.
¡No puede ser! Porque la vi rezar,
porque la vi querer,
porque la vi llorar.

Los ojos que lloran no saben mentir;
las malas mujeres no miran así.
Temblando en sus ojos dos lágrimas vi
y a mí me ilusiona que tiemblen por mí,
que tiemblen por mí.

Viva luz de mi ilusión,
sé piadosa con mi amor,
porque no sé fingir,
porque no sé callar,
porque no sé vivir.

Lyrics in English

It cannot be so
It cannot be so! This woman is good.
She cannot be a wicked woman!
In her look, like a strange light,
I’ve seen that this woman is unhappy.

She cannot be a cheap siren
who poisoned every moment of my life.
It cannot be so! Because I’ve seen her pray,
because I’ve seen her love,
because I’ve seen her cry!

Those eyes that cry don’t know how to lie.
Bad women do not look like that.
Gleaming in her eyes I saw two tears,
and my hope is they may gleam for me,
they may gleam for me.

Vivid light of my hopes
Be merciful with my love
Because I cannot pretend,
because I cannot be silent,
because I cannot live!

The musical composition accompanies and keys the listener to the sway of emotions the singer is conveying. This libretto is well written and clearly speaks to the conflicted state of the character. Not all librettos are equal and the success of the aria is on the shoulders of the composer and the singer. This is a melodramatic aria. He is at once in denial, in need of hope, conflicted, in desire and clearly lost in his own emotional state.

Barone holds himself in the stance of a classical singer. This video is fascinating to watch as it shows the skillfulness of allowing passion to rise. Barone has a habit of flushing toward the end of the song. This signals his complete immersion in the artistry. He is momentarily swept away by the words and dramatic emotions on display. His body language tells the story of something at once confusing and tragic that is about to happen. This display of artistry allows the audience to become swept away by the power of emotions as well. This is the goal, to be taken by the moment into another emotional state.

Opera Lingo ~ Aria

Barone is singing an aria. Aria is an Italian word for air, but in this context refers to song. An Air is a solo performance by a singer or an instrument. The aria, “No Puede Ser” (“It Cannot Be”) is from the zarzuela: “La tabernera del Puerto”. The composer was Pablo Sorozábal of Spain. (1897-1988). The libretto was written by Federico Romero and Guillermo Fernández-Shaw. The premier performance was in Barcelona 1936. There are many types of operas of which this is one example of a traditional Spanish musical play. Zarzuela is, known as “género chico” (= little gender), a pocket opera, with traditional subjects and music with folkloric roots. This is a dramatic piece that alternates between spoken dialogs, song and dance.

The aria is one part of the opera. An aria is only as good as the musical composition. The composer takes the words from the libretto and creates the musical score. Libretto is Italian for little book; the words of the opera on paper. Occasionally, a composer is so talented that he will write his own libretto. More often, the composer collaborates with the person writing the libretto. The composer takes the words and creates a musical presentation. The composer scores the piece so the singer knows where and when and what to emphasize via the musical notes. The singer conveys through the aria the meaning of the words in context of the opera. The singer gives “life” to the aria. The words are often repeated in several different ways so as to give drama to the aria and showcase the vocal talents.

Opera at its core is story telling expressed through the fine arts of music and song. Opera is the human experience of emotions, desires and dreams.

To be continued……………………..

@2015FrancesAnnWy

Reflection on Boston Marathon Bombing: Recovery and Renewal

This is a reflection on the events of April 15^th, 2013. As a resident of Massachusetts, I was shaken by the occurrence of a terrorist bombing in the city of Boston. This is what it is like to go about the day at the moment, during and afterward. This is one experience.

On April 15^th 2013, Patriot’s Day, the 117^th Boston Marathon was interrupted by the detonation of two (2) shrapnel filled bombs placed near the finish line of the prestigious race. Three (3) people died as a result of the blast and countless others have been injured for life. Their injuries included the loss of one or more limbs, auditory damage and shrapnel wounds.

The annual marathon, to a lifelong resident, is part of what it means to be from Massachusetts. For years, I have harbored a secret ambition someday to run it as well. The entire race is a festival for the runners and the spectators in the numerous cities and towns they pass through.

Traditionally, the Red Sox open the baseball season with a home game on what is known here as Patriot’s Day. This holiday is special to us as the American revolution began in Concord. We hold this day sacred and honor it in many different ways.

Ten years ago, I went to Boston in the hopes of being at Fenway Park for Opening Day. There were no more tickets at the box office for the ball game, so I wandered around, and ended up at the finish line for the marathon. The run concludes on Boylston Street in front of the Public Library. I had been across the street a decade ago from the very spot where one of the bombs went off.

That the bombs went off took everyone by surprise. The level of security on the marathon route is relatively strong and especially formidable at the finish line. That someone had the audacity to do so was bold, reckless and taunting. I had spent the greater part of this day outside in my garden. I thought about the race all day and said to myself, okay, the wheelchair crowd is done; here comes the Kenyan or Ethiopian to win the race. There is nothing finer to watch than an elite runner coming down the street. The winner is generally spry, almost birdlike in physique. It is a beautiful event to witness.

Hell on Earth

I turned on TV around six o’clock that evening curious to see who won. What I found was a scene of chaos and killing. We had an unfiltered view from within the state. The pictures and sounds coming over the live feed were stunning as we saw victim after victim being taken to the medical tents. The blood on the streets and sight of people with torn bodies, bleeding to death is hard to look at but hard to look away from. We rarely see scenes from actual battlefields and can only wonder at what happens. This was a war zone. An enemy did the best they could to take out as many people as possible while the cameras were rolling. The blasts struck the heart of every patriot. As a community, we moved fast to aid the victims while looking over our shoulder to see what was coming next.

The news services tried to cover the event in real time with factual information. There were rumors of three (3) more devices in the area. One of the major hospitals in Boston was being watched carefully for suspicious activity. Meanwhile, the runners in the race had to quickly comprehend that they could not finish and were essentially stranded without the ability to reach the finish line and their support teams. The support team may be family and friends who have their backpack ready with water, nutrients and clothing to assist the runner. It is a mighty effort to complete the 26 mile marathon. But, the blasts, and fear of more bombs created a confused scene that had to be sorted out. The Westin Hotel was evacuated for a suspicious package. Many of the runners were staying at the hotel and could not go in. Members of the Boston Athletic Association and local residents stepped in to give shelter to runners and families for several days.

The next few days were a confusing blur of fear. Massachusetts is a small state. Whoever exploded the bombs did not identify themselves. It was impossible to understand who they were and if more bombings were to come. As an ordinary citizen, I did my best to understand what was happening and felt the old fears of terrorism lurking around the corner. I work in a large city and suddenly, the day to day landscape became predatory. I work adjacent to a large court house and police station. These are excellent targets for terrorists. The mobility of our highway and rail system is good for commuters and terrorists alike. It would be too easy for the bombers to slip in and out of town virtually unnoticed. The idea that the person could be standing right next to me was uppermost in my mind.

Support from Without

I am a fan of the trio of singers known as: Il Volo. Modern social media and the singers willingness to chatter directly with their fans make for a terrific opportunity to join the community at large and be a part of it all. As I was early on fascinated by the voice and youth of Piero Barone, I selected him as the one to follow on Twitter sometime in September of 2012. It’s fun to read his comments. He is generally charming and somewhat homespun in his style of chatter. So, I had a sense of him as a person who enjoyed a connection to people. I checked Twitter as I typically do that Tuesday morning and read from Piero a message about a new tweet. When I opened the picture, there was a heart wrapped around a map of our community. The words said Pray for Boston. Il Volo had been in the city in June of 2012 as part of the PBS fund raising efforts that year. I attended their concert performance in September of 2012. I was still on edge from the events of the day before and replied to Piero that I lived in Massachusetts and if people wanted to help, plan to give blood today. Well, didn’t Piero reply back within an hour or two wearing a Red Sox sweatshirt posting: Boston I am with you 100%.

Every Day

On Tuesday, the hunt was on for the bomber. At one point, there was a scare at the Federal Court House that cleared the building. There was a rumor of a suspect in hand. On Wednesday, President Obama and other dignitaries arrived to say grace. As much as the support was welcomed, it was disturbing as the bomber was still at large. Every hour brought more and more suspense. On Thursday evening, the suspects pictures appeared on television. Over and over again, we were shown who they were and what to look for. The situation was extremely dangerous. There was some comfort in seeing the enemy and residents rallied to find the bombers. Being so close to the event, it is hard to know what the rest of the country sees or thinks. I have lived through two (2) natural weather events that were ominous and created a different awareness with reality. When you are in the middle of the storm, it’s hard to see anything but the immediate environment. You just try to get through the day, worry, fret but carry on.

My source for media information came mostly from a program on PBS called Greater Boston, on WGBH TV. I have been a fan of the news and public affairs program for well over ten years. Emily Rooney is the host. She is the daughter of the late journalist and commentator Andy Rooney and has a similar streak of pugnacious, pragmatic but compassionate journalism. She is a realist and keeps the audience informed. The program is on weeknights at 7 p.m. Every evening that week, Emily, along with reporters Jared Bowen and Adam Reilly, would speak directly to the audience giving up to date news on the day’s events but also personal reflection of the danger and weariness. We began quickly to absorb the names of the victims both living and dead. Of particular note, is the Richard Family, Martin Richard was killed at the scene, his sister lost a leg, mother and father suffered terrible injuries. There is video from the event showing one view of Martin standing up against the protective fencing and another view a few moments later of the bag with the kettle bomb at his feet. The person that did this had to have looked right at the family. The bag was placed and the trigger detonated from a safe distance. This haunts me. The coldblooded action of the bomber defies understanding.

Capture

Early Friday morning, I heard my telephone chime with a text message. The Boston branch of the school I work for had closed for the day. No other reason was given. Something was terribly wrong. I turned on the TV and was surprised to see replay of a midnight shootout in Watertown MA. The amount of gun fire was perilous. Apparently, the suspects panicked and with the police in pursuit, began to throw kettle bombs and grenades out the windows in an attempt to evade capture. The cars stopped and a face off took place with one of the bombers dying at the scene. The second bomber eventually escaped on foot. The panic in the streets was due to the first bomber being wired. He had explosives strapped to his upper body preventing medical aid at the scene. Considering this, the quick impression was the second bomber was wired. The speculation was, he may have friends or other bombs planted anywhere around the city. The threat to public safety was at the highest level.

Despite all this drama, I did report to work as usual and carried on. Governor Patrick took great pains to secure the safety of the residents. He shut down portions of the city and for a greater part of the day, Watertown was searched house to house for the suspect. The Twitter sphere was my premier source of by-the-second information. Various news sources and regular citizens were sending out pictures and text of activity during the search. The end of the day brought the suspect into custody. The Minutemen of old must have stood up and cheered when a wary resident noticed something peculiar about the condition of his winterized boat. The suspect was hiding in the boat and survived the events of the day. He awaits trial in a Federal Prison. Unfortunately, cameras are barred from Federal Court. There is a great argument here for allowing those who want to see and understand have access to the direct testimony of all parties involved.

Recovery and Renewal

Life goes on and we all went about coping with the awareness of being in the presence of great danger. The recovery and discussion over the events continues with focused attention on the survivors. The media reports on the surviving suspect and attempts to pull together the events. The best reporting to date has been done by Phillip Martin of PBS, WGBH Boston. For detailed coverage of the day to day, even hour by hour actions of that week, I would recommend turning to Mr. Martin for further information. Here is a link to his page on WGBH Boston Public Radio.

Earlier, I mentioned Piero Barone of Il Volo, I am a fan of their classical-operatic pop musical style. When the “We Are Love” Special Edition CD arrived at my doorstep in late May, I put it in my CD player as I tidied up my kitchen that evening. Little did I know what was coming; when the song changed to “Angel”, I was surprised and recognized the song as a sad but previous favorite of mine composed by Sarah McLachlan. The voice of the singer on the second verse confused me, the soft gentle words and emotional tone I did not at first recognize. I looked at the liner notes and realized it was Piero. His voice and range of emotion along with the blend of the same from Gianluca and Ignazio caught me right in the heart. Listening to the lyrics, I became overwhelmed with the emotions of grief, anxiety and was once again back there with the families and runners in a great deal of pain. My heart felt weary, heavy and hurt. The line, “…you are pulled from the wreckage…” was particularly poignant. It wasn’t a little cry but a gush of sensations with visions of the event in my mind’s eye. I felt the loss of life and grieved. Every day, I listened to this song and over the course of several days, the healing began to happen. By the power of positive energies, the worst memories lifted.

I attended the Il Volo concert in Boston on September 14, 2013. I was jittery about the long commute into the city and had some doubt about attending at all. My energy was out of balance and uncertainty reigned. The show was remarkable for its artistry and energy. I recorded Angel that night and readers can click on this link to hear it. At the end of the show, I was able to shake hands with Piero at the edge of the stage. I am fairly certain he had no idea who I was. However, in the middle of the program, they stopped the music and addressed the audience directly. They spoke about the event and sang a cappella the National Anthem. The irony is significant. Here were the gracious, strong voices of three young men at about the same age as the bomber, one person tried to destroy us with a black heart, and Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio reached out with the strength of heart to bring a sense of serene love to the audience.

I think the bombers underestimated the people of Massachusetts. This is the birthplace of Paul Revere, Robert Gould Shaw and John F. Kennedy. When it is necessary, we know how to fight and will but not as a first choice.

In the words of Shaw, “In theory it may seem all right to some, but when it comes to being made the instrument of the Lord’s vengeance, I myself don’t like it.”

This is also the place where Henry David Thoreau gave credence to “Civil Disobedience.” If you have an objection, there are ways in a civilized society to present them. We were hit without warning and I am deeply disturbed that is was not a fair fight. To this day, I do not understand why such cruelty was brought onto innocent people. The fact that on Monday we experienced hell on earth and by Friday, an ordinary citizen had aided in the capture of the bomber was as brilliant as it was bold. To see the best and worst of people all at once is overwhelming.

I hope to never experience such a state of fear again, however, I have some doubt about that. The wounded continue to tell their stories in different ways and continue to heal their broken bodies. The runners prepare daily for the next marathon. There are 80 days or so until the next race. The Boston Athletic Association reports as of January 21, 46 Elite Athletes from 13 Countries Invited for 118th Running on April 21.