The Orchestra in My Head

March 4th, 2011 | by Friday Feature | 15 Comments

Chelsea Dyreng is the daughter of a fireworks salesman and Miss Malibu. She lives in North Carolina, is the mother of four picky eaters, and is married to the paragon of animals (Hamlet II, ii). You can see more of her writing at turkeyboysgirls.blogspot.com and mermaidtreehouse.blogspot.com.

I open my eyes and hear Clair de Lune
and it stays that way until a child awakes.
By the time the forth child rises
the Flight of the Bumblebee has taken over
and it plays all through breakfast, hair-combing,
piano practice and morning prayers.
Once everyone gets in the car, Bumblebee turns into
The William Tell Overture but it ends abruptly
when the kids are dropped off at school.
Then there are a variety of pieces:
Handel’s Water Music for errands,
Bizet’s Carmen for shopping and
The Night on Bald Mountain
for the fruit flies in my kitchen.
Loading and unloading the dishwasher is always
the Moonlight Sonata–
tedious, dark and monotonous,
even though it only takes about five minutes.
When the kids get off the bus,
Bernstein’s Candide opens in all its flames and glory
and doesn’t stop for hours.
That is when I long for Gershwin,
and finally when Daddy opens the door it is
Rhapsody in Blue
and I take a long, deep, breath.

But by dinnertime the orchestra is at it again
with the Bumblebee and William Tell,
sometimes even the last bit of the 1812 Overture
–you know, the one with the cannons?
Bedtime is complicated…
Peter and the Wolf during story-reading, and then–
depending on the night–
it can be either Fur Elise or
In Hall of the Mountain King
before finally the children are asleep.
Then it is Sinatra in the bathtub,
Holst’s Jupiter while I read,
and Nella Fantasia
as I slip under the covers next to the man I love.
I close my eyes to Canon in D and I sleep
until I hear the gentle notes
of Claire de Lune
and open my eyes.

Anaise

We go to sleep to the Canon in D every single night–every single night for 8 years, and I have yet to get tired of it–if anything I love it more.
Liz

Oh, this is absolutely fantastic. Sometimes I do hear a musical score of my day; this has articulated that score above and beyond what I could have imagined. My new goal, however, is to wake to the sounds of Clare de Lune. I don’t ever wake to that. My waking feels more like a screeching violin.
melissa

Awesome. I’ve been thinking about the soundtrack of my day. I think it’s In The Hall of the Mountain King from sun up to sundown. Once the kids are in bed, it’s Barry White.
Kate

I needed this post today! I’ve been missing playing my cello in an orchestra and these pieces brought back so many memories. Thank you!
Metta

Chelsea, what a great way to capture the day! Having a soundtrack in my life and in my house makes my days so much richer!
Wade

I think you get an intimate glimpse into who a person really is when you know what songs are playing in the soundtrack to their life. Here are a few of mine…judge me kindly.

Waking up: Fanfare for the Common Man – Copland

Mid-Afternoon Pick-Me-Up: Rhythm of the Night – Moulin Rouge version

Lying down by the boys at night: Simple Gifts – The Yo Yo Ma & Alison Krauss version

Any time with Anne: True Companion – Marc Cohn
Marylpugh

Love it! My itunes expenses just went up about $15! Thank you for this. What a wonderful way to view your day.
Anne

My day feels so much more interesting now that I’m trying to soundtrack it. I love that you make time for Claire de Lune. Thank you for sharing this, thank you for writing POETRY!, thanks for playing at Hey Nonny!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chelsea-Bagley-Dyreng/794415199 Chelsea Bagley Dyreng

Ha! that is funny. I have screeching violin mornings, too. And violins screeching in the middle of the night…sometimes several times a night….
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chelsea-Bagley-Dyreng/794415199 Chelsea Bagley Dyreng

LOVE Barry White….
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chelsea-Bagley-Dyreng/794415199 Chelsea Bagley Dyreng

Thank you, Anne, my new friend!
Mikehansenfamily

Some days a diamond and some days

O Fortuna
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
Sors immanis Fate – monstrous
et inanis, and empty,
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
status malus, you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis and always fades to
nothing,
obumbrata shadowed
et velata and veiled
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
Mikehansenfamily

I am thinking my last comment was very depressing. Sorry. My point was that Mr. Denver and Mr. Orff basically treat the same up-and-down changes from day to day. But what a difference in form! I guess I’m a little bit country and a little bit sturm und drang.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chelsea-Bagley-Dyreng/794415199 Chelsea Bagley Dyreng

I thought that was fascinating, Mike. Depressing, yes, but honest.
I love John Denver, but I had to look up that song since I didn’t recognize it. Of course i am familiar with O Fortuna…my kids like to turn that one up LOUD in the van.

Some day the play list in your head will change, Mike. That is the wonderful thing about music…you can’t listen to the same song forever. Sooner or later your situation will change and so will the music. I look forward to when your mental orchestra is playing some thing lighter…like the maybe the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies…
Lj Wilson

What a fun thing to think about, the soundtrack of my day…..lately it has been spanish guitars as I lie by the pool. I know, hate me, my life is rough. Hey, I put in my time raising eight kids!

Hey Nonny

Then sigh not so, but let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe
Into hey nonny nonny. (Much Ado About Nothing II.iii)