There was something going on in his mind that could only be described as magical.
He was a young man – late 20s or early 30s. He wasn’t dressed for airport travel. His clothing would have been more appropriate for drinking a few beers on a chilly back porch. He had long hair and a slightly tattered jacket. Most people, including us, would consider his behavior to be, well … odd.
As we stood waiting in line at Heathrow Airport, he was on his knees, bending forward, working on his laptop computer. His computer was lying flat on the floor. Every few minutes, as the line slowly moved forward, he would scoot the laptop ahead a few feet. He would then crawl up behind it and continue working – tapping, tapping, tapping on the keyboard.
His total attention was riveted to that computer screen. I had to see what he was doing, so I peered over his shoulder. The screen looked like a nearly blank page of sheet music. As his tap, tap, tapping continued, I could see what looked like musical notes popping up on the screen. Apparently, he was using a program to write music on his laptop computer. While he was waiting in a crowded airport line and crawling on his knees, he continued writing. He did not waste a single minute of creative time.
He wasn’t singing or even humming. He was obviously writing music on the laptop, but what was he hearing in his head? It seemed like magic. I could only imagine what he was hearing in mind. Was it rock and roll? An anthem? Something classical? The only thing I could think of was that something miraculous or magical was happening in that long, slow line at Heathrow Airport.
I saw him again on our short flight from Heathrow to Dublin. He had his laptop on the fold-down tray. Still, he was quietly tapping out music that existed only in his head. Oh, how I would love to know what music, what magic, what miracle came out of that experience. Was he part of a band or a musical group? Did he work for a church or choir? I’ll never know, but I want to believe that the music he was writing brought smiles and joy to the hearts of the people who eventually heard or played his music.
Music is an absolute miracle to me. I have no musical talent. Occasionally, and totally by accident, I might hit the right note or sing a melody in tune, but the whole concept of harmony amazes me. How anyone can shift from melody to harmony is beyond me, but the blending of notes, tones and voices into various harmonic sounds is pure beauty and magic. I think it borders on miraculous.
The haunting beauty of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” brought tears to my eyes and filled my soul. The pounding beat and rhythm that is combined with humor that makes the stage performance of “Stomp” such a mountain-top happening is music at its most majestic and magical.
We are blessed here in Wilmington that we don’t have to go to Broadway or even the Ohio Theatre, the Aronoff Center or the Schuster Theater to experience the magic of live musical theater, or the sheer miracle of combined voice, music and story.
In that incubator of talent that is the Theater Department of Wilmington College, our dear friend Hugh Heiland spent a lifetime teaching, grooming and setting a standard for excellence that has carried on from 1947 to today. Hugh’s passion for performance and talent has been passed, like a torch, to people like Wynn Alexander, Steven Haines, Lois Hock, Bryan Wallingford, Becky Haines, Timothy Larrick, Cole Haugh, Gina Beck and Matt Spradlin.
This new generation of artists continue to entertain and inspire this whole community with drama, comedy and music. What a blessing they are to all of us.
Holidazzle will be here this weekend to officially kick-off our Christmas season. This Saturday the Clinton County Community Band will gather to play for us. Merry Tuba will bring their big brass sound to the Murphy stage and the blended voices of Wilmington High School students will resonant throughout Clinton County Courthouse. After weeks of rehearsal for the 2016 Murphy Christmas show, dozens of people are ready to bring us this extraordinary event. Performers, old and young, are preparing to sing and dance us into the holiday season.
For many of us, the Christmas season starts with the Murphy Christmas Show. Maybe that young man in line at Heathrow Airport was writing a Christmas carol or maybe he was preparing a Christmas show. He certainly seemed to be inspired. Regardless, the holiday season is now upon us.
When you see a friend next week, smile. In your heads, you may both be hearing the same Christmas music.
Miracles do happen.
