I really appreciated this piece—thanks for this! I, too, had an immigrant dad who force-fed me classical music, hoping it might elevate me somehow. I also agree wholeheartedly that the concept of highbrow (and "brows" in general) is essentially a white classist construct.
Ha! The funny thing is that I play my baby so much Glenn Gould and Yo Yo Ma and I ask myself if I’m repeating what my dad did or just want her to appreciate great music.
I'd say both. We do our best to raise them right! My kids are now 21 and 17, but I used to use Take Five and Kind of Blue to put them down at night. To this day they get sleepy when they hear those tracks! And they can hold their own in music convos.
Yeah, this is great, as ever. Just pulled open the Baryshnikov article to read this afternoon. ("Misha" was a Fred Specktor client, during the Taylor Hackford/"White Nights" era.) Can't wait.
Oh wow. I’m a big White Nights fan. I tell everybody it’s basically part of a little group of films along with Spies Like Us and Rocky 4 that sort of sum up America about the win the Cold War schmaltz.
I pretty much live for the moments when I learn that another writer I like also listens to My Bloody Valentine.
Such good writing music.
I really appreciated this piece—thanks for this! I, too, had an immigrant dad who force-fed me classical music, hoping it might elevate me somehow. I also agree wholeheartedly that the concept of highbrow (and "brows" in general) is essentially a white classist construct.
Ha! The funny thing is that I play my baby so much Glenn Gould and Yo Yo Ma and I ask myself if I’m repeating what my dad did or just want her to appreciate great music.
I'd say both. We do our best to raise them right! My kids are now 21 and 17, but I used to use Take Five and Kind of Blue to put them down at night. To this day they get sleepy when they hear those tracks! And they can hold their own in music convos.
I guess this is the sign I needed to pull the trigger on one of the half dozen Baryshnikov vintage tees sitting on my eBay watchlist.
Also, if you haven’t read John Warner’s take on “Upmarket Fiction” @ the Biblioracle newsletter, you’d probably like it.
I will check it out!
Yeah, this is great, as ever. Just pulled open the Baryshnikov article to read this afternoon. ("Misha" was a Fred Specktor client, during the Taylor Hackford/"White Nights" era.) Can't wait.
Oh wow. I’m a big White Nights fan. I tell everybody it’s basically part of a little group of films along with Spies Like Us and Rocky 4 that sort of sum up America about the win the Cold War schmaltz.