Day 266: Richard Rodgers

People often ask me who my favorite composer is or who I aspire to be like when I grow up. Without a doubt my answer is and probably always will be Richard Rodgers. For those who may not know, he was one of the greatest musical theater composers of all time. He wrote shows including but not limited to, South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma, and The Sound of Music. His music touches my soul every time I hear it. His ballads make you fall in love or cry, his waltzes make you want to dance, and his up tempos just make you feel good. He composed in such a simplistic way and yet when these simple tunes were put together, they formed complex masterpieces that were richer than any Mozart opera. If you are wondering what this has to do with my college adventures, I will tell you. In my AMT class, we are spending this week and the next week talking about Richard Rodgers and his three careers. One was with Lorenz Hart, the second with Oscar Hammerstein II, and the final is everything else. If you want to listen to some of my favorite things start with the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma. That's the very beginning (for R&H anyway), which is a very good  place to start.