MY CONNECTION TO GERMANY THROUGH MUSIC

Alexander Diefenbach ‘23

I’ve always felt a connection to Germany, especially through music; my cello connects me to my cultural heritage. Music in my German family is very important. My entire family on my Dad’s side goes to concerts or the theater. My cousin on my Dad’s side, Anna, plays the bassoon, which has such a warm and welcoming tone. We always travel to Germany in the summer and for Thanksgiving; my German family visits us in New York as well. When we are together my cousin Anna and I play music together, which is fun and exhilarating. Every vibration of the string is a new marvelous feeling. Having a family in Germany that also plays an instrument improves my connection and bond with them. When I grow up I want to preserve and honor the cultural heritage that comes from my father’s side of my family through music. I always knew that music and my German culture were important to me, but until now I never thought about how they were connected.

Cello is one way I connect to my German culture. Every time I perform my cello either here or in Germany I feel a burst of excitement. Although playing an instrument isn’t exclusively a European tradition, I still feel a special connection to Europe because of the composers

Beethoven and Bach, two very famous composers who were both born in Germany. Mozart was born in Austria, but he also studied music in Germany. Having this special connection with these composers even if they were born over 300 to 400 years ago is very fascinating. Music is a very important part of German culture even today. Sometimes when I walk in the streets of Frankfurt, or Memmingen I hear people playing classical music and it really lifts the spirits of the streets. In the United States, you rarely see people playing instruments, and when you do, it’s almost always modern music and not classical. In this age of pop, rap, and rock music, classical music is dying. Not many people care about “old music.” As a classical musician, I feel it is my duty to make sure this marvelous style of music does not die. When I was young and traveled to Germany with my German nanny Petra, it was always so easy to rent a cello because there are so many music schools willing to rent instruments to traveling children. The fact that I could rent a cello on a different continent made me feel so at home because the cello is so important to me. I am also so grateful that Petra was always there to practice with me both in Germany and here. One of the most prestigious orchestras in the entire world is in Berlin and although I have never seen them perform live, I always enjoy listening to them. The goal of a section in an orchestra is to be perfectly synchronized; the Berlin Philharmonic masters this synchronization beautifully. Even when I am not in Germany I still perform my cello. A week ago I performed for the people at All-Souls. My mom always tells me that I was given a gift, and part of that gift is to bring joy to people who have none. There are many aspects of Germany that I love. I love every second of playing cello with my cousin, every note played by the Berlin Philharmonic, every smile my nanny gives me when practicing with me, and every emotional comment my parents give me when I finish my performance. I love my father for sharing his traditions from his culture and childhood with me. When I grow up I want to be the dad to my children that my dad was to me and make sure that our special heritage and connections are not forgotten. I finally understand that my connection to music and my German culture are connected. To me, Germany will always have a special place in my heart, but I think the thing besides my Dad that connects me most to Germany is music. Next time you see your parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, ask them about your heritage and maybe you’ll learn something new.

Reflection

This essay was very hard for me. At the beginning of writing this essay, I had too much information and had to narrow down my focus; this was the hardest part of writing this essay. I would like to thank my mom and my dad for helping with the ideas and proofreading. Most of the topics mentioned in this essay weren’t too new to me. What I did learn was how connected my German roots and music are.

Essay Rough Draft

When I hear the words “roots” I instantly think of my father and his ties with Germany. I’ve always felt a connection to Germany, whether it’s through Music, Traditions, and Sports. All of these topics are important to me and every time I’m in Germany with my family, I feel a burst of excitement. I was born into two cultures, the American one that surrounds me and the German which comes from my father. My father was born and raised in a small town outside of Frankfurt. He came to America when he was 25 to study psychology. I always enjoyed how he shared his traditions from his homeland with me; that’s what I want to do with my future children. I would want my children to learn another language, play an instrument, and understand the special relationship we have between Germany and European culture. When I grow up I want to preserve and honor the cultural heritage that comes from my father’s side of my family through Music, Traditions, and Family. One of the ways I connect to my German heritage is through the cello. Although playing an instrument isn’t a European tradition, I still feel a special connection to Europe because of the composers. Beethoven and Bach, two very famous composers, were both born in Germany. Mozart was born in Austria but studied music in Germany. I am also so grateful that my guardian Petra was always there to practice with me, and when she wasn’t there I would mostly practice with my mom. I always enjoy performing and entering competitions. Something else that makes my connection to music special is my cousin. My entire family on my dad’s side is in Germany. My cousin Annie. Annie plays the Basson and when she comes to visit us in New York, we play together. Having family in Germany that also plays an instrument improves my connection and bond with them. The cello will always have a special place in my heart. Every Thanksgiving my family and I go to Germany after we have Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunts house. Flying on Thanksgiving night is a great time to fly because there is almost never traffic and only international flyers are at the airport so it makes it much less crowded. We land at the Frankfurt airport and spend some time with my cousins on my dad’s side. One of my favorite parts about visiting Frankfurt is the Christmas markets. Even though it is only November I am always surprised by how cold it is and the amount of Christmas decorations are up. Some of the Christmas stands serve hot apple cider and it makes you feel so warm inside, especially on a long day. The cider makes you feel so calm and relaxed and it is just breathtaking. After visiting Frankfurt we drive to Gießen, a city 40 miles north of Frankfurt. Here we spend a couple of days with my cousins on my dad’s side. Sometimes I play soccer with my cousins and it is exciting. Even though there much older than me and better than me I always enjoy facing them because I love challenges. Something else we do sometimes in Frankfurt and Gießen is watch the Bundesliga. The Bundesliga is a german football league and my team Bayern München is the best in the league. Watching the Bundesliga and playing soccer with my cousins when in Germany will always have a special place in my heart. After we’ve spent some time in Frankfurt we go to a small town about two hours away from Munich called Memmingen. Memmingen is a town in Bavaria and is the hometown of my loving nanny Petra who has none since I was 12 hours old. When we are in Memmingen we spend time in the town and go to restaurants. My favorite meal is Wiener Schnitzel. Schnitzel is breaded veal served with lingonberries and it is delicious and full of flavor. One thing we did new this year was visit the Schwarzwald. The Schwarzwald is a place in southern Germany full of mountains and in the winter it’s all covered in snow. Being born in a family of hikers, hiking is something we do there regularly and once we get to the top the views are breathtaking. At the Schwarzwald, they serve the best sausages and the cakes there are outstanding. My Uncle makes the best schwarzwälder kirschtorte, and the best part is I help him with it. The schwarzwälder kirschtorte is a cherry cake with a lot of schlagsahne (whipped cream) and a chocolate filling. The best part is the cherries on top. Although we celebrate other traditions like Easter egg hunts or Christmas tree decorating, going to Germany during Thanksgiving will always have a special place in my heart.

All of these topics mentioned are important to me and these topics are my culture. I love all of the customs and traditions we do on the holidays, every second of playing soccer with my family, Every step taken on the mountain until you can see that breathtaking view, All the delicious foods that I taste when I’m at my second home. I love my father for sharing his traditions from his culture and childhood with me. When I grow up I want to be the dad to my children that my dad was to me and make sure that our special heritage and connections are not forgotten. To me, Germany will always have a special place in my heart.