Ashley Hope Smith, Mu•sic

Ashley Hope Smith

Mu•sic

Mu· sic /~/ n. 1. A combination of sounds, like that of Copland or Handel, that evoke emotion and produce beauty and harmony. 2. A sound perceived as seemingly harmonious: Starting small / melodies and chords drawing you in like a wormhole / Starting to swell / Tempos pushing and pulling like gooey caramel / Dynamics gradually getting louder till halted by a bell / Starting at tempo again / Flowing freely like cursive written in ink pen / Mood starting to change with the plucking of a violin / Starting to grow / Images of sugar plum fairies dancing on their toes / wind chimes twinkle as snowflakes “blow” / Floating through the theatre / Girls gleefully dancing the "Waltz of the Flowers" / An adagio shared between the Prince and Clara / Creating an arch / The timbre starts to darken as the toy soldiers march / Picking up speed / Starting to tremble / Minor and augmented chords fill the air / A crescendo in the strings / Fear prevails at the arrival of the Rat King / A battle ensues / A crash in the percussion / A clashing of swords / Wood against metal / Mimicked in the orchestra / Later a magical swirl throughout the percussion and winds / The nutcracker transforms into a prince after having won the battle / Snowflakes / Sugar Plums / Flowers / Rats and toy soldiers / And a nutcracker prince / All perhaps a dream / Mapped out through a musical bliss.