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Music and All Its Glory, Juror’s Prize Essay in Music, 2019 Art Writing Challenge!

Dear readers, as we publish the cash prize and honorable mention winners in the 2019 Art Writing Challenge, we'd like to thank everyone who took the time to share their writing with us and congratulate all the winners! This year’s turnout was truly encouraging and we can’t wait to share the “Best of the New Art Writing Contest Anthology” book with you in 2020. Thanks also to Mari Shaw, whose generosity and support of local art writing allowed us to offer our biggest prizes to date.

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Photo courtesy the author
Photo courtesy the author

Music and All Its Glory
by Rose Deslorges

From an early age, my father infused the notion of music into my infantile brain. It became his obligation to introduce me to a variety of music selections to sprout a sort of musical interest. His attempts were not vain, as I pursued music for recreational purposes because music possesses such a magical quality, a trait not discovered in any other art form. From music stems intensified emotions, buried and suppressed in the depths of the heart, pleading for expression. There is an abundance of power flowing throughout a string of notes that arouses our subconscious and unshackles imprisoned emotions—emotions unable to be conveyed through spoken or written language. Music carries abandoned memories of past experiences, childhood happiness, and teenage dreams. Music seizes me into a trance, and I allow it to, succumbing to the euphoric feels and satisfaction. It grants a brief stage of relief from harsh realities, which is why many of us dash to it when in need of an escape. It has a motherly presence, there to console. It resembles a best friend; there for advice. It is similar to a lover who prioritizes your joy.

I’ve experienced music as a performer, a member of the audience, and a listener, and I have uncovered a thrill in all positions. As a performer, the audience’s energy is most rewarding, and it propels me to emphasize my moves, as the other students in the ensemble vanish and I am the composer of the piece, releasing the sorrow or content I intended to express, my bow skimming the strings as a rich, alto sound bounces off, and my fingers dance to the notes. As an audience, the way a performer presents a certain piece live, adds an extra dimension to the experience. There is an adrenaline rush that pulsates through my veins, that permits my heart to accelerate its rhythmic beat, as I am consumed by a sudden surrealistic feeling. Then, there is a refusal to remain still, and I begin moving rhythmically to the beat. As a listener, I like to envision myself as the artist on stage, executing my choreography and singing. It induces in me an uplifted feeling, and I become contented, embracing music and its magnificence.


Bio

My name is Rose Deslorges and I am a senior at the Philadelphia High School for Girls. I enjoy writing and I hope to one day publish my own book. I play the viola and another hobby of mine is photography.

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