(C) 2024, Isaiah Jacobs
What does Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have in common? From a view of music theory or classical music interests, probably nothing. Classical music and CMT is a different story. As far as I know, Mozart did not have CMT disease.
When I attended college, I didn’t anticipate having to take a class in music and arts. The class was called “Aesthetic Experience.” Most of the students on campus called it “Anesthesia Experience.” I wasn’t one of them because I’d already been exposed to the value of the arts. Further, my father played classical music around the house, introducing me to it at a young age. I grew up in the Washington D.C. metro area where we had a 24/7/365 classical music station that was incredibly awesome, WGMS 103.5 FM. The announcers had an awesome sense of humor coupled with making the music more entertaining and interesting than their Public Radio counterparts.
The college course educated me about music and art history. Part of the course requirements was to attend classical music concerts and visit art galleries. I enjoyed that because it got me off campus for a bit and helped to discover that Nashville had more than just country music performances! After attending an event, we had to write about it using some of the theories or techniques and terminologies we were taught in class, much like writing a review. Fortunately for me, I learned quite a bit in the class that I had not known before.
After I graduated from college, it wasn’t long before I discovered how the beauty of classical music can help relieve stress for the CMT patient. I learned that if I play classical music while doing things around my apartment or even while reading, I could feel the stress immediately melt away- especially works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Mozart composed 600 works over his short thirty-five years of life (1756-1791). He was a musical genius at a very young age. Many scholars and music lovers will say that he never wrote a wrong note. All I know is that I enjoy every piece of music he wrote, whether I hear it at a concert, on the radio, or on a CD recording. He is one of my favorite composers.
In the early days of life, when I was trying to learn about CMT and taking care of myself, the discovery of Mozart’s music was often a way for me to relax, escaping the health challenges- at least for a while. The gentleness, as I call it, is an amazing experience that I highly recommend to anyone struggling with the neurological side of CMT.
I recently found a classical music streaming service that provides many hours of concerts. Between that, satellite radio, and my compact disc library, I plan to spend my day listening and watching, as it may be, much of Mozart’s music today.
Happy 268th Birthday, Mozart.