When I was in second grade, my dad gave me a magazine's soundsheet recording of the third movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major. The movement's immediately accessible melody impressed me, so I did what seemed logical at the time. I plugged in my Fisher-Price record player and stretched the cord out so it would be close to the phone. I then called my grandpa and told him what a beautiful piece of music I'd just heard. I held the phone up to the record player while an orchestra played that movement.
It didn't occur to me that my grandpa might be taking a nap, reading, or planting seeds in his garden. It didn't dawn on me that he might not have been in the mood for Mozart at that moment. To his credit, though, when the movement finished, he said, "That's a nice piece of music."
I'd much rather be an adult than a kid. Still, there's a thrill of discovery you have as a kid that just isn't the same when you're older. Looking back, I'm glad I made that call--and that my grandfather was receptive to the music. I also appreciate my dad giving me that recording; I've heard a lot of moving pieces since then, but that Allegretto movement's melody appeals to me as much as it did over 40 years ago.
