Elevate the timeless tales of beloved childhood stories by infusing them with music! From rekindling nostalgic memories to creating new ones, music can profoundly impact our favorite literary adventures. (Stay tuned for a special glimpse behind the scenes with the composer who brought this magic to life.) Tune in for a journey where melodies transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
I’m Mindy Peterson, host of Enhance Life with Music podcast, where we explore the ways music makes our lives better. And this is Microhance, a micro-dose of musical enhancement.
Today’s Microhance tip is to notice ways music enhances your enjoyment of something otherwise NOT music-related.
I love books and reading. I am a library nerd. My favorite part of parenting young children involved storybooks – re-reading and introducing favorite storybooks from my childhood to my kids; discovering new favorites with my kids; experiencing story-time at our local library with my kids; and observing what books they gravitated toward and picked out at the library or bookstore.
One of those favorite series from my childhood that I got to re-read and introduce to my children were the Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel, first published in the 70s. My kids are now in college, and have the same warm memories of these enduring characters that I have.
Imagine my delight when I discovered that the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis was presenting the Broadway musical, A Year with Frog and Toad. I attended opening night, just this past Saturday, with my good friend and her three-year-old… and was utterly enchanted! This heart-warming story of friendship – throughout all seasons – was even more touching and humorous when set to music. (In fact, stay tuned, because an upcoming episode will be featuring the mastermind composer who made this magic happen!)
It was an enlightening rediscovery of music’s ability to increase the depth and impact and richness of everything it touches.
If you notice music enriching an experience not typically associated with music, I’d love to hear about it. And if you live anywhere near Minneapolis, and would like to smile for two hours straight and have an renewed appreciation for the friends in your life, warts and all, catch A Year with Frog and Toad at Children’s Theatre Company before it ends June 16.
I’ll include pictures in the show notes of my evening introducing my 3-year-old friend and her mom to my old friends Frog and Toad.
You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
I’m Mindy Peterson, and I hope this inspires you to enhance your life with music.
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