Finally, the last of six story assignments! I hope you all have enjoyed reading these and that you have found something you've liked! On to story 6...
Professor speaks on similarities through deafness in late wife and famous composer
A Baylor University professor of musicology left many speechless at his personal connection to a famous composer through deafness.
Dr. Robin Wallace spoke in front music students and professors in Ellis Hall on April 29 about his recently published book, “Hearing Beethoven: A Story of Musical Loss and Discovery.”
In his book, Wallace connected the hearing loss of his late wife, Barbara, to Ludwig van Beethoven, a famous German composer and pianist. Just as Beethoven, Barbara experienced gradual hearing loss until she became completely deaf at the age of 47.
Although Wallace had a pre-existing interest in Beethoven, he felt that his experiences with Barbara allowed him to see a different perspective.
“When I realized how little meaningful stuff had really been written about Beethoven’s deafness beyond the usual stereotypes, I realized that this was a wide-open field to write about,” Wallace said.
Wallace wants others around the country to view Beethoven in a different light than how he is typically portrayed through other books.
“Beethoven was a human being like the rest of us. He was not a superhero that could do things that nobody else could do,” Wallace said. “People are aware of his deafness, but I want people to connect that with the idea that he was a human being whose human experiences make him understandable."
Through Wallace’s book, he has been able to reach individuals he wouldn’t have reached otherwise, including Mandy Harvey, a deaf contestant who took part in the twelfth season of America’s Got Talent.
Wallace is hoping that his book will fill a niche for a book about music that people will enjoy reading.
“I occasionally hear from people who will write me emails out of the blue saying that ‘this really corresponds with my experience or my mother’s experience,’” Wallace said. “(The book) was designed as a trade book, which means not just a book that will be read by academics. As a trade book, it was designed to speak to an audience that wouldn’t normally read this type of book.”
Missouri State University professor of music history Dr. James Parsons feels the connection Wallace made between Barbara and Beethoven brought in an important way to view life.
“Bad stuff happens to good people. I really do believe that when bad stuff happens that we have a choice: we can fall apart and decide we’re a victim or decide that bad things happen and that we don’t want to be a victim,” Parsons said.
Parsons feels that listeners can find aspects of this life lesson throughout many pieces of Beethoven’s music.
“We can listen to (Beethoven’s) music and there are moments of extreme joy, and this is coming from a composer that went through a lot of stuff that didn’t create extreme joy.”
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