play it rite

Musical rites are not something most people think of on a daily occurance, but if you think hard enough, you'll probably realize that experienced at least one today. Church is the most common place to hear a musical rite: the organ processional for the entrance of the choir, a hymn for the offertory, etc. Weddings and funerals are two other occasions where one will most likely hear music as part of tradition. Thankfully, I've experienced more in nuptual settings than at wakes, but that has to do more with the fact that I'm a violinist, and people always want violinists at weddings. I can't tell you how many times I've played Canon in D; Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring; Trumpet Voluntary; The Bridal March; and so on. (However, I still manage to find a way to screw up.) You'll also find musical rites at graduations, i.e. the Alma Mater, and Pomp and Circumstance; and if you're Connie, maybe something composed by Dr. Berry! Another occasion where you'll hear a rite is on your birthday (most likely). Even if your friends don't sing to you, just go to an Outback Steakhouse or Applebees and a group of complete strangers will sing a song for you with nearly unidentifiable text along with a slice of apple pie...for free!

There are quite a few overlooked musical rites that happen daily, sometimes repeatedly. One example is bells which mark the change of the hour. For instance, the bells in the tower of Wilson Hall, First Pres., Westminster Abbey. And with modern technology, "music" is becoming even more of a rite through cell phones. I may be stretching it a little bit, but those of us who wake up to a cell phone alarm are experience a musical rite every morning when we roll out of bed, not to mention when we get phone calls and one of our 23 real song ringtones starts blasting. Anyone who has hung out with Wanda Sanders for more than 5 minutes knows which tune indicates whether she's got a text message, voicemail, or if one of her not so favorite people are calling her (joking). Some Verizon phones even have a ringtone which is a pretty accurate (other than key area) reproduction of the pizzicato movement from Ravel's string quartet. Now you're going to be hunting down a Verizon customer tomorrow.