The White Seal and Beethoven: How I learned to love classical

I know exactly how and when I started to love classical music. It was when I was maybe five years old, and my parents took me to the local library to watch The White Seal, an animated film, being shown on the 16mm projector. The movie was a hit, I loved it.

Back in 1977, before there were VCRs (remember those?) or the internet, you had to hold on to your memories and experiences more dearly, as you knew you would be unlikely to ever see things like movies a second time. You had exactly one chance to take it all in, and cherish it forever.

That perhaps explains why I was so excited later that week when my father told me that he had the music to the White Seal! It was Beethoven's 6th Symphony, and he knew just the right spot to put on to convince me it was the real deal - the Shepherd's Song.

Thus begun a phase where I would not go to sleep without The White Seal music playing from the LP. Only that one time did Dad jump straight to the ending - from then on the piece was started properly, from the beginning! As the Shepherd's song was the 5th movement in the piece, a full 27 minutes in, I had to lie awake for a half hour before my beloved seal came swimming back to me.

No matter, I soon found new highlights to listen for. Dad explained to me how Beethoven had captured the songs of three birds and composed them into the first movement. And then there was the scene of peasants dancing. But nothing compared to the storm! The storm, how it chases those frolicking peasants away, clamoring for shelter in the face of Nature's wrath! That's the kind of music that can keep a kid awake!

Beethoven's 6th Symphony continues to be some of my favorite music ever created. It's all the more special as it will always be The White Seal music to me, and because it marked the beginning of a life of musical discovery and richness that I am forever thankful for.