NPR’s Scott Simon talks with composer Jeff Beal about his new assortment of solo piano works, “The New York Etudes,” and about residing and dealing with a number of sclerosis.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
You doubtless heard Jeff Beal’s music with out realizing his identify.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “HOUSE OF CARDS MAIN TITLE THEME”)
SIMON: The composer wrote the theme to the Netflix Collection “Home of Playing cards,” and it earned him two of his 5 Emmys. The comedy collection “Monk” earned one other. Jeff Beal’s additionally scored dozens of flicks and documentaries. For the previous 17 years, he is been residing with an sickness that not solely modified his outlook on life however the way in which he makes music. Jeff Beal has a number of sclerosis. He simply launched the “New York Etudes,” a deeply private album of solo piano works and compositions. He joins us from California. Mr. Beal, thanks a lot for being with us.
JEFF BEAL: My pleasure, Scott. Thanks for having me.
SIMON: What led you to composing this album?
BEAL: You recognize, it wasn’t written in the course of the pandemic, however the concept for it was born in the course of the pandemic. Throughout my regular form of day job writing movie and tv music, I had the common alternative to be with numerous reside musicians, and I actually missed that reside musical expertise. My predominant instrument has all the time been trumpet. Like, on that theme to “Home Of Playing cards,” I am taking part in trumpet. However I’ve all the time performed piano. However I actually wished to make some music. And trumpet’s not the form of instrument you form of do for your self for amusement. So I began actually going again to this instrument, after which it form of wiped away numerous noise on this planet for me.
SIMON: Let’s hear a bit to the primary composition, “Riverside Revelations.”
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “RIVERSIDE REVELATIONS”)
SIMON: What impressed this piece?
BEAL: I keep in mind very properly in New York Metropolis, shortly after we moved there, the mayor of New York on the time mentioned it is OK to take off masks once you’re outdoors. And I keep in mind strolling by Riverside Park, which is the place we reside now, and simply seeing random human faces once more, Scott, and the way that factor that we took so simply with no consideration was so stunning and so hopeful.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “RIVERSIDE REVELATIONS”)
BEAL: And it was round this time of 12 months – it was form of spring, and issues have been blooming. And I had this renewed sense of hope about life and other people and the way fortunate we’re. And I believe the concept of gratitude and being grateful for one thing in life – it is not simply an perspective. I believe it is a selection.
SIMON: Do you imply we make a option to be comfortable?
BEAL: Effectively, happiness – I believe grateful. I believe gratitude is a selection. That is how I really feel about residing with MS, for instance. It is easy when you have got a persistent sickness and your physique’s not the identical to see your self as a sufferer. No, I made a decision very early on that I can not management that this has occurred to me, however I can management how I reply to it. Hear, there’s levels of anger and grief and mourning and disgrace that go into having any form of sickness. However for me, on the finish of the day, I understand how fortunate I’m, and I understand how fortunate I’m to be a musician and the way a lot that is given me.
SIMON: Might I ask simply this plainly, how does MS have an effect on you every single day?
BEAL: You recognize, like, proper now, there’s – a reasonably typical symptom is neuropathic pains. My legs are form of tingling slightly bit. That is form of a quite common factor. Early on within the prognosis, I had some bother cognitively with simply discovering phrases and simply – you already know, hear, I am a public individual. That was, like, form of terrifying. However, yeah, it is a day by day factor, and I believe the worst factor is basically the fatigue.
SIMON: Let me ask you a few second in your piece “The Extra Issues Change.”
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE”)
SIMON: It is one notice. Am I fallacious to listen to each ache and goal in that notice?
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE”)
BEAL: I believe that is a great description.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE”)
BEAL: I work from an intuitive area, however after I return and take heed to this, I hear this form of story about battle, about persistence. That is what being human is. Being human continues to be being the identical individual, having the fundamental Earth swimsuit, however having the ability and malleable to form of give up, I believe, to the concept of the shifting sands of life, of well being, of politics, of household, you already know, all this stuff.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE”)
BEAL: There is a seasonal side to the report. And it is humorous, I wrote this another in the direction of winter, and it additionally feels slightly extra autumnal and even wintery – form of that approach by which you go inside, and also you cocoon, and also you relaxation, and also you form of collect up your energy for the following battle.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S SONG, “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE”)
SIMON: I’ve learn that you just suppose the focus required in composing music has helped to stave off MS.
BEAL: You recognize, after I was first recognized, in fact, you get it, I acquired an MRI. And my spouse checked out it, and she or he, being far more medically educated than me, seen one thing very fascinating is that almost all of my preliminary MS lesions, that are form of the primary stage of MS injury – most of them have been in part of the mind referred to as the corpus callosum. That is really a really vital a part of the mind which connects the left and the appropriate hemispheres. It is also recognized to be hyper-developed in musicians. So I am going to always remember – we checked out that, and my spouse mentioned, have a look at the place all of your lesions are. And he or she simply checked out me, with this stunning look on her face, and she or he mentioned, now I do know why you have all the time been so busy writing since you knew that in an effort to hold your mind wholesome, you wanted to maintain this exercise going.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “GRATITUDE (HYMN)”)
BEAL: We hope perhaps there’s going to be a treatment and we’ll have the ability to remyelinate the mind, however for now, it is a persistent illness, proper? So I used to be in search of one thing hopeful. And actually, the hopeful information for anyone that has MS or has a stroke or something is that we have realized about this science referred to as mind plasticity, by which the mind is ready to actively rewire round broken areas. So I actually consider, Scott, that these previous 17 years, not simply taking part in the piano however day by day composing music and dealing intensely artistically on this medium, has been a very vital a part of protecting these connections lively – if there’s injury, rewiring round them. After which I have been very lucky additionally that the second stage of MS is form of grey matter atrophy. And I have been additionally very lucky in the truth that after 17 years, I have not had any considerable grey matter loss, and that is – I believe I can attribute this to numerous issues, one in every of them being music.
SIMON: Is there a bit of music you want us to listen to whereas going out?
BEAL: Effectively, how about quantity 4, which I devoted to my mother, Rosemary? She was the primary individual to play any of this music apart from me. She’s 90 years previous, residing in assisted residing.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “I’M WITH YOU (FOR ROSEMARY)”)
BEAL: It is one in every of my favorites. It is very melodic. It is also reflective of the truth that for those that are good intermediate pianists, we’re publishing the “Etudes,” and I might love for individuals to have the ability to play these and luxuriate in them as pianists.
(SOUNDBITE OF JEFF BEAL’S “I’M WITH YOU (FOR ROSEMARY)”)
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