How I ended up trapped in a concert hall
listening to music I don't enjoy

Blazing Reader,

On Saturday afternoon, I found myself trapped in a concert hall listening to music I don't enjoy.

The pianist was exceptional, the singer was flawless, the grand piano was magnificent, and the acoustics were great. The only problem was: it was jazz. I don't dislike jazz, but neither do I like it. It rouses no feelings in me but boredom (with some rare Louis Armstrong exceptions).

This isn't a criticism of jazz. It's an impressive genre with lots of guts and feeling.

Just as Mozart is one of the greatest composers of all time, yet his music also bores me. Same with Chopin and Tchaikovsky. Yet I can't get enough of Bach, Beethoven, Handel and Vivaldi.

I 100% agree with the saying, "If it's Baroque, don't fix it."

The flyer for the concert simply said it was piano and vocals. It was at the church down the street and being held as a fundraiser for the parish's foodbank. For some reason, I assumed they'd be performing Schubert (which I also love) or Wagner (which I enjoy). I should have checked. Because, quite frankly, I'd rather have given double the donation and been out enjoying the good weather than sitting through Nat King Cole covers.

Life is too short not to do some upfront inquiry and screening before committing more than five minutes to an activity. We all have different tastes. That's why I offer a free preview of my novel, Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story. I tell people to read the prologue and the first chapter (or listen to the audio recording of me reading it to you) and if you're enjoying it then buy the book. If you're not, move on. Your time is too valuable to spend on things that don't feed you.

John C.A. Manley

PS "I finally purchased and read Much Ado About Corona," writes Sharon Aggson. "I couldn't put it down and I can't wait until the next book comes out... In fact, I might go read it again while I'm waiting."

PPS If you haven't yet, you can preview the prologue and chapter one here.

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/