Awash in Music
Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • January 22, 2024
I am sitting and listening to my son’s piano lesson. Other children and teenagers are taking lessons in separate rooms. I am awash in a myriad of musical notes, scales and compositions, all flowing from different rooms. It’s pleasing and relaxing albeit a cacophony of different sounds. It’s lovely but also, it makes me feel sad for I begin to think of how much Quaker’s missed because music was forbidden by the meeting for so long.
It also makes me realize why William Mitchell loved it. As I have noted before, Maria Mitchell’s father was a bit of a wayward Quaker. He loved bright colors, music, singing – everything that was frowned upon by Quakers (well, he did not smoke or drink – or at least I have not seen anything about that!). And, because of this, he found himself in trouble quite a bit. A very intelligent and clever man, he did manage to find his way out of this dilemma – he was very good at talking his way out of trouble. Another check mark for his intelligence. But for the rest of the people deprived, just think of what music does for you – it calms you, makes you happy or sad, energizes you, brings joy. For the most part, they missed that. Yes, they could hear it coming from other churches and spaces, but they could not sit and enjoy it themselves – or play an instrument.
JNLF
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The concrete floors have been cleaned and stabilized in the Astronomical Study cellar and the Dome Room. The Pillar Room floor will need warmer temperatures as the epoxy we are putting on the floor cannot cure properly. This is because the floor of the Pillar Room sits directly on the ground – there is no cellar beneath– and the pillar for the telescope located in this space goes directly down into the ground. This is done so that if there is any movement in the building, the telescope itself will not move or shake. While we wait for that final treatment of the Pillar Room floor, the electrician has moved in. He has replaced the very old wiring – but kept the original switch knobs for the glass plates built into the bookshelves. These glass plates are from the 1920s – most were taken at the Maria Mitchel Observatory. We have restored push button light switches – they more than likely had those as we had them in our former Science Library – now Research Center – and bronzed switch plates that are more in keeping with the time period. We have removed the 1980 track lighting and placed four larger ceiling lights in their place. The Study never had ceiling lights or sconces – just task lighting – but we do need better lighting than that so we located some lighting that is in-keeping with the period and the use of the building. Other switches and lights are being updated – the wiring in particular. Pen Austin will some come in to make a few small lime plaster repairs from the track lighting – interesting construction that revealed itself upon taking down the track lights. Lime plaster, concrete, chicken wire, wood, and some much older looking nails than I expected for 1922. A thank you to Brian Connor Electric and to Elizabeth Markle for help sourcing the lights. JNLF
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