Last year I decided to embark on a fun new journey. I decided that I would take the time to experience as much of the great works of the great classical artists as possible.

I began this journey with Frederic Chopin purchasing a 17-CD collection that contained all of Chopin’s works and slowly, but diligently, listened to each compact disc in its entirety. I was a fun and most wonderful journey.

Chopin has been one of my favorite classical artists for years. His Preludes played in the background (on loop) for years and years as I went through the (seemingly never-ending) task of writing the detailed annual performance reports for the teachers on my staff when I was a principal. These took hours to write, and the Preludes brought me a sense of calm as I wrote, and wrote, and wrote.

Chopin still often accompanies my writing, of course. We’re old friends and his musical virtuosity is never too far from me when I need solace and calm as I struggle through research and the like as I craft yet another book, article, or even a detailed email.

Still, once I completed my Chopin experience, I knew there were other artists who also deserved my attention.

For Christmas last year, my wife bought me the complete works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 170 discs in all.

170 discs!

I am slowly making my way through Mozart. I have listened to 22 compact discs of the set thus far.

I have a long way to go, but I have already listened through all of Mozart’s symphonies and piano concertos.

The most fun I have in this process is when I hear an interlude, a passage, a movement, or a complete work that is “music to my ears” – notes or a melody that I have already experienced and came to enjoy – even if I didn’t know before that moment that that song was written by Chopin or Mozart.

As I was writing earlier today, the Adagio from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A came on – a piece I am thoroughly in love with – and it made my whole day just a little brighter.

One of the joys of retirement is that I now have the time (again) to write (West Point at Gettysburg, Volume 2 is coming along nicely) and as I write, I also can expand my knowledge and appreciation of music by spending time with these masters.

After completing Mr. Mozart, I plan to spend a long time with Johann Sebastian Bach and then Ludwig von Beethoven.

After that, I don’t have a plan where I will head.

All I do know is that I have hundreds and hundreds of hours of beautiful music to look forward to experiencing.