Insect of my heart

posted by Amber Bell
Once, my friend Mirah sent me a box of chocolates from France. They came in a wooden box, with a diagram inside showing each chocolate’s ingredients. One was lavender with delicately crumbled nuts on top. One was triangular, and had honey in it. Each of them was decadent and divine, with subtle rich flavors that lasted a long time in my mouth and in my heart. Listening to Spectratone International last night was just like opening that box of chocolates again. The performance was an exquisite gift, carefully crafted and sweetly delivered.
First of all, the music was dedicated to insects. Dung Beetle, Fly, Cicada. There is special place in my heart for insects. It’s right next to the spot reserved for chocolate. The suite of songs was structured so that each insect was represented by three pieces of music. Each song was brilliantly composed and meticulously performed by Spectratone International. On top of it all, Mirah is an amazing songwriter. Maybe I’m biased, because she is my friend, after all. However, her lyrics blew my mind. After listening to little snippets of insect facts all summer long, (“did you know that literally translated, Beelzebub means ‘my lord who hums’?”) I was awed by the results of all those yellow lined pages and library books. Weighty vocabulary blended with carefully researched facts somehow alchemically turned into gorgeous and hilarious songs. I mean, a love song written by a fly to Mirah? In my eye, my love for you multiplies? The whole aria was brilliant. Brilliant. I hope you got to see it.