Music is such an important part of my life and it breaks my heart when people say that they don't like classical music. It is just so pure and dramatic. Classical music can break your heart, fuel your hate fire, and empower you to change your life. To change your mind, I've compiled three of my absolute favorite pieces for you to listen to. I will also attach my Spotify playlist so you can listen on the go!

1. The Swan by Saint-Saëns

This is from a larger work called The Carnival of Animals and its proper French name is Le cygne, or Swan. This pretty much a staple in cello rep, but I just think it's gorgeous. "The Swan" is elegant and reminiscent of, you guessed it, a swan.

2. Pas de deux by Tchaikovsky

This is my favorite piece of music ever. If you've ever seen/ heard of The Nutcracker Ballet, then this should be sort of familiar. Pas de deux is a refreshing change from the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and offers a more dramatic flair to this gorgeous ballet. I'm also vary partial to this conductor's (Simon Rattle) rendition. It's more expressive than any other version I've listened to.

3. March to the Scaffold by Berlioz

God, this piece is stellar. Fun fact, Berlioz was obsessed with this prostitute and he wrote his Symphonie Fantastique in honor of her. This fourth movement in the symphony is about how he hypothetically was carried out to his death by hanging. At the end, you can hear the trumpets signal audience applause right after the drum roll because Berlioz is "dead." It's quite amazing.

For more here is my Spotify list: https://open.spotify.com/user/1248167071/playlist/...