Note for note.

The designation “key note speaker” means the person at the top of the billing, the person you came to hear, the V.I.P. of the day. Note the word – Note. A very interesting word as it applies to lots of different things. Here goes – my take on a Noteworthy word.

When it comes to perfumes or scented candles, seldom are fragrances just one scent. More often than not there may be several fragrances blended together. Such is the case with a candle collection called Wine Country. Here’s how it works. The “keynote” speaker, as it were, is the fragrance you identify first. This is the “top note”. Next comes the middle layer, often called the “heart” note. These are subtle, complimentary and mellow. Finally comes the “base note” earthy, warm fragrances that complete the overall aroma and deliver the lingering effects of the fragrance.

Descriptions about the taste of wine, for example, include phrases like - notes of apricots, pears or peaches; floral bouquet; the complexity of notes or other comparisons that sound really affluent and intelligent. Wine connoisseurs are often like that.

Everyone is a fragrance expert, a connoisseur, entitled to their opinion, and the opinion of an “expert” is relevant only unto themselves. Just my humble opinion. Combinations and variations are endless. That’s why there are so many different perfumes in a department store, or spices in the spice rack. And the spice rack in a kitchen in Boise, Idaho is going to be different than the one in a kitchen in Casablanca, Morocco. (made you think about the movie, right?)

Admittedly it really is difficult to describe a fragrance, a taste, or a color. Why? Because human beings are all different.  We like what we like.

With this in mind, the Copper Canyon collection came together as an idea for candles to represent colors of the Southwest with rocky cliffs and cool water that created the canyon over time. Notes of orange, sandalwood and patchouli seemed unusual first, but the blend has proved successful. 

 Connecting the notes. Notes are the building blocks of music. Music is measured. Flavors and fragrance notes are meticulously measured. Time signatures in music are as significant as flavor signatures in recipes. The desire to create something in balance and harmony is true for so many things in life. From the flavor designer in the kitchen (A.K.A. chef), to the conductor of the orchestra (A.K.A. maestro) we are the grateful beneficiaries of their other-worldly talents. There are also such things that are, well, magical. Notes in blues and jazz music, that exist outside the natural scale are referred to as Blue Note. A mind-blowing concept for those of us who like to draw inside, not outside, the lines.

This is a collage image of our son, Matt Buttermann and his wife Ceren Yasoroglu, jazz musicians. The recording was made on their New York City apartment fire escape during the pandemic quarantine. Music makes things better.

 Here's the real kicker. Fragrances and sounds bring back detailed memories. A song that was playing on the radio when …….  The aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies when …. “The Wizard of OZ” film was broadcast on TV. Memories are the measure of our humanity.

Notes, single, layered or mixed together, contain an enormous amount of information for each of us. They are complex and important because they carry history in their DNA.

The building blocks of a special event begin with good intentions and plans to end on a good note. We invite family, friends and the key note V.I.P. Set the table – with candles, of course. Just like the Beach Boys’ song “Good Vibrations”:

I love the colorful clothes she wears
And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair
I hear the sound of a gentle word
On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air

The music transports us to another time and place but the description of the colors, sounds and perfume is so vivid and charming we envision the scene as if it was our own memory. Notes that still ring in our ears and in our hearts. Keeping mindful of the consciousness that unites us all to value kindness, peace and love is note-worthy now and always. 

 Thanks for listening. Thanks for considering the source and sharing the idea from Eleanor Roosevelt that “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”