Nick Ferrone is a real-estate agent by day and harmonica player by night. In this episode, he talks about his abiding appreciation for Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”

The Open Ears Project

[email protected] (Terrance McKnight, Nick Ferrone)

Nick Ferrone on Why Barber’s “Adagio” Gets a Bad Rap

MAY 27, 202424 MIN
The Open Ears Project

Nick Ferrone on Why Barber’s “Adagio” Gets a Bad Rap

MAY 27, 202424 MIN

Description

By day, Nick Ferrone is a Brooklyn real estate agent, but on most Saturday nights, he can be found playing the harmonica at Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook. As the seventh of eight kids, Ferrone reaped the benefits of being exposed to records that most kids his age weren’t listening to, including the one that inspired him to start playing the harmonica: “Giant Step” by Taj Mahal. He also serves as a board member for the Hillside Dog Park and is a passionate fine pencil artist. 

In this episode, Ferrone shares his love for Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” and explains why he thinks it gets a bad rap for being too funereal. He describes the beauty he hears in the music and reflects on how it accompanied him through his child’s heart surgery.