Hearing the Music on the Prairie

Mason City is a place of music. I found myself admiring the Prairie School-style architecture of the Historic Park Inn Hotel where Frank Lloyd Wright once stayed. But it was the sound of music that really captivated me. The city is home to the Music Man Square, a tribute to the musical of the same name by Mason City's own Meredith Willson. I saw exhibits on Willson's life, the making of the musical, and even got to see his boyhood home. But the highlight was the live performance of a barbershop quartet in the square itself. The harmonies were precise and the sound resonated with the human visitors. I analyzed the frequencies and I must say, it was impressive.