Our Love’s Soundtracks: From Memories to the Muro Box Anniversary Gift
Our Love’s Soundtrack: From Memories to the Muro Box Anniversary Gift
Living Life Differently
My wife and I have always liked to do things a little differently. From our engagement ring (an irradiated blue diamond) to our hobbies (bellcasting and neon bending), we have blazed our own trail. So when it came to considering an anniversary gift, the traditional lists of anniversary presents by year seemed so stodgy compared to who we are. But it takes a lot of effort to be original, so I started looking for an anniversary gift early. Less than a month after my last anniversary.
A Grandfather Clock’s Legacy
Recently, my wife was dusting and came across a plaque on the inside of our grandfather clock, declaring it to be a gift from her paternal grandfather to her grandmother celebrating their 35th year together. She tearfully told me about how much she misses them, and how the sound of the clock striking the hour carries so many memories with it
Rather than flowers that wilt or a china set that sits in a cabinet, I wanted to get her a gift like that clock, a creative gift that would last. A gift that carries memories and feelings so well that our grandchildren could stumble upon it and remember us vividly.
The Soundtrack of Our Love
I started thinking back to times that were significant in our relationship, and it occurred to me that so many of these memories had a “soundtrack.” Not even the big dramatic moments; just the tiny moments of connection that happen when you spend your life with someone. Like when we drove 6 hours from a regional exam in Georgia back to our home in North Carolina to attend a required morning class. I vividly recall singing Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” with my wife in order to stay awake at 2AM as we crossed the state line.
Livin' On A Prayer
Or when we were in line for chimney cakes at the Carolina Renaissance Festival a few years ago. At first we thought the heavy metal piece playing sounded familiar, but we don’t listen to that kind of music. Then we realized it was a cover of the Disney song “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” from Mulan. And every time I hear music from Minecraft, it takes me back to us staying up late playing that game together with my wife and our friends when it was first being developed.
Each of these songs reminded me of a particular time and place in our relationship, recalling the many years we’ve spent together. In the past, I had burned mix CDs of these songs, but I wanted something really more sophisticated and special for our anniversary
Searching for the Perfect Music Box
After browsing the internet extensively for ideas, I thought a music box would fit the bill. I was having a lot of trouble choosing a particular song, whether I should go with one that would make her laugh or something more sentimental. When I would finally decide on a song, I couldn’t find any music boxes that actually played it. You can easily find “La Vie En Rose,” but our songs were a lot more obscure.
I resigned myself to buying a single custom cylinder, but it was still exorbitant. I even looked into 3d printing a music box cylinder myself, only to be discouraged by the mixed results. In the middle of this mess, I saw a comment in a Reddit thread mentioning the Muro Box.
Why I Chose the N40 Sublime Music Box
I went to the Muro Box website, and it quickly became clear that their product was exactly what I’d been looking for. I read a few of the testimonials, then listened to the comparisons between the N20 standard model and the N40 Sublime version.
Tap a song to start playback. Then, tap the speaker icon on the live stream to turn on the sound.
▲This page has excellent comparisons between the types of boxes：
https://murobox.com/en/which-muro-box-is-suitable-for-me-en/
I downloaded their application on my phone before buying anything, and got to listen to which songs were available for each of the different types of Muro Box. I quickly located some of my favorite classic rock tunes, as well as a smattering of video game soundtracks from my childhood.
While all of the Boxes are heirlooms, my wife and I opted for the top-of-the-line Muro Box-N40 Sublime to maximize both the variety of songs that we could play on it and the sound quality. It was expensive, and definitely took some budgeting to make it happen. But, jewelry can be much more expensive, less meaningful, and not able to be enjoyed on a daily basis by both spouses.
As part of the purchase price, we were able to have it engraved with our anniversary date and had a custom piece of music arranged: a conversion of the harpsichord fugue “Theme for Louis XIV” from our favorite childhood game, “Heroes of Might and Magic.”
When my wife and I were first getting to know each other, I made a random joke about messing something up by casting “Armageddon,” a destructive spell from the game. Without missing a beat, she quipped “Not if my army is made of all Black Dragons,” the perfect in-game counter. We remain nerds in love to this day. Muro Box’s master arranger Hung-Yin Liu took the time to make sure the theme sounded perfect, and it was the first thing we played when our music box arrived!
Theme for Louis XIV (Barbarian Castle) by Paul Romero. From Heroes of Might and Magic.
The Joy of Unboxing
When we received the package, it felt like opening a treasure chest. The music box and resonance box on which it sits made it all the way from Taiwan in perfect condition! I was able to easily set it up within 30 minutes due to its clear instructions and thoughtful design. I was so impressed with its build quality, which would help make sure that it would last for years to come.
The sound of our music box was the best part! The model that we chose featured the “sublime harmony” of two slightly different music box combs being played together. Once we heard the difference between this model and the others, there was really no going back. My wife described watching and hearing it play as “spellbinding.”
Many of the old video games that I played as a child had soundtracks that were in MIDI format. The Muro Box app made importing those soundtracks easy, and I was quickly able to play some on the Muro Box. I’m a fan of the music from “King’s Quest VII,” which made the transition to music box format smoothly. Songs from “The Secret of Monkey Island” are going to take some tweaks in order to sound great, but that makes for an enjoyable little project.
Exploring Features and Creating Music
Since the Muro Box arrived, I have really been enjoying getting to explore all of its features. The Muro Box app has more songs being added every day. Some are breathtakingly intricate, like Saint-Saën’s “The Aquarium;” it truly sounds even better in person than the version on their website.
Other songs are just silly to hear coming from an object with its amount of dignity and gravitas. We start the pop song “Despacito,” and just wait to see how long it takes for our guests to recognize what is playing. I’ve also had fun adding some of my own contributions to the playlist.
Despite not being much of a musician, I even found an inexpensive MIDI controller keyboard, which has allowed me to actually “play” the music box as an instrument. The N40 Sublime allows me to play up to 10 notes at once, which makes for a very rich sound. It makes me wish I had kept taking piano lessons!
A Treasured Place in Our Home
We now have the Muro Box displayed prominently in our dining room, and often listen to it at meals and with guests. I think it’s safe to say that this year’s anniversary gift has been an unparalleled success!