from Susan
Baker, Massachesetts USA
My
father had a song for everything. He doesn't
consider himself musical, but he does carry a tune
well. When you would say anything, he could pop up
with a song that reminded him of the topic. I
find that I have either environmentally or genetically
picked this up, to the annoyance of my co-workers
and family. It definitely influenced my sense
of humor! He used to sing several of his favorites
to his grandchildren when they were young and they
always remember his songs, particularly "A Capital
Ship on an Ocean Trip."
from Meg Sondey, Mexico
Great shows are the music that was a part of my family....
I grew up in Connecticut, and there is a wonderful
old Opera House there called the Goodspeed Opera
House. Over the years, it
has showcased many pre-Broadway shows, as well
as revivals of old favorites. This tiny theater
uses no amplification, so you hear the show live,
without mechanical interference!
Growing up, my Aunt and Uncle always
had season tickets. Often, they would invite my mom and
our family to attend. Since
I had "grown up" doing fund-raising variety shows for
our church (I distinctly remember singing "High Hopes" when
I was somewhere around five!), I learned to love theater
and music early on. By high school, nothing could
keep me away from playing the lead in "Bus Stop," (and
singing "That Old Black Magic" on top of a table) or
screaming my head off as Fruma Sarah in "Fiddler on the
Roof."
I brought this love to my marriage. Although
my husband's idea of "fun" as related to music and theater
was limited to being a "techie," I managed to convince
him to attend several shows with me, including a very
special time we attended "Fiorello!" with my Aunt and
Uncle at the Goodspeed in Connecticut.
Once our children were born, I knew I had a wonderful
opportunity to encourage this love in them. Almost
from the time they could sit still, we began taking them
to children's theater in Cleveland, Ohio, where we were
then living. We worked our way up to shows, and
managed to see "Peter Pan" with Kathy Rigby, "The Wizard
of Oz," and several others. When vacationing in
Connecticut to visit my mother, we would always search
for opportunities to go to the Goodspeed, and added "George
M!", "Brigadoon" and "Call Me Madam," to our repertoire.
It is thrilling to me now to hear
my 14 year old daughter call from boarding school and
to have her excitedly share that they are going "downtown" for
a live show. I'm
pleased that her IPod not only contains some of the latest
hits, but also music as diverse as 60s folk, accapella,
and, of course, tunes from Broadway hits. My son
does quite passable renditions of quite a few showstoppers,
including one of my favorites from the show "Fiorello!", "Politics
and Poker." Even my husband has learned that not
every musical is a "sappy love story" and has come around
to admitting he has some favorites as well!
When we speak about encouraging
family togetherness, the sharing of activities, and
the strengthening of familial bonds, I can think
of few better ways than in harnessing the joy and
beauty of music. It
is truly something that links us not only to each
other, but to values and truths bigger than the
individual songs themselves.
from Janet Jendron, South Carolina USA
My
mom was and still is (at 83 years old) a piano and
voice teacher. I have many memories of listening
to her teach lessons to students in our living room
while I was doing homework, hanging out with friends,
and so forth. I remember the songs that I heard over
and over, played well and played by students who struggled.
I remember the patience of my mother's voice as she
urged her students "through the plateau" when
their interest flagged and they had failed to practice.
I remember the delight with which she greeted them
when they arrived and encouraged them as they left.
I remember her absolute insistence on playing it
slowly with correct timing, rather than quickly and
sloppily. I remember specific pieces of music, too.
She arranged simpler versions of popular songs to
keep her students interested, such as "Moon
River" and "Yesterday" by
the Beatles. Wherever we lived, her first priority
was to find good music teachers for my brothers and
me. I had an array of violin teachers who influenced
me to practice and not just "go through the
motions." Handel's
Messiah became an experience for me, when I played
in the church ensemble while she sang the alto solos.
To this day, I can listen to it and remember the
feeling of accomplishment I had when I finally mastered
the music, and the words to the songs never fail
to lift my spirit.
Although
I didn't take piano lessons very much, I so loved hearing
her play Chopin waltzes that I sat down at the piano
to learn a few myself. She let me do it on my own and
didn't spoil my motivation. I can still play one waltz
from memory and ... I began a lifelong love affair
with Chopin's music. His music has gotten me through
many a tough time in adult life. Through listening
to her teach, listening to her students practice, and
through my own music experiences, I learned the importance
of both learning to play a piece of music and learning
to listen. I learned to stop and really listen to music,
to "let
go" and
let the music evoke the natural emotions in myself
that always come. I've learned to receive what
the music, through a composer I have never met,
has to give back - feelings of passion, peace,
encouragement, compassion and inspiration that
goes beyond words. I think music has an intrinsic
healing power for individuals and for families.
I'm glad my mother's father (also a music teacher
and band director) gave her the gift of music so
that she could give it to me.
from Kathy Hays,
Maryland USA
My childhood memories of music were
of my father and his siblings. My father sang or whistled
everywhere; it just seemed to flow out of him. Whenever
my father's brother and five sisters got together, we
sang around the piano. Four of his sisters played the
piano and his brother played several instruments. We
sang old time music like Frankie and Johnny and
usually Aunt Dot accompanied us on piano. I loved singing
as an extended-family activity.
Also during my childhood, I took various
music lessons including several years of piano lessons.After
a few years of taking piano lessons, I wanted to quit.
My reasoning was that neither of my parents knew how
to
play an instrument. To encourage me to continue to take
lessons, my wise mother began taking piano lessons and
found that her mind was much faster than her fingers.
I was so impressed that I continued lessons even after
she quit. The next time that I considered quitting lessons,
she suggested that I could quit when I had learned to
play every song in the hymnal. I still can't play every
hymn but I continued piano lessons and am happy that
I received wise (and tricky) encouragement from my mother.
My mother taught me how to encourage your child by being
an example and by setting goals.
I married an acoustic guitar player, and we have been
sharing music for many years. I either sing with his
accompanying or play the tin whistle or hammered dulcimer
with him. Our five children have shared in our appreciation
of music and most of us participated in church choirs
or presented duets at church. Our music has given us
a way to share our faith and have fun together.
Now that most of my children are adults,
I am still able to share life experiences through music.
During this past spring, my youngest son and I were enrolled
in the same voice class at the community college. Brendan
and I had great fun being in the same class, sharing
friends from class, and practicing at home together.
This semester, Brendan and I are taking
private voice lessons at the community college.
Probably the most heart-warming musical experience for
me is to hear my two oldest daughters sing the same songs
to their babies and children that I sang to them when
they were little. They sing nursery rhymes, hymns, and
one of our favorites, The Name Game.
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