I have been contemplating the next 50, but needed to talk about something very near and dear to me, Music.
Music has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. When I lived with my grandmother she was always singing. Her boyfriend, for a lack of better terms, lived with us and he was always playing the small organ they had in their apartment. I can remember going to preschool with her, even though I was too young to be there, and hearing her play the piano and singing with all of the kids. I loved it. As I grew up and went back to live with my dad I can still see him laying on the couch in whatever house we were in at the time, just chilling and listening to LP’s. In looking back I now know that is where he found his peace, and still does, just more digitally. He is living his lifelong dream and is in a real rock band, yep Papa’s on bass. When we would spend some summers up near Buffalo, NY with my grandparents, my grandma would sing all kinds of songs on the way to the golf course in the morning. She always had a song in her head, and in her heart.
When we lived in Philadelphia I started playing the trombone, only because they didn’t want me to play upright bass or tuba for some reason. I liked it, but never really was very good at it. When we moved to Ashland I took up the tuba. I loved it, and I was pretty good, which always makes it a little more fun for me. I played through high school, and did well, but that is where it ended.
I was always so proud, and a little jealous of my sister’s vocal ability. She was great, and sang with a wonderful a cappella group in college, and I remember closing my eyes every time she sang, and trying not to cry, like I am now as I think about it. She also played clarinet and trumpet throughout middle school, and took piano lessons too.
Growing up in a musically inclined family was great. There was always music for special dinners, and just in general. I remember my little cassette deck that I wore out way too many tapes, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and the first one I bought with my own money, LL Cool J’s Bigger and Deffer. I made so many mix tapes that I had it down to the second of what could fit on one side.
The first CD I bought was Enya, and I bought it in Barcelona, why I don’t know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Then came The Dave Matthews Band. Sophomore year in college was a great time for me and music. I joined BMG and Columbia House, and racked up some serious debt amassing my music collection. It was so worth it. I still have all of them, except on Fighting Gravity CD (No Stopping, No Standing), and one Pearl Jam CD (Yield).
I bring this up because of a recent phenomenon in my life. We were driving to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for vacation about a month ago, listing to Sirius Satellite Radio, and we hit a bump, then crack, then the distinct smell of melting plastic, the no sound! We stopped for a potty break and checked everything I could. The radio, CD player, and DVD player were still working, just no sound. Silence for two more hours, then three more on the way home was taxing. When we got back I checked some things on line then checked them in the car, to no avail.
So, here I sit with no sound in my car as I travel from appointment to appointment, about 400 miles a week with no music. It is driving me a little insane. The other day I had “Informer” by Snow stuck in my head for two hours. You tell me if I am going crazy.
So, I ask all of the music lovers for the donation of good karma, prayers, or thoughts as I try and diagnose and fix this problem for the lowest possible budget number.
Enjoy your music, and think of me for a moment as I try and remember the words to “Yellow Ledbetter”.
Thanks for listening;)
I love you.