We were a musical family. Not like the von Trapps or the Osmonds or the Beach Boys. We sang for fun. We sang on car trips and around the house. Daddy had a beautiful singing voice. He could sing harmony, too. And he could whistle.
Mom could whistle, too, but she wasn't much of a singer. She taught our Girl Scout troop campfire-type songs and commented to me, when I was much older, that she always wondered how we learned the melodies.
There must be something innate about singing on key. Or not. Mom always said she could hear the right notes in her head, but they never came out the way she heard them.
We all played musical instruments, too. Daddy played the banjo. Mom played clarinet. My brother and sister both played violin and I played piano. My grandmother played the mandolin, but I never heard her play. She could play the piano, too, but I never heard her play that either. My grandfather couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and he did not play an instrument, but he appreciated our music Someone always needs to be the audience, and he played that role very well.
Sometimes we gathered around and sang show tunes, but I wouldn't call anything we did a jam session. It was all petty informal, except for our practice times. Those were enforced.
I'm thinking about music this week because the Eurovision Sang Contest just finished up in Lisbon, Portugal.
Since 1956, countries in Europe (mostly) compete for the top spot in the contest. Not very many people in the US have even heard of Eurovision, but it really is a world-wide big deal. There is no prize money involved for winning the contest, but the notoriety speaks (sings?) for itself.
Last week, Israel's Netta Barzilai won Eurovision with her song, Toy, delivering Israel's fourth Eurovision victory. Although Netta was always aware of the music scene, she only gained the confidence she needed to be part of it a few years ago. And her singing career only began last year when she auditioned for and won a spot in the contest. According to Wikipedia, her music video received more than 20 million views in March, 2018, two months before the beginning of Eurovision. You can watch it on YouTube.
Most of the time my music tends to be mellow or folksy. Simon and Garfunkel, some of the older Beatles, tunes, ballads in general. I also like Chopin.
So while Netta's Toy will probably never be one of *my* favorite tunes, like my grandpa, I do appreciate her enthusiastic delivery.
Keep a. song in your heart! and
--stay curious!
I'm reading Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. (Algonquin, 2017). So far it's light-hearted, but I sense something big coming. (I'm only on page 39! Stay tuned.)
Mom could whistle, too, but she wasn't much of a singer. She taught our Girl Scout troop campfire-type songs and commented to me, when I was much older, that she always wondered how we learned the melodies.
There must be something innate about singing on key. Or not. Mom always said she could hear the right notes in her head, but they never came out the way she heard them.
We all played musical instruments, too. Daddy played the banjo. Mom played clarinet. My brother and sister both played violin and I played piano. My grandmother played the mandolin, but I never heard her play. She could play the piano, too, but I never heard her play that either. My grandfather couldn't carry a tune in a bucket and he did not play an instrument, but he appreciated our music Someone always needs to be the audience, and he played that role very well.
Sometimes we gathered around and sang show tunes, but I wouldn't call anything we did a jam session. It was all petty informal, except for our practice times. Those were enforced.
I'm thinking about music this week because the Eurovision Sang Contest just finished up in Lisbon, Portugal.
Since 1956, countries in Europe (mostly) compete for the top spot in the contest. Not very many people in the US have even heard of Eurovision, but it really is a world-wide big deal. There is no prize money involved for winning the contest, but the notoriety speaks (sings?) for itself.
Last week, Israel's Netta Barzilai won Eurovision with her song, Toy, delivering Israel's fourth Eurovision victory. Although Netta was always aware of the music scene, she only gained the confidence she needed to be part of it a few years ago. And her singing career only began last year when she auditioned for and won a spot in the contest. According to Wikipedia, her music video received more than 20 million views in March, 2018, two months before the beginning of Eurovision. You can watch it on YouTube.
Most of the time my music tends to be mellow or folksy. Simon and Garfunkel, some of the older Beatles, tunes, ballads in general. I also like Chopin.
So while Netta's Toy will probably never be one of *my* favorite tunes, like my grandpa, I do appreciate her enthusiastic delivery.
Keep a. song in your heart! and
--stay curious!
I'm reading Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin. (Algonquin, 2017). So far it's light-hearted, but I sense something big coming. (I'm only on page 39! Stay tuned.)
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