Music in My Soul

Now that I have found out which "soul" I mean, I can start my blog.  I hate those stupid words that sound the same but have different meanings.  What are those words called?---homonyms, that's it---they trip me up every time. Nothing like an English lesson to distract me from an excellent topic.

Anyway, about music.

Our family was musical.  We sometimes had family jam sessions in our living room.  My mom led the pack on the piano, my grandfather played mandolin, my sister would play guitar and I would sing.  My dad was, ironically, tone deaf.  Mom always dreamed of being a singer with one of the "big bands" of the 40's but she always let me sing. She could really bang out a tune on the piano too!  She would play the melody with her right hand and play rhythmic cords with her left.  Most of the music we played had a relatively fast tempo.  Occasionally, on summer days, people in the town walking by the house or riding bikes, would linger in front of the house to listen.

Unfortunately, that all stopped when I became ill and lost my singing voice. Hearing the music and not being able to participate, made me very sad.  I guess it must have been too hard on the others too or maybe the time had just come and gone.  About that time had also lost our mandolin player.

I stopped going to church about that time, because the only reason I liked going to church was that I got to sing. 

After a time, I realized that music was a part of me as much as my very soul.  So my record collection began to grow.  It was the 70's and there was a lot of music to choose from. Some of my favorites were; The Beatles, The Who, Carol King, James Taylor and Arlo Guthrie.  Geez, there are so many others! When I'm feeling down,the words to some of those songs I loved still fill my head.

Lately, I have been thinking of the great Rock Opera Tommy which should be included as a classic in my opinion.  Pete Townshend was as much a musical genius as Mozart. The words that keep running through my head of late are "my name is Tommy and I became aware this year..." I feel like I have become aware this year too. (it's about time!)

Then there is Arlo Guthrie, he is the son of the folk singer Woody Guthrie.  Arlo is most famous for "Alice's Restaurant Massacree",  an approximately 20 minute comical look at the (military) draft.  But what I most remember is his rendition of Somebody Turned on the Lights written by Hoyt Axton. In his words Arlo sings "If you never see the sun till '91, don't you never give up the fight..."  I don't think he meant 2091, but, hey, it works for me.

It was Carol King who sang  the words "music is playing inside my head, over and over again...", which run through my head from time to time.

I feel sorry for this younger generation that will never hear or be moved this music.  I know my  that daughter is nothing but bored when we try to get her to listen to it as part of her education.  She begs to differ.

I suppose every generation thinks that their music is the best. I remember my mom saying that she was confused on hearing back up singers when they first became popular.  She thought the radio was picking up two stations.  I can't imagine what she would think of today's music.

I hope "my" music never stops playing inside my head.  It keeps me sane.