“Where words fail, music speaks.” Hans Christian Andersen, Danish writer.
I have always wanted to play the piano. I love the sound of the piano in classical music, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto is, in my opinion, the most sublime music ever.
In jazz who can forget Duke Ellington’s hit ‘Perdido’, Oscar Petersen’s magic fingers and Bill Evans’ ‘My Foolish Heart, Marvin Hamlisch’s recreations of Scott Joplin’s ragtime hits for the movie ‘The Sting’ and such modern kings of popular music as Billy Joel and even Elton John.
Expensive music lessons were out of the question when I was a child so I learned to sing instead. Starting in my school choir and then moving up to become first soprano in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide as my voice matured.
My memories of those days of singing within my school in various Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, of singing in public at the Adelaide Eisteddfod and then becoming caught up with the folk music trend in the mid to late 1960’s represent some of my simple memories and pleasures associated with a wide variety of music.
Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez and the Seekers became my music heroes.
I often accompanied a friend who played a 12 string guitar and we sang in dark, atmospheric cellars and folk clubs for meagre amounts of money to augment my student nurse’s wage.
I saved to see Peter, Paul and Mary in concert and tried to emulate Mary’s amazing voice whenever I sang solo or harmonised with Doug.
What music memories do you have? Did your parents pay for you to learn a musical instrument? If so, do you still play it now? Are your memories of those days when you had to practise your music several times a week (if not daily) happy ones or did your parents need to nag you? Did your music teacher make learning fun or did he/she perhaps tap your knuckles when you hit a wrong note?
Why not start to record the role that music has played in your life up to current times? Here are some ideas to try:
• Start by using your timeline to note the year you started learning to play an instrument or sing, the name of your teacher and some of the pieces you learned.
• Do the same for subsequent years and start to add in some of the music you heard on the radio, was it rock and roll, surfing music, folk music, the Beatles, Neil Young or Michael Jackson?
• Perhaps you still have some records (vinyl) or cassette tapes of your favourite artist, if so, get them out and listen to them again and let the associated memories emerge and wash over you.
• Music is the first sense to become active, it is heard from when we were in our mother’s wombs. Some pieces of music or songs have the ability to revive some very, very early memories. What kind of music was played in your childhood home?
• Have a look around to see if you still have your old banjo, french horn, recorder or any other musical instrument and try to locate some sheet music of some the pieces you learned.
• Write (or record or video) about your musical experiences, making sure to add some humorous episodes. I lost my Japanese wig walking sideways over the Japanese bridge when I was one of the ‘Three Little Maids’ in ‘The Mikado’ at school! As well as some moments when you shone.
• Scan in any photos or awards and add the whole segment into your life story to leave for your family and friends to share. Invite them to add their memories of your musical experiences. Start today!
“Music is forever: music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.”
Paul Simon, US songwriter and singer.