The music in my life...
Ever since I was a kid growing up in Cleveland, music in one form or another has always been an emotional experience for me...and I don't take it for granted. It's become as much a part of me as breathing. With it I've learned to: Smile, laugh, cry, dance, clean house, and myriad of other things.
First came the polka. Both my parents owned accordions and that was one of their forms of entertainment. Dad's was 120 bass that my cousin Julie brought back from Germany while she was
stationed there in the Red Cross. Mom had an older 48 bass job.
Through exposure, I liked polkas and waltzes. I grew up with it, watched my parents have fun dancing (they were good), and since two of my much older cousins (Vic and Al) were taking accordion lessons, little Sonny (that's the nickname my dad saddled me with) wanted to take them too!. But after learning the basics and having a good enough ear to know that I wasn't ever going to play Lady of Spain well, I decided to bail on the lessons. Enough, little superklutz!
Then, somewhere in the back of my mind I remember that I belonged to a choir for awhile. That must not have lasted long either. 'Somebody' (maybe me) must have discovered that my talent was more in listening that singing. I never could carry a tune in a bucket with spilling it.
My next excursion into the 'business of making music' came much later. A lady (who studied piano at the Grand Island Conservatory of Music) decided that with my long fingers, I was a natural to play the piano. So I gave that a shot. I still remembered part of what I learned during my 'accordian learnin' lessons' and for awhile I applied myself and could actually play some recognizable songs.
But 'life' decided that I wasn't going to be a piano virtuoso either...so the piano lessons went kaput. But I kept working on my 'listening skills'. I successfully learned 'music appreciation' on my own. There wasn't a genre I 'tuned out' without making sure it was something I didn't like. Some of it was a thumbs up...some of it fell under the heading of No-way, but even with the 'likes' I found out I had to be in the 'mood' to listen to. And once in a great great while, 'the sound of silence' is the only music I want to hear.
Then many years later, my good friend Daniel, taught me even more about classical music. I liked some of it but wasn't sure why. Daniel was by 'interest', a 2nd violinist for the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. He used to discuss music, the different instruments and many things I didn't know about. It was fascinating what went on behind the scenes in a symphony. So with a violin he loaned me ( my long fingers again factored in again), I began taking violin lessons. Now that was something that 'I' didn't give up by choice. It's just that I lived by myself in an apartment and the neighbors flunked the "Violin Learning Practice Appreciation 101" class...and complained. They nipped my blossoming violinist career in the bud.
Over the years my taste in music is wide-ranging, much to the chagrin of some people who listen to what I play. And I've turned into a 'tiger' since I've learned the joy of Internet Radio...and I can change the music ezily. Now instead of 'making music' with my long fingers, they go flying across the keyboard. And they know how to hold a dust rag, drag a vacuum and hold a knife to chop carrots. I don't know what comes next...but I'll think of something fun!
First came the polka. Both my parents owned accordions and that was one of their forms of entertainment. Dad's was 120 bass that my cousin Julie brought back from Germany while she was
stationed there in the Red Cross. Mom had an older 48 bass job.
Through exposure, I liked polkas and waltzes. I grew up with it, watched my parents have fun dancing (they were good), and since two of my much older cousins (Vic and Al) were taking accordion lessons, little Sonny (that's the nickname my dad saddled me with) wanted to take them too!. But after learning the basics and having a good enough ear to know that I wasn't ever going to play Lady of Spain well, I decided to bail on the lessons. Enough, little superklutz!
Then, somewhere in the back of my mind I remember that I belonged to a choir for awhile. That must not have lasted long either. 'Somebody' (maybe me) must have discovered that my talent was more in listening that singing. I never could carry a tune in a bucket with spilling it.
My next excursion into the 'business of making music' came much later. A lady (who studied piano at the Grand Island Conservatory of Music) decided that with my long fingers, I was a natural to play the piano. So I gave that a shot. I still remembered part of what I learned during my 'accordian learnin' lessons' and for awhile I applied myself and could actually play some recognizable songs.
But 'life' decided that I wasn't going to be a piano virtuoso either...so the piano lessons went kaput. But I kept working on my 'listening skills'. I successfully learned 'music appreciation' on my own. There wasn't a genre I 'tuned out' without making sure it was something I didn't like. Some of it was a thumbs up...some of it fell under the heading of No-way, but even with the 'likes' I found out I had to be in the 'mood' to listen to. And once in a great great while, 'the sound of silence' is the only music I want to hear.
Then many years later, my good friend Daniel, taught me even more about classical music. I liked some of it but wasn't sure why. Daniel was by 'interest', a 2nd violinist for the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. He used to discuss music, the different instruments and many things I didn't know about. It was fascinating what went on behind the scenes in a symphony. So with a violin he loaned me ( my long fingers again factored in again), I began taking violin lessons. Now that was something that 'I' didn't give up by choice. It's just that I lived by myself in an apartment and the neighbors flunked the "Violin Learning Practice Appreciation 101" class...and complained. They nipped my blossoming violinist career in the bud.
Over the years my taste in music is wide-ranging, much to the chagrin of some people who listen to what I play. And I've turned into a 'tiger' since I've learned the joy of Internet Radio...and I can change the music ezily. Now instead of 'making music' with my long fingers, they go flying across the keyboard. And they know how to hold a dust rag, drag a vacuum and hold a knife to chop carrots. I don't know what comes next...but I'll think of something fun!
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