Muse for Music or A Panting Ranting

I was raised around talented musicians, mostly country folk. All of my uncles played some form of instrument from banjo, piano, trumpet, drums, saxaphone, to even a mouth harp. One uncle had his own 21-piece band in Miami Beach and backed up many noteable singers such as Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, Patti Page, Dinah Washington and Jo Stafford, just to mention a few. But the interesting part to my uncles, they never learned to read music.

As a kid, it was mostly gospel music I heard when visiting my grandmother in the south (born in the north and here I am, living in the south again). In the north, it was a different story. It was a time when music could be purchased for $.99 for a single and on vynal. My first ever purchase was "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb", recorded by Ed "Kookie" Byrnes (a star on a show called 77 Sunset Strip), and his co-singer was Connie Stevens. My second song ever purchased was "Moon River" by Andy Williams. Two different styles completely. Up north it was Rock-N-Roll, Baby! Anyone remember, "Rock Around The Clock"? (my third 45 purchased. And for the record; ouch that was a play on words; I still to this day have my collection of 2,365 45's, and 1,213 33 1/3 albums. All in mint condition and no, they aren't for sale!

But that wasn't all I listened to. My father had record albums, both 33 1/3 and the old 78's. His tastes were eclectic; from big band, to country, and even the classics such as Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Chopin. I even developed a taste for musicals. I can attest to the fact I never went a day without hearing music.

When I hit my teens years, I suddenly developed a "voice" and could actually sing a song and not sound like a crazed chicken being done by a cross-eyed monkey. That all came about the same time as Chubby Checker's "The Twist" was released (another purchase). And not to get away from the subject, but it was that song/dance, that gave me rhythm as I couldn't dance a lick until then, which put me in a different direction for a few years.

But the voice was being noticed. I started singing at all types of events, and even performed with a school band at Friday night dances. I also learned how to play several different instruments, so growing up around music was a given.

When I was fifteen, I met the incredible Fats Domino, and he was in my hometown for a show, but came to one of our talent shows at my school and that was a surprise for all us kids. When I finished performing (and won first prize, $25 and two tickets to a movie which then was a total of two bucks) he walked up to me and said, "Your good. Real good. But if you want to make it in their business, keep in mind, singers are a dime a dozen. You will have to be that dime out of the dozen." Never forgot those words.

As it stands today, I never became that dime, but I have no regrets. My life went in other directions and it's all good.

As i said, I learned how to dance and one day became a dance instructor at Arthur Murray's. Learned dozens of different dance steps, moves and so on, but the music would play, and when it did, I guess you could say, it became something like a lover with me. I felt as if we were joined at the hip.

Today, I still listen to the tunes out there, it's always been a mainstay for me. From the jitterbug, to country, disco to the waltz, music oftentimes fills a void in me. If music were a human being, I would marry music in a heartbeat. (Yeah, I get strange like that at times.)

Other music genres are hard to take though. Rap and headbanging music. Some of it is garbage and not needed, but as i write this, I also remember when Elvis the Pelvis came onto the scene, parents thought he was a pervert, or a dirty person because of how he gyrated on stage. Music in my generation took time to adapt too, but that doesn't mean I have to adapt to rap and headbangers. But what I can do, is accept the fact it's here and not going anywhere.

It's all about taste and what sounds good and feels good to that inner you.

Kick is, doesn't matter if you can sing or dance. If it feels good, if it feels right just for you, and you alone, then you have your own rhythm going on in your life.

But you know something? You will never know what you can or cannot accomplish if you don't try. Trying is both half the battle, and half the fun.

So with that, if you are able to see and hear this, this was perhaps the hardest song I ever sang in my life (and it is from a musical no less).

http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/ae1139712

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