Tuesday, April 15, 2014

M is for: Musical Connections

Al D'Amato, my father, played the saxaphone in the Big Band days. Mama told me how good he was then, and she never had too many nice things to say about him. I have a wonderful picture of Dad as a teen and some shipmates in WWII, playing their music to entertain the officers. Now that he's gone, the song Leader of the Band never fails to pull on my heartstrings.

My two sons have natural musical abilities, too. Gotta love good DNA. As for me, I love and need music. I sing in my church choir and frequently dust off the piano in my living room, just knowing that I will play beautiful songs. Someday.

Nothing puts me back together faster than music. When I'd come home from nursing school frazzled to the core, I turned to Frank Sinatra. Times I have sadness to work my way through, it must be the Irish women. To feel the deepness of love there's nothing like Italian opera.

My writing requires that music surround me, all kinds of music. From the Beatles to Franti to Lady Antebellum to Coal Fire Band. It's a need for me, like food or drink.

4 comments:

  1. I think I'm the only person I know who likes to work in silence. I appreciate music, sure, but when I need to think, I need the silence.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

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  2. Music (ambient, space, background) is playing 90% of the time that I am writing. Too much silence lets my inner thoughts/voice get in the way of my creative workings. The instrumental music helps mitigate that.

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  3. I like quiet when I'm working, but love music of all kinds when I can relax and enjoy it to the fullest. I took piano lessons for many years, but haven't played in a long time. I'd have to start over with scales to get my fingers back in shape.

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  4. Learning to play piano is on my bucket list. :) I was active in high school band and played the flute from 5th grade through my senior year, but there's something magical about the sound of piano music.

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