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.