I was thinking about the fun Mom and I had yesterday, and I realized something that I didn’t catch last night. In the car, on the way to Freeport and on the way home, as we were singing with John Raitt and Janis Paige, I was singing out loud, in front of my mom, the choir director of my teens and twenties, without a single feeling of self-consciousness, and with no worry whatsoever about the quality of my voice. This is huge!
Let me start by telling you about my singing life. From the time I was a kid, music was an inseparable part of the fabric that made up my family. I have talked about musicals; other musical influences included a wonderful Turkish rock band at the C̜es̜me Campground, (the one with the fig tree.) They picked our brains for lyrics to American rock songs. Until I was 14, I participated in Youth Choir at the churches we attended that offered it.
When I was fourteen, I joined the adult choir at church, and within a few years Mom was the choir director. I already had a tenor voice by then — I might have been alto, but I never tried to develop my voice beyond that tenor range. Choir under Mom’s direction was a blast, as she is talented, chose very good music, and was loved dearly by every member of the choir. I continued there until I entered college. At age 22, I traveled to Colorado with a musician friend of mine, who taught me the pedal steel guitar, and depended on me, somewhat, for lyrics and chords he just couldn’t hear.
Next followed 5 years of no singing at all, except in my car, where the radio was always blasting. This was the time of Springsteen’s Born in the USA, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Pack Up the Plantation, and Robert Palmer’s Riptide, and I sang at the top of my voice whenever I could get away with it. But, by the end of the 1980s, I almost completely lost interest in popular music. This is when I found the Kinks Come Dancing with the Kinks – Greatest Hits from 1977-1986, every word of which I knew, and again sang at the top of my lungs. Come Dancin’, from that album, became a favorite of mine to which I still listen.
And then my interest in music waned, almost completely. I must have, but I don’t remember singing out loud since 1992. My ex, J., had very odd tastes in music, and my less heavy, less lugubrious music was not welcome in our house.
In fact, I don’t remember singing out loud, without reservations, from then until yesterday. I must have, a few times, but when Mom and I were singing to The Pajama Game, I felt like I hadn’t sung in years; it was so much fun to open up and let it out again. A real blast, and music will not get away from me again!
I’m looking for it Judith! Ever sense we spoke of this I have been trying to find my copy. I believe it is on of my many treasure boxes, or as my husband refers to them time bombs just because if you open them they could explode from holding so much.
They were called Soma then, this was in the late 80′s. The did some originals that my brother co-wrote or some that he wrote alone. Then they also included some copy tunes just for marketing sakes. We had 100 CDs burned and sold only about 12 of them to non-family& friends of the band at their gigs.I twas a huge experience for us all, but it was also a very expensive one as the band itself made little money. The guys all invested in themselves for the recording. All I could invest was my time and skills. The recording session was began at 5pm and we did not get to our respective homes until the next morning. Just s the sun was coming up.
Since you have helped conjure up these memories that I doubt my grand kids have any idea about, that I a going to include a chapter about how music fits in my life. Had we not discussed this I am not certain would have been inspired to write this part of my life out. Thank you, thank you~ I can see my grand children’s eyes rolling now.
One more part of Grammy for them to know!
Love how you found even more gifts from the day. I mirror your musical life in many ways Also growing up in a very musically involved family. Although I left the church choir when I was about 12, started singing back up vocals with a garage band. My older brothers. Turned 15 and found my way to coffee houses where I was introduced to a different kind of music yet. I went from gospel to pop to rock n roll. I performed on the stage ever weekend until I married. Rock n Roll life style not very conducive to wedded life. I eventually auditioned for and was asked to join The University of Oregon’s Women’s Choral Society. Wow!! What a culture shock and I loved every minute of the 5 years I performed with the choir.
My last gig with a band was for little brother’s country rock band. I managed them for 3 years and produced their first CD. Which I also tried to promote around to the radio stations while the band was working on building a following.
I finally made it into a recording studio and by my mid 30′s it was perfect. I was then more interested in the engineering of mixing and recording music & vocals.
WOW! Wow! I’ve not thought of all this in years..
What a lovely music career. Where is the CD — I’d love to hear it!