My Musical Era

Sometimes I think I should have been born into the 40s and 50s, early 60s. I love the songs from that era, probably because my Dad used to sing them to me and my siblings for lullabies. And probably because I already gravitate towards Patsy Cline, Doris Day songs, that are suited to my alto voice.

This morning, I had a chance to sing at a local care center. The rec director had contacted me a few weeks ago. Apparently, I had signed up somewhere and he was getting around to calling on the list. I wasn't sure what to expect, as far as age of audience, but I guessed correctly that they might appreciate songs from the 40s and 50s. So I googled a few more to add to my binder. Here's a sampling of titles:

Blue Moon
Crazy
Sentimental Journey
Moon River
Mona Lisa
Unchained Melody
Amazing Grace
You are my sunshine

with Do your ears hang low? and Grandma's Feather Bed thrown in for comic relief. Also, one contemporary song, Outside My Window but that was about it (I decided to stick with the oldies because I wanted them to be familiar with the songs).

I got there a little late, they had already put on a movie and were reportedly "upset" when it seemed I wasn't going to show up. Flustered, I chit chatted while I set up my stuff. It was nice to have a microphone. I wasn't expecting that; it made it so much easier to sing. Then I jumped into my first song, Moon River.

Many were asleep, but some were alert, watching, mouthing the lyrics, nodding in recognition, clapping politely after each song. Song after song, I wondered what they remembered as I sang to them. Were they sad? Were they happy? I wondered what their lives were like before they sat in that wheelchair. They might not be as spry as they used to be, but their eyes shone with a youthful spirit.

Afterwards, one man said he owned 7 guitars and played in bands. I looked at his gnarled hands and wanted to give him my guitar to play, but I thought he might get offended if I offered.

It was such a pleasure bringing music to this group of folks. And the nice thing was, I genuinely enjoyed the songs.

New Guitar Class

Last night, I checked out an intermediate guitar class. There would have been three other students, too, but they were caught in a traffic mess on the freeway, so it was just me, the guitar teacher (GT) and an 11 year-old girl I will call E. My self-consciousness about my cheap guitar evaporated when my guitar seemed pretty much in synch with GT's.

We went over three songs, Let it Be, Horse With No Name and Margaritaville. G-C-D chords, I know already, so I chafed a little when GT would pause between chords for E to catch up.

Horse with No Name only has *gasp* two chords?? Dadd6add9 is just two notes on the guitar fret. The chord names look scarier than they actually are. How can people get away with making money off of a song with only two chords? :-) It will be fun to sing and play it since I already know the lyrics from my former rock band.

***
After class, I played Big Yellow Taxi for GT and sang it. E harmonized in the background. We got talking and I told him I just barely quit a rock band. E said, "I play Rock Band!"

I wish the class was a little more challenging than G-D-C songs, but it will be good for me to go back to basics. I'll take it a month at a time. This block runs for three months, with a concert recital in December. Whether or not I take the class, the guitar school says I can perform with them. They also perform occasionally at the senior center and other venues, and that'll be fun.

I am leaning towards returning to this class next week (since the advanced classes meet when I can't go), see if it'll be a bit more fun with FC, a lady in her 50's who likes to play similar stuff as me. Next week, we'll learn some tab work, which I really don't know how to do.