I believe in music

I love music. Music can lift me out of a funk and take me anywhere I want to be. And . . . it has to be loud. Unfortunately, loud music has taken a toll on my hearing long before there were any warnings for the new generation and their iPods. When my world seems to be falling apart, I think I am stressed beyond repair and too tired to lift my foot another step, I just pop in a favorite CD and within minutes I am energized.

Many years ago, when cable came to our house, I'm pretty sure I was the only mom on the block that watched MTV all day instead of the soaps. My youngest son was raised on Elvis and the Beatles, we always had music going in the car or on the stereo and about the third word he said was Cher.

My cousin Ted plays and sings professionally, but other than that my family are what I call closet musicians, they only played and performed for their own enjoyment. My grandfather played the banjo and sang, my dad played the guitar and sang, and my mom did some mean yodeling in her time, waayyyy back in the days when yodeling was the in thing in country music.

My folks gave me every opportunity to develop some kind of musical talent of my own. At one time or another I have probably had lessons on just about every instrument there is (excluding the tuba and harp because they wouldn't fit in a car). The lessons gave me just enough knowledge of music to be dangerous, and after all the lessons, I still play (play meaning a little chording on the guitar or piano) better by ear than any other way.

In the mid seventies we had a little band going Lee and the Hearts of Dixie that played at picnics and grand openings. When people stopped eating at the picnics and the businesses put up going out of business signs the first day . . . we took the hint and called it quits.

I tried to pass the musical baton on to my youngest son who started playing drums when he was in elementary school, then in high school he sold his trap set and switched to guitar. I don't like to take much credit for how well my son turned out, but I think his love of music came from my love of music, or at least I hope so, in part.

I have a favorite quote, A house without books is like a room without windows. I am not sure who the author is, but I could say the same thing about a house without music. Every child should have the opportunity to learn about or listen to music, to share in the joy it brings.

One thing I love about blogging (other than getting away with starting a sentence with and, but or because) is that you can just bore people to death with mundane subjects. So keeping with that thought, I am going to share my favorite songs below. They are not in any special order. If you are interested in any background on the songs follow the links provided.

I have to add for the record that John Lennon is my all time favorite artist and the drums are my favorite instrument so if you are familiar with some of these hits you will know they are heavy on the drums.

Rock
My Sweet Lord, George Harrison
Free as a Bird, Beatles
Come Together, Beatles
(Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon
She's Got Betty Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes
A Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum
Fools Rush In, Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley
Me And Mrs. Jones, Billy Paul
Crying Time, Ray Charles
Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett
Lay Lady Lay, Bob Dylan

Country
There Won't Be Anymore, Charlie Rich
Drinking My Baby (Off My Mind), Eddie Rabbitt
Every Which Way But Loose, Eddie Rabbitt
Help Me Make it Through The Night, Sammi Smith
For The Good Times, Ray Price

Inspirational
Original Grace CD, Grace Community Church