Newsletter chitchat - January 9, 2024

[Cassel]

In school, I learned to play the flute (I think in English they call that a recorder). That was standard in music class, however, I never learned anything else as far as music is concerned.

Are you musical?

Let's chat.

[Michele]

I taught myself to play guitar when I was a teenager and I used to sing. I was better at singing than guitar and that's not saying much. LOL. 

[Ann Seeber]

My mother made sure I had lots of music in my life. She played the piano beautifully. When I was a child, I was asked which I would prefer, a television or a piano, and with my mother in mind, I chose the piano. In her youth she was a ballroom dancing champion. She was raised in the Jazz Age and was a lover of the composer George Gershwin - his orchestrations and musicals. She took me to movie musicals every week since my dad worked nights and had to sleep. I took piano lessons for 7 years and couldn't get past the 2nd grade book. Mom read sheet music like a book and could play anything, at tempo, on first sight. I think I was intimidated. I did love music and every Saturday the Metropolitan Opera held forth from our radio. After I was married, I went to Adult Education classes and took up the guitar; came home and repeated the lesson for my husband. Mostly we played The Beatles. LOL Here's a tribute to my musical mother that I created during my first year here on the Campus. 

[Susan Ewart]

7 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

My mother made sure I had lots of music in my life. She played the piano beautifully. When I was a child, I was asked which I would prefer, a television or a piano, and with my mother in mind, I chose the piano. In her youth she was a ballroom dancing champion. She was raised in the Jazz Age and was a lover of the composer George Gershwin - his orchestrations and musicals. She took me to movie musicals every week since my dad worked nights and had to sleep. I took piano lessons for 7 years and couldn't get past the 2nd grade book. Mom read sheet music like a book and could play anything, at tempo, on first sight. I think I was intimidated. I did love music and every Saturday the Metropolitan Opera held forth from our radio. After I was married, I went to Adult Education classes and took up the guitar; came home and repeated the lesson for my husband. Mostly we played The Beatles. LOL Here's a tribute to my musical mother that I created during my first year here on the Campus. 

Your mom is an inspiration!

 

[Susan Ewart]

59 minutes ago, Susan Ewart said:

Your mom is an inspiration!

 

I remember in grade school learning the recorder and the ukulele.  We had to tune the ukulele by reciting "my dog has fleas".  I have no idea why.  I am not at all musical and cant even hum a tune.  everything turns into the tune of "Happy Birthday to You".  I cant remember words or names of songs, even ones I've heard hundreds of times.  But I do love music.   

[Anne Lamp]

1 hour ago, Susan Ewart said:

I remember in grade school learning the recorder and the ukulele.  We had to tune the ukulele by reciting "my dog has fleas".  I have no idea why.  I am not at all musical and cant even hum a tune.  everything turns into the tune of "Happy Birthday to You".  I cant remember words or names of songs, even ones I've heard hundreds of times.  But I do love music.   

LOL.  That sounds like me.  I remember as a kid my Dad said everything I tried to sing came out sounding like Jingle Bells. I still remember that over 60 years later. He was probably right.  I am so bad when I try to sing along to a song I like,  it sounds so bad I have to tell myself to shut up and enjoy the music.  That was a wonderful tribute Ann made to her Mother.

[Rene Marker]

My parents built the house I live in back in 1964 (I was 9 years old). Mom had learned how to play the piano when she was younger and wanted one for this house. Before they could buy one, the opportunity to get an old upright piano was presented to Mom. Mom was a teacher and the school district was getting rid of some of the pianos that had been in one of the buildings that were no longer needed. Mom said. Mom and Dad were responsible for getting the piano moved to our house and if I remember right, it cost $25. Another $25 was spent to have it tuned. So $50 for an upright piano.

Mom's aunt taught piano so I started taking lessons with Aunt Irene. Those lasted 5 or 6 years and as long as I practiced I wasn't too bad. I did learn how to play some of my favorite pop songs of the day and at one time I could play "Stairway to Heaven" almost by memory. I was a Rainbow girl in junior high and took the position of "Musician" for a period of time. With being more active in other activities in high school, the lessons stopped but I still played for my own enjoyment. The activity that took the most time in high school was band. I started playing the clarinet in 6th grade and continued through my senior year. Our marching band was all brass so I had to learn another instrument for those 3 years. One was alto saxophone and the last 2 years was spent playing baritone (our high school only had 3 grades at that time). Lots of good memories from those days.

I still have the piano and some of the music books (and sheet music) that I played back in the day. It doesn't get played at all but is great as a backdrop for photos of the dogs (Pepper and Paige when I had them and now Peyton). I also display several of my layouts on it.

As for singing... I don't have a voice at all so I don't even sing along in church or elsewhere. I just mouth the words so people think I'm singing!

[Gerry Landreth]

Ann - That is a beautiful story. You and your mom made a good call. 

Back when Facebook was still fun, distant cousins started to reach out and connect. A common thread was music, from the professional performers and educators, to the church musician, to the guitar picker, to the parent who didn't play an instrument but supported her children who did.

Music was an integral part of our family. Attached is a picture of "The Landreth Brothers Quartet" (1938). My dad is the tall one in the tan suit. The other picture is of me at the piano flanked by the "Jim and Gene Quartet" comprised of my uncles Jim and Gene from the original quartet, and Uncle Genes fraternal twin sons, Jim and Gene.