I don’t know what your milestones are in remembering a time, but mine was food, of course, and music. I’m trying to think of the old ’45 the local DJ gave me for touring the studio with my class. Well, the name would date me anyway. No, I didn’t have a high school prom or college semi-formal song. In high school, I had the flu and was back home within the hour. In college I worked at it taking tickets and hung out with my roommate.
Classical was all there was for me in grade school and junior high. Then I quit playing music and my tastes started to form. Luckily they’re still forming today but the music I like to learn to play is more folk, folk-rock, even country. I astounded my music teacher with a song I heard on the radio that was actually from this century!
But my college years were a confusion of music from different genres and a friend has sent me a few songs from back in the day. We were east coast but listened to rock, country, even disco. It was a long time ago that another friend had me listen to a new Stones hit, but news is that ten years later I had a neighbor with a “Nacho Cheese” VW convertible and had Donna Summers “I Will Survive” on the radio and we sang along en route to buy champagne for her party.
To Dave Mason, John Lennon, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez. Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Bad Company, just a few that came to mind. ELO for some friends who play air guitar and finally took up the real instrument, bravo.
When I got into an elevator years ago and heard the Beatles on muzak my ears were offended, my brain was assaulted with the sound. When I hear “my” music on muzak it does the same now. I’m just older and the muzak is creeping up on me.
Run! The hip-hop, rap culture must end because it is finite. Otherwise music will die. I learn to play Joan Baez and Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary but musicians and music lovers must look to the future. If children only know rhythm and not tone then it will be lost. Where is the piano, the guitar, the orchestra? They have a place. It can’t all be hip hop and no tone or melody? Where are you, Ernie Ball?
Our schools don’t teach music any more. It’s a tragedy for those who could use that music to pull out mathematical and musical genius. Mozart composed when he was five years old.
Let’s keep the music, and can the muzak. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 