The Music of My Life

In less than a month Barbara and I will embark on another “Grand Adventure” – but more about that in my next blog entry that will be posted in early December.

In preparation for the food that will be thrust upon us, I embarked on an exercise and diet regimen in early September.  My  weight and blood glucose readings had  gotten out of hand and I realized that if continued by the time our embarkation date arrived,conditions  would be unacceptable.

As I have posted before, one of my favorite and safe places to walk is our beautiful waterfront, and since I have always loved to listen to music the two just go together so well.

About three years ago a free three month subscription Apple Music was offered through iTunes. Of course I subscribed and have never looked back. This is such a unique program in that subscribers can search for and download pretty much any music that has been recorded in the  20th and 21st century.  I now have a collection of over one thousand musical pieces stored on my iPhone and iPad, which of course will only be available as long as I pay the monthly subscription fee. As far as I am concerned my  family will have to cancel my subscription – after I am gone.

There are several ways one can listen to selections; through Playlists that I have put together, by Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres, Compilations, and Composers.  Recently I discovered that if  I select “Songs” and “Shuttle”, I can listen to “The Music of My Life”, as I exercise and as each random selection  commences to play.

Apple Music has also introduced me to new talent and old forgotten friends, through their twice weekly “hand picked” selections based on my recent choices.

Recently Kenny Chesney released a country ballad that inspired me to write this post, entitled

 “I Go Back”.

I go back; to the days when I listened to country music from an all night radio out of Mexico,

I go back; to the time my folks purchased a console radio that played 33 and 1/3, 45  or 78 rpm records,

I go back; to my first love in high school, who inspired my  love of classical music as I listened to her playing “Clare de Lune” on their family piano,

I go back; to the days of the Columbia Record Club and LP’s  of Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, and Johnny Mathis, spun on a Voice of Music record player.

I go back; to big band music from the 40’s and the patriotic strains of the  “Victory at Sea” music from a time when the world was at war.

I go back; to music that I have grown to love from all the places we have lived and visited, especially the music of Greece and Spain where we were blessed to serve and live for six years.

And, I go back to the music that our children  listened to as they matured.

To March of 1967 when my 10 year old daughter Joni asked  in what I took to be so serious, do you know “There’s a Kind of a Hush all over the world Tonight”?

To a selection from a “mix tape” my daughter Lisa made for me as I listen to “The Leader of the Band”.

To our daughter Ana roller skating  her performance to “Music Box dancer”,

To when our son Jon performed his version of “I’m Yours” at Chris and Stacies wedding,

To our son Chris’s final performance in our High School Jazz Band  as he hits those final high notes on his trumpet of a tune made famous by the Glen Miller Band; “In The Mood”.

Memory is such a wonderful gift from God and he has gifted so many people with the ability to bring it to us, whether on radio, vinyl record, tape, cd’s, iPods, and iPhones, or live performances. We have been so blessed. 

Stay tuned for “Tales of our South Pacific Holiday” …. and beyond