Music is what feelings sound like. ~Author Unknown

I love music. I don't love all music, but for the most part I'm game for listening to anything at least once. I think I grew up with this love. I remember sitting by my dad in his pickup truck, driving down the road with the windows open, dust flying around our feet with the radio up loud. He would drum his fingers on his knee to the beat and sing along. I remember looking up at him thinking he was the most handsomest man, so strong and scruffy. I know that he grew up with music in his home. My grandpa could play piano by ear. He could hear a song one time and sit down and play it. Grandpa couldn't read a note, but played beautifully. He also played guitar, but I had never seen him play it. Consequently, both my uncles and my dad could play guitar also. My dad would take his guitar out after building a roaring fire. My sister and I would sit at his feet while he played tunes like "A Boy Named Sue", "Alice's Restaurant", and a song that had "daddy sang bass, momma sang tenor" as part of the lyrics.

Lately I've been feeling nostalgic about my dad. He's changed some in these last 20 years. At least in my mind he has. Mostly for the good. :) He doesn't play his guitar anymore. I don't think he has since the late 80's. But he still listens to music everyday. He still sings along to songs. This past Christmas, at our Smith party, I watched him as he talked with my uncle about this guitar that is at my grandma's house. From what conversation I heard, it was a guitar that my dad had purchased for a gift for his dad. My uncle had learned what some of the symbols and things on the guitar meant and had it plugged into an amp and was strumming some songs. I watched my dad's face as he watched his brother. Awe, enjoyment, pleased, pensive, proud. Words that come to mind when remembering what he looked like as he watched him.

I'm getting a blubbery....and off topic for what I wanted to say. lol Music has such a powerful influence over people and I hope that I can continue to teach and show my children the joy that music can bring. Music is also something that I need to share. I love to sing, but am so shy about doing it in front of others. I have a hard time even singing in front of Bon. I can do silly singing, no problem, but when I'm by myself and losing myself in a song on the radio...that's something I have a hard time sharing with others. This is another one of my goals. To work on overcoming that shyness. I've never done karaoke. Weird. Even horrible singer do karaoke. ;) So this gathering at my friends house, singing along to Singstar 80's...it helped me work on my goal. It was fun. I need to remember that.

You are the music while the music lasts. ~T.S. Eliot