My Permanent Musical Library

 

I use Apple Music and there is something satisfying about having such an extensive collection of songs always available. But that is not my only musical collection.

Unlike John Nash’s mathematical genius in the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” I do not have logical knowledge that can be commanded at will. Some days I struggle to remember my own social security number. Instead, my brain has an ability to store beautiful music and to share it randomly. Every morning I wake up and listen to discover what musical memory will begin my day.

Some days it is Elsa singing Let it Go and I remember a youth group in a church van singing the entire soundtrack from Frozen.

Today I heard What ever Happened to Old Fashioned Love, one of the lesser known BJ Thomas tunes from my early adulthood. He died in June and the world is a bit quiet without that voice.

In 3^rd grade music class at Viola Cobb Elementary in Channelview we learned a lot of old American pioneer tunes and some days I wake up singing along to Erie Canal.

I may wake to an old commercial from a time when cigarettes had their own jingles. Just the right touch of menthol from a Bellaire cigarette.

When Betty was in second grade, she was in a program that required a cute skirt and petticoat for a dance to Tenneessee Wig Walk. Included were such catchy lyrics as “I’m a bow-legged chicken, I’m a knock-kneed hen.” Betty, in case this hasn’t been retained in your mental music library, here is the link for your listening enjoyment.

Tennessee Wig Walk

When my three children were young and riding in the car, they were captive audiences to my musical tastes. They could sing Father, I Adore You in rounds and could do it beautifully. This one is not only a morning delight, but one I replay at night when my mind won’t settle for sleep. If I relax I can hear all three parts.

Not all my music is in English. Searcy Elementary in Arkansas had a great Spanish program for 5^th grade and we sang Los Pollitos Dicen and in Kissimmee, Florida, 11^th grade Spanish added Cuando Calienta El Sol to the memory bank.

Pass It On was a favorite of my youth group and is in the top hits of my memory.

For a time, I was part of a church liturgical dance program and, more often than not, I seemed to be the token senior citizen. My memory has gaps and learning a song and the accompanying moves meant listening to the song many times. Many times. Very many times. Those songs became a permanent part of my soul. Blessings by Laura Story remains in the playlist on my phone as well as the one in my heart.

These days, I am more likely to listen to audio books than music when alone in my car. But my children and grandchildren are always encouraging me to “listen to this one, Nana.”  My mental musical library continues to grow and the filing cabinets there are not, yet, full.