I attended an Atlanta Pops concert last night at Elba High School auditorium and loved every minute of it. They played music from the Oscars over the years and began with one of my favorites, Gone with the Wind. I just closed my eyes and Tara came alive! For two hours I sat and listened to all those memorable songs of the past and enjoyed them so much. The concert was part of the Coffee County Arts Alliance series. We're so fortunate to have groups come to our out-of-the-way part of the state to perform.
I suppose my music "career" began with piano lessons when I was in elementary school. One of our teachers, Mrs. Mary Ringsdorf, was our teacher. Since most of us didn't have pianos at home to practice, we were allowed to practice on the school piano in the music room at school at designated times during the week. I have short fingers and never could reach an octave on the piano and my fingers didn't want to move very fast either. And I have no rhythm or music talent. So most of my talent was in "music appreciation" and not producing music!
When I started to high school in Elba (10th grade) I wanted to play in the band. The new band director, Jimmy Patrenos, came to Elba that fall and when he arrived, his car broke down. Daddy was working at a garage in Elba that fall and repaired the new band director's car and wouldn't charge him anything. He told him that his daughter wanted to be in the band and maybe he could help her. Not many people owned their band instruments so they used the ones that belonged to the school. He needed clarinet players and I thought
I'd like to learn to play a clarinet. I remember the old silver clarinet that had seen better days but he put a new reed in the mouth piece and played it and I was hooked. That's what I wanted to learn to play.
I took it home and practiced very hard and could hardly wait to play with the band. By the fall of 1953 I was in the Elba marching band! I worked my way up to 1st chair by the time I graduated from high school. We marched at ball games, in parades, and even went to the National Peanut Festival parade and a Blue/Gray football game parade in Montgomery. I loved being in the band. It was ok that I never became a concert pianist. I learned enough to play church hymns and I was satisfied with my piano career.
I joined the marching band when I started to Troy State Teachers College in the fall of 1952 and was assigned to play 2nd chair clarinet. I was so disappointed. I must admit the others were much better than I. After football season, the band members began to work on symponic music. Somehow this just wasn't the same and I dropped out of band when they required us to come to practice almost every night. The music majors loved getting together and practicing -- but not me. I enjoyed going to their concerts later and other concerts at the college.
Years went by and I went to hear many big symphonies and loved everyone of their performances. One of my favorites was attending the Boston Pops events one summer evening in Boston. Arthur Fiedler was the conductor and we were so excited to get tickets. But when we got there, they had a guest conducter I'd never heard of named John Williams. He was ok but I wanted to see Mr. Fiedler! Then soon after that, Fiedler retired and John Williams took over as conductor. And of course I have enjoyed the music of John Williams ever since.
Our sons have musical talent they inherited from their dad - who by the way loves to sing (tenor) and is in our church choir. He too loves to go to symphony concerts and loves classical and "elevator" music - songs we have enjoyed over the years. We bought an old piano when Bill was in the 2nd grade and he took piano lessons when we were living in Atlanta. Then we moved to Texas when he was in the 3rd grade and he continued taking piano lessons for awhile. He and Ronnie were both in the band during their school years and loved playing more than one instrument. Their taste for music is different from mine since they grew up during the 70's and rock and roll was becoming popular.
Our son James loves to play old records, along with Michael Jackson's CD's. He too loves music and sometimes wakes us up in the middle of the night with Michael Jackson singing "I'm Bad!" Or some of his Christmas music he plays throughout the year.
We love the old traditional hymns at church instead of contemporary or praise songs (often sung to taped music because the sheet music is not available). I'm so glad our Methodist church has not resorted to using taped music during the worship service. We have an organist and pianist who are both very talented. And we have a group of talented musicians whose voices blend well and I love to hear them sing. A very meaningful part of the worship service for me.
This isn't to say I don't enjoy singing what I call "campfire songs" at times other than during the worship service. Or that I don't enjoy some country and bluegrass music. I really like the Texas cowboy songs of the Gene Autry days. What I don't care for, or understand, are the contemporary songs that have no message for me, or melody, and you can't understand what they are saying. And as for rap music, that is just noise to me!
