Music in my life

[susnfx]

(Stick with me, please. I think there's a point here somewhere.)
My brother Brent is a storyteller. He's 52 now and has been playing guitar since he was 15 and, along with a million other young men, started a rock band in the 60s. In the beginning he played the songs of other people and other bands, but quickly started to write his own music. His songs have never been the "baby, I need your lovin'" type of thing...he writes about his life and his feelings.

He and my two younger brothers have been playing as the "Paria River Band" in southern Utah for about five years. I've been to countless gigs where they played Brent's songs and music by other people. They just finished their first CD (Brent wrote all the songs on it) and I was able to drive home today listening to their music. I don't have a clue what style you would call it: cowboy/country/bluegrass/their own style.

The subjects of Brent's songs vary widely: "Hold On Annie" is about our great-grandmother whose husband was never home when she needed him. He had an "itchy foot" and worked at various jobs, never near home, usually mining in the mountains in northern Utah. After Annie had had another baby while he was away, he walked the nearly 200 miles to their home pushing a baby buggy for her. In "Fields" Brent talks about little boys, their dad, and baseball. His own two sons both played baseball through college and it was a huge part of his family's life. The first time my nephew heard this poignant song, tears streamed down his face. "Cowboy's Last Ride," the title song of the CD, laments the loss of the west (Brent calls it their wilderness protest song). This song isn't just an overture to a romantic west that never existed--my father and brothers all spent time with rancher friends, helping on cattle drives and at brandings. Cowboys were real people in our lives.

I don't even know the title of the song that struck me today, however (the CD I have is a rough mix, with no cover or notes). I've heard them play it many, many times, but I never really listened to the words until today. Part of it goes like this:

When there's no one around, I pick up my old six-string.
There's nothin' like the sound of wires and wood and empty spaces.
I play a song I know---it always seems to lift me
Whether I'm feelin' low or my head's in other places.

Some folks don't understand---
They say it's time a' wastin'
They may be right for all I know.
It seems a dream I'm chasin'.

My fingers might be a little slow, and
My voice rough and shaky.
But there's a place that I can go
That only music takes me.


This song says so much to me about music and how much it means in all our lives--whatever style it may be. There are people who know I play ITM and think it's very odd for a person to have started playing the whistle at my age--"they say it's time a'wastin'"--but the music truly goes to my heart and comes from my heart. Today I appreciated my brother and how much of his life and heart he's poured into his music...and I don't think I'm going to feel guilty any more about the time I spend listening, playing, and studying the style of music I've come to love most - Irish.

Susan

[kevin m.]

Great words from Brent there,and so very,very true. Music is a mighty force,and it's got to come out if it's inside of you.
It doesn't matter how old you are,or how 'good' you are-as long as you are TRULY expressing yourself. I doubt that any 'real' musician is ever fully satisfied with what they have achieved-every practice,every performance is another step on a musical journey- so enjoy the trip!

[carrie]

Beautifully put, Susan. Thanks for writing this--I think it will strike a familiar chord in everyone who reads it, yet it's so alive with the specifics of your own family's background.

It brings to my mind the influence of my cousin Judy, who died a few years ago. She was 10 years older than me, the first in the family to pick up the guitar, a role model to all of the younger cousins. There was never any question in her grown children's mind what song to play at her memorial service: Drift Away.

Give me the beat boys, and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away.....

Carol

[Nanohedron]

Great tune for a sendoff!

[Walden]

There are people who know I play ITM and think it's very odd for a person to have started playing the whistle at my age--"they say it's time a'wastin'"--but the music truly goes to my heart and comes from my heart. Today I appreciated my brother and how much of his life and heart he's poured into his music...and I don't think I'm going to feel guilty any more about the time I spend listening, playing, and studying the style of music I've come to love most - Irish.

Susan, you are so right about the wonder of music. Music is not merely a diversion or time wasted, it is central to existence itself. The stars and planets move in their rhythm. The protons do too. The birds in the sky echo the celestial song in their chirping.

There is a communication of the essence of the soul in music. We experience joy, melancholy, awe, reverence, and even fear, in music. Thank you for taking up the whistle.

[thurlowe]

Thanks, Susan, it brought a tear to my eye. I hope Brent gets to share his music far and wide.

Cara

[Duffy]

Thanks for that post Susan. Those lyrics will help me explain why I bought my first whistle about 10 months ago at age 63. Yesterday I finally began to get the hang of half holeing.

[Soineanta]

Thank you for sharing, Susan! I've always thought that music has to be one of the most powerful forces on earth. The merest modulation can shift the mood of a movie, putting us on our guard or making us lean forward in anticipation. There are ancient stories about bards turning the tides on the battlefield with their small harp. Even though I probably will never be a professional musician, music will always play a huge role in my life. It helps us understand ourselves better and teaches us how to express ourselves, and how we can improve. I can't imagine a world without it; it's everywhere. Hoorah for music! Thanks again Sus.
Edit: By the way, is there any way I can get ahold of your brother's CD?

[susnfx]

Thanks for all the kind words. Sara, I know they've finished recording and mixing the CD, but I don't know when it will be available for sale. I'll send you a PM or email when I find out. Thanks again!
Susan

[Soineanta]

Thanks for all the kind words. Sara, I know they've finished recording and mixing the CD, but I don't know when it will be available for sale. I'll send you a PM or email when I find out. Thanks again!
Susan

Thanks, I'll look forward to it!

[carrie]

I've been thinking a lot about the various songs I know that express what music means in our lives (thanks, Susan, for the inspiration)--wouldn't a CD anthology of them be lovely? Anyway, I was reminded of this old favorite of mine, from my music major days. I was so pleased to find this beautiful recording of it online.

Click on #15, An Die Musik

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/music/reserves/cd5029.html

Text by Franz von Schober (1796-1882)
Set by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

To Music

Oh sacred art, how oft in hours blighted,
While into life's untamed cycle hurled,
Hast thou my heart to warm love reignited
To transport me into a better world!

So often has a sigh from thy harp drifted,
A chord from thee, holy and full of bliss,
A glimpse of better times from heaven lifted.
Thou sacred art, my thanks to thee for this.

--Carol

[TomB]

Thanks for all the kind words. Sara, I know they've finished recording and mixing the CD, but I don't know when it will be available for sale. I'll send you a PM or email when I find out. Thanks again!
Susan

I'll bet there are a few people who would be interested in it. I for one, would be.

I know that their are rules about promoting a business, but maybe when the cd is released, you could send a quick post pointing it out? You could always check with Dale to see if it violates his rules...

All the Best, Tom