Music and Memory
Times when I most miss my father I search out some form of keyboard music, either piano or organ, and listening eases my feeling of loss and helps re-establish a sense of connection. We always had a piano in the house and later on into my teens Dad treated himself to an organ as well. It made for pretty cramped quarters as the house wasn't all that big.
Dad was a blue-collar guy who had his own sheet metal business and to relax at the end of a day he would often sit down and play for a half hour. In focusing on his music he could lose the cares of his work day. For quite a number of years he was also the organist at a couple of churches and sometimes choir director. He never thought much of his own playing abilities because he always compared himself to others of greater natural talent, technical ability and overall musical sensibility.... but it didn't stop him from putting himself out there.
A couple of years before he died, while my niece and her husband were living in Dubai, Dad recorded a 60 minute tape of himself playing selections from a songbook and talking to them. Following his death they were kind enough to make duplicates of the tape and give them out to the rest of the family. I pull it out once or twice a year to hear him enjoying himself, playing and to hear the sound of his voice once again.
I don't know that this piece would be to Dad's taste but I'm sure he would appreciate the composition of it, the mood it conveys and the talent of the woman playing it. It's what I was listening to tonight (along with other Philip Glass compositions).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imbwn6iVryQ
Cheers, Dad. Miss you.
Dad was a blue-collar guy who had his own sheet metal business and to relax at the end of a day he would often sit down and play for a half hour. In focusing on his music he could lose the cares of his work day. For quite a number of years he was also the organist at a couple of churches and sometimes choir director. He never thought much of his own playing abilities because he always compared himself to others of greater natural talent, technical ability and overall musical sensibility.... but it didn't stop him from putting himself out there.
A couple of years before he died, while my niece and her husband were living in Dubai, Dad recorded a 60 minute tape of himself playing selections from a songbook and talking to them. Following his death they were kind enough to make duplicates of the tape and give them out to the rest of the family. I pull it out once or twice a year to hear him enjoying himself, playing and to hear the sound of his voice once again.
I don't know that this piece would be to Dad's taste but I'm sure he would appreciate the composition of it, the mood it conveys and the talent of the woman playing it. It's what I was listening to tonight (along with other Philip Glass compositions).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imbwn6iVryQ
Cheers, Dad. Miss you.
Labels: music, organ, Philip Glass, piano, remembrance
posted by Norm at 2/22/2009 03:37:00 AM
5 Comments:
what a lovely memento to have
My parents always played together, Mom on the piano and Dad with harmonica, and they both sang. They're pretty old now and have stopped playing and singing, but I will always associate them with music and feel grateful for the gift they gave me.
Yeah, Kel.... besides a couple of personal items he gave to me that tape is what I treasure most.
yb - glad to see you here and thanks for commenting. Perhaps you could get the tape rolling and nudge them into entertaining once again for old times sake.
There is something about the tone and timbre of a solo piano that always elicits an emotional response in me. I was getting downright sentimental there the other night.
Father, son by Peter Gabriel.
I was listening to this piece last week and was thinking of my father. Kleenex will be needed.
John
Good to hear from you JPW and thanks for sharing. I'll track it down & give it a listen. Thanks too for the tip about tissues.
Nothin' worse than a man crying and no hankie in sight.
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