I've got the music in me

Music has always been the most important element in my life (well maybe after love & sex).

My parents both have good singing voices & my mother played flute. The Spokane public school system tested all students in the 3rd grade for musical ability & then made a recommendation to the parents as to what that child should or should not study (this was in the early 60s). I am quite sure they don't offer this service now. It is just wrong that schools have continued to cut The Arts from curriculum.

I had started piano at age 6 & studied until my junior year of high school. The school district's recommendation was for me was to play drums, but my parents said no to that. I wanted to play flute like my Mother, but she thought that playing flute would make me a homosexual...& we all know how that turned out. I started with trumpet & then I got braces. I switched to cello. I played cello until Jr. High when the conductor asked me to switch to String Bass because no one played it. I thought it was a great way to be first chair with little effort. I guess I was pretty good. I played in the Spokane Junior Symphony & had a scholarship at 14 to Tangelwood.

I gave up being an instrumentalist my sophomore year of high school to concentrate on being on stage. I was able to use my musical training as an actor a few times. I played the cello when I played Henrik in A Little Night Music (the pit cello usually played & the actor mimes) & I played the bass in Pump Boys & Dinettes (R thinks that it was my best show ever).

One of my favorite blogs- Deep Dish, challenged readers to name their 35 most influential songs.

Here is my entry:

Once In A Lifetime- Talking Heads

Beyond The Sea- Bobby Darrin

Waters Of March- Antonio Carlos Jobim

Every Breath You Take- The Police

God Only Know- The Beach Boys

Shiver Me Timbers- Tom Waits & Bette's version

If I Had A Boat- Lyle Lovett

Naive Melody- Talking Heads

My Hand Over My Heart- Marc Almond

I Get Along Without You Very Well- Frank Sinatra

Vivaldi's Song- Michael Franks

Train in Vain- The Clash & the Annie Lennox version

Things Have Changed- Bob Dylan

The Windmills Of Your Mind- Dusty Springfield

Fly Me To The Moon- Frank Sinatra (& others)

Take Me To The River- Talking Heads & the Annie Lennox version

One For My Baby- Frank Sinatra

I Get A Kick Out Of You- Jamie Cullum (& lots of others)

One- U2

Mack The Knife- Bobby Darrin (& lots & lots of others)

Little Red Corvette- Prince

Let's Dance- David Bowie

I Will Survive- Gloria Gaynor

I Remember- Stephen Sondheim

Every Day I Write The Book- Elvis Costello

Every Time We Say Goodbye- Annie Lennox

Crying- k.d.lang & Roy Orbison

Older- George Michael

Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk-Rufus Wainwright

Across The Universe- The Beatles

The Ballad Of Lucy Jordon- Marianne Faithfull

God Give Me Strength- Elvis Costello

Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most- Julie London

Anyone Can Whistle- Stephen Sondheim

End Of The World - Matt Alber

Care to contribute yours?