Originally published between 2011 and 2014, this post has been updated but preserves its original publish date as content is migrated from the archives of The Flavored Word.
I’ve always wondered, or even marveled a bit, at people who grew up with music—think violins playing, grand pianos, not that there’s anything wrong with Pandora, there’s just something magical about an image of a properly dressed youth practicing their instrument of choice (albeit for hours on end) … but you know what I mean. Don’t get me wrong, I did my stint at the keyboard like just about everyone else I knew growing up, but eventually my Sony Walkman and sports and boys took over my spare time and so, I don’t have any overly fond memories of music being played when I was younger. Other than my mother blaring Elvis records whenever she was ironing.
Ah, but the sound of a recorder … that “music-making device with seven or eight (or heck I dunno, maybe it’s nine or ten?) holes that every American youngster gets to attack in grade school … surely you know what I’m talking about. Either because your mind is drifting down memory lane to your childhood days, recalling that odd little instrument and how, day after day, you struggled to play Mary Had a Little Lamb OR, because you have a child at home whose school music teacher dubbed this the year to learn to play something other than the cymbals. I know … I feel like I should pause here for a second to let everyone who has drifted come back, but alas, I only have time for a very short post this a.m. And so, I leave you not with any great literary work here, nor any words of wisdom other than this:
Music, no matter what it sounds like, no matter who is making it, should always have the chance to be heard—even if it’s Mary Had a little Lamb played in b sharp on a grade-school recorder.
BTW this is the first time I’ve tried posting from my phone … while driving … no, I’m not really driving—just wanted to see if anyone still reading this : ) sometimes I crack myself up : )
Cover image created with Google AI.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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