That seems to be my selling point today. Soothing the savage beast. Music is supposed to have that power and I suppose it does for me. Yes, I consider myself a beast. A writing beast, bwahaha!
Seriously though, music has always been the one true constant in my life. In my family, it’s been one area nearly everyone can claim some talent. My sister played flute. I’ve heard that her playing could make band directors cry (in a good way).
Meanwhile, I played flute for a few years and switched to tuba my 8th grade year. It wasn’t as though I had a great, burning need to play such an awkward instrument, but I wanted to play something different I wouldn’t have to buy. Schools provide tubas, you know. You just have to get a mouth piece.
Anyway, 8th grade started my future in the brass section. I never tried out for any competitions because I wasn’t that good. I could play loud and march well. Those were the only two things I had going for me. The college band scout who came to our school my senior year mentioned to my best friend (who was already a freshman at that university), that me on one side of the field sounded the same as the two sophomores together on the opposite side of the field. Yay me. I was as loud as two tuba players.
But I didn’t stop there. Band kept me out of trouble…for the most part. Parents, in case you didn’t know, band nerds are not always the best people your children to hang out with. Just saying. In middle school and high school, sure, it’s a great way to stay out of trouble, but college? It’s like every bad summer camp movie ever made in the 80s…except these are adults.
Anyway, music was the one thing I could always count on whether it was listening or playing. It helped me express the weird creative vibe I had even though I wasn’t very good at it. I learned different percussion methods at camp. I took piano in college and could rock out a not-too-horrible version of “Scarborough Fair” if I had enough time to pick the keys out one at a time. I became a disk jockey at the college radio station, further feeding my need to enjoy music. And when I got out of college, I bought a bass guitar. I can only play two songs (or I could), one being Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and the other by A Perfect Circle. That’s it and it made me happy.
It was always band or music for me. I didn’t do dance. Just because you can keep rhythm in a song doesn’t mean you have rhythm. Just sayin’.
I didn’t join clubs because let’s face it, if I couldn’t convince my mom I was innocent of everything, I’d never be an actress.
I didn’t raise animals (and the three I have now shows why this is a good thing. Ever heard of Animal Farm?)
Music though, I could do. It’s something I can enjoy no matter how old I get, or how slow my brain might become. It’s also something I can continue learning if I ever wanted to. In fact, I’ve been thinking about learning the violin (even though I have short fingers), or the cello just for the hell of it.
It’s all about the music. Listening. Playing. Enjoying. And living. 
Angela Schroeder
Patricia Kiyono
Elaine Cantrell
Jeff Salter
Joselyn
Tonette Joyce
Four Foxes, One Hound 
NICE!! I adore music of all sorts. EXCEPT country. I can’t deal with nasal twang. I can even abide an oompa band over that. It’s weird, I know, but there it is. I’m kind of like you with the pecking out piano songs. I took lessons for 5 years and even played the violin, too, but I’m really more of an appreciator of music than a creator.
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LOL, I’m an appreciator now, but at one time I wanted to learn every instrument I possibly could. Now I prefer to peck out words on the computer keyboard rather than notes on a piano keyboard.
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Danica, you are welcome to visit my home anytime! What instrument would you like to play? We have a keyboard, a saxophone, a bass guitar (and those are all my daughter’s), two trumpets, and probably a couple of those little recorders that we all played back in elementary school. (Sorry, I ditched my clarinet back in 1983.) I have a feeling my daughter would be your shadow.
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LOL, check her out! I never mastered any instrument, unfortunately. Just enough to get by. I’m a much better listener than player
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In terms of PERFORMING music, I don’t have a musical bone in my body. I used to be able to sing a bit and did so in church choir for a few years … but these days my voice is expended after two verses and I can’t hit any of the higher notes that I used to sing. Of course, I don’t really read music either. I can “KINDA” follow the notes when I’m hearing them, but I couldn’t just take a score and sing it. Best way to deal with me is to put me between two basses who know the bass line and I can mimic them.
Now, as far as LISTENING to music — YEAH. I love the golden oldies especially. And some of the C&W is okay, but don’t care for the twangy stuff.
But here’s the funny thing: I never want to have the radio on (or CD, whatever) in my vehicle … even on a long trip, Unlike many who’ve said music accompanies their writing or thinking … I find it totally displaces mine. In other words, if the music is good enough for me to play, it captures my attention and I focus on it. I can’t shove it in the background.
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