Inspiration Comes from Talent

Cover via Amazon

     My 11-year- old daughter has been bitten by the stage bug.  For some time now, she has stated that she wants to be a performer when she grows up.   It isn’t about fame, but the pure enjoyment of being on stage.   In her young mind, the best situation would be to perform and still be able to walk around without being harassed.   That is not the case with some of her peers.  She has already experienced kids her age dropping out of shows and choruses if they don’t get a major part.  She has seen kids who dance studio hop if they don’t appear to be labeled the star.   Recently we had an insightful conversation centering on the theme of accepting the role you are given, and enjoying the experience of being part of something.   What stunned me was the source she quoted as an inspiration.

     We were in the car (of course), talking about the above topic, when she stated the following.

“The lady on the TV said that if you don’t have expectations, then you are never disappointed.”

I answered….”Who said that?”

“The lady….. the lady from Singing in the Rain.”

     One of my favorite shows is CBS Sunday Morning.  I have watched this show for many years.  It is a wonderful mix of current events, art, music, science, celebrity, small towns, big cities, and stories of hope.   The interview my daughter was referring of course was that of Debbie Reynolds who starred in among others, one of the most beloved movies of all time.  A movie that will live on for the enjoyment of generations to come.

     A triple threat, she could act, sing, and dance.  She became famous because of her talent.  I was touched that a young girl listened to a seasoned and acclaimed performer and understood her message.  I was glad that someone of this stature made an impression on my daughter and not someone closer to her own age who feels the need to take their clothes off and dance provocatively to make “history”.   History is made by greatness, and greatness has a means of passing on something to hold onto, whatever my daughter grows up to be.

 

I Went to Disney World!

     A few weeks ago, during the April school break, my family went to Disney World.   Many families we know have already been, some multiple times.   For us the timing never seemed to be right, and we wanted to wait until both of our girls were old enough to handle the whole experience.  This year the schedules lined up, and we went.  I have never been before and didn’t really know what to expect.  I now understand why they call it the happiest place on earth.

   I booked the plane tickets last summer.  Flying out of the northeast during spring break made this essential.  We decided not to stay in the park.  I know, I know….people say this is a mistake but we had our reasons.  First, my youngest daughter has an internal alarm clock which wakes her up at 6 A.M. no matter how late she stays up the night before.  I knew there was no way we would be up until 10:30 to see fireworks.  Second, the cost of the trip drops significantly by staying outside the park.  I got a great deal through Costco for lodging, tickets to the park, and a car.  We had a 2 bath, 2 bedroom timeshare, with a kitchen, laundry, pools, and other activities.  We were close to the parks, but came home every day to peace and quiet.

     I didn’t plan for the entire year as so many say you have to do.  We decided what we definitely wanted to do, and what we could skip, but I didn’t have an itinerary for every minute. We also decided we could live without character meals and princess spas.  My days of be anxious and worried are over.  We didn’t find it hard to get around, or have the time to do what we wanted.  I think you actually have more fun if you aren’t so worked up about where you need to be. I am also glad that my kids were not so young as to become overly tired, and overwhelmed with the crowd, the volume at the shows, the walking, and the heat.

    We went to the parks 4 days.  We went once to Hollywood Studios, twice to the Magic Kingdom, and once to Animal Kingdom.  We decided Epcot will be visited on a future trip. Going to Disney provides a great opportunity for observing human behavior.  They have crowd control down to a science. Parking lots are not filled with people trying to find the nearest spot.  You drive in and they have you park in an orderly manner.  No choice, no stopping, pull in, get out, and walk to the tram.  Lines for rides and shows have wait times posted.  If you decide to wait, you walk along the maze.  The fact that it keeps moving makes you feel like you are getting somewhere which eliminates the frustration many feel in traffic jams.  The staff is friendly and helpful.  Everyone is smiling which is infectious.  Imagine having pleasant conversations with strangers all day.  Imagine how society could benefit from that.

     The rides are what most people talk about, but the exhibits, shows, characters in the street, parades, marching bands add so much to the experience.  Some is educational, some is pure fun.  The second day in the Magic Kingdom brought back so much of my childhood when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy were the only characters we knew.  Music, laughs, and stories come to life.  It all lifts the spirit and leaves you looking for more.

     It happened to be the week of the Boston Marathon bombings.  Many people from the northeast had the incident in the back of their minds.  It reminded us that it is important to have experiences that are fun-filled and happy.  It is important to create memories that will last a life time, and that time spent with family will never be forgotten.  My kids had a wonderful time, and my husband and I enjoyed seeing Disney through their eyes.  For one glorious week, the world around us was totally happy.

Loving Vinyl Records

After 64 years, Cutler’s Record Shop in New Haven, CT is closing.  It follows many other little stores that sold vinyl, and CDs.  The internet and digital downloads have changed the way we search and purchase music.  It is easier, quicker, and in some cases, cheaper.   Since I am not an owner of an ipod, I can’t pass judgment on the masses that have moved towards this way of listening to music.  What I can say for myself and many others is…..we still love vinyl records.

In my teens and twenties, music was my vice.  I spent countless hours in small, local, record shops flipping through bins of albums in search of something new.  No genre was off limits.  Rock, jazz, folk, classical, country, instrumental, you name it, I took a look.  One store in particular knew that I was going to buy something when I walked through the door.  I was left alone because they knew I had eclectic tastes.  Gone are these stores where people stood shoulder to shoulder looking for a new release, or an old treasure.  It was a social experience as well as a retail one.

I bought vinyl records long after CDs came into the picture, believing that the little plastic disc would not last.  Why would we give up its larger predecessor?  The cover was a significant part of the package.  The drawings, paintings, or photos were an art form in itself.  The inner sleeve had the words to many songs printed large enough that you could follow or sing along.  The notes allowed the listener to learn the names of musicians and backup singers who supported the main artist.  The producers ,recording studios, and location of the were the album was created also added to the history.

I never thought that CDs lived up to their hype.  I have sensitive hearing and can’t hear the claimed improvement in sound quality.  Albums have that airy sound that makes you feel like you are in the room with the performers.  The bass, the treble, the instruments, the voices all sound different.  You sit through the side A and then side B.  Want to hear something over again?  Lift the needle and move it back to that little space between the tracks.  I did that too many times to count.

The saddest part of how we purchase music now is how much we DON’T hear.  When people walk around with everything piped into their ears, no one else is exposed to something that may not know.  Also individual tracks are being downloaded without the benefit of hearing the totality of what an artist put together for the project.  I know  there are plugin devices so that music can be heard in the open, but how many young people are hearing it this way?

Recently I was in a thrift shop selling albums for 50 cents.  A woman next to me had accumulated a huge stack for purchase.  We talked about how  much we appreciated the covers.  We also appreciated the scope of music that was more prominent in bygone years.  We grew up hearing Broadway tunes, big band music, classical, and jazz from our parents.  We grew up with modern music but can recognize West Side Story, The King and I, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Pavarotti, and many others.  Some new artists are now making a vinyl copy of their recordings available for sale.   It is interesting to see its return.  These performers might just be telling us to stop, take some time, and listen.  Hear the new, revisit the past, and enjoy the sound.