Everywhere I go, I see people listening to music: blaring from their car radios, wires hanging from their ears as they jog along, and lately, playing the ukelele is the new fad. Actually, now that I think of it, everyone has some kind of Ipod that they are connected to. It gives them something to do when they aren't calling or texting. Back in the olden days, people just smoked cigarettes to look cool. Dang cancer research. I do not need these crutches however, because I always have music playing in my head.
Come on, what music is playing in your head right now? Sit still for a moment. Clear your thoughts. What's playing on your brain tape? For some inexplicable reason, "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys just downloaded in my mind. There can't be a much better song than that to clean out the cobwebs and leave you free and empty upstairs. It's like a pinball is banging around, knocking out all troubling thoughts.
"Ba ba ba, ba ba bar-Ann; Ba ba ba, ba ba bar-Ann.
Oh Ba ba ra a an. Oh take my ha a and. Oh Ba ba ra a an.
You got me rockin and a rollin , rockin and a rollin,
Ba ba ran.
Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba ber Ann...
See what I mean? That is genius. And I get it for free.
I figured this out one day, when I wondered, "Why don't I play music more often?" I love music. I believe in music. I think that Luke's brain will be enhanced by a daily diet of well chosen, intellectually stimulating notes. "You march right over there and turn on that CD player," I told myself in no uncertain terms! "Ok," I answered. "As soon as this song in my head finishes playing." Hmmmm...... "Is this normal? Does everyone have music playing inside their heads? Is it normal that I'm having a conversation with myself using quotation marks?" I decided to conduct a scientific experiment with myself, in which I randomly catch myself unawares to see if there is any music going on. I also try to see if I can stop the music, and just have blank nothingness take over.
What I discovered is this: If I do something virtuous like go to church, or go to choir practice, then that lovely music will play on for a while. If I hear any kind of trigger word, like say, "Boop". Then the track in my head shifts to "Boop e boop e boop e boop" from the little brother on "Malcolm in the Middle". Something like that can go on for quite a while until someone might call out, "Your sister is calling." Then my mind immediately goes to the Pointer Sister's song, "We are fam i ly! Taking bout my sisters and me"! Which lasts until someone complains about a hole in their sock, that leads to a song no one will admit to having written, "There's a hole in the bucket (repeated ad nauseum)". And so on. I wish I could say that it was the Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" most of the time, but sadly, no.
My kids like to play a game called Music Tag. It's a secret game that no one knows is going on until they've been tagged. It goes like this: One insidious child starts softly humming. Another person starts humming the same song as if they think it came to them out of the blue. Someone else will start singing it. At that point, person one shouts, "I made you sing that! Ha Ha Ha". OK, it's not a great game, but we were pretty poor when the kids were growing up and they had to make do with air and sticks. At least that's what they tell everyone.
Sometimes, if those around me are unlucky, tunes leak out of my mouth and there are audible repercussions. I don't go around singing like Sleeping Beauty. No. I go around thinking songs. I'm pretty good too. In my brain.
I recently saw a kid on UTube who was apparently born with amazing music in his head that he says he "just has to get out". He pulls it out and composes symphonies. Julliard snapped him up at age 10. It is unlikely that I will ever get snapped up by any institution other than the one my kids have planned for me in my elder years. I don't have any original music going on in there. Just other peoples' songs. If any of it was coaxed out of me, it would be to the detriment of all. Although I might be a hit on the rest home circuit. No symphonies for me........ oops, gotta go....
"Baby, Baby,
I hear a sym pho ny.
A tender me lo dy..."
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