Hitting The Wrong Notes
I grew up listening to Dad’s baritone as he sang his heart out. He loved to sing and sang at home, in church, or even as he rode his red and white Lambretta scooter. I cannot sing, but I sing anyway. I enjoy listening to music. I may turn up the sound and dance like no one's watching when no one is watching! That I have two left feet is a story for another day. The joke in the family is that I sing falsetto.
Walking down memory lane, I remember our singing periods in school—learning ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ (I can’t recall the names of the other songs now), but I also have good memories of singing in rounds and singing Hindi classics like Yeh, Sone Ki Hai Dharti, and Malik Tere Bandhe Hum. We even had a Hindi singing exam until grade 7. I passed! I loved going carol singing and even today sing in church. My voice blends quietly into the voices of the congregation.
I don’t really care that I cannot sing in pitch, though hubby opines that there are times when I sing correctly.
It is rather ironical that I married into a family of music lovers who sing and play instruments. My husband and older son are pianists and guitarists. Growing up, my husband never wanted to learn the piano but was pushed by his mother and rewarded or bribed 25p for every extra hour he practised.The money was used to buy kites. Father and son have both played in bands, and the son has been part of the youth choir in church. Sing songs are a regular feature in my marital home. A baby grand piano occupies a quarter of our living room space, while musical equipment and keyboards lie scattered around the house. Music books compete for space with my reading material. The classical music my husband plays doesn’t always appeal to me, but the other foot-tapping numbers are sure mood uplifters.
Music and song for me isn’t about hitting the right notes—it’s about being alive enough to sing, even if I’m mostly hitting the wrong notes, and enjoying myself.
This post is part of the BlogChatter Half -Marathon 2025
Image credit: Pixabay
Lovely to read your experiences about being surrounded my musicians almost all your life. :)
ReplyDeleteYour mother-in-law's strategy to get your hubby to learn the piano seems to have worked wonders. I wish we had tried this with our son to keep him interested in playing the keyboard. Alas, he didn't continue.
Thank you for appreciating the post. My younger son too, gave up, and nothing we did would make him take it up again.
DeleteIt's so cool that you don't let pesky things like being in tune stop you from enjoying music - whether listening or singing. I can just picture you singing as you do your chores :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, Suchita. That's a lovely thought. Yes, I do listen to music, especially when I'm cooking.
DeleteI can relate so well with your post. I used to sing well in school.My dad was a good singer but after I got married into a joint family, singing just disappeared. I did listen to music but no singing. My husband was tuneless. My daughter sang on stage too. Now I am 61..I am taking music classes. She takes me to singing jam sessions and choir singing. You should try it out. When you have music in the family, learning an instrument is also a great idea. I dabble on the keyboard and going to take classes soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Harjeet. By the way, I'm 61 too. It's really nice to know that you are musically inclined, and I wish you every success in your musical journey. Unfortunately, I can't learn to play an instrument because of a physical impediment, but I will never stop singing or listening to music.
ReplyDeleteMusic is so important right? An instant mood uplifter! My room mate in college used to complain that I sing off-key, I replied sanu-ki! I am a Punjabi so singing on top of my volume with no regard to pitch or melody is in my genes
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Harshita, and I say, "Way to go, girl! Sing your blues away!"
ReplyDelete