His beautiful voice....

From the time I was a child I can remember Dad playing a radio as he worked building airplanes in our garage. The classical, big band and jazz melodies would drift out of the garage and along with them my father's beautiful tenor voice. He was never so happy and at peace as when singing along to the melodies of his favorite stations and using his mind to create a new contraption. I can recall several times sitting just outside the door of the garage to listen to his beautiful voice. He would be absorbed in his mind and music, always dressed in an old, green scrub top and well loved, paint and glue encrusted jeans. Sometimes I would go in and volunteer to sweep up saw dust, metal shavings and stray hardware just to be part of his creative moments.

I have no doubt this was a soul soothing ritual that continued long after I grew up and moved on to have my own home and family. I wonder if the disaster of the burst pipe that destroyed his workshop had not occurred, might we begin our visits hearing his voice soaring out of the workshop rather than finding him sitting watching a show he didn't choose for himself and probably isn't even following. Might the loss of this outlet be responsible for his rapid decline over the past two years? We can only speculate but I suspect simultaneously losing his music and his hobby may have accelerated his condition.

Movies with familiar themes and music are always a good way for us to connect. We never silently watch a movie together. There is always lively discussion throughout, sometimes losing the plot but not reducing the enjoyment. Occasionally I will take a chance and bring over a movie that I am not sure about and his enthusiasm will surprise me. One such movie was the new King Kong with Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrian Brody. This movie was a home run from the opening scene because the movie starts with "I'm Sitting on Top of  The World", sung by Al Jolson, Dad's all time favorite musician.
"Wow!!" he exclaimed,"You just can't start a movie any better than that!"
We had tried to see it in the theater but because of technical difficulties about a third of the way through the theater gave us a refund. Still, I knew when I brought the DVD to his house, it was going to be a great visit.
His enthusiasm for Jazz, classical and Irish folk music was passed to all of his children. When I was still in grade school, I often heard Paula doing dishes in the kitchen and singing "Irish Eyes", "Irish Lullaby", "Danny Boy" and a song that Dad used to sing so fast and that had so many names we just called it "Renegan Rock in a Bowl". As it turned out it was really called "Dear Old Donegal"....but we still called it "Renegan Rock in a Bowl".

Dad griped about our rock music and country and western all the time, but we all watched the "Lawrence Welk Show", "Sonny and Cher", and the "Donny and Marie" shows together as a  family. It's funny after having been exposed to such a broad musical spectrum I often felt that Dad and I would never find musical common ground. That changed with the popularity of New Age music. I earned my drivers license at age 18 and often had New Age tapes in my car. One day Dad decided to coach me on highway driving. I popped in a tape and began our lesson. A few minutes into our drive I was surprised to hear Dad remark, "Who is this? I've never heard this music. It's really beautiful!" I was so pleased I almost forgot the purpose of the drive and started talking about the different tapes in the glove box. "That's Spencer Brewer, 'Tomorrow's Child'...want to hear some other things?" I offered.
He agreed and I popped in a few more tapes...Yanni, Vangelis and Kitaro. Finally, a musical bridge!

Another connection was made when I spent the entire year after "Amadeus" hit the theater listening to nothing but classical music...not just Mozart but everything I could get my hands on. I was fond of Mozart but have to admit I'm more of a Beethoven girl. This came in handy recently when I was watching a Columbo with Dad and a classical piece was playing in the background.
"I think I know this one", he said (I knew it was a lead to a quiz) "Is it Mozart?" he asked.
"No, his pieces were more intricate. The way this one flows I think it's Beethoven", I replied, smiling to myself.
"I think you're right! How did you know that?" he asked, obviously impressed.
"Oh, I know a bit about the classics", I said proudly.
"Well, way to go!" he exclaimed, with a bit of pride as well. It's nice, the little connections we find accidentally, even now.

Since it's Christmas time I hear all of the holiday songs being piped through different stores. Many I have heard a thousand times but have never observed and couldn't tell you the artist. I can actually remember at age twenty two when I was working in a mall at a record and tape shop (that is a very old fashioned sentence!) and I heard over the store speaker a child's voice singing "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". I remember thinking, "That kid is phenomenal! I know it's not a new recording but I wonder who that is?" Later I found out what I'm sure many of my readers already know...the singer was young Michael Jackson. With so much exposure to music over the years, you would think some things would be common knowledge. Unfortunately when Dad quizzes me about holiday songs, I'm not always right and I get the expected groan/slump/"why me" reaction. On the positive side, Dad's musical interest has obviously not faded. Hillary must have taken a cue from this because she had a recent brainstorm.

Hillary fixed the radio intercom in Dad's house and now has his beloved classical music playing softly all day. She has adjusted the settings so it is softer in the bedroom and a bit louder in other rooms. Dad has his music back. I am sure it provides him comfort and perhaps reminds him of earlier days in his workshop, building planes, talking to Eddie the owl, tinkering with his many projects and singing along.
What a wonderful gift Hillary has given him: a soul soothing reminder of better times.

To be continued...