Angel in the Morning

One day at work in the Brookside Inn restaurant in Beulah, years ago, (years and years and years ago!) the entire staff and customer base were involved and a song together. Someone asked, “Who sang “Just Call Me Angel in the Morning?” and the next person would sing it, “just call me angel in the morning” and say,” I don’t know, let me ask so and so.” This went from person to person, one asking, the other singing it back and saying I don’t know, let's ask so and so. Finally someone called the local radio station and asked “Who sang Just Call Me Angel in the Morning?” and the disc jockey sang the song back and said “gee I don’t know, let me research it.” 

The point is, everyone got involved in the song and it connected everyone!

The recent flash mob trend where people “spontaneously” performed, sang, danced to, or acted out in public areas such as Grand Central Station or shopping malls or even Oprah is another way that people connected to each other with music. How can you have a bad day when a whole crowd is moving in sync to a fun song? Opera in the produce section, how great is that? What a fun way to introduce people to new sounds and styles! (You have to watch this video!) Mariano's Flash Mob Opera

I do not like music that is abstract, that sounds like abstract painting and art looks. But I was privileged one day to hear my friend Dan Silver perform an amazing piece of music that was written by a prisoner of war for piano, clarinet, violin, and cello. Had I only heard this music, it would have not touched me as much as seeing the performers, how they held their instruments and approached each part, the sober remembrance of those who performed this first. I get goose bumps just thinking back to this. I can still hear the hope and the birdsong expressed by men who believed that when this was first performed, that was in fact the end of time.
Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time 

Before this performance, while walking to the chapel, I found a cabin full of instructors and one student practicing jazz. Everyone was drawn to this cabin! Front row seats to music that you could not help but smile to and move! Wide awake, laughing music. It was like being in a water fight with sound. Amazing!
Afro-Cuba Jazz 

Because I was privileged to work with people like Dan Silver and Mike Davison (just to name two) I was “woke up” by the diligence of these guys practicing and practicing and practicing. They are the instructors, and they practice! They allowed me to interview them as a personal project. I wanted to know what made them practice, why music was so important. Although I spoke with them separately, each one talked about how music is a universal language. It unites people. It allows expression. It is emotion. I will share these interviews as I continue this blog in one way or another; these conversations were priceless to me.

Oh,  and who sang “Angel in the Morning? The original singer was someone kind of obscure. Lots of people including Juice Newton had released it. Merrilee Rush had the original hit with this song 1968. 

Angel in the Morning