"To stop the flow of music

[digitS']

would be like the stopping of time itself," ~ Aaron Copland.

As I've related here before, I'm a hearing-impaired guy. When I started using hearing aids in 1983, the ENT doctor said I probably should have had them, 10 years before. Ah well, they always say things like that .

I passed the threshold between moderate and severe hearing loss sometime about 10 years ago. I can't remember when but after using the "devices" for 20 years, it didn't really make much difference to my appreciation of music. I thought that was a rather distant thing since amplifying sound into damaged ears did nothing to increase my enjoyment. Rather, it fairly well marked the end of me listening to music.

Well, lately . . . . .

It began last winter when I was watching a tribute to Roy Orbison on PBS. K.D. Lang came on stage and helped Roy sing, "Crying." Orbison died in 1988 and I hadn't paid much attention to him since the '60's but K.D. Lang? Who was this person? Like a great many others, I found her on youtube and strapped the headphones on to listen to her sing .

Recently, it occurred to me that I may have missed something in my youth - a direction, that I might have gone in my appreciation of music. Instead of listening, maybe there was music that I could kinda, more, feel. You know what I mean?

I went back and listened to one of my favorite songs from those years: Green Onions. Remember? I posted a thread and included some of those instrumental songs by Booker T & the MG's! I can feel that kind of music and with the wonders of the internet, I explored where these guys went with that music. Sure, I followed that electric blues . . . right thru Eric Clapton and Paul Butterfield and up to the Allman Brothers . . . then, they lost me.

Well, what if I had taken a slight turn and stayed with the blues rather than trying to figure out, hear and lose my hearing to - rock 'n' roll? Now, keep in mind -- I am related to a very popular classical Canadian pianist, I am NOT going there. Sorry.

But, guess who woke up this morning to Marvin Gaye and "Heard it Thru the Grapevine" . . ? And, Oh no! I haven't been confining myself to those very popular hits from far back in yesteryear. I mean, I liked all the versions of Thru the Grapevine way back then. Remember, I continued to buy and listen to music right up until 30 years ago. But, what might I have missed and forgotten? And of course, what has happened in this genre (dare I say ) of music since?

One thing led to another . . . and I now have an account with an "automated music recommendation service!" More than one!

What has music meant to you in your life and at different times? From my own experiences as a young person, I bet some folks could write a book .

Steve
"A bend in the road is not the end of the road - unless you fail to make the turn." ~ Author Unknown

 

[hoodat]

I have that weird word identification problem. I hear everything you say but it doesn't make sense. I especially have trouble with high tones so the problem is worse with women than men. I gave up watching movies unless they have sub titles. If I read the word at the same time I hear it I can make it out fine.

 

[thistlebloom]

Hoodat, do you mean you have trouble identifying weird words?
And my husband seems to have the gender specific deafness also, he hears every word I say, but none of it makes sense.

Or maybe that's me not making sense...


sorry...

 

[gardentoad]

I have always loved music,was wild about blues and wanted so bad to play the saxs,when a music teacher told me my teeth were wrong for the sax. So I never learned anything...well maybe a couple of things... Like don't stick your tongue on a frozen metal pole..but nothing
To do with music..
Really young it was blues and some country
Teen it was mostly country and some rock and roll but no heavy metal
Adult up to about 5years ago all country
Then back to blues and some country
Who really knows what will happen next, maybe I will get me a sax and find out if my teeth really is wrong..

Don

 

[digitS']

Don, you are just going to have to pick up that sax or harmonica or flute and (what do you do with those things? oh yeah) blow!!

Weird words, Thistle' ?

Yeah, I am steadily losing my ability to know how to pronounce words. In other words . . . I forget. It isn't as tho' I don't hear words being spoken. It is that I don't clearly hear the spoken word. And, that means a large communication deficit.

New words, of course, I don't learn. I don't know enuf about deaf culture to know if this will have an effect on my writing or, if it already does. I was from an "unlettered" childhood. Oh, Mom read to us - a little. Dad didn't. Later, I read constantly but the hearing began to go a long time before I faced the music and bought hearing aids.

Read television, yep. Haven't been in a theater since the sinking of the "Titanic." Literally (actually, I guess that movie made quite a lot of $$ .) Had little idea what was being said: "Jack! Jack!" I suppose that carried enuf of the idea . . .

I wish I could link to Pandora Radio or Last.fm or Grooveshark for music but sometimes YouTube has good sound! Here's a little something, maybe especially for Hoodat:

When You're Smiling, performed by Billie Holiday



When You're Smiling, performed by Louis Armstrong



When You're Smiling, performed by Frank Sinatra



digitS'

 

[thistlebloom]

Weird words, Thistle' ?



digitS'

Kinda like this:
T 'was brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogroves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Please pardon my silliness. I know you guys are trying to have a grown up conversation about serious stuff and I'm tripping all over you... :/

 

[digitS']

Let's see if I still know how to translate such Anglo-Saxon silliness:

It was time for boiling (evening) and sneaky badgers did crawl about and dig on the hillside. The doves were upset and the turtles squeaked right out loud . . .

Forgot my Old English? Well, I tried .

digitS'

 

[hoodat]

Hoodat, do you mean you have trouble identifying weird words?
And my husband seems to have the gender specific deafness also, he hears every word I say, but none of it makes sense.

Or maybe that's me not making sense...


sorry...

That's the way I am, especially with womens higher pitched voices. I hear the sounds but they don't fit together and make words. I'm probably not hearing the complete sounds, only think I am.