Music plays a very important place in my life. The funny thing is I have no musical skills at all. Maybe that is why I love it, because I want what I do not have. I have a harmonica and can struggle through a couple songs. I have a replica of a Civil War bugle and I can make it sound like an elephant, I play the radio with the best of them and lately I have fallen in love with Youtube. Still I have zero musical skills.
Last school year I could not get a student to do a presentation in class, she was scared to get up and be made fun of. I made a deal with her, if she would give the presentation, I would sing at Coffee House. Coffee House is our schools talent show. It is for students but I talked my way in somehow. It would be my first public performance, although I sing in the hall all of the time, the last time I performed in public was my 4th grade Christmas show.
I chose for a song “Some humans Ain’t Human” by John Prine. In my mind John Prine is one of the premier song writers of our time. Another wonderful song that John Prine wrote was “Paradise”, besides Prine himself singing it, artists like Johnny Cash and John Denver have as well. It reminds me of going back to West Virginia with my dad and mom in the summer time.
Anyhow for Coffee House I convinced the vocal teacher Kraig Emick to accompany me. He could make pork chops out of pigs’ feet. I went about 5-10 times early in the morning and Mr. Emick and I practiced. He was very kind and patient with me. Also on my evening walk on the river road I would sing it.
Some other songs and singers out there right now that I really enjoy are “Company of Friends” by Danny Schmidt, and “Crooked Road “by Chris Knight, both poignant and heart clenching.
The title of this post is “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. It is about a man from Australia that fought the Turks during WWI. He talks about the romance and glory, and then he talks about losing both of his legs.
Before I close let me wish you all a Merry Christmas.
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