Learning to Love Real Music



Do you have a favorite song? I have one for every situation. Our likes and dislikes change over time. But I think the music that we were exposed to during our formative years is the genre which follows us throughout life the most. I am sure there is some science that verifies this thought. As a RN, you would think I could quote some growth and development aspect of this phenomenon. But we haven't gotten to my adult disability. I have Hashimotos encephalopathy. Not thyroiditis. It affects memory, among many other things. I have had two strokes. So, much of what I learned in my nursing career and education is not readily accessible. It is still there, but sometimes it is hard to find. 

But music was, and is, always there for me. In every Good or bad situation. My title today was about real music. I joined the school band in Middle School. With the dyslexia, learning to read music was nearly impossible. I would have to hear my instruments part before anything on the music sheet made any sense. Our band director figured out if he would play my part for me, I could pick it up very quickly. I could work on it for days on end without help, trying to figure out our on my own, and all I would do is get frustrated and see nothing but dots on the paper, until i heard it. 

There were three main aspects to band. Marching season for football and marching contest. Solo and ensemble mid year, for small group and individual achievement. And the spring concert and sight reading competition. The only aspect I never really succeeded in was sight reading. I just couldn't grasp those infuriating dots on the paper without hearing it first. We did have a jazz band. But back then it was mainly for entertainment. I don't remember a competition. I played bass guitar in the jazz band. 

I played everything brass in the other programs. Anything with valves. In fact for our spring concert my senior year, I played six different horns. French horn, cornet, flugahorn, baritone,valve trombone, and tuba. It may not seem like much of an accomplishment. All of these instruments have one thing in common, those valves. But being able to successfully fit into each section and variation was a challenge. 

So what is real music. Any music that stirs feeling within you. It can be a real comfort in times of trouble or strife. It can be soothing during anxiety and depression. It can be inspiring in times of success and triumph. But for me, struggling to fit in a society that, at the time, made little effort to make sense of living for the learning challenged, it was an escape. 

Here are some links to early music learning, music therapy, and tools for the disabled. 

Music Learning

Music therapy

Music toys

Unferstanding Music for the disabled

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