My son knew that my entire musical collection consisted of a shoebox-full of audio tapes that I played on long car trips. He thought my tapes, mostly Classical music and Broadway Shows, left a lot to be desired. He set about making me a couple of audio tapes, (this was in the ’90’s) including a mix of Chet Baker playing jazz trumpet which he named “Chet Baker for Mom”.
In more recent years he made me CD’s – of Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael and Duke Ellington. I had always liked their music but for years hadn’t listened to it. I didn’t listen to anything that wasn’t necessary while my children were young. Quiet was all I wanted to hear. Most recently he made me three CD’s of varied artists playing for Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, from 1961-1973. I used to jitter bug to this music and I can’t keep still when I listen to the CD’s. Now that I live alone I eat lunch at my kitchen table, tuned to my son’s gifts to me and loving the company.
But “what strikes a chord”? At dinner time I set my place at my dining room table, nuke my Lean Cuisine, pour a glass of wine, light a candle, and put my old Chet Baker tape on my boom box. His trumpet accompanies me every night – always new. I love jazz, brass and best of all Chet Baker’s music.
poetrybyheart.me 
Music soothes and inspires.
Thanks for your comment.
Haha, V, I feel the same about music, esp. while kids are young (and noisy) – silence whenever I can! I haven’t come across many other people who will admit to that, and I have even felt somewhat guilty about raising children in such a music-less environment, but I just can’t take background noise without going crazy, and no one wants a crazy momma ;D
Absolutely I’m glad you are another noise-less momma. I wondered if younger Word Pressers would think I was odd. Thanks.
Not at all, but I also wonder if other people would think I was abnormal!! In fact I wrote a partial post which I didn’t publish during Writing 101 mentioning it – it was the one about favourite music or something, and all I could think was, I just want silence and how weird is that! Maybe I’ll revive that post, you never know, maybe other people are like us and suffering in…silence 😉
Go for it. I’d like to hear what you say. I think of silence as its own presence, not an absence of noise. It heals me.
Has its own presence – brilliant!
Your son sure has a good taste in music.
I couldn’t agree more.
This is outstanding. It’s amazing what we can learn for our kids.
Yes, I love it. Thanks for your response.
I find I crave quiet now, in my 60’s….. and have for some time. People give me CDs from time to time but I don’t play them often. Chet Baker sounds like something I would like though. I think I will investigate!
I think the best of Chet Baker is when he plays his trumpet with no accompanying lyrics . Happy listening.
Some great choices there! 🙂
Thanks. Glad you like them.
love your dinner time ritual! and Chet Baker. But I love classical, bluegrass, gypsy, baroque, gospel, choral,…eclectic I think
I enjoyed your comment. I also like classical and gospel = and Broadway show tunes.