www.janeek.com

www.janeek.com

Established 1999

I confess, I am jealous of anyone who can write music.  But, the talent  is a gift that you must be born with.  Music is truly the international language - we don't have to understand the words to understand the feeling expressed by a song.

I once read that music is feelings and words are thoughts and that by combining the two you can express feelings with words.  My father first gave me my love of music.  He would play classical and Dixieland jazz records.  My brother was a music student who introduced me to folk music and then cool jazz.  While growing up, I, of course,  enjoyed popular music, especially anything you could dance to.   Motown is Detroit's gift to the world.  I was crazy about the Beatles (I was a George fan - mainly because the other girl's didn't think he was "groovy" enough - always had a soft spot for the underdog).  The wonderful world of movie musicals died in the 1970's - but the 1960's produced many gems.  I know all the songs of "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music".  "West Side Story" and "Bye, Bye, Birdie" were the first two albums I ever bought for myself.

My college years is where my tastes in music truly began to evolve.  I heard the terrific reviews of "Company" and bought the album.   It was amazing - fresh songs about adult relationships that gave me my appreciation of Stephen Sondheim's talent.  The emergence of popularity of Disney's movie, "Fantasia" reinforced my love of classical music.  Through the years, I confess to enjoying disco (I used to roller skate every week, so cut me some slack) and other rock music.  But, watching a Sinatra special, I truly began to appreciate the standards.  Bette Midler introduced me to swing music.  Busby Berkley's wonderful 1930's musicals became another obsession, along with the classic stylings of Fred Astaire.  I have a great collection of albums that is now being replaced by CD's. 

It is exciting to finally find a CD to replace an old scratched album and to be able to really hear the music again.  It's like finding an old friend again.  But, I am a bit strange in that I haven't attended many concerts.  Maybe it is my compulsion to sing along with the music or the control factor of wanting to hear a song the way I want to hear it - but that's the way I am.  As a child my mother would sing a funny little song to me about the place where the women chew tobacky and go wicky wacky woo.  It would always tickle my funny bone. Well, there I am sitting in a very funny Woody Allen picture ("Bullets Over Broadway") and they performed the song, "Nagasaki" and I was able to get it on CD.  Nice to have a permanent piece of your happy childhood memories again.  That's the magic of music, it can trigger memories and highlight moments of your life.

So, I am not into most current music.  I have an aversion to singers who feel compelled to scream about being in love.  I dislike the nasal twang of some country music and the current group of whiny singers.  Repetitive head banging music and non-dance rap also gets on my nerves.  I guess, I am just an old fashioned type of lady.  But, I have to admit that confusing, dumb lyrics don't annoy me as long as I like the music created.  It is always the music first and lyrics second to me.  BUT, if you get intelligent, thoughtful, feeling lyrics, then you have really created magic.

So, enough of the essay - go put on a CD or tape and don't just think about the music you love - actually enjoy it!!!