Sing, Sing A Song, Sing Out Loud

One of my most cherished childhood memories was that of my Mom and I singing songs. She had a song for everything, such as a waking up song, a casual day song (It’s A Lovely Day From the Broadway Musical Call Me Madam), to a just be silly song (Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)). I honestly thought my Mom was one of the most fantastic singers in the world as a kid. As I grew up I knew she wasn’t, but still she sang mostly on key and her singing voice is still as soothing as it always has been. Without a doubt or really an unconscious thought of doing it, I wanted my son to experience the sound of music in our house (literally and not literally...you’ll get what I mean in a minute).

I sing to my little man every day. I am glad my husband has not yet made fun of me because I do sing off key, off beat and I know some of the songs I sing must sound ridiculous to a man that didn’t grow up in this country and therefore don’t know some of the more silly but popular kid songs or the Broadway musicals I grew up on. How silly can the rendition of Maria from West Side Story sound when replacing the name with your kid’s name sound to someone that has yet to know where it is from? I give credit to my Mom on that one. She was the one that changed out names first on that song. For years I thought she actually made that song up just for me until I saw West Side Story in my ninth grade English class. Needless to say I was shocked sitting there listening to Richard Beymer singing about a chick name Maria. Maria is not my name.

Lately I have been on a kick singing songs from The Sound of Music. Nothing is happier then singing My Favorite Things, Edelweiss or The Sound of Music. I can’t help but love singing them as he gets all excited with a little scrunched up grin upon hearing them. We also love to dash around the dining room table, playing a form of toddler tag, while singing The Teddy’s Bears Picnic. My husband has to think we’re both nut balls and it is okay because we sort of are. Being silly is my middle name and doing it in song makes it all the more better.

I hope he too through my singing (such as it is) will also have a love of music and singing. My other hope is he may some day sing the same songs to his children and look back fondly to the days his Mom used to sing to him. I will end this post with a link to my Mom and my song, Petula Clarks - Downtown. I love you Mom. Thanks for the music.