Musician Me

How it started:  When I was seven, my family visited my Uncle Hans and Aunt Helen at their home in Monroe, Wisconsin. After supper I explored his home, which was an intriguing log cabin. In a closet within view of the adults sitting at the table drinking coffee and chatting, I found a black instrument case. As the adults watched, I carefully pulled it from the closet and placed it on the floor. Opening the case revealed a banjo. Its intricate design and numerous parts captivated me, and I examined it for several minutes. Then without touching it, I closed the case and returned it to the closet. My parents took notice, and on my next birthday I received a ukulele--the one shown below.
It came with a pamphlet with tuning tips and charts showing about a dozen chords. A few songs with chords superimposed were in the booklet, and that got me started as it was designed to do. The first song I learned was "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window." Thankfully no audio clips from that era exist.

My first ukulele--1955

When I was 12 I added two lower strings and switched to guitar. That was a long time ago, and I recently returned to my ukulele roots after visiting my son in LA, and playing with his ukulele.

Here's me in my kitchen (good acoustics) performing You Make Me Feel So Young.

I also have a digital, multi-track recorder, and have recorded bunches of stuff, mostly from the 1940s, a period of music I have grown to love. My recording process is as follows: First I record my guitar (rhythm guitar). Next I record the lead vocal while listening to the guitar on track 1 in my headphones. Then I add harmony parts, bass, and a second guitar part if applicable. Then when it's all done, I re-record the lead vocal. At that point it's like singing with an orchestra rather than a guitar. It's more fun, and I can do better.

 Here's Moonlight Becomes You, from the 1942 film, Road To Morocco, starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

Moonlight Becomes You

Note: after this song concludes, another starts, but it's not me. If I can find a way, I'll turn that feature off. Meanwhile, feel free to stop the song. 


Music from the 1940s: Back in the 70s I watched a televised mini series about World War II (the big one). In the soundtrack were songs from the period, some of which were by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I knew just enough to recognize the sound of Glenn Miller, and considered it rather catchy.  A month or so later I found a double album--back in the LP days--on sale, and brought it home. When I put it on the turntable, I was surprised to hear vocalists; I thought it was mostly instrumental. I had a lot to learn. Or maybe relearn since we heard much of this music on our family radio when my siblings are I were kids.

I grew to appreciate the music I heard on that album, and eventually branched out to include Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, and a few others. Since I was a musician, it was only natural to try to play some of the songs I heard via those albums, although the chord progressions are challenging at best.

Another of my favorites is this one, written for the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade, set at a ski lodge and starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and featuring the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

I Know Why (and So Do You)