Monday, February 13, 2006

Songs of life

Recently I was reading a scrapbook magazine and they suggested making a scrapbook with the songs that have defined certain times of your life. Since I don't have time to do that, I thought I might just make a list here.

"You're So Vain"-- two and a half years old when this was playing on the radio. We were driving cross country, moving from New Mexico to Charlottesville. I didn't know what the song meant, but I sang it all the time.

"Beat It" -- in addition to other early Michael Jackson songs, I remember running around the gym in elementary school to this song.

"Walk Like An Egyptian"-- performed in 5th grade chorus concert for Grandparents' day, along with "The Rose"; I had an asthma attack before the performance because I was supposed to sing a solo and Heather-Rose told the substitute music teacher that she had sung the solo at the last concert so she should get to sing it. The drama of a fifth grade fat girl who has trouble breathing could not persuade the sub otherwise.

"Louis--Louis"-- though not really from my generation, this was the signature song of my middle school jazz band, for which I was the keyboard player all three years

"Criss-Cross'll Make You Jump"-- eighth grade field trips were not complete without hearing this song yelled by the "cool" kids in the back of the bus; we even had a "Criss-Cross" day for spirit week where everyone wore their clothes backwards to school

"Hounds of Spring", "Where never Lark nor Eagle Flew" and "The Ascension"-- favorite symphonic band compostions I played and soloed in during my stint as concert mistress in high school band

"Peaches"-- you remember that annoying song: "millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peahes, peaches for free"; for a time it seemed that this song was playing on my radio every morning when I woke up, causing it to be in my head for at least two thirds of the day

"Prelude in C# minor" (Rachmaninoff)-- my senior recital piece after ten years of private piano lessons with Ann May, the best piano teacher in the world

"Kate" (Ben Folds Five)-- obviously a favorite, I annoyed my freshman roommate in college by playing it over and over and over again

"Sleep" (BNL)-- put on my mix tape my roommate made me when I bought my car; it was one of my dad's favorites, and ironically the first song I heard the morning he died

"Wicked: The Musical" -- can not choose just one song; still haven't seen the show, but hope to sometime this year