Music
Music – I think I was born loving music, all types of music. We had a piano but I wouldn’t practise preferred to play in the street with the other kids. I was sorry later on. I do have an ear for music, they call it ‘playing by ear’, listening to a tune and then playing it on the piano. My Dad was very good at playing by ear too, like me the left hand was a problem but Dad would get his fingers set to cover the octave with his thumb and little finger and then curl up his remaining fingers so they would hit piano keys and that was his ‘chord’ or I should say, keep the rhythm and beat to whatever piece of music it was. It worked out fine as many a sing-song was enjoyed around our piano in Challis Street.
Now getting back to the real music – My first recollection of records was at my Nana and Pop’s home in Ballina when we were there on holidays. They had what was called a Gramophone. You put the record on the turntable, carefully set the needle arm on the record, then turned a handle on the side of the cabinet until the right speed was achieved and the music played all over the house.
When you think about that and where we are today, it has come a long way. We have gone from carefully setting up a record to play and then sitting either on one’s own or with family and friends to listen and enjoy to a small device – an iPod, MP3 player, smart phone etc, with earphones with our music of choice loaded so we can listen to our music anywhere, anytime.
What has been inbetween the two has been a gradual progression to the devices we use today.
We have had many ways to listen to music and after all, people are finding out that the record/vinyl is the better way to reproduce music, it gives the listener a much better version of a recording.