Music Lovers

Whist wonderin' wot to listen to while scrubbing kitchen floor by hand - is wunnerful exercise, I highly recommend it - beats exerbike all t'hell. But I think I knowed the answer all along - influenced by Marc Eliot Stein's opry podcasts (he aint the only high-toney feller around, y'know). 

So I selected Andre Previn's orchestration of Tchaikovsky per Ken Russell's film The Music Lovers starring The London Symphony. Is amazing, no? 

Bought that record back in '72 or so after cajoling friends t'go see the movie with me. Probably Bushie and Deano, cuz I know we all saw Jeremiah Johnson and Bushie tried to convince Deano they oughta move to Colorado and become mountain men, which is a pretty good idea really, if you think about it.

Which reminds me, back in them days when I'se in and outta college (I was a non-traditional human, aren't we all) but anyways, I use'ta go to NYC fer Christmas break and see plays and stuff. So one New Years I'se at Lincoln Center - Avery Fisher Hall or sumers, watching symphony perform stuff by that American John Phillip Sousa, I think, or some such wonderful music. And was incredible. Me sittin' there in balcony cheap seats (actually on a knee peering thu railing trying to get as close to that sound as possible). Wow, just overwhelming.

And a few years later, I got that again. So we was doin' public good works stuff down in Panama. I'se with 24th Tactical Fighter Wing flyin' a desk in Admin and Sarge say "hey Lieutenant (you aint doin' nuthin') why'n't you go down t'the Catholic School an' paint they ceiling for 'em?" So I did that, cuz like Marty McFly say "don' never call me chicken" an' dontcha know the damn ceiling on the second floor gymnasium is actually falling in, but so why not paint the sucker anyway. I'se good at it cuz we moved around when I'se a poor kid and y'learn t'do stuff like that, hang wallpaper and what not. We was resourceful folk.

An' so there I am, paintin' this huge old dyin' a fast death ceiling, and kindly old nun bring me cookie and what not, fer break. So...is never gonna get finished anyway, not even with me working hard fast and honest like I do. So, catch m'breath an' light up a smoke, and sittin' there in the second floor window lookin' out at bright sunshine, here come US Army marching band, a marchin' rehearsin' an' playin' Stars and Stripes Forever right there in the little street below me. And of all the folk in whole wide werl, I'se the only person wot gots a ringside seat t'watch and listen to them fabulous music makers play that fantastic music. Thanks Sarge.