Music and family
My grandmother is 89 and has been an avid music listener her entire life. She has been through 8 decades of music. Music has always played a big role in her life. It has been her passion ever since she was 10 years old. All she did growing up was play music. In fact, she took lessons and played 3 instruments: the accordion, piano and the organ! When she turned 11, she had joined an all-girls traveling accordion band called “The Melody Marvels.” The band played on the radio like 5-6 times, and she said it was the most fun she ever had. She was also in a small band that included her sister Virginia and their friend James. They started off just messing around, but they ended up playing little concerts for groups of people in their town.
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| Her with the accordion |
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| Her sitting by the piano |
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| all girls accordion band |
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| The band with her sister virginia and james |
She said throughout all the amazing music eras, her most favorite eras of music were the 40’s
and 50’s! When we were talking, she had mentioned that her all-time favorite artist was Glenn Miller and he was known for his distinctive style, which blended jazz with orchestral arrangements, creating a smooth and melodic sound. She first learned about his music in a diner when she was there with her mother. She would often go to dances and listen to music there because they did not have Spotify or speakers back in the forties. Her favorite song of his was Moonlight Serenade. My grandmother described this song as nostalgic and soft. It reminded her of the good days when she was younger!
Her favorite modern-day artist is Kenny Chesney. She told me that his song "Summertime" was her all-time favorite song. It was this song that introduced her to country music. The catchy beat and melody keep her wanting to listen to more of his songs, and she loves how his lyrics capture the essence of carefree summer days.Whenever she plays it, her face lights up, and you can see her reminiscing about the good old days.
I think it's so cool that your grandma played the accordion! I don't believe I've ever even touched an accordion, but to actually know how to play and to be in a traveling accordion band is so crazy! Also, the Glenn Miller song was also very beautiful. I'll have to check out more of his music.
ReplyDeleteYour grandma has lived a truly full life! I didn't even know there were traveling accordion bands. I've never heard of Glenn Miller but I will have to listen to more of his music because that song was beautiful. I'm not the biggest fan of country music, but I love how much your grandma seems to like it.
ReplyDeleteHi! 8 decades is really cool and fun to hear about her favorite eras. I'm going to be honest and say I have never heard any of these songs. But it is really interesting how broad music really is and how much history there is behind everything. Great job CJ!
ReplyDeleteHi CJ. I think that your blog is so interesting. I can't believe your grandma played the accordion and the piano. I have always thought the accordion was a cool instrument, but it has always looked so difficult to play. I listen to country music and Kenny Chesney is a really good singer with many good songs. "When The Sun Goes Down" is one of my favorite songs by Kenny Chesney. I loved reading and learning about your grandma's life, she is a very talented woman.
ReplyDeleteHey CJ. I thought your blog was extremely interesting and inspiring. The fact that your grandmother has lived through 8 decades of music, and many important times, is amazing! I think that is pretty cool how she was in a band and actually performed little concerts for people. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog CJ! Great work!
ReplyDeleteHey CJ! First off I want to say I loved your blog entirely, the pictures you included were such a great addition to tie everything together. I’ve never heard of an accordion band but It was so interesting that they were actually able to play on the radio. Eight decades of music is really just amazing because music over the years has evolved so much. Great job on this blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Cj! I love this and how you put the pictures together to show us what instruments she had played.I also love how she has lived through 8 decades of music so she has lived through a lot of music and that wonderful.
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