I'd always wanted to star in a comedy. But, when I was in middle school, I played clarinet in the band, (geek factor 10), and play practice was always at the same time as band practice. So , for two years I watched the school plays with envy — a murder mystery, an ensemble piece. When, in 8th grade, they announced that they'd changed play practice to accommodate more people, I was there at auditions with a fully prepared reading from T.S. Eliot's book of cats. At the end of my reading, the director asked me if I could sing, and my 13-year-old self mentally imagined singing along to some tunes in the car and, stupidly, said: 'I guess so.' When the roles were posted, imagine my surprise to discover that I'd landed the lead . . . in a MUSICAL. I had about three high-pitched solos. (Who casts somebody for a lead in a musical without actually hearing them sing?) All I can say is thank God VHS is obsolete now so we don't have to relive that experience anymore. I'm as tone deaf as they come. I was so traumatized by the whole experience that Sawyer was probably 2-years-old before I actually got the guts to sing to him. I'm still terrified that my kids are going to inherit my off-key versions of every song and that I'll ruin them for life. But, I have to say, they both love my singing and insist on at least one song every night before bed. My repertoire is limited. Here's our bedtime playlist:
• It's a gift to be simple
• Fréré Jacque
• Tomorrow (Annie)
• Rockabye Baby
3 comments:
I might be equally if not more tone deaf than you! Still, Sadie's bedtime favorites are:
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (I usually make up a lot of the words to this one)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Sadie (Gramma made this one up--I guess it's pretty cute but might give her a big ego)
Hush Little Baby (Lots of improv going on here too)
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (unfortunately this one seems to transcend its 'seasonal' quality)
When Addie was an infant, I didn't really know many children songs, so I sang Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes to her.
Usually because I forget the words, we hum to or slightly sing Baby Mine (from Dumbo), This Little Light of Mine and Billy Joel's Goodnight my Angel. Occassionally, when I'm not afraid of any hidden meanings, we sing the Rainbow Connection. The best is now Susannah is starting to sing on her own- making up words to new tunes. Her favorite is, "mommy is sleeping."
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