80 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019
I
thinkit’sterribly
importanttogrowup
surroundedbymusic.
It’salwaysblaringin our
home,especiallywhenthe
grandchildrencometovisit.We’ve
exposedthemtoallgenres,including
classical.TheyknowT chaikovsky’s
1812 Overtureandloveallthe
canons.Theywereverywellprimed
whenweattendeda concertand
fireworksinthepark,givingeveryone
nearbya fullcommentaryandletting
themknowwhatwascomingnext.
TheylovePeterandtheWolf, too,
butareequallyfamiliarwith
Steppenwolf’sBorntobeWild.
Inturn,RossandI knowallthe
wordstoGeorgeEzra’sShotgunand
we’veactuallyheardofTwentyOne
PilotsandImagineDragons,unlike
a lotofourgrandparentingfriends.
I’mnotknownformynatural
singingability.Quitetheopposite.
I wastheonlychildin primertwo
whowasaskedbytheteacherto
notsing,buttoturnthepagesfor
thepianoplayer.It didn’tstopme
singingtomychildrenwhenthey
werelittle,andI nowsing– though
notparticularlytunefully– “tucking
intobed”songstoa newgeneration.
I’malwaysamazedat mymemory
forlyrics.SometimesI forgetmy
PINnumber,butI cansingthefull
soundtracksofOklahoma!and
SouthPacific, andcaneasilyrecall
allthewordstoDonMcLean’s
AmericanPie.
Musicis anincrediblypowerful
mood-setter.Therearededicated
channelsoninflightaudiosystems
thesedays,loadedwithcalming
relaxationplaylists,perfecttofall
asleeptoonlong-haulflights.
Musiccanbelikemedicine,
loweringstress,reducinganxiety
and even elevating spirits.I havea coupleofupbeat
tracksI domyhouseworkto.
KDLang’sMissChatelaine
andJustinTimberlake’sCan’t
StoptheFeeling!aremy
vacuumingsongs.
I alsolovehowmusiccanconnect
souls.I’vebeenin a rowdynightclub
in Budapestordancingunderthestars
in a MoroccandesertBerbercamp
wherelanguageis nota particularly
commonthread.A familiarsongwill
playandeveryoneis immediately
dancingtoa universalbeat.My
ItaliancookingmentorandI can
quicklycatchontoa vibeasweroll
outpasta,singingourownwordsto
thesamemusic.ThinkDeanMartin’sVolareoranythingbyTheBeatles.
Certainsongscantakeyouback
toa moment,anageora feeling.
ThelmaHoustonbeltingoutDon’t
LeaveMethisWayremindsmeof
myboyfriendbreak-upsin the’70s.
AndwhenI hearanythingbythe
Carpenters,I’mtransportedtothe
nurses’homecorridorswhereour
turntablesranhotwithReasonto
BelieveandYesterdayOnceMore.
I lovemakingplaylistsonSpotify
andoncein a whilemytimingis spot
on.Lastyearononeofmyfoodie
tours,weweredrivingintoParisin the
eveningwithallthewindowsofour
littleminibusopen.Themusicwas
crankeduphighandoncameThe
BalladofLucyJordanbyMarianne
Faithful.“Attheageof37,sherealised
she’dneverridethroughParisin a
sportscar,withthewarmwindin her
hair,”shesang.A poignantmoment
indeedandfondlyrememberedby
everyoneonthattrip.
I dothinkit’simportantnottojust
getstuckin thepast,andtobeopen
tonewmusic.RightnowI’mmadfor
LadyGagaandBillieEilish.MyRoss
stilladoresWagner(perhapsheis stuck
in thepast).Hisideaofmusicalheaven
is a week-longperformanceofThe
RingCycle. I’mtalkingfourto
fivehoursoflongand,dareI say,
laggardsingleoperasspreadover
a weekandsungin German.
Forbeautifulariasandoperas
likeMadamaButterflyorLa
Bohème, youcancountmein,but
Wagneris mypersonalchallengeand
a bitofa testofmaritaltruelove
anddevotion.
We’recominguptoour33rd
weddinganniversary,sowe’velearnt
tocompromise,at leastmusically.Ross
didtakemetotheBruceSpringsteen
concertandreluctantlytoTheKillers,
as well, so I’m not complaining!AW W PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES.Turn up the volume
Musichasanincrediblewayofshapingwhoweare.Ourthoughtsandfeelingsand
ourreactionsto the world around us are so often inspired by this evocative art form.
WithJO SEAGARA slice of life
“I have a couple of
upbeat tracks I do
the housework to.”