Soothing the Soul

Dad at his Masters recital at Utah State in 1968. The first recital performed in the new music building.

As a very young child, my first memories of my Dad involve music... As a toddler sitting on red velvet theater seats as my Dad conducted the pit orchestra for a production of Peter Pan and watching in awe as Peter Pan flew over head....Sitting in the stands during a High School football game as my Dad conducted the marching band, atop a giant step ladder, during half-time, while we drank A&W root beer....

If I had to narrow my Dad`s legacy down to one word, it would be MUSIC....

Dad taught us to love music, It is fitting now as I deal with his loss and the unavoidable grief, that I turn to music to comfort and bring some peace....

I love this song.... I first heard a dear friend sing the heck out of this, a few years a go and have loved it ever since. It is a song of hope and joy and reminds me to sing after each storm

  (I like the arrangement better with a soloist backed by a choir, but couldn`t find that version)

Dirait-on from Les Chansons Des Roses.....My Dad loved every style of music (except Rap, if you wanted my dad to start ranting you just had to ask him what he thought of the dreaded genres) Several years ago we were on a senic drive in Utah and he said  you have to hear this, it goes perfect with the view (I think my dad saw the world with a never ending sound track) He popped in a CD and flipped right to this track (His version was the Los Angles Master Chorale, a concert he had recently attended) There is a beauty to this peice that I have never heard quite repeated.It matched the beautiful Utah red rock perfectly..... He then sent me the CD a few weeks later and I would listen to it on repeat, for hours.....




Dad loved musicals and had either performed in or attended performances of most. But his favourite was "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown". He was the percussionist in the pit orchestra on many productions of this, And could recite every single line....

But the song I remember the most is Happiness is....Happiness is playing the drum in your own school band...Dad's happiest place in life was behind his drum kit, this song spoke to his heart.


Dad loved music, and so do I :)