Erin! I read through the whole thing before realizing I could also hear you read it, so will have a listen as well because: SO MUCH good content. I've spent the last few years, as you know, down a WWII research rabbit hole and still had no knowledge of V-discs! Swing on, my friend.
WOW, this wonderful essay led me to googling my elementary school music teacher, and I found some of her big band recordings: https://youtu.be/W-Z_gzMvVNI
Mar 3, 2022·edited Mar 3, 2022Liked by Erin McKeown
(She's the vocal! Also, when she was my music teacher in eighth grade — where she had us sing a lot of big band music — she was EIGHTY-THREE years old and could play piano like you wouldn't believe.)
I also sent the essay to my guitar teacher, who a few weeks ago had tried to explain swing to me re: my learning to play You Were Right About Everything (I swear this is true), and this week, he was like, "Yeah, the songwriter really explained it better." 🤣 Amazing.
I don't know why I hadn't looked up my music teacher before. She (and her daughter, the choir director) talked a little bit about how she'd been in bands, but I maybe believed it wasn't totally true? Or that it was some kind of hobby. I don't know; I was a child and google didn't exist. But she was the teacher for my (obviously) favorite class, and was the first teacher I ever had who was like, "You can sing, you can sing in harmony, here let me give you something special to sing," and it was so important to me, and reconnecting even in this small way has been so meaningful. Thank you!!!!
1) Love "Sing You Sinners" (great album)
2) Will now need to check out Anita O'Day
3) kd lang - Best voice I've ever heard; watched her career take a hit when she came out while she was still doing country & western
4) Carl is too cute
5) just ordered my first Mark Erelli cd (Blindsided); thanks for the tip
Erin! I read through the whole thing before realizing I could also hear you read it, so will have a listen as well because: SO MUCH good content. I've spent the last few years, as you know, down a WWII research rabbit hole and still had no knowledge of V-discs! Swing on, my friend.
💖
Loving the audio feature Erin, great to hear the essay and the music woven together.
thanks!! hoping to get more robust with it each time!
WOW, this wonderful essay led me to googling my elementary school music teacher, and I found some of her big band recordings: https://youtu.be/W-Z_gzMvVNI
(She's the vocal! Also, when she was my music teacher in eighth grade — where she had us sing a lot of big band music — she was EIGHTY-THREE years old and could play piano like you wouldn't believe.)
Edit: I did the math wrong on her age at first
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
If I could just say a couple more things:
I also sent the essay to my guitar teacher, who a few weeks ago had tried to explain swing to me re: my learning to play You Were Right About Everything (I swear this is true), and this week, he was like, "Yeah, the songwriter really explained it better." 🤣 Amazing.
I don't know why I hadn't looked up my music teacher before. She (and her daughter, the choir director) talked a little bit about how she'd been in bands, but I maybe believed it wasn't totally true? Or that it was some kind of hobby. I don't know; I was a child and google didn't exist. But she was the teacher for my (obviously) favorite class, and was the first teacher I ever had who was like, "You can sing, you can sing in harmony, here let me give you something special to sing," and it was so important to me, and reconnecting even in this small way has been so meaningful. Thank you!!!!