The newest technology to enter my scene is an iPod Nano which I received as a Christmas gift. It reminds me of an older gadget made to play cassette tapes which I first saw years ago, hooked to my nephew Tim’s ears, but it is far beyond that in capabilities while perhaps one thirtieth of its size. Those capabilities have taken the joys of music to a higher level for me.
Some of my happiest moments have been when I’m singing; alone in the car, together with a hundred of my closest friends, or in the church choir. My most exciting experience in singing was with seven other women, The Ensemble, singing somewhat difficult Christmas music. The best was performing Emmanuel, acapella. It can be so thrilling when you are helping to make the music!
Through the years, I’ve learned to play four instruments; piano, viola, hand bells, and ukulele, but only the hand bells in performance. Oh, I take that back. I played the viola in my junior high orchestra recital, during which I was hopelessly lost trying to read the music. No thrill there, just fear. Nothing like playing your assigned hand bell at the wrong time either. Sadly for me, but perhaps for the best, my performing days are over.
Now my thrills are coming while I listen, in a world of my own, to some of the finest music recorded. My nano allows me to upload (or is it download?) all my own CDs on it, purchase one song at a time, or a whole album from the site, and then pick and choose how I want to listen to all the songs. Tiny ear buds fit comfortably in each ear and block out the world around. I sound like an ad for my little device, but it’s really all new to me, and still exciting to hear parts of the music I’ve never heard because of outside sounds or lack of concentration. The lowest note on an upright bass, tiny tinkle of a bell, and all the tones in between are clear and inspiring.
One of my dear friends suggested on her Christmas card to listen to the Hallelujah Chorus in surround sound, so I promptly bought a glorious rendition of Handel’s gorgeous music and now have “in my head surround sound.” Electrifying!! Today I will go online and purchase At Last by Etta James as a memorial to her contribution to this world of music. Imagine, I still have 5 GB of memory left! Oh the possibilities.
