The beauty of music

From the time I could walk and talk, I've always loved music. And when it came to music, I was very picky and choosy about what music I was going to listen to.

According to my mother, God assoil her, I had an eclectic taste in music. Meaning, I liked all kinds, or most kinds of music.

When I was growing up, I listened to whatever was on the radio, along with children's songs. But I still sang along with those songs that I liked. When I was ten, I discovered The Monkees and The Moody Blues, although I wouldn't really get to appreciate the latter until ten years later.

When I was twelve, I found that I liked The Smothers Brothers (I even went to see them with Mom when I was fifteen). A year later, I joined the legions of fans of New Kids on the Block and Tommy Page.

As I got older, my tastes in music changed, evolved, and matured, and my favorite repertoire included artists like Barry Manilow, Suzy Bogguss, and Colin Raye, among others. When I was in my early twenties, I found the beauty of Irish music, thanks to Riverdance. And thus began my journey of finding Ireland's national choir, Anuna and discovering the beauty of Michael McGlynn's compositions.

These days, I listen to a lot of favorite artists from my past and present. The past ones for nostalgia mostly. But currently, my favorite artists include Barry Manilow, Lynn Hilary, Mindy Gledhill, Anuna, Dallyn Vail Bayles, Jenny Phillips, Gaelic Storm, Stephen's Green, Lunasa, Solas, The Chieftains, The Bear River Band, Cranachan the list goes on and on.

There's something about music that has always soothed me. I hope that when my time comes to leave this world and pass through the veil, there's a nice soothing piece playing in the background to help me on my way.

Slan go foill...

Our loved ones are still here...

I felt a prompting to post this to my blog upon reading an interview that Monkee Mike Nesmith gave in the wake of the death of Davy Jones. He said that he wasn't going to give up his former bandmate to mortality just yet, that Davy was still around. I wish there was a way I could send this to him. This poem by Henry Scott Holland was read at my mother's memorial service a little over two years ago by my niece, Isabella.

Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Pray, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
let it be spoken without effect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as ever was; there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well.

~Henry Scott Holland

Slan go foill...

A week ago today, I lost part of my childhood...

I came home from work last Wednesday, all ready to start my vacation. When I logged onto the Internet, I got the shock of my life...

Davy Jones, Monkees' singer, had passed away from a heart attack that morning.

When I was ten years old, I was a fan of the Monkees thanks to MTV playing their TV show reruns. I developed a huge crush on Davy when I first heard him sing "Daydream Believer".

I'm still having a hard time processing that he's gone. It's been a week since he passed through the veil. I feel like I lost part of my childhood. At least I have the memories and the songs. I'll have to cling to them.

Davy, thanks for the music and the memories. I'll cherish them for the rest of my life. Slainte!

Slan go foill...