TheBanyanTree: Singing our Song

[Mark Funk]

During my formative years of the late 50s and early 60s, none of our local radio stations played rock and roll.  Instead, the normal fair was country, perhaps some big band, polkas, and the "standards" of the time.  However, our local AM station did make one concession to the "teens": a half-hour teen show mid-afternoon on weekdays.  Consequently, I was relegated to listening to the "clear channel" AM stations in other parts of the country, when the "skip conditions" were right at night.  The stations I could tune in included WLS in Chicago, WARK in Little Rock, Arkansas, and KOMA in Oklahoma, Oklahoma.  Unfortunately these stations would fade in and out depending on conditions and you couldn't get them at all if there was an electrical storm in the area.
 
The funny thing is that although I heard many of the old country songs when I couldn't get a rock station, I never really listened or was very interested in those songs.  Today I enjoy listening to some of the old country tunes.  And that is another big difference: I really listen at times rather than just having the radio on as a distraction or to fill some need for background "noise."
 
There is no doubt to me that my tastes in music are unique and that they have changed over the years.  I like what I like and I am not influenced by popular appeal.  For example, I didn't care for the early Beetles but I did enjoy some of their later work including the "white" album.
 
Upon reflecting on this, I though about how our writing is our own equivalent of making music, of singing our own song.  We share little pieces that give some insight into ourselves and our combined voices make up the whole song.  Sometimes we hit a sour note or are a bit off key, but even these flaws add to the total composition.
 
I enjoy hearing your songs in words and I enjoy singing along from time to time.
 
Keep making that beautiful music!