Recently, someone close to me, who plays the guitar, harmonica and sings for a living, described me using the phrase “can’t sing.” I corrected him: “I CAN sing, I just can’t sing well.”
We can all sing, and I’ve never thought my one-note range should stop me.
Singing at Rotary probably belongs in the same category as God and politics, which is what makes for a good blog post, so here I go. . .
Wednesday, we sang “Daisy,” which is not its real name I learned. My grandma sang this to me and with me, and I remember it as among the top three songs we sang together over and over (the other two were “Houpy, Houpy, Houpy” in Bohemian and “You Are My Sunshine,” which we also sang recently).
I really enjoy our singing when we sing songs familiar to me and within the stretch of my one-note range. I also enjoy songs involving Brad Hutter wearing a wig or Dick Lovell rushing in at the last moment with props in hand. I honestly thought for a second Dick rode his bike and stopped to pick daisies until the theme dawned on me.
Our singing is at its best when we are having fun and participating and that seems to arise from the Music Committee selecting songs many of us know and have a chance of singing along with. Terry Anderson and Co. are certainly starting off the year with songs that fit that description, and I’d like to compliment them on their song choices and enthusiasm for not just leading us in song but entertaining us too (and helping us entertain ourselves).
There is another aspect to singing which is its unifying quality. I will never forget seeing Stu Levitan and Fred Mohs both singing “Blowin’ in the Wind” one day at the Alliant Center when David Maraniss was our speaker.
Singing is in the same category as weekly attendance: People ask “Really?!” and I say “Yes, trust me.”
Just as long as I don’t stand too close to the microphone.
p.s Rick Kiley provided the image of the menu to accompany his comment: check it out!
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 