July 23 - The Musicals, Part III: "And I Know if I'll Only be True, to this Glorious Quest..."

You may ask, "Larry, a Part III on Musicals? Have you not opined enough on this topic?" Well, the answer will become clear in this final chapter of the The Musicals.

To recap, Part I ran through my discovery of Musicals and specifically, the ones that influenced me. Part II revealed my performer side that I tapped into for a a while. In this Part III, I hope to explore the place music has in my heart.

So start with (and to wrap up the Musicals), there came a day when I was watching "The Sound of Music" with my Mom. Julie Andrews was on a bus singing "I Have Confidence" and I see that no one on the bus is looking at her. I asked my Mom why that was and she said it was because, "She is singing in her head to herself." I loved that answer.

Music has always been a HUGE part of life. Singing as a kid - Chorus/Choir/All-County Choir; my music (a 45 collection as a kid that I still have), my LPs (over 1000), my CDs (over 1500), mp3s (over 17,000); I'd sing on the school bus with my friends (ahh, those great 70s tunes); I played in a rock band in High School (bass for one number and then keyboard for the rest); I whistle were ever I go (I remember whistling through a snowy field on the Great Lakes Naval Base); I sing when I'm cycling (during Lifecycle 7, I sang through the entire score of "Jesus Christ Superstar" - if only my Brother and Sister had been there!); I listen to music in the car, at home, in the gym, in my office... you see, I need my music. My answer to the proverbial question, "If you had to choose between Deaf or Blind..." you know my answer.

Music a part of me. I need it. There's a song for every mood, emotion, season and occasion. It fills my heart with joy. It can soothe me when I'm stressed, fire me up when I'm mad, delight me when I'm glad, comfort me when I'm sad. It's there. It's with me. It never lets me down.

Music. There is nothing like it. Irreplaceable in my life.