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So the last Select-A-Set focused on sound. I’m thinking now perhaps I should have done this one first but that’s okay. I’m trying to fit the select-a-sets into the being thankful theme and what better way than to talk about hearing. I’m very thankful for my hearing. There is so much I’d miss out otherwise.
As with sight and sound, life can still be just as beautiful without the ability to hear, or hear well. Shoot, again it could be argued at times it saves people from having to hear arguing, screaming and all the other negative noise that happens in our lives. There are many times when I had a remote when I could push the mute button on certain people or certain circumstances. Even though there are some things I don’t want to hear, I’m more than grateful for that precious sense.
There is so much I’d miss out on such as a baby’s laughter or lullabies sung to children. People’s voices can be soothing, especially when it’s our loved ones talking to us. If you haven’t seen someone in a long time or talked to a person, suddenly that individual’s voice is like a sound from heaven. Without hearing, a speech could still be “heard” but the power behind someone’s voice would be missed. This is a pro and a con. Without hearing the nuances behind a person’s voice, you may well be saved from certain influence, which in some instances can be bad, i,e. Adolf Hitler. Part of his power, if you will, was how he spoke and power he had just in his voice.
Personally, I’m mostly grateful for my hearing because of music. The beautiful harmonies, melodies, lyrics, voices and instrumentation is wonderful. I can go from listening to something that’s just meant to be a pop song and have fun to something that makes me think about my world and what’s happening around it. I can listen to something like Pachelbel’s Canon in D and swoon from the simplistic but gorgeous music filling my eardrums. Music can take me to other places, help me to de-stress, express my feelings for me when I can’t find the words, it’s a help all the way around.
The best part is that there’s so many different kinds of music, ways to express oneself. It’s amazing! I’ll let that be discussed in further detail another time but right now, it’s about being able to hear that wonderful medium.
So, there’s so many different ways I can do this. I don’t have a particular set theme for this one. It’s just about songs that have a beautiful sound to them. The voices, lyrics, etc., are powerful enough in their way.
First – Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” I love this song because the stringed instruments add a subtle touch that really puts the emotion into it. Withers also has a wonderful voice that pulls it together.
Second – Tim O’Brien’s cover of The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” I have to first say that I don’t typically like covers, but this is just amazing. Tim is a bluegrass artist so the instrumentation is quite a bit different but it’s so beautiful. It’s such a wonderful interpretation of an already fabulous song. There’s so many different things to listen for in this song that I’ll just let it speak for itself. The video is nonexistent; it’s just a black screen but that gives you the listener a chance to just listen and enjoy the marvels of Tim O’Brien and company. Do check into the album that this is off of – “Two Journeys.” It’s marvelous!
Third – I end this set with Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” Again, this is fairly basic but the stringed instruments again just add a touch to it that’s, to me, unmatched. It’s a wonderful love song that King had actually written for The Drifters but they turned it down. That’s too bad for them. It helps that it’s also part of one of my all time favorite movies by the same name. The emotion and sincerity is something that must be heard and that means it can then be felt.
stormy musings 