June Blog: Getting Musical

For the month of June we're talking music. June rhymes with tune and that makes me smile!

Growing up I learnt the recorder like everyone did and then I had piano lessons which I remember finding boring as I wanted to learn songs instead of just scales!

I then moved to the guitar as I thought that would be more fun but unfortunately I didn't put in the hours of practise so now am not very much good at either instrument!!

I can read music which has definitely come in useful for my singing career!

I think music is so important and I do wish I had kept up my learning!

Most Collabro tours I used to say I would take a guitar and try to learn on the tour bus or backstage but there just never seemed to be enough time!!

I spoke to some of my Patreons about their music journeys and this is what they had to say:

Gwen says her mother was very musical and had a Steinway piano although she would play by ear, without any music! As there was no TV when she was growing up, there was always music being played for entertainment although she wishes she could play the piano, she took guitar lessons.

Hannah doesn't play any instruments but LOVES pop music!

Gail used to play the flute all through high school and could still play it now if she needed to!

Elizabeth used to play the piano and violin. She remembers begging her mother to let her have singing and dancing lessons. She played Glinda in her High School Musical of The Wizard of Oz.

Michael loves ELVIS and although his parents tried to force him into piano lessons, he quit after a year but regrets it. Michael believes the best (and also worst) music was written in the 70s.

Darleen learnt the accordion and the piano and sang in the church quartet. Her mother played the organ but the accordion allowed Darleen to take her music with her - it’s hard to move an organ!

Jackie learnt the piano to grade 4 but when she had to choose between piano and gymnastics, she chose gymnastics. Jackie likes to listen to music of all types!

Jayne played the piano and clarinet and could sight read until she was 16 when she stopped.

Linda had piano lessons as a child which she hated but then started to enjoy them and then also learnt guitar as a teenager. Her music tastes change depending on what she's doing but you'll normally find her listening to classical or folk music.

Roger believes it's never too late and has found a recent passion for singing. He used to play the accordion but really didn't like the phrase 'those who play the harp go to heaven and those who play the accordion go to hell'. He also learnt violin and a bit of cello. He tried guitar but he said ‘My finger tips were too fat to only press one string’!

Roger learnt how to play the organ so the organist at his church could take the day off for her own daughter’s wedding!

Roslyn used to sing in a choir, play tambourine and piano but wanted to be a drummer! Queen are her all time favourite band, closely followed by Collabro.

Susan never learnt an instrument but loves her music fact that she was born 2 months before Les Miserables opened and now it's her favourite musical.

Sylvia has started taking piano lessons and says it's never too late to start as she's 85 and she loves the fact she can now play along when she listens to my CD. Isn't that just amazing!

Hope you are all inspired to pick up an instrument and have a go!

Bye for now

Love Michael :D