musichal
poet emeritus
My Case Manager stopped by today for her Quarterly assessment per Medicare requirements. She's a new-to-me one - they tend to change jobs a lot, so that's not unusual - a young black lady, Debra. I lowered the volume as she came in, but left it playing Acoustic Alchemy. As she sat on the sofa, asking me the same old questions they ask every three months, she paused and looked at the TV screen to see what was playing.
"Acoustic Alchemy, I don't recall ever hearing of them, but this sure is some smooth and relaxing music. I can just feel the stress leave my body. Is this the kind of music you always listen to?"
Somebody wants to talk about music? Sweetie, you just came to the right place, I'm thinking.
"No, I really listen to all kinds of music. Classical, jazz, rock, soul, country, blues... there's not a lot that I don't."
"Well, you'll probably laugh at me, but my favorite kind is old school stuff. And I can tell you - you'll think I'm looney - but who I really like sometimes is Michael Jackson. His personal life was strange, and maybe suspect, but his music..." and she continued on, talking about how his music makes you want to move, while I used the remote to change inputs to the computer in my lap, and opened my files, chose "Beat It" and goosed the volume a bit.
As the song began, I could see she was confused, looking at the screen which still showed Acoustic Alchemy.
"I switched to my computer here, I have a lot of music files."
"Wow, I never heard it sound so good. It's just so clean and clear, like you can hear every little thing. It just makes you want to..." and here she paused, and I could see she was rethinking what she'd been about to say, in deference to my disability.
So I finished the thought for her, "...dance. Yep, it makes me want to dance, too. He had a way with getting people moving. I've danced to this song quite a few times, but even in my prime I couldn't do the Moonwalk."
So she continued to talk about music, as I started up James Brown's "I Got You,"
"Oh, that is old school now, isn't it, Mr. W? You really do like some soul, don't you? Man, I never heard this song sound this good - you got it going on. Do you like Aretha and Gladys Knight and the Pips, old stuff like that?"
"Well, I am old, you know. When I first was listening to this music it was New School. Sure I like it."
Then I began Phoebe Snow's rendition of "People Get Ready" from the New York Rock and Soul Revue album, and she sat enthralled by it. I could see it really touched her.
"What song was that, and who was singing it?!"
"That's "People Get Ready" by Phoebe Snow - it's an old gospel tune that a lot of people have done, but this is my favorite version."
"Phoebe Snow? Wow, what a singer! Why don't more people know about her? That song almost made me cry, I'd like to hear that one in church."
"Well, a lot of folks my age know of her because she had a big hit called "Poetry Man" on her first album, sometime around 1972, I believe. Several good songs on that one."
"Including the one we just heard?"
"No, that came later."
We listened to War do "All Day Music" and Sly Stone's "Dance to the Music" and four or five other old soul numbers she liked. I played the Neville Brothers' "Brother Blood" and she really liked it a lot, asking who it was, so I introduced her to that song. She kept going on about how great the music sounded.
The one thing she didn't ask or make a remark about was the system itself. And I wasn't about to mess up such a lovely visit by talking about gear to someone who didn't even make the connection between best-I-ever-heard-this-song to nuts and bolts. It was all about the music.
"You know I'm going to have my car stereo going on the way home, now," she said as she left, "and I'm in a whole different mood now than when I came in from such a grey and drizzly day."
"Believe me, enjoying it with you brightened my day, too. What will you be listening to on the way home?"
"I believe I'm in the mood for some of that Gladys Knight now."
"Yeah, that's good, too. Have fun and enjoy."
Hope this one sticks around awhile.
"Acoustic Alchemy, I don't recall ever hearing of them, but this sure is some smooth and relaxing music. I can just feel the stress leave my body. Is this the kind of music you always listen to?"
Somebody wants to talk about music? Sweetie, you just came to the right place, I'm thinking.
"No, I really listen to all kinds of music. Classical, jazz, rock, soul, country, blues... there's not a lot that I don't."
"Well, you'll probably laugh at me, but my favorite kind is old school stuff. And I can tell you - you'll think I'm looney - but who I really like sometimes is Michael Jackson. His personal life was strange, and maybe suspect, but his music..." and she continued on, talking about how his music makes you want to move, while I used the remote to change inputs to the computer in my lap, and opened my files, chose "Beat It" and goosed the volume a bit.
As the song began, I could see she was confused, looking at the screen which still showed Acoustic Alchemy.
"I switched to my computer here, I have a lot of music files."
"Wow, I never heard it sound so good. It's just so clean and clear, like you can hear every little thing. It just makes you want to..." and here she paused, and I could see she was rethinking what she'd been about to say, in deference to my disability.
So I finished the thought for her, "...dance. Yep, it makes me want to dance, too. He had a way with getting people moving. I've danced to this song quite a few times, but even in my prime I couldn't do the Moonwalk."
So she continued to talk about music, as I started up James Brown's "I Got You,"
"Oh, that is old school now, isn't it, Mr. W? You really do like some soul, don't you? Man, I never heard this song sound this good - you got it going on. Do you like Aretha and Gladys Knight and the Pips, old stuff like that?"
"Well, I am old, you know. When I first was listening to this music it was New School. Sure I like it."
Then I began Phoebe Snow's rendition of "People Get Ready" from the New York Rock and Soul Revue album, and she sat enthralled by it. I could see it really touched her.
"What song was that, and who was singing it?!"
"That's "People Get Ready" by Phoebe Snow - it's an old gospel tune that a lot of people have done, but this is my favorite version."
"Phoebe Snow? Wow, what a singer! Why don't more people know about her? That song almost made me cry, I'd like to hear that one in church."
"Well, a lot of folks my age know of her because she had a big hit called "Poetry Man" on her first album, sometime around 1972, I believe. Several good songs on that one."
"Including the one we just heard?"
"No, that came later."
We listened to War do "All Day Music" and Sly Stone's "Dance to the Music" and four or five other old soul numbers she liked. I played the Neville Brothers' "Brother Blood" and she really liked it a lot, asking who it was, so I introduced her to that song. She kept going on about how great the music sounded.
The one thing she didn't ask or make a remark about was the system itself. And I wasn't about to mess up such a lovely visit by talking about gear to someone who didn't even make the connection between best-I-ever-heard-this-song to nuts and bolts. It was all about the music.
"You know I'm going to have my car stereo going on the way home, now," she said as she left, "and I'm in a whole different mood now than when I came in from such a grey and drizzly day."
"Believe me, enjoying it with you brightened my day, too. What will you be listening to on the way home?"
"I believe I'm in the mood for some of that Gladys Knight now."
"Yeah, that's good, too. Have fun and enjoy."
Hope this one sticks around awhile.
Last edited:
But, that was a great story 
