Boys And Music Of Summer

My love of music was contagious enough to be caught by my Dan, my son, many years ago. The car was the classroom of musical history in the formative years, as we crossed roads and highways of musical eras and genre.

Likes and dislikes were determined and discussed. Preferences of mine were offered up as choices to fit in Dan's newly explored world. I had and have a varied and extremely diverse taste in music. He, still being young, has a narrower category of music that fills his MP3 to capacity. Classic Rock.

I share this as a result of my recent hearing loss and more recent journey back to sound as a result of a new hearing system. My cochlear implant. Both Dan and Janet felt my depression initially when one of my favorite artists would come on the radio on a drive together. They would tell me who it was to make me feel part of the world of music, if not in sound, but in spirit.
The gesture was always well received, but the missing of a huge part of my life cut a hole with a dull knife through my spirit. I craved to hear what defined part of me again. I wanted the music back, but knew it would never be like days of old.

When summer came around every year, the stations trotted out the old "summer kick off" standards. The songs that brought back memories of driving to campgrounds, big boom boxes on the beach, windows down in the car as Don Henley gave us the "Boys of Summer". The colour of spring would graduate to a darker green. Yes the black flies would taper off, but the music was constant. "Aint nothing better in the world you know, than lying in the sun with your radio. There ain't nothing better for your soul, than lying in the sun and listening to rock n' roll".
Music defined summer for me more than anything in my youth. Carefree, kickback, beach induced play. "Hot times summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty".
Music with the word sun or summer, and about sun, defined the mood.
The music and lyrics brought about a smile and with it a carefree attitude, as much as the bona fide warm actual rays did.
There were no worries in summer. The lyrics told us so!

The loss of music in my life, seemed insignificant in the big picture at first.
Suddenly and profoundly deaf overnight, there would be great changes in my world. Music did not jump to the forefront in a world that was suddenly thrust upon me. I had much bigger concerns.

In my new complicated world of sound through an implanted cochlear device, and it's accompanying mic and and magnet (my rally cap), I hear the "noise" that sound makes, but the emotion that evolves from the sound was not there.

Since my rally cap activation on May 1, my student of music (Dan), has attempted to become the teacher.
"Do you know who this is Dad". He asks as each new song comes on.
"Dire Straits" I usually guess wrong each time.
Stones is usually my second wrong guess. It all sounds the same.
I hear the percussion in most songs. Guitar, is tough. Synthesizer is much easier. In Dan's world of classic rock, guitar is king, and I am left with a slush of sound.

Last night I had a mini break through. Driving home from a wonderful family dinner, Dan has his MP3 playing through the car speakers. We play the usual game of "Can you tell who or what this is Dad"? on the drive.

The amazing percussion prelude to "Time" the Pink Floyd classic from Dark Side Of The Moon came on. Right out of the gate is was as clear as the hot summer sun shining on my face through the car windshield. I started into my old Dad "thing" of air drumming like mad. Janet was driving as I drummed like a guy who had working ears.

The lyrics started up and I belted out each and every word on cue. In my magnet enhanced world of digital hearing, my voice was as awful as the old days.
Janet smiled at me, and Dan, who at one time cringed when I air drummed and sang, gave me a million dollar smile.
His look of "My music mentor Dad is coming back" brought water to my eyes.

Now I want to hear "Boys of Summer".

Warmly,

David