Making a Comeback

Growing up I learned quickly what "good music" was.  My father was in a band, my uncles were in a band, my Papaw played saxaphone for decades, and even my Grand was a former bass player.  Most family events concluded with my Papaw on his saxophone or my Uncle Tony on the piano.  Hearing my dad have band practice in our music room inspired me to play the piano and take drum lessons.  I was actually pretty good.  My dad even bought me a pair of "jelly bean" drums that were multicolored. I loved them.  Needless to say my parents knew to teach me the importance of music in my life.  But I learned of one band in particular that was the most important of all . The Beatles.  I knew who John, Paul, George, & Ringo were before I knew the names of  any U.S. presidents.  As far as I was taught: "The Beatles are musicians.  Everyone else is just auditioning to be their opening act."  I had their songs memorized and remember waking up on weekends to the sound of their music being played while my mother cleaned the house.  My favorite movie of all time was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  This movie was made in the 1970's and featured the band The Bee Gees performing all Beatles songs while fighting to win back the magical instruments that were stolen from their city.  Needless to say this movie royally flopped at the box office and still is repulsive to most critics.  I saw the movie as a tribute to The Beatles.  SPLHCB featured all my favorite songs and had the comedic innocence that I enjoyed.  Not many people agreed, but that was my movie.  I watched it repeatedly. To an extent, The Beatles and their music were my childhood.  My parents divorced before I was 10 years old, and for a while I lost interest in the music.  My dad taught me everything there is to know about the band: from Yellow-Submarine, to the Yoko Ono days.  When he was no longer there, I didn't feel the connection or happiness I once felt when I heard Hey Jude or John Lennon's Imagine.  At that point in my life, I saw The Beatles as an old group that was ostracized by my friends and didn't give me a comforting feeling of "home" anymore.  I lost interest in learning an instrument.  I stopped playing the piano and quit my drum lessons.  I just wasn't interested in the music anymore.  And I forgot about The Beatles.

Well, not to fear! The Beatles and their music have made a comeback into my life! I owe a lot of it to my little brother.  My brother is now 4 years old and can play the drums better than I could at age 8.  He even inherited my "jelly bean" drums and uses them all the time.  He has rhythm that some people would give anything for.  He can memorize a song after hearing it once.  And guess what. He knows everything there is to know about The Beatles.  I remember him asking me one day if I knew who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were.  I could do nothing but smile and say "Yes, VJ. I know all about them.".  My dad plays music now more than he ever has.  My brother is now the one who sits in at band practices and thinks my dad is the new Ringo Starr of his generation.  Seeing my brother's love for the band and interest in music has made me revisit my childhood.  I have three Beatles Pandora stations.  I watched the Grammys this year solely because Sir Paul McCartney was performing.  Don't Let Me Down is currently my ringtone.  And guess what Santa bought me for Christmas this year...

I was literally as excited as a little kid on that Christmas morning.

And in July, my dad is taking me, my sister, and my little brother to see Ringo Starr at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.  I cannot wait to hear a Beatle LIVE. Cross that one off the bucket list.

The Beatles have made a comeback into my life and after years I have rediscovered  my love for music.  I forgot about The Beatles and how much I loved them.  The Beatles are back, and this time- they're not going anywhere.  Next stop- taking up piano again.

And as the wise men once said:

"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED."