This summer it will be 50 years since I picked up the belief that I "should" stop singing. I am so thankful that our son Zander inspired me to sing with him in 1993. I am also thankful that my husband has been encouraging me to sing with him.
What I have learned is that we are never too old to listen to our Heart and allow it to guide us!
Music gives me joy. All of my life I've loved music. How do you feel about music? Does it add joy to your life? As you can see in the photo of my husband and I love to sing!
When I was eleven years old I got my first Beatles and Beach Boys albums. I loved to sing with my favorite records in my room. (Especially songs by the Beatles, Beach Boys, Kinks, Yardbirds, Turtles, and Herman's Hermits.) I remember singing while riding my horse and I also enjoyed singing for my family. I began to dream of being a singer!
Then, one summer, 50 years ago, after staying with my grandparents for a month at their home in Los Gatos, I overheard my grandmother telling my mom that I "should" forget about singing. My grandmother sounded so sure I "should" give up singing that I gave up even trying to sing. I believed that she thought I had a "bad" voice.
Looking back on the situation I realize that my grandmother wanted two things — she wanted me to be an artist and paint oil paintings and she wanted to keep me away from the Rock 'n Roll music I loved to hear and to sing.
During college I worked part-time in record stores because I loved music — even though I majored in art as grandma wanted me to do at the time. While working in the record store I met three members of a rock 'n roll band called HUSH. One of them, Robert Berry, became one of the most treasured friends I've ever had in my life. I loved to go watch and listen as he worked at a recording studio. I also loved to watch his band play. My joy came from listening to music and from watching my friends and other people who were living their music!
My husband, Dudley, has always loved music — it's his passion. (You can see his passion for music in the photos in this message.) Before I met him, Dudley started his own business, DeNador Design & Photography. I've enjoyed working with Dudley in his graphic design business for many years.
When I first met Dudley I was thankful that he was only doing music as a hobby because I knew the time and travel it takes to be on the road and perform in a rock 'n roll band!
When our son, Zander, was about three years old, I started to sing again — with him when we were alone in my car. We used to sing songs from the Disney movies "Aladdin" and "Lion King" and also the songs from the movie "The Little Mermaid" while driving around doing errands. After lots of practicing with Zander I got brave enough to sing with Zander when we were with Dudley — going on trips in our car. I was amazed when Dudley told me that I did a good job singing Jasmine's part in "A Whole New World" with Zander singing Aladdin's part of the song. It was FUN being able to sing with my boys in the car!!!
In 2003, ten years after I began to allow myself to enjoy singing again — we attended a family reunion, at my mom's home, in Shasta County. I was thrilled that Dudley and Zander helped me learn to sing the song "Perfect Day" by Hoku for the event. I learned that it takes lots of practice to sing — to remember the words, the way the music goes, and it was fun practicing singing while driving my car.
Then, for awhile, I went back to listening and watching as Dudley and Zander wrote their songs and had them recorded. It was exciting to watch and listen as their song ideas became reality!
Robert Berry, who is now a treasured friend to all three of us, has a recording studio in Campbell, California. He recorded Dudley and Zander's songs. Robert is a very talented musician and he added keyboards, bass guitar, drums, and backup vocals to the tracks with Dudley and Zander playing their guitars and singing.
Going to Robert’s recording studio to watch, to listen, and every once in awhile make a suggestion for lyrics — words that might work better — makes me feel fully alive and full of joy. I love being part of it all — even in tiny ways. I asked Dudley to write a song called "Holiday on Earth" as a tribute to Earl Nightingale and he created a wonderful song we love to hear.
I've been writing lyrics for songs to go with my book, The Art of Living a Life You Love. The first one is called "Imagine" and we've recorded it as a single. We're planning to record "Believe" this year.
There are more songs we've been working on and I am so excited to have them all recorded so you can hear them and let them uplift you, inspire you, and remind you to live your music.
Dudley and Zander have two albums of original songs. Both albums — and the single of our song "Imagine" — were recorded at SoundTek Studios. If you are curious, click on this link to hear The DeNadors on CD Baby.
You can also hear all of the songs on both albums plus the single of our song "Imagine" on Spotify. Just do a search for The DeNadors on Spotify and/or CD Baby and you'll find us.
We'd love to have you hear our songs and let us know which are your favorites. :-)
Robert Berry helps make music dreams come true. He has helped Dudley, Zander, and me — and many, many others — turn their music dreams into reality. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to our treasured friend, Robert Berry, for all he did to make these albums sound so great. Robert is a very talented musician and singer. To find out more about Robert and his music please visit his website at www.RobertBerry.com. On his website you will also find a link to his recording studio, SoundTek Studios.
Do you dream of making music? What do you dream of doing? What would you like to create? What do you feel inspired to share? What are your true Heart's Desires?
On my blog talk radio show Live Your Music I interview people who are living their music. You can hear all of the episodes of my show by clicking on the link.
Your "music" might be music and it can be whatever you feel you are meant to do. For example, my "music" includes being a Mom, hosting my Live Your Music radio show, being a Creative Life Coach, writing my book, and writing lyrics for songs and singing for the joy it give me and to inspire others to do what they feel called to do.
Do you feel you're meant to be a parent? A doctor? An author? A speaker? An actor? A dancer? A visual artist? A teacher? What gives you joy? What do you love to do?
What I know for sure is that every person on the planet has "music" they are here to play. It's why I host my radio show, it's why I became a Creative Life Coach, and it's why I wrote my book The Art of Living a Life You Love.
Here is what Abraham Maslow reminds us: “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.”
I am also thankful that Zander and Dudley and my friend Robert have encouraged me to keep singing.
Now Dudley and I are co-managers for West Coast Songwriters in San Rafael, California. We are having so much fun performing together. Each time I get a bit closer to believing in my dream of writing lyrics for songs and singing on stage with my husband, son, and our friends.
We all need to do what gives us joy. We all need to create whatever we feel inspired to create. It helps us love our life and enjoy our "Holiday on Earth."
Whether your "music" is actually music or something else you feel inspired to do or create — do it. We must each allow our “music” to flow freely from us while we are alive!
Please, everyone who is reading this message — Live Your Music!!!
