Growing up, I was exposed to several genres in the small Capital Hill row house that I share with my parents, 2 sisters, 2 aunts, and a cousin. From Motown to Stax, to Millie Jackson to Mahalia Jackson, I was subject to it all. Each room I would walk into, a different type of music was being played at any given time. The icing on the cake was watching Soul Train Every Friday at 5PM. If I wasn't home, I would make up excuses to get to a TV set to watch.
Along with the exposure, I was taught at an early age to "learn what you are listening to". The message means that along with bobbing my head to the beat, learn what the artist is talking about. So with each song that came on the radio, it became a scramble to figure out what the artist is singing about. Not only would I learn the lyrics, I would even attempt to sing and play the song by ear by picking it out on the piano. With me being hearing impaired, it is a constant struggle to get the lyric right, much less trying to perform. But I dared myself, and I soared. I impressed my music teachers, especially the ones that didn't know about my hearing loss.
I may have stopped playing and singing, but my love of music has never wavered.
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