April 27/First Quarter Moon

the music post, featuring Bill's new releases and mom’s Spotify playlist

We are halfway between new moon and full moon. This week Becka has returned and we are gathering the things of a funeral service and we are working together on a eulogy of sorts. So I am saving all my writing energy for that, but for here I thought I’d share the one solace of our month-long vigil at mom’s bedside, besides the being altogether, was singing and music. We would pull up chairs and sit in a circle around her, put a song on Alexa and sing together. Singing with Mom in a car, while doing dishes, at a Bruce concert, in church, was a thing. And we took advantage during our last time together. I have included a playlist with some of the songs below.

For our lives together Bill has always played piano or guitar. While we are getting ourselves ready for some kind of dress-up gathering, he, ready to go and biding his time, played. While we are clearing the table and filling the dishwasher after the meal he made for us, he played. While we read, talked, studied, had friends stop by, there was likely to be his playing in the background. We have come to call it the “soundtrack of our lives".

Becka’s painting of the Big Sur coast has been on the wall of Mom and Bill’s homes for a long time now, has become an album cover now. Fitting as Mom loved her time on that highway.

I remember certain songs from our years in Austin, 1979 - 1986, how his melodies felt to me, the energy they had and the way they filled the space of our house. I have often wondered what they would bring back if I ever heard them again. Because of the nature of the way he plays, by feel, noodling in the moment, the songs would morph and grow, and eventually be lost to newer melodies. I imagine the songs of that era have been lost in the recesses of history. He never traditionally wrote them down. And it’s ironic that these ones are recorded and labeled now. Mom would always ask him “What do you call that one?” They didn't have names, but mom would try. “No, but when you think of it, how do you know which one it is?” The time we had together in vigil allowed this recording to come to be, with Becka’s technical know how and beautiful art work, his songs are packaged to share with a larger audience. One of Mom’s last gifts to us and to him was the time together to make it happen. The link below is to Spotify. I believe it is also available on Apple Music and Amazon Music. I’m not sure right now what other platforms. But send your questions if you have them and I will try to steer you the right way. Do you have something that could be the soundtrack of your life? What would you make if you knew you had a month of biding your time on your hands?

Here is a preview of Bill’s latest album release, you can get a taste of the songs, or go to Spotify to hear it in its entirety.

Here is the single of the song he and my mom wrote together. A love song. She always wanted there to be words and this was the first one. Another has come since Mom died. I hear that will be the next release, so you may want to give Bill/Will a follow. You can hear Mom’s voice faintly in there of an early recording they did.

I would like to also share the Mom playlist from Spotify. It is one that we have worked from during her last year of life. It has changed frequently and I am sure there is much more that could be included. Let me know if you see any glaring absences. I always appreciate your help.

Much love to you. Thanks so much for checking this out. Tina