My mother was a terrific mezzo soprano and could play the piano by ear. As kids we would sit around the piano and sing but I have to admit I did not enjoy that very much, preferring to be outside playing sport or pretending to be Davy Crockett. It was not until my brother brought home a Kinks album when I was in my teens that I became very interested in recorded music. In my late teens I was heavily involved in the YCW movement and a few of us cleaned a whole bunch of old bricks and built our own clubhouse where we hosted music cafés every Friday night with anyone able to hog the microphone for a spell. My older sister and her friends were into church and folk songs and that did not appeal so a group of us started up our own skiffle / bush band and I was hooked. As a teacher I always loved including music on a daily basis and led lots of choirs and percussion groups.
Ever since my father had taught me for three years at Little River Primary School, I had always dreamt of being a teacher in a small rural school. This song’s lyrics are quite powerful despite the singing and instrumentation by CSNY being very harmonious and quite delicate. b.How did this song change your behaviour, your thinking and or your view of self? Teach Your Children Well brought home to me the importance of good parenting in raising children but that alone was not enough. The society, including its educators, has to work together to grow our future citizens. This stuck with me as I continued my teacher training and once I had my own rural school to run at the green age of 22. c.Can you provide an example of a time when this chosen song played a role in your development as a person? I started to understand how a child’s behaviours are ‘scripted’ at a very young age. This ‘code that you can live by’ is influenced by many factors but, as Nash reflects, it is not an unbreakable code or set of values. He urges us not to remain a captive of our past. This thinking had a profound effect on me as I developed as an educator and a partner and father. Later in my professional career when I was involved in working closely with a team of bureaucrats in making decisions that impacted a range of students, their families and their teachers I tried to make sure that all decisions had the students’ learning and welfare at the centre. This was not always the default mindset of the politicians, the bean counters or the unions but it was something I tried to stick to. d.Please add a line or lyric from this song that has particular relevance to you and your life. “You, who are on the road Must have a code that you can live by And so, become yourself Because the past is just a goodbye.” G Nash Song 2 – THIS IS ME - key questions Introduction: How would you describe YOU – your goals, personality, attributes, challenges? My overarching goal has always been to be the best I can be. Maybe there is a bit of the dreaded ‘small man’ syndrome in my competitive nature. Any psychological surveys I have completed along the way clearly show ‘achievement’ as my key motivator in all I do. Those close to me classify me as a typical LEO with the need to be centre stage but I think I have some introvert tendencies that I keep out of sight. My main challenge has always been to finish things that I start. I tend to have an idea, kick start it and just expect others to complete or continue. a.Can you identify a key song that best describes you, your personality, your challenges, your achievements or your connections? This is a tricky one but I think Russell Morris’ song “On the Wings of an Eagle” comes close. I first heard this song in about 1973. I have always admired the spirit of an eagle, especially a wedge-tail and I can see why Morris has chosen to highlight this magnificent beast of prey. He also points out how small humans are in terms of the size and age of the universe and how we cry out to be noticed or note-worthy. (“Can you see me?”) b.What are the characteristics referred to in this song that most accurately describe you? How does this relate to me though? Well, I have always tried (often unsuccessfully) to take the helicopter view of life – to try and get up above it and develop a vision for how life on this planet might be. When faced with a danger or a challenge I have tried to go for the third ‘f’. There is FIGHT or FLIGHT, but I have preferred the third alternative, FLOW. This reminds me of an eagle soaring through the sky. The sense of freedom is intoxicating. I am a sports nut and elite sportspeople often talk about this sense of flow, when they are just playing by instinct or getting into the zone. To me, eagles depict achievement and I think I have been driven by this motivator, often to the detriment of self and those around me. I do care for the health of this planet and Morris’ phrase written last century, “I can hear the warning as it calls to you” was a chilling predictor of our current climate change challenge. c.Can you provide an example of a time when this chosen song did accurately describe your actions or thinking? Trekking with a guided group on the Helambu Circuit near Mt Everest in the early 2000s was really like soaring with the eagles. The heights were mesmerising and the way the Nepalese lived and worked so happily despite the hardships of subsistence poverty, the altitude, the inaccessibility and the constant threat from rebels at that time was inspirational. It gave me a great insight into the plight of others and how they make do. While not wedgetails, we were accompanied by kites and eagles all along the way. d.Please add a line or lyric from this song that has particular relevance to your personality. On the wings of an eagle I find myself lifted to the skies Lifted up above the world to sing On the wings of an eagle I find myself lifted to the skies Lifted up above the world to see. R Morris Song 3 – SHEDDING THE BLUES ( Connecting, Collaborating, Creating ) - key questions
Introduction: How did you come to be involved with Shedding the Blues? As I neared completion of a career in education and headed into consulting on a part-time basis I was well aware that there would come a time when I needed to replace the social connections that I had enjoyed over a long period of time with something that I loved. Would I join a Men’s Shed and risk the loss of fingers or worse or would I tie myself up in meeting procedure by volunteering in Rotary or Probus or the like? I knew I was not good enough to join the veteran’s tennis circuit so I opted for another venture that I was not very good at but could learn more and connect with others. A group of people in similar circumstances but who shared a love of music came to mind. I soon found there were others who felt the same way and Shedding the Blues was born. a.What song best describes your involvement in Shedding the Blues and your current participation in music and connecting with others and why? The song that I have chosen to describe the present and my involvement in Shedding the Blues is “Stand by Me” written by Ben E. King in 1961, but I prefer the John Lennon version. I have chosen this song because it best describes the reason I am so passionate about the need for social connection, particular as one ages and the opportunities provided by school, work or sports are not as available or appropriate. Those mature-age folk who are leaving or have left the workforce where routine and structure often provides a daily purpose as well as opportunities for socialising and connecting through a mutual set of goals can find themselves with less than enough to fill their day. In Shedding the Blues , the opportunity or vehicle is ‘music’. Stand by Me, while on the surface, a love song as evidenced by the repetition of the term ‘darling’ is much more than that. It is a two-way cry for connection and support – something we all need. It does not imply that I need others but that others also need me. This interconnectedness is what appeals to me. b.Can you provide an example of your time in Shedding the Blues when the meaning or feeling expressed in this song had particular relevance? While not one individual example, I have been so impressed by the enthusiasm of the members and friends in keeping the group together despite the restrictions placed on us by COVID 19. Our members are always keen to check on each other, to rally around when personal challenges arise, to jump in and volunteer in carrying out tasks, to join performing groups around the Bellarine, to share their knowledge, skills and experience with others or just be there to ensure success and collaboration. c.Please add a line or lyric from this song that has particular relevance to your personality. No, I won’t be afraid. Oh, I won’t be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me. Or Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me. Ben E. King
3 Comments
Bud
1/27/2023 07:42:55 pm
Great job as usual Des
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Kevin Sullivan
1/28/2023 03:10:39 pm
Great Des. Lovely description of your sense of soaring like an eagle. Thanks.
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Russell Boustead
2/3/2023 08:54:57 pm
Creating something new takes a creative mind - great work Des. I like the idea of 'flowing' under stress too - find your own path !
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April 2023
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