The Lullaby Bank

When I was 17, as I drove to work I often listened to the “My Turn of Earth” cassette. I know, geek check. My favorite was Angel Lullaby and I would sing along. I really wanted to improve my singing abilities. I was fair to above average, but seriously, my voice was not memorable, even after a few voice lessons and hundreds of hours practicing. It was serviceable, I could sing on pitch, and I could sing various choir parts. I sang solos and duets at church, wedding receptions, and at a debutante dinner in 1986. (I think that was more for my eligible bachelor status than for my crooning abilities.) At BYU I had a lot of fun singing in a roommate quartet, and we sounded pretty good. I was always better as part of a group than as a soloist.

In 1991 my daughter was born and I became a soloist again with nightly performances and a captive audience. And I could sing Angel Lullaby too! My focus quickly changed from “getting good” to soothing and calming. This practice continued in various forms and for other babies for the next 15 years. It was awesome. I used the bedtime songs to teach patriotism, Spanish, reverence, and tradition with an underpinning of love for music and song.

When the oldest two were 7 and 5, I tried to teach them to harmonize. This was difficult. I explained the concept, had them sing a familiar melody, and I would softly sing a harmony. It didn’t work. They always would immediately follow me. One night, after dozens of failed attempts, they got it. I told them to really focus on each other and they stayed on melody while I sang the tenor line to Silent Night. It was so awesome. We all were thrilled. Amanda even suggested we form a group. We could be the Dad, Ryan, and Amanda Group, or DRAG for short! Maybe not.

As they matured, the older ones opted out of bedtime songs BUT the love of song remained. The eldest loved to sing, and she was OK, but, like her music mentor, her talent was pedestrian during her “tween” years. The boy showed real talent at a young age, which was gratifying, but never the goal. 3^rd born sang on key, but was somewhat reserved, especially compared to her “stage presence” brother. I could tell at a young age that the baby had a good ear too, and she loved to hear herself sing. I did too, but I was unsure if she sounded as good to people that weren’t her doting father.

In 2006 as my voice failed I mourned the lost ability to sing to my young girls. As I’ve mentioned on this blog, we have found alternatives, such as humming or them singing to me. It is nice, but not the same. I really miss it.

Yesterday my kids sang together at church and I was forcefully reminded that although I am presently unable to “make deposits into the lullaby bank,” the years of deposits made are not gone. In fact, they are paying rich dividends beyond what I could have imagined. My deposits were joined by contributions from their mother, various music teachers, and choir leaders. Over the past few years, Amanda’s voice took on a beautiful, rich tone and her abilities have kept pace. Ryan’s skills have survived the adolescent voice change and showmanship tempering. Erika took voice lessons for a while, and her voice is amazing, but she still holds back. Recently I enjoyed an Erika concert when she thought she was alone at home. Natalie? She’s been surrounded by music her entire life and she is a natural.

Sunday they sang an inspiring arrangement of I Need Thee Every Hour at church. I can’t rightly take credit but my heart swelled with gratitude and pride. To borrow a line from Dad (that he spoke of my brother) If fatherly pride is a sin, then I stand in need of repentance.