This is a video from my FlipFone (remember those?) of the Saucy Stenographers — my son’s band in 2011. Their name is from a fabulous novel called “Ella Minnow Pea.” My son wrote music, lyrics and is on keyboard. The singer is the granddaughter of a prominent Palm Springs mid century architect with the last name Wexler. My husband’s office building he used to work in was built by this architect. The show was in a club downtown Palm Springs. We weren’t very supportive of the band. We were swim parents. Why was our son missing swim practice for band practice?
Both of my parents were musicians of some sort. My earliest memories of my mom in our tiny home in Snohomish, Washington were of piano students coming in after school for their 30-minute lessons. My dad played saxophone and clarinet in high school which my brother took up. Mom played piano and flute. I took piano but dropped it for flute.
Mom was a coloratura soprano and had a gorgeous voice. I had the best lullabies sung to me every night. I went to rehearsals for Mom’s roles with the Seattle Opera Company and as the star at the Seattle Playhouse as Little Red Riding Hood. The play had three actors. Grandma, the Wolf and Little Red. Mom sewed me a matching costume to hers which I wore to every rehearsal and performance. I was around four or five years old.
Our son loved piano while our daughter did not, to put it mildly. She loved swimming. I put her in ballet, which I loved, and she thought it was a weird form of punishment to wear leotards and tights in the hot desert heat. She preferred a swim suit and being in the water.
Here’s my son playing piano at his senior recital.
He was a theoretical math major doubling in music his freshman year of college. Then he fell off his bicycle and had an injury to his hand that stopped his piano and music degree. He continued with math until he met the love of his life who was a Literature major in the College of Creative Studies at UCSB. Our son switched majors to be with her. He didn’t want to spend another year trying to prove the existence of zero. We worried with his choice to switch from Math to Lit that it would be harder to find a job. It all worked out. They are married and he found a job where he uses his Math and English skills.
Here’s one more of my son’s high school’s band songs he wrote lyrics and music to. This one’s called Second Hand and has that teen angsty feel to it. The lines about sick for weeks and sucked under the waves refer to RSV as an infant. He was plagued with severe asthma, sinus infections and illness growing up. Desert Nights, which I posted first, is my favorite song of the Saucy Stenographers by the way. The band ended when the members went east and west for college.
Did you have musical parents or family members? What instruments did they play?
Your son is very musically talented, it’s such a shame about his hand injury. But so sweet how he found the love of his life and switched degrees to be with her. So glad it all worked out well for him.
The accident was a tough one for him at the time. Music was such a big part of his life. But years later, it’s all okay now.
I think my maternal grandmother knew how to play piano but other than that there are no musical genes behind me. I always wondered where my own kids got their musical interests and talents. Not from their dad either 😉 The girls have left music behind mostly but Jeff has an entire studio set up at his house. He majored in composition in college and writes/records all his own stuff. His real job is in in tech however!
That’s really impressive of your son to write and record his own music. Looking back, I wish I was more supportive of my son’s band in high school. We were so involved with the swim team and we knew all the kids and families so well. It was our big focus. It’s interesting to figure out where musical talent comes from.
My kids all played youth sports but all started with band as elementary students as well. Youngest daughter was the only one to stay with sports into middle grades. She played fast pitch, but only for fun. When it became too competitive she stopped freshman year. I get the parent focus thing. So many band memories with all the kids!
Yes, I have so many swim team memories. We’d have long weekends out of town for meets. We met families from throughout Southern California. Funny how caught up we got into it. I didn’t understand why other families didn’t want to get as involved as we did! It’s funny looking back on it. I’m glad you brought up a similar experience with your band memories. Band was a big deal in Snohomish growing up, but it wasn’t at my kids’ schools.
Wow – your son is so talented. Loved listening to these pieces. Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth. I really enjoyed the story of how all the musical talent has flowed through your family and Robert’s choices!
Thanks! One of these pieces popped up as a memory on my phone and I enjoyed going through old videos. Every Christmas Eve we’d have a family concert with Christmas carols when I was growing up. Music did run through our family.
Your son played very well! I don’t thin I’d like wearing leotards in the desert heat either. 😂 I’m sorry your son hurt his hand but so glad that things worked out form. 🙏🏻
Life throws curves, but fortunately it worked out well for my son and his wife. Also, my daughter loved swimming and swam from kindergarten through college.
Wow, your son is so talented! That’s incredible that you had some much musical talent in your family. It’s such a shame about the hand injury, though I’m glad things worked out in the end.
My maternal grandmother and her two sisters were Julliard-trained pianists. She’d lost her hearing by the time I arrived, so I unfortunately never got to hear my grandmother play.
Thanks! That’s so impressive about your grandmother and her sisters. Also, it’s too bad that you never got to hear your grandmother play. I have such wonderful memories of my mom singing as a soloist in church as well as the play and bit parts in operas. I miss my son playing piano and songwriting too.
What a talented family you have! I am always in awe of musical skill and have never possessed any. Can’t sing and never learned to play an instrument. I love the book Ella Minnow Pea by the way! So glad your son found a career he loves after the sadness of having his hand injured. I love the way you remember your mother’s lullabies.
Thank you so much. Wasn’t “Ella Minnow Pea” great? I may have to read it again. My mom’s voice was so beautiful, but I can’t hold a tune. I do enjoy playing the flute though. I’m glad it worked out for my son. He ended up with a tech company in San Francisco that is on the small size where he has been able to grow into different roles.
I was thinking the same thing about maybe rereading that book. It’s so great your son has found work where he can continue to grow! 💞
I don’t know if I still own the book, but I can get it from th library. My son’s been at his job for five or six years. He’s so fortunate so far!
Your son was very talented but too bad about his injury. His band was good too! Glad the story has a happy ending. My dad sang in the church choir and I sang solos and in choirs in school and won awards. 🙂 So, singing professionally was my plan until I shifted gears in college. But the trophies on the shelf bring back those great times. 🎶
How wonderful that you followed your dad’s path and sang too. My mom was a soloist at our church and she was invited to churches all around the state. She went back to the University of Washington for a degree in music while I was in grade school. But after that my dad put his foot down on traveling and being gone nights for rehearsals. I feel sorry for her looking back. How nice you have trophies to remember your achievements. The injury was hard on my son. He had to have surgery on his hand. He lost his reach for piano and his grades suffered with going back and forth from school to home for dr. appointments. If we had known more, he should have taken the semester off to heal and to recover. But it worked out in the end.
That’s wonderful about your mom too, but I understand how you feel now about your dad’s demands. I also performed in Hawaii and toured the east coast, singing solos. Those memories sustain us. So sorry to hear of what your son went through…
I’m impressed with you traveling on the east coast and to Hawaii. How exciting that must have been. When I was growing up in a small town north of Seattle, women stayed at home. I don’t remember any moms with jobs or careers of any kind. Also, most families only had one car!
That is a sweet memory of your son. I remember when I first met my husband, he was searching for a musical instrument for his son and my stepson living out West. He found a saxophone on consignment and bought it for him mailing it to him. I remember this kind of faith in his children cemented my faith in him! So sweet. We never had much money for extra instruments when I was growing up, so I guess writing was my go to and reading books. No one in my family is that musical or a good singer. However, I would like to think we have good taste in music listening to jazz, blues, even opera and rock.
Thanks. My son’s music popped up as memory on my phone. Then I started digging looking for more. Our parents had their instruments from their high school years, so those were the instruments we used. We didn’t choose a different instrument to play. I carried on the tradition made both of our kids take piano lessons. I thought it would be good for them. But with our daughter not liking piano at all, I finally let her stop. I probably should have years before. That’s so sweet that your husband found the saxophone for his son.
I understand. Memories keep popping up for me on WordPress of this date and another year and a different blog. I have been fascinated reading them and even changed my About Page and featured different blogs from the memories. My highschool in the mountains had a wonderful music teacher, very talented from NYC, who relocated. He was the drama coach, so I did some acting under his direction. The piano does sound wonderful to play. Yes, my husband is so supportive always of his children. We really had to hunt for that saxophone!
The memories are nice. You’re lucky you had such a talented teacher for theater and music. I struggled with piano. I had trouble reading the music for both hands at once and coordinating it. The flute music is only treble clef, so it was easier for me. I think my daughter had the same issue with piano, too.
I like the first song very much. Kudos to your son. He is very talented.
Thanks! He is talented and I agree with you on the first song. I thought my son could have sold it. I guess he could still try.
He can at least register the song and sell it on Apple Music or any other platform.
That’s a good idea. I’ll check to see if he’s interested.
I’m glad he found another calling when he had to give up piano. Does he still write songs?
I come from a musical family, especially on my mom’s side. Dad and I are the least talented. I did okay with French horn and trumpet. I gave that up in 2007. My older brother was a talented drummer. My younger brother plays guitar. Both parents played violin, and Mom also played guitar. Her sister played oboe and still plays piano (she turns 87 on Saturday). My dad’s brother also played guitar in a folk band a long time ago.
That’s a great family history with music. I think French horn and trumpet would be so difficult. How fun to have an uncle in a folk band. I liked the variety of musical instruments your family plays. I’m impressed at playing at 87! My son doesn’t write music now. He’s too busy with work.
His wife’s family play stringed instruments. She’s the oldest of seven and her mom found a boarding school in Marin with an orchestra. She started them young in lessons. They got scholarships when it their turn for boarding school some got college scholarships. One plays in an orchestra in the Bay area and played with Green Day in the Super Bowl this year. She travels the world with her viola. She played at the PGA tournament here and had a concert in our backyard for our neighbors.
That’s awesome to be able to play professionally. My niece plays several instruments, primarily violin. I don’t think she has aspirations along those lines.
It is great because it’s what she has always wanted. The two sisters suffered during COVID shutdowns to find work, but the one who didn’t quit is always finding work now.