OK, y’all, here is a new work-in-progress. I'm so excited about it ... but also a little nervous to share. I’ve been playing with a stride/ragtime spin on the LSU Fight Song as part of a bigger medley project. I’ve had the lead sheet forever, but this weekend I finally sat down to mess around with it, kind of a few minutes of “what if I do this?” at the piano. Here’s the result so far. It’s rough, and definitely not pure ragtime since it swings, but I like it this way! It’s far from polished, and I imagine the final version will sound totally different. But that's the fun of it, right? I just love the creative process. I love starting things. Finishing? Hm. Like my ragtime fight song, I'm definitely a work in progress!
This morning, I left Elite Hearing Centers with two new devices: a high-end hearing aid for my left ear, and a CROS transmitter for my right. As I pulled out of the parking lot, Ray Charles's "America the Beautiful" started up on Spotify and, as if on cue, I started sobbing like a kid hearing music for the first time. The harmonies, which are normally a single blur, were clear and distinct. I noticed instruments I hadn't realized were there before. And most important, the music had a warmth to it that it had never had before. Do normal people hear music like this? I sure hope so. It is heavenly. For someone who’s been mostly deaf since childhood, these new devices aren’t just technology — they’re a door opening up to a rich musical world (and I thought my musical world was already pretty rich)! How do you describe the moment you hear a favorite song as if it’s brand new? Here is a bit about my hearing-aid journey. From One Ear to Two I’ve worn a hearing aid since 1999...