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Sunday, October 4, 2009

All About MEme: Soundtrack of my Life

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy


This week's topic: Soundtrack of My Life ...

Music that Moves MEme

  • If your life were a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
  • Do you have a "theme" song? What is it? Why is it?
  • Are there certain songs that evoke memories for you?
  • Songs that make you laugh? Cry? Get pissed off?

    This week we want you to go all musical on us ...

FIVE if you want to (totally singing that to the tune of B52's "Roam if You Want to") or just run with it - whatevah!

Allow me to be very clear. I am not musically talented. Not even in the least. Can't read a note of music - or even name one. Can't play an instrument. Not even the kazoo. Can't sing. At least not in tune - or anywhere near tune for that matter. When I do sing - alone and in the car - I most often get the lyrics all jacked up but totally go with it. I am that person who auditions for American Idol, and you're like, "Seriously? Does she really think she can sing? Is this a candid camera show or something?"

What I lack in singing ability, I make up for in rhythm and moves. This little white girl can dance! Not only do I think I can dance, I KNOW I can dance. I have no idea where my rhythm comes from - it's clearly not genetic - and I do NOT have the "junk in my trunk" to support such noteworthy gyrations. But, nonetheless, I can shake my money maker like it's payday ... heeeyyy, heeeyyy! Just to be clear, those are not my words ... gotta give mad props to the hot Nelly look-a-like who paid me that compliment ... a few years ago.

Anyhoo, as I thought about the Soundtrack of My Life, I kept flashing back to the few musical performances in which I've starred - for not having much musical talent, I've done my fair share of performing! Those were defining moments for me.

Styk - Babe
It all started in the basement of my childhood home. Me. My roller skates. An 8-track player. And Styk. I spent hours in that basement perfecting my routine. Singing (oh! no!) as a skated and adding dramatic interpretations of the lyrics. My parents and siblings and neighbors were forced to serve as my audience, and I am certain it was absolute torture. I still remember every word to that song. I am still transported back to my parent's basement every time I hear it.

Michael Jackson - Thriller
My talents really hit the big time when I entered the talent show at St. Mary's Catholic School. I was in 4th grade and in love with MJ ... over the moon, ridiculously in love with Michael. (If you didn't read my MJ tribute, you should.) I wore a lavender turtleneck sweater, purple pants, and two pairs of purple socks ... I was quite the sight! I practiced my "routine" over and over ... but I didn't really have a routine. I did something different every time and thought it was great every time. I finally settled on the same move at the top of each chorus, "'Cause this is thriller, thriller night," with a bunch of free-style in between (I was making it up as I went along). My repeated move was a jump into the center splits and I caught myself on my hands. In theory. About halfway through, I failed to catch myself and nailed my head - hard - on the concrete floor. I saw stars and heard birdies chirping. It was like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The entire audience heard/felt the impact of my head meeting the concrete. I was dazed but refused to come off the stage ... even when my teacher and the principal gestured for me to do so. It was my shining moment, and I didn't want it to end!

Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
In seventh grade, I made the switch to public school. I was painfully shy - for the only time in my life - and I had very few no friends. As a test grade for my awful music class, we were assigned to SING (not lip sync) a popular song. We could do this solo or with a group of friends. Guess what? No friends = solo performance by an awkward girl who cannot sing. It was terrible and self-esteem crushing. I broke down in tears about halfway through. It also put my performance career on hold for quite a few years.
The pinnacle of my performing career. It was lip sync contest; just fake singing required. This one sponsored by my residence hall and a boys hall across the quad. My best friend since HS and college roommate, Missy and I decided to transform ourselves into the bad girls of hip-hop ... Salt-n-Peppa! We watched the video (back in the day when MTV actually played music videos) a million times - rewinding our VHS tape over and over again. We wore tight jeans, low-cut black body suits, and too much make-up. We took home first place ... against ONE other act of very silly boys. But I am fairly certain our performance could've won in a much bigger competition.
My most recent - and last - performance took place in front of a bunch of fifth graders, teachers, and parents. My first year teaching here in the NW, I had the privilege of attending 5th Grade Camp while SEVEN months pregnant. I wore a jersey with the letters ALL STAR written across my belly, gold bangle bracelets and necklaces, and a gold sequin hat. I was the bomb diggety ... according to a bunch of 10 year olds. I danced, I shook it (in a very G-rated fashion), and I sung until I was absolutely out of breath, which didn't take long with my diminished lung capacity! I won high-praise and a lot of laughs for that performance ... it was also NHV's first chance to be on stage :)
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Now, it's your turn! You know you wanna!

  • Put together a post about the Soundtrack of Your Life ... Music that Moves YOUyou.
  • Be sure to copy/ paste/ post our super fabulous button thingy (at the top of this post) on your post somewhere! (That's how we'll grow and we THANK YOU 100X for helping!)
  • Come back here and link up with Mr. Linky! (If you can't see it at the bottom of this post, hop over to Supah's place and link up there.)
  • Visit the 3 blogs above your name if you have time and leave them a comment!!(This is the secret to growing a blog!) ... and if you're first, ... well then aren't you special! You'll just need to visit the 3 below your when name when they appear and leave a comment!
  • Look for a comment from SupahMommy and MommyBrain; we've made it our personal mission to visit and comment on all of our meme links ... that's how much love we have for you all :)


14 comments:

Shell said...

Too funny! Rollerskating in the basement- totally did that, too! Though, now, I look at my parents' basement and wonder how I managed that.

Loved all your performance moments! You should have pics to go along with them.

Evonne said...

That's just horrible to have to sing solo in front of a bunch of people you don't know! But I'm glad your next performances were good!

MommyLisa said...

Okay, now I just feel OLD. Thriller was when you were in fourth grade?? I was a sophmore (or maybe junior?) in high school!

Emmett Joseph said...

Oh,laughing so hard right now...I don't think we'll ever live down Shoop. I've actually had a couple facebook friends from college comment on it as well :)

Melissa said...

GREAT list... I like all of Salt-n-Pepa's music...especially "Push It".

Unknown said...

Thanks! Now I'll be singing all those songs in my head today. Shoop, shoopa doo.

Raising Z and Lil C said...

What great memories! For me it is kind of the opposite...I have no business dancing! MY sisters are great dancers and they would always shine in the choreographed numbers we put together for Madonna and Belinda Carlisle...I was the one who stood out. I do have talent with musical instruments though...I guess that is where God shined down on me :)

My doctor's appt. went well today...still measuring small (did not grow at all this week). I think I am 3 or 4 weeks behind so they are sending me in for another ultrasound on the 19th. Did you pass the glucose???

Jen said...

Hey Chicky,

Trying the Chicken Pasta Primavera from your Meal Plans tonight... looks so yummy. Anything with lots of cheese is a friend of mine!

Jen :)

Miss. C said...

I LOVED that song by Tiffany back in the day!! Wow, what a blast from my past!! Such a fun post this week!!!

Jaime G. said...

...And not a Journey song to be found. Disappointed.

Epiphius said...

The visual of you bashing your head made me giggle. Not in the mean way, but in the I can totally see it way! Glad there was no long term damage! :)

Lisa said...

I had a toddler when thriller came out...she loved that video. Her eyes would get so big.
Love your songs.

supahmommy- somethin's wrong with that girl said...

I waited til just now to read so that i could close up shop with my ritual ( ocd) monday

omfg dv.

dbd is sleeping next to me.. wait.. SNORING next to me and i was scooby doo/ shaggy laughing---- holding it in.. during the splits routine saga. you and your purple get up.. adn all i could think of was your geometric hair cut.. please tell me you had it during this time.

oh my gaaaawd.

and i just wanted to cry for you during tiffany saga

i would have been your friend.
your geometric haircut perfectly matched my geometric square earrings and geometric yellow shirt

FF ..
shake that money makah.
GIRL CAN DANCE.. i've seen it.

LOVED Salt and peppa toooo.. we used to DANCE OUR ARSES OFF IN OUR APT sophomore year to shoop.


u were meant to be my friend... too bad we didn't go apeshit over each other at hillside!! i mean i loved you... but com'on. you was holding out on me.

xoxoxoo
d

My Baby Sweetness said...

I have always thought life should have a soundtrack! I'd alwasy know when something bad was going to happen because of the scary music!

And ONE TIME my life even did have a soundtrack! It was at a bar in my early 20's. I had been talking to this guy and noticed he'd started talking to another girl across the room, as "Let the music play" was at the lyric "but then the music change, the plan was rearranged. He went to dance with someone else."

I was laughing about my soundtrack when he came back - just about in time to "he's dancing his way back to me."

If only my life were always so predictable! Clearly I should have thought long and hard about requests at THAT club... ;)

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