Posted on: April 11th, 2008

I gave a speech to the Kaneohe Rotary Club this week about music.  I was wondering what I could talk about… what can I say that they don’t know.  I can’t talk for 15 minutes about me.  So, I researched music.  Turns out that music is more than I ever imagined.  You know how closely music and politics or music and policy are related?  It became theme songs for different movements over time in America.  For the Civil Right Movement, it was We Shall Overcome.  For the women’s rights movement, it was I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar.  Music has been used over time to rally for a noble cause.  Sheesh, yeah - that’s what I said.  I mean, when you hear those songs, you see images of the movements they supported.  When you think about those movements, you hear those songs in your head (at least I do).  When I was young, the song, “We Are the World” came out.  That kind of sums it up.  Cool, huh?  Which brings up a funny story… My parents’ friends organized a group of us kids that took part in a lip sync contest.  I don’t know who put it on, but I know that McDonald’s was involved.  Do you remember that?  Anyway, I chose Kim Carnes (spelling?).  Kim only really sang two words solo.  We didn’t have any headphones, but most of the people in the video had headphones on.  In some pictures, you can see me wearing make-shift styrophome cylinders held together with a bent wire hanger.  Classic.  And in my short moment of glory, those two words, “When we…” were mouthed out perfectly in sync.  My sister got to be Cyndi Lauper.  Anyway, we need another song like that.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Beuler?