Ball of Fire was a hit movie, a romantic comedy, back in 1941. And it starred Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Mr. Cooper played an academic who, with several other, older academics, withdrew from the outside world in pursuit of knowledge. Ms. Stanwyck played the girlfriend of a gangster. I really enjoyed the movie. And there was a remake a few years later called “A Song Is Born.” And I don’t think that version is nearly as good.
But I brought up “A Song Is Born” because I’m sharing the process.
HOW a song is born. I shared this years ago. But someone asked me to share it again. It’s written especially for little kids. But adults said they enjoy it, too. So, here you go…
Ok…listen closely, now, as I open the door to my roll-top desk…sssklunk. Next, I slide out the drawer that holds my pencils…shoop. Then I grab some paper. But this isn’t drawing paper. And it’s not wrapping paper, or newspaper, or even plain ol’ writing paper. Nope…this is magical paper. Because it doesn’t look like regular paper. It has more lines going across each page. And these lines are the keys to the magic.
Take a closer look.
There are five lines, then some space, then five more lines, then some more space. And the lines go all the way down to the bottom of the page. Each line has a secret name. But since we’re friends…lean a little closer, and I’ll whisper their names in your ear.
The bottom line is called E. And the next line up is called G. The next line’s name is B. And the last two are known as D and F. You might think it’s funny to have a letter for a name. But each time any one of them hears his name, he nearly leaps off the page to be noticed. They each have a job to do. And they do it with all their might.
But, let’s not forget the spaces in between each of these special lines.
They have secret names, too, which I’ll share with you right now. The bottom space is called F. The next space is called A. The third space is named C. And the top space is known as E. And the spaces work just as hard as the lines. Together, the lines and spaces make a big, happy magical family.
And here’s where the magic starts to happen.
Remember I said they all have jobs to do? Well, they have to hold things. So, let’s draw some black dots on each of the lines and in each of the spaces. Now, let’s add up and down lines to some of the dots. Then, let’s add funny looking squiggly lines to some of those.
When you do this all the way across the lines and spaces, you can go down to the next lines and spaces and add more dots and squiggly lines. It’s like writing a secret note. In fact you can call every one of these dots a note. This is starting to get fun. But the best part is still to come.
Once the page is filled with dots and other silly shapes, guess what happens next. You can hand the magical paper to a piano player. Yep, you heard me right. And the piano player looks at the paper, tilts his head a little to one side, and sets the paper on his shiny, black baby grand piano. You’ve seen a piano before, haven’t you?
In case you didn’t know, pianos are magical, too.
They have keys to unlock the secret notes on the special paper. Shh, wait a second…I think I just saw the piano player’s eyebrows crinkle up a little. He’s studying the secret notes on the magical paper to see which key opens which note. And he gently reaches down and taps one of the slick, white keys with one of his fingers.
Clink…did you hear that?
One of the notes just popped open and a beautiful sound escaped. Oh listen, now the piano player uses all of his fingers to tap all the keys and open all the secret notes. And some of them ring out together. Others sing out alone. The secret notes are not a secret anymore. And they float into the air for everyone to hear…a second or two…then fade away.
Do you have any idea what just happened?
We just drew the ordinary black dots and squiggly lines on the lines and spaces of the magical paper. And now a song is born. Yeah, you got to see the birth of a song. And a song goes through your ears into your brain and your heart. And, like love, it can live there for the rest of your life.
Now that’s truly magical.
Stay tuned,
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