A New Adventure Awaits

I am just in awe of the lovely comments I’ve received from my readers. Thank you so much for your memories and thoughts…it means so much to me. For the past few months I have been laying kind of low because I am about to make a huge change in my life and it is taking all of my courage to get it done. When you reach my ancient age (75 in a couple of weeks!) you start to think very carefully about what you actually want from the rest of your life. I mean the truth is, very few people live to be a healthy 100!!!  And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to live that long anyway. The years I have left are precious...every single day counts.  

I remember once, after returning from a year's tour of the musical VICTOR/VICTORIA in the summer of 1999, I had a feeling that time was passing too quickly. At that time I was living in northern Nevada, and I remember looking around at all of the natural beauty that surrounded me, wishing I could stop time--or at least, slow it down--while I tried to figure out what my heart wanted. I was just 59 at the time, but I still knew time was "slipping into the future" way too fast.

Think about what the most important things in life are to you. To me, they are love and family. I am lucky to be blessed with the three most wonderful sisters in the world. I love each and every one of them, and am so grateful to have them in my life. And then, of course, there are the dear friends I have shared life, tears and laughs with, my wonderful dogs, and, of course, music.

All of these things figured in the choice I have made for my remaining years. Once I have the plans finalized, I will share them with you on this blog.

Another bit of news...I am writing my memoir. Actually, my niece, Caroline, is doing most of the actual writing...she is much better at it than I am. I just have to do all the remembering! And I have to confess all of that remembering has been difficult. All of us have things in our lives that are hard to talk about, but in my 3/4 of a century, I have lived a long life and going back over difficult times has been hard. I have always thought of myself as just a "regular person" who, through luck, circumstances, and yes, talent, happened to stumble into a musical career that touched some lives in its time. We were in the right place at the right time with the right songs and sound for our era. This memoir will chronicle my life from childhood in Montgomery, Alabama to my first entrée into the music spotlight playing back up for the Beach Boys to the emergence of Captain and Tennille and the many albums, concerts and television shows we did together as a duo. The book will also be about my private life and the complex--and often lonely--relationship I had with Daryl. Our divorce, after so many years together, was a shock to many of our fans. But I hope my story will help explain some things and perhaps encourage my readers to make the difficult decisions they need to make while there is still time for happiness.

Anyhow...the publisher, Taylor Trade, is planning the release for spring of 2016, so you won't see it for quite a while. Caroline and I are busily writing it! A full time job, it seems. I will let you know more details as we get closer to finishing it.

So...until next time, thank you again and Keep a Song of Joy Inside Your Heart!

That Star Spangled Banner Yet Waves! Thoughts on Singing our National Anthem

flag photo courtesy of cvsflag.com blog

Those of us who have sung our National Anthem as soloists in public events have faced quite a challenge! Each person who sings it has to tackle the octave and a sixth musical range, which is just beyond the capabilities of most average singers. And the lyrics, which can seem rather archaic to the modern ear, can be hard to remember. It is, in fact, so difficult to sing that many people over the years have suggested that we change our official anthem to "God Bless America" or "America The Beautiful," both of which are lovely and a heck of a lot easier to sing than the one we have! 

I have heard the anthem sung by wonderful solo singers, by choirs and glee clubs, and played by marching bands and symphonies, each with its own particular style. There is the exciting sound of a band playing the anthem with military precision and power. There is the beautiful, uplifting sound of a classically trained singer, navigating the musical difficulties with ease and honoring it with their vocal perfection. There is the sometimes awkward but always smile-provoking sound of a little kid, singing away with great enthusiasm, probably not really understanding the meaning of the words they are singing, but belting them out to the rafters with the confidence only a child can have.

The first organization that asked me to sing the Anthem was the Los Angeles Dodgers around 1977. We had season tickets, and hardly ever missed a game when we weren't on tour. After that, I sang it all over the country in just about every major baseball stadium from Fenway Park to Wrigley Field to Candlestick Park, and since I also knew the Canadian National Anthem, I sang it too when the Blue Jays or the Expos were playing. Later I sang for professional football, hockey and basketball.  

Over the years, I have given a lot of thought to the Anthem and what it means. I have always been a singer who cares deeply about lyrics and what the lyricist is trying to say, and I always try to share the emotion and meaning of songs with the audience.  

"The Star Spangled Banner" was written by a 35 year old American lawyer named Francis Scott Key. In September of 1814, he watched as British warships bombarded the Americans at Fort McHenry. The terrible barrage went on for 25 hours, and as he watched through the night, he was certain the British would win. As the dawn came, he saw that the American Flag still waved, tattered and torn, over the fort, and he realized that the Americans had thwarted the attack!

When I sing the Anthem, I think of what American spectators must have felt as they watched the battle….their fear, their anxiety, their hope. I sing the first few lines trying to evoke their emotions as they watched. Then as I sing, "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there!" I let the the joy, the pride and the relief of those spectators give my voice the power to express what they must have felt as they saw our flag STILL FLYING as the sun rose.

Many Anthem singers struggle with the words, memorizing them by rote, and not really thinking of what they mean…and I can understand their dilemma. The lyrics are old-fashioned and archaic, and the range of the Anthem itself is difficult. But if you immerse yourself in what the words MEAN, it becomes much easier and has more meaning for the listener.

As for the musical difficulties, whenever I am about to sing it, even though I have sung it hundred of times over the last three decades, I practice the technical hurdles many times so I am comfortable enough to put them out of my mind and concentrate on the meaning.

Recently I sang it for the opening of our 2014 Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) National Specialty in Bryan, Texas. I had my Aussie girls, Bebop and Lula, entered in the competition (they did well), and was given the honor of kicking off the proceedings with the Anthem. Every time I sing it, it is with pride and love of our great country.

So, until next time…Keep A Song of Joy (and "The Star Spangled Banner") Inside Your Heart!

My Piano Called Me Today

I have been so busy trying to get ready to leave for for our Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) National Specialty in Bryan, Texas next week, that I can't seem to get anything done. I make a list every morning of what I need to accomplish that day, but I am constantly distracted…by spotting the beautiful pair of Pronghorn that often appear in the pasture behind my house and going out to watch them moving slowly and gracefully through the golden pasture grass; by watching through the window as the breeze carries away a bucket full of undercoat I brushed out of my three Aussies yesterday, and sends it floating  towards my neighbors to the north (oops…I forgot to put a cover on the bucket); by going out to check under the cushion on my patio to see if the little lizard that sleeps there at night has left his cozy spot to do whatever lizards do during the day; by remembering I haven't vacuumed recently, and the dog hair, bits of dead weeds and dust are piling up in the carpet…GOT to dust and vacuum NOW….but wait! I haven't fed the cats and cleaned their litter box yet, and there is filing to do, bills to pay…and there are those packages from Zappos  I have to return…got to print out the labels NOW!  

Yes…I am a procrastinator. I have been one my whole life. But today, as I stood there dithering, my piano called to me. It said, "Sit down, Toni. Breathe deeply. Play a few of your favorites, and stop worrying about how your arthritic hands and lack of practice won't allow you to play as well as you used to. Just play, and let the music take you away for a while. You can do all the things you HAVE to do later."

So of course, I did. And my piano was right. For almost an hour I forgot everything I had to do, and was just so grateful that I can still play…thankful that I have this precious gift. And even if I never play for anyone again, I can still play for myself and my Aussies Smoky, Bebop and Lula!

But before I get back to tackling my To Do list, I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to write and comment on my new website and blog. I have been kind of "hiding in plain sight" here in Prescott for the past 8 years. Some of you know I have been going through major changes in my life. It has been a time filled with stress and anxiety as I chose a new course and set about making it happen. I have been on a journey that started in a kind of darkness, but has slowly evolved into a place of warmth and light. Many people have helped me along, and I am feeling much stronger and more capable now. And hearing from you, my readers, is part of the lovely light I find myself in now.  Thank you SO much!

And today…a very special thanks to a very thoughtful reader…an administrator at Florida Atlantic University…who sent me the most WONDERFUL book! It is called THE COLLECTED WORKS OF BYRD SPILMAN DEWEY. Over 100 years ago Mrs. Dewey moved to "the wilds of Florida" from Kentucky with her husband and a great big mixed breed dog called Bruno. She wrote a novel about Bruno that became a best-seller, and it is included in this collection of her stories, magazine and newspaper articles, which are about the dogs and cats, birds and wildlife that she encountered while she lived there. I wrote a thank you note to the sender, and then realized I had tossed out the envelope it came in and no longer had her address! I hope she reads this, and knows how much I appreciate her thoughtful gesture. After I and my friends here in Prescott finish it, I will send it to my niece and sister who live in the "wilds of Florida" today!

Once again, thank you all for taking the time to visit my new site! It is off to Texas I go with my sister, Louisa and our four Australian Shepherds! I am hoping I'll be able to blog a bit while I am there. So until next time, remember to "Keep a Song of Joy Inside Your Heart!"