Vocalizers

So last night was weird. And really, really good. I'd had a slightly tiring day at work, but after work P and I were going to a work function for him. The physics and engineering departments have been sponsoring these Science Night Live! functions... at Keys on Main. Which for those of you who don't live in Salt Lake or drink... or know anything, is a dueling piano bar in downtown SLC. So off we went.
There was actually a relatively good crowd there for a talk on astrophysical (?) particles. My favorite part though were the little science toys that my hubband was talking about to the spectators. (If only this job paid more...) I played with my iPod touch for most of the actual talk, which basically said that they're shooting a steady beam of "sound" out into space and are trying to see what it encounters/bounces back. So I played my bubble game for about an hour after which we hung out for a little longer so P could finish answering questions about the cloud chamber (really cool!) and these little bio-dot things (Super AWESOME!). I meanwhile sat in a very comfortable corner and listened to the jazz/oldies that was being piped through the speakers.
I realized sitting there, that all of my love of performing and theatre, is boiled down to this: an audience, a piano, a beautiful melody, a story to tell, and a voice to tell it. All my life I've loved crooners. Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, and so many more singers have been the soundtrack to my childhood and life. I love bass and alto for that warm, deep, comforting sound that lulls you into an easy seat. Why aren't there more dining clubs with singers? Old school clubs. Not techno dance clubs. Sit, drink, dine, and listen. We need more of this kind of entertainment.
And my secret wish I rediscovered last night was to sit on a stool in a slinky dress with a crowd of dimly lit strangers all talking quietly while I try to entertain them. Torch songs are my favorite kind of song. Slow, sad, full of longing, and love. I'm never going to actually do this. But you'd better believe that my children will know the classics.

What things do you remember from your life that you want to pass on to your children?