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I was driving in my car on the way home listening to REMs document when I wondered whether the song dated me--how many of the people I was driving by were alive 36 years ago? But it doesn't sound dated to me. I am more of a Blues fan than Jazz, but what era does Muddy Waters belong in? The Metropolitan soundtrack is testimony to the longevity of Big Band and Swing. There is a timeless element to good music that is both of an era and for all eras.

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It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? I don’t think I’d ever stopped to think about how music attaches itself to a time until I read about why Reiner made the choice he did. But it’s also so individual. Duran Duran doesn’t sound dated to me, but it also imprinted on my musical and memory DNA at such a young age that maybe it can’t. And yet, if it (and other 80s bands) had been the soundtrack for that movie, the movie would feel more fixed to that time period.

How does that work in the mind? Ya got me, but it does.

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Excellent essay and so many great tunes! Do you ever perform as a singer? Would love to hear your renditions! I grew up listening to the Great American Songbook. My mom had dreamed of being a Broadway singer and studied with Leonard Bernstein as a teenager in New York. She always played showtunes and we listened to the oldies station together. I've always loved jazz vocalists and crooners—Nancy Wilson is one of my absolute favorites. You can't beat her version of "Guess Who I Saw Today." I also was an 80s teen, so all of your references from that time really speak to me. Looking forward to reading more of your posts! PS: Thank you so much for including a link to my post. You made my day. ❤️

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Thanks! You ask a good question with a complicated answer, which has me thinking maybe the thing to do is write about it in its own post. The short answer is “sort of.” You can find some videos on my neglected TikTok (also fycuriosity), but they’re not great. They are miraculous examples of me starting to overcome stage fright, but my voice has issues.

I love your story about you and your mom--and OMG, to have studied with Bernstein! I have pretty much only been able to share classical music, mostly choral, with my parents that way, so I’m jealous. My mom does appreciate Ella and a few others, but only sort of peripherally, so it’s not the kind of connection you’re describing. What a fabulous way to have shared music!

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