My First Song

Growing up in Puerto Rico was a wonderful experience for me. We lived near a small town that was a bit isolated from the "real" civilization at the time.  We lived on 30 acres consisting of 3 mountains (they were actually probably more like "hills", but to us, they were mountains) encircling a valley. Our house was in the valley.  We didn't have Internet at the time (actually, Al Gore hadn't invented it yet), no phone, and not even a TV.  Actually, we had a TV but we never watched it.  We had a record player, and although we had a TON of records, I'm pretty sure they could all be classified into 4 categories: classical music, some ancient (even then, they were ancient!) Christmas music, Scott Joplin rag time, and John Phillips Sousa marching music. I'm pretty sure we had a radio, but I don't remember ever listening to it.  It could've been that, being in a valley, we just couldn't receive many radio stations, and the ones we did receive played music that my parents didn't like-it was their prerogative, they were the parents.  Whatever the reason, no radio.  Don't get me wrong,  I never thought anything of it.  I loved listening to all our records, and I never thought to ask what the dial and all the numbers on the hi-fi were for.  Besides, a radio was what my dad used to communicate with people at work, not for music.


Hi-Fi  similar to what we had.


Then one day, my world changed.  I was probably about 7 or 8 years old.  It was a little turquoise radio.  I don't know where it came from.  All I know is that I found it in my brother's room.  I asked what it was and he said, "It's a radio."  I said, "How do you talk into it?"  He said, "No, dummy, it just receives radio waves, it's not for talking."  I said, "Then how do you talk back to the people that talk to you?"  He said, "AY NENA!!  IT JUST PLAYS MUSIC!"  I then asked, "Can I borrow it?" and he said, "NO!"

So, I took it to my room when he wasn't watching and plugged it in. It took a second for the little tube to warm up, but when it did.  It was like the hallelujah chorus boomed around me! ....Well, it wasn't the hallelujah chorus, THAT was on one of the records I would listen too.  No, this was different. This was ... really different.  This was... very cool.  This was ... definitely NOT my parents' music!   I will never forget the very first song I heard on that radio. "Killing me softly"  by Roberta Flack.  That was the beginning of my love for "music with a beat". Classical music is beautiful, I have nothing against it, but THIS music woke me up.  THIS music made me want to move!! ... Not "Killing me softly" - so much- but the ones that came after that were AWESOME!  I was dancing around my room like... well, ... like...  a little girl dancing around her room.  I loved this music!  I was so into it,  I never wanted it to stop!

I got caught .  I must have had it a it up too loud because my brother barged into my room and took that "little turquoise box of awesome" from me after what had to be about 30 minutes.  I was so crushed, but I never forgot that taste of new foreign fruit.  Music that made you smile, music that didn't put you to sleep, music that made you want to dance!! I had had a taste of it and couldn't wait until I could steal that little radio again! And I did...often.



This is as close a picture as I can find

 It wasn't until a few years later that I actually got my very own radio. Then a few years after that, I got a STEREO!!   Music comes in many forms,  and you don't have to like what I like-- but then, I don't have to like what you like either.  I think we should just enjoy it, let it fill your soul with joy, and let us ALL dance like a little girl dancing around her room!