One of the most amusing things about Superfly is her use of bizarre Upstate New York (she grew up in Rochester) pronunciations and usages. She's lived in New York City since the Eisenhower administration, but she still pronounces "bagel" as "BAG-ul."
Similarly, the "stereo" is the "STEER-e-o."
Then there are the odd formulations of common phrases. It's the end of October, so "Trick or treat" season is upon us...except in upstate New York, where it is, apparently, "Trick 'n' treat." Now, that doesn't really make sense does it? Those poor Rochester people paying out thousands of dollars in candy each year and STILL getting their houses egged and toilet papered.
Finally, there is no article in "the Internet" for her. It's just "Internet," which always makes it sound more like the computer network that takes over the world in the Terminator movies.
All of this is tremendously endearing and, well, she's my Mom.
But lately I've been thinking about her a lot for an unusual reason. I've been thinking about how I want my guitar to sound on both the classical side, where I am in the market for a high-quality concert guitar, and on the Microdot side, where we are working on new sounds for the band.
And what I find is that I am trying to make the instrument sound like my mom's voice.
You see, Superfly is former opera singer. Here she is performing in Mexico
And in Tosca:
Her clear, rounded, pitch-perfect voice is the soundtrack to my entire youth. She taught singing in our apartment when I was growing up, so I would get home and listen to her and her students all afternoon as I pretended to to my homework.
Turns out it is extraordinarily hard to make your guitar sound that clear and precise and, at the same time, so warm and full. But it is so much a part of me that I can't help but keep working for that goal. I search for that sound, both in the instrument and in myself.
And someday, when she is gone, that voice that I heard my whole life will, hopefully, live on through me.
5 comments:
Superfly!
I was petrified the first time I sang lead in Microdot with her in attendance. She was congratulatory and very kind.
Did she ever have to perform an opera about bagels or stereos?
That opera is known as "Die Zauberbagel."
That is the coolest tribute to a mom I've heard in a long time. This past weekend, four of the five Alva siblings were visting my folks and I brought my turntable down at my mom's request so they could listen to some of their old LP's and 45's recently escavated from the attic, garage, and storage space due to an addition being put on their house.
My mother is an accomplished piano, flute, and bass player. It was a real pleasure to watch and listen to her and my dad spin these old 45's of their youth.
Her piano will be featured in the the new room they've added and I have had it tuned up for her. My hope is that she'll get back to banging the keys a little more frequently now that it's in a room that sounds good.
Great post.
Thanks Tony.
I hope we meet at Tedstock.
Big ups to Superfly. It explains alot about you. I think your quest for the impossible tone is a commendable journey. Setting impossible goals is the road to extrordinary results. You may not make it all the way, but you will find it an amazing journey with extremely rewarding results.
Mrs. Alva (senior) is hoot.
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