1. Do you (or did you) play a musical instrument?
Edith/Maddie: I played the cello for four years until it was a choice between wearing mini-skirts to high school or playing the cello (the two don’t mix). I picked fashion!
Liz: Piano for 15 years!
Jessie: I played the flute for five years.
Julie: I don’t, but I just bought a ukulele.
Sherry: Julie, I want to hear more about the ukulele! I took piano lessons for several years.
Barb: I took piano for several years, but you guys have heard about my fine motor skills in relation to typing, so you can imagine how piano went.
2. Did you want to? If so what?
Edith/Maddie: I wanted to play the bass but they didn’t have one small enough!
Liz: I wanted to learn piano. Also thought guitar would be cool.
Jessie: I did want to play an instrument. I was more interested in oboe or the saxophone but we already had a flute in the house so that was the one that I ended up learning to play.
Julie: I always wanted to be able to play the piano. I have very talented friends who do, and it is amazing to watch them fill up a room with music.
Sherry: I can’t remember if I wanted to or if I was told to. I liked playing but I didn’t like practicing. My sister was a much better player than I was.
Barb: I really admire people who can play instruments and I love to listen to my friends play. But what I would really like to be able to do is write a great little pop song.
3. Can you sing?
Edith/Maddie: I can carry a tune and love singing in groups, but don’t ask me to solo.
Liz: God no.
Jessie: I think everyone can sing, at least enthusiastically if not melodically! I am not at all gifted but I love singing made up songs to my dog, Sam, as we go about our day.
Julie: One of my great regrets is that when my fifth grade chorus teacher told me I couldn’t I believed her. I want to feel comfortable singing in public, which I’ve never done.
Sherry: I always say I have a fabulous four note range.
Barb: I can, or actually I could. Pretty rusty. But I have soloed. “Oh Holy Night,” in six grade chorus. And when I worked for WebCT we put on elaborate skits at the end of our annual users conference which involved both singing and wearing costumes in front of hundreds of people. How did this happen to me of all people? One year I soloed to “Blackbird” while dressed as Yoda. “Blackboard support is gone for the night…”
4. Did you sing in a chorus?
Edith/Maddie: I sang in church choir as a child and after every meal at girl scout camp. I love singing rounds.
Liz: Once, I made the school chorus.
Jessie: I sang in the high school chorus one year. It was fun.
Julie: No, see above.
Sherry: I sang in our church choir as a kid and in school chorus until tenth grade. In sixth grade I was selected to sing in a small group for a special city-wide teachers meeting. One of the songs was “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I still sing that song.
Barb: I sang in church choir in junior high and high school. Cute guys in my church choir, is all I’m sayin’.
5. Do you sing for fun? Karaoke?
Edith/Maddie: If “for fun” means to myself, yes, Karaoke, never.
Liz: Again, God no. In the car, yes. In front of people? Never.
Jessie: I sing along in the car and to my dog. I can hold my own if I find myself in a church so long as there is a hymnal to use. I sing in my shower, especially if the water starts to run cold!
Julie: Again, no. But would like to.
Sherry: I love to sing and have gone to karaoke a couple of times. Once some friends and I jumped up on the stage when a guy was singing Ride Sally, Ride and became his backup singers. I don’t think he was amused, but we had fun.
Barb: Only to my grandchildren, which for some reason chokes me up terribly. I can hardly make it through a song.
6. Should we form a band?
Edith/Maddie: Only if I get to be backup singer with the option to whip out a kazoo.
Liz: LOL. Only if it has a cool name.
Jessie: You ladies feel free to go on that trip without me!
Julie: I can lip synch and could do backup choreography
Sherry: It seems like we are going to need a lead singer. Barb’s our only hope at this point.
Barb: I’ll do it, but only if I don’t have to wear a Yoda costume.
Readers: Answer the same questions!