List #8: Instruments My Dad Can Play

It's my dad's birthday today, so in the spirit of my Month of Lists, I thought I would list one of his talents: music. My dad is pretty brilliant in the area of music. He's been playing and composing for a long time. One of my favorite CDs is one that he composed -- music that is relaxing, introspective and beautiful. He also composes music in many other styles, including using his computer as a co-composer, which produces some extremely interesting pieces. My favorite of those is one that sounds like a migraine feels. That sounds odd, but it so captures the intense pressing throb of a migraine that you almost get a migraine out of sympathy. Another of my favorites (this one composed without any extra help) is a piece -- or, rather, two pieces linked together -- called "Seattle Machine," inspired by a very large junk sculpture in the Seattle, Washington, airport. Because the entire sculpture was encased in glass to protect it, there were no sounds. Dad decided to provide the sounds. I absolutely love it. I am looking for a way to get his music onto the web somewhere so I can put a link to it so you can also hear it.

Child Six, who was a music lover from birth, often sits with my dad, listening intently to his music. They have a strong bond through music.

Without further ado, here's the list.

1. Piano
2. Organ (he's the church organist currently, and has been ever since I can remember, wherever we have lived)
3. Accordian (he took it downstairs into the basement and didn't come up until he had mastered it, which took about 12 hours)
4. Guitar
5. Cello
6. The computer. Dad writes programs that gives the computer parameters in which to compose, then gives it the sounds with which to create.
7. Keyboard/synthesizer
8. Learning the banjo

That's a pretty impressive list whoever you are. Happy Birthday, Dad! You're my hero and I love you.