My Baby Boomer Universe - A Crazy Idea for a New Series of Arrangements

My Baby Boomer’s Universe is a wild idea of mine to give my piano students a peek into the music of their teacher’s musical world; the world of music that crossed my ears and formed me since 1952. I am a baby boomer!

This music will include memories of what I first remember coming out of our first black-and-white TV in the 1950s. Variety shows, like the Ed Sullivan Show showcasing new talent or prominent entertainers of the day, were very popular in the 50s and 60s. They featured music that was often on top of the charts.

It will include the music of my parents because that’s the music the musicians of the time were recording and playing. My parents were well acquainted with the music of the big band era. The radio and movies were filling the airwaves with the music of the 1930s and 40s. This is the music I heard from the back seat of our car. It’s probably the place I first heard the voice of Frank Sinatra.

Much of this music was inspired by wartime memories or situations resulting from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Actually, it was a time of great musical creativity. That creativity continued in the 1950s with the advent of Rock and Roll. All this happened during my early grade school years. I was learning how to read at the same time Elvis Presley was making his mark on the world.

The 1960s saw the explosion of Rock and Roll Bands. It was in the 1960s that I began my music studies. I was anxious to play the latest song of The Beatles. My mom bought the family's first stereo in the early 1960s. She bought a TV promotion set of LPs (Long Playing records) of the 50 Greatest Classical Themes. Many of these great themes caught my ear, and their first impression has stayed with me to this day.

My love of great movie themes began at this time. I remember wanting to learn “A Time for Us” when the movie Romeo and Juliet premiered in 1968. All this occurred in my formative teen years. This had a big impact on me. It was also at this time that I began my love of classical music.

What I’m saying is that new music, whether from movies, rock bands, or first exposure to classical masterpieces, has a unique impact on individuals. I’m also saying that the age at which one hears new music has a unique impact on the person. The music of Elvis had a considerable impact on my 8-9 year old self, different from its impact on my teenage aunts. The Beatles had a different impact on my 14-year-old self, compared to my 35-year-old parents and especially my 60-year-old grandparents.

This project is all very autobiographical. This is the timeline of my life intersecting with cultural, social, and music history. I hope you enjoy my arrangements and commentary on my nostalgic trek through My Baby Boomer Universe.