One of the first movies I can remember seeing in a theater was The Sound of Music. I was probably four or five at the time. The movie had an overture and an intermission. The intermission happened right after the wedding scene and my Dad thought the movie was over. Fortunately, there was music for the intermission and we did stay for the rest of the movie.
We had the cast album – on 33 1/3 rpm vinyl, of course – and could sing all the songs. When I was a senior in high school, our school play was The Sound of Music and I was Sister Sophia, one of the “Big 4” nuns who sings “How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?” I only had a couple of spoken lines, but we got to wear habits borrowed from a convent, which apparently had kept some of the pre-Vatican II habits around. Because I was Catholic, I also got to coach some of the chorus of nuns on things like how to cross yourself and genuflect. It was also interesting because we used the original Broadway script and score, so some of the songs were new to me. For instance, “Something Good” was written for the movie; I actually prefer “An Ordinary Couple” which was the Broadway song for that scene.
The sound of music is also pertinent to my own life. I have been singing since I was young. I am in my 34th season singing with the Binghamton University Chorus, which I joined after singing my way through elementary, high school, and college. I can’t imagine giving it up.
I also played piano from the time I was seven, then studied organ so that I could play at my tiny Catholic parish. I subbed for three years and then took over as organist when our prior organist went to college. My last three years of high school were spent playing organ every weekend at church, along with holidays and often a couple of weeknight masses.
I played organ and sang throughout college and worked in the church music field before my children were born, continuing on a volunteer basis as they got older. Unfortunately, an orthopedic problem intervened so I no longer play on a regular basis, but I do still sing.
It is odd, though, that I don’t like to have music playing in the background. I find it too distracting. If there is the sound of music, I want to be either making it or listening attentively.
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Joanne Corey 
That was a lovely post. I love the ‘Sound of Music’ too 0 in every sense! 🙂
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Thanks, Judy! There is definitely something special about the Sound of Music- capitalized or not.
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I agree with you about music being a distraction. I love it, but I just can’t listen to it when I’m trying to work. 🙂
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I’m glad I’m not alone.
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I learned to sing listening to that soundtrack over and over when I was 11 years old. I still love the movie, still sing the songs in the car on long trips, or anytime. Glad you got to see the ending the first time!
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Of course, that was before people could own movies on video, so it was important to be able to see it in a theater. I’m glad you still like to sing the songs. I do, too!
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The Sound of Music was my first movie experience as well – I enjoyed it up to the wedding, but in my professional 6-year-old opinion, I felt it went on too long.
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They made movies a lot longer back then! I thought it was interesting that when they did the live performance on television a couple of years ago, they included the overture and intermission music/entr’acte music.
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The Sound of Music is always a wonderful production. Julie Andrews was fabulous in every movie I saw her in, as a young woman. This was one of my favorites, but I probably will continue to hold her best at “Mary Poppins.”
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I could sing all the Mary Poppins songs, too! 🙂
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They are great, aren’t they? I especially love Feed the Birds, and Chim Chimney. Although, those aren’t sang by Julie -but, I still love them. I’m also a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke. Did you ever see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? That is my absolute Favorite! The songs in that movie just bring such imagination to your mind -just as Mary Poppins.
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I remember seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a child. The first song that comes to mind from that is Truly Scrumptious.
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Yes, a classic. But, each of them are. I still remember the theme song for the show.
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I too find music playing in the background very distracting. I love music and when I hear it I want to focus on it and often dance. I know many people that when they are writing they have a playlist. I tried it once and spent the entire day listening to music and not writing a word.
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Write first – then on to music and dancing!
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The Sound of Music was the first musical I ever saw. I’m not musically inclined in singing or playing any instrument but I can appreciate it by listening attentively.
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Being an attentive listener is a great skill to cultivate!
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I can work with or without music. But the tv playing? Forget it. 😛
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Too many extraneous words trying to get into your head…
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Exactly.
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