When my brother was a very little boy, his favourite song was How Much is that Doggie in the Window. He would sing it on cue when my grandparents visited or aunts and uncles came for dinner. It was always appreciated with much applause and "Well Done".
It's a cute song and you can just imagine a little boy, face pressed against the window of a pet shop, longing to take home the dog with the waggly tail and hoping it’s for sale.
Bob Merrill wrote the song. He’s the man who wrote the iconic song, People, sung by Barbra Streisand in the movie Funny Girl. Unlike most composers, he couldn’t play any musical instrument so fingered out his music using a toy xylophone he’d picked up at a dollar store. It’s said when he made $250,000 he went out and bought a new xylophone for $6:95.
How refreshingly simple. So often we put off doing things until we have the right equipment, the right time, the perfect opportunity, enough knowledge or adequate money, and sometimes we never actually start. Bob had a passion and didn’t let his inability to play an instrument hinder him; he found a way to share the music inside him.
Life has become so immediate and commercial. Everything we want or need is there at hand but when we have all we need, we don’t have to be innovative or inventive and we are rapidly losing our creative edge and so are our children. They are so grounded in things; they’ve lost the wonder of the wind beneath their wings.
Perhaps we need more xylophone moments in our lives.
It's a cute song and you can just imagine a little boy, face pressed against the window of a pet shop, longing to take home the dog with the waggly tail and hoping it’s for sale.
Bob Merrill wrote the song. He’s the man who wrote the iconic song, People, sung by Barbra Streisand in the movie Funny Girl. Unlike most composers, he couldn’t play any musical instrument so fingered out his music using a toy xylophone he’d picked up at a dollar store. It’s said when he made $250,000 he went out and bought a new xylophone for $6:95.
How refreshingly simple. So often we put off doing things until we have the right equipment, the right time, the perfect opportunity, enough knowledge or adequate money, and sometimes we never actually start. Bob had a passion and didn’t let his inability to play an instrument hinder him; he found a way to share the music inside him.
Life has become so immediate and commercial. Everything we want or need is there at hand but when we have all we need, we don’t have to be innovative or inventive and we are rapidly losing our creative edge and so are our children. They are so grounded in things; they’ve lost the wonder of the wind beneath their wings.
Perhaps we need more xylophone moments in our lives.
Bob wrote many other songs including, If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Mambo Italiano and My Truly, Truly Fair as well as music for the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Interestingly, Bob had just one rule for his music; all his songs had to be hummable. I love it! I guess he knew if a song were hummable, it would be memorable. We all know those songs that stick in your mind long after you’ve heard them.
Sounds like a good motto for life … make life hummable. After you've spent time with someone, what will linger in their minds … a moment of kindness, a word of encouragement, a generous spirit, lighthearted laughter and fun or maybe that wonderful experience of feeling heard or cherished?
Interestingly, Bob had just one rule for his music; all his songs had to be hummable. I love it! I guess he knew if a song were hummable, it would be memorable. We all know those songs that stick in your mind long after you’ve heard them.
Sounds like a good motto for life … make life hummable. After you've spent time with someone, what will linger in their minds … a moment of kindness, a word of encouragement, a generous spirit, lighthearted laughter and fun or maybe that wonderful experience of feeling heard or cherished?
And the great thing is, humming doesn’t require me to be musical, anyone can hum and to my great surprise, I’ve discovered that humming comes with a long list of health benefits. The research is compelling. Things like:
Maybe that release of endorphins is why humming, like whistling, is such a happy sound. I hear someone humming or whistling as they work and not only do they sound happy, they make me feel happy too. It’s almost impossible to be angry, stressed or resentful and not easy to be depressed when you're humming. I wonder how different our homes would be if humming filled the rooms and transformed dreary jobs into positive experiences.
Its free, its happy, its healthy and can be contagious. Make this week, hummable.
- Increases oxygen in the cells - I've been practising and its amazing how many deep breaths you take when you are humming!
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Increases lymphatic circulation
- Helps to keep the sinuses healthy and free from infection
- Reduces levels of stress related hormones
- Releases endorphins.
Maybe that release of endorphins is why humming, like whistling, is such a happy sound. I hear someone humming or whistling as they work and not only do they sound happy, they make me feel happy too. It’s almost impossible to be angry, stressed or resentful and not easy to be depressed when you're humming. I wonder how different our homes would be if humming filled the rooms and transformed dreary jobs into positive experiences.
Its free, its happy, its healthy and can be contagious. Make this week, hummable.
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