Genny's Gettin' Up >>> #6 in a Series: Music Mentors

     Her big brother Matthew turned our music world around and set us happily on track in the children's recording business, and then she, Genny, made her appearance---along with her joyful creative energy and formidable influence.

     Ready for action from the start, Genny inspired such lyrics as: ♫ "Genny's gettin' up, she's movin' around, she's leavin' the house, she's goin' to town!  Well, Genny's only six months but whaddaya say, she's a tiny little girl baby on her way."  (Which her friend Rose says she still sings, 25 years later. :)
                                                   

Genevieve Grace St. Charles-Monet

     Raised in a home brimming with music, our kids often became the subjects of our songs.  "Goin' to a Restaurant", "My Best Friend", "Hearts and Hands", "Stop, Look and Listen", "Shake it Up" and the above mentioned "Genny's Gettin' Up" and many others.  From her perch nestled in our arms, Genny was a keen observer of her brother---age 5+---adding his vocals and learning about sound levels, editing and mixing.
                                                     
     Genny surely knows that all those family concerts we did were especially for her and her brother----a natural consequence of feeling ever-more creatively expansive thanks to them.  And that as their parents, we've grown so much and had so much fun singing and song-writing together, that we naturally chose to share it with others----thus the family performing/recording business!
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     By her middle school years and beyond she was finding her own genres and artists.  That's how we came to know---and thoroughly admire and appreciate---the huge talents of Daft Punk, Weird Al Yankovich, Talking Heads, and The Decemberists, among our favorites.  When we weren't listening to recordings, our home resounded with her own playing of violin, classical piano, guitar, electric bass and percussion.

     I adore "M'ija", my amazing daughter, and the profound influence she's had and will always have on me and my creative expression.  Very well on her way now, Genny is a world traveler, professional artist, animator, cartoonist, video producer----and drummer in a rock band. ♪ ♪ ♪


   


                                                  

Mom's Memorial Music

                                                                     

For my junior year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, my parents helped me arrange to do a study year abroad in Granada, Spain.  That experience remains a highlight of my life.  Forty years later, my daughter, Genevieve helped arrange for the two of us to visit Granada together.  Genny and I had a fantastic 3 weeks this spring in southern Spain, specifically Granada, Madrid, and Monachil, a tiny village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.  I'll be sharing stories about this for a long time...

Several weeks before leaving, my mother----an intrepid world traveler---died peacefully in her home. She knew of our Spain plans and was very happy for us; we felt her twinkly spirit with us the whole trip.  She is the one that instilled my love of travel and music.  In her honor, my son, Matthew is compiling a mix to play at her memorial service.  We are choosing some favorite songs from her albums:  Argentine tangos, Greek hasapikos, Mexican folk songs, Andrea Bocelli's tenor, and some of my covers of songs in Spanish recorded by dh, Rick, especially for mom..  

Here is one of Andrea's beautiful offerings.  Enjoy. ♫  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTlPPqPodiA

Music kisses,

Lisa