|
|
|
|
||
Musical Chers
A simple music lesson, dear ones,
One you might have missed:
Someone who plays an instrument’s
An instrumentalist.
It’s a nicety of grammar
Governed by propriety;
Take the source of noise now, girls and boys,
And add an i-s-t.
Now if you would like to be an ‘ist,’
And thrill our little ears
Like our friend the concert pianist,
Well, practise hard, my dears;
And if pure angelic strings should play low,
Make you wear a smile,
You will surely know the harpist’s halo
Has been there a while.
Classical, jazz, rock-n-roll,
Folk, boogie, country, blues:
Guitarists can unlock your soul;
The key is “payin’ dues.”
And, yes, children of all ages love it
When a big band swings:
The saxophonists rage and shove,
The clarinetist sings;
And should you have a sweetheart
That you wish to serenade,
If the violinist does his sweet part,
Music will be made!
How odd to see there but exists
One ‘ist’ in history,
Yet six fair instrumentalists
In our brief istory—
Wait! the Pied Piper taught us
Twice the lesson, he astutest:
—Don’t be hiring the flutist!”
So there you are, my little dears,
The simple Rule of Ist:
Some music for your little ears;
I think you’ve got the gist.
You see, it’s elementary,
But, like a girl named Mary,
Every now and then what’s meant to be,
Is really quite contrary.
Remember the old saw about
Exceptions to all rules;
If you ignore Life’s little flaws
—You’ll be Life’s little fools!
Yes, Old King Cole, that ripe old soul,
Was out of his merry tree
When he called for his pipe, called for his bowl,
Then called for his fiddlists three;
But Simple Simon—need I say,
Was quite the dumbest boy
When, on Christmas Day, he cried,
“I hear the Little Drummist Boy!”
Thus, in coming weeks, if someone speaks
Of Satchmo, Miles, or Dizzy,
Puff up your little cheeks and say,
“A trumpeter is he!”
So there you are, my little dears,
A simple little twist:
Some music for your little ears
—But are there some we’ve missed?
If you all do your homework well,
Your cheeks shall all-l-l be kissed.
But there’s the bell—oh, please don’t YELL!
Class is now dismissed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
||