My Week in a Song for Week #20 of 2015

This week's song is MOON SHADOW written by YUSEF ISLAM who was still going by the name Cat Stevens in 1971.

Though I have heard this song hundreds of times I've never known the lyrics of the verses. They are profound and beautiful.

It has been humbling to realize that my musical instincts far exceed my ukulele ability. I practiced this tune mostly on my Soprano Makala Dolphin; my Kamaka "Sunny" was too large for me to make the C chord to Dm transition. I am grateful to have three different sized ukes, it helps to learn tricky changes on the smallest and then graduate up to Sunny over the days of the week.

For the first time I recorded outside in our backyard. The birdsong crescendoed as I played over & over, we seemed to serenade each other and it was funny when the wind turned the page of my sheet music and I lot my place (you hear me flipping it back in place!)

I am grateful for my home. For backyard birds and their songs. For having hours to practice this week and even for crying in frustration, since then my sweet Bill told me that he thinks I'm amazing.

He actually said "If you took students that all started playing ukulele when you did, I'm sure you'd be, like, in the top two!"

So I'm married to the right guy for me.

I hope this weeks song makes you smile rather than cry since I already cried a lot over this one. Thank you for listening.