Hootenanny!

Okay, I don't know if I spelled it correctly, so correct me if I'm wrong. Friday evening was one of my favorite Fridays in a long time - Why? you may ask. It's all due to Hootenanny, or however you spell it. The parents of one of my roommate's invite us over occasionally for folk singing. I did not grow up folk singing. Nor has it ever been a music form that I have cared to familiarize myself with. However, I have decided that I love participating in it. I can't say that I would totally enjoy going to a concert - at least not yet, but I think it's more meant to be done in the setting that we sing in anyway.

We all went up to Roommate's parents' house and had a fabulous supper. Then we moved into the living room, and the fun began. Roommate's mom plays the guitar, Roommate plays the banjo, and the rest of us play different percussion instruments, if we so desire. This time, one of my other roommates played the tambourine. And, one of the new guys played a bunch of things - the harmonica, the ukulele, and the spoons. My favorite was when he said, "Ready?" and played the spoons on me. I don't think I've ever been part of an instrument before, but it was fun.

What I like about folk singing is how communal it is. You don't have to be a good singer. You just all enjoy singing together. Roommate's mom doesn't even give us sheet music (is there such a thing for folk music?), so we have to listen to her to figure out the tune. She always has a program printed up for us, with spaces throughout for different guests to pick a song. I always choose Joshua because my dad likes to sing it. However, the really funny ones are some of the most enjoyable, like What Do We Do with a Drunken Sailor? There are also some more serious ones I really like.

By the end of the night I realized that I was totally relaxed and content - a state that I am rarely in but that I totally enjoy. I think that the other guests enjoyed themselves, too. I liked looking around at everyone throughout the evening and observing the grins on their faces and the twinkles in their eyes. I can't wait for the next Hootenanny!