Julie Andrews

I have mentioned before how it has always been a struggle for me to decide who the most influential musicians have been in my life; who I look up to, who I strive to be more like, and whose talent has been a beacon to my own musical career.

Of course, in my early days of music, I was very much influenced by Jann Arden. 

Our Lady Peace was a band that mastered the beauty and art of ambiguous lyrics and hidden meaning. I grew up listening to Jukebox Oldies like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and everything from the 50s and 60s. My education focused primarily on the mastery of classical music and opera, including the likes of Vivaldi, Puccini, Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach (as well as countless others). Then I dove into some obscure folk music, as well as country music, r&b, and popular tunes, ballads in every style, a bit of jazz, and (most recently) finally became familiar with classic rock as well as music from the 40s and even earlier. 

With all of those different avenues to explore, it is safe to say that thousands of different artists and musicians have had a strong influence on the direction in which I take my music. 

There is one particular artist who has been a fundamental constant in my musical thoughts, and that person is Julie Andrews. No one compares to her. The clarity and range in her vocals, the commanding air about her, and the ease in which she captures an audience in unparalelled. 

I had the privilege of playing Marta in my first ever production of The Sound of Music when I was 8 years old. This entire experience paved the way for me to pursue other musical roles in such musicals as Oliver, Oh, What A Lovely War, The Sound of Music a second time, and Les Misérables. 

Though when I think of such productions, the combination of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer I do not think could ever be outdone in my mind. 

Let's hope that this trend of remaking classic films keeps The Sound of Music with this timeless original. 

Even more exciting than reliving this circle of influence is that Julie Andrews has come out with a second memoir! 

To be honest, I had not known she had written a first memoir. 

While I LOVE reading, memoirs and biographies are of less interest to me than many other genres. When I found out that Julie Andrews had written a memoir, though, I was beyond excited. I could not wait to get a glimpse into her life and her mind. Now her book, Home, and the second, Home Work, sit on my shelf awaiting to be cracked open after receiving them as Christmas presents. Although I will wait until I have finished reading the current story I have sitting on my nightstand (1408 by Stephen King) her books will be the next to be opened with deep anticipation. 

In honour of one of my all-time favourite musicals, here are the lyrics and chords that I use for Edelweiss: 

I love My Musical Life!