“Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect and whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect I’m afraid,” – Rodgers and Hammerstein, “The King and I.”
Can you name that tune?
I haven’t seen the movie in years, but can still sing all the lyrics to that song at the drop of a hat. And living around the Windy City, hats flying by on their way to dropping are a pretty common sight.
Perhaps it’s that connection between the whistle, the breath and the mind that entrances me. Oh, heck, “Whistle a Happy Tune” is just a great song.
So I try to whistle along my way as often as I can without being too obnoxious.
“Pardon me, just want to interject a little whistle here if you don’t mind too much.”
And if you do, I’ll just tweet it inside me so you won’t even hear it.
Phweee, whooee-uueet, Phweee …
(I don’t really know how to spell a whistling sound, but you get the idea).
On particularly sunny days or when I feel a strong whistle coming on, I’ll take my small harp with me, too. Sometimes I’ll take my large one, but jeez that one’s hard to carry. Large or small, I find it fun learning to play these beautifully stringed instruments, so consequently I’ve been learning for a very long time. Their lyrical sounds lift me up just like a whistle and also deeply calm my sense of being.
First developed in ancient Egypt about 3000 B.C., the harp is one of the oldest instruments in the world. At first it was used by priests as a way to communicate with the gods. In those times long ago, there were only a few strings to it. Those simple harps of yesteryear developed eventually into the multi-stringed harps of today.
Is there a musical instrument that makes you happy? Or could there perhaps be one that calms you in ways hard to describe? Instruments are funny that way. I know someone who’s soothed by bagpipes. Have you heard bagpipes lately? Those pipes are mighty loud! And they’re pretty old, too.
Bagpipes are another one from ancient Egypt, but they are a little younger to us than the harp. The bagpipes were born about 400 B.C. My friend says that blowing those big pipes pushes all other sounds away for some peace of mind. Whew – that takes some strong pushing!
Apart from the many choices of musical instruments, there’s the music of the mind. We’ve each got one of those to play. What stations are you tuned into today? Are they happy? Are they fun? Are they tragic? Are they sad?
Music in all its forms can be captivating as well as reflective of the changing seasons in our lives. Music can help us get through the fun times or the tough times. And it can all start with just a little whistle.
“The result of this deception is very strange to tell. For when I fool the people, I fear I fool myself as well.
“I whistle a happy tune. And every single time, the happiness in the tune convinces me that I’m not afraid.”
• Joan Budilovsky can be reached at editorial@kcchronicle.com or through her website at Yoyoga.com. She will be playing “Harp Meditations” on Sundays in September at the Enlightened Living Center of Burlington, Wisconsin. For more information, call 262-716-0017.