Soundtracks of a Life

About the Book

You may not know me, but you´ll know many of the soundtracks that help me tell my story.  The pages in Soundtracks Of A Life celebrate the power of music.  As I contemplated the telling of my story, I came to realize that my life is one where the soundtracks have been cause for vivid recollections - memories of the sharps, flats, and modulations that have syncopated this life.

American popular music often defines the people and the times.  From the days of the sheet music I observed in its place on the piano in our second floor living room, to the present, and the music on my prized collection of discs with their flawless sound recording, I share more than a half century of good times and bad.

My story was recalled and penned as I listened to audiotapes I created, tapes that include over six hundred snippets of songs, a chronology of my life´s soundtracks.

I was blessed with a stereophonic sound system from the start.  That is to say, my twin sister was there from the beginning, supplying the other channel in a life we´ve shared for many years.  Along with the music, her validation of my recollections enhanced my memory and brought the story into clearer focus.

It is my father´s tenor voice, accompanied by Mother at the piano, that I hear in my mind´s ear, my earliest recollection of my life´s soundtracks.  It was the forties, and I also remember hearing the Big Band sounds coming over the radio.  In preparing for this memoir, those songs that were embedded in my brain in my early childhood resurfaced, and these decades later, I have a greater appreciation for the musicians and vocalists who created that great sound.  The music brought back to mind events and activities from my pre-school years, very early memories, that returned with the help of the music of the time.  It seems I had heard those songs before.

My story tells of a relationship between a father and daughter that has eroded over time, a cause for sadness and consternation.  At the same time, however, there is continued hope for resolution.

Then there was the influence of a mother who displayed, by example more than words, a quiet strength, along with an amazing musical talent.  Her songs to us ended all too soon, however.

As the sixties approached, there was a musical revolution in our country.  My personal life was also in turmoil as the losses began to pile up. As ever, however, it was the music that kept me going when all about me seemed to crumble.

In retrospect, each subsequent crisis I faced was lessened with the help of the music of the time.

Between the chapters of my memoir are stories submitted by celebrities such as Arnold Palmer, Doris Day, Quincy Jones, Bruce Jenner, and others. Some other storytellers will be strangers to you. You´ll likely, however, recognize their songs; and it just could be that some of our songs are your soundtracks, too.

About the Author

A teacher for more than thirty years, with a Master's Degree in Education (Integrated Studies), the author has forever used music in her classrooms as a vital component to learning. In her experience she has observed students' strong emotional connections to music, causing the learner to remember better. A twin, who credits her sister with at least half of her ability to recall the story of her life, Lois wrote her memoir, Soundtracks Of A Life, as a celebration of the universal power of music, the consequent emotion it emits from us, and our subsequent vivid recollections. Yes, a song will take you there. "Memories come back that once were gone; Time and place return with the words and the song..." Ms. Magovern's verses have been published on several occasions; however, this is her first book.