My home has a sound. Music has always been a big part of our home, and it is evident through the instrumental relics in every room: piano, electric keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, violin, clarinet, and drum set. And a harmonica. But even with all of these instruments, the sound that can best be associated with our home is actually an artist: Vince Guaraldi.
Vince Guaraldi’s presence in my home began about 25 years ago. I added “A Charlie Brown Christmas” cassette to a Christmas present for one of my brothers back in the mid-80’s as a kind of a joke. My brother Danny and I shared (and still do) a deep love for all of the Christmas specials that aired each year. In the years before these specials were available on video tapes, one had to tape the shows themselves or make sure that they did not go out the nights they were shown. This was especially hard for someone who worked as a bartender during college, like Danny. I decided one year to tape every Christmas special for his Christmas present. The fact that all of his friends loved this tape and that it was passed around is another story. But I added the Vince Guaraldi cassette as that cherry on top. Nothing more.
Several years later, with the birth of my first daughter, I began the nightly routine of rocking her to sleep while listening to a lullaby tape. Nice for a while, but as it grew closer to Christmas, I decided to buy my own “Charlie Brown Christmas” cassette and played that during the holiday season. Well, it did not take long before I noticed my daughter’s reaction to the music: she fell asleep more easily. Listening to Vince every night became her night-time ritual, and this ritual continued with the birth of her sister and brother. Listening to Vince also provided a feeling of home whenever we traveled. Playing the tape in the car or in a hotel room provided a sound of home.
Over the years my kids have made fun of my love of Vince Guaraldi and all of jazz impressions. An accomplished jazz musician, I appreciated how accessible he made jazz for me, and I shared this with my children. His music is often playful, and yet evokes a mood that is hard to pinpoint; happiness, adventure, a little melancholy, and a yearning. Not unlike childhood itself.
My children are older now. My daughters are both away to colleges on opposite sides of the country, and my son is in high school. During their time away from home, it would not be unusual for me to receive a text: “Listening to Vince.” Whether a random placement within their playlists or specifically cued to inspire them while studying for finals, they each told me that listening to Vince Guaraldi soothed them and made them feel like they were connected to home.
Yesterday, my 15 year old son was within ear-shot of the kitchen where I was playing a jazz playlist. When “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” started playing, he called out, “This is my favorite song of all time!” And this was coming from a boy who is spending today at the Van’s Warped Tour. When I asked him why it was his favorite, he answered that it made him feel peaceful and at home. Not a bad place to be.
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