Everything Goes Better With Frank

Growing up our house was filled with the music of what our parents called 'The Crooners' those singers with the dreamy voices who sang us through our early baby dance steps first with our dad and then our brothers. Years ago my younger sister, a standup comedian, told me that all performers even those who do not sing, must warm their voices up before stepping out onto the stage. One evening while I drove with her to her gig, she popped in a cassette (told you it was years ago!!) of Frank Sinatra and began to sing along. This happened on several more trips to the comedy club and one day for some strange reason-because heaven only knows I had no need to warm up my voice- I joined in and so our pre show duetting began and continues till today whenever I am lucky enough to see her do her shtick. It matters not at all that neither my sister nor myself is in possession of a voice that can ably carry a tune. We sing anyway and everytime we do I am grateful for Frank and even more thankful that he cannot hear us. My sister explained why she chose Frank as her pre-show warbling buddy, informing me that with Frank one was guaranteed excellent timing which anyone who cares for the quality of their voice knows is a must. Fast forward to today, an unusually stressful day at work for me. I chose to begin my 8 hours in front of a computer housed in a colleagues room at first for the good company and counsel but then most definitely for the quadruple album of Franks that he wisely selected for our background music. From the first notes of Chicago to the final moments of The Tender Trap my old normally tortoise like computer fingers virtually flew across the keyboard and made light of my heavy work. I thank my Dad for the intro to Sinatra, my sister with whom I learned all the lyrics, and my friend at work for helping me get a huge chunk of my work done with the least amount of pain, but mostly I thank Frank.