Sounds of Summer

The sounds of summer: people laughing from a neighboring yard, a thunderstorm rolling in, the ice cream truck, waves rolling onto the beach, cicadas at night, fireworks, music blasting from the car and singing at the tops of our lungs on a road trip… Summer is full of sounds that evoke childhood memories and forge new ones. No summer is complete without a playlist. Two of our favorite summer songs are “Dancing in the Streets” (as recorded by Martha and the Vandellas) and “Centerfield” by John Fogerty. 

Rob says, “Centerfield is the perfect song about baseball and baseball is summer to me. One of my favorite things to do during the summer is to play softball on Sunday mornings with a group of friends and to catch a game on TV (sitting on the couch after spending two games in the catcher’s crouch feels great even if the Mets loose). There’s no sound better in the summer than the crack of ball on the bat.” 

Here’s Rob with his back-to-back championship team:



Melissa says, “Dancing in the Streets” is summer: being outside with people you care about and celebrating life and summer and dancing! This song brings back many great memories of my childhood. My dad is really into music. Whenever I came into the living room, I never knew what I was going to hear and music from the 60’s (including this song) was often playing. Every summer I teach direct a musical theatre show with childret at our parish. I love dancing with my students and seeing their joy and love of being together and the arts. I always use this song as a warm-up. Last summer, one of my students challenged that the David Bowie/Mick Jagger version was better. While I like that version, there’s nothing like the original!”

Here’s a picture of Melissa at rehearsal during the show she directed with her students last summer: