This month’s song is a minor hit from what is sometimes called the Great American Songbook.
Composer Hoagy Carmichael and lyricist Johnny Mercer created it for a Broadway show — I WALK WITH MUSIC — which did not prove to be a success.
But it did give us this sweet song.
I discovered it when I was putting together an hour-long program of songs by Hoagy Carmichael — who also wrote the music for standards including “Georgia on My Mind,” “Stardust,” “The Nearness of You,” and “Skylark” (another song co-written with Johnny Mercer).
Pianist/producer Doug Hammer and I had a lot of fun recording it.
I just re-read the Wikipedia entries for Johnny Mercer and for Hoagy Carmichael.
I learned that — later in his life — Hoagy appeared as a songwriter character on THE FLINTSTONES animated TV show and also participated in a TV special with Fred (Mr.) Rogers.
And I was reminded that Johnny Mercer was a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde personality — beloved during the daytime and then drunk at parties saying mean things during the night — after which he would send flowers and an apology the next morning.
In addition to being successful songwriters, Hoagy and Johnny were also successful performers.
Later in his life, Hoagy worked as an actor in movies and TV shows, while Johnny recorded many hit singles over the years — of his own songs and as well as songs written by other people.
Johnny also was one of three men who founded and ran Capitol Records very successfully for many years.
He was mentored early in his career by Yip Harburg (the lyricist who co-wrote “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?” “Over The Rainbow,” “How Are Things In Glocca Morra?” and “It’s Only A Paper Moon” among many other hits).
And near the end of his own life Mercer became a fan of singer-songwriter Barry Manilow.
In fact one of my favorite Johnny Mercer songs — “When October Goes” — was created after Mr. Mercer died with music by Barry Manilow and unpublished lyrics given to Mr. Manilow by Mercer’s widow, Ginger.
Both Mercer and Carmichael kept writing songs even after rock-n-roll had significantly altered the landscape of popular music — which meant that their work was less and less in demand…
I take inspiration from their creative perseverance as well as from the rich legacy of hit songs they left for all of us to savor.
On a personal note, I have begun attending several open mics on a regular basis, sharing my original songs while accompanying myself on ukulele.
Performing like this has been a good workout for my brain because I now have to remember both lyrics AND chords.
It has also been interesting to see how other regular open mic attendees do (and don’t) welcome one into each musical micro-community.
The key, I think, is simply continuing to show up.
Gradually we reveal ourselves to each other through our song choices and through the things we say between songs (the open mics I attend allow a person to perform 2-3 songs per night).
And trust begins to form…
And curiosity begins to arise…
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
All of the venues are also registered with ASCAP, the performing rights organization I joined several years ago.
So after each open mic, I log onto my ASCAP account and enter which of my original songs I performed.
In theory this is supposed to generate a tiny stream of income for me, but I haven’t seen anything yet…
One final thing I have been appreciating about attending open mics is that they give me a chance to fine-tune the lyrics of songs I haven’t yet recorded (but plan to record with Doug Hammer later this year).
If you would like to stream “I Walk With Music,” you are welcome to click here for a link to many different digital music platforms.
Thank you to pianist/composer/producer Doug Hammer for our ongoing — and ofter very playful — musical collaboration.
Thank you to Stephen C. Fischer for his photo and design expertise.
Thank you to Wikipedia (to which I give a tiny financial contribution each month) for being such a useful source of information.
Thank you to all of the terrific songwriters, living and dead, whose work touches our souls and lifts our spirits on a daily basis.
Thank you to Jeno Szabo for his beautiful image from Pixabay.
And thank you, dear reader, for making it through another one of my (now mostly monthly) blog posts.
amusicalifeonplanetearth 
It’s a lovely song, Will. I didn’t know “I Walk with Music,” but I’m kind of surprised the song (not show) wasn’t more popular.
Good luck with your open mics!
Hoagy has many big A-level hits (which I was familiar with) and a bunch of B-level gems such as “I Walk With Music,” “The Lamplighter’s Serenade,” and “Old Buttermilk Sky” which were all new to me when I was selecting material to include in an hour-long program featuring his songs. Thank you, as always, for listening and commenting!
You’re very welcome, Will!
I loved this whole post, Will. Interesting connections between Carmichael, Mercer and Manilow!
Okay, so I’m a bit jealous of your blue uke.😍 I just learned to play uke last summer. Our local group of 30 seniors plays tunes from all eras, but I love the 30s stuff best. I bet you shine on the likes of “Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”…..
“I Walk With Music” was new to me.
Thanks for sharing,
Julie
Hi, Julie! Thank you for reading and listening and leaving a comment. That little blue ukulele is the first one I bought for probably $30 when I signed up to take a class called “Ukulele For The Almost Musical” at the Cambridge Center For Adult Education in Harvard Square (where I worked at the time…) It is still one of my favorites — I now have four total — and it still stays in tune OK with the original strings. I have written many of my songs using it. Hurrah that you are part of a group playing songs on the ukulele! The sound of many ukuleles being strummed together can be quite heavenly/angelic, I think. I DO like the song “Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter,” and I am keeping an eye on which wonderful standards are entering the public domain for possible future recordings of them… “I Walk With Music” was new to me, too. I did a fair amount of listening to Hoagy songs when I was putting together an hour-long program of his work — and IWWM has been kept alive by fun recordings by the jazz community over the past many decades.
The autoplay on my you tube played Both Sides Now right after I Walk With Music. I loved the feeling you evoked there!
I’m glad you’re finding new ways to share your music and kind heart Will. ❣️
I wasn’t familiar with this song, but it was a pleasure listening to your rendition 🙂
Thank you, Rosaliene, for making time to listen! It was new to me, too, when I started nosing around and listening to some of Hoagy’s lesser-known musical gems.
Will, good to learn about the Carmichael / Mercer duo. Good performance, Will and Doug. I will add your song to my “liked” playlist on Spotify.
Thank you, Lisa! Apparently the Spotify algorithms notice when a song is added to a personal playlist… and it increases the possibility that a song will be introduced to other potential listeners.
You’re welcome. So very happy to hear that.
p.s. Great on getting into the open mike groove. I’ve been to a lot of open mikes as part of the audience when my friends have played. It’s a fun experience and gives a feeling of community. Can’t imagine how much more so when you are a performer.
Yes, open mics — especially if they are hosted by someone with a good heart and a welcoming spirit (and maybe even a respectful sense of humor!) can offer a feeling of community, which I think many of us are hungry for… Thank you for supporting your friends’ musical lives in this way!
Just wondering, do they have a merch table for the performers? I saw you were working on a new CD, which would be a great opportunity for it.
These is no merch table at the four open mics I’ve been frequenting, and most performers either do not have any songs recorded or are very understated about mentioning/promoting them. I know from my Music Together classes that some people/families DO still like/use CDs…and I have recorded/finished/released enough songs during the past five years (29 cover songs with pianist Doug Hammer, 14 originals with Doug, and 13 holiday songs with Doug) that I could put together four or five CDs worth of music. But right now streaming is the dominant form of listening (or so the pundits say…) I DID make a CD of 10 originals + covers with my friends Molly and Carole — of which we have sold and/or given away 120+ copies… Right now the pundits also say that many musicians are earning most of their money from live performances and merch; so I may need to re-think the CD/Tshirt/coffee mug merch options!
Will, thanks for the valuable information. I still buy CDs (when I can’t find them at my local library to borrow and burn.) My car has a CD player (a 2016 model) so it’s useful. I also have a flash drive usb port so I can transfer songs onto the flash drive and play them that way. It’s just easier to bring the CDs to the car and rotate them. I did have a synch to spotify (and pandora radio before that) which was perfect, but spotify stopped offering it (at no reduction in monthly cost, I might add.)
If you did a CD of 14 originals with Doug or a double CD of cover songs with Doug, I’d definitely buy them. If you are going to a lot of open mics, and it sounds like you are, you might get some sales. Like you said, something to think about.
Well, that was a nice song, new to me. I don’t know the first thing about how musicians make choices, but I liked the cheery tempo you and Doug chose.
Yeah, I’ve definitely had those walks where the playlist just gets me. And interesting that was yesterday, I was listening to ‘Saturn’ by Sleeping at Last, while walking in Mcleodganj (it’s a hill station in the foothills of the great Himalayas). Suddenly, a few extra miles don’t feel like miles at all. Thanks for putting that feeling into words, Will.
PS: Love the music you shared.
I so enjoyed reading this, Will, and I always learn something new about a songwriter. I tried to look up on YouTube Hoagie Carmichael’s event with Mr. Rogers, but no luck. What a great career! Way to go on performing at open mic events. I used to play the ukulele in junior high when the Peter, Paul, and Mary songs were popular. It’s a great instrument. And, your photos are terrific!
Wonderful song, and you sounded great, Will. Open mic sounds like a good find and an awesome way to connect with others.
Hi, Edward! I truly appreciate your enthusiastic comment. Thank you for making time to read, listen and respond! I am guessing that most of us are hungry for some community/solidarity in our lives right now — and these humble open mics are helping to keep me from becoming frozen with dread…
You’re very welcome! Yes, we’re definitely hungry for some real community, especially when it’s the kind that helps build people up. As you know, there are a lot of groups that just seem to tear society down, so it’s great to celebrate the ones that actually help us navigate the world in a positive way.
Yes. That is a fine lens/guide with which to proceed here on planet earth — does this person/action/speech build up others or rip things apart? I was talking with a friend recently and he was suggesting we simply ask ourselves — is this person speaking/acting out of love and respect or out of a lack of love and respect? Then follow, listen to, and interact with the folks who are loving and respectful (and avoid the others and/or work to defeat/heal them…)
That’s an excellent way to filter people out. I usually don’t allow toxic people into my life, including family members. I’m okay with people who engage with me in a healthy discussion, even if we disagree, but once they cross the line into being hateful or trying to push their twisted narrative, that’s when I move on.
You have acquired wisdom and are willing to act on it!
I’m still a work in progress, but we definitely need to put into practice what we are learning along the way. Thank you.
Yes, we are all very much works in progress…
Well this gave me a lift today. 🎶 Thanks!❤️
You are very welcome, Deborah! It’s definitely an upbeat tune…