By Andrea Lopez
Music has made an impact on my life. It produced a way of expressing happiness by singing out loud or hiding behind headphones to block immense pain.
Over the years, I have been introduced to many artists from Shania Twain to Selena to The Temptations.
But there is one artist who has made a life-long impact on me, who may not be familiar to some, Doris Day.
Day is a U.S. actress and singer known for her roles in “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” “Mover Over,” “Darling,” and “Pillow Talk.” She also had her own comedy show, known as “The Doris Day Show” on CBS.
On rainy days, sad days, or even just slow mornings, I never fail to play the Doris Day radio station on Spotify.
There is a sense of calmness I feel when her music plays. It’s a genre I was curious to learn more about and wanted to hear, the jazz-pop genre from a time long ago.
When I was little, I would bake often, but I couldn’t bake without playing Doris Day.
Through her music, I was able to discover other artists like Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dean Martin.
The song Que Sera, Sera, (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is one of my all-time favorite songs. It is a song that my grandma would sing every time she came to visit from Colorado.
When my grandma was singing that song, I knew she was in a happy mood. At times, she would sing it to put herself back in a good mood.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that my love for the song has grown more and more each year too. The song reminds me of good and bad memories, but also that time is precious.
My grandma would quote the song without even singing it. It is a song so simple and catchy, that even when I feel anxious or sad and I play the song, I feel happy again:
“When I was just a little girl I asked my mother, what will I be, will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here’s what she said to me: Que sera, sera, what ever will be, will be…”
It is so important to keep artists like Day alive through her music. With many new talented and gifted singers currently being introduced, it is fun to go back to the 1940s and learn who the big singers were during that time. Call me an old soul, but I have enjoyed discovering the music that people once sang and danced to.
I guarantee that if you play a song from the era of Doris Day or Dean Martin, while cooking or simply doing chores, you will be introduced to a new form of zen.
