by Bill Weigle, Wormleysburg, PA

I have been an avid music fan all my life. I’m sixty years old and I think I could conger up a music memory for almost every tune I have ever heard. Because of that I have been extremely challenged in coming up with my most memorable music moment. That in itself has me thinking night and day, just what is my most memorable music moment? I’ve been recollecting moments from when I first was aware of what this music thing was to the present (Yikes, there’s got to be thousands!) then my moment struck me.

I go back to the beginning. I think it was about 1954. I was just a little guy, probably around 6 or 7 years old. I live in along the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg. Back then swimming was very popular at the Harrisburg City Island Bathing Beach which is near my home town. One of the amenities at the Bathing Beach bath house was the juke box. Tunes played on the juke box were broadcast on very loud outside speakers. I can remember hearing (at my home over a mile away for that entire summer) “Rock Around the Clock” being played on that juke box. I can remember, even as a six seven year old, hearing this music and thinking, WOW I like this music thing and WOW that “Rock Around the Clock” tune is great! Even to this day, when I hear “Rock Around the Clock” I think way back to that exact summer and my first awareness at all of any music and the beginning of my other thousand musical moments.

The Bathing Beach Bath House @ Harrisburg (White @ Blue Building – Foreground)