Our ancestors can either haunt us, or they can guide us. When it comes to my family, I can’t say I’m all that familiar with them. Or even, who they are. Specifically, I never knew my grandfather, Ernest Rocha. He did, however, cast a long shadow. He was my mom’s father, but she and he didn’t have much of a relationship. Yet, she lamented his absence throughout my adolescence and when he died, a part of her went with him. Therefore, I knew him as a ghost that haunted her.
But in the last six months, I have recognized him not as a haunting ghost, but as a guide into myself. He was a life-long professional musician and I have always been a hobbyist musician. Ancestry, has led me to know, at least a little, my mom’s half-brother (and I suppose my uncle) Ray. Now, what’s interesting about Ray is that he too is a professional musician; as well as, the heir to Ernest’s musical legacy. He has now allowed me to share in this legacy.
These last six months, Ray has sent me pages and pages of Ernest’s sheet music and drafts of his ‘panacoustic system.” I have been digging in and learning the songs, as much as I can. I have even arranged and recorded one (the mp3 is included herein).
While I have learned a ton about Ernest’s thought process and his intense intellect, I have also learned a lot about music. Which means I have learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned some of his music. It seems like I was somehow meant to share it with others. The panacoustic stuff can be groundbreaking, once I learn it. I believe that in learning this music, I can eventually use it to help heal other people. How, though, remains a mystery.
I strongly recommend that everyone learn their genetic history, at least a little. Our ancestors hold clues to our makeup, in both good and bad ways. The thing is, if we remain blind to our genetic past, we could remain lost in the mysteries or our selves.
Please listen to the “Good Humor” piece that Ernest wrote and I arranged and recorded. It’s a fun little ditty — a learning experience, for sure…
