Florence Parmelee – An Xperience Interview

Florence Parmelee – An Xperience Interview – by Joshua Scarselli.

We have the pleasure of speaking with the amazingly multi-talented Florence Parmelee. Florence is a gifted musician who sings, plays multiple instruments, and even composes her own music. Florence is super busy, but we were lucky enough to capture some of her time!

RRX: Tell us a little about your background and what got you into music?

Florence Parmelee: Music runs in my family. Both of my parents have sung in church choirs and taken piano lessons. Three of my four grandparents also sang in choirs, and both of my grandfathers played instruments. One of my grandfathers and I used to perform together for my great-grandfather’s retirement home. When I was quite little, I got to play piano duets with my great-grandmother, who was a concert pianist.

RRX: Music really does run in your family. How did that develop throughout your life?

FP: When I was little, I joined the children’s choir at our little neighborhood church. My grandmother had a piano, and I would sit and play the keys a bit. We had a neighbor who was in high school and wanted to try teaching piano lessons. My grandmother paid for a month to “see how it would go.” It went very well, and we moved shortly after. We found another piano teacher, and I took lessons with her for many years.

When we were getting ready to try instruments in public school, I wanted to play percussion, but was TERRIBLE at keeping rhythm (I got so much better when I started teaching piano lessons!) and wound up with my 2nd choice: flute.

I started accompanying the school choruses in middle school at the gentle encouragement of my middle school choral teacher and LOVED doing that and continued through my senior year of high school. In high school, I tried trombone for a year and harp for four months. I played percussion for two high school musicals. Keyboard percussion (bells, xylophone, etc.) is very similar to piano, and I was able to pick that up pretty easily.

I went to college for piano, but found the pressure was too much, and I changed majors. While in college, I also tried trumpet lessons. I found brass instruments very challenging, and I do not have the breath for it. In the 2010s, I was helping with the Hudson Valley Community College chorus and band clubs. At one point, the band decided they wanted to become a ukulele band. While I like to listen to string instruments, I had decided I am NOT a string player. The advisor for the club smiled and said, “Challenge accepted!” Now I play and write “supportive folk” music – mostly to be sung and played on the ukulele.

RRX: You really do play a wide range of instruments.

FP: A couple of years ago I started volunteering for the Altamont Fair on the pump organ. This historic instrument was popular from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. Played similarly to the piano (similar keyboard), but has two pedals to pump while playing to blow air through pipes. It has a sound somewhat similar to an accordion. Think of it like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. It is so much fun to play! Also, as a musician, I have never been so glad to also be a runner! A typical full day at the fair, I get 20,000+ steps in.

This is great for me because I can combine my love for music with my love of education. While I’m volunteering, I can give a mini-lecture and demonstration to people who wander in. I took pipe organ lessons for one-and-a-half years at one point. I prefer the piano to the pipe organ, but these lessons taught me how to be a church musician, which has some of its own unique characteristics. I continue to be a church musician now, and really enjoy that, too!

RRX: Do you have any upcoming projects?

FP: Right now, I’m preparing for two concerts. One is an interactive folk-type. This will be mostly on ukulele. It will be mostly well-known folk music with some of my music that is group-singable. There is a lot happening right now, and I think a lot of people are feeling very stressed.  I hope people come away from this concert with some energized peace. The other concert will be “popular classical piano music.” I hope people can get some rest with this concert. The end is very energetic, and I hope people have some fun, too!

RRX: You have a very interesting condition called synesthesia. Can you tell us what that is?

FP: Synesthesia is very interesting! People describe it in different ways … sort of a “crossing of wires?” I do see colors with music some, but often ignore it (I think of it like alarm fatigue in a hospital – I’m usually semi-aware of it, but not always conscious of it). I had an idea of sometime playing a concert that is more inclusive for people with hearing loss, and I think displaying the corresponding colors would be a great way to interpret the music. I also experience it sometimes where I hear music in things I see, especially in patterns. That second way has helped in writing music. The first time I was really aware of this, I was at a museum with my family and there were some patterns on the walls. I realized my brain was making music in my head. It was really beautiful and unexpected!

RRX: Where can people keep track of your work?

FP: You can follow me on Facebook (Florence Parmelee). Also, I have a YouTube channel (Florencep7850). There is only one video right now, but the plan is to upload many more soon!

 

 

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