Happy 2024 Y'all..."Jams Of The Month" for January feature the earliest recordings of Michael singing. We were taking singing lessons from Mrs. Thelma Owen in Mobile when these tapes were made, and I'm so glad they still exist. Mrs. Owen was an organic vocal teacher...she taught us to want to sing, by seeing how much fun she had singing. So we sang! And we sang with passion and joy...like she did. And the ability to sing in pitch and in time followed organically as we emulated Mrs. Owen. These recordings were made in 1963-1966, starting when Michael was five years old. Our singing lessons with Mrs. Owen were among Michael's favorite musical memories, and an incredible foundation for what us Arata boys did with the rest of our lives. Most of these jams feature Michael, singing solo or in a duet with me. A few have me singing solo, and in one I'm singing my first-ever harmony with our cousin Carol. I hope y'all enjoy this way-back look at Michael's first musical steps. Unending thanks to Mom, Dad & Mrs. Owen for this life-directing experience! Just click the pic above to enjoy the jams...Go Now!!!