Music My Story

This story belongs to Cameron and her granny Freda.

It's a tiny tale about Granny Freda's life

And the things she used to do.

Now it is time for her to share her memories

and take Cameron on a journey of discovery.

What is that, Granny?

That's an old record player.

What's a record player?

Well, you listen to music players or you sometimes listen to music

on your computer.

Well, I used to listen to my music on a record player when I was small.

-Do you want to have a listen?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, let's have a go.

We switch them on here.

Then you've got to put the big needle on them, see?

Wow, what an old record player.

That is definitely from a long, long time ago.

But listen, it still plays music.

It sounds a bit crackly, though.

See? Is that funny?

Yeah, we'll stop 'em.

Now, do see the record on the top?

-Yeah.

-That's where the music is.

When I'd come home from school, when I was small,

I used to sit and listen to my songs on there.

That's when I started to sing,

when I started to sing along to the records on there.

Granny Freda talks about the old record player

and her love for singing and being a musician.

Cameron and her granny Freda live in the Shetland Islands.

The Shetland Islands is a group of islands in the sea,

off the coast of Scotland.

It's a nice place to live.

Surrounded by sea.

Lots of animals.

Plenty of fresh air.

And, of course, lovely beaches.

Well, I started singing when I was really, really young.

I was about five when my mum got me to sing

in the hall and in church

at things that they were putting on in the village.

This is Granny Freda when she was a young girl.

And look, she even won a trophy for her singing.

Look at these old pictures.

People would gather together from all around Shetland to sing,

listen to music and dance. In the olden days,

they didn't have record players or televisions,

so they made their own music and still had lots of fun.

Sometimes they would meet in halls

or sometimes they would meet in houses.

It's a bit busy in there.

They are even on the stairs.

A lot of people sing and play instruments

on the island where Cameron lives.

Cameron is very lucky.

-She has a lot of singers in her family.

-Hi, Mumum.

Hello, little Cameron.

This is my Mumum.

She likes to sing, too.

SHE HUMS

Mumum is what Cameron calls her great granny.

SHE HUMS

-Hi, Cameron.

-Hi.

This is my mummy, she likes to sing, too.

-Hiya.

-Hello, Cameron.

-Hello there.

-Hi.

You know, Cameron, when I was young,

we didn't listen to music players or computers like you do nowadays.

What about you, Mum?

We had a radio we listened to

at night, but my brothers and my dad listened to sport.

Look at these pictures of families gathered round the radio,

listening to their favourite shows. Sometimes the shows had music

playing and sometimes it was just people talking.

In the old days, the radio was very important.

There were no televisions,

so it was a way to find out what was going on.

How did you listen to music then?

Well, my mum used to sing to us when we were little and she used to

sing us songs her dad taught her when she was a little girl like you.

Mummy, did you sing?

Everybody can sing, Cameron.

When I was young, I used to sing with Granny

and sometimes I'd sing on stage, too.

I'd like to do something that we have never done before.

What is that, Granny?

The four of us to sing a song together.

Yay, Granny! I would like that.

Well, you are the prettiest one here

so you can choose which song we sing.

-Man Of Madison!

-I think that is a great one to do.

Let's sing that one.

# The view standing here through the tall trees of spring

# The bluebird is calling and ready to sing

# The bright yellow butterflies There to be seen

# Through birds and er'body And leaves shining green

# Said in her heart "I'm flying so high"

# A voice in the wilderness calls from the sky

# You can be something or nothing... #

Wowee! That is Cameron's Mumum, Granny Freda,

Cameron's mummy and Cameron, all singing together. Lovely.

# Old man of Madison I'm listening to you. #

This song is called Man Of Madison.

Granny Freda wrote this song for Cameron when she was a tiny baby.

# Life is crowding in like the leaves of July

# The views is obscured and time's asking why

# Step into the sunshine Dance with the rain

# And the tall trees of springtime will come around again

# The bright yellow butterflies wings will unfold

# And the bluebird is still singing her song to the world

# You can be something or nothing What will you be?

# Go somewhere or nowhere What will you see?

# Do something or nothing What will you do? #

Everyone singing together is great fun.

Granny Freda is going to take Cameron around some

of the places she used to sing when she was a little girl.

I wonder where they will go.

Granny, what did you do when you're a little girl on Shetland?

I used to sing. I used to sing loads,

I'd sing everywhere.

-Shall I show you one of the places I used to sing?

-Yeah.

-OK, let's go.

Cameron, when I was a lass, I used to sing at halls like this.

There are halls like this all over Shetland.

-Shall we go and have a look?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, let's go.

Here we go.

See what's in here.

Wowee!

So this is the kind of thing that happens in the halls in Shetland.

What a party!

-What do you think of that?

-It's really nice.

-Great.

There's a lot of singing went on in here.

That was fantastic.

So, where now, Granny Freda? As we find out about your life.

Ah, the beach!

It's a great day to go to the beach.

Um, what...what... Is that, Granny, is that yours?

-Do want to see the rest of the cave?

-Yeah.

-Let's go then, come on.

Come on, let's go. Come on! Can you beat me? Who's first?

Wow! What do you think of Granny's cave?

-Really nice and very cool.

-Yes.

And you've even got a gap into there.

You do. It's all sand there.

And there is even a big slide.

Look at the view.

-See everything up there?

-And look at that firefly.

-Wow.

-Where'd you get the ideas from?

-For my songs?

-Yeah.

Well, I get them from everything that is around about me.

This is a really special place for getting lots of ideas.

So, I have been coming here for lots of years

and I've been writing songs with inspiration

from things out and about.

-Come on, now.

-Let's walk!

Granny, can you make a song about sand castles?

Yes, you can make a song up with absolutely anything.

Granny, can you make up a song about a sailing ship?

Yeah, you can make a song up about a sailing ship. No problem.

-Oh, what's this?

-Shells.

Can you write a song about shells, Granny?

You can write songs about anything, Cameron.

With all these songs she has written over the years,

it is great that Granny still gets to sing them in her band.

Look, here they are.

I've played in my band for years.

And this song is all about a bluebird.

-Are we going to have a tune?

-Yeah.

# If I were a bluebird... #

A band is when a lot of people come together to sing a song

and play a lot of different instruments.

They make a lovely sound together. Let's listen.

# But I'm going to sing songs for you and me

# If I were a bluebird... #

Granny Freda has travelled all over the world performing

for lots of different people who came to hear them.

Here is their old pop video. And there is Granny Freda, too.

Nice hair.

# ..to you anyway. #

Look at this old poster of the band.

# Fly across the mountains and across the sky

# I'd sing to the ocean I'd sing to the sun

# Just to remind them the songs that I've sung

# I'm not a bluebird I'm sorry to say

# I'm going to sing songs to you anyway. #

Thank you.

Fantastic!

What a fabulous heap of fun.

Cameron, have you had fun hearing more about my story?

-Yeah.

-Which bit do you think you enjoyed the best?

-Your singing.

So, Cameron loved singing with family, exploring

Granny's special cave and going to the hall.

-I've got a present for you. Are you ready?

-Uh-huh.

# We had a gaffe, we had a spree

# We had fun with the CBeebies

# We had a smash, we had a wow with Cameron and her family. #

Thank you.

That was Cameron and Granny Freda's tiny tale about the things

Granny Freda used to do and the fun she had.

And why she has an old, old record player.

Granny Freda has shared her story with Cameron,

now Cameron is starting her own story.

Do you know someone who has a story to share?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd