Ella, take my sympathy. A good friend of mine left us two weeks ago, totally unexpected, at the age of 49. These losses are hard, I know, but it has to be this way. On the other hand, is death really a loss or a step forward into something new?
The most important musical person in my life was my mom coz she taught me to sing, she brought me into music. Though she never played an instrument at all nor new how to read notes she had a wonderful voice and never missed a single note.
We had no money to afford any musical education for my and my two sisters then , but we had our mother who taught us more than any school can.
Today I play guitar, mandoline, bodhran and I sing without beeing able to read notes. I do it all by hearing, that's the way my mother taught me to do and it works out fine.
menzze