Jacob is learning the guitar on his own. Emily is playing the flute and trying out the viola even though she wants a violin I would like her to try the viola first. Then Jesse and Elizabeth are playing the violin and I, the mama, am LOVING the cello! Over the years I have played piano, violin and flute. On to BIGGER and better things!
Music is very important to our family. Not exactly sure how deep Judge feels about music other than he group up with an appreciation of all genres. But for me, my grandmother was a piano teacher at a small school in Alabama. Before I was kindergarten age I would carry my snoopy sleeping back to the small piano room and as student came in and out for their lesson I would take my naps, color, run errands and be a nuisance sometimes to the students. :) But I did learn a lot. I learned how to make lists, scheduling and hang up pictures too! (The recital pictures).
It was a given, non-choice, that I would play piano. I became very good and won a Junior Championship later on in high school for playing piano. We have a full size keyboard here too but it seems that if I don't keep up with my skills I tend to plunk out the melody and have made myself feel that I am fine with it. But I am not. There just isn't the time of day for me to spend practicing....but I have tons of books! LOL I could give lessons, but I just don't want to. I played the violin in elementary school but had a hard time with the positioning of the instrument due to some dental/jaw issues I was having. I played the flute in middle school but with all the moving around we did it was hard to fit in to class after class.
I spent 8 years in church choir but stayed in a safe spot in the midst of everyone else and just blended in. I tried auditioning but my nerves were fried and couldn't even remember the words to Amazing Grace. Oh well, I will go back to just blending in. When I was in my late middle school years I heard an amazing singer at church! She was the voice of an angel...I knew she was! Come to find out she was also a Tennessee contestant for the Miss USA pageant. Learned she was still taking college classes and DID offer voice instruction! I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity right away. I sang with the praise team at church every Sunday and usually left each Sunday with a colored dot on my chin from the microphone being so close to my mouth because I sang so softly. Occasionally, I would sing the offeratory solo which usually was a song I had worked on from a soundtrack that I bought at a local Christian store. Oh the good times! At that time in my life I think it was more about being up in front and at the center of attention of everyone else. I didn't really care if it sounded good or not but everyone else said I did. And I was recorded and my mom has these recordings somewhere. NO I don't want to hear them either!
My junior year the choir director in high school sent me to see a music professor at the local college. I started taking lessons at that time and he wanted me to attend summer sessions at Oberlin College. I knew I wanted to go but there was no way I or my family could afford to send me there. I continued studying under his direction for 2 years. I went away to college, joined the Navy, married and had children. Re-enrolled back in to the local college and left him a voicemail that said "This is the voice from your past"...stumped him! Did you know your voice deepens after having children. Well it does. I restarted lessons with him again for a couple more years and he wanted me to go to Austria to study voice. Ummmmm....sorry I have 4 children here. I just can't pick up and go to Austria for 2 months. Great! There's a playground outside for them...but it wouldn't last long. Sorry, couldn't make that a go.
I still continue to sing and have struggled with finding my place in a new choir where I don't know many people. Each week I say, "I am going to choir practice" but something keeps me back. I LOVE to sing! I really do. I feel that my heart is in the right place now and know that I will be singing for HIM and not to whoever is in the audience. I have three favorite songs I like to listen to over and over again. My Redeemer by Nicole Mullen, Total Praise by Avalon, Your Name by Phillips Craig and Dean! All are strong songs with great melodies and range. I hope to one day continue to sing for the Lord. Oh and I am playing cello. I love the cello...it has a deeper sound than I am used to and I often lose track of time when I am practicing.
Sorry this is so long but it is written in all honesty and felt that getting this out would help my motivation with music. Music has been in my life and God has been my life. This is the way it is and the only way to make everything work.
Romans 8:28
New International Version (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
