The Joy of Music
The Joy of Music Christmas, 2008 was about music for me. This love affair I have with music isn’t new at all. I played woodwinds from the time I was about 7 all the way through college. I picked up guitar along the way, and never outgrew my love for the radio. There is something about music that touches me, and I think it touches many of us the same way. I believe that music is a language of love, which may indeed be straight from heaven. There is a feeling when I play music that I can’t tap into in any other way. Perhaps it is the same feeling a runner has when they reach that ‘high’ but since I’m not much of a runner (I’ve hit the ‘wall’ more than a few times) I can’t really say.
The Joy of Music When I was in my 20s, I had the opportunity to hang out in casinos in Las Vegas. This was in the 70s, so things have changed a lot. I didn’t gamble, but I did take in the live music. Yes, disco WAS popular at this time. I was in college studying to be a nurse, which seemed like the most responsible thing to do. My heart wasn’t really at the health science building, though. Nope, my heart was down the block at the music department. I occasionally wondered over to that building. I loved the smell, the sounds and even the look of music stands, tiered rows of chairs. I loved the anticipation of what was about to be created. I made music there, too, but I knew it was a short lived thing for me. I enjoyed being a nurse and being able to really impact someone’s life in a good way. It’s just that music impacted me in an entirely different way. While living in Las Vegas I experienced live music created by the best. I even got to join in. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt quite the same peace of mind (runner’s high?) as I did then. The energy of the other musicians and the crowd was so intense that it overpowered me. I knew I had experienced a bit of heaven on earth. Only on very rare occasions have I had this experience. The Joy of Music Now, some 30 years later, I bought myself a classical guitar and I’m taking time to play it. The one I purchased 30 years ago when I first graduated from college was recently stolen. My son borrowed it, and when he was in Iraq, someone took it. Imagine that? I’m not sure a stolen musical instrument can bring the peace it brought me, but I hope the person who stole it loves it like I did. My new one is a bit more fancy (not a lot) and is actually a little better fit for me. I’m starting over again and although my fingertips are sore, I love it. My husband has
wanted to learn to play piano his whole life. He didn’t have the opportunity when he was younger, and then, like me, life got a hold of him. I got him a keyboard-not an expensive one, but one to start out. I should have recorded the smile on his face! My son wanted a violin. He taught himself other string instruments and welcomed the challenge. I surprised him with a beginner violin, and I was happy to see him find joy in every squeaky sound he created.
The Joy of Music is just one of many tidbits!
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