Thankful for: Music

I am thankful for music. It is my passion, my art, (was) my profession, my service, my release, my refuge, and it is a daily part of me being a mom.

My passion - I sang in a choir from 1st grade through my senior year of college. I took piano lessons for more than 13 years. I took voice lessons for at least 8 years.

My art - I love to make music; that is my art. Whether it's on the piano, on the organ, in a piece I'm singing, or with a choir I'm directing, music is my art.

My profession - Thankfully, I got to teach high school choir for 6 years. I taught amazing kids, I had great co-workers, I learned an incredible amount, and I LOVED what I did each and every day. Having a profession where you LOVE every minute is an incredible blessing. I'm so thankful I had that opportunity.

My service - Through church, I have had many opportunities to serve through music. I have been a choir director, a pianist, an organist, a chorister, and the children's music director. I'm thankful for my talents, and I'm thankful that I can help and bless others through the talents I have been blessed with.

My release - Sometimes I just need to hear some great Bach motets. Or Aaron Copland. Or the Rachmaninoff Vespers. The list goes on and on. - Does anyone else ever feel that way?

My refuge - As I might have mentioned before, there's a quote on my college piano professor's door that goes something like this: "She who plays the piano stays sane. ~Chinese Proverb" I completely relate. Sometimes I just need to sit down, play the piano, and let my emotions come out. When I get up, I feel so much better.

My mothering - I sing good morning to Claire when I see her. We sing children's songs together. We listen to music together in the car. I sing about brushing her teeth and drying her hair. We sit at the piano and play it together. We sing together while we play the piano. Claire listens as I practice what I need to practice, and then she chooses songs from her book (the primary song book) for me to play. And - to me - the best part about having music be a natural part of each day is that music has already become a natural part of Claire's days. She makes up her own words or verses to songs that she knows. She hums (or oooo's or aaah's) to songs that she knows. She recognizes many songs from the first few notes. I love that she improvises new words and makes up her own songs.

I am thankful for music. It is my passion, my art, (was) my profession, my service, my release, my refuge, and it is a daily part of me being a mom. LOVE! IT!