Why Music?

Hello to all my dear friends and family! I am doing great. I am recovering from testing finally. Was pretty sore and a little bruised, but much better now! How are you all doing?

Well, on last night's blog, I asked people to post comments, ask questions, or request me to talk about certain topics that piqué your interest. Here goes...

My dear friend Alicia has asked how did I become interested in music. She also wanted to know how I was so talented in so many things. Wow! What a topic!

I started off taking piano lessons when I was six years old. I don't remember a whole lot about my first teacher except that she was a chain smoker and that she never sat next to me while I was learning. She always sat across the room on her couch, smoking her cigarettes, and she would yell at me across the room whenever I would make a mistake (which was quite often)! I did NOT like taking piano lessons. This was not a positive experience for me. I wanted to quit, but my parents wouldn't let me.

Let me tell you about my mom. She is a wonderful musician. She is where I got my love of music. My mom is an amazing guitarist (which is where I believe Aaron got his love for the guitar)! My mom loves to sing as well. Mom had been the church's choir director for as long as I could remember. She would "drag" me along to all the choir rehearsals. Mom always did the "contemporary" guitar services as opposed to the traditional organ services. I sang with my little squeaky voice as soon as I learned to talk. Every Friday night was choir practice at our house. We lived in Radcliff, Kentucky. For those of you who are not aware, my dad used to be in the military and then worked civil service at Fort Knox, Kentucky. So practice would be at our house from 7:00-9:00 P.M. We would invite the choir members and any soldiers who wanted to sing and just fellowship with us. Mom (and Dad) would always serve dinner to anyone who wanted to join us at 6:00 prior to practice starting. When practice was out sometime between 9:00-9:30, we'd just hang out and visit until 10:00 or until people just got tired! It was in these early years of my life that I learned how to be hospitable. The door to our house was open to anyone. There was no such thing as a stranger!

We attended the church that we belonged to on Saturday nights. That's when they would have the guitar services. No matter how little I was, I was always at my mom's side singing. My sweet dad said he was never blessed with a singer's voice, so he was always so sweet to carry mom's guitar wherever we went. On Sundays, we would drive up on post at Fort Knox and we would do a 7:45 service, hurry and pack up, run to a different chapel, do a 9:00 service, pack up then do an 11:00 service! Boy, were we tired come Sunday afternoon, but my mom would always invite soldiers from each service to come share a meal with us after the final service. It was a real ministry my parents did for these lonely soldiers. Some of these guys were so homesick and they hadn't had a home cooked meal in forever!

I remember my next piano teacher, Mrs. Jane Carey. She was a great teacher! I learned so much from her. I continued taking lessons until eighth grade. By the time seventh grade rolled around, I was hired as Assistant Choir Director by our "home" church and also by all the post chapels that we played at at Fort Knox. I never held a traditional job like most of my friends during high school. I never went out and "partied" like most kids my age. I was too busy playing music and loving every minute of it! I never thought of it as work. Oh, I almost forgot, I had also taken to playing the flute. Mom paid for me to take flute lessons.

I never had any formal training in voice until I sang in high school. Again, mom paid for private lessons from the high school choir director, Mr. Oliver. What a great man! I sang in the Concert choir, Honors Choir and Show Choir. Concert Choir was for anyone who wanted to sing. Honors Choir you had to audition for and was for the more serious singers. Show Choir was the elite group of singers that performed a show that was choreographed by a dance instructor, Mrs. Sherry. I auditioned for All-District Choir my freshman year and I got first chair! To audition for All-State you had to use the same audition piece used for All-District auditions. Rarely do freshmen make All-State. I remember Mr. Oliver pulling me aside after auditions were over at All-District. He said that I placed first in the district and that the rules for All-State said that whoever places first, automatically goes to State! I couldn't believe I made it! That was an amazing experience.

I was also in Concert Band and Marching Band. I played oboe during concert season my freshman year. I was too advanced on flute for the freshman class, so Mr. Cornish made me pick a totally different instrument! I played in the pit (percussion instruments) my first year. Then I played flute from my sophomore year on. We had a phenomenal band. We won State every year and we seemed to win National Champions every other year. Band was even bigger than football back east!

I always competed at solo and ensemble for choir and band. I always succeeded and did very well. Both my parents encouraged me especially when it came to music. Do you realize how many nights my parents sat on the cold bleachers watching as I marched across the field? How many football games did they endure to watch us perform at half time? It was pretty cool, my brother was a senior my freshman year. He played trombone while I played flute and pit instruments. I even became Drum Major my senior year in high school.

So to sum it all up, music was a HUGE part of my life. Thanks Mom and Dad for making it possible and believing in me. Thanks for driving me to and from all my rehearsals and performances.

As for being talented in the other areas of my life, I attribute it all to Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior. Without Him, I could do nothing. Everything I do, I do as unto The Lord. I look at it this way...if I'm going to do something, why not do it the very best that I can? I can't stand failure. Don't get me wrong, I fail at many things, but it's what I learn from these failures that pushes me to be better. I also could not be where I am today without the love and support of my sweet husband, our kids, and his family. They introduced me to a personal relationship with Christ. I am eternally grateful!

Now that I've rambled on, I must get going to help the boys at school today. Thanks for reading. If there are more questions or comments, please, please, please do not hesitate to ask!

God bless!