When I turned 40, I decided to write reflections on the day-to-day things that add up to a life; these were published in a monthly newspaper column for the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript for a decade. In 2018, as I approached my 60th birthday, I decided to take up my pen once again and thought it would be fun to juxtapose new reflections with the ones I wrote 20 years ago. Thanks for coming on the journey!
60: (April 2024)
I have been playing the piano for chorus classes at our local middle school. When I first embarked on this venture, I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. The chorus teacher is stellar, and the students touch my heart with their friendliness and energy. As for the music itself, I am always impressed with how the students’ voices come together; they make a great sound, not just a joyful sound, which would be wonderful in and of itself.
Music in the schools has more worth than might be immediately apparent. Choral work is much more than simply learning how to sing. While the choral teacher expertly teaches the students the intricacies involved in learning how to use their voices in song, she also teaches them how to work together as a unified body, and most importantly, how to listen to each other. Think about how valuable listening is in our world today—we would all benefit if there were more of that! The students learn how to create something beautiful through their communal efforts, and because their teacher is gifted, they also learn discipline, focus, and respect. These are all highly useful skills, which will surely be applicable to different situations throughout their lives.
The choral students learn songs from various time periods, places, and languages, exposing them to different cultures. The songs they are currently working on include those sung in Latin and Xhosa, international folk songs, Broadway songs, pop songs, and everything in between. I feel energized around these young teens, and their youthful spirit rubs off on me. I always leave a practice session or concert feeling lighter and happier than I felt before walking into the room.
It’s good that we have a strong choral program in our middle school, and we’re fortunate to have such a dedicated and talented teacher. Singing is powerful. In learning how to harness the collective strength of their own voices through song, the students experience the synergy of working together in harmony. We need more harmony in the world. We need the sounds of youth breaking into song. It’s good for the soul.
40: (April 2004)
Music touches people primarily through sound, but when one attends a live performance, other dimensions of the music may be experienced by seeing how the musicians interact with their instruments and each other. I recently had the pleasure of being present at a performance in which the interaction between the musicians transported me even more than the music itself.
Our church had a youth music service; any child or young person was invited to play an instrument or sing. A little boy and a teenage girl in our church who both play the violin performed a duet. The boy is just learning to play; the young woman is quite accomplished and a good bit older. Other teenagers might have balked at the idea of playing together, but not this young woman.
The boy played one open string at a time, which the girl softly called out to him as she played Ode to Joy. I was sitting up front and had a bird’s-eye view of the boy. His eyes gazed steadily at the girl’s as he carefully maneuvered his bow. I will always retain the memory of the look on his face—one of complete trust and earnestness. The young woman shepherded him through the song with gentle encouragement and sweet smiles. The interaction flowing between the two of them sung into the air. And it was beautiful.
The teenager gave the boy the gifts of her patience, tenderness, and expertise–and she gave generously. The little boy gave her his openness, eagerness, and his own infectious joy in music making. Together, they created a few minutes of music that exemplified the best of what music can offer: a sense of hope. Seeing those moments of grace between the two performers demonstrated that there truly is great possibility for joy and a future blessed with individuals who have the capacity to renew the world with their spirit.
60-40:
I am fortunate to live in a region where there is lots of live music. There are concerts, jam sessions, and informal musical venues, like the local bagel/coffee shop that features live music every weekday. In the local schools, there is band and chorus.
Music may seem like an ‘extra,’ but I don’t think so. What else can move the heart so profoundly and so directly?
Last week, our three-year-old grandson banged exuberantly and loudly on his little drum for several minutes as several of us joined in with tambourines and shakers. His eyes were shining. And our hearts were bursting with song.
60-40 