Soundtrack to the Season

I really should get out of my funk....and I think, bit by bit, I am crawling out of that self-destructive hole of pitifullness.  Today, let's talk about my idealistic Christmas, and what role music plays in it.  No pun intended....

Growing up, I listened to Christmas carols played on a number of different record players.  The first that I remember was a huge console that took up half of the living room, or at least it seemed to in my infantile memory.  The sweet strains of Andy Williams' 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year' seemed to envelope the entire house.  This continued through the moves to different states, the graduation of high school, and a mission for my church.  Twenty-three years of the same records, Andy Williams, Tammy Wynette, Ray Conniff and his singers, Johnny Mathis, these were the staples I remembered.  My mother would stack the records on the player where a disc would spin and drop into place.  Over and over again, one by one, until the stack would finish and someone had the job to turn it over.

Many activities were done to the sounds of the carols.  They would be the ambient music as dinner was prepared, play a central part of decorating the tree.  From the moment we awoke on Christmas morning, to when we retired that night, the records would make their rounds under the needle and scratchy music flooded the day.

After my return home from Uruguay, the records made their last appearance at our Christmas festivities.  They were well worn and the record player was on it's last spin.  I remember slipping the vinyl platters into the sleeves, and the musty smell that is akin to old books and well loved journals.  They didn't make another appearance again.  Technology was progressing, and we couldn't repair the old player any longer.

As I have my own family now, I have a few of the same albums, but digitally, purchased online and downloaded to my iTunes and synced to my iPod.  I've added a few of my own favorites along with the classics of my childhood, Sarah McLachlan, Bare Naked Ladies, and some favorite piano classics.  I have created the perfect Christmas playlist for my days, and it is the soundtrack to my season.

What is playing right now?  O Holy Night.  It is one of my favorite Christmas songs.  I have several versions, sung from Harry Conick Jr. or Josh Groban....the fact remains, it puts me in the mood for the spirit of the Holidays.

What are you listening to this Holiday season?

*Thanks to Google for the image*

Grateful for Music

Thank you to everyone who sent me well wishes after being sick yesterday.  I am feeling better, so they are working marvelously!

Today I have to share my thought and feelings on music.  I love music and have it constantly playing in the background.  From the simple strains of a hymn to the complicated renditions of the masters, I enjoy it all.

We have a rule in our home, that each child learn to play the piano.  Although this seems harsh to some, both of my children have expressed and interest and have taken lessons.  Abbie has been taking for about three years, and Nigel started this past summer.

Today was the first recital of the year and they both did particularly well.  That is, when we could get Nigel to play.  He was first on the program and refused to play in from of people he didn't know, although, the majority of children are from our neighborhood. He did play when every one left and just family stayed around.  I'm quite proud of his efforts as it is quite scary to perform in front of an audience when he is super shy about being in front of people.

Abbie performed brilliantly, having memorized her piece, and she did it with style.  As with every child and the piano, she experiences ups and downs when it comes to practice and consistency.  She has really benefited from it though.

I am such a proud mom today, and so grateful for all the hard work my children have put forth in order to do something that is difficult, but so rewarding.  After the recital we picked out what I consider the biggest perk of piano playing...Christmas music.  That right there makes it all worth it.  They even had a fantastic book for Nigel, complete with Jingle Bells.  What a holiday season we have ahead of us.  I can't wait!

*Thanks to Google for the music notes, the other pics are mine!*

Crescendo of Life

I love music.  To be honest, I usually can’t function unless there is something playing in the background.  Television noise does not work for me in the least, so don’t even suggest it.  Music on the other hand, is soothing, and will usually garner the results I’m looking for if I pair it up appropriately for the task in front of me.

When I’m cleaning, I better have something upbeat, and generally fast.  No mellow jazz for me.  If it isn’t the right tempo, I will slow down and eventually fall off the wagon, not completing anything I had to do.  The dishes still remain in the sink and mounds of laundry will encroach the dining room table as they sit on the floor of the laundry room.  Writing or working, mellow music does me well.  Some days, a little jazz, or perhaps some Natalie Merchant will keep me going and focused on what I need to accomplish, especially if I’m working with spreadsheets and inane data.  Now, if I’m upset, or in a grouchy mood, the loud, crashing, hard metal of Poison or Queen may make me feel a little better or at least justified in my sour attitude.

I have eclectic tastes.  My iPod is filled with music from Abba to Ziggy Marley.  Literally.  I have classical, country, rock, pop, and even a soundtrack or two.  Music from before I was born, to songs debuted today.

I wish I were musically inclined.  Really, I do.  I may have hated practicing the piano when I was younger, but at least I’m partially competent to play in Relief Society these days.  Who knew that my parents would be right when they told me someday I would appreciate all the practice time I put in?  I do.  That doesn’t mean I’m talented.  When I say talented, I’m talking about the truly gifted individuals that can pull a melody from inside their soul and have it expressed through the flying fingers along the ivory keys.  Or those musicians who add flourish to the printed notes, giving the song their definite style, almost like a fingerprint.  I knew a woman like that once…we always asked her to play “Called to Serve” because she did it with aplomb and finesse, not to mention a great deal of flourish.  I eked out the melody as written, and missed quite a few notes when I was ‘called’ to play.  I never measured up to her ability, although I did secretly wish I had just an ounce of her genius.

I’ve played a variety of instruments in my time, piano, flute, clarinet, and even a short foray with the tenor saxophone.  Oh, I sat first chair for a time while in high school when I played in the band, but that was short lived when I found I would rather spend my time writing rather than in rehearsals and marching practice.   I didn’t have the natural talent that some did.  I could technically do well, but the passion wasn’t there, much to my dismay.  I loved the concept of being a virtuoso, but couldn’t deliver the goods.  Music wasn’t my calling.

I am glad for the exposure I’ve had to music though.  I enjoy the technically pleasing aspects of a concerto, the movements weaving in and out of the senses.  My fingers will move in time with the beat, and I almost catch myself playing along.  I enjoy the joy of attending a concert at the theater as well as creating a playlist on my digital music player.  I love to wash myself in the ebb and flow of the vocal musings of Madeline Peyroux, feel the waves of percussion from Bon Jovi, and loosen my grasp on reality in the chords of Pachebal’s Cannon in D.  I hold dear some classics from my roots in Johnny Cash, George Strait, and a song that always makes me cry from Chris LeDoux. I’m as eclectic as my music, for there is something for every mood, every attitude, and every job.  I find that even as I write, I have to have something in the background, spurring me on.  Today?  I’m listening to a little Loreena McKinnett, Faith Hill, and some Abba.  Do you find it strange?  I’m sure it is to some, but for me, that is just the regular playlist for a day like today.
*Thanks to Google for the image*

What are you listening to today?