Ode to Music

I love music. I always have. Can you imagine a world without music? What a sad place that would be! I picked out my first song on the piano in second grade..The Rose by Bette Midler. Random song choice, I know. But that year in 2nd grade, my parents got me an upright piano at an auction.. the piano that I still have and love, despite many scratches and imperfections. For 10 years, week after week, until my senior year in high school, I continued with my lessons. Through the years I've played many genres of music--classical, jazz, gospel, ragtime, and broadway, just to name a few... Sometimes when I'm playing, I find myself amazed at the intricacy of how it all connects--seeing dots on a page and translating those dots into notes, recognizing that those notes can be found by pushing keys on a piano, pushing a pedal with my foot, counting, and having rhythm and making those things come together at just the right time... When you think about it, it's amazing, really.

My ability to identify with music also inspired me vocally. I was an alto in choir in elementary and junior high, and also my junior year in high school. I absolutely loved going to conferences and singing with hundreds of other students. I was always amazed at how the music and the voices could create such emotion... emotion that could bring goosebumps, joy, and even tears.

When I came to college, I grew tremendously in my faith... because of music. Singing songs of praise to the Lord week after week made me realize how good my God is, and how He longed to have a personal, loving relationship with me. For five years now, I have been blessed to sing on the praise team at my church, River Bluff Fellowship, and more recently, I have started playing the keyboard with the band as well. Every week, our worship band plays and sings with the sole purpose of worshipping God and leading others to meet Him in their own lives. It's powerful... And it makes a difference. We are reminded week after week that we are not performing for an audience, but rather, giving back to God with the talents that he has given us, with the hope of bringing others to know the hope and peace that only He can bring.


This post just poured out of me because I have another photography project forming in my head... I want to combine my love of photography and music and decorate the wall around my piano with some photographs of my piano and guitar (I'm still working on the whole guitar-learning thing..), and sheet music, as well as some other music-related things. A visual "Ode to Music" so to speak.. Anyway, I'll post pictures once I get it all together. Here in this post are some pix I've taken in the past... Hope your day is filled with music!