There is Music in my House

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I am, as I type, listening to Eileen Ivers O Holy Night, a gorgeously simple violin piece. And I gaze at an ornament on my tree that was made for me many, many years ago by Nan, my violin teacher. I played the violin, learning by Suzuki Method, from age 3 through 8th grade. Took it up again as an adult, getting back up to Book 4, where I’d left off.

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My youngest hums tunes around the house. We hear her in the shower singing. We hear her hum while making things and doing homework.

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Tunes waft through the house in guitar, mandolin and ukulele from our son upstairs in his room, playing hours on end. Singing along too! Some tunes belong to others that he has taught himself. Other tunes he is creating himself.

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We’ve traveled several times to Wingate to hear our oldest sing with her University Singers choir at Wingate. Enchanted, Randy and I  listened to them perform live on WDAV at St. John’s, a church in Charlotte just a few weeks ago.

We attend every Concert Choir performance at Glenn High School since William sings in it now, as his sister did for years prior to that.

We always have Folk Alley’s Christmas streaming through the speakers. Or we play all our gathered Christmas music favorites through iTunes.

We head to Pittsboro, NC to enjoy my brother and sister-in-law singing in their band Trilogy on the 22nd of December. This is one of the highlights of our Christmas holiday.

Many of the gifts under our tree are music related.

Both of my parents were music majors in college. I knew this about my mom all along, having studied at UNCG. But I just recently realized that dad had been a music major his freshman and half of his sophomore years at ECU before switching to study theater at Cornell Univeristy. ECU wouldn’t let him major in voice and minor in violin. (The things you never knew about your parents!)

I love this.

I have a friend who lives alone. Every time I visit her I say she needs to be playing music! For me, music is so much more than a background tune. When I am cast down, it uplifts. When I’m weary, it soothes. When I’m blah, it cheers. When I’m dull, it fascinates. Music is amazing. And the more my kids study it, the more I’m amazed.

And there’s a Music that runs in my heart and mind that is woven in and through the voices and instruments no matter what kind of music they play. It’s a tune that has to do with the Christmas story, with what follows that, with a Person who was God come as a Babe. Even when there are no notes in the air, this music still plays on.

This Christmas, I’m grateful for music. For the Music of the Ages and the music through the ages. I will always be a violinist though I do not play it anymore. My ukulele provides the outlet I need for music making. But with so much wonderful music in my house, I am content to listen, to get caught up in the hums and tunes throughout our halls.

May your Christmas be filled with Music! I wish all my online readers and friends a holiday filled with beautiful Music for your heart, your soul, your mind.

0 thoughts on “There is Music in my House

  1. Liz Adams says:

    Lovely post! and I think the best music is what you perform yourself! I’ve always played instruments, had to give up the violin in midlife, too physically stressful, sigh, but have sung, played piano, and now play in various recorder consorts. Playing for yourself deepens your understanding of professional musicians’ work. Lovely part of life, and one I need around me a lot!

    It surprises me when I meet artists who don’t play any instrument, since music and fine arts seem so related to me. But even if you don’t play, it’s great to let all kinds of music into your life, I agree.

  2. Vicki says:

    I love this post, Jen, and have a need for music in my own life. However, my Dad used to tell me I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. But it is amazing how good I sound belting out a song along with the radio when I am alone in the car. Wishing you and yours a lovely, music-filled holiday season. xoxo

    • jenpedwards says:

      I tried to leave a comment on your blog…but I don’t know if it took. I just wanted to encourage you to make music, whether it be singing or playing an instrument! Thank you for commenting and visiting here! A Very Merry Christmas to you Vicki!!

  3. Caroline says:

    Shakespeare called music the “food of love”, and it soothes. inspires, uplifts, comforts, and brings us great joy. You are blessed having a musical family who take their art seriously and harmoniously; it has a strong influence on how we view and approach the world and each other. It doesn’t matter whether we can carry a tune or are tone deaf (Beethoven was stone deaf when he wrote his greatest works), we can use our art to sing as tunefully and beautifully as any singer or musician.
    Wishing everyone a safe, peaceful, and loving, holiday season and hope for better things in the New Year. If we keep singing in harmony, it will surely happen!

    • jenpedwards says:

      A beautiful comment Caroline! I love the Shakespeare quote!! And the idea of all of us singing in harmony…love that too! Thanks for adding so much to the music of life!

  4. danscanvas says:

    Sounds so wonderful!!! I couldn’t find Eileen Ivers doing O Holy Night, but found Sting with Eileen Ivers doing a Christmas tune on Youtube, and it was beautiful. Thanks for bringing music into my home. I love, just love, the sketch of your son!! Merry Christmas!

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