I am happy to say that I come by this musical lifestyle honestly. My mother was finishing up her Masters in Vocal Pedagogy while I was learning to walk. My dad has been playing silly songs on guitar for as long as I can remember.
One of my favorite aspects of music in my house is the singing of our prayers. Both of my parents grew up in the United Methodist Church where they are still involved in music-making activities. Charles Wesley, founder of the UMC, greatly emphasized the importance of singing prayers. At our family dinners, music is very much linked with our spirituality. Before eating, we speak the specific joys and concerns of our hearts and then join in a round of, "Thank you, God, for all things. Many, many blessings. Amen." It is something I will always look forward to every time I come home.
Another wonderful part of my musical experience has been listening to lessons in voice and piano given by my mother in our living room. I like to think that I absorbed a lot of knowledge (musical and otherwise) from listening to these lessons. Because of these lesson listenings, I am very familiar with a few of the 24 Italian Hits and many of Rogers and Hammerstein's best songs, though I have never actually sung them. I occasionally also had the treat of a chance to sit in on my mother's voice lessons with beautiful singer, Jeanne Brown. Now, I sing some of the songs my mom has taught before with this very piano as I practice for my studies.
When the piano is not putting out those catchy tunes from the Faber Piano Series or the Musical Theatre Anthology, our ears are pleasured with my dad's ivory-tickling. My grandparents tease saying that even from a young age, he never played a hymn the same way twice. He was always trying to schmalz up these commonly known tunes with his own creativity. Well, he never gave that up and we're glad. He often plays his own arrangements of hymns and folk tunes at our church for the pre-service music.
I have dabbled with piano and guitar, but my first love is definitely passing air through the vocal chords. From variety shows at church at the age of 6 to community and school musical theatre productions through middle and high school, I have thoroughly enjoyed my exposure to music and look forward to many more experiences with all of these forms.
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Once, I went to dinner with one of my adopted families and the father bowed his head and said, "Let's say grace!" The whole family started singing in the middle of an all you can eat buffet...I was so embarrassed everyone was looking…I secretly wish I knew it so I could join in.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how music music means to you and your family! I agree sometimes the best music is with what you call "your first love", singing! I also love that you and your family sing your prayers, that is an interesting thought and sounds beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWow. I did not know your family was so religious. I love Charles Wesley music as well. My mother always sang for me Charles Wesley hymns when I was little. I think there is a strong bondage in music and prayer.
ReplyDeleteI also envy you that your mother was a vocal pedagogy teacher. I think it's a blessing to have parents who know your instrument so well so that they can mentor you in the right path as well as understand. =D
This is interesting, Gwen. We, too, do sung grace before meals--neither Chris nor I grew up with them, but we liked the concept, so we started singing grace about the time Tally came along.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, one of Tally's godmothers is a soprano whose parents both conducted church choirs. She (the godmother--Lydia) remembered having placemats with several sung graces on them. She found one, took it apart, had copies made and laminated, and sent them to us several years ago. They're quite wonderful.