Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Music's the medicine of the mind. ~John A. Logan

Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Thanksgiving---

I find myself thankful for music, all kinds of music. Yesterday in church, as I stood there singing, “Oh, how marvelous, Oh, how wonderful and my song shall ever be. Oh, how marvelous, Oh, how wonderful is my Savior’s love for me.” I was singing with an attitude of praise. My heart was lifted. I felt at ease and free from worry, full of hope.
Today I sang in the kitchen to the soundtrack of Mary Poppins while preparing Craig’s birthday cake. As Bert and I sang, “Step in Time” I thought about Craig turning 24 and waiting for his first born to arrive…a big step in time…from my experience 24 years ago. Around lunch time, George came home, and “Fever” was playing in the background…”you give me fever… when you touch me. Baby, when you hold me tight…” A whole different spark, you see, music can lead us in our thought processing. IF you doubt that, listen to nothing but a country station for a few days and see just how down and out you may come to feel. I can only hear so much about someone’s partner walking out on them, ten rounds of Jose Cuervo, someone’s loved one died or if you’re reading this I’m dead…till it makes me want to curl up in the bed with a bottle of southern comfort and mourn. Maybe, I am just of an easily influenced mind…but it gets to me. Not only can it bring you down, but music inspires. It can lead me down roads of travel I cannot attempt to locate without the musical notes. Someday, maybe, you will be able to hear Anna play the piano. She like my friend, Miss Connie, can line gooseflesh along your body as they play their soul on the keys. Anna also writes her songs and sings. If you are ever interested, go to http://www.myspace.com/annacshepherd . My favorite is “I Have To.” It’s a song of encouragement and hope for a friend. They are all good…Try them out…
I must have a juke box in my head…I seem to think of a song for so many occasions. Someone can say something and it causes a song to run through my head. Again, highly suggestible, I could be. I’m sure I’m not alone.
To whistle Fur Elise can change my mood…and you can adjust that tune to whatever your mood…just check out all the ways it’s adjusted to different personalities on YouTube. I forever think of Peanut’s Christmas when I whistle it.
Music can even move animals. Winston is highly moved when Ariel plays the piano…when we sing Happy Birthday to anyone (he sings with us)…and when George plays the guitar. He just moans and carries on like one of those ole hound dogs off of the Hee Haw show.
If you listen close you can hear Winston in the background moaning…as George is playing a piece he wrote sometime last year.



I’m thankful for the “sound of music”…both literally and figuratively (It's one of my favorite movies). Music is one of those creations I wouldn’t want to live without.

1 comment:

Jan Ross said...

I never knew he could play that well. Thanks for sharing.