Ah, Beethoven.

Today, Beethoven is m' man. The Moonlight Sonata, his moody symphonies, and his piano sonatas.

All good music resembles something. Good music stirs by its mysterious resemblance to the objects and feelings which motivated it. ~J.C.

Is it just me, or does it bother you when you feel like you can totally relate to an insane person?

Sigh, some days I wonder why more of us aren't insane, like Beethoven.

I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. ~Ray Charles

Let's Talk Music.

(Isn't this little guy adorable? I love this picture! So me...)

What's your favorite kind(s) and why?

(George Gershwin.)

Classical? Country? Blues/jazz?

Contemporary Christian? The hymns? Swingin' 40's?

(Shroeder, from Charlie Brown. Tell me you all love Charlie Brown!?)

And who are your favorite artists?

Vivaldi? Randy Travis? Gershwin? Keith Getty? Frank Sinatra?

(Bing Crosby, dreamy voice, and SO funny with Bob Hope in comedy! Family favorite movie = Here Comes the Groom)

Personally, my favorite genres are Classical, (Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Vienna Boy's Choir, Midori Goto, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Pearlman. )

and the old 40's and 50's singers. (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald.)

(Frank Sinatra. "Sigh" they just don't some like this anymore....) =)

Let's see some action my dears! I'd love to hear all about your favs when it comes to music.

Deep breath...*gulp*

The 5 performances of the Nutcracker Ballet are coming up this weekend and the next!!! (You may or may not have heard that I auditioned for a part in the professional orchestra that is accompanying them this year, and got the part!) We had a three hour dress rehearsal last night, and it's going so well! I'm so, so excited to be part of this.

Of course it also means hours of practicing music that looks like this... Sheesh.

At one point the concert master turns to us all last night, (after the dancers asked to go faster for the 3rd time) and in all seriousness, says; " I don't think it's humanly possible to play that fast. So just make sure you come in on the first beat, and just kinda fill in or skip the rest."

Whoa. So...I guess it's not just me!!! Even our phenomenal concert master can't do it! wheew. That makes me feel better! =)

Of course, after that loooooong rehearsal last night, I had sore muscles in my shoulders and back I didn't know I had! But hey, I'm glad I'm not a Ballerina... yikes.

Don't get me wrong, they're all beautiful, and so very talented, but sometimes they bend and twist in ways that I just don't think we're meant to bend! Ouch.

Can't wait for this weekend!

Nutcracker Dress Rehearsal Tonight!

Gulp. I'm so nervous....sheesh. I shouldn't be. It's not like I haven't practiced enough!

How Beautiful

Someone has asked me to play this for her wedding, and it is so, so beautiful, I just had to share it.

http://youtu.be/QJfSp_rceFs

"How beautiful the radiant bride, who waits for her groom, with his light in her eyes. How beautiful, when humble hearts give the fruit of pure love, so that others may live. How beautiful."

~Words and music by Twila Paris

Channels Only

How I praise thee precious Saviour, that thy love laid hold of me;

Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me That I might Thy channel be.

Channels only blesses Master, but with all thy wonderous power flowing thro' us,

Thou canst use us every day and every hour.

~Ada Rose Gibbs

Music

My board of blogging advisers, (That's what my sisters call themselves :) were "reviewing" my blog, and Ali mentioned that I haven't mentioned that I play violin. I can't believe I missed that, because music is a big part of my life! I was introduced to music (specifically violin) by a very special woman. Her name is Nancy Benning, and her life is dedicated first to our Lord, and than to music. We met her during our time in Mexico where, every other month she packs music, violins, music stands, and homemade cookies for her students, in her car, and makes the long trip from her home in California, down to the orphanage where we were, to teach violin to the children and adults who live there. She started teaching me about about six years ago, and I probably would have quit many times if not for the encouragement from my mom and Mrs. Benning. I love playing music, and have taught myself some piano, and have just picked up the littlest bit of guitar, ( I want to learn more of that.) My sister Ali plays viola, my mom, and Samantha play piano, and I teach Brad violin, and he takes piano from mom. Our house is filled with mostly beautiful music :) on and off all day, and everybody enjoys it so much. We all like to play as a group, and we often take our instruments to nearby nursing home to play for the residents. They are great audiences! I now take lessons from Mrs. Gaye Davis here in Lynden.
I can't imagine my life without music now, and I'm very thankful that the Lord chose to bring just the right people at just the right time into my life so that I too can enjoy the blessing of playing an instrument.