Putting a song in your heart

I think I was 7 years old when I first sang a duet in church with my friend, Dawn.  She took the harmony, I sang melody.  I'm not sure people even heard me as I was SOOO nervous.  But there we were on a Sunday night, two young girls with a song in our hearts, wanting to give a piece of ourselves to our audience.

I've lost my "nerves" since then, and  I've sung in music festivals, exams, choirs, solos, music productions, and of course, Kindermusik class.  I sing through my students' piano lessons, I sing in the van as I'm driving, I sing in the stores (with and without background music)...I guess I sing all the time.

So this past week when I was at my daughter's band concert and they opened the program with all 200+ band kids singing an acapella African folk song complete with body percussion, I was getting a little misty eyed.  It was beautiful!!  Some students were hiding out behind other students, but most were smiling and enjoying the moment.  Their voices were in tune, their rhythm was great, and they were having a GREAT time - and so was the audience.

It is my firm belief that a musician needs to be able to sing - that a heart full of music should be a heart that bursts forth with spontaneous singing, as your voice is your instrument you carry with you wherever you go.  Some sing high, some sing low, most sing somewhere in between.

Most of my piano students are Kindermusik grads and have been singing for many years.  So when I sing along to with their playing to help show them the melodic lines it is the most natural thing in the world for them to sing along, too.  At my piano recital a week ago, one of my former Kindermusik students played and SANG along to his piece because it helped him keep track of where he was in the piece.  He sang out boldly and confidently, not quietly and under his breath.   And...here is the really amazing part...none of my other music students giggled or thought it was weird in any way!  They have a song in their heart, too, and sing along when they play, too.

With the Christmas season here, maybe now is the time for you to embrace your heart song and sing along with the songs of the season.  You may find your heart feels lighter, and a smile showing up on your face and the face of those around you.   And you just may lead the way for another heart song to sneak out to waiting world!