Day 3: Music

"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
- Aldous Huxley

I am grateful for music! I LOVE listening to music and constantly have music playing, whether it's playing from my iPod, the radio in my car, or Pandora on the Internet, I am ALWAYS listening to it.

I was in concert band, jazz band, and marching band. Yes, you can make fun of me for being in marching band :) Ha ha! No matter what, I was doing what I loved. I was playing music. I started playing the alto saxophone in elementary school and then I switched to the french horn when I was a sophomore in high school thanks to the convincing of my band teacher, Mr. Andre. I actually really enjoyed playing the french horn. It was something different and it took me awhile to master "trumpet lips" but I did okay. I think the french horn is a beautiful instrument and I'm glad I experienced "the best of both worlds", a wind instrument and a brass instrument. I haven't touched the alto sax or the french horn since I've been out of high school so I'll just stick with the piano!

I really rEaLLy REALLY enjoy playing the piano. I've been playing since I was 10 years old and I kind of taught myself how to play, with the help of my Granddad. I took piano lessons for a few years, but I gave up on lessons and just played on my own. About a month ago, my parents gave me their piano as my Mom took my Granddad's grand piano since we moved his things out of the home he was renting as he now resides at an assisted living center. I was SO HAPPY I was getting a piano, even if it's 16+ years old and needs to be tuned :) I do not have a lot of time to play as much as I would like, but I will be watching TV and will sporadically get up and play something. I do not have any sheet music, not even a hymnbook yet, but I play things I know from memory and it's fun. Plus Bauer enjoys it! :)

I love all kinds of music; some of my favorites are the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Journey, Elton John, The Eagles, Chicago, Michael Jackson, 'N Sync (DUH!), Michael Bublé, Rascal Flatts, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, P!nk, Three2U, Ryan Shupe & The Rubber Band (I saw them in concert at BYUH!!), Disney Music, Broadway Musicals...the list goes on and on!!

I love church music as well and listen to Three2U every morning on my way to work. Church music, or any other kind of spiritual music, is encouraging and uplifting. It's a great way to start the day.

In the preface of the church hymnbook, the First Presidency has provided this statement:

“Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord. Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end...Hymns can also help us withstand the temptations of the adversary. We encourage you to memorize your favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.”

I couldn't agree more!