Sounds of The (Strange) Season

O, the weather outside is frightful! The tune of Let It Snow runs through my head as I look out the window this morning at thick fog. It follows a day of pouring rain on top of the remnants of a recent snowstorm. And there’s talk of a nor’easter coming this week. But, I digress. I really want to talk about music, not weather.

Usually, my December is filled with Christmas/ holiday music. I (and I suspect many of you also) used to roll my eyes when I’d hear Christmas music blasting in the stores in mid-November. But these days, the few times I’ve ventured out to the stores, the sound of holiday music is more like a soothing dose of normalcy.

Typically, in December, my a cappella chorus, after polishing up our holiday repertoire for months, would be out in the community singing at assisted living facilities and tree lighting ceremonies. And the church choir would be preparing hymns for our Christmas celebrations. Instead, in what’s become standard Covid fashion, my chorus put together a virtual concert. With the help of our local community television station, we recorded some of our favorites to create a musical celebration we could share safely. If the link still works, you can watch it here: MVA Virtual Concert.

Tonight, in lieu of all those missed church choir rehearsals, our parish collaboration is holding a virtual Christmas coffeehouse via Zoom. I don’t consider myself much of a soloist, but I decided to step outside my comfort zone and volunteer to sing for it. My favorite song of the season is Lo, How A Rose. Every year, I look forward to singing it with a certain friend of mine. (Miss you, Dawn!) I love the harmonies and the haunting melody of this song. I miss not being able to sing it or any other favorite Christmas harmonies this year. Instead, I recorded myself singing the melody of Lo, How A Rose. And tonight, with a little guitar accompaniment, I’ll sing the harmony against my own recording.

These new, socially-distanced endeavors are part of the strange soundtrack of my Covid-style Christmas this year. What does yours sound like?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, however and whatever you might celebrate!

Gratitude Spiral: Day 163

Today, I’m grateful for new batteries in my guitar.

I bought myself a new guitar months ago. It’s got a built-in tuner — something I’ve never had before. Twice now, I’ve mistakenly left it on and depleted the batteries. I’m happy to have a new pair of batteries that I hope to take better care of this time. Now I can tune up and play on. . .

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude Spiral: Day 121

Today, I’m grateful for all my musical friends.

Last night, I met thirty of my a cappella chorus-mates on Zoom (video chat) to catch up on life away from the risers. Yesterday morning, ten church choir members chatted for a while (again, on Zoom) about our new normal. It was good to see their faces. One church keyboardist even emailed a piano track to a song we sing, so I pulled out my guitar and played along. It soothed the sore spot in my musical soul. 🙂

What are you grateful for today?

P.S. Wondering what a Gratitude Spiral is? Find the answer here.

Gratitude Spiral: Day 79

Today, I’m grateful for February 14, 2020, the 50th anniversary of my first guitar lesson!

Sometimes, I think I should be a heck of a lot better at it, since I’ve been playing for fifty years. But I’m not. I’m an average musician who’s satisfied with the level I’ve reached and I’m ok that perfection isn’t my goal. Playing makes me happy — especially playing with a group of other musicians, making beautiful music together.

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude Spiral: Day 64

Today, I’m grateful for my guitar.

Last night, while playing it at church, I felt lost in the songs, an integral part of the music, part of the momentum of prayer. I was drawn to the guitar at a young age and have had a love/hate relationship with it ever since. When my right shoulder froze a couple of years ago, I stopped playing for almost a year. It’s good to be back at it.

What are you grateful for today?

Gratitude Spiral: Day 9

Today, I’m grateful for music. It’s always been a part of my life, and this time of year music is truly special. I belong to an a cappella chorus that’ll sing for five holiday events this month. On top of that, there’s the church choir and the worship band, where I offer my meager guitar skills. And, of course, there’s my Christmas playlist, which includes Garth Brooks, Jewel, and Pentatonix, among others, which I’ll be blasting whenever I get the chance.

What’re you grateful for today?