10 days until my holiday concert and right now I'm taking a break from practicing. Music has been streaming steadily from the harp corner of the living room all evening.
It's been more than just practice for me, though. I've been seeking the harps and the music we make together for solace. It's so hard to watch the news about the world. Harder even to hear bad news closer to home. My heart goes out to everyone who is struggling in any way, anywhere because of the ways of the world. Today, especially to friends who have lost their jobs.
I am blessed to have music in my life. I turn to it privately so often when I'm trying to work things out in my head, express emotions beyond words, to make things right in my world for a little while.
The leap from private musical musings to public performance has grown shorter and shorter over the past couple of years. I'm finding that what I love to play for my own enjoyment, meditation and peace, others find enjoyable, meditative and peaceful, too. And so my job has become more than performer — I feel at times like a translator. I consider the swirling emotions of the world and find music to express them in another way, find music to counteract them, find music to help people forget them for a few hours.
And that's what I promise for this year's holiday concert. Like the quote in the title says, this music will wash away "the dust of life." I will provide a space to simply relax and enjoy. We will perform music to support peace, joy, hope.
And perhaps for just a while, the world will be a little better for a lot of people. Including me.
Amy- you have a wonderful gift that transpires in both your words and your music.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of the harp, I presume it's yours.