Music

Music has always been an important part of my life. Earlier I wrote about my very first music teacher, Mrs. Donaldson, and what a big part she played in introducing me to music theory and singing. She showed me the importance of music. I saw what pleasure music brought to her life and I wanted that, too. She inspired me to want to play the piano.

When I was 6 years old my daddy bought me a piano. That was in 1951. Many years later I found out from a piano tuner that my piano, which I still have, was probably made around 1920. It is an upright piano that at some time, before we got it, had been cut down and a horizontal mirror was attached to it. That was a popular thing to do at one time. That old piano has brought many hours of enjoyment in my life. It is my one worldly possession that I hope one of my kids will want to keep and hopefully be passed down to one of my grandchildren. Ross has reminded me that he wrote some of his first songs on that piano.

I started taking piano lessons when I was in first grade and continued to do so until the end of the eighth grade. You would think that someone who took piano lessons for 8 years would be a very accomplished pianist, but I’m not. I think there are several reasons for that. First of all, I didn’t practice as much as I should have. Also, I really think that I didn’t have the right teacher for me. My piano teacher, Mrs. Pearson, was also our church pianist at the Iago Federated Church. She taught me to read the music and play exactly what was written…no more, no less. That was frustrating for me. We practiced all year on the music that we would play in the annual piano recital which was held at the old Iago Federated Church each spring. The music had to be memorized. We wore long formal gowns and the recital was a really big deal. I was always scared to death. It was not until many years later that I realized what the major problem was. I think I had a good “ear” for music and really needed someone who could teach me to “play by ear”. All I wanted to do was play church music and be able to “run up and down the piano” playing with passion and lots of feeling. Learning and memorizing the recital music just didn’t do that for me. To this day, when I play, I can sight read the right hand fairly well, but have a tough time with the left hand. I don’t care anything about playing what’s written for either hand. I just want to sit down at the piano, with no music, and do my own thing. Sometimes it sounds pretty good, sometimes not, but it’s soothing and calming and relaxing and I need to do it more. Also, I care nothing about performing in front of an audience. I just want to play for my enjoyment. When I was in high school, I played the piano at the Iago Federated Church and even played the organ a few times. In college, I played at a very small church on Sundays. After Art and I married, I played a lot for Sunday school at bigger churches, but only a time or two in church services. I really never felt confident to play in front of a lot of people.

About the time I quit taking piano lessons, I joined the school band. Our band director was Mr. Brantley, T.V. Brantley. He was a good band director and a good man. He loved band music and he so wanted to instill that in us. Just like Mrs. Donaldson, he taught us music with passion. In eighth grade you joined the band and Mr. Brantley would help you decide what instrument was the best fit for you. Our school furnished all the instruments. We didn’t have to pay for anything. Our school district was one of the only “budget balanced” schools in the state of Texas and everything was provided, thanks to Texas Gulf Sulfur Company. Anyway, Mr. Brantley and I decided that I should play the alto sax and I did for the rest of my high school days. My senior year, I was first chair alto sax in the Boling High School Band. We had band concerts and participated in band contests. I was a twirler and Mr. Brantley really didn’t like twirlers, as a group, but I always knew that in spite of me being a twirler, he liked me. He knew that as twirlers we were taking time away from our instruments and he really wanted us to excel in music, not twirling. He also didn’t like for his band kids to play sports. He knew that also diverted our attention away from band and music. Mr. Brantley ran a very tight ship. We had really strict dress codes, when it came to our band uniforms. As soon as we stepped off the bus or walked out of the band hall, we were to be in full uniform. As twirlers, we wore tall, clumsy hats, but they had to be on our heads at all times, with just one exception….the second half of a football game. During the first half, we played our instruments in the stands with the band with those awkward hats on!! After we marched on the field at half time, we could take our hats off and not play the second half. It was during that time that we met the twirlers from the opposing school and twirled in front of the bands and the fans. Mr. Brantley tolerated that, but we always knew that he wasn’t pleased with the whole twirling thing. Since we didn’t own our instruments, my alto sax stayed at the school to be passed down to someone else after I graduated and I didn’t pick up an alto sax again for many, many years. By that time, I had forgotten how to play it. Art bought me an old one many years later. I enjoy getting it out and trying to play it once in a while, but it’s really frustrating that I’ve lost my ability to play it. It’s not like riding a bicycle….you do forget!! Sam likes to get out that old sax and try to blow some notes on it. I still have my batons and really haven’t lost my twirling ability. The grandchildren all like to watch Nana twirl and then try to copy me. I don’t think Mr. Brantley would be proud that I lost my ability to play the sax, but haven’t lost my twirling skills. Several years ago, Mr. Brantley died and I went back home to attend his funeral. A few of us old band members were there and we had a wonderful time reminiscing about our band days at Boling High School. We all agreed that Mr. Brantley was a great band director who instilled in us a lifelong love for music.

I’ve always enjoyed singing. I really don’t remember ever not singing. I don’t think I was very good at it, but in our little country church I sang lots of solos and in small groups. We sang a lot at the Iago Federated Church….in church services, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, Sunday night youth groups, Wednesday afternoon I.A.H. (I am His – girls’ group). We sang a lot in 4-H….at our meetings, at camps and around camp fires. I like to sing. I’ve realized in my older years that I don’t always enjoy just listening to music. It’s probably annoying to those around me, but I don’t want to sit and listen to music. I like to sing along. I want to participate. When there’s music going on around me, I want to be a participant! I love praise and worship music. I love turning up music really, really loud and singing to the “top of my lungs”. Some of my most spiritually moving times are when I am praising God in music! Many times, I don’t need the sermon, I just want the music!

I wouldn’t want to imagine a life without music. I thank God for music and what it has meant in my life. Music has gotten me through many tough times. I’ve been able to appreciate all kinds of music, but I do have my favorites…from children’s Sunday school songs to hymns to contemporary Christian music, Elvis and early rock and roll, country music, patriotic and marching band music, ‘50’s music, Broadway and classical music, Irish tenors and Celtic music and more!

God blessed me in giving me a husband who loves music and sons who love music…even one who has centered his life on writing and singing music for the Lord. I pray that all my grandchildren will like music. Music is good!!!

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know. Fills my every longing. Keeps me singing as I go”!!