Music, My Stress Reliever

The last few weeks have been really intense for me. I picked up some new responsibilities at work and they have been consuming me. There have been a few times in my life when my mind has become so saturated with a single topic that I find myself thinking about it almost constantly. Trying to finish my research for my Ph.D. was one of those times. I remember dreaming about solving equations. Sometimes those dreams were very helpful. In fact, being so consumed by something usually made me extremely efficient in accomplishing whatever it was I was trying to accomplish.

Learning German was another example of this. I lived the language so much that I began to dream in German. That's when I knew I was succeeding. When I got in the groove, I made a lot of progress learning the language.

Recently, I've become consumed by these new responsibilities at work in a similar way. I've found myself dreaming about the issues I'm dealing with. Although I feel like I'm getting in the groove and I feel hopeful that I'll get my hands around this new job, I'm also becoming a bit too stressed. It's hard to focus on other important things; I'm getting less sleep; and my patience is a little thinner than it should be. I snapped at one of my children today and he definitely didn't deserve it. Thankfully I apologized right away and he was really mature about it.

So, like many other times in my life, I've found myself turning to music for release. I've pulled out my guitar a couple times lately and have really enjoyed belting out some favorites songs. I recently played in a variety show at my church with a good friend - we played and sang 'Sounds of Silence' by Simon and Garfunkel. That was a blast!

And yesterday, on my way home from a business trip, I turned up the music on my iPod and cycled through my favorite music almost the entire plane ride home. Really helpful after an extremely long and busy week. I also watched parts of 'Les Miserables' again on the plane, fast forwarding to my favorites songs. Once again, some of the music brought tears to my eyes and the emotional release was great! I think I counted five songs that got the tears going: 'On My Own', 'A Little Fall of Rain', 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables', and 'Valjean's Death' and 'Epilogue' - though the last two, I really consider to be a single song. And it's probably my favorite.

I think I'm in for a roller coaster ride at work for a few more weeks before I see things settle down to a stable operating point. In addition to music, I've found prayer, meditation, exercise, and family to be helpful in maintaining my balance and sanity. Hopefully I can maintain that balance well enough that I don't damage the more important things (e.g. relationships) in favor of something less important (my job). Wish me luck!

The Riddle

I discovered the music group Five for Fighting a year or two ago. I had heard a couple of their songs many times and always loved their sound.

One of the lesser known songs is called 'The Riddle'. I love the message. Their songs are so poetic and beautiful. And the video's kind of fun to watch too. :)

Jam Session

Last night, we got together with two other families for dinner and then the three men had a jam session. The hosts have a nice little music room with several guitars (acoustic and electric), a keyboard, a mandolin, a ukelele, and a couple of drums. We, the guests, brought our guitars too, so we had a TON of instruments.

We played several songs and improvised quite a bit. I had so much fun making music with those guys. They're both a lot of fun to talk to, which made it so much more enjoyable. We sang 'Lean on Me', 'California Dreamin', 'Hotel California', 'Country Roads', 'Candle in the Wind', 'Blue Suede Shoes', and a bunch of others. We pulled from several different time periods and genres and even changed the style of some of the songs as we went along. Successive sounds came from the keyboard including organ, harpsichord, and something that sounded sort of like bubbles popping. It was so fun!

I can't really describe how much fun I had, but I LOVE making music and the chance to make music with such great people was fantastic. It was also fun trying to keep up on a couple of songs that I didn't know.

I think we played for about 1.5 hours and I would have loved to play longer, but we had our kids with us and I wanted to get them to bed. We had so much fun that we're hoping to do it again, maybe once a month or so. One of these times we'll do it without the kids and maybe we'll end up playing even longer.

Cinderella

I heard a song about a week ago on the way to work called "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I had heard it before, so I was able to sing along a little. As I listened and sang a few words, I found myself choking up with tears. I haven't listened to a song that made me cry in a LONG time! The imagery of a father, busy with work, but making time for his little girl - that got the tears started. Then thinking of the girl growing up and eventually leaving home - well, that sealed the deal. I couldn't stop crying, thinking about my own little girls and how I want them to have all the good that life can offer, but how it leaves me feeling a little sad when I think of them leaving home someday. It's hard to describe what becoming a father has done to me, but I'm definitely not the same man I was. I'm grateful for the change. Here's the song - the video isn't important. Listen to it once before reading the text at the bottom of this post.



What makes the song even more powerful is knowing that Chapman wrote and published it for his oldest daughter when she became engaged, but shortly after it was published, he lost his five year old daughter in a car accident. Knowing that, listen to the song again. That gives it a little extra meaning that makes me even more prone to tears than just the original, intended message by itself. It makes me want to cherish the relationships I have with my girls and with all of my family, knowing that our time together is limited ... and may be more limited than we sometimes think.

Lead Me

I came across a song recently that really made me think as a dad. We have a lot of demands on our time and energy, but the most important priorities should be our wife and children. Probably more important than that should be our relationship with God, but as far as earthly things, our families are number one. This song seems to challenge me to be the best husband and father I can be. I like the words he uses and thought I would share my thoughts about the song with the world.

I think women and children need their husbands/fathers to be strong, firm, and unwavering and they want to be able to rely on that strength. Firmness doesn't mean we lead like tyrants, but we can lead with firmness and love while respecting their freedom. I haven't figured out how to do that yet; I just believe it's possible ... and necessary. I really like the artist's emphasis on that aspect of our 'job' and his assertion that he's incapable of doing it alone. Me too, pal. If you're a father, take a few minutes to listen and let me know what you think.

Hold My Heart

I heard a beautiful song on the radio this morning. I think I had heard it before, but this time, I listened to the lyrics. The chorus really got to me:

One tear in the driving rain
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the Maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?

One life, that's all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If you're everything you say you are
Would you come close and hold my heart?

Can We Have Christmas Again Sometime?

I watched a move tonight with my kids. My two girls were sitting on my lap near the end; I love that they love to snuggle with me. Someone in the movie mentioned 'Christmas' and my youngest whispered to me:

"We had a Christmas before."

"That's right, sweetie. We had a Christmas once. Did you like Christmas?"

"Yeah, I liked Christmas. Daddy, can we have Christmas again sometime?"

I promised her that we'd have it again soon. My other daughter overheard and informed her sister that we'd have Christmas in three months. The little one seemed happy with that answer. Those kids say the sweetest things sometimes.

Of course, after a cute conversation like that, Christmas is on my mind now. I LOVE Christmas time! I love the feelings that seem to be shared by so many people around that time of year. Something about that time is more peaceful and pleasant than normal. At least it feels that way until we're bombarded by advertisements and messages that tell us that Christmas isn't Christmas unless we spend a lot of money. And that made me think of a song that I think helps put things in the right perspective.

It might be a little too early to be talking like this, but I love Christmas and I'm ok with celebrating it in September. I hope you are too. Enjoy.

100 Years

I came across this song '100 Years' by Five for Fighting on pandora.com. I had heard it before, but it really caught my attention that time. I got the sheet music and I've been playing and singing it for my family lately. I'm working on my falsetto - it doesn't sound quite as nice as his yet ...



This guy is great. His has a musical style I really like, his lyrics are thoughtful, even poetic, and his videos are really cool. This one has some cool effects that make the lyrics come alive.

Chick-fil-A

We went to Chick-fil-A for dinner last night for a school spirit event. Really just a way for the school to make more money, but it worked for us because I was planning to go out for dinner Friday, so I just slid my plans up a day. We like that place. Decent food as far as fast food goes, nice atmosphere, and of course, it has a play place for the kids. It's run by a Christian man who takes his faith pretty seriously. All their restaurants nationwide are closed on Sunday, which I think is pretty cool.

While we were there, I kept thinking of this song my wife and I came across a few months ago. Give it a shot if you haven't heard it before. It's destined to be a classic!

Music in My Family

My youngest was singing a song from High School Musical this morning. I think it's so cute that she even knows the song, but what was great was that the song has a male and a female part and she changed the pitch of her voice to mimic the difference. She did it really well! It was so sweet.

My kids got a karaoke machine for Christmas this year from some friends of ours. They love playing with it and they're all such good singers. They really amaze me with the quality of their voices at such young ages. It's fun to listen to them parrot some of these songs that they have come to know so well. I also love hearing them belt it out as we drive together in the van. The youngest in particular cracks me up when she puts her heart into one particular song and sings as loud as she can. I guess what touches me is that they're all so young, but they feel so deeply and they love the music so much that they have to sing along and they do it so well.

Our family has an odd tradition of dancing to music that plays with movie credits. After watching a movie together, we all usually jump up and start dancing together. The kids love it and I have a great time holding hands with my kids, spinning around in circles, and watching their faces light up as they laugh. Music has been a big part of my life since I was a kid and it's so fulfilling to see it playing a role in the lives of another generation.

Birthday Music

Today is my birthday. We celebrated last night and I received, among other things, two CDs. One is by Susan Boyle, who was discovered on one of those talent television shows. I saw her original performance on YouTube and I thought she was pretty good, but I was a little annoyed by all the hype. I didn't think she was that great. But listening to it today was a different experience. Her voice really is beautiful! The music is fun and relaxing to listen to. Thanks mom and dad.



Speaking of vocalists, I recently discovered two that I really like. Hayley Westenra and Loreena McKennitt. Hayley's song "Prayer" is absolutely beautiful. And Loreena has an incredibly strong voice. I need to remember to buy some of their stuff. Remind me later, ok?

I also received a CD by Jon Schmidt. He's a pianist I saw in concert about ... 18 years ago, I think. He's amazing. He plays one of his songs upside down with his back on the piano bench and his face under the piano. He also typically makes up a song at his concerts on the spot. He has another song where he plays some of the piece with his arms and elbows. That last one is called "All of Me" and I have the sheet music for it. I've practiced that song for HOURS and I can't play it nearly as fast or as well as he does. He is amazing. The first song on this CD is a remix of Taylor Swift's song "Love Story." I like that song. Thanks Emily. You really spoiled me this year. I'm excited to play with the rest of the gifts you gave me.