March News...

MUSIC APPRECIATION...
From the beginning of time and for as long as man has lived there has been some form of music. According to Wikipedia the earliest recorded mention of music in in India, China, and Japan histories. Some of the great composers are from the classical and romantic era such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Shubert. The creativity of the composers over the years is so amazing. We have some wonderful music to enjoy both old and new.

With string instruments, the wind instruments, the drums, what great music has been created. Some is very indicative of the land where it was first composed, some are hard to trace the roots of, but we don't forget the melodies, they stay in our heads and every once in a while we find ourselves humming or whistling a tune that we once heard and liked.

Because of the beautiful music made by musical instruments...and who knows which came first? We have some of the most talented singers. We are thrilled with their performances and the beautiful music they are able to bring to us because of their amazing ability to vocalize the words and the music we love to hear. Whether it is an opera, a broadway musical, or some local concert we might find ourselves humming the tunes from it. There is nothing like stage productions...whether it is Phantom of the Opera or Lion King, you can't beat the entertainment. There is that magical quality that causes an uplift in both the feelings of the heart and the thoughts of the mind.

Then there is the dance. What would the dance be without the music to guide the thoughts of great choreographers and bring the athletic ability of those who labor to bring us the beautiful compliment of the music, the song and the dance together?
As a young dance teacher at one time in my life, I thrilled at the words of wisdom of teachers who taught me..(1) "No matter how you try, you cannot hide the structure of the dance inside." (2) "Correct posture is the line of your body that connects heaven to earth." (3) "Everyone has the makings of a great dancer, a heart that beats a rhythm, the breath we breathe creates a rhythm, so with very little effort anyone can be a dancer and enjoy moving to the beat of music, maybe not in front of an audience...but at least for one's own enjoyment." The last idea comes from a great dancer and teacher...Martha Graham.

February was the month of love...think of your favorite love songs. From when Bob and I were dating there are a few songs that I still remember with fondness as they were so romantic and held some of my feelings in their words..."It had to be you, it had to be you, I wondered around and finally found it had to be you." "Because of you there's a song in my heart, because of you our romance had a start...because of you the sun will shine, the stars and moon will say you're mine, forever and never to part." As a family at our larger family reunions I remember coaching our family to sing and act out "Zip a de do da, Zip a de ay, My, oh, my, what a wonderful day." One of our sons wasn't thrilled to be in the company and have to entertain with that song...but I bet he still remembers the words and the melody...maybe even the actions we did.

Whether you like to attend the theatre for opera, choir, band, orchestra, symphony, or one of the many musical instruments alone, there is some type of music that appeals to nearly every person. It varies in theory, composition, production and performance...but always finds an audience with those who identify with it. I love to hear the Sunday music...the Tabernacle Choir and even the music our ward choir sings. How blessed we are to have so many wonderful hymns that help our spirituality as we listen to or sing them in our Sunday meetings. The words to the songs in the hymnal are short sermons that teach us some principle of the gospel and the music is very soothing to our spirits and gives us the rest we need once a week even with our music.

As we think of the great music in the world today and what a blessing it is in our lives we can thank our Heavenly Father for making it a part of our earthly experience. For this month, let's be grateful for the music we have to enjoy and it will help us with our January focal point to have happy days all year long.

With love, Maurine Winters