A MUSICAL JOURNEY

 

How it all began....

Piano lessons and learning to play the recorder (flute) were part of my musical upbringing. From the coupons my mother saved, she was able to afford seasonal tickets to classical concerts in the Amsterdam “Concert Gebouw” (Concert Hall). Some of those beautiful musical pieces gave me goosepimples.

During high school I no longer had time for piano lessons, but it is like riding a bike – once you’ve learned how to do it, you’ll never forget. You may get a bit rusty, but it will soon come back the moment your fingers touch the keys.

After moving to Israel, I missed having a piano. Too expensive (and not enough room) to buy one, we opted for a simple keyboard. At least, it was something, but after a while I got frustrated for not being able to play the whole scale of the music. We made someone very happy with the instrument.

Then I tried to teach myself to play the guitar – classical at first but
ending with playing only the chords. That was great, until a tendon in my left hand began to protest, and that was the end of regular guitar playing.

It always surprised me how people could concentrate on their work while being surrounded by music. Not me – it was always either – or. Depending on my mood, I loved to listen to a range of genres – from classical to easy listening to opera. I never have been able to put my finger on why New Age music makes me restless, but I think it’s the spirits behind it that my soul protests against.

Until my third burn-out, peaceful, melodious melodies often soothed my tired body and soul. That deep valley turned into the ‘quiet’ years, because my overloaded nerve system could not handle any music. 

Things gradually began to change for the better when one of our Dutch guests turned out to be a great guitar player. Singing together was so wonderful, it made me so happy! We sang to our hearts desire for an hour in the evening. However, thanks to all that adrenaline coursing through my veins, I lay awake for hours before finally falling asleep. Needing my rest to be able to function during the day, the only option for me was to join them during the afternoons, and no longer in the evenings.

One of my tasks as ‘media director’ (sounds more than it is) in our church is to prepare the Sunday songs for the worship team, find sheet music if necessary and try to learn a new song beforehand.

It was a wonderful moment when I realized that the joy of music was returning to my heart and soul. God had been at work without me realizing it. And there was more to come!