My Top Ten Music Making Moments

 I am a musician.  My first instrument is my voice.  Yes, we singers do refer to our body as a musical instrument.  We train, we condition, we warm up before performing and we try very hard to protect our instrument from harm.  In addition, I play at mediocre to beginner’s level: piano, djembe, auxillairy percussion, guitar, and clarinet.

I had the privilege of teaching general music at two Catholic schools.  I even conducted the children’s choir at my favorite school.  So, as it goes, I have had a blessed life as an amateur musician.

Thus, as you read my list of all-time best music moments, it will be understandable that my stronger instruments dominate.

The first item in this list is primo.  After that, I consider the events equally thrilling, so their order does not imply ranking.

1.  Singing a duet with my son Benjamin for a nursing home gig at Christmastime.   He was in junior high, but was already a baritone.  (Ben wryly attributed this precocious vocal development to all the steroids he has endured for asthma.)  It was joyful to me how well our voices blended, and….duh…I guess they should have coming from the same genetic heritage.
2. Singing a duet of Amen (from 1963 film Lilies of the Field) with Clark L.(a/k/a Thunderlungs) at a Christmas church program.
3. Singing The Verdi Requiem (alto chorus member) with orchestra, guest soloists.  Dies Irae with timpani ---- omg!  Icing on the cake was the small, private party afterwards with some good people from Reading Choral Society and bass soloist Brian Gibson.
4. Teaching the Sunday school song “The Lord Said to Noah” with full motions, standing up, sitting down and so forth to kindergartners at St. Mary’s R.C. School.  I remember many times as we sang with our arms outstretched to the sky “Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory” thinking “I am getting PAID to do this!  Wow!”
5. Playing one of my choral compositions (AATTBB) on the piano for a Harvard music major and his gasping with delight at one measure.
6. Singing the Queen of the Night "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" aria (from Mozart’s The Magic Flute) in a voice lesson.  I always wanted to do it.
7. Playing djembe with good, experienced fellow drummers.
8. Singing in District and Regional choruses in high school.
9. Teaching and directing the St. Mary parish children’s choir in my composition of the Our Father.  Also, hearing them singing it on the playground just for fun.
10.   Playing clarinet duets and piano-clarinet duets with Pete Souders, one of the top jazz improvisers around.

Angel Kitten Coffee Mug
Last minute gift idea: a mug (left or right hand) with a kitten faced angel. Check it.

I’m a lucky cat.  Better yet, I’m not done living and playing.

 Ciao.