Why music?

In many ways, I was almost raised to become a professional musician. Both of my parents are musical-until a few years ago, my mom conducted the church choir in addition to singing in a choir outside the church. My home radio was always turned on to CBC radio two, which at that time played classical music almost all the time. I loved saturday nights because my parents often went to the symphony, and my sister and I would have a baby-sitter (funny how much kids love good babysitters...I notice it myself as a babysitter!). I began piano lessons when I was four years old, through a program called Music For Young Children. Music For Young Children is a wonderful program, created by Francis Balodis, who literally has more certifications including an A.R.C.T and a Master's in early education than can be written out. It combines keyboard training along with singing, notation, composition, movement, theory, and rhythm instruments in ways that are completely appropriate for children ages 3-11. Kids can start learning piano in either the Sunshine program at ages 3-4 as I did, or in the Sunbeams program at ages 5-6 or the Moonbeams program from ages 7-8. In addition, a more recent addition to the Music For Young Children program is the Sunrise course, a pre-keyboard program designed for children anywhere from ages 2 1/2-5 years old.

As a child (and now for that matter) I loved to sing, and enjoyed dancing (although I have never been very good at it!). With all of this, and such a supportive music atmosphere, it seems as if music would have come incredibly naturally and easily. The answer is both yes and no. From the time I was about 9 or 10 until I was about 12 or 13, piano lessons were an ongoing struggle. My mom had always maintained that before I (and my sister before me) could stop piano lessons, we needed to have taken the Grade Six Royal Conservatory Exam. Perhaps it was because I was somewhat forced to take these lessons and practice, or perhaps I simply needed to decide for myself, but either way, for quite a while, although not every lesson or every day, piano was a struggle. Things tend to work themselves out, and gradually, throughout grades six to eight, I began to enjoy and push myself forward in piano lessons once again. One of my main inspirations was my grade seven choir teacher, who was a brilliant pianist in addition to an excellent choir director. Hearing her play, and hearing her talk about her own decision to continue her piano studies helped push me forward, and for that I am grateful.

Despite my struggles with piano lessons, other areas of music have been different. Many students really don't have an idea of what they'd like to play before they try out instruments. I was different. Although I can't be sure exactly how old I was, I think I was about 4 years old when I decided that I was going to play the flute. It was for the strangest reason too. While watching Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood one day, he met with a few young people-I don't remember how many, this was 15 or 16 years ago-and they played different instruments. One of them played a flute, and I remember being fascinated by the way it was played, and liking the sound. I decided then that I someday wanted to play that instrument. By the time I was 7 years old, when my sister started grade six band, I told anyone who asked that I was going to play the flute. When I picked up my first flute in the summer before grade six band, it was love at first blow. Although there have been a few small rough patches, I know that this is definitely the instrument that I was meant to play, and the one that I am studying at the University.

Although I have always loved music and have usually been involved in several musical activities, for many years, I was certain that I would be going to med school, with the ambition of becoming a pediatrician. It seemed like a good fit-I love children, and I was (and am) very interested in health, biology, chemistry and even physics, all important aspects for doctors. Sometime during my grade eleven year however, that changed. It wasn't that I liked my subjects in the sciences any less, or that I loved my music any more. After achieving the Silver Medal for my grade six flute exam (highest standing in my province for woodwind and brass on exams of that level for that year) I felt that God was calling me to study music and not medicine in university. I've always trusted that God will push me in the way that I'm meant to go, and so far, this push has worked. An experience later that school year confirmed to me once again that medicine, although a wonderful career option and one I would likely have succeeded in, was not where God was wanting me. My faith is important. I believe that each one of us has a life plan, a course that we're meant to follow. My life plan involves music as the main focus. At the same time, I am still interested in health and health care and I am looking into the possibility of music therapy.

There's so much I could write about music and my feelings about it, but at the moment, I have to go practice for an audition :)