Our free music camp begins tonight and I have been very surprised at how much enthusiasm is being generated. The local paper carried it as a front page story. Blog posts have been posted online, fliers are scattered about town and other churches have helped distribute information. The response has been overwhelming supportive.
Music is a universal language. You don't have to speak a particular tongue to understand what emotion an artist is trying to convey. The artist's thoughts and feelings dance in the air. A somber tone indicates melancholy while an upbeat melody conveys a lighter tune.
There are countless stories of how music has played a key role in national events or in the life of an individual. My husband's family recently held a memorial service for a family member who had served in the military. The service opened with a flute solo of Amazing Grace and concluded with Taps. There were no dry eyes in the house when either song was played.
Music also played a key role at another family event. No wedding service is complete without it. My daughter's wedding featured a flutist, trumpet musician and a fabulous DJ. Each of these musicians were family friends who made the event special.
I think that feeling special is part of what this music camp is all about. We all feel special when we sing or hum along to our favorite tune. It's impossible to sing or hum and be stressed at the same time. Plus, we all know that learning a new skill (or improving an old one) is a great confidence boost!
No age group seems to be immune to the power of music. We have received calls from parents of children and from adults. People who are unable to attend camp and stopping me to ask about it. Everyone seems to be excited and I'm glad.
The music camp article on the front page of the paper was a good change. In a world where sad or shocking news dominates the headlines, it was nice to see something happy. It provided a note of cheer in a dreary world. That's something that we all need.
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