I have always been a music lover. I can remember singing every commercial jingle that came on the TV when I was kid, just because it was musical. I remember the pre-K teacher who brought her guitar to class and taught us folk songs like “You get a line, I’ll get a pole.” (Yes, it was the 70’s back then.) I remember singing America (This land is your land . . . ) after saying the pledge of allegiance in elementary school. I remember “helping” my dad warm up on those Sundays when he was leading singing at church. Music and memory seem to go hand-in-hand with me.
As a band nerd from 5th grade through my freshman year of college, and a choir nerd for the rest of my college career, music has been an integral part of my life. It’s probably no surprise that I married a man with a similar musical experience. We raised our children with lots of Bible songs and silly songs and 80’s songs. I’ll never forget the time a friend from church watched our kids for us for a week. When we picked them up, she told us it was like babysitting the family von Trapp!
Singing in church is the highlight of my worship experience. Music has the power to touch places in my soul that nothing else can penetrate. Hearing harmonies blending in sweet accord as we extol our Savior nourishes my spirit like nothing else.
Back in January, I posted about an opportunity I had to sing with a large a cappella group as part of a Praise & Harmony recording. You can see that post here. It was such a magnificent experience. After months of behind-the-scenes editing and producing, all of that hard work is starting to come together.
Praise & Harmony has begun releasing a few sample videos. None of these are the full songs, but I wanted to share a few highlights with you. You might see my face pop up once or twice. I’m harder to find in some videos than others.
I hope you enjoyed these snippets. I look forward to the day I get to join the heavenly choir and no longer have to worry about missing a note or losing my voice.
What are some of your favorite worship songs?
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This is so cool! I have always loved music as well, but I can’t sing a lick. Oh I do when no one is around. Or I sing to my 15 month old grandaughter and she seems to like it. 🤣 I do however play the piano, keyboard, and organ and did so for….I’m telling my age now, for about 50 or so years in several churches. I have a bad back that wants to give me a lot of pain, plus before the pandemic I had been playing for a small church and I was it as far as being there to start the service every Sunday. It was a lot of pressure, and with my back issues I didn’t go back after restrictions were lifted. They are doing well, and when I can go to church I go to the church my son and daughter in law goes to. So that’s my music story. I enjoy playing at home. It’s stress relief for me to sit down and just play.
I’m excited for your new adventure and looking forward to hearing more.
You have a nice rest of the week!
Blessings Joy Hannabass
I’ve always wanted to be able to play the piano, Joy. What a gift you have! I love how you’ve used it to be a blessing to your congregation for so many years. I picture God smiling and tapping his spiritual foot as he listens to you play.
How fun! I’d love to do this! One of my favorite things to do is sing with my family. My mom sings soprano, I sing alto, my Dad sings baritone/bass, and my daughter sings high harmony. Sometimes, when we can get it all together 😉, it’s pretty special. I love doing it! I look forward to hearing the full videos.
Ever since my kids were small, I’ve harbored this secret fantasy that we would someday dress in Victorian costumes, find a portable lampstand, and hire ourselves out as carolers for Christmas parties. LOL! I think that’s the secret nightmare for my boys. Ha! I do love sitting in the church pew and hearing the family harmony, though. Makes my heart so happy.
Oh my goodness! A group of us from my church growing up did that! We wore Victorian costumes and went Christmas caroling all over town. It was incredibly fun!!
I’m so jealous! 🙂
I LOVED that, Karen! What FUN that must have been to sing with that large group! Loved the joy in everyone’s faces as they sang! I used to sing a lot with my brother and sisters. Our mom was musical and sang in the choir. Daddy wasn’t as confident in his voice, but he sang out in church and sang funny songs at home, which I loved! My sisters and I sang commercial jingles while we washed dishes and we had one horse, Gypsy, that would only behave if you sang the Aunt Jemimah Pancakes jingle while you rode her. 🙂 Thanks for those fun memories!
Oh, Deb – that story about Gypsy had my grinning ear-to-ear! That’s hilarious.
Karen, I can personally attest to your beautiful singing voice (from the soprano section of the ACFW Conference choir once upon a time). Your mouth formed the most perfect “O” when you sang. 🙂 You are indeed a woman of many talents! I’m thankful you had the opportunity to sing with the Praise & Harmony choir. Cute story about your kids and The Sound of Music, my personal favorite movie. I married a “music man” (he played trombone in the McDonald’s All-American High School Band” before they discontinued it in favor of all the sports teams). On our first “official” date, he sang in the DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) choir at their Spring Banquet. I fell in love with his tenor voice, among other aspects of his character, and after we married, he served as a music and worship pastor for years. Ironically, he’s not overly fond of The Sound of Music. Says it’s not realistic. Go figure, lol. I love the old hymns, but I also love praise & worship songs. We’re going to see Chris Tomlin at Red Rocks this coming Tuesday night (we’re traveling there from Indiana). Can’t wait!
JoAnn! You make my heart happy. Love hearing your musical love story with your hubby. My hubby was the one who convinced me to join choir in college after I decided to drop band. So glad I did!
Have a great time at the Chris Tomlin concert. I love his music. I bet it will be a wonderful show!
Fun post, Karen. I have several worship songs that I enjoy. I’ve shared links to a few.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2go_dOJVwc4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXsxw1fRHMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6aygmvzM4
Great songs, Caryl! Thanks for sharing.
Pre-COVID, we would do a Dixieland Transfiguration service. “When the Saints Come Marching In.” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” lots of toe-tapping gospel/jazz music and a lot of fun. Come Ash Wednesday, the disconnect from joy to the somber contemplation of Lent was all the more meaningful.
That sounds wonderful, Janice! Music is so powerful.
I’ve always loved music. I started singing in church at age four, a lifetime ago!I grew up in a musical family. We’d gather together on many occasions and sing while my mom played the piano or banjo, dad played the guitar, and my brother and I filled in with the snare drum, tambourine, or spoons. “You Get at Line and I’ll Get a Pole,” was a staple. Thanks for stirring fond memories!
I love the description of your family band, Deena. That makes my heart smile! Especially with the spoons and banjo. 🙂
Simply beautiful.
Thanks, Robin. 🙂
Thank you for sharing these beautiful snippets. Music has always been a big part of my life. I took piano lessons from age 12 – 14 and as an adult wish I not not begged my mother to let me stop – so shy as a child and hated recitals. I taught my children basic piano. They both played in school bands and sang in church choir. My son played clarinet, contrabass clarinet, then some of the horns later. He made all city and then all state in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. My daughter played flute for marching and oboe for concert band. She marched in the Macy’s Parade as a high school junior. Her husband is a musician and has recording equipment in their home. There son (13 June 1st) was selected to play violin in 3rd and 4th grade. He switched to saxophone and drums in 6th and still plays drums – has electronic and then a full set of regular drums set up in their music and computer room. My husband was in drum and bugle corps in high school. He was asked to lead a cell group ministry in our home, which we did for 8 years and which led him to become a Methodist minister late in life. That was when we became involved with praise music – we live and have seen Hillsongs perform, also Michael W. Smith. Praise music is so uplifting!
What a fabulous musical family pedigree you have, Betty. I love it!
Beautiful Karen! I don’t have musical talent but I married a professional trumpet player so music has been a huge part of my life for the past 51 years. Congratulations on a great album!
I’m so thankful Scripture teaches us to make a joyful noise instead of a beautiful sound, aren’t you? As much as music played or sung by a skillful artist honors the God who gifted them, when it comes to praise, I believe God listens with an ear tuned to the heart of the worshipper. When I’m distracted and focused on notes instead of meaning, I imagine I’m the discordant voice in the choir where the honest worshipper singing off key with all their heart is the one singing most sweetly to the Lord’s ears.
Karen, I loved hearing these and seeing you! Now I want a novel by you of a heroine who sings. Maybe she is from a wealthy family, has had vocal training from tutors, and sings at musical evenings given by their friends. The hero could be blind and plays the piano or organ.
Fun idea, Sylvia. I’ll keep it percolating in the plotting side of my brain.
I was raise like that. My daddy was a preacher and he played the guitar and sang. He taught us at an early how to sing. He taught me to sing alto and my sister sang lead and he would sing tenor. My brother sang lead too. Daddy taught me how to play a bass guitar and I still play in church at the age 64. I go to a small church plant that my son in law pastors.
My sister learned how to play the piano and my brother played drums. and can play an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and a bass.
My daddy and grandpa sang all those little songs to us too. We always wanted grandpa to sing the song about the little girl that fell in the well and Old Blue (about a dog). All this brought back a lot of memories. My daddy passed away 9 years ago. My mom is still living. She is 86.