Falling in Love... with Music

Last Thursday, I talked about how much I love books. And I most definitely do! But since this blog is titled "The Strange Musician" after all, I think it's important to talk about myself as a musician as well as a reader.

Honestly, I think I've loved music all my life, and I think my parents were a huge influence in that area. My mom played music for me when I was a baby, and I would fall asleep listening to music all the time. My dad is a musician himself, having played saxophone, guitar, and currently bass guitar. Growing up, he played in the praise band at my church—still does, actually—and I loved watching him play and listening to the music before going to Sunday school. 

Of course, with my dad being a guitar player, the first instrument I actually tried to learn to play myself... was guitar. 

I don't remember how old I was, probably around eight or so, but I obviously didn't have enough motivation or discipline to actually practice the instrument, and my dad didn't have time for regular lessons with me, so that never got very far. I did revisit guitar again more recently, but encountered the same issues. 

I didn't actually fall in love with music as a musician myself until much later, in sixth grade, when I started learning to play flute as part of a 6th Grade Honor Band. 

Maybe guitar just wasn't my instrument. Maybe it was the type of music. Maybe it was that I actually had  to practice to be able to play in a group setting. Maybe it was because I had lessons. Maybe the chair tests motivated me. Whatever it was, something clicked when I started to play flute.

My love for the instrument, band, and music itself grew as I improved and was able to play more challenging music and take pride in my abilities. Of course, the wonderful teachers and directors I've had along the way have certainly helped as well. 

Now, I absolutely love music—studying, listening, playing, performing, and even writing it. So much so that it has become my dream career to be a professional musician, as a member of a major orchestra. You know, the ones that get to record soundtracks for movies and television shows. Who

knows if it will ever happen, but hey, a girl can dream, right?

What about you? What about music do you love? Let me know in comments!