Someone today on Facebook asked about what books to recommend teaching a beginning student with. I immediately answered it, and then just sat there looking at my post. It's been YEARS since I've taught a lesson - at least 5 years seriously. There was once a day where I taught over 50 students a week, vocal and piano lessons. (That may have been what started my nervous breakdown *grin*.) Where did that time go? I don't know if I miss it or not, but I do wonder how I came to be so far FROM that.
Melanie and I listen to a lot of different music. She likes a lot of the popular stuff that her friends at school listen to (dare I even mention JB?), and I can handle some of that, just not in large, whopping doses at once. We both like pop/folk stuff too - Ingrid Michaelson (who has a wonderful new album out), A Fine Frenzy, The Weepies, Rosie Golan. We are recently in love with Gotye, Kings of Leon, Mumford and Sons, Greg Laswell. And then we like most classics: Ben Folds, The Beatles (hasn't Ringo aged well?!), Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Bread, Journey, etc. I love that she has a taste of all of that and can recognize most of it. There are tons of other bands that we listen to as well, but to list them all would be a really boring blog post.
One thing that we always come back to is Contemporary Christian music. Even with my current distaste of organized religion, I still find comfort and encouragement in these songs of truth about who God is. We can be found singing Praise & Worship stuff a lot, and then finding where that song comes from in scripture. I love that I can go back to this music; that no one can take that away from me, nor the scripture that it is from.
Kari Jobe has a new album that just came out this Tuesday called Where I Find You. It is so great; I love how she writes about her love for who God is. The songs are doggon catchy too - I find myself humming and/or singing them a lot of the day.
I guess even stating that I still listen to music about God is kind of a brave thing for me. I'm so afraid most of the time about what people think about me that I often filter. Afraid of what they might think of me, or what judgements they may make of me because I am struggling with my faith. But at almost 38 years of age, I think the time has come for me to be as real about it as possible. If people don't like me because I struggle in this area, then they really aren't going to like me. I am in flux. I am still learning. And I do a lot of my thinking and learning through music, always have, and always will.
Well, there you have it. Musical thoughts on a dreary Thursday. If you have the time and energy, check out that Kari Jobe album. It's worth a listen to, bothy lyrically and musically.
