For me, it all started on this tiny keyboard at the age of three.....
I remember my mom sitting with me and teaching my fingers how to "walk" up and down the keyboard...it was just my size and so much fun to play!
Music was always part of my life. I don't remember many days when I didn't sit at the piano and play for at least a few minutes (I'm not talking sitting to practice site reading...but rather making up chord combinations)...it was simply part of my daily schedule and I loved it!
I enjoyed playing before my feet could reach the pedal (at age 18 - LOL. Just Kidding! If you know me, you know I'm not blessed with height!) I remember playing at both of my Grandparent's houses! One side of the family had a neat player piano and the other side (pictured below) had a piano and xylophone on the wall to play. I was literally surrounded with places to play any time I wanted!
I remember taking piano lessons in sixth grade and NOT liking it.
It felt boring and seemed to crush my creativity with creating songs on my own...lol. I think I ended up only taking lessons for 1-2 years and then that was it......(perhaps I should have continued, but it didn't feel like it "fit" for me)
I continued making up songs at home while my brother played either the drums, trumpet, or guitar to accompany me. We made up SOOOOOOO many instrumental songs together. I wish now that we would've recorded them somehow while just playing off the cuff. The memories of those "jam sessions" are so special to me.
When I went to Greenville College in 2007, I enjoyed playing at Vespers and playing with other students in the recording rooms for fun! There is something special about playing with others who just "get" your music style. It comes together effortlessly, taking on the sound it is supposed to have. This pic (below) is from playing one evening at the local coffee shop near the college.
When I moved to Missouri in 2008, I continued playing. My husband actually moved our piano we inherited from my grandma by himself into our first house! (I will never forget that....he's soooo strong!) When my brother visited, he would play guitar and my husband played drums with us! That was so much fun! Just like old times with the addition of my husband! Those are some of my favorite memories with music.....we played off and on during our visits over the years....
When we moved into our current home, I remember sitting outside under the stars in January of 2015....Zach playing his new acoustic guitar and Jacob playing his djembe. The three of us started writing a new song together (It had been years since Zach and I had written something together) I had no idea it would be the last song we created together...
In October of 2016, while cleaning out my brother's apartment after his motorcycle accident, I found the papers we had written on in 2015....the lyrics to that song we started...no chords or title yet.
Long story short, and for those who were there, you know that I tied it together, as if with a gift bow, adding the chords I remembered and a title and played it at Zach's celebration of life days later...it was only right to play that song for others to hear....
(here is the youtube link for Just Whistle )
I'm still trying to teach myself to play guitar...piano is for sure my main instrument, but it is fun to play around on other instruments for fun!
Music has been bittersweet for months now.
I have always felt alive when I play piano....but especially while playing with someone else who just "gets it"...
Until recently, playing the piano has felt a little "empty" without someone to play with.
I have kind of avoided it to be honest, as it brings up too many mixed emotions.....
.......and THAT is where God is incredible and His timing is always perfect.
Recently, we have been visiting new churches to find somewhere closer to home to get more plugged in and more involved. After a few visits and somehow, I don't know (seriously that's how God works) the opportunity came up with the invitation that there was a need for a second service pianist for the growing contemporary service...so naturally I started praying about it.
I honestly struggled with the decision to move forward or not, as like I said, it has been a time of healing for me since losing my brother and the deep connection to music I have.....
I WILL say one thing.
God is persistent!
When something is MEANT to be in your life, it WILL NOT pass you up!
God continued nudging at my heart.....I continued praying about it.....
and
I went for it.
I figured, why not just give it a try and go jam with this person who invited me two Sundays in a row (my second and third time visiting the church haha - persistence right?)
April 19th 2018....It went really well and we will just say it was an emotional drive home afterwards...a flood of great memories of past playing, a new sense of purpose, and that feeling of BEING ALIVE after playing with someone else again!
It is almost like God has been holding this puzzle piece while I've been on this journey of healing. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time."
It is like it was just "time" for this piece to be placed back into the picture of my life...
I cannot begin to explain the JOY it brings me to play.....and to have someone else to play with again...passion and purpose, both rolled into one. God's timing is perfect.
I am excited to see where this new adventure takes me!
I am SO excited for Nova to grow up around music.
She loves instruments and recently told me she wants to play each one! (and that is fine by me!) She said she wants to be a singer when she grows up (also fine by me!) She loves dancing while I play for her at home....
God has given each of us unique gifts, and if I'm able to use music as a gift to bless others, I want to continue pursing that.
Recently I'm feeling more "myself" as music has taken on a new beginning and meaning in my life.
I am thankful for the individuals God has placed in my life. I am thankful for those who will be in my life in the future! For those who have followed my journey, I always want to remain transparent, because that is how I believe I'm able to help encourage others...life is not perfect and FOR SURE has its ups and downs.
Life does not have to be perfect to be beautiful.
God turns broken pieces into masterpieces when we make ourselves available and remain open to the opportunities He brings our way.
Music is part of who I am.
This morning I looked through a binder of the songs I've written in the past.....
It is pretty amazing to read the lyrics of songs God gave to me back in February of 2007:
A new sense of healing and worship is stemming from it all....
I am open to what God wants for my life through music.
I am ready for this next chapter.
I am happy to share this journey with you and hope it blesses your heart.
Here's the chorus from one of my songs:
"Now Is The Time" written on 4/3/07
*And God said, "The time, your time has come. The time for hurting to be done. For I bring new life, a new hope that heals, a new light that shines, a new joy that fills. So NEVER give up. NEVER give up. NEVER give up, cause now is the time."
-andreanewkirk
