“It’s in the Music” is such a valuable phrase to me that I had it tattooed on my arm. It’s my one and only tattoo and I was 52 years old when I made the decision. Also, just for the record, it is true that getting tattooed fuels the desire to get another one! It’s now in my near future.
There’s a story behind why the phrase is so important to me. I will quickly track back 50 years from where it all started. I wanted a guitar. My mom and I drove 35 miles on a dark and snowy night to buy it. Lessons followed and my love for music grew with each note. I eventually picked up a few more instruments that offered the opportunity to perform with a band during my teenage years.
I write this with much gratitude because both of my parents were always supportive of my musical talent. They spent dollars they didn’t have on the finest instruments for me.
Sixteen years ago I had an experience that has since left me pondering the meaning of the message “It’s in the Music”.
Do you know how some dreams have so much impact you never forget them? Well, that’s exactly what happened. My mother who had passed 4 years prior, appeared to me in a dream. She asked me to sit in her lap. My grown self sat in her lap just like a little tiny baby! She looked deep into my eyes and said, “It’s in the Music, Vickie”. Just let me do this – and she repeated “It’s in the music” 3 more times. She began to blow her breath in my face. Ice blue crystals filled my entire body. I could feel them going through my veins as if I were wide awake.
There are some things you know beyond the shadow of a doubt even when they don’t make sense. I knew something had just happened that changed the trajectory of my heart toward the power of music. I have no words for it other than something in my heart began to explore what she meant. What exactly is in the music? Why did “I” need to know this information? What was the purpose of the blue crystal thingys?
At this time, I have only partial answers with a lot of gray areas. Here is what I know. Music is universal. It speaks to every age, language, and gender. The sound embeds into all five senses. A song can take you to places you’ve never been and put you right into the moment. One lyric can heal moments of grief, sorrow, or confusion. A melody can become almost a nuisance as it “gets stuck in your head” and make you spontaneously dance a jig or run a sprint. There is a lot of science behind that whole concept but that’s not my mission today.
My mission is to share this experience with you and hopefully inspire you to reach a bit deeper into a place of your own personal unknown. The song I am sharing with you today was recently released to the public. I wrote it in 2003 a few months after my mother transitioned to heaven but before the epic dream.
I sat all alone at a keyboard in a church sanctuary. Writers of music know the power of fiddling around with notes until they make a melody. There is no certain order as to how lyrics begin to accompany a melody. In this case, the lyrics fell right into cadence with the melody and were coming from a place of the sorrow I was experiencing at the time. It seemed as the lyrics were releasing my current state of sadness or grief. Eventually, I ended up in a heap of emotions underneath the keyboard.
I know each reader has had the experience of listening to a song that captures a piece of their heart but most listeners do not know the process a song has gone through to get to the place of its availability to the public.
First, there is the unction– that still small voice inside of an artist that starts to press from the inside pushing its way into existence. It’s raw and unpolished but nevertheless, it has arrived. It can be downright exhausting delivering something the world has NEVER seen or heard.
The second is the moment of sharing. That usually takes me a while because I love to hang on to the sacred and intimate moment of creativity. It’s a personal thing.
The third phase can take minutes or years. Framing the structure of the song. Finding its personality. This is usually done in the company of other musicians or producers. An artist usually knows if a suggested adjustment is going to fit the song’s purpose. It’s up to the creator as to how loosely they hold the reigns on refining.
Finally, the decision is made if a recording is part of the song’s destiny. I can tell you there is a multitude of great songs that have never been recorded. Their purpose is being fulfilled in other ways.
Then there are songs like the Holy of Holies that yelled the need to be shared in a broader avenue.
By the time we recorded this song nineteen years after its conception – it had already made its way into several situations where it dispersed peace and comfort. It carried the same healing with it I had experienced when it was delivered into my care.
The recording came at a time of the chaotic world upheaval of COVID-19. Musicians, conductors, and performers were squelched in their tracks with no outlets. They gladly and professionally served the song. We couldn’t have done it without their collaboration.
There is much more to say but I’m at the end of my words for today. The power of music is wide and deep with many avenues to explore. “It’s in the Music” is a message that will certainly unravel for the rest of time.
I leave you with this encouragement. Choose to look at music on a deeper level and when you get there- go deeper. It’s an endless road. When you see a music artist performing or writing – give them a word of encouragement. Most of us don’t even know the real power of the gift we carry. And last but not least from my heart to yours – please enjoy the
Now found on my It’s in the Music Page
and of course by all means
Enjoy the Journey – VB
It’s really not my gig BUT I LOVE TO READ THE FOOD BLOGS! So for all of you foodies out there who aren’t sharing your stuff –what are you waiting for? If I can do the blog thing – so can you! Give it a click and get started.
