Sometimes I forget how important music is during times of stress.
This past weekend, I was feeling beat. Being in the U.S.’s epicenter of the virus outbreak has been exhausting. The days spent scrambling to switch my private students to online lessons, reading the increasingly dismal news, and worrying about my friends and family had taken their toll.
Even my boys’ excitement about making Leprechaun traps in anticipation for St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t lifting my spirits.
But on Sunday afternoon, we built a fire in the backyard and my wife suggested I pull out the guitar. “Let’s hear some quarantunes!”
As we ran through our family’s favorite singalong songs, my spirits lifted. And then someone suggested “Wagon Wheel,” and one of my 5-year-olds ran inside to grab his toy pan flute.
“I’m gonna count to four,” I told him, “and then I want you to play a big solo, OK?” We hadn’t really ever done this before, so I had no idea what to expect.
I counted us in, and man, he ripped into the most wild, weird, mind-blowingly wonderful flute (?!) solo. I was so delighted and amazed I could barely sing from the laughter.
Ever since, the world has felt a little more manageable.
Don’t forget how much we all need music right now.
Resources
My 700+ chord charts
My Totally Awesome Campfire Singalong Songbook (just look for the ad)
If you haven’t already, Join Heartwood Guitar for in-depth premium song lessons–a new one for “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley released this Friday!
Hang in there!
