Musical and Magical

As I ponder this magical holiday season, memories of isolation during the peak of the pandemic - and changes in protocol in so many arenas in the aftermath - haunt me. Masked faces with wary, weary eyes met me everywhere. Muffled words obstructed craved communication. I sensed a sad and scary season.

Music helped me transcend the unworldliness of the time. I put my record player through a workout. Unfamiliar tunes, mingled with multiple plays of my forever favorites, fell on ears eager for them all. All the tunes were played loud and proud. The lyrics, melodies and rhythms kept me from sinking into the quicksand of despair.

They are doing the same thing now. This column appears on December 20, which is Go Caroling Day according to the wacky/bizarre calendar by Holiday Insights. As I write this the week prior, school is closed, grocery shelves in the medicine/vitamin aisles have gaping holes and dare I mention that I couldn’t purchase my preferred toilet paper brand. All are eerie reminders of more profound pandemic effects not that many moons ago.

Keep music front and center this season so joy reigns! Even if we can’t go caroling, we can play the radio, tune in to TV specials, dust off the vinyl and sing along, (or plug in to any of the high-tech stuff). Music is healing, good for the body, mind and soul. It gives morales a bold boost.

One year I taught French all day. Enrollment was up due to the missing Spanish link in the curriculum. I barely had time to mourn the temporary break from Miss Havisham and Pip’s escapades in ninth grade English. During the days before Christmas break, my foreign language students were quickly learning new words to old familiar seasonal tunes.

I marched ALL 120+ of them into the center of the elementary gym - for their FIRST multi-class sing-along of French carols - and panicked as I watched the entire elementary school take seats in the bleachers and on the floor around us. What was I thinking when I came up with this bright idea - and what was the administration thinking when they okayed it? Those thoughts made my blood pressure rise as my nerves made the gym seem a sauna. But, it worked! It was magnifique!

Each year as I rummage around for my hand-printed French carols song sheet, the joy springs up again as I remember the elation when the students heard themselves all singing together to the delight of the younger kids. Music etches memories into our hearts and minds.

May you experience the joy of music this season, as well as the joy of sharing it. JOYEUX NOEL!