For someone who loves to sing and play Christmas carols, you’d think I’d be delighted to hear it everywhere.

But, I’m not. Nope. It’s a fact that in most cases I just can’t stand it!!

I’ve been naive enough to believe the dictionary definition of “music” which is the art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.

And a huge proportion of what I hear may skilfully combine sounds, but I’ve discovered that while music makes noise, not all noise is music! (whether skillful or not!)

Much of what I hear today, is not music at all.
It’s just producing noise in a world that already saturates our environment with enough metallic discordant sound that keeps jangling our already jaded nerves.

When I actually hear music that skilfully combines vocal or instrumental music and produces beauty of form, harmony and expression of emotion, I am drawn to it like a dry sponge that draws in the delightful moisture around.

And emotions of calm, confidence, peace and sheer joy flourish and blossom.

We can’t choose the “noise” we’re exposed to in every situation, but we can choose to keep it out of our homes.

Carefully chosen Christmas tunes can help create the “Sweet” in “Home, Sweet Home.”
Try it and see.

Once upon a time not so very long ago, (about 21 years ago!) we lived amongst the cool tall trees of a majestic tropical rain forest in New South Wales, Australia.
Our three girls enjoyed growing their own flower and vegetable patches.
Vases of bright colourful dahlias and gerberas brightened our little tin cabin and sweetened our home.

It wasn’t a home as we live in now – not too many mod cons, but it was truly home. All it was really missing was the presence of our delightful later addition to the family – Stevie!

After an afternoon of gardening, we’d all look forward to a nice hot bath.
But we didn’t have a bath like we do now! See the best bath we ever had. I’m sure you’ve never had a bath like this one!

We’d light the fire under it late in the afternoon so the water would be nice and hot, then submerge up to our necks and soak all our aches away.
Many times we’d sit there, warm as toast, under the stars, listening to the rustling of the leaves in the trees, and dreaming of more happy times.
Someone would throw another stick on the fire, lighting up the dim forest, and warming our toes and hearts even more.
Close your eyes and imagine that you are miles and miles from any sounds of civilisation. Occasionally the boobook owl mournfully sings his song.
A possum scampers across the roof. Frogs croak monotonously.
No one seems to want to break the spell of peace that settled around our forest dwelling.

We lived like this in a time when others were still running on their crazy hectic merry-go-rounds of “civilisation.”

Living like our great grandmothers did in the days of long ago left time for living. Truly living.
So after our peaceful introduction to the twilight hours just as in the days of long ago, we would sing while I played the piano or we’d sing while we played – old songs of courage, hope, happiness and well known songs of joy and cheer.
To the light of the flickering candles. No electric lights to break the spell way out there. Just the cheerful laughter of our girls.

Memories of singing wafting from our fresh cut pine tree mingling with the delicious aromas of Christmas cooking, are among life’s sweetest memories.

Do you want your kids to remember that practice makes progress and progress makes achievement, and achievement makes happy feelings?

Help them know that their daily diligence will give heaps of happiness to others too.

Download a copy of the practice chart we use.  Click here on Happy Practice Chart

I like to add a fun quote or a motivational quote or even just an “I love you” note each week.
Your young practicer (whether using the Suzuki method or not) will look eagerly to see what you’ve written this time!
For more tips to make practice times in your family happy, CLICK HERE.

Why would anyone want a face lift?

To look better on the outside you have to look better on the inside.

So if you want a face lift look for the best in everything and everybody.

Then if you’re smiling on the inside it’ll look like it on the outside!

OK. There are sad things. Like the kids we visited at some orphanages in India. Kids who can’t see. Kids who don’t look the best because of awful damage to their eyes. Cross-eyed kids. Kids with glass eyes.

But many of those kids had faces that reflected the happiness they “saw” in spite of their blindness.

Observing them actually gave me a faith lift. Nope! I didn’t misspell that! It’s true.

They gave me a faith lift. Yes sireeee. My faith in the power of people, the inner power to rise above their problems and live lives of joy. Lives of gratitude.

So I’m not about to race out and book myself in for a face lift. Because we’re having so much pleasure out of making a difference for these kids.
All the people who purchase DVD’s and CD’s has given our faith in this project a huge faith lift.

This is the best insurance that we’ll never really need a face lift! No matter what!

Don’t go for a fake lift. Have a real faith lift. And your face’ll show it!

We chose the carols, improvised, arranged, thought and practised.

Five days later we were on the plane to the Gold Coast to get the job done for if it was to be a Christmas Carol DVD, Christmas was coming soon. No time to get bored!

If Stevie’s dream of making a difference in the lives of his blind friends was to come true, we needed to act fast.

And we did. And the producers did. And “Smudge” the sound man did.

We all did!

And it worked. And this young entrepreneur has learned a valuable lesson.

Work done well once, blesses others more than once.. Because his Christmas Carol DVD can be sold every year and will continue to provide ongoing funds to help his young blind friends.

Watch this video clip of Stevie’s TV interview.

Stevie on Hope TV

I got to know the kids pretty well.

I wanted to do something to help them.

I remember the day in October ’08 when Dad said, “Why don’t you make a DVD? That would raise money so you could help those kids?”

Why not?

And guess what? It’s helped those kids. Want to see some pictures?

Now they have enough money to eat fruit for a whole year.

I was so happy when I saw these pictures (and more) that Mum and I did a happy jig!

On August 29, this year ABC NorthCoast Radio interviewed Stevie on their live breakfast show.

Stevie had been invited to present a concert at the Seniors Expo Event organised by the Tweed Shire Council.

The interview was to publicise the event and hopefully encourage people to attend.

It did! And they did!

It was a wonderful opportunity for Stevie to grow and bless others with his music.

We sincerely thank the council and the ABC for broadening his horizons.

As a result he’s developing wider and wider views of how to make a difference in this world.

Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s philosophy is that children given excellent musical skills also develop character and sensitivity.

We’re watching with interest this method of talent education.

The dictionary says that

• talent is a natural aptitude or skill. Mmmmmm.

Is it then possible to influence the development of natural talent?

Influence the development of skills? And then to influence the development of character? And sensitivity?

Character, the dictionary says, is:

• the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual

• the quality of being individual, typically in an interesting or unusual way

• strength and originality in a person’s nature

And “sensitivity” is defined as:

• quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or influences

It seems to me then, that talent is not necessarily inborn, but influenced greatly by the environment.

By creating the atmosphere of music (Suzuki music style) in the home, and teaching sequential technical skills in a nurturing way with love, by celebrating the strength and originality in the character of a child and by opening their hearts to the world around them, children develop beautiful sensitivity. (Read “Nurtured by Love” by Dr. Suzuki.)

This whole philosophy fosters worthwhile character education.

Because of Stevie’s efforts in producing his first cello album, 185 blind children are now enjoying the benefits of eating sweet delicious fruit that the orphanage simply couldn’t provide before.

Fresh Fruit's Goood

We pay tribute to Dr. Suzuki’s influence in the life of our boy.

Today I listened to about 50 kids playing piano, cello, and classical guitar. Young kids. Playing with skill and sensitivity.

I remembered my own days of “having to do my practice.” I’m quite happy to forget lots of those times! Those were the days before we understood how to practise with the joy of making music.

But for those kids today, making music is the norm – not a luxury. They were simply speaking the language of music. Not such an amazing thing. Considering how they all speak their own mother tongue fluently. Why should music making be considered to be such a thing of “talent!”

So today I remembered again the true luxury of music. It’s much more than the thrill of playing in the opera house. It’s kids, developing more than just making music. It’s not just about making beautiful music, but beautiful hearts.