My Favorite Songs of 2012 (Instrumentals)

***My apologies to my readers for not posting anything in over a month. To be honest, I do not want to post something just to post something. My thinking is quality over quantity. However, I do endeavor to do a better job at posting in a timely manner. On to the blog…***

Ask anyone who knows me and you will find that I am a lover of piano. From the age of 5, the desire and burden to play piano was instilled in me. If you don’t know my whole story, you can read about it here on my post called A Passion for My Purpose. If you are an avid reader of this blog, you would remember I had written a couple posts about my favorite songs. I should have entitled it my favorite songs of 2011 since they change so much. That being said I have decided to go back and update some songs. What say you? I can’t! Well it’s my blog so I can do whatever I want to. No, I’m just kidding…maybe. Anyways, on with it…

Hatikvah (La Mantovana) by Jarrod Radnich

I first discovered Jarrod Radnich when The Piano Guys featured him on one of their YouTube videos. He played his own piano arrangement of the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme song. I feel immediately in love with his playing style and arrangements. I downloaded his Christmas CD Ornaments and discovered Hatikvah. Hatikvah or The Hope is a Hebrew song which is the national anthem of Israel. His arrangement of this song starts out very somber and a painfully slow tempo but then speeds up to more of a patriotic tempo. My favorite part is the octave run at 2:42. Any Israeli national would be proud to have this arrangement as their anthem. A superb and brilliant work by Jarrod!

Bring Him Home by The Piano Guys

If you don’t know about The Piano Guys, shame on you! No seriously, The Piano Guys are a group of super talented musicians made popular by YouTube. The Piano Guys consist of a cellist named Steve Nelson, a pianist named Jon Schmidt, and other videographers and sound dudes. Bring Him Home is a prayer in the play Les Miserables sung by the main character Jean Valjean. To get the total grasp of the song you would need to know the whole plot of the Broadway play which I don’t have time to get into right now (sorry) but we still can capture the essence. Jean Valjean is praying that his “daughter’s” love be returned back to her safe from the battle. The song is written for a high tenor but in this arrangement, the cello brings some richness and depth to the song that a tenor wouldn’t be able to provide. The last note is special as it is drawn out to create the feeling of longing for the prayer to be answered. If you just need to relax, it’s a very good song to listen to. A+ job by The Piano Guys!!!

Hymns by Anthony Burger

This CD is a masterpiece! Not only was it recorded in one session with no cuts these 10 or so arrangements truly work as one continuous, harmonious arrangement. This CD is a very good background CD when you are cleaning the house, hosting a party, or just need to chill. Anthony Burger hits every note with just the right amount of expression. These arrangements let the hymns speak for themselves as there are not a lot of fancy runs or jazzy moves in them. My favorite arrangement is The King is Coming. The harmonies and octaves just bring out the truth in the song and the placement of every note is perfect. Great work by a great composer/pianist!! 

Side Note: This video is not of The King is Coming because I wasn't able to find one that his arrangement. However, this my favorite video of him playing When We All Get to Heaven in many different styles. What a talented guy!!

1000 Years by the Piano Guys

Keeping with the theme of instrumentals, I first heard this song when I purchased The Piano Guys self-titled album. This song is special to me because it reminds me of a poem I wrote for my future husband. The lyrics state “I have died everyday waiting for you, Darling don’t be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.” The song was originally played in the Twilight movies. Never read the book or watched the movie so I have not a clue how it’s used but it’s a wonderful song regardless of how it came to be popular. Again the melody switches from cello to piano and so forth. The masterful thing about The Piano Guys is it they know what instrument would sound the best playing the melody. The cello plays the melodies of the verses creating the feeling of longing while the piano accents with the harmony creating a sense of anticipation. The piano takes over the melody in the chorus creating the feeling of hope and happiness while the cello creates depth and a feeling of reflection.

Little Drummer Boy by Jarrod Radnich

I know, I know Little Drummer Boy is the most repetitive Christmas carol there is besides the traditional version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Like the SNC version of 12 Days of Christmas, the Jarrod Radnich version of Little Drummer Boy is way more creative than I could ever possibly imagine. I was a little apprehensive when I saw this carol on his Ornaments CD song list but decided to listen to it anyway. Wow was I blown away! The creativity of each verse is astounding. The bass octaves keeps the tempo like a drum would while the treble brings new Celtic style harmonies to the old, repetitive melody. There is nothing repetitive about this song though, each new verse brings new harmonies, octaves, and chords into the mix. Variety is the name of the game here. Trust me, if you don’t like the traditional song (like me) you, you will love this version.

And there you have it my favorite instrumental songs of 2012. Up next are my favorite Southern Gospel Songs of 2012. Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon. Let me know what other categories to write on. Until next time remember,

Happiness is a Choice

Always Remember to Sing in the Rain

Christa 

A Passion for My Purpose

Music is enough for a lifetime

But a lifetime is not enough for music

I don’t really know what I would do without music. Music is my life if you haven’t figured that out by now. Y’all are smart so I know you have. I have talked a lot about music in the past but I haven’t made it personal.  So here is my story  of my long journey and finding my passion.

From the time I can remember music has had a great impact in my life. As I mentioned in the previous post The Influencers, I started playing piano when I was 5 or 6 at my Bachi’s house. I officially started teaching myself when I was in early elementary school. My mom homeschooled my brothers and I so I didn’t have the opportunity to take lessons at public school. My parents weren’t able to afford lessons so they bought a learn-at-home course from Madonna Woods. I remember my first song it involved three notes Middle C, D, and E. The lyrics went “Up we go, to the right, these three notes are very tight.” I can still play it!! My first special was at church and I played Quiet Time. The lyrics were “Quiet time is here now, let us all be still now, only when we’re quiet, can we hear the Lord.” It was my debut as a singer as well. I was hooked on music. I moved on to harder books and focused mostly on church music. I didn’t want to (and still don’t have a desire to) learn classical music. I wanted to play piano for church and that was all. I loved to hear the church pianist play and the passion inside me was so great that I craved playing the piano. It was my stress reliever. I played offertories at church every once in a while and challenged myself to learn harder, challenging songs. We had moved to North Carolina at this time and my mom found someone who agreed to give me piano lessons. She taught me how to play hymns and she encouraged me to play with both hands at the same time. I was super nervous about that but I quickly began to like it. I started playing some congregational hymns at church. I loved playing for church and I dreamed of the day that I would be a church piano player. My piano teacher then recommended a new piano teacher because she had taught me everything she knew. This piano teacher started working with me hymn-playing and started me on some classical music because I needed help on expression. I played one volume: LOUD. Then we moved to Ohio and there were no piano teachers there at that time who could teach me hymn-playing. I wanted to learn how to play better for church. The song leader at our church found out that I played piano and started having me play for some congregational hymns. I thoroughly enjoyed it and even started playing for some choir specials. I thought I was ready but when I look back I know I was just starting out and not even close to being prepared.  However, experience is the best teacher and I grew slowly but surely.

I went to college anticipating that I would major in music. Then the bombshell hit that sent me on a downward slide. I auditioned for the Dean of Music and he told me that I was nowhere near where I needed to be. I was so crushed that I broke down sobbing in front of him. I couldn’t believe that he said I couldn’t play. I tried my hardest and it wasn’t good enough. I started taking lessons and was told by my teacher that I wasn’t good enough to continue to be a major in music.  She told me to choose another major.  I quit practicing piano all together. I had given up and lost all my passion for piano. Every time I was near one I resisted the urge to play it for fear of making a fool of myself. I left that college and went to Crown. I decided to take choir and start taking piano lessons again. I started but I couldn’t do it. My piano teacher (although good) was not connecting with me. I stopped practicing again and rarely ever played piano at college. After graduation, I came back home and rarely played piano. My church already had a superb piano player and I had a very low esteem of myself and my piano playing. For a while, I never mentioned I played piano or even craved to play it. I practiced at the insistence of my mom and played one or two offertories for church. My pastor remembered I played for the congregation before and I began playing for church again. I still had a low esteem on how I played despite the fact people came up to me and complimented me on my playing style. I am very hard on myself and anything less than perfection was not good enough. I had to be perfect.

Then I meet my last piano teacher. She attended our church and started playing for Sunday night services. I started working with her on my playing style which only consisted of playing very fast and very loud. She worked with me on playing with expression and started teaching me more about hymn-playing. Our church’s song leader came up to me in the spring of 2011 and told me that my services were needed in playing piano during the summer. My piano teacher was having a baby and was going to be out for a couple of weeks. I apprehensively agreed and started playing on Sunday nights. I did well some nights and others, well we won’t talk about those. I made many mistakes and made the biggest blunder ever in the history of me playing the piano…I played in the wrong key. Goodness knows it was horrible. My pastor had to stop the song service because it was so bad. I transpose songs with more than 2 sharps into flats (it’s easier for me to play) but the organist doesn’t. She played the song in sharps and I played it in flats. I was crushed and wanted to crawl underneath the piano and cry. I saw myself back at the audition breaking down and sobbing. It was happening all over again. After the service, I texted my piano teacher and told her that I didn’t want to play piano anymore. She told me of the times that she (one of the best piano players I know) made a huge blunder. She told me that anyone could play piano and that with experience and practice I could be better. I stuck with it but that memory still haunts me. Slowly my passion started coming back and after that Kingsmen concert it was in full force. The cravings to play the piano were back and I longed for another chance. Our song leader used me as a substitute pianist so I got some chances but I was hungry and wanted more. Those months and weeks of waiting taught me controlled passion. I wasn’t ready to play yet. I took piano lessons from her for 2 years until she moved. I was saddened by it but I knew it was time for me to experiment on my own and spread my wings. I started practicing different techniques and style and I started playing piano for church regularly. I even played for a couple of choir specials (I was so nervous about those). I was thrilled because my passion came back and I had finally found “my” purpose. I still play fast and loud but I’m teaching myself to relax and enjoy every moment. I’m so passionate about piano playing that it comes off like I’m angry but I’m not, I’m just passionate. I hope God grants me more years of playing the piano and I pray that God will make my dream of becoming a church pianist come true.

So whatever your passion is whether it be music or computers whether it be food or writing just go for it. There are going to be some disappointments along the way but use those to make you stronger. Let your passion grow and never lose sight of what has been placed in your heart by God’s divine hand. Remember although perfection is a great motivator, it can be your biggest downfall. You will make mistakes but don’t ever give up!! There’s a reason and purpose for everything. Until next time,

Be Happy Being Single

Always Remember to Sing in the Rain

Christa

P.S. For those of you who haven't read about Operation Saturation, click here. You'll be glad you did.