What Music Means To Me

What does music mean to me? Music is the way I express my heart and becomes my vessel that sails the seas of this world. I need music in my life. With this gift, I convey love to touch others. Music is like good medicine we all need. It flows like the waves of the oceans, in and out cleansing and healing us. Music is very powerful.

I journey back to the first song I learned. I was twelve and had some guitar lessons. I was left-handed and reversed my strings. At my first recital, I performed to an audience of parents and friends playing "Try and Catch the Wind" by Donovan. 1967 was the first time a song was poured from my heart. "In the chilling hours and minutes of uncertainty, I want to be in the warm hold of your loving arms. To feel you all around me and to take your hand along the sand, ah but I may as well try and catch the wind."

Being older, I have many things on my heart so I pour out songs and poems. Music comforts and holds me when I am needy. Sometimes only music reaches me. Like the tide comes and goes with a give and take motion, so are the songs I write. I love to perform heart music to an audience and sense the feelings in the air as I touch their hearts and souls. Music opens doors to new friends. Katherine Dawn is one of the musical friends I treasure now. She is a gift from God and is responsible for putting me on stage for the first time to share the sounds of my heart. I enjoy the ride that music gives me. Music completes me and supplies all my needs.

Music helps me journey into deeper still spiritual realms. I reveal the deepest part of myself and let others experience my inner thoughts, which are personal and surrealistic. I am retroflective! Music becomes my salvation, my religion, my rock, my message and my anchor.

Music gathers kindred spirits. Going to the near border of Mexico on the Rio Grande River at Terlingua, Tx., in the Big Bend National Forest, changed my life and gave me freedom of expression. Every year thousands of musicians gather there for the Terlingua World Championship Chili Cook Off. During the day the desert sun beats down. At night it is cool so we all gather around campfires for song circles. There is nothing like a good fire in the wee hours of the night and singing songs around the flames with other sojourning souls sharing their songs. With the background of sunrises, mountains and sunsets, we could paint music together so to speak.

Music is the foundation for my house of love. It comforts me and saves me. David Crosby states: "Everyone is saying that music is love." When I am in the realm of love, I am playing music. Love is the strongest force I know. Music is the most important thing in my life. I would be lost without music. Music is a gift from God given to help fill the empty places inside us. That is what music means to me, everything.

NB: Originally published online in the female folk category of the Indie Guitarists website, which is no longer functional now.

Writing a new song in the sun

Nancy's canyon

Nancy G with Maestro