Reposted from January 29, 2024
My first love was, and continues to be, music. My mom played a big role in helping develop this love by enrolling me in Mommy & Me keyboard lessons starting around age 4, and by continuing to give the gift of piano lessons for the next 10+ years. She introduced me to Stephen Sondheim musicals and to her favorite Beatles songs and 70s hits. My dad and sister introduced me to plenty of music artists, too – from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to Ace of Base and The Cranberries.
I had a boom box and a walkman as early as I can remember, and I listened to my growing collection of tapes and CDs constantly. I learned all the lyrics to my favorite songs and always sang along. To this day, if you ever see me driving, you’ll see me whole-heartedly singing along with whatever I have playing on my stereo.
I am a very feeling person (a very stereotypical Cancer, if you’re into astrology) and I think that is why I have such love for music – it’s an outlet for my wide range of big feelings. Music is liberating for me – it can make me smile and even laugh or tear up with joy, it can be a place to feel and release my anger, sadness, and grief, and it can fill me with nostalgia or contemplation and wonder.
I love how connecting music can be, too. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being in a space where people are hearing and feeling and appreciating music together, whether it’s at a concert or in a sanctuary or even gathering around a busker on a busy sidewalk.
Practicing or participating in the creation of music is a form of self-care for me. I still play piano and have dabbled with the guitar, bass, drums, viola, and cello over the years – but my primary instrument now is my voice. Being able to be a part of our congregational choir is such a joy, and I always look forward to and cherish the time spent with them on Tuesdays and Sundays.
I’m so grateful for all the roles music plays in my life! It’s been a wonderful companion, and I hope I’m able to enjoy it in one form or another until my last moments of life.
~Jenn Yi
UU brought me back to playing my flute and encouraged me to sing in my comfort zone of Tenor. I love our Musician Family at UUCG. UU brings so much to my life at this time…I need to plan for my music practice. This post reminds me to do that.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful voice with us at UUCG!
I am also very glad that you have an affinity for music. It’s the universal language. The lyrics can be so enriching but the core of the music, the melody, the harmony, the style, go well beyond words. When I listen to the UUCG Choir, I hear the whole language of music, I’m on a magic carpet, as I float through the music the music floats through me. Musicians are blessed by their keen senses and the fluid energy they tap through face to face and heart to heart companionship. Thanks to people like you, Jenn, who know how to deliver!