Music has always been part of my life. My mom and dad started singing together as teenagers in church – long before they were ever romantically involved. They passed down their love of music and talent to me and my two siblings.
We were all involved in band and choir in school, and continued to be involved with music as adults. My brother was a music minister before becoming a senior pastor. My sister is a music teacher and has sung with the Oregon Repertory Singers and performed in the Mikado. I’ve sung professionally and played the piano in a small church.
We decided a great gift for our mother’s 80thbirthday would be the three of us singing at the party. We sang together as children, but to the best of my recollection, we’ve not sung together in more than 25 years. We got together yesterday to practice. Even with our musical background, it took us a while to find our musical equilibrium. However, after 15-20 minutes, we were blending and making adjustments with *finesse.
Me with my parents and siblings at my cousins wedding – the last time I recall singing with my siblings. (1984)
Maybe it’s because we’re siblings and were raised with the same musical influences, but it’s surprising that we sound as good as we do and are still in sync with each other after all these years. Regardless of how we sound at the party, it will be perfect harmony to our mother, and that’s what matters.*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)