11.6.2024 I pretty much always have a song in my head. It’s actually kind of fascinating to me that not everyone’s brain works like this. I honestly can’t imagine what it would be like not to have a constant stream of music in my mind, acting as a soundtrack to my day. I spent more than a little time tonight going down a deep rabbit hole trying to find a cute children’s song about Earth Day. Yeah, I do know it’s in April – there was a reason, I promise. But as I hopped from o

11.4.2024 Tonight I attended an Evening of Prayer for our Country at St. Raphael’s parish in Glendale. It was a beautiful night of taize music, quiet reflection, and the opportunity to just sit, breathe, pray, sing, and be still. There was no preaching, no campaigning, no talk of candidates. Just an evening of prayer. As I sat in the dimly lit church, surrounded by candles and calmness, I was struck by how steadily and deeply I was breathing. It’s probably the slowest my brea

11.5.2023 There’s this moment that I experience every once in a while with music. For me, it usually happens when I’m singing a tight harmony line alongside a strong melody. It’s this point when I hear the dancing of notes that fit together like a perfectly balanced mathematical equation. I know that’s a weird analogy, but I truly don’t know a better way to explain it. In this moment the experience becomes effortless and the lyrics, even though they’re not mine, feel like a n

11.23.2022 I took piano lessons for about 6 years when I was a kid. I’m so thankful for those lessons. I learned how to read music and discovered a creative outlet that I’d continue in one way or another throughout the rest of my life. I will admit, though, that I wasn’t always the best piano practicer. I’d go in spurts of being super motivated and then super unmotivated and my practice time would follow suit. When I’d get frustrated at my lack of progress my very kind piano

11.6.2022 I’m very fortunate to help lead the children’s choir at my church. I’ve been doing it for several years now and I love, love, love it. I love the kids’ excitement and their eagerness to share their talents. I love the way that they sound when their voices blend together. I love how their song becomes a real expression of faith. I love the joy that exudes from them as they belt out their lyrics. I love it all. The kids lead music at Mass once a month, and today was t

11.2.2022 I was walking from the office to my classroom this afternoon. I was in a hurry, because there were approximately 4 minutes before Kindergarten lunch recess was over and about 10 things I wanted to accomplish in those 4 minutes. My mind was in overdrive, thinking about a dozen different things all at the same time. But as I approached my classroom I heard the beautiful sound of kids singing patriotic music down the hall. I knew immediately where it was coming from an

11.8.2021 Anyone who knows me knows that I love music. My day to day life most definitely has a soundtrack attached. I sing in the shower. I sing in the car. I sing in my classroom. I sing while I cook. Even when I’m quiet, you can pretty much guarantee that there’s still a song bopping through my head or whispering to my heart. It’s also safe to bet that the vast majority of the time it’s a harmony line, not the melody, that is implanted in my brain. One of my favorite thing

11.23.19 My appreciation for music certainly isn’t contained to just this one day. It’s a super important part of my life. But tonight I had the honor to attend a concert by Phoenix Singing, a group of local vocalists with some incredible talent. My friends Jaime and Annalicia are both in the group. The entire concert was acapella and featured many locally composed and/or arranged songs. It was an amazing night of music. There was a very eclectic collection of songs presented

11.14.19 First grader: I saw you crying, Ms. Wiebel. Guilty as charged. I totally cried today. In front of my students and a room full of senior citizens. We went on a field trip today to a retirement living community. Our first graders have been learning all about our country, and in honor of Veterans Day we prepared a number of patriotic songs to perform at a nearby retirement center. The kids have been working really hard to memorize all the words and perfect their songs.

11.3.19 When I was little, the story of Zacchaeus was one of my favorite Bible stories. For those who may not be familiar with it, Zacchaeus was a tax collector from the town of Jericho back in the time of Jesus. Tax collectors in that era were known for their dishonesty and were therefore not real popular in most circles. Well, Zacchaeus got curious when he heard that Jesus was coming to town to preach and he followed the crowd of Hebrews to go meet this Jesus guy. Zacchaeus