I love music!  I always have.  As I think back on my music ‘history’, I’ve realized that I have done some pretty crazy things for the love of music.

It started when I entered puberty.  It was at the height of the ‘era’ when Donny Osmond and his brothers were all the rage.  My bedroom wall was plastered with posters of Donny.  As an adult I still listen to his music.  I went to one of his concerts with my husband when we were young.  It was ‘dreamy’.  Like a true groupie, after the show I waited outside and got to shake Donny’s hand.  I swore I’d never wash that hand again.

Several years later I met Donny again and was on TV with him on ‘Northwest Afternoon’ in Seattle.  It was just one of those things that I had to do–to fulfill that ‘teenage’ dream.  I even have the occasion forever immortalized in my ‘music’ scrapbook.

When I went to college, I outgrew my Osmond phase, but not my love for music.  I became the music director at the college radio station where I got better acquainted with my future husband, the radio station manager.  Music is what brought us both together.  Although we have varying tastes, we both love music.

In recent years, my love of music has turned almost exclusively to contemporary Christian music.  I have many favorites like Stephen Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Third Day and Chris Tomlin.  I have seen them all in concert many times.  These concerts are not just concerts to me.  I love their music so much that they are generally more like a spiritual experience for me.  The music is inspiring and uplifting.  It is worshipful.

Casting Crowns

Mercy Me

Over the last year, my music taste has taken on a whole new dimension.  Thanks to Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, my host son from Spain, I have taken an interest in modern piano—and Spanish music too.  Producing the CD of Pedro’s original piano compositions has opened up a whole new array of musical interests and pursuits for me.  Afterall, he reminds me that I am his American manager.

Last week, I was at the ‘Meet and Greet’ for Steven Curtis Chapman while he was performing in town.  My son Cameron and I attended with a friend who got free tickets because of her role in an adoption ministry. It wasn’t much of a ‘meet and greet’ as we shook his hand, he answered a question or two and was gone. But with my friend’s encouragement, Steven ended up with a copy of Pedro’s CD in his hands.  Afterwards, my son jokingly said to me, “I’ll never wash this hand.” Déjà vu.

Steven Curtis Chapman

Autographed concert poster

Backstage with SCC

And then tonight a similar situation presented itself.  I have been researching how to make Pedro’s music more available online.  That research took me to the Jim Brickman concert.  I barely knew who Jim Brickman was a few months ago–and only then because I knew that Donny Osmond had accompanied him on some songs.  As I’m preparing to get Pedro’s music available for sale online with itunes, Amazon and Spotify, I discovered how similar his music is to Jim Brickman’s.  So I met him tonight too and gave him one of Pedro’s CDs—all for the love of music.

With Jim Brickman

I have no idea if anything will happen because of these bold acts of blind faith that God has me pursuing. It runs totally parallel to the boldness I have been walking out in my journey with Christ this past year. All I can do is go where He leads me, and when things aren’t quite what I thought or I veer off course, pray that God gently leads me back on His path. Because ultimately it’s all for the love of Jesus.