For the past week I've been rehearsing with a local high school choir. I'll be accompanying them on piano for their up-coming concert. The choir director is doing a great job preparing the kids.
There's this one girl --I'll call her Miss Fidget -- who struggles to stay focused. She tries to roam around the classroom. The choir teacher has to continually call for her to return to her seat. She talks when she should be quiet, fidgets, distracts the other students.
I guess you could say this girl has ADHD.
Nevertheless, she's a lovely girl, sweet, bright.
So I was surprised on the first day of rehearsals when Miss Fidget came to the front of the choir and sang a solo.
She's really good.
Her voice has a lovely quality. She's right on pitch. She's musical and has a good sense of rhythm, as well.
Wow!
This normally hyperactive child stayed completely focused on the task of singing her solo. Singing had transformed her. . . for the time it took to sing her solo.
Now, I'm no scientist, but as someone who's taught music for three decades, I can tell you that playing a musical instrument or singing skillfully requires great coordination and concentration. It calls on the brain to perform several complex tasks simultaneously.
Learning to perform music literally makes you smarter.
I also believe that playing or singing develops the ability to feel, identify and express emotion.
I like to think about King David as a young man, out in those fields, watching over his father Jesse's sheep. He didn't have a Kindle or Nook, or even a good paperback book to occupy his time. So he composed poems, and sang, and played his lyre. No doubt, during those quiet hours all alone, God was turning David into the great man. . . and king who would one day rule a nation.
As a musician, I like to think God used music to help develop David's mind and heart.
This is the same mind and heart that wrote:
"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." (Psalm 89:1)
"It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name,
O most High."(Psalm 92:1)
"Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." (Psalm 146:2)
One day, perhaps, the Lord will help Miss Fidget to develop her musical gift to such a high degree that she'll sing for great crowds.
Aren't you glad God gave us the gift of music?
There's this one girl --I'll call her Miss Fidget -- who struggles to stay focused. She tries to roam around the classroom. The choir teacher has to continually call for her to return to her seat. She talks when she should be quiet, fidgets, distracts the other students.
I guess you could say this girl has ADHD.
Nevertheless, she's a lovely girl, sweet, bright.
So I was surprised on the first day of rehearsals when Miss Fidget came to the front of the choir and sang a solo.
She's really good.
Her voice has a lovely quality. She's right on pitch. She's musical and has a good sense of rhythm, as well.
Wow!
This normally hyperactive child stayed completely focused on the task of singing her solo. Singing had transformed her. . . for the time it took to sing her solo.
Now, I'm no scientist, but as someone who's taught music for three decades, I can tell you that playing a musical instrument or singing skillfully requires great coordination and concentration. It calls on the brain to perform several complex tasks simultaneously.
Learning to perform music literally makes you smarter.
I also believe that playing or singing develops the ability to feel, identify and express emotion.
I like to think about King David as a young man, out in those fields, watching over his father Jesse's sheep. He didn't have a Kindle or Nook, or even a good paperback book to occupy his time. So he composed poems, and sang, and played his lyre. No doubt, during those quiet hours all alone, God was turning David into the great man. . . and king who would one day rule a nation.
As a musician, I like to think God used music to help develop David's mind and heart.
This is the same mind and heart that wrote:
"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." (Psalm 89:1)
"It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name,
O most High."(Psalm 92:1)
"Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." (Psalm 146:2)
One day, perhaps, the Lord will help Miss Fidget to develop her musical gift to such a high degree that she'll sing for great crowds.
Aren't you glad God gave us the gift of music?
I have several family members with ADHD. Besides being easily distracted, they have the ability to hyper-focus on certain tasks.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Susan :)
Susan, I have one member of my family with ADHD. He's amazing! Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDelete