I have lost some of my zest for the Christmas holiday season, but I never lose my interest in Christmas carols, and hymns, and the beautiful Christmas liturgies that are part of the Catholic Church.
I have a wide variety of Christmas music. I happened to be looking through my trove of holiday treasures the other day, looking for easy Christmas carols to share with my neighbor, Ann. Ann wanted some carol books that she could share with her grandchildren, so she could play simple carols and they could sing along.
I happened to find an addition from the Willis Music company, that dated back to my earliest days of piano study. As I leafed through the small blue book, that was titled something like Christmas Carols for Children, I noticed that my teacher at the time George Assemany, had dated some of the carols during December of 1962. I was 7, and had just started piano lessons that previous summer. I was always happy that my mom took the time to find music for me that I WANTED to play. I could learn whatever my piano teacher had planned for me, but my Mom also wanted me to have a book or sheet music pieces that represented what I was interested in learning.
In looking at this little blue Willis addition of Christmas carols, I now realize how far I have come as an amateur pianist. I can still play these one note versions of familiar carols straight or with the panache of a more experienced player. I also look at the many carol books I now play, and realize that my mom knew that music is about what you feel and how much you feel in terms of sharing music with others. I sort of laughed, when I saw the 1962 dates. In 1962 I was in second grade, leading what I considered to be a fairly carefree life. Christmas holidays, meant incredible presents, amazing food cooked by my mom, my grandma and my Aunt Irene. But it also meant rich musical treasures, played or performed at church, or by me at home, or by my Aunt Irene at her house or ours.
In second grade, I was always impressed that my Aunt Irene could simply sit down at the piano and play all types of Christmas carols with ease. I knew even at 7 years old, that Aunt Irene had been a real practicer. She took the piano seriously and I think she took all music seriously. My mom was musical too, but she had not been exposed to piano lessons the way my Aunt Irene had. In some ways, I associated Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett with my mom, but I associated piano music with my Aunt. I add that my Aunt also sang in her church choir for almost all of her adult life, and that commitment to music,was the same commitment you needed to make to become a good pianist.
So in looking at my little Willis book, I took some time to find out about the Willis Music Company located in Florence, Kentucky. The Willis music company has always been about music education. In fact the Willis company was sold to Gustave Schirmer in 1919 and as mentioned in previous blogs, if one was playing a Schirmer edition, as a pianist you had arrived.
I looked at the www.willismusic.com website and learned that Willis added the Modern Course for the Piano by John Thompson to its catalogue in 1936. Again, the red John Thompson book, was another side, that you were progressing as a pianist. Willis also added the Dozen a Day series by Edna Mae Burnam. Take a moment during the holidays, to read about Willis and learn about how the company has expanded to serve the musical community with music educational materials, musical instruments and accessories. Willis is also well known for its support of school band and orchestra programs, particularly in the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky areas.
When I look at my treasure of music, I am always reminded of the great history in my many music books. There is a history of my progression as an amateur pianist, and a history of what I think I can accomplish as a pianist. There is always hope, when you sit at a piano, hope to become better, hope to calm your fears, hope that you can share the music which is such a part of your heart and who you are.
My Aunt Irene is gone now, but when the Christmas holidays come around I always think of her, and I am proud that I can sit at the piano and play those familiar carols. I also know that our Sarah can do the same, and will assume the mantle of piano playing when I can no longer do so.
If you play even at a beginning level, get out your Christmas carol book, or buy one and start a new holiday tradition...now!
