And what is YOUR story?!
 

In a few I'll be leaving for Metro Airport to pick up my mom, so I've been thinking about her...

When I was maybe eight or nine Mom started the Jr. Choir and I hated it!! Not the singing because she gave her children a well rounded view of music and I have always loved it...it was that getting up in front of everyone that I didn't like.

I can remember squating down and hiding behind my grandmother's skirt, but Mom always found me.

She allowed children to join the choir the moment they started kindergarten, and we didn't just get up there and holler...Mom made sure we sang in beautiful harmony. I don't know how she did it, but she taught us our parts and we jammed!! :choir

Mom is the reason that there are men and women today who are actively involved in music in the Church, and that we have an ear.

So I wondered, how many of you sang in Church when you were young?! Did you teach your kids to sing or encourage them in it?!

Just wonderin'... :choir

I sang in church when I was younger. I have always loved to sing.

Both of my daughters love to sing. I am so glad that they both have the love for music that I do.

You couldn't get my 8 yr old son to sing for anything though. He says it's for the girls! :D

From my first memories as a kid, my father was a music lover. My father has had hundreds of records since I was born. I grew up listening to Country Music, Rock-a-Billy, Elvis, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Hank Thompson, etc.

My father also has reel to reel tapes as well as 8 tracks of old music from the Fifties and sixties.

When I was about 4 years old I had a plastic toy guitar and could not wait for Johnny Cash to walk out on his show. I would stand on a stool with my guitar on my back just like Johnny and say together with him [as I grabbed my guitar all pulled it around] and say; "Hello, I'm Johnny cash."

My dad had a guitar he did not play so I would sneak and get it and try to play it in my bedroom.

In the 3rd grade I played a little keyboard in Music Class that I blew air into with a hose. We had a school concert and we played the song "500 miles."

Then in the 7th and 8th grade I was in the school Choir. I was one of the selected out of many Schools that auditioned for regionals.

During this time I was learning to play the Electric Guitar.

Then at Seventeen got into Church and started playing the drums {I never played them before} for services when the main drummer was not there.

Then the Bass guitar player left our Church and I started playing the Bass. Never played the bass before. Then I was the Bass guitar player and back up drummer for 17 years. During this time I started writing songs and had a band. Did some recording and got local air play on the radio.

Now I play the bass at Amarillo Fellowship church.

I had to giggle when reading this....

I sang on holiday programs in church as a child (there wasn't a strong youth ministry in the church I grew up in). My mom is a singer and I wanted to be like her. I was sooooo nervous!!! I remember doing a solo on the Christmas program when I was about 8. I was crinkling my dress in my hand with my eyes glued on my mom so that when I was done my dress was....well....a lot shorter than it started out!! 20 yrs later some folks from my home church traveled by bus to our national convention and were watching the tape!! I could have died when I saw them and they told me that!!!

I don't still sing in the choir, love to sing but I don't feel that is my calling, but I do it when lead or requested.

Too funny reminiscing!!!

I can't remember any part of my growing up years when we weren't involved in singing/music. My dad's family (Grahams) always had a sextet, quartet, or something going. My uncle and aunt were in a group that recorded a few albums. At our family reunions, we still all get together and play instruments and sing all the oldies from our childhood, which drives Eddie crazy.

My two boy cousins and my sister and I had a quartet all my life until after we left for Bible College. We travelled around southern Illinois and Indiana mostly, singing at churches and special events. Our first singing engagement was singing on my Grandpa Kloepper's radio show in the sixties, when we were probably 4,5,6, & 7. Our all time "big moment" was when we opened for the Lanny Wolfe Trio in 1974. LOL!!! That was the most exciting thing we'd ever done up to that point. (We led a very sheltered life!):slaphappy

When I was in my early teens and pre-teen years, I had two pastor's daughters who were my friends. Both of them could sing, harmonize and did beautiful music. They very pointedly told me that I couldn't sing and shouldn't try. So for many years I only sang if I was pretty sure no one could hear me.

Now that I'm old, I don't care anymore. I'm not here to please anyone else. Just the Lord. I sing for HIM and Him alone. I love to make a joyful noise.

and by the way, my voice seems to have improved dramatically with age. I've even had people come to me and tell me how much they enjoy it when I sing near them in worship! That's not something I ever expected to hear!!!

Thank you all for your comments...I confess and apologize that I am too tuckered out to read them tonight as we JUST got home from the airport.

Mom is in bed and all is well...have a blessed night all!! :choir

My dad took us and most of the church to Bro. Thompson's singing schools. I enjoyed them, just didn't like it when he would have me to singing the parts and lead by swing my arm to the different musical counts.

Bro. Thompson was out of Lake Charles, LA, I believe, haven't heard of him for years, assume he as long since joined the heavenly choir.

Well, I wasn't priviledged to be in grandma's choir, but when my dad was pastoring and would preach out at other churches at various times, he would always ask my mom to sing. But when I got to be about 10 yrs old or so, my mom started making me sing. And when I say make me, I mean MAKE ME. I hated getting up in front of people I didn't know and would physically get sick to my stomach, but she would not be moved!! I think that's one of the reasons I still sing today is because she made me get over the nervousness and fear.

Well, my story is different although I do have a musical background. My Mom took us to the Catholic church every Sunday but there wasn't much of an opportunity to sing there except in service. My Mom had a band...her and another woman...who sang in the bars. We kids went with quite a lot and listened to them play and also we listened to them practice at home. I learned a lot about singing harmony listening to them. I also know a lot of old secular songs.

When I was fairly young, we had a local "gong show" in our town and I sang in it while my Mom played guitar. I sang "Let your love flow". I really loved doing that. We sang a lot around our house and in hgh school I sang with a friend of mine...we did a number of duets and won prizes and medals. We also did a quartet with some other friends who joined us.

So, my memories are different, but my love for music has always been there.

I was about 10 when my mother was my Sunday School teacher...She was glad to see me go :)! LOL

When I was 11 yo Sis. Veley could play by ear and they wanted me to sing in youth meeting. I was no singer and I prayed and fasted and practiced...and God moved. I sang the same song as an adult while we evangelized...it was near about the only song I knew:)! LOL.

When I was 12 yo I could play in sword drill for the 12 yo and up, and also the 12 and under. It was my life's dream to beat Sis. Marker in sword drill. On my 12th birthday I won both sword drills and beat Sis. Marker. I thought she was the smartest person in the church...and she was until me:)! j/k.

Blessings, Rhoni

Bump for Barb who had to put her hips to bed last night and didn't get to read her own thread!:slaphappy

And a wonderful singer you are, girl...I can remember singing a solo in church when I was just a young'un...

Faith, hope and charity
That's the way to live successfully
How do I know...the Bible tells me so

That's all I remember... :choir

When I was a teenager I was a member of a trio. It was my Brother, the Pastors Daughter and me. I got to be in the group because I was the only one who would testify or even keep my eyes open while singing. I can assure you it wasn't because of my singing ability........

I grew up hearing "harmony" sitting in church between my mom and dad. :) They both sang parts and knew how to harmonize so I heard that from the time I was born with my mom singing in my ear and around the house, at church, etc.

I remember distinctly when she taught me the alto part because I and my two sisters had been asked to sing in church. I was about 6 at the time. After that *harmonizing *was just a natural part of singing.

I was always involved with music - took piano for 8 years - played in church and was always involved in trios, choir, and so on.

I can't remember a time when I didn't sing in church. We were a small congregation in my younger years and all of us children were encouraged to sing. There were eight children in our family and our house was a gathering place for many a Saturday night sings. Just about everyone in my family sang and some of us played instruments. I played the guitar and my sister played the accordian most of the time. She and I sang duets a lot in church.

It's interesting that several of the top ten finalists for the Canadian Idol come from Abbotsford, BC and have there roots in the large Pentecostal church there. Two of the top 7 right now are from there.

All of these responses are so great...

Mom tried to teach me to play the piano when I was young, but I just didn't want to. It's unfortunate because now I wish so that I had...having an ear and unable to play is so frustrating.:angelsad

I know what you mean...my Mom bought us a piano and I started on John Thompson's, Teaching Little Fingers to Play, dozens of times. I got to Near The Cross, level six with Dan Dean and that just about sums up my musical talent. I can dance though;)!:killinme