Music and Rituals

Over the last few years, I have been asked to perform at a variety of rituals. From weddings and funerals to reunions and parties, worship services, and even the occasional Valentine's Day dinner. Rituals are a huge part of everyone's lives and as a musician, I have had the opportunity to help people celebrate the good times and comfort in the bad. 

Funerals are a ritual that I feel, can be the saddest yet most beautiful. It's a time for people to grieve, but also celebrate the life of the person who has passed on. At funerals, the music is always varying as well. There are traditional songs that are usually performed at funerals such as well-known hymns like "In the Garden", and "Amazing Grace", but the families can also choose music that just represents their loved one and the life they led. 

 Recently I had the honor of singing at a man's funeral in Knoxville, Tennessee. The man's family asked me to sing "The Blessing" which is a contemporary Christian song based on the scripture Numbers 6:24-26, but they also asked me to sing the Guns N Roses song "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". At first, I thought this was kind of a weird request, but the family had a funny Ring video of the man knocking on one of his daughter's doors, and they played it on a loop while I sang. It was a very sweet, and funny moment and I was so happy to be able to give them some kind of comfort in that time of grief. 

^Here is "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Guns N Roses, if you've never heard it before. 

Funerals are one of the main rituals that musicians are asked to perform at, and they can be very sweet and touching, but as a performer, they can be emotional and hard to get through, especially when it's a family member or someone whom you consider family. In 2020, my uncle Timothy died of a  heart attack. It was very sudden, and we weren't expecting it. When we were planning the funeral my Aunt asked me if I would be okay with singing at his funeral and honestly, I considered saying no, but my Uncle was one of my biggest fans and had always supported my singing and music career so I decided to do it. I ended up singing the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" written by Phillip Paul Bliss, which was one of his favorite songs. The text of this hymn speaks about how even though we will experience pain and sorrow, everything will be well. Was it hard to get through that service? Yes, but I am so glad that I was able to use my gift of singing on that day. It not only helped comfort my family but helped me to have peace and comfort as well. 

^Here is a throwback pic of my uncle and I

^Here is an arrangement of "It Is Well With My Soul"

On a lighter note, weddings are another kind of ritual that a lot of times includes music. I personally have been asked to sing at multiple weddings and each time it was so great to be there and helping the couple to celebrate this new chapter of their lives. Recently, I sang at a childhood friend of mine's wedding. The song that they chose for me to sing was "I Get To Love You" by Ruelle. It's a song about how lucky they are to be in love and that no matter what comes they will continue to love each other. Personally, it's not my go-to choice, but that's the great thing about weddings and rituals is that each person, couple, and family can choose the music that best fits them, their style, and what they are going through.

^Here is a pic of myself singing at their wedding. 

 

^Here is the song "I Get To Love You"