Day 23
The Gift of Music
🎄 Two more days until Christmas! 🎄
And today, I want to talk about something that goes beyond practice tips and techniques. Today, let’s talk about why music matters. ✨
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. One of the things I really miss about living in Brunei is being surrounded by significant musical events. Back in the UK, music was everywhere — the Last Night of the Proms 🎺, the Lord Mayor’s Show with its marching bands 🥁, even walking through Manchester city centre while people busked on street corners 🎶.
I miss those London parades where military bands march in perfect time 🇬🇧.
I miss the carol concerts where hymns are sung by thousands 🎤.
I miss hearing bagpipers in Scotland 🪈 and stumbling across Ceilidh bands in Irish pubs 🍀.
Music is woven into the fabric of British life, just as it is in so many countries around the world.
These musical moments weren’t just entertainment — they were how we collectively processed our feelings ❤️. Whether it was celebration 🎉, remembrance 🌹, or simply marking the changing seasons 🍂, music gave us a shared language.
That’s what music does. It gives us a way to express what words can’t quite capture. ✨
And this isn’t just about big national events. It happens in our everyday lives too.
Think about your own experiences:
🎵 The song that was playing during a significant moment in your life.
😢 The piece of music that makes you cry every single time.
⏳ The tune that instantly transports you back to childhood.
🌟 The carol that means Christmas has truly arrived.
Music shapes our memories, marks our milestones, and connects us to each other 🤝.
When you play music — even if you’re a beginner, even if it’s just for yourself — you’re participating in something profound and ancient. Humans have been making music for at least 40,000 years 🕯️. It’s part of what makes us human.
Now, here’s why I’m telling you this on Day 23 of our Advent Calendar 🎁:
Because sometimes, especially as adult learners, we get so caught up in whether we’re “good enough” that we forget whywe’re doing this in the first place.
We worry about:
- Making mistakes 😬
- Not progressing fast enough 🐢
- Not sounding as good as professionals 🎼
- Whether we have “talent” 🤔
- If people will judge us 👀
But music isn’t about any of that.
Music is about connection, expression, joy, and being part of something bigger than ourselves. 🌍
Remember Sandy and Carla from earlier in our Advent Calendar, performing on the public pianos in Santa Barbara? 🎹
Do you think the people who stopped to listen cared whether they played perfectly?
No! Those people were delighted to hear live music. They stopped their busy day to listen because music makes life better 💛.
And that is the gift you have to offer. 🎁✨
Today’s Task (10-15 minutes): The Music That Moves You
Today, instead of playing, I want you to listen – really listen – to a piece of music that has profound meaning for you.
Part 1 (5 minutes): Choose one piece of music that deeply moves you. It could be a classical piece, a folk song, a hymn, a carol, a pop song – anything that stirs something in you. Put it on and listen to it with your full attention. No multitasking, no scrolling on your phone. Just you and the music.
As you listen, notice:
- Where in your body do you feel the music? Does your chest tighten? Do you get goosebumps?
- What memories or emotions does it bring up?
- What is it about this particular piece that affects you so deeply?
Part 2 (5 minutes): After listening, write down (or voice record) your reflections:
- Why does this piece matter to you?
- What story does it tell, or what feeling does it capture that words cannot?
- If you could share this piece with someone you love, who would it be and why?
Part 3 (5 minutes): Now here’s the important bit – share it. Send that piece to someone today with a message explaining why it’s meaningful to you. It could be a text with a YouTube link, an email, or even just playing it for someone in your home.
This is what music is really about – not perfect technique, but connection and meaning.
For Advanced Players:
Take this further by creating a “Musical Influences” playlist. Choose 5-10 pieces that have shaped you as a musician or as a person. For each one, write a sentence or two about why it matters.
Then, identify one element from each piece that you’d like to bring into your own playing – maybe it’s the way a pianist shapes a phrase, or how a singer uses dynamics to create emotion, or the rhythmic energy of a particular performance.
Share this playlist with someone – perhaps a fellow musician, a family member, or post it in a musical community. Explain your choices. You’ll be surprised how much you learn about yourself through this process, and how it might inspire others to think differently about the music they love.
This task focuses on listening, feeling, and sharing rather than playing, which makes it distinctly different from Day 1’s “why” exercise while still connecting to the theme of music’s deeper meaning.
💫 Here’s my Christmas message to you
You’ve shown up for 23 days. That’s remarkable. 🕯️
Do you know how many people give up after three? Most people.
But not you. 🙌
You’ve tried new techniques, challenged yourself, and stayed committed even during the busiest time of year.
That tells me something: you’re serious about this. 💪
Music matters to you — and that’s beautiful.
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, whether you practice for two minutes or two hours, whether you perform for hundreds or just yourself — you’re a musician. 🎵
Own that identity.
And remember — every professional once stood exactly where you are now. 🌱
The only difference is they kept going.
So keep going. Keep showing up. Keep finding joy in the journey. 🌈
Because the world needs more music. And you have music to give.
Thank you for being part of this advent journey with me. 💌
It’s been an honor to share these days with you.
Merry Christmas! 🎁
Fiona
P.S. If there’s one thing you do today — reconnect with your why. 💖
Everything else flows from that.