Reaching Lives With Music
Most of the audience didn’t know what was coming, but I did. So I waited. I watched. And I didn’t have to look far for a reaction. As Natalie’s crystal clear voice glided smoothly from the B♭ to the high C, the woman in front of me got tears in her eyes. At the same moment, the man in front of her said, “Wow.” I understood, because I was also experiencing full body chills.
These responses occurred while our vocal artists sang “Mary Had A Baby” during one of our recent Spirit of Christmas concerts. When I shared what I had observed with Natalie Young, our divinely talented principal coloratura soprano, her humble response was, “That means we are reaching people in the places they need to be reached, and it’s so exciting to be a part of that.”
Well, that’s it in a (chest)nutshell, I thought: Our overall purpose at Heartland Sings is to reach people. Our teaching artists reach into the imaginative minds of young children while showing them how fun music can be. Our vocal artists reach hearts with music from all genres performed throughout the year. We also reach people through vocal workshops, vocal arts conferences, recitals, a bilingual community choir, personal voice lessons, private concerts, piano bars, Art Attacks, entertaining videos, and more.
Like many English words, reach has multiple functions and meanings, as a transitive verb, an intransitive verb, and a noun. One definition is to encompass, as in “to make an impression on” and “to communicate with.” That is what we do here on a daily basis. In fact, to describe Heartland Sings, I could say, “Our reach extends beyond the reach of the ordinary, because of the reach of our staff’s knowledge and abilities, allowing us to reach people through music and expand the reach of their imaginations.” (I would not say this because it’s just silly, but all the uses of reach are applicable nonetheless.)
We at Heartland Sings hope that we have reached you through music in 2023, as that is our intention and our motivation. If there is something we can do for you, musically or otherwise, please reach out to us. We will head into the New Year with energy and intent, to reach as many lives as possible in 2024 through the power of music.
Our wish is that the joy of this season will reach all the way down to your toes. May you and your loved ones be surrounded by love, light, and…music.
