For the past 20 years or so I have had really bad allergies. My allergies affected me all year long but fall and winter were the worst. My immune system was always compromised and as a teacher of every student in the building I was susceptible to everything every child brought in. It seems I always fell prey to a “cold” that would develop into bronchitis, pneumonia, or sometimes even both…….at the same time. My body always seem to last until just after my last Christmas program of the year and then…..whammo! For me I always loved to sing – specially at Christmas time but that year laryngitis set in. I was crushed and heart broken. I was able to get “some” of my talking voice back, but my singing voice was non-existent. I was on all kinds of antibiotics which then led me to become allergic to just about every antibiotic out there. So, I was put on large doses of prednisone for months to help the antibiotics and my body fight the infection.
I struggled to teach (thank goodness for Boom cards then) and my students were real troopers. I had voice therapy and eventually went to some experts at a big hospital around Cleveland for more testing and help regarding my vocal cords. They had even worked with such music icons as Adele and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. I basically battled this for about nine months. How does a music teacher (of all professions) get through this? By listening to wonderful inspiring music and “talking” with our Creator. During that time of my life, while I wondered daily whether I would ever be able to sing and teach again, the power of music brought me out of that despair. It was able to calm and soothe my nerves (and blood pressure) during those dark times as I listened to it and used my inner voice to “sing.”
Inspiring, connecting and engaging minds, bodies and souls of K-8 learners with music activities.
