True Heroes from A to Z: J

Quickly, I'm guest posting over at Annalisa Crawfords place to help celebrate her reaching the big 40! Pop in and stretch your creative muscles with us.

True heroes are all around us, in our every day lives, but some people stand out. During this A-Z Challenge I hope to share several of my real life heroes, and invite you to share yours in the comments.

Heroes can be on a large scale, or on a personal and close one. Today I'd like to share one dear to my heart:

ohnson, Sofe Christen Wasden, AKA Great Grandma Johnson. Once or twice a year we'd hop in the van and drive 8 hours to go visit Grandma and Great Grandma. Grandpa passed away when I was 8, and since then, they'd lived together.

The best part about spending time with Grandma Johnson was talking. We'd sit and chat for hours. I remember interviewing her once. She told me about owning only two dresses growing up, and how a Native American stopped into her parent's home and offered to take her away and make her an Indian princess.

She learned to play piano by listening to her older brother's lessons. Her parents could only afford to have one child taught, so she'd wait until he was done practicing, then slip in to the piano and repeat everything she'd heard. It made him so mad.

When she learned about my love for music composition, she gifted me a sheet music notebook with a single inscription on the inside cover: "Music is poetry of the soul."

She passed away when I was 16 (she was 96), and it was a hard death for me. I had seen many loved ones pass away, but I wouldn't get anymore of those quiet conversations. I thought I'd lost her, but I swear Great Grandma Johnson has been my "musical" guardian angel ever since. Her influence is still with me long, long after her passing.

These are some old gems I composed years ago, part of a musical we hope to see on stage in the distant future (and yes, I'm singing the female portions while 5 flippin' months prego):

Listen HERE

Or HERE

The release date for

has been announced! To celebrate, MOONLESS is on sale now for $1.99! (But only for the month of April.) Find out what the big deal is behind Moonless nights.

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia must choose safety and an arranged marriage, or true love and being hunted by the Soulless every moonless night.

Do you have anyone who has encouraged you in a budding talent? Your own guardian angel? A relative you adore who has passed away?

How to Find Happiness A-Z: M

Is anyone else out there super picky about what they listen to?

I'm a Music snob. No, I don't mean I turn my nose up at different types of music, but it only takes hearing something once for it to be permanently embedded in my brain, like it or not. There are perks to this hyper-sensitivity--such as being able to compose/harmonize/alter melodies on the fly. It also means I can only take so much external sound before going 100% bonkers.

The Johnsons could only afford to teach one child piano. My great grandmother learned how to play from listening to her brother's lessons. She'd sit down after he'd finished, and practice everything he'd just learned--driving him insane. I get my love of music from her. She said, "Music is poetry of the soul." Wise woman, that. I'll add, "Music is the purest form of expression."

In movies, music is used or omitted to create the feel of the scene. My husband and I once owned an audio/visual company, and we were once asked to help with a project made by several young men. Right at the heart of their film, they'd recorded an intense battle scene. You'd expect us to use the most exciting, rage-inducing soundtrack for the scene, but no. My hubby selected a slow, melodramatic piece. The result was amazing. Instead of being a crazy war, the scene became a heart-rending, soul-tweaking fight for survival. Amazing.

Just like that underscore changed the scene's mood, we have the power to change our mood in any scene of our lives. All we have to do is load the right track. If you're longing for more calm in your life, find the music that soothes your soul and plug it in. If you're feeling depressed, find something with some energy. If you're overwhelmed, seek something that communicates simplicity.

I'm over a large children's organization in church, and this is one of the songs we sing regularly:

Is anyone else out there an hyper-sensitive to sound? What is your favorite type of music? Are there any songs you use as a pick-me-up?