Go ahead and scroll on down to my bio at the bottom of this article. You’ll see my top three personal values there. Last week, I talked about faith. This week, then, I’ll take a look at music as a personal value.

If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you may have noticed that I really like words. I like defining words, examining them and figuring out exactly what is represented by whatever word I’m looking at. This week, if we’re to answer the question posed in this article’s title, I think we need to start by defining what a value is.

I, thus, turn back to my trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary app. The definition for “value” I want reads, “something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable.”

Just going off of this definition, I think it may be safe to say that music is a value. Or, perhaps, it might be more accurate to say that musical talent, as a quality, is a value. Accepting this as true, we are now lead to ask why, out of all things, music is in my list of top three personal values. After all, for other people, this list might read “faith, family and friends.” I’ve replaced family with music. I promise, we’ll get to family in Part 4, but for now, we’ll stick with music.

Growing up, my mom gave piano lessons, so it was inevitable that I would learn how to play the piano. Unlike my brothers, though, I grew to love the piano. In fifth grade, when it came time to decide whether or not I wanted to join band, I decided I was too lazy to learn how to play a new instrument, especially something I had to blow into. It seemed like too much effort.

My mom, ever the smart one, told me I could join as a percussionist and play bells. The bells, along with other mallet instruments, are arranged basically the same as a piano. Instead of using your fingers, though, you strike the keys with mallets. Foreseeing this as a chance to join band without having to learn anything new, I became a percussionist with the express intent of playing the bells. Of course, I learned all the other percussion instruments, too, and I fell in love with percussion. In high school, I joined choir and became a singer, as well.

To where is all this anecdotal rambling leading? It’s leading to Disney World. It’s leading to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s leading to Carnegie Hall. I’ve played at all these locations, and the experiences have been priceless. However, they’re not even the most important things to come from this musical journey.

Here’s why music is one of my top values. It, more than anything else, has taught me something of motivation and hard work. It, more than anything else, has given me a pastime in which I find real joy and love for what I’m doing.

Most importantly, being a member of music ensembles has taught me that family extends beyond the home. My band and choir families, both in high school and especially in college, came to mean a great deal to me. My conductors and friends have taught me so much, both about music and about being a person and a Christian, that I can confidently say I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.

Music has shaped who I am today, and I will always keep music as an important value in my life.