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| Crystal's son Andre in Kindermusik |
Channeling the Spirit of Professor Harold Hill
- Guest Post & Giveaway with Julia Asel Thomas and her first published book: Loving the Missing Link #LMLThomas
I recently saw that The Music Man was going to be on
TV, and I simply had to make time to watch it. I love that movie. Now, we all
know “Professor” Harold Hill was a con man trying to make a buck by selling
band equipment. But in the end, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that he had
the passion, charisma and persistence to convince the town that they needed a
band to help their children grow up right.
In these days of music department budget cuts, I
wish I could channel the spirit of that character. Somehow, the message that
band is practical, positive and far-reaching for our students has been lost. If
I could be Harold Hill for just a day, I would convince budget committees
across the country that they would be doing their communities a great
disservice by cutting funding for school music programs.
I would even have an advantage over Mr. Hill,
because I have been in band and I know first-hand the powerful effect it can have
on a life. Years ago, when I was a middle school student in a small town, I got
the chance to join the band. My parents encouraged it strongly – my mother
because she had been a trombone player in her high school band, and my father
because he recognized the discipline I would acquire.
I started learning to play the bassoon that year,
and my life has never been the same. Our band teacher expected us to be serious
about our music, and we were. It wasn’t always easy to force myself to
practice, especially when I could hear neighborhood children laughing and
playing through my open window. But, I wanted to play music so badly that I
trained myself to ignore those other children until after I had put in my
practice time. In short, I developed discipline.
My home was brimming with a wide variety of musical
influences. Having parents who appreciate music is always a good way to start.
Yet, during my time in band, I was introduced to even more music than ever
before. And I learned the joy of playing my unique part in the midst of a full
band. When we were playing well, I felt as if I was riding on a glorious ship
towards an exciting destination. It was fantastic, and that is a feeling I can
recapture every time I get a chance to hear a concert band or an orchestra.
What I didn’t know then but have since learned is
that learning music at an early age has a dramatic effect on the child’s
overall intellect. The rhythms that regulate the band and the individual riffs
that add interest are not just pretty sounds. They are also helping the
children to absorb a primal understanding and solid intuition about
mathematical principles. I know now that band is a serious subject that has
strong implications for all of learning.
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| Crystal & her children at Kindermusik |
The benefits of being in a band do not stop when you
leave the band, either. You carry with you a strong sense of discipline, an
improved intellect and an amazing way of achieving pleasure that is absolutely
positive.
If I could channel the spirit of Professor Harold
Hill, I would use all his powers of persuasion to convince schools to fully
fund their school bands. Since I have no psychic abilities, I will settle for
sharing my feelings and experiences in band with anyone who will listen. And,
of course, I will continue to incorporate these ideas and principles into my
fiction as I did in my debut novel, Loving the Missing Link.
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| WOW! Women on Writing |
Loving the Missing Link is a fabulous
tale about love, success, hope and music. During the 1970's. Young Cheryl
Simpson feels trapped in her small Missouri town. As her mother tries to help
her find a way up and out, Cheryl begins to feel that it is all an impossible
dream. She sees herself living a boring and dismal life for the rest of her
days. Just at the moment when she is about to give up on happiness, she gets
the opportunity to join her high school band. The band promises a connection
with the world outside her town, but Cheryl does not see any future for herself
in music. It is just a tool to get where she wants to go. However, Cheryl’s
mother arranges for Cheryl to take private lessons with an accomplished
musician, who helps her realize the beauty and awesome power of music.
Still,
Cheryl feels that small-town inferiority and finds it too hard to believe that
she could ever be anyone special out in the “real” world. On the eve of a music
contest that could help her earn a music scholarship, Cheryl begins to panic.
Scared and feeling alone, Cheryl runs off with her high school sweetheart and
gets married, leaving the band behind.
During
the next years, Cheryl and her husband make a life for themselves. Cheryl meets
friends along the way who help guide her to becoming the woman she wants to be.
She becomes interested in the arts again. All the while, Cheryl and husband
Jerry face the challenges of homelessness, miscarriage and an extra-marital
affair before an unexpected disaster brings Cheryl’s life crashing to the
ground. Cheryl survives, with the help of her extraordinary friends and her
life-long love for music.
Paperback: 190 Pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (self-published) Publishing (August 6, 2013)
ISBN-10: ISBN10: 1480106240
Twitter hashtag: #LMLThomas
Loving the Missing Link is available as a print and e- book at Amazon.
Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Loving the Missing Link, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Friday, September 27th at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
About the Author:
Julia Asel Thomas writes stories with vivid
descriptions, authentic dialogue and revealing narration. Her debut book,
Loving the Missing Link, presents the engrossing and moving story of a young,
small town girl who grows up, lives and loves while trying to find a balance
between despair and hope.
Like the protagonist in her debut book, Loving
the Missing Link, Julia Asel Thomas knows small town life. However, Julia’s
experiences were quite different than Cheryl’s. Julia is the middle child of
seven children and the daughter of a church organist and a business manager.
Growing up in the small town of Hamilton, Missouri, Julia’s family enjoyed a
reputation as a bright and interesting family. Julia thrived on the quiet and
carefree life she lived in that gentle place.
When Julia was in high school, she earned a
scholarship for a trip to Cali, Colombia as a foreign exchange student. The
experience, although it only lasted a few brief months, had a profound
influence on the rest of her life. After her time abroad, Julia realized in a
very real way that, although customs may differ from culture to culture, the
substance of human emotions is constant. We all need love. We all need to feel
secure. We all have happy moments and sad moments. Back from Colombia, Julia
become ever more interested in capturing these human emotions through music and
writing.
After high school, Julia took a break before
going on to college. During this time, she married her husband, Will. Will
joined the Air Force, and Julia accompanied him to bases around the country,
taking college classes in each town where they resided. Their two children were
born in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Will was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base.
Married in 1976, Julia and Will are thrilled to celebrate each new anniversary
and look forward to staying together for life.
Julia began writing fiction at the age of ten,
when her 5th grade teacher gave her the assignment to write about “My Worst
Day.” Julia took the opportunity to concoct every possible disaster a young
child could face during the course of a normal day. The teacher loved her work
and asked her to read it to the class. From then on, Julia wanted nothing more
than to be a writer.
In 2007, Julia began earning her living by
writing articles, press releases and website content for a number of clients.
As she settled into a routine of working every day on her writing, the old urge
to write fiction resurfaced. In 2012, Julia started with a story she had
written in 1985 and continued it to create the story in Loving the Missing
Link.
Find out more about this author by visiting her online:
Author blog: http://lovingthemissinglink.com/
Author Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171277.Julia_Asel_Thomas
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Very heartwarming post, kudos to Julia Thomas for sharing her experiences so openly.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Bette! So glad to hear from you. Just loved your book "Spare Change," and am looking forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations go to Bette Lee Crosby who was chosen via Rafflecopter for the giveaway of Loving the Missing Link - Congratulations BETTE!
ReplyDeleteCheck your email for details!