Month: January 2021

History Made.

Published on by noteworthymommy3 Comments

History has been made! Regardless of what political party you associate with or who you voted for, if you are a women I hope you see the sheer historical greatness of what happened on January 20, 2021. Kamala Harris became the 59th Vice President of the United States! Harris is the first Black person, first woman and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency, and the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government. As a women I am simply overjoyed! As a mother I have hope for the future. My little girl will grow up seeing a woman leading our country and will never remember a time when this wasn’t a possibility. My mini me will know she can grow up to be whatever she wants to be, even President! As Madame Vice President Harris stated in her acceptance speech, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last. Because every little girl, watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities. And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message: dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, because they’ve never seen it before.”

Musical History Was Made– There were many firsts on Inauguration Day and among them was a musical first that some may be unaware of. The Marine Band has played every inauguration since Thomas Jefferson and music from America’s great composers have been part of every inauguration. But on this historic inauguration, the Marine Bands conductor selected many living composers to be included in the ceremony and he selected Julie Giroux’s “Integrity Fanfare and March” to be played as Kamala Harris walked up to the podium. This makes Julie Giroux the first woman composer to have a piece played in an inauguration ceremony! A truly noteworthy achievement for this talented composer and an inspiration to women in the arts. As a musician, who plays in wind ensembles, I have performed many of Julie’s pieces and have been greatly touched by her music. In 2016 I had the privilege of performing with her when she conducted the Saint Louis Wind Symphony’s premier of a commissioned piece she wrote for our group. CLICK HERE to read about that amazing day.

My daughter and I met composer Julie Giroux after performing her Symphony NO. V in 2016.

The Future– Vice President Harris and composer Julie Giroux made history. They are change makers that lead the way for future generations of women. They are showing women and young girls all over the world that they can not only sit at the table, but women can lead the table. It’s a great day to be a woman and I’m going to continue to proudly wear my Chucks and pearls!

Happy New Year From the Noteworthy Mommy…An Unprecedented Year and My Wish For You in 2021

Published on by noteworthymommy1 Comment

If you had asked me in March if I would give up playing with my musical groups, terminate travel, give up my educational consulting job, go without live musical theater, stop singing in the choir, limit my visit with friends and spend Christmas without my parents, in return to spend more time with my family of three at home, I doubt my answer would have been an enthusiastic YES! Although 2020 was filled with its fair share of challenges, struggle and loss, as I look back on the year, it was also filled with many blessings. And spending more time with my family of three is at the top of the list! When all the distractions of my usually busy lifestyle were taken away, it left time for me to focus on a few things… the two people who matter more to me than anything else in the world, my loving husband and our little girl. Don’t get me wrong, there were days and still are (a new year doesn’t make the struggles go away) that I long for nothing more than a night away by myself but in 2020 my eyes were opened to prioritizing my life and putting my family and my faith ahead of everything else.

I almost feel ashamed that it took a pandemic for me to figure out the obvious but I’m grateful that I finally understand what is important. I have tremendous respect for Dan Presgrave, a brilliant conductor, teacher and the founder of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony, which I am a member. He was headed down a very dark path, constantly searching for something to give him a “fix” and then he found Jesus and his life was transformed. He became a pastoral counselor, writes a weekly Christian blog at http://meetpastordan.com/blog/ and created a Christian counseling program for veterans. When he resigned as principal director of the Saint Louis Wind Symphony, I was shocked. How could such a talented man, who devoted his entire life to music completely walk away from such a passion? Now I get it. Now I understand. Although Dan still appreciates music, through Christ he has completely prioritized his life and now he has peace and happiness that was only found when he put Jesus first.

My mother-in-law recently asked me what thing I missed the most in 2020? I think she was surprised when I shared that I didn’t miss anything. That wouldn’t have been my answer in March when we were in full shut down or even the months that followed. But once I began to concentrate on the gifts God has given me instead of what was taken away, I found an inner peace that has brought tremendous joy even during this difficult year.

My daughter’s amazing kindergarten teacher has her students write in a thankful journal every week. The entry for the weekend after Christmas asked the children why they are thankful for Christmas? My daughter looked at me and said, “That’s easy. There’s only one answer…Jesus!” Tears of joy filled my eyes because my young daughter understands what is important. I pray that she continues to put Jesus first.

Without my faith, my church, my talented pastors, my family and most importantly, Jesus, I would have never survived 2020. I don’t know what waits ahead in 2021 but I know that Jesus will get me through. He will continue to walk beside me through the joyous times, the hard days, the unthinkable and all of the days in between.

I close this New Year message with hope for you and your family. Patrick Swierczek, a childhood friend, posted this on social media and the words accurately depict my wish for you in 2021.