The love affair started when I was 10, although I didn't know it. I got an opportunity to play an instrument and although I wanted drums, I was convinced to play trumpet. Through the years I progressed, although it was slow at first. Partly because of my own lack of self-discipline. I went through high school playing in a number of championship bands. The seed that was planted back when I was 10 had started to take root.

By the time I finished my junior year, I knew in my heart that I LOVED music. I made the decision to keep it up and went on to Berklee College of Music in Boston. That was an incredible experience and the love just started to blossom. I graduated college and became a music teacher. That's when the slow, almost imperceptible pain began. This would eventually lead to the death.....the death of a musical heart.

As the years went by, I found myself playing less and less and focusing more and more on the teaching of music rather than the enjoyment of it. Don't get me wrong....I enjoy teaching and I've been told I'm pretty good at it.

I started teaching private lessons and small group ensembles of all instruments for private schools. After I got married, I made the financial decision to get a job in public schools since the pay and benefits were more than double of what I was receiving at the time. I started teaching general music then I finally became Music Department Chair of our local high school and I was back to teaching instruments. My band began winning awards and it was a very happy time for me....at least the teaching part of it. I was successful at getting students to play, but I was playing less and less and listening to music less and less.

I had to form a new music appreciation course at the high school and without realizing it I started to listen to music again.....but my heart wasn't listening, just my head...just the teacher. As I started listening to current music for class, I started to realize the pain, the slow death marching on. And surprisingly enough, it wasn't totally caused by my lack of performing and my lack of listening. It was also being caused by current mainstream music.

Now I know what you're thinking and although I won't be able to change your thoughts, I will say this: I am disturbed, saddened, disheartened and in pain primarily because of today's music and believe it or not, it's NOT because I am an "old foggy". My opinions of music are based on the practice of music, the study of music, the teaching of music and my educational training for over 35 years.

I know that I will offend some people here but if I can just ask that you have an open mind to what I'm saying, you might experience something new. I would like to give you the following disclaimer: These are MY opinions But I am hoping to open some eyes (or should I say "ears") here and possibly reverse the trend and state of today's music and listener and resurrect some musical hearts.

Jumping ahead, this is when I was saved. My band had to march a parade at our state fair (it's actually a large fair...the Big "E" in Massachusetts), and after the parade the students had a few hours to look around. As I waited for them to return to our meeting spot, I happened to be next to a stage where there was a female performer singing. Her name is Gerina Di Marco. I was immediately impressed. She was singing songs in Spanish, some in English, some sounded rock, some pop, and some country influences depending on which song she was performing. AND SHE HAD A BAND.....A REAL BAND, PLAYING REAL INSTRUMENTS!!!!! I was standing next to a gentleman named Paul Buller, who asked me what I thought. I was very excited and told him that she was amazing. He proceeded to tell me that she was from Las Vegas and he then gave me a CD for me to play in my music appreciation classes. He wanted the students opinions also.

I took the CD to school and played it for my students. The majority of them immediately fell in love with her music. It even got to the point where they were begging me to play it again....and again...and again. I took the CD home to do a review myself and my life changed.

I started to listen.... I mean REALLY listen and I found that I was totally captivated by Gerina. Her voice is absolutely incredible. She packs a tremendous amount of emotion in her songs. Her music is genuine and from the heart like music is SUPPOSED to be. I felt my musical heart begin it's rebirth.

Because of Gerina and her music, I started to listen to music with my heart instead of just my head. I started a journey, a search and then it happened.

On December 2, 2006 I just came home from work at my part time job and turned on the television. It was a cold Saturday winter afternoon, so I just planned to plop on the couch and watch a movie. I was flipping through the channels and I came across one of our local PBS station and there they were. The ladies of Celtic Woman singing such beautiful sounds. I noticed how beautiful it was, but was still planning to continue my quest for a good old-fashioned action movie. However, I couldn't press the button on the remote; my hand was totally incapacitated. I was captured by the sounds, and then the beauty of the whole performance.

I had never heard of Celtic Woman until this point, probably because my musical heart was dead and I wasn't looking for anything new. This was the second video performance of Celtic Woman and I could not get over how incredible the whole experience was. They were performing at Slane Castle in Ireland in an open air evening concert. The gowns were stunning, there was a full orchestra and band and a chorus. I watched in total amazement and my heart was beginning to feel again. They sang songs like "Orinoco Flow" and "Beyond the Sea" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" along with traditional and new Irish music and the harmonies were perfect, their voices flawless.

Mairead, the fiddler bounced around on stage with such a tremendous amount of energy I could feel the joy building inside me. They performed as a group and individually and they are all beautiful and gorgeous angels and I honestly believe that it is Celtic Woman that totally saved me . By the time Meav sang "Danny Boy" the rebirth was complete. I was crying....not sorrowful tears but tears of utter joy and pleasure.

I have been a fan of Celtic Woman ever since and have researched them in order to teach about them in school. David Downes is the musical director and he is also an absolute musical genius. When I saw Celtic Woman live in concert, I was surprised to find that the beauty and joy was only intensified to a much greater degree, effectively securing their part in the resurrection of my musical heart.

I tell you this story in the hopes that I can heal others who have gone or are going through the slow, painful death of their own musical heart. In order to continue the healing process, I need to tell you that you must search for yourselves and find music that speaks directly to your soul. I certainly recommend starting out with either Gerina or Celtic Woman, if you are open minded enough to stretch your musical horizons. Maybe you will find the joy that I have found. You might try Yanni, The High Kings, Beethoven, Mozart, Mediaeval Baebes, Billy Joel or Kelly Sweet.

Try New Age, Classical, Ambient, World Music or Rock, it doesn't matter as long as it's good and you listen with your HEART. If you listen with your heart you might actually surprise yourself. Start with whatever genre you like, but please, by all means, try to explore music you are not the familiar with. I promise that it will be a journey of musical discovery and enjoyment you will never regret.

I know that I am a better person for discovering Gerina and Celtic Woman. I feel better, I am happier, I am less stressed.....I am healed. I am also eternally grateful for Gerina Di Marco, Paul Buller, David Downes, Meav, Mairead, Orla, Lisa, Chloe, and everyone else involved in Celtic Woman. Thank you for giving me back my love for music, for giving me back my soul.

I purposefully wrote rather bland descriptions of the music of Gerina and Celtic Woman because I didn't want my descriptions to taint any discovery you might make and I am hoping you will listen the them on your own.

Also, I am having a tremendously difficult time trying to describe what Celtic Woman means to me. I don't know if there are words that can justifiably describe the intense beauty. For that I am sorry.

I do plan on having some of my other Hubs discuss other musical discoveries I have found....sort of like a "music appreciation class", so I hope you join me on my quest for great music and I would appreciate any comments that you may have.

More information can be found at: http://www.gerinamusic.com/ and http://www.celticwoman.com/

And as a sidenote you might want to check out these beautiful ladies of Celtic Woman individually.

For Meav go to http://www.meav.com/, http://www.celticmeav.com/, and http://www.meavforum.com/

For Mairead go to www.maireadnesbitt.com

For Lisa Kelly go to www.lisakellyfan.com

For Orla Fallon go to www.orlafallon.net

For Chloe Agnew go to www.chloeagnew.net

Thank you for reading my Hub.