Pursuing Wellness Through Music

Attention: "Hobbies should be a part of one's wellness program." 

Okay, that sounds too stale. Too formal and prescriptive. Even too demanding. 

Maybe I should say it again, differently: Pursuing a hobby is an integral part of staying healthy - mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. (And any other -ly components that make up a wholistic lifestyle!)

Me with some friends called Bottoms Up in Wichita, KS.
My last gig with them! I'm in the hat next to our keys player.

I (Lyn) have a number of hobbies, probably too many. It's hard to give enough time and effort to such a wide selection of interests. I like genealogy, reading/writing, hiking/biking, cooking/eating, and more...

Based on the amount of time I've given to it over the years, however, I guess my favorite hobby is music. I play guitar and sing and ever since junior high when I got my first guitar (a Martin, the same one pictured to the right!) I've wanted to be in a rock band. 

(Heh, don't judge. I grew up in the 70s. Every kid I knew wanted to be in a rock band! That, or become a professional surfer or skateboarder.)

I had my first chance at stardom in between high school and college when I was on staff at a summer camp. We counselors and maintenance staff formed a band and I got to sing each week in front of campers just younger than me. It was a blast.

But in college I had to make a choice. I would have loved to join the Men's Glee Club (not as square as it sounds, they were quite good!), but I was very into swimming at that point so I joined the swim team .

Swimming took all my time - about 5 hours a day! It was a great way to stay in shape and compete and socialize and all that, but I burned out on being in the pool. (Notice swimming is not on my list of current hobbies! lol) 

I did keep singing at church, however. And even sang to Julie at our wedding during our college years. 

When I first became a pastor after seminary I picked up my guitar again and found a good friend who would help lead our worship. I strummed along (I wasn't very good) and again had a great time.

My desire to perform led me to try community music theater. Without much acting experience at all (one play in high school), I landed the role of Daddy Warbucks in the musical sequel to Annie called Annie Warbucks.

Dang. I just can't find that picture of me going bald to play the part! I know it's here somewhere on my computer... (grin)

When we moved to Wichita, I joined a choral group that provided vocal back up to local musicals, including Chess. That was a kick. The world was my oyster! (wink) But alas, something else came along and I dropped out of music for awhile.

Then, about 10 years ago, I started leading worship again with my guitar. Learned a few more chords and helped form a small worship team at our small church. C played lead, N played drums. All we needed was a bass player. So I asked a writer friend of mine, and T joined our band - 4 Guys With Jobs.

Our acoustic group, PerryMartin & Friends.
(Perry and Martin are in the middle.)

Too fun. It's been a healthy release for me over the years, music has. As I said up top, it's a great way to keep the mind sharp, stay physically active, relax in the company of like-minded friends, and feel good about providing something people enjoy - good music.

That was four years ago and since then our band has morphed and grown and split and changed, but through it all, our goal was simply to have fun, entertain the crowds, enjoy the journey, all the while singing songs from the 70s and 80s. 

After all, that's my musical era. When I first wanted to be a rock star.

What hobbies give you joy and fulfilment? Comment below and share a bit of your wellness story.