Whenever we share music we are telling a story. I just spent the day ringing handbells with eighty other musicians. Jason Krug, our clinician, was an excellent leader for the large group. As an introduction to one of the pieces, he told us the story behind it. The composer, a friend, dedicated it to his wife and wrote the music to convey a message to her that was difficult or impossible for him to express through words. Jason then asked us to ring the music with that story in mind. By knowing the story behind the notes, listening to each other and shaping the music, we were able to express the story more passionately through our bell ringing.
Where words fail, music speaks. ~Hans Christian Andersen
Bread for the Journey 