This week is the feast of Saint Cecilia, patroness of music, so I’m going to tell you about the noise that we call "music" in our house. Our tiny dwelling is usually noisy. We have eight people  – six of them males (no offence) – with three bedrooms, one bathroom, on only one level. Things can get crowded and loud.

But if you come to our house at pretty much any hour of the day you will hear some instrument playing in time with the rest of the noise.

I’ve written about the gift of my daughter’s dance academy, but we have another treasure in the Fraser Valley, and it’s the musical kind.

When we moved to Mission I registered Andrew and Nicolas in the Music Language Studios. What is a music language school, you ask? Well, I guess it’s a method of sharing music with little humans, in the belief that all humans are meant to make, and speak, the language of music.

If a child is exposed to music in the same way that they are exposed to any language, they will eventually have it grow within them. Other than that, I can’t explain it except to say that through playing games, tapping out rhythms, and listening to classical composers they are suddenly able to transpose chords and switch instruments around to try new sounds. They come home eager to make music, and, with the exception of one resistant child, look forward to their turn on an instrument.

I must make it clear that we have no prodigies in our house. I don’t assume that any of them will go on to make a living in music, but I do take some pride to see one of God’s great gifts to mankind growing within them, even as they squeak out the wrong note and play with less grace than I might like.

Over the past year, I kept finding Thomas hiding in closets with Nicolas’ violin. I would hear what I thought was Nicolas tuning it, only to suddenly realize that, no, Nicolas was sitting beside me. Thomas had struck again. The funny thing about it was he would place the violin between his legs and pretend it was a cello. He had grown listening and watching his siblings make music, and had taken a liking to the idea of playing along. A kind gentleman in Abbotsford eventually loaned us a one-eighth sized cello, so Nicolas’ violin is safe now. But the language of music started to be passed to him without much effort.

To date we have a piano, three guitars, a ukulele, a full-sized violin, an electric violin, a one-eighth cello, a one-quarter violin, a concertina, an electric piano, and numerous recorders. I think there must be a tambourine around somewhere from our Glory and Praise days. These are all second-hand instruments that we have found here and there, none are of great financial value, but all are of a value of a greater kind.

When I wrote about my daughter’s ballet school I said that the desire to dance was a proof of the existence of God. The same is true in the desire to make music. A man’s desire to call out from within is a sign that he is calling out to Someone. We make music in joy, in celebration, in love, and in sorrow. We create beauty because we are made in God’s image and likeness. Music, the song within our soul, sings out to connect with something beyond our vision.

Saint Augustine wrote, "Music … is likewise given by God's generosity to mortals having rational souls in order to lead them to higher things." We are designed to grow in virtue, in strength, in piety, and in beauty because all these lead us to higher things. God is good, and true, and beautiful, and we are welcomed to share these attributes.

There is controversy about what types of music are appropriate during Mass because music has a sacred job. It is meant to lead us beyond ourselves, to join the angels in higher things.

This year Nicolas was accepted into the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. I can’t say enough about how wonderful this experience has already been. The conductor, Mr. Calvin Dyck, seems to be a kind, passionate, and generous man. He has high expectations for these kids, and as kids are wont to do, they rise to meet them. We went to the year’s first performance and I was so lifted. The youth involved are given an opportunity to be challenged and to work together to make beautiful music. I feel a real joy knowing that the gifts these young people are given are being molded and formed. I pray that they each may one day use them to glorify God.

On Dec. 16 and 17, the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra will be performing with the Pacific Mennonite Children’s Choir and The Fraser Valley Academy of Dance (performing from the Nutcracker). You will be so happy you came! For tickets visit Eventbrite.ca/songs-strings-steps or House of James in Abbotsford.