I have played the flute since I was 9 years old. When I was 17, in my senior year of high school, I had an episode of Bell’s palsy and completely lost my ability to play. My hands remembered what to do, but I couldn’t make the sound. My muscle movement slowly returned, but I struggled with practicing, as I would flex and clench my jaw and face muscles so hard it caused severe pain in a short time.

I’ve been working hard these past years on playing once again. It still breaks my heart when I hit a note and it just doesn’t sound. But I’ve been working it, and wouldn’t you know, it’s little by little getting better!

I want to shout out Mike Michel. He is a fabulous guitarist, songwriter and music maestro who developed tinnitus in his career and had to completely pivot just as I did. Now he is releasing another new album and it’s fabulous! He is an inspiration. Nothing in the world is worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty (Roosevelt).

Check Mike out: http://www.theorangegoodness.com

Watch “O Holy Night” here