Author: Lady MJ Music

I am a retired band director and active private lesson teacher living in Texas.

Peace Train

I was talking with my son the other day and he said something very profound.  “The millennial do not have hope for the future”.  My first thoughts were WHAT? I have been thinking about that since our conversation and trying to understand how this shift happened.

I guess maybe I am from that in between age groups.   Born late in the Baby Boom era.  Many of the older baby boomers I know think much differently than I do, especially about politics. I would describe myself as:

  •  too young to have gone to Woodstock but I can identify with the feelings of self-expression, and freedom surrounding it. 
  • I was old enough to stay up all night to watch Neil Armstrong say his famous words “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” and really believe we were on the edge of something GREAT!   
  • I do have memories of the assignation of JFK and RFK and Dr. King but not old enough to understand why others hated them so much enough to kill them. 
  • Old enough to watch President Nixon resign from the office of the President.  I had feelings of sadness that an elected official would actually deceive the country.   After that experience I expected other elected officials would do the same – but they haven’t.

Maybe it was that thing I have inside me “eternal optimism”. My thoughts and feelings that the world will be alright because the good people will stand up for what is right.  The decade of the 60’s was turbulent but as I started becoming more aware of the whole world it felt like it was settling down in the 70’s.  So, I went on my merry way believing in the goodness of the world.

I grew up listening to music that was uplifting like this song from Cat Stevens.  I believe in the world, but it is getting harder especially in 2026.  I am trying to understand what changed and how the molinillos fell about the future.

Now I’ve been happy lately
Thinkin’ about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun

[Verse 2]
Oh, I’ve been smilin’ lately
Dreamin’ about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Some day it’s going to come

[Verse 3]
Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again

[Bridge]
Now, I’ve been smiling lately
Thinkin’ about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun

[Chorus]
Oh, peace train soundin’ louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah
Come on the peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah
Come on the peace train

[Verse 4]
Get your bags together
Go bring your good friends, too
Because it’s gettin’ nearer
It soon will be with you

[Bridge]
Now, come and join the livin’
It’s not so far from you
And it’s gettin’ nearer
Soon it will all be true

[Chorus]
Oh, peace train soundin’ louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah
Come on the peace train
Peace train
Oh
Ooh, hoo-hoo, ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, hoo-ooh

[Verse 5]
Now, I’ve been cryin’ lately
Thinkin’ about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can’t we live in bliss?

[Verse 3]
Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train, take this country
Come take me home again

[Chorus]
Oh, peace train soundin’ louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah
Come on the peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah

[Outro]
Come on, come on, come on
Yeah, come on, peace train
Yes, it’s the peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ah
Come on the peace train
Peace train
Ooh, ah, ee, ah, ooh, ahPeace Train

Epiphany

Epiphany

Lyrics

Lyrics are things that move me in songs.  I love that these lyrics are so intentional.  I think all of us at one point in our lives have fallen deeply in love with someone and invested our whole self into their lives.  This might be ok if the other individual is so into us they invest in us and it ends up being mutual – you build  them up – they build you up.

Many times, especially with young love, it all too often ends up being one sided.  Have you ever been in a relationship when after a time you feel you have lost yourself?  You have lived for the other person and somewhere along the way the “real” you is nowhere to be found.  You forgot what it was like to put yourself first.  Many people get stuck there and never find  their way back to themselves. 

I love this song because it can be an “epiphany” for someone in a relationship to discover the need to love themselves first before they can love someone else.

This is a BTS song so I put the English lyrics here but as you listen most of it is sung in Korean.  Enjoy!! 

https://youtu.be/fep7x8N4EUc 

Epiphany

So weird, I for sure loved you so much (Loved you so much)
Adapted to you with everything, I wanted to live my life for you
But as I keep doing that I just can’t bear the storm inside my heart
The real myself inside the smiling mask, I reveal it entirely

[Chorus: Jin]
I’m the one I should love in this world
Shining me, precious soul of mine
I finally realized so I love me
Not so perfect but so beautiful
I’m the one I should love

[Verse 2: Jin]
I’m shaking and afraid but I keep going forward
I’m meeting the real you, hidden in the storm
Why did I want to hide my precious self like this?
What was I so afraid of?
Why did I hide my true self?

[Chorus: Jin]
I’m the one I should love in this world
Shining me, precious soul of mine
I finally realized so I love me
Not so perfect but so beautiful
I’m the one I should love

Perhaps Love

Perhaps Love by John Denver

Oh, this is one of my favorite songs.  I love many of John Denver’s songs and do feel he left us too soon because he probably had much more to share with us.  So much of his usic is so precious. 

I saw John Denver in concert while I was a student at Arizona State University and all I remember was that he was very very little because I was in the high nosebleeds seats but I do remember loving the music and enjoying all just being there and listening to his beautiful voice.

I haven’t thought of this song in a long time.  It popped up on my you tube recently and made me think of my first wedding, a friend sang the song for us.  I guess I didn’t read too much into the words at the time but they sure ring true now that I am older.

Love is a strong word.  I actually remember being told when I was a teenager that to say you “love” a certain food is improper because love should only be a feeling you experience about another person, and, then hope it is mutual.  As I think about it now, love has so many different meanings to each person.  In a relationship one person thinks love is holding on and the other thinks it is letting go.

Advice, from an old lady – make sure the love you give and receive is the same kind because if they differ you can be exposed to heartbreak.

Perhaps Love

Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don’t know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Oh, love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel
For some a way of living
For some a way to feel
And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don’t know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of pain
Like a fire when it’s cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

Songwriters: John Denver

Swim

Life is so full of ups and downs and the best advice is to Swim through it.

Remember Nemo? Just Keep Swimming…….

Well, the global K-pop group from Korea BTS just released their new album and I love the track called “Swim”. Lately people around me have been going trough all sorts of things, a death in the family, a loved one is very sick, a car accident, not to mention the chaos all around us in the political world.

As a Mom and Grandma I watch as my children and grandchildren go along life’s road and hit small speed bumps and very LARGE speed bumps and all I can do is teach them to SWIM – keep going – take a breath – never give up – keep swimming.

Have a listen to this track – and just SWIM

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D6mfycbzs

Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim, swim
This is how it all begins
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

[Verse 1: RM]
Bad world, gone away and I still wake up in this mad world
Name a place that I could breathe on this map, world
Lookin’ like a goody, goody in this bad world, bad world
Don’t know how to act, girl
I’m in the deep, tell me, where the hell you at, girl?
Oh, you ain’t even gotta love me bad, girl
You know that I’m never holdin’ back, girl
Yeah

[Pre-Chorus: Jung Kook]
So easy, don’t make it so hard
Nights like these, I just wanna get lost
Right here with the moon and the sharks
I ain’t gotta think ’bout a thing, baby, I just

[Verse 2: SUGA]
Water, water so deep, water so deep
Take it off the ground, I ain’t never gettin’ cold feet
Yeah, you know me, yeah, you know me
Sittin’ on the shore, now I’m ready for the whole sea
I can feel the high waves comin’ (Yeah)
Why you run away? You can run in (Yeah)
Salt on my tongue, she’s stunnin’ (Oh)
You’re the only place that I wanna be, yeah

[Chorus: Jung Kook, Jin]
Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim (Swim), swim (Swim)
This is how it all begins
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive (Hey)

[Verse 3: j-hope]
Splash (Splash), drift (Drift)
I make waves with my two fins (Two fins)
Splash (Woo), drip (Drip)
I just wanna take it across the line
Under here, we don’t chase the time
Baby, everything can’t be so sad (So sad)
Turn my face from the land
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

[Chorus: V, Jin]
Swim, swim
Water falling off your skin
Swim, swim
I could spend a lifetime watching you
Swim (Swim), swim (Swim)
Let it all begin
Swim, swim
I just wanna dive, I just wanna dive

Music is Healing for me

The world is a very scary place right now so I use music to take me somewhere else in my head. To me there is no better listening than the sound of a flute soaring to those beautiful high notes. Playing flute is like singing. That is something I learned while I was studying flute in college. I took a voice class and learned how to breath and use my breath to sing – and I transferred that to my flute! I can sing with my flute and get beautiful lines and with the added breath support beautiful tone.

James Galway is one of my favorite flutists, I have seen in person and it is magical to hear him “sing” his flute! Some of you young ones might know another famous flutist Lizzo? Well, at the Grammy’s last year Lizzo and Sir James Galway played a duet together!

Give a listen to Sir James Galway!

“Pathway Back to Flute Playing”

I have been busy working on my new adventure! I love music and my passion is teaching music. Tonight I will present a webinar about this new online adventure! Join me to find out how to get back to flute playing if you have played the flute before. Send this invite to anyone you know who used to play the flute. You can go to my website at http://www.ladymjmusic.com to learn more.

Mary Jo Tenison-Willis is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: My second Webinar
Time: Mar 4, 2026 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/89411137042?pwd=AzEwKC8yVIhCrwqAd72NnbcnbYVqxO.1

Meeting ID: 894 1113 7042
Passcode: e9WH6F

A New Adventure

I am a retired band director/music teacher living in Texas. I still teach private lessons and love it. Teaching music is my passion! I recently had knee replacement surgery and spent quite a bit of time in my recliner and teaching online. I recently discovered an online teaching model which I love. I would like to invite you to visit my new website and get acquainted with my new adventure in online music teaching.

http://www.ladymjmusic.com

for more information about the course in flute I am offering email me at ladymjmusic@gmail.com

Forever We Are Young

February 5, 2025

BTS!  I am ARMY!

If you are not familiar with these phrases then listen up to something that moves me. 

BTS is a K-Pop group from Korea.  They have been together since 2013 and have achieved worldwide fame.  You may be familiar with their hits that became very famous in America – The songs, “Dynamite” and “Butter”.

Of course I love all kinds of music.  Being a music teacher my audio library ranges from opera, classical, broadway,  jazz, 70’s pop, anything on the radio.  But, lately I have been listening non-stop to BTS.  Their story is amazing – I’ll let you read about if you want to.  Their music is amazing but it’s the lyrics that grab me much of the time. 

This song hits home for me – I am in my retirement years and yet I still feel so young and have so much to hope and dream about.  The last few years have been very disturbing for me and many of us.  The news is never ending of just shocking stuff – this song helps bring me back to my younger days when I had so much hope in the future.

Here are just part of the lyrics I love so much.  They mostly sing in Korean so I look up translation all the time.  Enjoy the listen!!!

Forever we are young

Under the flower petals raining down
I run, so lost in this maze
Forever we are young
Even when I fall and hurt myself
I endlessly run toward my dream

[Bridge: Jung Kook, SUGA, V, Jimin, *RM*]
Forever, ever, ever, ever
(Dreams, hopes, forward, forward)
Forever, ever, ever, we are young
Forever, ever, ever, ever
(*Dreams, hopes, forward, forward*)
Forever, ever, ever, we are young

[Chorus: Jung Kook, Jimin, V, Jin]
Forever we are young
Under the flower petals raining down
I run, so lost in this maze
Forever we are young
Even when I fall and hurt myself

Verse 1 RM

The curtain falls and I’m out of breath
I get mixed feelings as I breathe out
Did I make any mistakes today?
How did the audience seem?
I’m happy with who I’ve become
That I can make someone scream with joy
Still excited from the performance

[Verse 2: SUGA]
I stand on the empty stage while holding onto an aftertaste that will not linger for long
While standing on this empty stage, I become afraid of this unpleasant emptiness
Within my suffocating feelings
On top of my life’s line
Without a reason, I forcibly act that I am fine
This isn’t the first time, I better get used to it
I try to hide it, but I can’t
When the heat of the show cools down
I leave the empty seats behind



[Verse 3: j-hope]
Trying to comfort myself
I tell myself the world can’t be perfect
I start to let myself go
The thundering applause, I can’t own it forever
I tell myself, so shameless
Raise your voice higher
Even if the attention isn’t forever, I’ll keep singing
As today’s me, I want eternity
Forever, I want to be young