Why "Chanting Needle"? Pourquoi 'L'Aiguille qui Chante'?

I do chant (Gregorian, that is)...and sing, and whistle, and flute...and I love embroidery, particularly counted cross-stitch and liturgical embroidery.

One of my "eventually" dreams (as in, during my septuagenarian days, maybe!) is to do cross stitch design work published online, so when I was casting about for a name for my personal website, I wanted to pick one that could eventually become a company name and that says something unique about me. Now I've discovered the world of blogs, and a good blog title is a good thing in the meantime.

Who am I? I am both a musician (conductor, singer, flutist, editor/arranger/composer, teacher) and experienced stitcher (liturgical embroidery with real metals, silks, and raised work; linen stitching including cross stitch, specialty stitches, and hardanger; needlepoint; crochet--the tiny stuff :-); and knitting); I've also picked up tailoring for myself again after a 10-year hiatus. Most of the stitching I learned from my dear Mum, now in Heaven with my Dad; the music is apparently my gift and was encouraged by my Dad, a fine natural tenor and natural polyglot (and the best read-aloud person I've ever met, because of his love of voices and sounds and humor). My family tells me that I started singing myself to sleep at about two years old, in whole, accurate verses of hymns and crooner songs and opera, and I still break into song for no reason at all except it suits my mood. :-)

In real life (i.e., non-stitching time :-), I'm wife (DH is a chemistry professor and sometimes stitcher as well as amateur gourmet chef who does the lion's share of the cooking at home) and mother of eleven-year-old DS (who wants to grow up to be a professional golfer :-). I've been a music and fine arts professor, a middle/high choral/orchestral teacher and department chair, and most recently, the full-time chief operating officer at a start-up classical middle/high school (my duties ran the gamut from principal and headmaster's designate to music and literature teacher and chair of Fine Arts and Humanities, plus admissions director, plus business manager--about 70-hour work-weeks--too much!). And all throughout my life I've been a chief pastoral musician, working mainly for Episcopal churches but also for some wonderful churches of other denominations (I was a cradle Episcopalian).

This past summer, the Holy Spirit finally completed a work 30+ years in the making: I converted to Catholicism, as did my son, joining my husband in the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. DS and I were confirmed in the Church on the First Sunday of Advent, the new church year--a wonderful start to a new year.

So I am now the lead teacher in our homeschool, Holy Paraclete Academy, where I also offer a 7th-8th grade course in Christian epic, allegory, and fantasy to other homeschoolers; have a private music studio, A Joyful Spirit Studio, where I teach flute, voice, and piano; continue as Choirmaster at an Anglo-Catholic parish (traditional music from Gregorian chant to contemporary liturgical composers) and volunteer singer for the Vigil Mass (OF) and whatever EF Masses I can attend at our family church, Sacred Heart in Dunn; and direct Schola Vox Clara, which sings for the monthly EF Mass at the cathedral in Raleigh.

But "Why Chanting Needle"?

I originally wanted to use my love of French and call the website "L'Aiguille qui Chante" (The Singing Needle, or literally in English, "The needle that sings") but I knew that would be confusing, so I decided on "Chanting Needle" as both a reference to the French phrase and my training in and love of Gregorian chant, and "needle" is obvious :-)

Funny aside: after not getting to practice speaking French since moving south from northern Vermont many years ago, it turns out that our parish priest is fluent, so now he tries to get me back to at least some semblance of conversation!

I hope you enjoy my blog and website at chantingneedle.com.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum./The Peace of the Lord be always with you.