I was exposed to a lot of music growing up. My parents loved music and had the radio on all the time. My mother loved musicals; we used to go to live theater in Kansas City, and I could tell you how many words were different [from the original versions]. So I know musicals in and out, and the jazz stuff, and so forth. Lots of favorites. My husband and I do ballroom dance, and “In the Mood” is one of the childhood songs that has stuck in my head as something I like. But I also, when I got older and my generation’s music came on, I gravitated to folk music and soft rock. I liked things with story lines or that talked about peace and the things I believe in. I have a spiritual bent; I’ve been a music minister since I was 18 years old. I have lots of spiritual music in my head.

Singing is my favorite way to pray.
Because I got to choose the music at church, I was able to insert my own version of spirituality, which didn’t always run the way the Catholic church would have chosen. So I would choose the more loving path.

I didn’t like things written in minor keys when I was a kid. I called it “sorry music.” I would say, “Why are you putting on the sorry music? I like happy music!”