Clutter and Music

On Monday, I responded to what struck me as an odd point of view regarding clutter.

On Tuesday, I posted about the new music corner in the living room.

And here on Wednesday, I’m thinking about how those two ideas intersect. I’ve been playing piano several times a day and violin daily since we set up that space. J has sat down and played piano at least a couple times, and F likes to interrupt my practicing to ask for a turn. 🙂

To some extent, our stuff enables activities. The music corner prompts us to engage in music. I wouldn’t call it “clutter,” then, because it serves a (positive) purpose in my life.

Though I’m interested in minimalism, I’m not hard-core. I don’t want to own only 100 things – but I have no desire to house items that I don’t use. I do not celebrate clutter! But I do agree with Ms. Browning that it’s enriching and wonderful to house items that we do use.

Rearranged!

My parents were in town over the weekend and between them and J, we rearranged a few things!

We have a beautiful sun room that was added to the house in the early ’90s. It has skylights and tons of windows. And it has temperature control issues. Thus, it is a stupid place to keep your collection of string instruments. Unfortunately, that’s where mine had been from October through last weekend.

We moved a living room shelf upstairs, scooted another living room bookshelf to the other side of the room, and freed up space for a music corner. My mother even thought to suggest we set up our keyboard. F, J, and I have been having fun playing piano. And now that my violin is living in a more temperature-stable place, I celebrated by restringing it.

The music corner could for sure use some decorative touches and some wire control, but for now it’s together, accessible, and even dusted!