“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

When I think of Melody, the two words that come readily to mind are love and music.  Melody was filled to the brim with love and she shared that love with so many people through her music.

If you ever met Melody, you were hugged by Melody.  She loved people, loved talking to them, getting to know them, and especially, she loved making music with them.  She always had time to practice, teach another musician a song, encourage new musicians to perform, or just casually play guitar, sing, and harmonize.  I’m sure I could have called on her to practice every day and she would’ve given her time and talent because she enjoyed making music so dearly.  And she loved the people she made music with and the audiences she made music with even more.  I know that, because so many, many people have made music with her, have followed her performances, and loved her so much.

I’ve known Melody and performed with her for 24 years.  The entire time I knew her she was dealing with medical challenges, including cancer, kidney failure, eventual transplant, and fibromyalgia.  Every day she was in pain from debilitating diseases that would have flattened anyone else.  But not her.  She was a fighter, incredibly strong-willed, and resilient.  Despite her trials, she was sustained by music and those she loved. 

Music was a stabilizing force in her life.  When illness challenged her, she had music to give her a sense of meaning a purpose.  No matter how sick she was, she always made it to a gig.  She loved filling her calendar with performance dates.  She gave her best at those gigs even when she did not feel her best.  For Melody “the show must go on” was her ethic because performance, making music, was her lifeline.  

I’m so happy that Melody’s love of music will live on through this gift.  She would be thrilled to know that children will be making music because of her.  Melody’s generosity of spirit, her kindness, her willingness to give of herself have all led directly to this donation.  Because she loved so freely and so well while she was with us, many people gave what they could to honor her precious memory.  

Melody was loved by so many fellow musicians and fans it would be impossible to count them all.  Her heart was enormous.  And music, the thing that made her heart beat with the rhythm of joy and hope, was how she shared her love with literally thousands of people.  May her undying love of music be a blessing, an inspiration, and an aspiration, to those children who will benefit from this gift.  

-Jody Harmon