The 17th-century poet and playwright William Congreve's famous line, 'Music has charms to soothe the savage breast,' is needed more often in these discombobulating days. When my family of six left Calgary to relocate to Toronto, my mother's family's 1910 Heintzman piano moved with us. I was the only one, out of four siblings, who took to music. This pleased my parents. I took piano lessons through the Royal Conservatory of Music and sang in youth and senior choirs all through high school and beyond. I even sang when we went to the U.K. for my husband's sabbaticals. I was given the piano and since my husband, John, and I both played, we hoped our kids would be musical. Ian, our eldest, was taught Suzuki violin by Joe Istok. Our toddler, Megan, found the practice sessions magical. Istok gave her a miniature violin while Ian practised. Later, Istok suggested Ian could go on to the school music programs and he could teach our little girl. The school board put Ian on trombone, which he played for a year. I discovered all symphonies need at least one trombone and one French horn, so he became the lone trombonist. We recall Megan standing barefoot at our piano, age three. Her head barely reached the keyboard and her hands played anything, none of it discordant. Violin lessons continued until Istok said he could not teach her any further and passed her on to the renowned Marta Heide in Dundas. Megan Benjafield directs the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra's Concert Orchestra in May. Music helps Megan's mother, Gail Benjafield, cope with the stresses of today's chaotic world. While at university Megan not only sang but received her music degree in classical violin. She has since moved onward and upward through teaching music. She is now a concert orchestra conductor and Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra general manager. When we returned to Canada from the U.K., we started attending local churches to hear choirs and found some spirituality just listening to others sing. Even though I am agnostic at best, I found choral music to be of great interest. I joined the Ridley Singers, then the Niagara Chamber Choir. The latter sang with other city choirs, Stratford for example, from time to time. We sang in other places in Niagara as well as across the border. Music has run through my life thanks to prominent conductors like Laura Thomas and the late Thom Mitchell. Thomas was the principal percussionist with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra for decades and conducted other local choirs. She also mentored our daughter. I joined her WomEnchant choir, which is still going strong, but gave it up some time ago due to a busy community life. However, we attend other performances by local choirs such as Brock's Avanti Singers or the Gallery Singers when we can and some instrumental programs at the performing arts centre downtown. When we sold our old home, we offered to give the piano away for free to anyone who would pay for its removal. Several families came by and it has gone to a good home in Thorold. Old friends recommended a radio station for classical music. Now in our evenings, we read books and listen to radio or our own recordings. It provides ease in these chaotic times. With nothing but doom and gloom on the internet or in any media, we find music has charms that soothe, calm and provide solace. In these deeply concerning times, I think Congreve had it right all those centuries ago. Thus, my unsolicited advice is to read books, listen to jazz, classical, folk, rock or whatever other music. Keep calm and carry on. Gail Benjafield is a member of the Niagara Voices community editorial board and is a longtime activist and volunteer for many community conservation, cultural and heritage-history organizations.