Name: Leslie Hyland Rodgers
Age: I’m an old soul but a kid at heart.
Location: Austin, Texas
Online homes: website
Favorite Karina dress: Gala and Rita
How you know Karina: I came across an article about Karina’s dresses in a travel magazine. My husband and I travel extensively and I can attest to the fact that Karina’s dresses travel beautifully!
What are your every day, must-reads, online or off?
Emails, travel websites and blogs, spiritual devotionals and Biblical scripture.
You work with Symphony of Soul, a non-profit that brings live music to convalescent homes, hospitals, centers for the developmentally disabled and many other places. How does music heal?
I founded Symphony of Soul in 2000 when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. While she was in the hospital, she asked me to sing at her bedside to help comfort her. When the other cancer patients got up out of their beds and gathered around listening, I realized music was much needed in that environment. Symphony of Soul’s musicians provide live music or “musical medicine for the soul” to people who are confined in care centers because music comforts, soothes, relaxes, inspires, lifts people’s spirits and gives people hope.
Music is very primal. Even if we hear a song in a foreign language, we still respond to the melody or the rhythm. Music is based on sound vibrations that tune the vibrations of our very being. I believe music is the universal language, God’s language.
What’s the piece of music that you listen to when you need to relax?
I love atmospheric New Age music when I need to relax.
If you could give your 16 year old self advice, what would you say?
Remember that you are a child of God and that means that you are loved and special. Don’t ever settle for less and don’t ever allow anyone to mistreat you. Embrace your uniqueness and don’t compare yourself to others. You are your most beautiful and powerful when you are being your most authentic self, perfectly imperfect and precious.
Your perfect day. What would it look like?
Being with my sweet husband always makes me happy but I especially love it when we’re lounging under a beach umbrella at our favorite place in Mexico. We curl up in each other’s arms and let the breezes and the sounds of the ocean lull us to sleep. That’s pretty perfect.
Thanks so much for sharing, Leslie!