It's been a year.
A year since I woke up with the call.
It's been a year of celebration.
A year of tears.
It's been a year of education.
A year of intuition.
It's been a year of courage.
A year of humility.
It's been a year of achievement.
A year of disappointment.
It's been a year of connection.
A year of isolation.
It's been a year of determination.
A year of perseverance.
A year of waking up every morning and answering the call.
Answering the call to serve as ORUUC's Temporary Music Director.
Answering the call to go back to school.
Answering the call to coordinate music for the Young Adults at General Assembly (YA@GA) worship services.
And, most recently, answering the call to coordinate music for Rev. Carol Bodeau's installation at Westside UU in Farragut this Fall. (Thank you for the opportunity, Rev. Carol!)
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to sing with the New World Unity Ensemble and One Human Family at the Baha'i Unity Center in Atlanta. (Another call that I answered - to come and sing and celebrate with my new friends from GA.) One song continues to resonate with me, written by William McDowell.
I give myself away
I give myself away
So you can use me
Here I am
Here I stand
Lord my life is in your hands
Lord I'm longing to see
Your desires revealed in me
I give myself away
I give myself away
So you can use me
Take my heart
Take my life
As a living sacrifice
All my dreams
All my plans
Lord I place them in your hands
I give myself away
I give myself away
So you can use me
My life is not my own
To you I belong
I give myself
I give myself to you
To me, it illustrates the mystery behind this calling. The power of waking up every morning called to serve. The faith in a power greater than myself (whether you call that God, Lord, Love, Universe, Earth, Nature, Light...). The deep knowing that on the other side of every obstacle is another opportunity. Answering the call with eager anticipation of what new experience may come.
And so, I continue to wake up every morning and answer the call.
Here's to the start of another year pursuing music ministry. Thank you all for joining me on the journey.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Living my faith (GA Recap, Part 3)
Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 before you get here.
By Saturday, I felt free. I was done with my commitments as Music Coordinator for the Young Adult worship services and all that remained was the business of GA and lending my voice to a Climate Change worship service. I guess that's how I became open to something beyond music these last two days.
I really enjoyed being a vocalist for the Climate Change worship. Much of the music you'll be hearing back at ORUUC. Music that makes you feel grounded, connected. But also music that challenges you to act. By the time I left the climate change worship, I understood the power of music and worship to restore the weary and inspire the passive into action.
The worship was followed by the final rehearsal with the GA Choir. One of the pieces, "We Will Walk Together," was written by Clif Hardin and commissioned by Heidi Brenner Bjerke - a member of my congregation - in memory of her Dad, who came out as a gay man at 78 years old. I was proud as I shared the story with members of the GA Choir. Music is so much more powerful when the musicians understand the context behind it.
Then, honestly, it was time for a break. I hit the meditation room with Amanda and crashed. Lesson learned: adrenaline only burns so long. I awoke refreshed and ready for dinner with my fellow ORUUCians. After a nice dinner catching up on our GA experiences, it was back to the convention center to see Dr. Cornel West deliver the Ware Lecture. Dr. West structured his lecture after four questions W.E.B. DuBois said every generation must consider, namely:
http://www.uuworld.org/articles/cornel-west-ware-lecture
He called on the audience to live with integrity. What I heard, as I listened to him speak, was a call to live my faith. To act rather than just discuss. To show rather than just tell. And it totally changed my Sunday.
Sunday morning started off like any other General Assembly. Sunday morning worship is always amazing. Nothing restores your soul like singing with almost 200 people in front of an audience of nearly 5,000. It's uplifting. The GA Choir Director, Burt Gulhaugen, is so fun to work with. My favorite piece (other than "We Will Walk Together, of course) was a gospel number called "Overflowing" by Brian Tate. Our soloist, Cecelia Hayes, was simultaneously powerful and humble. What a great combination! I could tell when she was singing about gratitude, she meant every word. During the sermon, Rev. Alison Miller made me laugh with the story of a teenager who said of our UU religion, "You've never heard of it." And she inspired me with her ideas that we live into the stories we tell.
Then it was on to final pieces of the UU business meeting. We quickly passed Actions of Immediate Witness supporting creating a global climate agreement and ending immigrant child and family detention. Then we spent quite a long time debating a third AIW supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. I would go into the process by which we finally approved it, but honestly I was disappointed with the wordsmithing and nitpicking that went into the process. I was so proud, so moved, so riled up when it passed. I felt personally vested in the youth that drafted the AIW and the young adult community who supported their efforts. I felt like celebrating this step forward for our congregations. And so I did!
It just so happened that a Black Lives Matter rally was spontaneously organized after the business meeting, but before the closing ceremony. As a GA choir member, I was supposed to be on stage for the closing ceremony. So I was faced with a pretty mind boggling decision - sing with the GA choir (which I LOVE and look forward to every year) - or participate in the demonstration. I'll let you figure out where I ended up:
Themes: action, demonstration, reflection
Every year, I come away with something new from GA. This year, it was living into my desire to be a music director (I often introduced myself as an "aspiring music director"), proving to myself that I could select, organize, and lead music with musicians from around the country, and awakening into a deep sense of wanting to live my UU faith out loud.
See you next year in Columbus!
By Saturday, I felt free. I was done with my commitments as Music Coordinator for the Young Adult worship services and all that remained was the business of GA and lending my voice to a Climate Change worship service. I guess that's how I became open to something beyond music these last two days.
I really enjoyed being a vocalist for the Climate Change worship. Much of the music you'll be hearing back at ORUUC. Music that makes you feel grounded, connected. But also music that challenges you to act. By the time I left the climate change worship, I understood the power of music and worship to restore the weary and inspire the passive into action.
The worship was followed by the final rehearsal with the GA Choir. One of the pieces, "We Will Walk Together," was written by Clif Hardin and commissioned by Heidi Brenner Bjerke - a member of my congregation - in memory of her Dad, who came out as a gay man at 78 years old. I was proud as I shared the story with members of the GA Choir. Music is so much more powerful when the musicians understand the context behind it.
Then, honestly, it was time for a break. I hit the meditation room with Amanda and crashed. Lesson learned: adrenaline only burns so long. I awoke refreshed and ready for dinner with my fellow ORUUCians. After a nice dinner catching up on our GA experiences, it was back to the convention center to see Dr. Cornel West deliver the Ware Lecture. Dr. West structured his lecture after four questions W.E.B. DuBois said every generation must consider, namely:
- How shall integrity face oppression?
- What does honesty do in the face of deception?
- What does decency do in the face of insult?
- How does virtue meet brute force?
http://www.uuworld.org/articles/cornel-west-ware-lecture
 |
| My view of Dr. Cornel West |
He called on the audience to live with integrity. What I heard, as I listened to him speak, was a call to live my faith. To act rather than just discuss. To show rather than just tell. And it totally changed my Sunday.
Sunday morning started off like any other General Assembly. Sunday morning worship is always amazing. Nothing restores your soul like singing with almost 200 people in front of an audience of nearly 5,000. It's uplifting. The GA Choir Director, Burt Gulhaugen, is so fun to work with. My favorite piece (other than "We Will Walk Together, of course) was a gospel number called "Overflowing" by Brian Tate. Our soloist, Cecelia Hayes, was simultaneously powerful and humble. What a great combination! I could tell when she was singing about gratitude, she meant every word. During the sermon, Rev. Alison Miller made me laugh with the story of a teenager who said of our UU religion, "You've never heard of it." And she inspired me with her ideas that we live into the stories we tell.
Then it was on to final pieces of the UU business meeting. We quickly passed Actions of Immediate Witness supporting creating a global climate agreement and ending immigrant child and family detention. Then we spent quite a long time debating a third AIW supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. I would go into the process by which we finally approved it, but honestly I was disappointed with the wordsmithing and nitpicking that went into the process. I was so proud, so moved, so riled up when it passed. I felt personally vested in the youth that drafted the AIW and the young adult community who supported their efforts. I felt like celebrating this step forward for our congregations. And so I did!
It just so happened that a Black Lives Matter rally was spontaneously organized after the business meeting, but before the closing ceremony. As a GA choir member, I was supposed to be on stage for the closing ceremony. So I was faced with a pretty mind boggling decision - sing with the GA choir (which I LOVE and look forward to every year) - or participate in the demonstration. I'll let you figure out where I ended up:
 |
| Photo by Jo Walter |
Every year, I come away with something new from GA. This year, it was living into my desire to be a music director (I often introduced myself as an "aspiring music director"), proving to myself that I could select, organize, and lead music with musicians from around the country, and awakening into a deep sense of wanting to live my UU faith out loud.
See you next year in Columbus!
Celebrating my faith (GA Recap, Part 2)
This is a continuation of my GA Recap. Be sure to read Part 1.
Thursday, for all intents and purposes, was a "rest day" for me at General Assembly. At least, in the sense that I didn't have to run or participate in a rehearsal all day. Instead, I got to savor my day at GA. I attended workshops on getting UUs to "cross the road" (participate in social justice activities) and leveraging technology in music. I took in some of the business side of GA as a delegate for my congregation. I also had dinner with my friend Saffron, who moved to Portland from Tennessee about a year ago. It was so good to have an evening away from the convention center! I wrapped up my evening listening to the combined choirs of First UU Portland. It was an excellent program as they prepare to go on an international tour. Their church has four adult choirs, plus handbell and children's groups. What an amazing musical community!
Friday was the most inspiring and exhausting day at GA. We woke up to news of the Supreme Court upholding marriage equality - an event so many among us had fought most of their lives for. There was much celebration! I got to sing on the main stage during the Synergy (bridging) worship on Friday evening, so there was a rehearsal with the GA band earlier in the day. Then I lead the music rehearsal for our Young Adult worship - Yuri and Matt were back as our instrumentalists and our vocalists were joined by three members of One Human Family Choir. Wow, what powerful vocals we had!
This is where I need to have a little tangent. When Amanda and I selected music for our two Young Adult worship services, we chose mostly hymns for the first worship (easier to pull together in a quick time frame, since it was Day 1 of the conference) and mostly popular songs for the second worship (premise being that we would have more time to rehearse). As it turned out, the only rehearsal time we had for the second worship was squeezed into 90 minutes on Friday afternoon. I took a look at the music, the rehearsal time, and the musicians we had available ... and brainstormed some arrangements on the flight to Portland. But goodness, was I still nervous. As it turns out, working with talented musicians is pretty great. We made quick work of the pieces, divided up solo lines, made up our own harmonies, and coordinated accompaniment.
We also led a workshop on creating worship for young adults. Along with Amanda, Derrick, and Jim, we shared a few ideas and then let the participants create their own worship. It was a create session with some really good discussion!
Friday was also Amanda's big day on the GA stage. She and a colleague (Kenny Wiley) presented a GA Talk on Black Lives Matter. I sat awestruck that this woman I have known for 6 years, who was afraid of microphones when we first met, commanding the stage with passion and vibrance. It set me on a course for the rest of the week... that you'll have to wait until my next post to hear more about.
Then it was Friday night. First, I got to sing with GA Music Coordinator Susan Peck, Amanda, and an incredible vocalist named Lauren Steele on the main stage to open up the Synergy bridging service. What a treat to be able to honor youth transitioning to Young Adults in our faith.
Afterward, we hosted a worship service to officially welcome the new Young Adults into our community, complete with cake. Those songs that I worried so much about? There were a few mistakes, but it absolutely didn't matter -- nearly everyone in the room was singing along! Our song choices were spot on. My favorite moment of the day was singing the opening line to "Unwritten" (by Natasha Bedingfield) and the entire room lighting up and singing along. It was a touching moment, to feel that connected to the young adult community gathered. I felt called and inspired to music ministry all over again.
Adding to the themes from this experience: celebration, inspiration, perspiration
Next up: Saturday - Sunday. You'd never guess how this story ends!
Thursday, for all intents and purposes, was a "rest day" for me at General Assembly. At least, in the sense that I didn't have to run or participate in a rehearsal all day. Instead, I got to savor my day at GA. I attended workshops on getting UUs to "cross the road" (participate in social justice activities) and leveraging technology in music. I took in some of the business side of GA as a delegate for my congregation. I also had dinner with my friend Saffron, who moved to Portland from Tennessee about a year ago. It was so good to have an evening away from the convention center! I wrapped up my evening listening to the combined choirs of First UU Portland. It was an excellent program as they prepare to go on an international tour. Their church has four adult choirs, plus handbell and children's groups. What an amazing musical community!
Friday was the most inspiring and exhausting day at GA. We woke up to news of the Supreme Court upholding marriage equality - an event so many among us had fought most of their lives for. There was much celebration! I got to sing on the main stage during the Synergy (bridging) worship on Friday evening, so there was a rehearsal with the GA band earlier in the day. Then I lead the music rehearsal for our Young Adult worship - Yuri and Matt were back as our instrumentalists and our vocalists were joined by three members of One Human Family Choir. Wow, what powerful vocals we had!
This is where I need to have a little tangent. When Amanda and I selected music for our two Young Adult worship services, we chose mostly hymns for the first worship (easier to pull together in a quick time frame, since it was Day 1 of the conference) and mostly popular songs for the second worship (premise being that we would have more time to rehearse). As it turned out, the only rehearsal time we had for the second worship was squeezed into 90 minutes on Friday afternoon. I took a look at the music, the rehearsal time, and the musicians we had available ... and brainstormed some arrangements on the flight to Portland. But goodness, was I still nervous. As it turns out, working with talented musicians is pretty great. We made quick work of the pieces, divided up solo lines, made up our own harmonies, and coordinated accompaniment.
We also led a workshop on creating worship for young adults. Along with Amanda, Derrick, and Jim, we shared a few ideas and then let the participants create their own worship. It was a create session with some really good discussion!
Friday was also Amanda's big day on the GA stage. She and a colleague (Kenny Wiley) presented a GA Talk on Black Lives Matter. I sat awestruck that this woman I have known for 6 years, who was afraid of microphones when we first met, commanding the stage with passion and vibrance. It set me on a course for the rest of the week... that you'll have to wait until my next post to hear more about.
Then it was Friday night. First, I got to sing with GA Music Coordinator Susan Peck, Amanda, and an incredible vocalist named Lauren Steele on the main stage to open up the Synergy bridging service. What a treat to be able to honor youth transitioning to Young Adults in our faith.
Photo by Jake Morrill
Afterward, we hosted a worship service to officially welcome the new Young Adults into our community, complete with cake. Those songs that I worried so much about? There were a few mistakes, but it absolutely didn't matter -- nearly everyone in the room was singing along! Our song choices were spot on. My favorite moment of the day was singing the opening line to "Unwritten" (by Natasha Bedingfield) and the entire room lighting up and singing along. It was a touching moment, to feel that connected to the young adult community gathered. I felt called and inspired to music ministry all over again.
Adding to the themes from this experience: celebration, inspiration, perspiration
Next up: Saturday - Sunday. You'd never guess how this story ends!
Connecting with my faith (GA Recap, Part 1)
I've been asked to lead our church service on July 26 to reflect on my experience at this year's Unitarian Universalist General Assembly (June 24-28). This annual gathering of UUs from around the world is part business meeting, part educational workshops, part rejuvenating worship, part social witness, and part networking event. Thankfully, I knew I'd have to report back on my experience, so I took some notes on the flight home from Portland. And lucky for you, faithful blog readers, you get the day-by-day recap of GA! If you'd rather have the streamlined highlights, you'll have to come to ORUUC on July 26.
Let's start with the flight out to Portland on Tuesday, June 23. After months of planning with Amanda Weatherspoon (my friend and Young Adult Worship Coordinator for GA), we had pinned down the music, musicians, and rehearsal schedules for our worship services for Young Adults at GA. So, after getting up at 4AM and driving 2.5 hours to Nashville, I was sitting on my flight to Portland with my iPhone, headphones, and a notebook of sheet music. I bought a magazine at the airport, but never read it. Instead, I listened to the songs we had chosen... Songs of hope, songs of resilience, songs of strength. I thought about the musicians who had agreed to lend their talents to making this music come alive in our worship services. I took notes about possible arrangements that we could learn in a very short amount of time. When I landed in Portland, it was still early afternoon - so I was able to catch up with Amanda, check in to the hotel and GA, and register for the GA choir. The GA choir is my very favorite part of GA. Singing with close to 200 people from around the country on Sunday morning and afternoon is just wonderful. I also had the first of MANY milkshakes on Tuesday. Many. I kid you not.
Wednesday. What a great day! I love to be busy and I love to make music and that's really ALL we did on Wednesday. We invited Young Adults to join us to make music with us and a couple of them (Em D. and Amanda P.) actually turned up to sing! So, we did a vocal rehearsal earlier in the day, then pulled together vocals with the band (Matt Meyer, Yuri Yamamoto, and Jeff Chamberlain) later in the day. Wednesday night's young adult worship was hymn-heavy so that we could pull things together quickly, put we were able to make quite a few of them have a more contemporary feel with the rhythm (thanks, Matt!) or the accompaniment (thanks, Yuri & Jeff!). Amanda had also recruited two friends from Starr King seminary (Derrick and Jim), who really helped to fill out the harmonies on vocals. It was a great group - I really enjoyed working with them. Everyone pitched in with suggestions on arrangements, feel, and even a this-song-sucks-lets-pick-another-one. It was a great, collaborative process and I think the music worked really well. THEN, the endless opening ceremony happened. Our worship was scheduled to begin right after the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, that event ran over by close to an hour. Normally, I think we would have just started somewhere in there and let folks come in as the ceremony wrapped up -- but we were collaborating with musicians who were also helping to provide music for the ceremony and couldn't get off stage! Now there's a fun lesson for ya - musicians are busy folks. When we finally did get our worship service started, even with the stress of it being late, we had a full room of very engaged young adults who were there ready to hear our message, share our ritual, and join their voices in our songs. It was beautiful. I had also been in charge of planning the altar for the worship, which ended up looking amazing. We had planned for stones in the middle (to represent "you" in this space) and colored sand in the black napkins (to co-create our space), but what happened was something so much more creative and representative of the imaginations of our young adults.
We ended up continuing to add to this altar throughout the week. It was incredible to watch it evolve.
I'm sensing themes here: collaboration, connection, evolution.
Next up: Thursday - Sunday. There's so much more to tell!
Let's start with the flight out to Portland on Tuesday, June 23. After months of planning with Amanda Weatherspoon (my friend and Young Adult Worship Coordinator for GA), we had pinned down the music, musicians, and rehearsal schedules for our worship services for Young Adults at GA. So, after getting up at 4AM and driving 2.5 hours to Nashville, I was sitting on my flight to Portland with my iPhone, headphones, and a notebook of sheet music. I bought a magazine at the airport, but never read it. Instead, I listened to the songs we had chosen... Songs of hope, songs of resilience, songs of strength. I thought about the musicians who had agreed to lend their talents to making this music come alive in our worship services. I took notes about possible arrangements that we could learn in a very short amount of time. When I landed in Portland, it was still early afternoon - so I was able to catch up with Amanda, check in to the hotel and GA, and register for the GA choir. The GA choir is my very favorite part of GA. Singing with close to 200 people from around the country on Sunday morning and afternoon is just wonderful. I also had the first of MANY milkshakes on Tuesday. Many. I kid you not.
Wednesday. What a great day! I love to be busy and I love to make music and that's really ALL we did on Wednesday. We invited Young Adults to join us to make music with us and a couple of them (Em D. and Amanda P.) actually turned up to sing! So, we did a vocal rehearsal earlier in the day, then pulled together vocals with the band (Matt Meyer, Yuri Yamamoto, and Jeff Chamberlain) later in the day. Wednesday night's young adult worship was hymn-heavy so that we could pull things together quickly, put we were able to make quite a few of them have a more contemporary feel with the rhythm (thanks, Matt!) or the accompaniment (thanks, Yuri & Jeff!). Amanda had also recruited two friends from Starr King seminary (Derrick and Jim), who really helped to fill out the harmonies on vocals. It was a great group - I really enjoyed working with them. Everyone pitched in with suggestions on arrangements, feel, and even a this-song-sucks-lets-pick-another-one. It was a great, collaborative process and I think the music worked really well. THEN, the endless opening ceremony happened. Our worship was scheduled to begin right after the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, that event ran over by close to an hour. Normally, I think we would have just started somewhere in there and let folks come in as the ceremony wrapped up -- but we were collaborating with musicians who were also helping to provide music for the ceremony and couldn't get off stage! Now there's a fun lesson for ya - musicians are busy folks. When we finally did get our worship service started, even with the stress of it being late, we had a full room of very engaged young adults who were there ready to hear our message, share our ritual, and join their voices in our songs. It was beautiful. I had also been in charge of planning the altar for the worship, which ended up looking amazing. We had planned for stones in the middle (to represent "you" in this space) and colored sand in the black napkins (to co-create our space), but what happened was something so much more creative and representative of the imaginations of our young adults.
I'm sensing themes here: collaboration, connection, evolution.
Next up: Thursday - Sunday. There's so much more to tell!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
A Good Story
So, in my day job of corporate training, we often design or retell stories to help participants understand the context and necessity for new training. It creates emotional buy-in, builds a connection between their job and the training material, and keeps folks engaged. In crafting and conveying a good story, there are certain elements that just *must* be there. Most importantly, some sort of conflict or obstacle to overcome. I've heard it said that no problem = no story.
Maybe my story to this point hasn't been a story at all. Girl awakes with calling, girl pursues calling. Girl goes to school for calling, girls passes her classes with flying colors. So maybe it should come as no surprise that this story needed some sort of problem.
Girls goes after dream job, doesn't get it.
What comes next is a few days of girl wallowing in self-pity about not being able to live out her calling, frustration about not hearing the call earlier in life, worry about ever being able to pursue this calling, doubt about whether the calling is real. It's called a "crisis" in story terms.
Here's the thing - out of crisis comes growth. And possibility. And amazing friends and mentors who remind our girl that this is not the end. There is work to do. And an endless number of ways to develop and still live out this calling.
And so, I've been able to reflect on the positive parts of this experience. I now have a resume, a development plan, and a vision for my music ministry. I'm registered for more music classes this Fall. I'm headed out to General Assembly in a few weeks to make music with UUs from across the country. I'm working with mentors to identify development opportunities close to home.
The next step for me is to find a church willing to give me a chance in a professional music role. This might be a Music Director in a smaller congregation or an Assistant Music Director in a larger one. The important part is gaining professional experience, applying what I'm learning in school, and living out this calling to the best of my ability. If you know of an opportunity, please pass it along. I'm ready to put myself out there. In story terms, I'm at the "turning point" and ready to move forward along a different path than I originally envisioned.
Maybe my story to this point hasn't been a story at all. Girl awakes with calling, girl pursues calling. Girl goes to school for calling, girls passes her classes with flying colors. So maybe it should come as no surprise that this story needed some sort of problem.
Girls goes after dream job, doesn't get it.
What comes next is a few days of girl wallowing in self-pity about not being able to live out her calling, frustration about not hearing the call earlier in life, worry about ever being able to pursue this calling, doubt about whether the calling is real. It's called a "crisis" in story terms.
Here's the thing - out of crisis comes growth. And possibility. And amazing friends and mentors who remind our girl that this is not the end. There is work to do. And an endless number of ways to develop and still live out this calling.
And so, I've been able to reflect on the positive parts of this experience. I now have a resume, a development plan, and a vision for my music ministry. I'm registered for more music classes this Fall. I'm headed out to General Assembly in a few weeks to make music with UUs from across the country. I'm working with mentors to identify development opportunities close to home.
The next step for me is to find a church willing to give me a chance in a professional music role. This might be a Music Director in a smaller congregation or an Assistant Music Director in a larger one. The important part is gaining professional experience, applying what I'm learning in school, and living out this calling to the best of my ability. If you know of an opportunity, please pass it along. I'm ready to put myself out there. In story terms, I'm at the "turning point" and ready to move forward along a different path than I originally envisioned.
The rest, my friends, is still unwritten. This story is far from over.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
April Reflections
How quickly time passes when your time is shared between a day job, schoolwork, music performances, professional development, family, friends, and a church retreat! How can it be the end of April already?
This is the last week of class for the semester. In Music Appreciation, we're starting to discuss composers who actually lived in the same century I was born. I'm not very fond of music with unresolved dissonance or music that is completely atonal, so it's been challenging to do the listening assignments. For my last concert report, I went to a Knoxville Jazz Orchestra concert featuring Clairdee singing Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae tunes. That was a really fun evening of music -- there will be more KJO concerts in my future. In my Piano class, I think I've finally gotten a better handle on pushing the pedal at the right time. We've also been through fingering on most of the major scales. Of course, when I play them, in my head I still go, "1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4-5." I'll be happy when my fingers go where they're supposed to without my counting in my head. And I'll be ecstatic when I can play scales with both of my hands together on the right fingers. One step at a time.
It was a busy month for musical performances, too! ORUUC had our annual Concert of Darkness on Good Friday. Ashton brought in singers from UT to join our choir in the choral pieces, which really rounded out our sound. I was excited that I knew a few of the singers -- I'm more connected than I realize sometimes! I sang a solo for Easter (Bach's "My Heart Ever Faithful"), which was my first solo piece in service in a little while. The Knoxville Chamber Chorale performed an amazing concert in Morristown, which my musical colleague Bryon, as well as my Dad and his girlfriend were able to attend. It's been a wonderful ensemble to sing with this season and I'm looking forward to the collaborations with the Knoxville Opera and Knoxville Symphony that we have lined up for the Fall. Knoxville Choral Society closed out our season with the Brahms "German Requiem," a work that really challenged me with its complex melodic lines and fugues.
In the wider UU world, I'm excited to start nailing down details on my involvement in General Assembly in June. I'm helping Amanda in her role as Young Adult Coordinator by serving as the music coordinator. We're planning two worship services and a workshop - all with lots of music. We met this week to discuss themes and high level plans, with more to come next week once my classes end. What a cool summer project!
Finally, I should mention that the permanent Music Director job at my church has been posted and applications are due May 8. This is both thrilling and scary for me. I won't say too much about it, out of respect for the process, but I will tell you all that I plan to apply. I would kick myself if I didn't go after this opportunity to follow my calling at my home congregation. And I know, no matter what the outcome, that ORUUCs music program is my home while I continue to develop as a musician. I'm excited to see the outcome of the process!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Reflections of March
Wow, there's a lot to cover from this month! I'm not sure where to start, so let me start with school.
Music Appreciation: My ears are learning to listen. I can hear the difference between an oratorio, a mass, and an opera. And the difference between a solo concerto, a sonata, a string quartet, and a symphony. Wow! We've moved through the Classical Era and into the Romantic Period. There are 13 composers to learn in this unit. If I can keep them all straight...
Piano: You may have already heard my little rant on this one. I've made myself proud by playing separate rhythms with my left and right hand. It was a momentous occasion, quickly followed by the frustration of adding the damper pedal. I finally got my fingers coordinated and now I have to get my feet involved?!?!? It hurts my brain. Ouch.
I'm still visiting churches to learn about other music programs. I spent this past Sunday at First United Methodist here in Oak Ridge. They have a vibrant, active music program that includes youth and children's choirs, an adult choir, handbell choirs, and a contemporary band. Andrew Duncan, their Music Director, took time to walk me through the logistics of running such a large program - everything from managing a music library database to taking attendance at rehearsals to providing online rehearsal tracks for choir members. The church has two traditional services and a contemporary service, all organized through an online worship planning tool. I really appreciated the technological approach to organizing the music program. I also got a chance to spend a little time with Jeff Kile, who directs the contemporary band, for insight into staffing the band and the tech deck. I've got tons of notes and ideas for the future.
I've also had some personal growth this month. Bill Brewer, who set me on my current music education path, passed away from cancer. Bill had taken time from his busy schedule to consult with me when I didn't know where to start. He was a calming presence when my life was in upheaval. When I stopped by his office at the beginning of the semester to thank him for his advice, he invited me into his office, sat me down, and seemed genuinely interested in how I was doing in the program. At his memorial, many people made mention of Bill's ability to make you feel like you had his undivided attention. I truly felt that way about my experiences with him. He lived authentically and strived to make beautiful music as long as he had breath. He'll be a life-long role model for me.
I would be remiss if I didn't also mention another role model for me -- my Mom turned 70 this month! I organized a party for her in Delaware. As a special gift, I asked all of the attendees to give me a list of things they love about my Mom. What inspiring responses I received! The ones that stood out to me were her willingness to help her friends, her deep love of animals, and her resilience in the face of life's troubles.
Spring is here and my journey continues... I'm excited for all the things I'll learn in April!
Spring is here and my journey continues... I'm excited for all the things I'll learn in April!
Monday, March 9, 2015
What I'm Learning - March 2015
It's Spring Break -- and thankfully the weather is finally convincing me as such. Given we're about half way through my semester, I thought now would be a good time to write down things I'm learning, both in and out of the classroom.
In Music Appreciation, we've wrapped up the Baroque Era and taken on the Classical Era. I have to admit, I'm thankful to get back to homophony - the polyphony and embellishments of Baroque music make it difficult to hum along with the melody. And, as a singer, I want to be able to hum the tune! (Did you hear that little analysis there?) I went to a concert on Saturday night that featured Grammy-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux with our local symphony (Oak Ridge Symphony). I have a number of friends involved in performing with or supporting the symphony -- and O used it as one of my required concerts to write up for class. As luck would have it, about half of the program was Baroque music -- and one piece was actually highlighted in my textbook. I kinda feel like I could talk intelligibly (at a high level) about Bach's Brandenburg Concerto, which is a little unsettling. It was also my first experience hearing a classical guitar perform with an orchestra. I liked it quite a bit!
Ah, Class Piano. Five-finger patterns have turned into arpeggios and major/minor chords. We've even done a little harmonization with guidance from our textbook. We just started dealing with minor key signatures, which I think are probably the most challenging thing I've seen so far this semester. I may spend spring break memorizing the relative minor for each major key, just to reduce my anxiety.
Outside of school, I've been connecting with music folks. This is by far the most fun and most informational part of my development. I've participated in several services now at the First Presbyterian Church here in Oak Ridge and have plans to visit First United Methodist later this month. I'm learning about music program structure, following liturgy, working with choirs of all sizes and purposes, partnering with clergy, and just generally how services from different faith traditions work. My family never went to church much when I was a kid, so just experiencing different formats is enlightening!
I've also been connecting with musicians in the UU world. I had a great chat with Jan Gartner, a professional development guru with the Unitarian Universalist Association, about professional development and not being afraid to create my own plan. She also pointed me toward some great resources on transitioning from a congregation member to a staff member, which will be so helpful in preparing me for my interview process at ORUUC later this spring. Jan also suggested that I reach out to Jason Shelton, Minister of Music in Nashville, to hear his story. I'm looking forward to connecting with him later this month.
Perhaps what I'm most proud of nowadays is being tapped to help the GA Young Adult Coordinator, Amanda Weatherspoon, with all things music for the young adult elements at this summer's General Assembly in June. It's a really exciting opportunity -- and I could never say no to an opportunity to make music with UUs from across the country. (Or no to Amanda, really.)
All this to say, I kept myself busy in recent weeks when the snow and ice kept me away from my usual activities. Now the weather is warming up and I'm ready to tackle the next season!
Thank you all, again, for your support and love. I feel it every day.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Reflections - February 2015
Wow, what a busy month it has been! There is a lot to reflect on - hopefully I can remember it all.
School - so far, so good. It's translating 5-finger patterns into major chords for me in Class Piano. Moving on to the Baroque Period (1600-1750) after studying the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Music Appreciation. I love that we're getting into music that I've performed before (Handel's Messiah is in this unit). Unfortunately, school was cancelled all of last week due to snow and ice, so I'm guessing we'll be moving through content pretty quickly to catch up. I probably should have been reading ahead on my snow days...
Church Music - I made a commitment to myself in January that I would spend time outside of my congregation in the coming months to learn more about other church music programs and worship formats. I got the pleasure of starting the adventure this morning at First Presbyterian Church here in Oak Ridge. So much music in their service - hymns, responses, prelude, postlude, plus an anthem - with a choir that sings every week. I was honored to be invited to sing the anthem and serve as cantor for one of the Psalms. I even got to wear a choir robe. I thought it was wonderful that Rev. Sharon leads the choir in a blessing before service. Their choir is truly seen as a vessel of God's word. That's powerful. I'm looking forward to another visit at First Pres in March.
Concerts in February - As in, this will never happen again. :) Poor Peter Mayer traveled all the way to Oak Ridge from Minnesota for a concert last night. All the weather forecasts said the temperature would rise into the mid 40s by Noon, clearing away the wintry mix we'd been fighting all week. But, painfully, it never got above 34 yesterday. Everything stayed frozen or a dangerous slushy mix. The church parking lot was an ice rink. So, we decided to cancel the concert. Which, of course, is an administrative nightmare. There are MANY thank you's in order for all the folks that worked so hard to get the concert ready and several more who helped host Pete this morning while I ran off to sing at First Pres. I was totally depressed to miss his musical offerings to our service, but I did get a chance to touch base with him briefly afterwards. I got to share with him a little bit about this journey that I'm on. He was impressed that I was going back to school and really making a go of this dream. It was fulfilling to get that kind of support from a musician I admire so much!
Support - I have found all kinds of support in so many places. Friends who watch my kids so I can pursue my dreams. A spouse who watches the kids more than his fair share and has started doing laundry - I can't believe how spoiled I feel when clean clothes just magically appear! Music colleagues who share resources, give me advice, and invite me to sing. People who make a special effort to tell me how they liked my song or how I led a hymn. A day job where I feel valued and supported in pursuing my passions. And just when I need a break, friends who invite me to craft class and church events that reconnect me to my support network. Each of you reading this blog make a difference in my life. Thank you.
Special Thank You - Today was especially long for me. I was at First Pres by 9 to rehearse, followed by service at 10, then a church event (Everybody's Birthday!) at ORUUC, then a kick off meeting for OWL (sexuality education course for my 11-year old), then a rehearsal and performance of Psalms, then grocery shopping for the week. My husband is out of town, so my 9-year old daughter had to tag along with me ALL day. As in, go to service at a church she has never attended (but thankfully had a friend there who she spent the night with), leave quickly afterward to go to the Birthday event and ORUUC kids choir rehearsal, then sit around for TWO HOURS of my meeting (Netflix on the iPad - I'm not proud), then sit around for another HOUR of rehearsal and another HOUR of concert. She sat attentively and respectfully during the concert BY HERSELF. Then helped me with grocery shopping without a complaint. I would have given her anything she wanted in return for dragging her around all day. And all she asked for was peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks. You got it, kiddo. I'm adding a special shout out on my blog because I could NOT have made it through today without her cooperation. She's amazing.
School - so far, so good. It's translating 5-finger patterns into major chords for me in Class Piano. Moving on to the Baroque Period (1600-1750) after studying the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Music Appreciation. I love that we're getting into music that I've performed before (Handel's Messiah is in this unit). Unfortunately, school was cancelled all of last week due to snow and ice, so I'm guessing we'll be moving through content pretty quickly to catch up. I probably should have been reading ahead on my snow days...
Church Music - I made a commitment to myself in January that I would spend time outside of my congregation in the coming months to learn more about other church music programs and worship formats. I got the pleasure of starting the adventure this morning at First Presbyterian Church here in Oak Ridge. So much music in their service - hymns, responses, prelude, postlude, plus an anthem - with a choir that sings every week. I was honored to be invited to sing the anthem and serve as cantor for one of the Psalms. I even got to wear a choir robe. I thought it was wonderful that Rev. Sharon leads the choir in a blessing before service. Their choir is truly seen as a vessel of God's word. That's powerful. I'm looking forward to another visit at First Pres in March.
Concerts in February - As in, this will never happen again. :) Poor Peter Mayer traveled all the way to Oak Ridge from Minnesota for a concert last night. All the weather forecasts said the temperature would rise into the mid 40s by Noon, clearing away the wintry mix we'd been fighting all week. But, painfully, it never got above 34 yesterday. Everything stayed frozen or a dangerous slushy mix. The church parking lot was an ice rink. So, we decided to cancel the concert. Which, of course, is an administrative nightmare. There are MANY thank you's in order for all the folks that worked so hard to get the concert ready and several more who helped host Pete this morning while I ran off to sing at First Pres. I was totally depressed to miss his musical offerings to our service, but I did get a chance to touch base with him briefly afterwards. I got to share with him a little bit about this journey that I'm on. He was impressed that I was going back to school and really making a go of this dream. It was fulfilling to get that kind of support from a musician I admire so much!
Support - I have found all kinds of support in so many places. Friends who watch my kids so I can pursue my dreams. A spouse who watches the kids more than his fair share and has started doing laundry - I can't believe how spoiled I feel when clean clothes just magically appear! Music colleagues who share resources, give me advice, and invite me to sing. People who make a special effort to tell me how they liked my song or how I led a hymn. A day job where I feel valued and supported in pursuing my passions. And just when I need a break, friends who invite me to craft class and church events that reconnect me to my support network. Each of you reading this blog make a difference in my life. Thank you.
Special Thank You - Today was especially long for me. I was at First Pres by 9 to rehearse, followed by service at 10, then a church event (Everybody's Birthday!) at ORUUC, then a kick off meeting for OWL (sexuality education course for my 11-year old), then a rehearsal and performance of Psalms, then grocery shopping for the week. My husband is out of town, so my 9-year old daughter had to tag along with me ALL day. As in, go to service at a church she has never attended (but thankfully had a friend there who she spent the night with), leave quickly afterward to go to the Birthday event and ORUUC kids choir rehearsal, then sit around for TWO HOURS of my meeting (Netflix on the iPad - I'm not proud), then sit around for another HOUR of rehearsal and another HOUR of concert. She sat attentively and respectfully during the concert BY HERSELF. Then helped me with grocery shopping without a complaint. I would have given her anything she wanted in return for dragging her around all day. And all she asked for was peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks. You got it, kiddo. I'm adding a special shout out on my blog because I could NOT have made it through today without her cooperation. She's amazing.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Anne Goes to School
School started this past week. I'm taking two classes: Music Appreciation and Class Piano I. Here's what I've learned so far:
1. Get over it. Yes, I am the oldest student in the class. I spent a remarkable amount of time getting dressed for class on the first day (do I wear professional clothes because I'm an adult? jeans and a t-shirt because I'm a student? sweats because that's what I'm used to working from home?). When I got to class, I realized that I just need to let go of my self-consciousness and instead worry about learning. You know, the thing I'm here to do. By day two, I stopped caring and started listening.
2. Time for homework! Oh wow, had I forgotten about this part. When I registered for classes, I set aside time for class. Rearranging my work day and workout schedule to make way for class time. I totally forgot about homework time. And I'm an incredibly slow reader, so doing 20-30 pages in a night takes forever. Plus, there's listening homework, too. I need to revisit my schedule to carve out homework time. And practice time for piano.
3. I know stuff! Hey, did you know that I know stuff? Who knew? On Day 1 in Music Appreciation class, I was able to identify that a song we were listening to only had strings. So that was validating. In our first piano class, I already knew the notes on the keyboard and basic rhythmic notation. Whew.
4. I don't know stuff! As I read my Music Appreciation book, I find myself overwhelmed with descriptions of music - dark, rich, brilliant, piercing, warm, expressive. These are kind of foreign words to me at this point. I recognize that interpretation is really left up to the listener, but I feel like I've got a lot to learn in choosing words to convey what I hear. That is, of course, the point of the class. So I'm in the right place.
5. I'm already learning stuff! I've never thought about five-finger patterns before. (Ask me what they are when you see me.) I'm learning to play them for all the major keys. With both hands. My left hand doesn't like to keep the beat, I find. It's not used to using all the fingers independently. I've also learned there are instruments in the orchestra that I've never heard of. Including an English horn, which is neither English nor a horn. And ways of playing instruments that have formal names I've never heard of, like pizzicato (again, ask if you want to know). And a pick, guitarists, has another name. I also learned that notes have set frequencies. Something tells me I'd enjoy a science of music course.
So far, so good, friends. Thank you for the continued support. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)