MTC Week #74.1 - The Ryan Photo

My normal weekly post is to the right (#74 - For a Reason) under the "Blog Archive" section, but I did want to finally post the pictures from several weeks ago when THE RYAN PHOTO was taken. As I mentioned earlier, Ryan Bateman and I wanted to have a photo taken of all of the Ryan's in the choir (eight of them at the time - seven now). So, without further ado, see below for the results (click each to see enlarged).  Thanks for the Choir Photo focal, Deb Gehris, for taking these. And thanks to all the Ryan's (particularly Ryan Murphy) for participating!

(NOTE: In the haste to get these taken, I unfortunately had everyone line up in reverse order. So if you look at the photos below the collage one, By AGE is youngest to oldest; By LAST NAME is Z to A; and By SENIORITY is shortest time in the choir to the longest time in the choir. The collage photo gives names and other interesting facts)

MTC Week #74 - For a Reason

It was an odd Sunday morning to be sure. 

One reason was due to my missing Thursday's rehearsal (I attended my daughter's choir concert instead). When missing a rehearsal, you aren't eligible to sing on Music & the Spoken Word. So when I went into the Tabernacle this morning, I took a seat on the benches just left of the choir seats, and watched as others filed in and prepared to sing--all the while feeling somewhat disconnected and a bit sad. Fortunately, a friend who also had missed Thursday, came in and sat next to me--shifting my focus from the somber mood I was in, to the conversation that ensued.

After practicing the songs for an hour with the rest of the choir, I sat and watched the run-through. And as I watched, I thought about how nice it will be, next week, to be singing with them again.

The second reason the morning was different than usual had to do with an unfortunate incident that occurred during the live broadcast. The choir had finished singing the traditional intro song ("Gently Raise the Sacred Strain") and had just started the second piece. The camera man who was down on the platform (situated on top of some of the audience benches) and working the long-arm camera, fainted. As he did so, he fell back and down onto the benches, surely hitting his head and who knows what else. His wife, who was also on the camera platform, seeing this happen, screamed in alarm and for the next 15 minutes, ushers and other Tabernacle personnel worked to get the situation under control. Eventually, the paramedics came in with a stretcher and was successful in getting the man out of the Tabernacle and into the ambulance. 

While all this was happening, the broadcast continued, though much of the audience's attention was understandably diverted. The choir and orchestra members, too, were trying to stay focused and deliver the musical message they had prepared to give today. 

It's interesting why some things happen. Could God have prevented the man from fainting? Of course. He could have easily intervened to ensure that the broadcast went as smoothly as broadcasts usually do, and to ensure that those in attendance (including some who were from other countries or out-of-state and experiencing one of the these broadcasts, live, for the first and only time) would be completely focused on the music and the uplifting messages. But for some reason, He did not. It's not my intention to delve into a deep discussion on this topic of divine intervention. But suffice to say, things happen for a reason. And we trust that God's reasons are designed to bring about important purposes. God has a perfect way of taking incidents like these and using them for good. The trick is relinquishing our desire to always understand what good could come from such things, and just relying on our faith that He knows best.  

The morning ended with us rehearsing "Betelehemu" for our upcoming tour--complete with swaying and hand actions. A very non-typical song to end a non-typical day.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #73 - Remembering: Keeping Their Stories Alive

"It is a blessing to have a day for remembering. Surely this ought to include a moment to remember the lives that have been lost as part of the purchase price of our freedom. For some of us it may also include remembering forbearers whose love of freedom led them to leave behind what was familiar to seek a new home for future generations—for our generation. For others it includes remembering those who simply, consistently did the right thing, without fanfare and without wavering."  (Lloyd Newell, Music & the Spoken Word, 05/24/15)

I appreciate Lloyd Newell's message today mainly because it focused on recognizing several important groups of people. While it's very important to think of, and give thanks for, those in the military who have helped to preserve our nation's freedom, it's also important to remember those who simply lived a good life and left a valiant example to follow-- no matter what official job or responsibility they held.

My Grandpa (Stan) Pitt was one of those who simply lived a good life. I have

Stanley Pitt

never met him in this life since he passed away before I was born. But in listening to the stories my dad has told about him, I'm thankful for who he was and the honorable life he led. There are several stories I could share, including one where he saved my dad's life from a massive swarm of bees, or stories of him teaching important life lessons. But there's one that stands out to me.

When I was about eleven, my dad was looking for some land to build a new home on. He found some and when he located the owner, he approached him asking if the land was for sale. The owner (Don Burnham) politely said it was not--that he had no interest in selling the land. My dad took the opportunity to talk to him further and in the course of their conversation, Don learned my dad's last name. Don then asked if my dad happened to be related to Stan Pitt. When my dad revealed that Stan was his father, Don stood there a moment and then said "You can have any part of my land that you'd like." 

I'm excited to see my Grandpa Stan some day.

Grandma & Grandpa Marshall

My Grandma Marshall passed away several years ago and I miss her dearly. She was a very practical woman who was full of love and wasn't afraid of hard work. My favorite memories of her are those where I'm sitting at the counter in her kitchen, eating homemade bread with homemade raspberry jam, and listening to her impart some pearls of wisdom. She also loved to listen to my life's adventures and make me feel important. She recognized, too, that even with a lot to do in keeping a farm up, spending time playing games with her grandkids (Rumikub, Triominoes, or Scrabble were her favorite) was important too. 

So, while I sang patriotic songs today that will certainly touch the lives of many--particularly those who have lost a loved one to war or the after-effects of war--I also gave thanks to God for being able to remember loved ones who have helped me become the person I am today. Their examples and life lessons are not to be forgotten.

Until next time, God be with you.  

MTC Week #72 - Discipline!

Discipline: an activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. (dictionary.com)

It was a bit of a rough morning for the Choir. The songs on today's broadcast were particularly susceptible to intonation issues (sounding in-tune) and I lost track of how many times we had to start and stop, and start and stop, again, because one or more of the sections of the choir couldn't sing the notes high enough. Add to that the fact that there was a little too much talking and some didn't have their music ready to go, and one can see why Bro. Wilberg took the opportunity to lovingly, but clearly, talk to us about discipline.

"Any choir can be a good choir, " he said, "but to be a great choir takes discipline." He went on to talk about the little things, that, if observed and put into action, can help us be great. Hard work, really thinking and focusing, marking our music, following those markings, listening to directions. These and many others are things that can help us be a great choir.

You might be thinking that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir IS great. Almost anyone you talk to who has heard the choir, would think so. But "great" is not a permanent label that, once achieved, is forever true. Being great is a status that takes discipline. It can be maintained or it can be temporarily lost. It's up to us to discipline ourselves so that greatness can be achieved every rehearsal and every performance.

On the drive home, my carpooling friend Ben likened this to personal greatness. We can be average people or we can be great people. We can be someone who is satisfied with status quo or we can be looking for ways to improve. We can act, or wait to be acted upon. We just need to pick something small in our lives that needs improving, and discipline ourselves to make that improvement. It's up to us. This incremental approach to overall improvement will allow us to be the great people we can be.

This reminds me of a scripture: "...a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm...therefore, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power." (Doctrine & Covenants 123:16-17)

Let us do what we can :)
===============

In other news, we began extra rehearsals today for our upcoming tour. While the thoughts of going on tour bring excitement, there is a lot of work to be done before day 1 of tour is upon us. This was no more evident then when we pulled

out some pieces today that I didn't know the notes or the words to them. It's time to discipline myself and start memorizing in earnest! 

Rick Elliott, organist

J. Spencer Kinard

Lastly, I did want to mention the awesome opportunity I had to film Rick Elliott give a "backstage" tour of the tabernacle organ's pipes. (I'm on the video committee and we're preparing a video that the choir members can watch during our travel time on the bus during tour.) Talk about amazing! I also was able to film some interviews of past choir members talking about their experiences, as well as J. Spencer Kinard--who did the spoken word portion of the Music & the Spoken Word broadcasts before Lloyd Newell (who does them today). It was fun to hear him talk about his experiences. Everyone has a story to tell! 

Until next time, God be with you! 

MTC Week #71 - Singing With Angels - The Movie

One of the questions I get asked the most when people find out I'm in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is what the audition process is like. Depending on the situation and interest level, I give them the long or short version describing the process as long, difficult, stressful, and emotionally tiring--as well as amazing, rewarding, and humbling. Soon, however, I'll be able to tell them that there's a whole movie dedicated to answering that question!

Prepping for a performance scene Thursday night 

Candlelight Media is currently shooting the film and the Tabernacle Choir was asked to participate in several of the scenes this past week. Those agreeing to participate came to the Tabernacle, Abravanel Hall, and other locations at designated times. Once arrived, we followed the director's instructions while various cameras filmed the action and the stage crew attended to all of the behind-the-scenes work. While I can't say it was incredibly fun, it was certainly interesting. 

On Tuesday night, some of the "bigger" scenes were filmed. Many of the choir members filled the choir loft in the Tabernacle and sang along to pre-recorded tracks (we had recorded them a couple of weeks ago). The first two scenes were performance scenes and as such, we all dressed in regular performance attire. The next three scenes were rehearsal scenes and to make sure it looked like we were rehearsing at different time periods, we changed our

Cameras and actors getting ready to film

clothes after each one. Before each scene, a young woman would come out in front of the camera and do the familiar sounding sequence of announcing the scene and yelling "Take 1" or "Take 2" or whatever take it was. Thankfully, things went fairly smoothly, and we only had to do two takes of each scene. 

All in all, it was kind of cool to see how everyone worked together; to see the two main actors embedded in the choir; to see the choir members respond to the director; and to sing for an actor portraying Brother Wilberg :)

How it looked from our point of view. The guy in the red
with the mic was the director for these scenes

The movie actually won't be released until April of 2016 so it's definitely a ways away. But I plan to remind all of you next March and if there are any interesting developments along the way, I'll mention them. In the meantime, here are some sites you can go to if you're interested in more info (HERE, HERE, and HERE). You can also find Candlelight Media on Facebook here.

Awaiting the directors instructions

Some enthusiastic sisters enjoying the filming experience

Getting ready to film a scene at Abravanel Hall

Looking up at choir members at Abravanel Hall

Filming a scene in the room where those auditioning take the theory exam 

In other news, today was our Music & the Spoken Word Mother's Day special and the songs we sang were truly inspirational. My favorite was called "Lullaby", written by our very own Ryan Murphy. It was written to honor those who were tragically affected by the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary (where Ryan actually attended when he was a boy). It speaks about a mother's love for her children and was very appropriate for our Mother's Day tribute. I'm thankful for how I felt during this song; grateful for mom's in general who do so much to love and care for their children; and grateful for inspirational feelings from the Spirit. Thanks for all those who attended (and/or listened) to the broadcast today. We had a full house!

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #70 - Anniversary #1

Truth be told, I took the week off from my choir duties and in place of Thursday night's rehearsal, I attended my wife's annual dance concert instead. Four years ago, she started up her own studio and has been teaching various modern/creative dance classes for girls ages 5 to 16. The concert marked the close of that studio and I definitely wanted to see her choreographical genius come to life on the stage once again. It was a great event and was glad I was able to go. (And glad that the attendance policies of the Choir allow for such things).  

Since missing Thursday's rehearsal means not being able to sing on the Sunday morning broadcast (though you can get attendance credit if you go and observe), I went to Stake Conference with my family this morning which was a nice change of pace. I did look at the clock from time to time thinking of the broadcast and of course, a part of me missed being there. But missing it will only make me appreciate it more this coming Thursday!

On Friday night, a few of us "2nd-year" choir members gathered at Village Inn in Salt Lake for an anniversary dinner. Exactly one year ago, on May 1st, we received letters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcoming us into the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. So, we took some time to mark the occasion and while there weren't a lot who showed up, those who did had a good time.

Given I've been in the Choir for one year now, I wanted to write about five things I've learned during that time. I think it's always good to occasionally stop and think about the experiences God has been giving you and learn from them if you can. After all, if He is so anxious to have you return to Him (and He is), then the things you go through are all for a very important reason to achieve that end.

1. Miracles happen. I feel emotional just stating those two words. I deem it a miracle I made it into the Choir at all; a miracle I get to sing with such talented individuals; a miracle that I'm able to memorize so much music; and a miracle that I've been able to befriend some individuals that I have. Miracles happen regularly in the Choir and I'm grateful to see them and recognize them.

2. Excellent & inspiring performances are a result of hard work. This really shouldn't come as a surprise since most great things in life take a lot of hard work. But I don't think I realized just how much work being in the Choir would be. Putting your whole heart into learning the music, remembering the technical aspects of singing well, striving for unity while listening to those around you, focusing on they grand messages of the lyrics themselves, and being spiritually prepared each week takes a lot time and energy.

3. The work of salvation is enhanced and impacted by the music we share with the world. I've known this truth for a long time and I've been blessed to see it first hand on both a small and grand scale. From singing the hymns in my congregation and ward choir to performing at the Hill Cumorah Pageant and at Nauvoo. The end result is the same: increased peace and love. Being in the Choir has brought this truth to a new level and I'm grateful to be a part of it. Hearing letters and emails shared by the Choir presidency of people who have been impacted by the choir, and looking into the faces of those who come watch us each week, I know the Choir is a very important part of God's work. 

4. Choir members are just regular people too. I kind of have to laugh at this one because before getting into the Choir, I thought that most of the members were musical geniuses and had lots of performing experience and musical training. Are there some like that in the Choir? Sure. But the majority don't fit that mold. They come from all walks of life, have regular trials and tribulations like everyone else, and have outside-of-choir/non-musical lives they are living. It's a testament to me that the Lord can take a diverse group of individuals and unify them under one umbrella. When we all focus on the common goal of the Choir, marvelous things happen.

5.  There's a scripture in the Book of Mormon that says "render to every man according to that which is his due." There are so many people who make the Mormon Tabernacle Choir successful in fulfilling its mission. The stage crew, the production managers, the audio/video team, the directors, the choir presidency and secretaries, the wardrobe committee, the music librarians, the ushers, the Orchestra, and probably 10 other groups of people. It's all just amazing. As Elder Ballard mentioned in one of his conference talks:  "It is estimated that to produce just one pound of honey, the average hive of 20,000 to 60,000 bees must collectively visit millions of flowers and travel the equivalent of two times around the world. Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere one-twelfth of one teaspoon." So it is with so many people who work behind the scenes and with the choir members themselves. Each works hard individually, and the end product is truly sweet.

Until next time, God be with you.