MTC #244 - Exactly Where We Want to Be (+ Farewell to 2!)

As I was observing the people coming into the Tabernacle to watch us rehearse Thursday night, my eyes focused on one Asian man in particular who had been near the front of the line. He quickly went down one of the main aisles and kept looking at the ceiling, then to the benches, then back at the ceiling. I thought that was a bit odd, at first, but then I realized that he was trying to sit exactly where one should sit if he wanted to be right in the middle of the Tabernacle--right under the apex where all of the ceiling slopes up to. I could only guess that this man was thinking that such a spot afforded him the best acoustical experience. Finally happy with his choice, the man sat down with a big smile, ready to hear the songs we had prepared to rehearse. Little did this guy know, though, that his determination to find his definition of the perfect seat fell right in line with what happened an hour earlier.

What happened an hour earlier you ask?

All of the choir met in a room underneath the Tabernacle for "Inservice". As mentioned before on my blog, every year, for two nights, we come early for Inservice to try and hone our musical skills and refresh what we learned in Choir School during our first year. This time we worked on a variety of issues including intonation and vowel placement (which actually go hand in hand). After some focused rehearsing (along with imagining a walnut was in the middle of our mouths), our vowel placement was exactly where we wanted it to be--and where it should be in order to get the sound (pitch, tone, color) right (and thus bring lots of smiles to our directors) .

Just as the Asian guy was trying to sit in an exact location by observing and adjusting, we in the Choir were trying to sing with exactness by adjusting our mouths and jaw and listening to ourselves and each other. 

So it goes in life. By making focused corrections, listening to the still small voice, and observing the results of our actions, we can improve and find ourselves exactly where we want to be. Or, at least, getting closer to where we want to be!

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Paul, front and center

Changing topics, it was a sad day for two friends in the choir who's day was their last. Paul McGuire and Trevor Manning had their last Music and the Spoken Word broadcast today. It just hurts to even think about the emotions they were feeling. From Paul, I learned to strive for exactness, to take the time to look up note discrepancies, and to take unexpected feedback in stride. From Trevor I learned to be more like the "model choir member" Mack Wilberg always asks us to be (come to choir, pay attention, sing well, and leave happy). At any rate, we got some pictures during the break, wrote messages of thanks in their Hymnbooks, and after the last note of God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again, it was all over for them. Best of luck, gentlemen, with starting a new journey in your life. We will miss you. (Some pics from today's broadcast are below)

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: Sometimes certain chord combinations just resonate as purely beautiful ones. I'm making a list of them! One to add to the collection from today was when we sang the word "ride" from Brazzle Dazzle Day: [bass clef] A-flat, E-flat, A-flat, C; [treble clef] E-flat, A-flat, C