On Thursday night as we walked into the Tabernacle to take our seats for rehearsal, the large movie screens on either side displayed the following information:
Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra
2020 Tour
June 25 - July 16, 2020
Finally! We had been waiting for quite some time now to hear about where we were headed in 2020, and after some warm-up by Maestro Mack, President Jarrett thanked us all for coming and proceeded with the slide presentation. With cheers and clapping, the next slide (and future slides) let us know that the 2020 "Heritage Tour" will include 10 concerts at venues in six countries: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Wales, and Scotland. You can read the official press release, HERE. I have a lot of mixed emotions and concerns about tours in general, but now the task at hand is figuring out what the Lord wants my wife and I to do, given a variety of factors that need to be weighed and considered. Some of these factors include the length of the tour (22 days), the cost of a spouse coming ($7500), and the events going on in our lives next summer.
In other news, today's broadcast was a Memorial Day Special and we sang an unprecedented number of patriotic songs to celebrate those who have lost their lives in defending our freedom. The broadcast was fast-paced and really demanded complete attention in going from one song to another. But it went well and Mack was pleased and as a bonus, I knew a few people in the audience--which always adds to the whole experience. My wife's cousin was in town (who currently lives in Costa Rica), and she brought her kids with her--including a "super fan" of the choir--her 11-year old son, Garrett. I had no idea he was such a fan until just a few days ago, and he was super excited to finally see the choir in-person. Afterwards, I met them outside the Tabernacle with a friend of mine, and presented Garrett with our latest CD "Let Us All Press On"--which included signatures of various men in the choir. He was stoked :)
Singing the patriotic songs today made me think not only of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom, but also of the state our nation is in and how divided we are. It's a dismal thought. BUT, I quickly thought of all of the loving, kind, and tolerant people in my life and how grateful I am for them. I'm not sure about the the future of our "united" states, but I am sure that if we all keep trying to do our part by being civil, respectful, and kind, that progress CAN be made. It's up to me. And it's up to you.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Sunday, May 19, 2019
TCATS #280 - Of Compliments, Love, and Sissel
Never suppress a generous thought.
A fellow choir member, who I have the fortune of being good friends with, is simply a Master of Compliments. It's amazing. In my short time with him just today, I probably heard four or five compliments given to various people.
[To a me] "I love that tie."
[To another choir member] "That's a great haircut!"
[To a lady at the visitors center] "I like your hair."
[To a group of Chinese visitors] "Thanks for being here. Are you going to come watch us sing?"
Just last week, as we were walking through various tunnels to get from the cafeteria to the Conference Center for a concert, do you think he noticed each of the individuals working security? Well, of course he did! Each received a genuine "Hello! Thanks for keeping us safe," and I could tell it surprised a few of them to be acknowledged, let alone receive a compliment.
I don't think he'll ever know how much his compliments impact people. I mean, most of us when we give compliments, we never really know how much it helps the receiver. But undoubtedly it helps in some way. And who knows, it may even help in a big way. I'm determined to be a person who gives more compliments--not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's a win-win thing to do. And, after all, we're all brothers and sisters and showing love is really what it's all about.
Speaking of love, that was today's theme of Music & the Spoken Word. All of the songs we sang testified of God's love for us--from "I Feel My Savior's Love," to "How Firm a Foundation," to "I Sing the Mighty Power of God." What was extra special about today's broadcast was one little girl who was in the audience. A girl named Lydia who President Nelson mentioned in a talk he gave last December. Lydia has cancer and isn't expected to live much longer. So as we sang about love today, we kept hoping that Lydia and her family would feel a lot of love--not just from us, but especially from a Heavenly Father and Mother who will be eager to welcome her home soon.
To end today's post, I just wanted to mention the announcement made this past Thursday regarding the guest artist for our upcoming Pioneer Day Concert in July. If you're a fan of Sissel, then you definitely won't want to miss getting tickets. (And fortunately, the Pioneer Day Concert is typically available on YouTube for all to enjoy)
Well, that's it my friends. Give a few extra compliments this week. And give a few extra hugs of love, too.
Until next time, God be with you.
A fellow choir member, who I have the fortune of being good friends with, is simply a Master of Compliments. It's amazing. In my short time with him just today, I probably heard four or five compliments given to various people.
[To a me] "I love that tie."
[To another choir member] "That's a great haircut!"
[To a lady at the visitors center] "I like your hair."
[To a group of Chinese visitors] "Thanks for being here. Are you going to come watch us sing?"
Just last week, as we were walking through various tunnels to get from the cafeteria to the Conference Center for a concert, do you think he noticed each of the individuals working security? Well, of course he did! Each received a genuine "Hello! Thanks for keeping us safe," and I could tell it surprised a few of them to be acknowledged, let alone receive a compliment.
I don't think he'll ever know how much his compliments impact people. I mean, most of us when we give compliments, we never really know how much it helps the receiver. But undoubtedly it helps in some way. And who knows, it may even help in a big way. I'm determined to be a person who gives more compliments--not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's a win-win thing to do. And, after all, we're all brothers and sisters and showing love is really what it's all about.
To end today's post, I just wanted to mention the announcement made this past Thursday regarding the guest artist for our upcoming Pioneer Day Concert in July. If you're a fan of Sissel, then you definitely won't want to miss getting tickets. (And fortunately, the Pioneer Day Concert is typically available on YouTube for all to enjoy)
Well, that's it my friends. Give a few extra compliments this week. And give a few extra hugs of love, too.
Until next time, God be with you.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
TCATS #279 - The Golden Spike
The Tabernacle Choir has been likened to a "train that never stops". And these last three months, not only has it never stopped, but it's been going 100 mph! So after the broadcast was over today, everyone was finally able to breath a sigh of relief. The train hasn't stopped, but I think we're all thankful that it will now slow down considerably.
Enjoy a few pics below of the event, and until next time, God be with you.
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| Spent dinner break with these fine gentlemen! (Ryan & Wes) |
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| The view the audience had |
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| The back row basses, keeping things real. |
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| A fireworks show after the concert! |
Sunday, May 5, 2019
TCATS #278 - Revisiting & Reinventing
Thursday was my wife's birthday, and because I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could, I traded choir rehearsal that evening for a date with her to see the Avengers movie. :) That meant, of course, that this morning I revisited the balcony seats nearest the loft (or as some of us have come to call it, the "penalty box") to observe the broadcast rather than be in it. It was a good experience though. I had a good friend to my right, and a good friend to my left, and I felt a lot of love for them as we went through the "observing experience" together. I also had a couple of my choir friends come up to me during the break to give a hug and say hello. I felt blessed!
Rewinding a bit though...Before I took a seat in "the box" this morning, I said hello to a choir member and we started talking about how difficult it's becoming to be REALLY excited about various choir events (ironically, this topic came up on the very day 30+ new people were completely stoked to be on their first broadcast!) It's not that we don't want to be excited. It's just the natural way things go when you do things over and over and over again. The only remedy for avoiding that trap of complacency and indifference is to REINVENT. The meaning of this word, according to the dictionary, is "to change something so much that the thing seems completely new." So how does one effectively do that?
As I've been giving this some thought, I've come up with the following Top Ten "Instead of" list as it pertains to reinventing the role of a member of the Tabernacle Choir:
1. Instead of saying "Gosh, I've sang this song at least 20 times already," say "There's someone out there who may be hearing this song for the first time--so I should sing it with all my heart."
2. Instead of singing a well-known song during rehearsal without looking at the music, pull out the music anyway and see if you can't find at least one note or rhythm that you may have been singing wrong all along.
3. Instead of going for technical expertise, feeling proud that you made it through the song perfectly, try actually thinking about the song's message and what it means to you, both while you're singing it, and afterwards.
4. Instead of relying on your experience and talents to carry you through, come to Choir with a prayer in your heart that those who listen will be able to receive, and that you, yourself, will receive what God may want to teach you.
5. Instead of treating time in the penalty box as a time to be uninvolved, look at it as a time to listen, to appreciate, and to recapture the wonder of the choir and its inspired mission.
6. Instead of looking out at the audience and seeing them as one massive group of people, see them as individuals, each as a son or daughter of Heavenly Parents who have come with heavy burdens, and who are relying on YOU to help them feel hope and solace.
7. Instead of being content with your current choir friend group, look for ways to meet someone new--especially someone who recently joined the choir and is full of the excitement you seek.
8. Instead of staying in the "now"(which definitely has its place), remember back to when you finished the rigorous audition process and received that letter in the mail welcoming you the Choir School. How awesome was that! (and then let that memory inspire your reinventing conquest)
9. Instead of thinking that any sort of correction coming from the director doesn't pertain to you (because, after all, you HAVE been here many years... Ha), really think about whether it just might.
10. Instead of just singing to those in the audience, think about the people that mean the most in your life, and try dedicating various songs to them. New joy and fresh perspective may just be the result.
It's not too hard to come up with a list like this (and really, the concepts in this list can apply to anything you've become complacent with), but it's another thing to actually remember and implement these non-complacency strategies. To be honest, sometimes I forget about them--and sometimes I'm just not that great at implementing them. But, I really hope I can do better. After all, I don't want complacency or indifference to hold any of my choir moments hostage.
Not even one.
Until next time, God be with you.
Rewinding a bit though...Before I took a seat in "the box" this morning, I said hello to a choir member and we started talking about how difficult it's becoming to be REALLY excited about various choir events (ironically, this topic came up on the very day 30+ new people were completely stoked to be on their first broadcast!) It's not that we don't want to be excited. It's just the natural way things go when you do things over and over and over again. The only remedy for avoiding that trap of complacency and indifference is to REINVENT. The meaning of this word, according to the dictionary, is "to change something so much that the thing seems completely new." So how does one effectively do that?
As I've been giving this some thought, I've come up with the following Top Ten "Instead of" list as it pertains to reinventing the role of a member of the Tabernacle Choir:
1. Instead of saying "Gosh, I've sang this song at least 20 times already," say "There's someone out there who may be hearing this song for the first time--so I should sing it with all my heart."
2. Instead of singing a well-known song during rehearsal without looking at the music, pull out the music anyway and see if you can't find at least one note or rhythm that you may have been singing wrong all along.
3. Instead of going for technical expertise, feeling proud that you made it through the song perfectly, try actually thinking about the song's message and what it means to you, both while you're singing it, and afterwards.
4. Instead of relying on your experience and talents to carry you through, come to Choir with a prayer in your heart that those who listen will be able to receive, and that you, yourself, will receive what God may want to teach you.
5. Instead of treating time in the penalty box as a time to be uninvolved, look at it as a time to listen, to appreciate, and to recapture the wonder of the choir and its inspired mission.
6. Instead of looking out at the audience and seeing them as one massive group of people, see them as individuals, each as a son or daughter of Heavenly Parents who have come with heavy burdens, and who are relying on YOU to help them feel hope and solace.
7. Instead of being content with your current choir friend group, look for ways to meet someone new--especially someone who recently joined the choir and is full of the excitement you seek.
8. Instead of staying in the "now"(which definitely has its place), remember back to when you finished the rigorous audition process and received that letter in the mail welcoming you the Choir School. How awesome was that! (and then let that memory inspire your reinventing conquest)
9. Instead of thinking that any sort of correction coming from the director doesn't pertain to you (because, after all, you HAVE been here many years... Ha), really think about whether it just might.
10. Instead of just singing to those in the audience, think about the people that mean the most in your life, and try dedicating various songs to them. New joy and fresh perspective may just be the result.
It's not too hard to come up with a list like this (and really, the concepts in this list can apply to anything you've become complacent with), but it's another thing to actually remember and implement these non-complacency strategies. To be honest, sometimes I forget about them--and sometimes I'm just not that great at implementing them. But, I really hope I can do better. After all, I don't want complacency or indifference to hold any of my choir moments hostage.
Not even one.
Until next time, God be with you.
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