I consider myself a pretty good cook. I started at a young age learning how to make simple dishes and desserts. Especially desserts. For some reason my younger brothers and I would spend hours each Sunday making tapioca pudding, brownies, No-Bake cookies, and orange julius slushes. As I grew older, I started making various lunches and dinners for the family which transferred over into my college life and later into my married life. Nowadays, with my wife fully into her Masters degree homework, I'm usually on dinner duty. And although my cooking doesn't involve a lot of variety, my family usually DOES like what I make for them, so I'll take that as a win.
Tonight for dinner, I decided to add the one thing that I've only attempted making once: french bread. My wife is practically famous for her bread dishes (dinner rolls, Swedish Bread, and cinnamon rolls are her specialty), so this time I decided that it would be a very good idea for her to give me some of the "tricks of the trade" as they say. As I followed what she told me to do, everything turned out near-perfect, and I re-learned a few important cooking lessons: first, if you need help, ask for it. Second, learn from the best. And third, it's best to follow instructions with exactness.
These three baking lessons easily transfer over to being a member of the Tabernacle Choir.
There have been countless times I've turned to my fellow bass brethren and asked for help on how to get a certain rhythm, how to find the right pitch, or how to interpret a particular lyric. I've even asked for help on getting through a recording session or repeating various instructions from our conductors (that I had missed the first time).
Thankfully learning from the best has never been an issue. Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy ARE two of the best conductors IMO. I've felt that and I've witnessed that more times than I can say. I'm very grateful for their continued guidance and devotion to this musical opportunity.
Following instructions with exactness is so critical in the Choir. We never have a lot of time to spare and Mack in particular is well-known for wanting to utilize every second--which we usually do! If we are quick to follow with precision, not only will we sound better overall, but we'll be able to get through all of the music we're asked to sing (and sometime memorize) each week.
I may never be as good at making bread as my wife, but I sure appreciate the lessons I learned today. And I'm grateful they are lessons that have served me well in Choir and in other parts of my life.
May they be of value to you, too.
Until next time, God be with you.
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