TCATS #486 - Derrick Porter & BYU Singers

Every year we have one Music & the Spoken Word  episode that features the BYU Singers. And today's episode just happened to be THAT episode. As is always the case, the Singers did a beautiful job not only singing with the Tabernacle Choir, but singing their two solo pieces as well. I was commenting to a friend during the break that the Singers look so young. Sometimes I get into this mindset that if I went back to a college campus, I'd fit right in still! But the truth is, I wouldn't. Some say I look younger than I really am, but I'm definitely not that  young. 

Favorite song on the program today? "Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends". It's beautiful. And as one YouTube commentator said, "It just gives me goosebumps". 

Also today, the Choir and Orchestra was introduced to the new Music & the Spoken Word  host, replacing Lloyd Newell after 34 years. The new host is Derrick Porter. There were numerous articles published this past week talking about Derrick, but unfortunately, the only things said about him were summed up in this sentence: "Porter, 42, resides in Bountiful, Utah. He and his wife, Rebecca, are the parents of six children. He currently serves as a bishop in his local congregation." (Church of Jesus Christ Newsroom, 3/22/24)

Job? Hobbies? Passions? Other life experiences? How did Derrick get onto the selection radar? What makes him tick?

There was none of that mentioned, but a little internet research discovered that Derrick is actually the CEO of Beauty Industry Group. The description of this group per LinkedIn is as such: "Beauty Industry Group (BIG) is a holding company that owns and operates businesses uniquely poised for success within the beauty industry. BIG has developed a multi-channel, multi-brand strategy operating a multitude of brands with locations in 6 countries selling to more than 100,000 consumers and stylists."

Also, this notable achievement: "Ernst & Young (EY) has named Derrick Porter, CEO of Beauty Industry Group (BIG), Entrepreneur of The Year® 2020 Award in the Utah region. The coveted award, which was granted at a virtual celebration on October 2, honors entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies who are excelling in areas including innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities, while also transforming our world. Porter was selected by a panel of independent judges." (PR Newswire, 10/21/20)

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure what qualifies him to be an executive producer, principal writer, and presenter for the MSW program, but we all warmly welcomed him and his wife today as they spent just a few minutes introducing themselves and sharing their excitement for this opportunity. I'm sure he'll be great.

That's about it for today. A shout out to my buddy Wes who has been sick the past couple of days and therefore couldn't join us for today's festivities. Get well soon, friend!

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #485 - The Choir & Me

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.

About a lot of things. 

And one of those things is how much longer I'd like to continue being a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. 

I've been in the Choir for a good ten years now and it's been a good run. This blog has documented all of the grand experiences I've had, along with all of the challenging ones. All in all, I'm sure to look back on the Choir with a lot of fond memories. Being able to serve my fellow human beings in this capacity has really been a dream come true. 

That said, I don't want to turn this into a farewell post, because it's really not. But I do want to document my plans moving forward as 2024 will definitely be my last year.

Amidst my ponderings, I was trying to decide which month would be the best to make my exit. In that pondering process, I had the impression to stay until the next tour is over--which will be in September. Three reasons seemed to surface: I promised someone several months ago that I'd be their roommate for the next tour (the one to Florida/Georgia), so I want to honor that commitment. Also, I have a brother who lives just about an hour away from the State Farm arena where we'll be performing our concert, and he said he'd come watch it. Which is kind of a big deal seeing as how this brother is my youngest brother (twenty years younger) and he and I really haven't had too many conversations or shared experiences in our lifetimes. So, being able to connect with him in this way would be a really good thing. Lastly, I want to give tour one more shot to see if I can remain emotionally stable. Plus, it'll give me a good opportunity to say goodbye to people and thank them for their friendship and camaraderie. 

I suppose a fourth reason would be to give me time to decide what I'm going to do to fill the empty hole left behind once I leave. Join a different choir? Find a place to volunteer at? Spend more time with family? Lots of options. 

Shifting gears, I just wanted to make a couple of comments on today's MSW performance. If you were at the Tabernacle, you would have seen a fairly "normal" MSW. If you were watching or listening from home, you would have seen us performing from the Philippines. :) We did record an episode there, so the one we actually performed today will be used during the time we're in Florida/Georgia.  Also...a very rare thing happened today that's only happened once before: I got to sit next to my friend Willy--who normally sits at least three or four seats over in baritone/2nd tenor land. While I loved sitting next to Wes for at least part of the rehearsal, Wes eventually got moved down a row. And his replacement was Willy. Anyway, that will surely not happen again, so I was grateful.

And that, as they say, is that.

Until next time, God be with you.

 

PS: Here are a couple of screenshots from our Philippines MSW...

 

TCATS #484 - The Philippines Tour

Hey there friends. I'm a little late in posting about my experience in the Philippines, but now that all of the media hype has died down a little bit, perhaps this is as good a time as any. Before diving into it though, I do want to give you a few links if you're interested.

First is a link to one of the concerts we performed at the Mall of Asia Arena. This link should be active for at least a year. If you're short on time, I'd check out the following two segments/songs. For me personally, these were the highlights.

Youth presentation/If You Believe/Hawak Kamay (16 min)

Bahay Kubo (4 min)

Also, if you're interested, I put together a 40 min highlights video that includes photos taken by me/others, news coverage from the church/KSL, various Facebook reels, etc. You can view that HERE, via my Google drive.

Some personal thoughts and experiences: 

**First and foremost, I want to say how welcomed and loved I felt by the Filipino people. From the minute we stepped off the plane to when we got back on it, everyone I met and saw and interacted with was loving, kind, and incredibly grateful. It was very impactful for me.

**The concerts were a highlight to perform. And when we sang the two songs in Tagalog that they were really familiar with (Hawak Kamay and Bahay Kubo), the audience went crazy. After the concerts were over, we had a chance to interact with the attendees on their way out and I've never felt like more of a celebrity in my life. Some kid even wanted my autograph! Most just wanted pictures and hugs and a chance to say how grateful they were that we came to their country to perform such beautiful songs of peace and hope.

**A shout out to several of my close friends who helped me through some emotionally difficult moments. You know who you are and I'm grateful for your love and support.

**Was proud of my roommate, Willy, who did a fantastic job with his solo in singing "Spirit of God". I could never do something like that in front of hundreds of thousands of people. But he did it with confidence and called the experience "fun!" 

**Was thankful for my Pico de Loro beach excursion people. We had one day to just relax--and whether it was on the boat, snorkeling, just laying in a bungalo on the sand or swimming in the water, it was very nice.

**The youth, who put on a cultural celebration just for the Choir, were incredible. Months and months of hard work and practice really made their performance memorable. It was what was in their eyes and overall countenance, though, that was really impactful. They know who they are and they love freely.

**Lastly, I just want to express my appreciation for all those who made the tour happen. Such an undertaking! So many hours of behind-the-scenes work. The unsung heroes.

Here are a few pics. 

Until next time, may God be with you.

Arrived at the airport (3:30 am)

Jeremy, Patrick, Wes, Andy, Willy

Some Filipino youth after their cultural celebration

One of the youth sporting his cultural costume

Walk on the boardwalk: Matt, Wes, me, Jason

Sporting our barong: Jason, me, Wes, Andrew

Off to Pico de Loro beach!

A "distinguished" selfie of me and Wes at the beach

The beach boat crew

Chillin after the beach: Patrick, me

My roommate Willy with his bedtime treat

After the concert, greeting guests