MTC Week #55 - Of Spirituals and Journeys

Our broadcast today consisted of nothing but spirituals in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and all that Mr. King (and many other individuals) stood for. I don't know of anyone who doesn't enjoy listening to a good spiritual. The only thing better than listening to one is singing one! In fact, I was half-hoping that as I walked into our dressing room this morning and looked at the whiteboard telling us what we were wearing, that it would say "New blue robes and grey slacks!" And then as we started rehearsal, Mac would tell us that we were going to do a little soul-filled choreography, clapping, and hallelujahs. 

Didn't happen.

But that's OK. We had a great time singing these songs anyway! 

While I was singing, I started to think about what these songs really meant to the African-Americans from whence they came. I'm not a music history expert, but to me, I think about our brothers and sisters who were bound down by the shackles of slavery, the reality of oppression, and the bane of bondage. It was a time of awful inequality. These songs, these beautiful songs, express the feelings of their hearts and how, a midst their afflictions, they found solace in God and the good news of the gospel. These sacred tunes

of the heart speak of hope of a better world and of being saved from their oppressors. And they speak of ultimately finding peace in the One who they knew loved them when love was so hard to find.

Though inequalities and racism still exist today, I think the message found in these spirituals can continue to promote love, peace, faith, and solace. And hopefully progress can continue to be made by all mankind to show genuine love to all.
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Tues night at choir school

Switching topics, I wanted to comment on the Choir School journey that began Tuesday night with the 1st years. Suffice to say, I was impressed. I was impressed with their attitude and with their musical skills. In fact the couple of basses sitting behind me seemed to catch on to the notes and rhythm better than some of us 2nd years. There was an excitement and energy in the air, and it was great to be back with Ryan Murphy and to be singing a great work: Requiem, by Mozart. For the next four months, we'll be preparing to sing Requiem at a concert to be held April 17th and 18th. Those close to Salt Lake City won't want to miss this inspiring event!  

From today's broadcast. No robes, swaying, or clapping, but we put our hearts into it!

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #54 - The New Recruits

On my way to get my music folders for Thursday night's rehearsal, who should be coming down the same hallway but several of the new recruits (a.k.a. new volunteers, choir school & chorale members, newbies, greenies, freshmen, or any other fitting 1st year labels). They were on their official tour of the tabernacle at it's endless maze of subterranean hallways as part of their first night at Choir School. I just smiled at all of them, thinking back to a year ago when it was me on that tour--nervous, excited, humbled, and in awe. 

I reflected on this new group, again, as I was singing on the Music & the Spoken Word broadcast. They were all perched up in the balcony seats observing the choir taking mental notes of how we looked, how we sang, how Bro. Wilberg conducted, and how we sounded. And I suspect at least a few of them sat there looking on, thinking "Am I really here? Am I really going to sing with that choir in a few months? Am I good enough? Can this really be happening?"

Happening it is, my new friends! And I look forward to meeting the 43 of you this coming Tuesday as us "2nd years" join you for chorale and what promises to be an incredibly fun time with Ryan Murphy as the chorale director. 

So, amidst all of the incredible songs we both performed and rehearsed today which I could probably write pages and pages about (thankfully for you, I won't), I just found myself measuring my excitement and thankfulness levels compared to a year ago. And honestly, although there are those times when rehearsals seem to drag on a bit or patience is tested when certain sections can't seem to get their parts, or we hear for the upteenth time how we need to sing more in pitch with high vowels, I'm still extremely excited to be a part of this great organization. I hope all choir members, whether they've been in for one year or 15, take the time to capture the excitement all over again and simply feel the wonder of it all. As a fellow friend and choir member put it, "I try to remind myself how blessed/lucky I am to be [here]. I think of the thousands of people who come to hear us and how truly unique/special/famous the choir is and the number of people who would do anything to have my seat. It's really been one of the richest blessings of my life."


Until next time, God be with you.

MTC Week #53 - Standing on the Promises

As was the case Christmas week, the choir had another week off this past week due to New Year's Day landing on a Thursday. So, Mac Wilberg and Ryan Murphy again chose songs today that the choir was mostly familiar with so that we'd be able to quickly get them ready for the broadcast. Fortunately, most of the choir members were in attendance today and I think we looked and sounded fairly complete.

After a few announcements--one of which was about the tour participation roster being posted tomorrow (roster=those who have been selected to go) and the need for those going to find a roommate--we launched into our rehearsal which seemed to go much more smoothly than last week's.

One of the songs we sang today was "Standing on the Promises". We had performed this song back in May but this time I thought more about the words

and how they applied to me in my life right now. While 2014 could certainly be described as a monumental year in the life of me and my family, part of what made it monumental were the trials. It's a bit ironic that in order to grow and move forward in life (and ultimately find happiness), one must go through hard

times. That's just the way it is. But what makes going through trials a positive and rewarding experience in the end, is being able to stand firmly on the promises of God. Through His son Jesus Christ, He is there to help us. He's there to love us. He's there to extend kindness and show us miracles and give back to us much more than we could give Him. While His love to us is freely given regardless of what we do, if we choose to follow Him, specific and wonderful blessings follow. Stand firmly on the promises with faith and then, whether it's immediate or some time down the road, the blessings will be given and we'll be all the more grateful for them.

Standing firm is hard. Walking in the dark or the dim, hoping for more light, is not easy. Having faith that things will work when "reality" seems to speak loudly that they won't, is difficult. But the promises that light will come, that faith will be rewarded, that God will extend mercy, will all be realized if we stand firm.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,

Standing on the promises of God.


I'm thankful again to be in this choir and for the many blessings that flow from the music I get to sing and the people I get to interact with. 

Stand firm...and until next week, God be with you!

MTC Week #52 - Looking Ahead

It was a bit of a rocky morning for the Choir today. Chalk it up to the holidays or the fact we didn't have a Thursday rehearsal or that everyone had to wake up early this morning or because we had over 80 members of the choir missing or maybe it was just a combination of all of those possible reasons. But suffice to say, we weren't quite "in the game" and it manifested itself in various ways. The women couldn't quite sing in tune on a particular song and after Mack observed us on camera during the run-through, he reported that we all "looked dead." He proceeded to give us a motivational speech of sorts meant to inspire us to look alive and be happy to be singing about the new year approaching. And I think most of us took it to heart and did better during the actual performance. 

After all, we need to sing our best and look our best for every performance. Those watching and listening are ready to be inspired. They are ready to find peace. They are ready to think more about Jesus Christ. And if we don't do our very best (regardless of fatigue or minds-prone-to-wander or being few in numbers), then we, by default, let someone down. And we don't want to do that.

I suppose there's a gospel principle in all of this which ties directly to enduring to the end. It's easy to keep going forward with a happy cheerful attitude when everything is going well in life. It's easy to live up to commitments and deliver on promises when trials are at a minimum. But when situations are less than ideal...well, then the test commences. Can we play the game of life with a smile then? Yes, yes we can.

Well...looking ahead to the rest of this year, I thought I'd just take a minute to let you all know what's in store for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 2014 seemed like a whirlwind. A great, exciting, tiring and overwhelming whirlwind. But I'm sure that 2015 will have it's own challenges and rewarding opportunities as well.

Here are a list of events upcoming:

1) ACDA: As mentioned before, between now and the end of February, we'll be preparing for the ACDA Conference Concerts (February 26th-28th). 
2) General Conference: We'll then turn our attention to getting ready for General Conference in April
3) East Cost Tour: Next up will be lots of rehearsals for our New York tour (June-July)
4) Pioneer Day Concert: Right after the tour, we'll be performing our annual concert to commemorate the pioneers
5) General Conference: conference again in Oct
6) Christmas Concert: weird to think about preparing for this again so soon after just being done with the one this year.

And on top of this, the first year members, which, come January, will become second-year members, are required to re-attend Choir School to sing with/assist the new first-year members. This will be every Tuesday thru the end of April. It's strange to think that I won't technically be a "newbie" any longer (and it will be fun to see all of the new people). However, I realize that I still have a lot to learn. And I'm reminded of this all the time when Bro. Wilberg has us pull out a piece of music and says "Now this is one that we all know well...". I always smile at that comment because while that's not true for me today, perhaps someday, it will be.

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #51 - He is the Gift

Today's Music & the Spoken Word marked an end for singing (and thoroughly enjoying) Christmas music with the Choir. I think some of the most powerful songs ever written are the ones that testify of Christ's life and His importance in our own lives. And certainly a lot of the Christmas music does just that. I love to picture myself as one of the characters in these songs. Whether it's being one of the heavenly hosts praising God during the visit to the shepherds, or the little drummer boy who realizes his gift of playing the drums for the baby Jesus is gift enough, or one of the wise men determined to make a long journey to see the Christ child, or a shepherd boy testifying to a king that someone greater than him has a message to share to the world.... There are great feelings to be had when you liken all of those great songs to yourself. 

Yes, I'll miss those songs.

One other thought:

As I was sitting in Church today listening to the lesson, the instructor mentioned he had listened to the broadcast today and the song that touched him the most was "Come, All Ye Faithful." We've all heard that song dozens of times--but this

time, the title of the song really stuck out to him. Here is a plea from Christ to come. Come to Him. Come everyone who has faith and is trying to live a good life. Through HIM, you will find peace and hope and the abundant rewards of your faith. 

We come to Him when we live as He did. When we serve others. When we recognize, and give thanks for, blessings. When we go out of our way to help another in need. When we ponder the scriptures or spend time in prayer. When we realize we messed up and seek forgiveness through repentance. When we put our arms on the shoulder of someone needing a smile and kind word. When we shoot off a text of appreciation or give someone a call who could use some cheering up. 

What can you do today or this week?

Lastly, I just want to say how grateful I am for a very busy, stressful, but miraculous year. Being in the choir has been marvelous and all of the hard work has paid dividends 100 times over. Each time I go to choir, I still think "Can this be? Am I really here?" New friends and soul-stirring music have been incredible. Life outside of choir has been stressful and busy as well but tender mercies from heaven have caused me to realize that without a doubt, the Lord loves me and my family, and He loves each of you as well. To all of you who have played a part in my life this year, THANK YOU.

And Merry Christmas!

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #50 - Santino Fontana & the Muppets!

Wow. I'm not sure I'll be able to adequately describe how great of an experience these last four days have been (and actually, the last six). I feel so blessed to have been a part of the 2014 Christmas Concert featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets. In keeping with concert tradition, I'll record my thoughts and feelings via "Top 10" style. But overall, it was an amazing experience. And before I start with the Top 10, I want to thank my wife and children for being without a dad and husband for a lot of hours during the past couple of months. I appreciate all they did to keep things moving along on the home front!

The Top 10 of What Made the Concert Amazing? (in no particular order)

10. Seeing how it all came together. As a choir, we had practiced our songs for months but were never sure of how those songs would fit into the overall production of the concert. On Tuesday though, as we came together for the first rehearsal with everyone involved, we witnessed the wonder the concert was going to give to all who would see and hear it. Whether it was the playful and fun dialogue from the Muppets or excellent solos from Santino, or the dancers adding movement and flair, or the incredible organ solo, I was in awe at how all of the individual pieces came together to create such a magical program.

9. Watching the puppeteers bring Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, and the rest of the muppets to life. At first I thought that the "magic" would be ruined a bit by seeing what went on behind the scenes. But it was nothing short of incredible to see how these puppeteers put their whole heart and soul into these beloved monsters who have given us all lessons of kindness, love, and respect over the past many years.

8. Hearing comments made from other choir members. Everyone seemed to

have their favorite moments that inspired them or brought them joy. And hearing them talk about them not only gave me some great insights but made me feel all the more grateful. It was great, too, to stand next to a treasured friend as well as hear all of the commentary coming from my fellow basses occupying the top corner!

7. Having the younger kids recognized. This year those as young as 5 were allowed to come to the concerts and Santino took several opportunities during the concert to involve the kids and let them know how special they were. I'm positive that most of them won't forget it.

6. Getting to spend time with choir members. We were with each other A LOT this past week. And while most of that time was rehearsing, we did have some down time to mingle. I had some important, meaningful conversations with some and I was grateful for those opportunities. 

5. Hearing funny portions of dialogue that the muppets gave:
Bert: (upon being asked if he was ready to sing) "No, no, no, SantiNO."
Cookie: (talking about not having cookies) "Tis a disaster of epic proportions!"
Count: (during 12 days of Christmas) "Enough with the birds already!"
Grover: (after realizing they were all late to the concert) "When we go out, just act na-tur-al."
Big Bird: (after being asked if he needed any conducting tips) "no, that's OK. I'll just wing it."
Elmo: (wanting to hear the choir sing) "Please Santino, please, please, please, please..." [while moving around in various begging poses]

4. Looking down at the puppeteers who played Abby and Rosita near the end of one of our choir numbers testifying of Christ. They just had such a thankful expression on their faces--as if they were saying "We're so grateful to be here."

3. Hearing some of the puppeteers in the hallway backstage talk about their experience while being here in Salt Lake. They mentioned how much they had enjoyed it, how they had really been taken care of, and how they loved doing this concert.

2.  Hearing our Choir President say to the choir (paraphrasing) "You know, some people ask me if I ever miss singing in the choir. And usually I say 'no', I had my time and I've moved on and it's OK. But for this concert (getting emotional), you all have the best seats in the house."

1. Looking upon the faces of our guests at the very end of the last concert on Sunday. We had them all turn to face the choir, and then we sang to them "God Be With You Till We Meet Again". The Spirit was very strong and I noticed several of them wipe a few tears from their eyes. I know that they'll never forget this experience. Not only because it was fun and refreshing and it had a wonderful Christmas theme, etc. etc. But because they felt the love we had for them, the prayers that had been offered on their behalf, and felt the truth of this great work our Church is proclaiming to the world: that Christ lives, and He loves every one of us.

Until next time, God be with you!

PS: Some video/pic links here.

MTC Week #49 - The Spirit of Christmas

Christmas is an interesting time of year. Christians (and others) around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and expectations are that the Christmas season be synonymous with attributes Christ displayed during his lifetime: love, giving, service, and joy. It's also expected that we feel what has been termed as the "Christmas spirit" during this happy occasion. Individuals might differ in how they define that spirit, but we could probably all agree that such a spirit equates to feeling joyous and happy or some other positive, blissful feeling.

This can be a struggle for some for a variety of important-to-consider reasons. For some it's a time of financial heartache. For some, a time of increased stress. And for others, it's a time to become overwhelmed with parties and family gatherings or the lack thereof. For many, it's a time when Christmas expectations dictated by society are impossible to meet. And importantly, there are those who might not really know what it means to feel the Christmas spirit--as if it's an elusive, mysterious thing that they hope to experience but are not sure how to do that exactly.

To all of those who are struggling this Christmas time, my prayers are with you. Know that feeling the Christmas spirit is really just about feeling God's love for you through His son Jesus Christ. If you can't feel that right now, perhaps offering a prayer is in order. A specific prayer in which you give thanks for your blessings and give a plea that you can feel loved by Him who loves you immensely. He may not answer you right away. And He may not answer you directly. But if you look for His answer, I can promise you'll find it. And you'll feel it. If only for brief moment. But that moment can be enough. Hold on to it and let it help you get through the hardships that the season can bring.

I'm grateful each year to have music be the means in which I experience that moment of feeling God's love. Such moments literally become "my Christmas". Singing songs of the season with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today hopefully helped others who listened, to feel some of that Christmas spirit (aka God's love). And if you're looking for a few other ways, may I suggest you view this video that can help God answer your prayer to feel that spirit.

Until next time, may God be with you.