TCATS #399 - Together, Not Apart

I started watching a Hulu mini-series that came out recently titled "9/11: One Day in America". The official description of the series reads as follows: "One Day in America tells the in-depth story of September 11th through the eyes of the witnesses, heroes and survivors. Made in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to mark the 20th anniversary, this major new series charts the tragic day in unprecedented detail – from the first plane hitting the north tower to the last survivors being rescued from the rubble."

Even after I started watching it though, part of me didn't want to continue watching it. Several parts of even the first episode caused many emotions to well up within me and tears to spring to my eyes. While I didn't lose anyone I personally knew that day, I lost fellow American brothers and sisters whose lives had meaning. And it was terribly sad to re-live that reality all over again--now nearly 20 years later. 

Of course the good that came from that tragedy was a greater feeling of unity. It was as if the title of our country--the UNITED States of America--actually reflected how we as American felt towards one another. I remember distinctly feeling that way and hearing from family members and friends that they felt that way too. 

It was with some interest, then, that I read a USA Today article titled "9/11 brought a sense of national unity. Why has the pandemic been marred by division?" The article starts off by saying "Bad times bring out the best in people. It must be true. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a cliché.  On the other hand, maybe clichés, like doctors, should be re-certified every once in a while. Does flattery really get you nowhere? Have good things ever come to those who wait?  Do bad times really make us better people? The 20th anniversary of 9/11 – occurring in the 18th month of the COVID-19 pandemic – offers a reality check. Also, a sobering study in contrasts.  Because if 9/11 brought us together, COVID seems to be tearing us apart."

In response to that "tearing us apart" reality check, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will be airing a special Music & the Spoken Word episode titled "9/11: Coming Together". I don't think the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who sponsors the Choir, is thinking that just by airing this special there will be some massive movement to abandon division and adopt unity. Rather, I think the title is inviting all of us to "celebrate compassion, caring, and unity" and to "remind us of the goodness that connects all of us and of what happens when we reach out to help each other." (See official program description, HERE and trailer HERE)

I invite you all to watch the special (which actually airs at 8:46AM on 9/11; and again on Sunday, 9/12 at 9:30AM) and to ask yourself "what more can I do to show love and promote unity?" Perhaps as you listen to the music and hear the words in this program, you might feel inspired as to how best to answer that question.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #398 - Together Again + New Start Date

I rode into the Tabernacle with my carpool buddies on Thursday night and as we actually walked onto Temple Square, there was a large number of choir members just standing around talking to one another instead of heading towards the doors to go in. At first I thought that maybe they hadn't opened the doors yet, but then I realized that many just wanted to relish in the opportunity to socialize! After all, it had been over 18 months since we had seen each other and I think we all just wanted to soak it in. After catching up with people and giving lots of hugs, we put on our masks, went inside, and sat on the benches (socially distanced of course). I sat next to my friends Wes and Ryan. 

The meeting consisted of several individuals sharing their thoughts and testimonies. We heard from Bishop Caussé of course, who was presiding, and we heard from outgoing President Ron Jarrett and his wife, and then heard from the incoming presidency, including new President Leavitt and his wife, along with the two newly called counselors. Having an actual presidency, similar to presidencies in other church organizations, is new to the Tabernacle Choir. But it makes sense to follow the same pattern. Plus, I'm sure the whole Tabernacle Choir organization will benefit from having a full presidency since there's always a lot going on in the background to make things operate smoothly. 

You can read about (and watch excerpts of) the meeting HERE and HERE, if you're interested.

I think my favorite part was just being able to sing together. Yes, we were masked. And no, we weren't in the loft as usual.  But it was still nice to sing an opening hymn ("Called to Serve") and closing hymn ("God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again) and hear each others' voices again. 

The current plan is to start rehearsals on 9/21. And whirlwind rehearsals they will be as we will only have a couple of weeks to prepare all of the music for upcoming General Conference. The way THAT is working, is they are dividing the choir in half for any given session. That way, we can sit every other seat and try and maintain some distancing. We have yet to be told which session each of us will be singing in. But that should be forthcoming, soon I'd think.

After the conclusion of the meeting, we picked up some additional music from our music lockers and headed for home. Despite the disappointment of not having the night be what we had all hoped it would be (a return to singing), I can't deny that it was nice to be all together again. And barring any significant changes in covid, we're less than a month away from actually being able to sing.

In the words of President Leavitt:  "We need to resume performances. For nearly a year and a half, COVID-19 and its variants have interrupted our progress. Well, the time has come for us to reboot our work."

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #397 - Yes, Another Delay

With only a week to go before finally returning to the Tabernacle to sing again, members of the Tabernacle Choir were essentially given a "just kidding!" notice on Friday. It came as no surprise. I had heard earlier in the week that the multicultural choir that was going to sing at one of the October 2021 sessions of conference was essentially cut in half to allow for increased social distancing while singing. And from a common sense perspective, how would it look if the Choir resumed normal practices and performances when the First Presidency has been urging masks and distancing again? That wouldn't fly. 

Still, even with anticipating another delay, it was sad to hear. 

All of the details regarding the delay can be found HERE. I just have a few things I wanted to comment on.

First, the Choir IS returning to the Tabernacle this coming Thursday not to sing, but to attend a mini-devotional to honor the outgoing Choir President (Pres. Jarrett) and to officially welcome Bro. and Sis. Leavitt as the new presidents. I have mixed feelings about attending. Mainly because our return to the Tabernacle was supposed to be to sing and resume our musical missionary callings. Now we'll be going back for a different reason, and we won't even get to be physically close to each other or see each other's faces.  That said, I'm still planning to go--mainly so that I can sincerely show my thanks to President Jarrett and all he did for the Choir during his tenure. 

Second, I have some deep concerns about how things will look when we DO go back to sing, after reading this:

"During the delay in the resumption of rehearsals, Choir leadership in consultation with a distinguished team of scientists, physicians, and public health experts will be completing a detailed set of policies and operating procedures. This Choir COVID Plan is designed to make rehearsing and performing as safe as reasonably possible while pandemic conditions continue. Choir leaders anticipate that online training in Choir COVID Plan procedures will be conducted in early to mid-September with the implementation of these procedures shortly thereafter to permit resumption of rehearsals for planned Choir participation in the Church’s October general conference."

Will we need to distance and wear masks when rehearsing?
Will we be split into smaller groups?
Will we have staggered starts and stops to avoid crowding the hallways and dressing rooms?
Most importantly, will the Choir experience still be familiar enough from a physical, social, and spiritual connected-ness standpoint that my love of being a part of it, prevails?
 

Giving credit where credit is due, I AM thankful that at least the Church is coming up with a plan to get the Choir back together. Because in all reality, it's likely that another covid variant is just around the corner. And the sooner society (and the Church) just learns to live with covid (like we live with other viruses and health threats), the sooner we can start to truly live again without this emotional yo-yo or roller-coaster of delays, false starts, intrusive adjustments, and unmet expectations.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #396 - Potential Delay?

As probably most of you are aware, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement on Thursday this past week. The statement called on members of the Church to do "all [they] can to limit the spread of [Covid-19] viruses." The statement also included the following:

"To limit exposure to these viruses, we urge the use of face masks in public meetings whenever social distancing is not possible. To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective."

As I thought about how this would affect the Choir's return on August 26th, I came to the conclusion that as Choir members, we'd just have to be prepared for another potential delay. Part of me thinks "how would a world-wide audience after hearing that statement, view the Choir if the Choir was not seen social distancing or wearing masks? Even if they somehow knew we were all vaccinated, would they still consider our long-awaited reunification as unwise?"  

Personal thoughts aside, the newsletter we all received on Friday indicated that we are officially in wait mode as we anticipate whether the First Presidency will once again approve or temporarily deny our plan to return. 

I'm not here to debate the many, many opinions that exist on what can or can't, or should or shouldn't happen when it comes to vaccinated people and their ability to contract or transmit the virus. But in my own opinion (which is at least backed up by some studies I've read), I think any safety risks would be extremely minimal if all members of the Choir were vaccinated. And, indeed, only those fully vaccinated are going to be rehearsing and performing in the weeks ahead. (Those who are not will be invited to participated at a future period in time.)

My own opinion counts for nothing, however, when it comes to how the official decision will be made. Since we're only 11 days away from our first rehearsal, I think we're all hoping to hear what gets decided, sooner than later. Maybe some time this week?

In conclusion, I thought about whether or not to include in this blog post some personal commentary on all of the emotions that the aforementioned First Presidency statement has caused me to feel--not only in regards to how it affects the Choir, but in other areas of my life. 

All I will say about that, though, is that it's been rough.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #395 - Welcome to the Leavitt's!

On Thursday of this past week, Choir members received an email asking them to please join an online meeting that would take place Friday morning at 10:30. There was no mention about what the meeting would be about. As such, some speculation began to be passed around as to the meeting's topic. Some  of that speculation was positive and optimistic and included things like being invited to sing at some special event, getting a preview on how the Christmas Concert would be, or having the orchestra be able to join us finally for general conference. On the negative side, many of us were dreading the news that our return to the Tabernacle would again be delayed because of Delta variant concerns. And honestly, the more I thought about it all, the more I convinced myself that such devastating news would probably be what we'd end up hearing. I became very sad. 

I logged into the meeting at 10:25 and watched a rerun of a General Conference performance as I waited.  I also began bracing myself for the announcement.

The meeting began with some opening comments from President Jarrett and a prayer. After which the time was turned over to Bishop Caussé. It didn't take too long for Bishop Caussé to let us all know that the First Presidency of the Church had extended a loving release to President Jarrett and had also extended a call to Mike and Jacalyn Leavitt to serve as co-presidents of the Choir. Additionally, for the first time, President Leavitt would have two counselors to assist him in administratively leading the Choir. 

I let out a huge sigh of relief. The date to return and sing was still in place.

Mike Leavitt

As for my thoughts on the announcement, I first thought about my interactions with President Jarrett and how positive they had always been. Having previously been a choir member himself, President Jarrett was able to lead the choir with that invaluable background and employed many other leadership skills and styles to do a remarkable job. He will be missed. I must say though, I'm extra sad that his last year in the Choir had to be devoid of the normal choir experience. 

I don't have too many thoughts/reactions about who will now be leading us. But I have no doubt the Leavitt's will do a great job. And who knows? Maybe with this change the Leavitt's will shake things up a bit--instigate some adjustments and will help lead the

Jacalyn Leavitt

Choir to new and notable accomplishments.

As a side note, I continued my memorizing efforts this past week. Out of the 20 songs on the list, I have about six left. Some of the ones I just barely memorized will need to be reviewed every few days or so, until the memorization becomes "complete". But it feels good to be making headway. And it feels good to sing these songs again. 

Lastly, I continue to pray that the surge in Delta variant cases will subside and the August 26th date of return to rehearsals, will hold. Our weekly newsletter expressed the possibility of a delay so I don't think we're out of the woods just yet. All we can do is watch and see. As can be said about anything, really, it's in God's hands. 

Until next time, God be with you.

PS: HERE'S a great article recounting some of President Jarrett's most memorable experiences during his time as President of the Choir. 

TCATS #394 - Going Back Different

 

As members of the Tabernacle Choir anticipate returning to their musical missionary callings soon, they have been reflecting on how, exactly, they want to go back. 

I asked a few Choir friends how they want to go back and here are some of their responses:

I want to be more open and accepting of all the music...try to find the good in [all of] it. 

I'd like to learn more names. I [also] think the increased music memorization [directive] is a good move.

I think I will come back with an improved sense of dedication.  I think more time spent learning the music, listening to directions and obeying rules will serve to align myself with the intent of the choir mission. 

My goal is to return to the choir with much more trust in the Lord. It's like our time here on earth is short, and our time with the choir is short. I hope to go in with much more gratitude and remember what a blessing it is to be a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Before the pandemic, I tried to do everything for fear of missing out on an experience. Now I'm going to be more cautious and selective about certain events. It's a marathon, not a sprint... [And having this perspective leads to a] better life balance.

As for me? Well, there's a lot of wisdom in the comments above and I agree with them. I'm particularly excited to memorize more music because of all the benefits that memorization affords (even though I know it'll take more work and outside time to be successful at that). If I wanted to add anything to the list above, I think it'd be along the lines of the social aspect of the Choir experience. I used to attend Choir events wanting to socialize with particular people, sit next to specific people, and spend breaks with certain people. And while I think it's perfectly natural to enjoy spending time with specific people, I want to just let things happen the way they happen and enjoy whatever social experience or opportunity is given to me. God is the master of having things work out just the way they should and I want to be more open to that concept.

Overall, my hope is that all of us, as we return to "normal" life and things we've missed, incorporate new goals and new perspectives into what we do, how we think, and how we interact with others. Doing things differently--being different--is the essence of change.  And change, particularly the kind that is carefully considered and is borne out of a desire to become more like Christ, will help us become are best selves. 

And who doesn't want to be their best?

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #393 - Recovery

 

As mortality would have it, I was battling a cold this entire week and therefore didn't feel a whole lot like continuing my memorization journey. So, I put that on hold and shifted all of my energy to getting through my work responsibilities each day--dealing with customer escalations and making a tough hiring decision. After work, I just took it easy--all the while wondering why noses weren't more resilient and robust in handling the effects of the cold virus... and being thankful for Kleenex, of course.

Fortunately, the cold didn't hit until Tuesday, which allowed me my trip into the Tabernacle Monday morning and also allowed me to enjoy a dinner with my carpool group (Alan, Ben, and Willy) that evening. The trip into the Tabernacle was nice and I even got to see and wave to Ryan Murphy briefly which seemed to make the whole going-back thing all the more real. The dinner was also nice--it was fun to catch up with these guys I've come to love and appreciate and rely on. We talked a lot about what we've been doing this summer, how work is going for everyone, and talked about Choir itself quite a bit. The topic of whether or not we'll be required to show proof of vaccination our first night back, came up, and none of us quite knew the answer to that question. Nor did we know what the answer should  be.  It's clear we have to be vaccinated. But whether it will be required to show proof (versus the honor system), we just don't know.  At any rate, soon the dinner was over and we realized that the next time we meet together, it'll be Thursday, Aug 26th, as we carpool in for our first post-pandemic rehearsal. 

In our newsletter this week, we were given the songs we'd be singing for our "back-from-the-pandemic" debut performance of Music & the Spoken Word (Sept 19th). I am not at liberty to tell you what they will be, but I can tell you that the performance will include some well-loved favorites and some new songs as well--all memorized of course. So make sure and tune in! I can't quite yet fathom the amount of energy, anticipation, and feelings of the Spirit that that performance will contain. 

But it will be quite the event to remember.

Until next time, God be with you.