MTC Week #39 - The Standing Ovationist (& Conference Prep!)

So each week as we perform Music & the Spoken Word, the Tabernacle typically fills to capacity. Visitors literally come from far and near to be a part of the program and they often get our their smartphones to take pictures or video of the choir rehearsing before the performance. We have distinguished guests from time to time, general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pastors and ministers from other faiths, and even ward and/or stake groups from across the valley. I'm a bit overwhelmed each week at the sight of it all. 

Among those who attend EACH week, are the Elder and Sister missionaries who have been called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those in this area. And among those, is one elder who is, I dare say, one of our biggest fans.

I don't know his name, but each week he sits on the front row and eagerly takes

in the rehearsing and performing. As we finish singing the last song and the organ plays a short fade-out number (and Lloyd Newell completes his concluding words), this elder enthusiastically jumps to his feet and starts clapping with more vigor than I've seen from anyone else in my entire life. People in the choir give short chuckles of laughter every week upon witnessing this, and of course the rest of the audience follows suit shortly after his unashamed gratitude. While some might say he does this just for fun, I think he does it because he's really showing what he feels. 

Thank you, standing ovationist, for your enthusiasm, courage, and support.

Two other things to mention...

First, my favorite song today was "Love Divine, All Love Excelling" which was arranged by Bro. Wilberg and reminded me of the feeling I get when singing "Come, Thou Fount". My favorite lyrics in "Love Divine..." are

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in Thee;

Lastly, we're spending the week preparing for General Conference this upcoming weekend. I hope you all are planning to tune in. Along with the excellent talks, you'll be able to hear some inspiring music as well. 

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #38 - From the Halls of Montezuma

The Choir had the honor of performing today with the “The President’s Own”
United States Marine Band, directed by Lieutenant Colonel Jason K. Fettig. As you can probably guess, our repertoire included several patriotic pieces--some of which we knew very well and others that we had to spend considerable time learning and memorizing. In fact, on that point, even many of those who have sung with the choir for years had to dust off their memorization skills for this performance. 

Lt. Col. Jason Fettig

One of the pieces was a collection of the theme songs for each branch of the United States military. Some of those lyrics are familiar to almost everyone, most notably the Air Force theme (c'mon now...here we go..."Off we go, into the wild blue yonder, climbing high into the sun.") Anyhow, I mention this collection in particular because it marks the first time since I joined the choir that everyone around me was scrambling a bit to remember all of the words. It was rather comforting!

Aside from the fact that I had all of the songs-to-be-memorized running through my head 24x7 for the past week (and I'm afraid it'll take several days to remove them from my mind's auto playlist), today's performance was a great tribute to our veterans and it was neat to hear this band play (they sounded near-perfect). As was mentioned on the broadcast: Every generation has the opportunity to be as great as the one that preceded it. We measure the value of a veteran’s service not by the length or the location of the conflict but by the heart and character of the soldiers. Every time brave soldiers respond to the call of duty, they have the opportunity to leave a legacy of honor for those who follow.

May that legacy of honor continue!

For me, amidst all of the great singing and performing, the thing that impacted me the most was when we sang "God Be With You" at the end as we normally do. This time though, I turned slightly and picked out one of the band members to focus on (I always like to single out an individual). Midway through the piece, he brought his hand up to wipe away some tears. While there are many in today's world who would like to separate God from this great nation, it cannot be done. And I think that band member (with many others hopefully) felt the Spirit in remembering that.

Until next time, God be with you.

MTC #37 - Birthday Gift

So it's my birthday today. Normally I don't go around letting others know that, but I mention it because one of the nicest gifts of today was getting to sing with the Choir and associate with the many people I've gotten to know over the past nine months. I picked up Ben this morning (carpooling buddy) and he wished me happy birthday. I got to choir and Ryan Withers came over and gave me some happy birthday wishes. Siope Kinikini shared a big smile with some congratulatory words, and later during one of our breaks Ryan Bateman put his arm around me and gave me a "happy birthday" as well. How great to be so loved :)

The broadcast itself went very well. I remembered most of the words to the three we sung by memory and put all I had into "They, the Builders of the Nation" because I finally feel like I OWN that song (what a good feeling!). 

L to R: me, Ryan Bateman, Tyler Stoehr, & Siope Kinikini

Two of my favorite lines from that song are "Stepping stones for generations were their deeds of everyday." In other words, their daily deeds made way for generations of good, righteous people to follow. 

My parents gave a talk today during our church service and emphasized that it's all about the little things. A smile, some encouragement, a pat on the back, being friendly, and being loving & interested. If what we know makes us happy, share it by your everyday deeds!

Thanks to everyone for a great day. Hats off to my wife and kids who, once I was home from choir, made the rest of the day a happy and special one. I love them very much.

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC #36 - Richfield!

This past Friday, the Choir had the opportunity to perform in the quaint little town of Richfield, UT. Apparently the city was celebrating 150 years since it's founding by the Mormon pioneers and we were all happy to go down and put on a performance for them. 

Friday afternoon around 12:30, the choir and orchestra members boarded several buses and by 1:00 we were off for the journey. As this was my first performance outside of Temple Square, I wasn't sure what to expect but was excited to be a part of it all. I sat next to a choir member I hadn't met before, on the way down (I still don't know a lot of the tenors). His name is Earl Whitmore and he was fun to talk to. We spoke of our music background, families, work, and other mutual interests. We then took a little break to review some of the music we'd be performing at the concert since it was all to be memorized. :)  

When we arrived, we went right into rehearsal mode as Mack and Ryan wanted

Where we performed

to run through as many of the pieces as we had time for. The venue's acoustics took some getting used to, but our directors were confident that we'd sound well with a few minor adjustments. It was fun rehearsing but I had to laugh because as has happened in the past, the ones I really needed to practice were the ones we only glossed over. 

Getting ready to rehearse

From there, the ladies went to a different building to eat some dinner while the men changed into their performance attire. Nothing like cramming 200 men into some small locker rooms! We then sat in the auditorium awaiting our dinner turn. I was glad for the time to just converse with other choir members! Such moments are rare. We certainly don't get them at rehearsals so tours like this are prime time to get to know others.

Dinner was pretty good. I was sad to see some choir members sitting all by themselves though and thought how interesting that was. Several of us "newbies" sat together in the middle table and enjoyed our social time.

From there, it was a quick back to the auditorium and lining up for the concert. While waiting, I was able to get this photo taken, again, of some of us who just joined the choir this year. Fun times!

The performance itself went well. There was a fairly large crowd (for Richfield) and they seemed to enjoy our music selections which included some pioneer-related songs, some popular ones from Oscar and Hammerstein, and some pieces from the early 20th century. While I didn't have the words down perfect

for some of these (despite many hours at home practicing) I enjoyed a concert without holding music. Some of the lyrics really resonated with me as I thought about their messages. A friend in the choir (Ryan Bateman) reminded me that music can be like scripture. We get different things out of it each time we sing it. The Lord can help remind us of things we need to know through both the notes we sing, and the words we sing.

I was grateful to stand by a new friend Paul McGuire who helped me stay on the right rhythm and harmony. I think it goes for all of us (depending on our tenure in the choir and the song we're singing) that we rely on each other for this musical cue or that musical cue and I'm grateful for that!

The bus ride back seemed a little longer than the one down. I sat by someone new--an orchestra member--and we had some good conversation. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone has something interesting to say. 

I'm grateful again for such an opportunity. Thankful to my wife and kids who support me in this and cheer me on from the family sidelines. And thankful to be part of a group that inspires and brings peace and happiness to others. When I think of the many people who are uplifted by these types of performances, it makes me happy.

Until next time, God be with you.

[9/15 update: Here's an article from the Richfield newspaper reporting on the event]

MTC Week #35 - Just Thankful

This experience is just plain great! I can't imagine my Sunday mornings being any better than praising God through song and helping others come unto Christ. Sometimes I wonder if this will ever become "old" or something I'm so used to that I don't cherish it any longer. I pray that day won't come. I asked a friend of mine in the choir who's been in it for 15 years now how he's been able to keep that excitement and perspective and this is what he said:

The time has gone so incredibly fast, and keeps getting faster. I've been part of so many incredible things the choir has done. And I'm sure they'll keep doing more after I get out. I think it seems more routine and could get stale those second through seventh years after the newness and excitement wore off. But now it's totally a routine part of my life and a part of me. It's just what I do! But I look forward to the spiritual uplift I get from it a few times each week. I look forward to the peace I feel there--it's a very safe place. I love being around people more like me. I love being around people who are mostly kind, caring, loving, fun, and not too judgmental. It's a great family to be part of. While we keep doing the same songs and the same concerts year after year, they all are a little different. It's great when we can work on a totally new piece. It's great to have new guest or record a new album. There's always something fresh and new on the horizon, even if the current broadcast might feel very familiar. So I'm always looking forward. And when we are in the moment during a concert or something, I try to remind myself how blessed/lucky I am to be there. I think of the thousands of people who come to hear us and how truly unique/special/famous the choir is and how many people who do do anything to have my seat. It's really been one of the richest blessings of my life and carried me through some difficult times over the past 15 years. I honestly don't know where I'd be without the choir. Sure, it takes a lot of time, and sometimes I'm jealous of others who seem to have more time to play or do what they want, but then I remember how few get to be in the choir and I really wouldn't trade it for anything else. There will be another season for something else after the choir; but for now, I'm going to drink it all in.

So there you have it. I think the key therefore is looking forward, treasuring the new, and remembering. And that is exactly what I plan to do!

And speaking of looking forward, this week we have a concert over in Richfield, UT. The good people there are looking forward to our visit and the music we'll bring them. I'm eager to be a part of it and have plenty of music to to memorize (mostly re-memorize) this week. Just like cramming for an exam, you can cram for a performance but the downside of doing that, is when you're asked to sing the song you've crammed for, again, later on, you find that you need to refresh those musical neural pathways!

I leave you with a recent quote on gratitude that I have come to love:

"When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.


We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

Until next time, God be with you!

MTC Week #34 - The Gift of Memorizing (and the Blessings)

So it goes without saying that anyone who's involved in a choir goes through the process of memorizing songs. Typically there's a lot of lead time and rehearsals so that when it comes to performance time, you're ready to go! And it's a good feeling, isn't it? You not only know the lyrics, but hopefully they've come to settle somewhere in your heart--they've become a part of you. And when you sing the memorized song, you can sing it with conviction and project to your listeners the true meaning the song is trying to convey.

As I've mentioned before, I'm amazed in this choir how much music we go through and how quickly we have to learn it. I didn't expect anything less going into this experience, but anticipating it and then actually being in the middle of it are two different things.  Fortunately, I THINK memorizing is becoming a little easier for me, though when asked to memorize multiple songs in a short amount of time it is still overwhelming. 

I want to testify though, that the Holy Ghost is a great source of help in this challenge. Not only is he a comforter and one who imparts knowledge and understanding, but he can help speed up the memorizing process and can help you recall what you've practiced. 

As an example, today as I was singing "On a Wonderful Day Like Today" I started to experience some gripping fear, multiple times, that my mind would go blank and I would stand there looking like a mumbling fool. Not only had I just barely taken a stab at memorizing it the day before, but it was a fairly fast-paced song requiring a lot of thinking ahead. However, at those fearful moments, a calm would come and my skills of remembering and thinking ahead were quickened. I attribute that calmness to the Holy Ghost and appreciate his help.

(As a side note, I normally start memorizing a piece much earlier than just the day before but the week leading up to this performance I was on a much needed family vacation)

To end this post, I wanted to include something that a fellow choir member posted as it ties in with the Holy Ghost and the role he has as a comforter. I'll end with that...  Until next time, God be with you.

From Siope Kinikini:  
Prayers and thoughts go out to my childhood friends whose daughter passed away while serving her mission this past week. As well as the two missionaries who passed in Asia. These lyrics really touched me this morning and made me grateful for the Savior and the knowledge that we can return home to our Heavenly Father. In those quiet moments that are to come for these families I pray they feel comfort.

MTC Week #32 - Surprise Visitor

For those of us in the Choir who were asked not to participate in the Deer Valley Concert this week because of size limitations, it was a rather choir-less week. And I for one kind of missed it! While I certainly enjoyed the extra time with the family (we went to the Ogden Temple open house as a family and my wife and I went on an extra date amongst other things), I missed being with the choir and those who I've come to enjoy seeing and talking to each week. I didn't realize how much I missed it until those who were singing at Deer Valley started posting pictures of the event on Facebook. 

My "freshman" brethren at the concert

President Thomas S. Monson

So I was glad to see them all on Sunday morning as we prepared for our Music & Spoken Word broadcast. I was glad to sing some wonderful hymns. I was glad to talk to my carpooling buddy Ben. And I was glad to see President Thomas S. Monson come into the Conference Center to watch the broadcast. It sounded like not many knew he was coming, but as he entered the auditorium, everyone stood with respect and it was fun to sing through the broadcast knowing he was looking up at us and feeling the spirit of the music and the message (which centered on love and kindness).

As has happened in the past, I was singing one of the songs today during the rehearsal (Brother James' Air) and just looked around at everything and was extremely glad for all of the blessings I've been given--including being a member of this wonderful organization.

Until next time...God be with you!