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.

TCATS #392 - M e M o R i Z i N g

I spent a couple of hours this week working on the list of songs we've been asked to memorize. It was fun. I started on the "easier" list--the one that contains songs that members of the choir should already pretty much know if they've been in the choir for a number of years already. And I found that in most cases, my memory recalled about 80% of the notes and lyrics. By the end of my personal rehearsal session though,  I felt pretty good about the remaining 20%--particularly because if there are a few percentages left, they will fall into place while actually singing in the Choir surrounded by my fellow bass brethren. Singing together makes it easier to recall the notes and words in general just because it's a very symbiotic experience. 

For the next few weeks ahead, I'll tackle the harder list.

There are various techniques to memorize music, but I find the one that works the best for me is just repetition. Sometimes though, when there are A LOT of words or verses, I find that creating a story in my head is the most effective. And the more ridiculous the story, the better. My mind gravitates to my junior high days when one of my teachers told me how best to memorize lists of things. She told us to come up with objects that rhyme with each number (1-10) and then build your word association with that object. For example, for 1 I chose "bun". For 2, I chose "shoe"; and so forth. So sometimes when I'm memorizing lots of phrases of music, I'll start with "bun" and make a mini-story to go with it. Then continue on to "shoe", then on to "tree", etc. Seems to work.

Anyway...

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Tabernacle to pick up music for the harder list and I'll probably spend a few minutes making sure my suits still fit. If they don't, I'll need to coordinate with the wardrobe committee and see if I can find other suits that fit better. 

It'll be good going back knowing that I'll be back for good in about five more weeks!

I think that's it really. As the reality of going back sets in though, the other reality of having to say goodbye to my ward is setting in too. They meet at 9:00 AM and starting next year, will meet at 10:30AM--both times being ones that conflict with my Choir schedule. I will miss being with my family and will miss the feeling of being integrated into my ward community. 

But so it goes. 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #391 - Let the Details Be Known!

As you've undoubtedly heard, the Tabernacle Choir organization has finally released details as to when the Choir will return to both sing and perform. The official date is August 26th, with the first live performance of Music & the Spoken Word  to be September 19th. Some have asked "why August 26th? Why not sooner?"  While I'm not sure I know the official answer to that question, it probably has something to do with family vacations. The Choir is always at its lowest numbers during the summer as members take time to spend with family, so I think the leadership just thought it'd be best to wait until summer is nearly over. 

Between now and August 26th though, we've been given some specific marching orders! We're to memorize, memorize, and memorize some more. I've commented on the advantages of memorizing music several times on this blog. Namely it helps keep our eyes looking forward so that those watching can look into them (one of Mack's famous sayings is "people listen with their eyes"). It also helps us focus on what we're singing about, more. At any rate, one of Mack Wilberg's goals is to have us all know more songs by heart.  So for the next six weeks, we've been given a list of songs that we'll be singing between now and the end of the year (and beyond) and we're to do our best in getting them memorized.

So what do I think about finally going back? 

Well, I'm excited, of course. This pause has been very long and difficult.

That said, it won't exactly be EASY to go back. Knowing how busy the Choir usually is, it will take some time to readjust to that rigorous schedule. We've got to get our voices back in shape, we have lots to memorize already, we have General Conference to prep for, and then if all goes as planned, we have a Christmas Concert to prepare for as well (not to mention our standard weekly broadcasts). 

And then there's the social aspect of it all. I've come to realize that one of the reasons I used to look forward to Choir every week was because I got to see, talk with, and interact with a few key people. Sure, interacting with everyone around me was nice too, and I really enjoyed the actual singing of songs and what that did for my spirituality, but a key highlight was my interaction with a few core friends. I've decided, however, I don't really want to take that approach anymore. And I feel like I'm ready not to. I want to go to rehearsals and performances with more of a missionary mindset. I want to just enjoy whoever I'm around and get to sing next to. I want to be saturated with the beauty of the music and become a better person because of it--while all the time helping audience members connect with it too. I want to be more confident in who I am and find an optimal balance in the amount of strength and friendship I draw from those around me. I want a harmonious balance. And most of all, I want it all to both add-to, and enhance, my inner peace.

Because isn't living with peace (and helping others achieve it) what it's all about anyway?

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #390 - Random Musings, Part 52

Choir-related happenings this week? 

Well, there weren't any actual happenings, per se (haha), but here's how the Choir came up for me personally during the last seven days.

First, I attended two family reunions and as you might suspect, I was asked about the Choir more times than I care to admit. I reassured them all that an actual date to return had been decided upon and they'd be able to hear us sing live, soon. They were happy about that news and went on to say how they always look for me during Conference, etc. etc. 

Second, I had a photo collage come up on my Google Photos app which included the 4th of July spent at West Point Military Academy. This was when the Choir was on tour back East, back in 2015. That concert we put on at West Point was a very memorable one and I'm not sure I'll ever experience Independence Day in quite the same way ever again. Good memories. Good times.

Third, there was quite a paragraph in our weekly newsletter about being able to physically fit back into what constitutes our Choir wardrobe. The pandemic has been hard on everyone for various reasons and we've all needed to find ways to cope. For those of us who have endured unhealthy coping mechanisms--whatever they might have been--I hope we can replace them with things that will better help us move forward.

Lastly, I was watching a Music & the Spoken Word rerun today as part of my desire to think about patriotism and what this country currently means to me. According to wikipedia, patriotism is defined as "the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to a homeland or the country and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment to create a feeling of oneness among the people."  As I looked into the faces of my fellow choir members during the broadcast, I guess you could say I felt some "choir patriotism". Love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to the Tabernacle Choir as a whole, but also to the individuals themselves--who help to create a feeling of oneness as we musically testify to the world. 

Can you tell I'm anxious to get back? 

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #389 - The Blanket

I'm going to keep it extra real for this blog post. 

There have been three thoughts regarding the Tabernacle Choir that have been going through my head this past week. 

First, we received instruction from our vocal coach, Rebecca Wilberg, to spend the next couple of months trying to get our voices back in shape. She sent some specific exercises to work on, to that end. So, along with singing at Church and singing in the car, I'm going to try and work on those exercises so I feel more ready when we all go back and starting singing as a Choir again.

Second, with the reality of seeing fellow choir members again sometime soon, I thought about the people I've stayed in contact with, the ones I haven't, and how I'll really process choir relationships again. I don't know that I came to any conclusion. It was just a thought--and one that sort of just sits there in my head. 

Third, a therapist I see occasionally helped me work through some frustrations I've had during this long Choir pause these past 15 months. Self-criticism has always been a struggle of mine and I've done plenty of that in trying to process why my emotions have been so difficult to manage. 

Aside from those main three things, people continue to ask me all the time about "choir status". While I still can't completely tell them all the details about the plan to return (I hear that such details might be made public sometime in the next few weeks....hopefully), I can tell them there is a plan and their wait to see live performances again is almost over.

Until next time, God be with you.

TCATS #388 - And the Word Was Good

We received word on Friday that the plan to have us return and start singing again was approved! I can't disclose the date of when we'll start up again or go into any details of the plan until an official press release is made, but I think it'd be safe to say that the return will be sometime this year. 

To say that there was much rejoicing among the choir members, is an understatement. Going back to officially resume our musical missionary callings and to uplift and inspire others is all we've wanted to do for the past many, many months. So to finally have a date on when that's going to happen is exciting indeed. 

The press release that DID come out, though, was regarding the Choir going on tour in 2022. This tour will include the same cities and concert venues that were part of the postponed 2020 tour (and 2021 tour). You can read more about that, HERE.

That's about it. 

To all the fathers out there (and potential fathers), Happy Father's Day! If you haven't seen today's tribute via Music and the Spoken Word, tune in and enjoy...

Until next time, God be with you.