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Allowing for Different Tastes

6/20/2022

"How do you like your yams?"

When I was growing up, the only way I was ever served yams was candied. I really didn't like them. They looked great with all the toasted marshmallows on top, but they were too sweet for my little taste buds. Then one day I was invited for supper at the neighbor's house. They were having yams and at first I was worried because I had only had candied yams. But what a revelation! They served their yams roasted with just a little butter and salt and pepper. Wow! I loved them served that way.

I honestly did not know there were CHOICES in how yams were cooked. From that point on, I knew which method I would choose. (Can you tell that I am not a very adventurous cook or eater?) And then recently, my son-in-law served up one of his signature dishes --- "stuffed yam burritos." This consists of a roasted yam stuffed with a type of pico de gallo salsa with lots of vegetables. Who knew there was yet another choice for serving yams? Probably many others, too.

Although I am not a very adventurous cook or eater, I do understand that people have differing TASTE PREFERENCES. It is the same thing in MUSIC. People have very different preferences, in what they listen to on a daily basis to even what they prefer in Sacred Music.

In daily listening Music, I have a wide and varied palate. Because I have studied and performed many types of music, I have an appreciation for many styles. I guess I choose music to listen to according to my mood. But, then again, I have almost constant music playing in my head, so I mainly need to have something different like a podcast or talk radio on to cancel out the music.

In Sacred Music, though, I do have particular preferences. I lean to more classical styles in Sacred Music because I have found that they have brought me the most reverent and sacred experiences. Besides, I love the VARIETY. To my ears, a lot of contemporary popular sacred songs start sounding the same pretty quickly. Give me arrangements that sound like they have been influenced by Bach, Beethoven, or Brahms and I'll be happy.

"Come Sing to the Lord" - original Sacred Duet for Soprano and Mezzo

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Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

6/15/2022

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The topic of Ministering is at the forefront a lot these days. Our latest Stake Conference was all about Ministering. The talks were given by people of all ages and walks of life. They spoke from their own particular vantage points about how Ministering affected their lives and how they could effectively go about Ministering. Their messages were very uplifting and motivating.

So many of the speakers mentioned how important doing the little things are in Ministering. One sister spoke about how she was avoiding going to see a woman that she didn't know yet. She postponed and postponed her visit until she felt guilty enough to just do it. It was a hot day, so she decided to take some ice cream over to share with this woman. When she got there, the lady wanted to sit outside on the front porch and just have a chat.

They talked and talked, but the sister worried about the ice cream melting. Finally she said she had brought ice cream to share but she was afraid that it had all melted. Then the woman said that she was lactose intolerant. Just goes to show you how important it is to get to know the person you go visit. That woman much preferred the chance to chat over eating ice cream anyway.

Doing the little things -- smiling at the people you pass, holding the door open for someone, giving out little compliments or saying something cheerful to a stranger are all little things that just might brighten up someone's day.

Yesterday, my sister and I went to dinner in a darling French Bakery. The waiter sat us at a table for 4 even though we were just 2. A large family came in and was seated next to us. The grandmother was trying to figure out how they could squeeze a few more in at their table. We suggested that they move one of our small tables over to their spot and take the chairs as well. The grandmother was so grateful. She was relieved that her whole family could then sit together comfortably for their special occasion.

Sometimes seeing a need and acting on it seems like such a little thing to you, but it can mean the world for someone else.

"There are chances for good all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying sometime I'll try,
But go and do something today!"

"Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?" is a great song for the theme of Ministering. Here's an arrangement of an old hymn given some jaunty, upbeat styling. So fun to sing! (SAB, SSA, SSATB, with or without violin - take your pick)

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Epic Failures

6/13/2022

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Technology. Sometimes so great. Other times, epic failures!

Just last week, I witnessed two unfortunate disasters using wireless microphones for the sound system. The first was at a luncheon for a ladies club. They needed a PA system separate from anything available at the hall for the MC to use and also for the entertainment. We had a set of instructions and followed them the best we untrained ladies could. We got the speakers, mixer and mics set up, plugged in, and tried a sound check. The wireless mics apparently had not charged up long enough yet, so they did not work.

After waiting for them to charge up for a while, they worked. Then, since we would not need the sound system for more than an hour, we shut it down. I learned that was the wrong move. When we turned the PA on again, the mics did not work. All indications on the meters said that they were working, but no sound came out. AARGH! Apparently they lost their charge or something.

The entertainers fared better. The ballroom dancers were successful in using the mixer and the speakers to run their music. We just had no microphone for the announcer. Too bad!

Then, yesterday at Stake Conference, a man was trying to set up microphones for the choir. It was very important to have adequate sound amplification because the hall was so big and because the meeting was going to be broadcast over Zoom. We worked hard to get the microphones placed in such a way to pick-up each section in a balanced way.

Then he made the same mistake we had done in the women's club meeting. He turned off the wireless mics in the choir loft. When he turned them on again a few minutes before the meeting started, they did not work. He fussed with them for awhile and told us that we would have to be very quiet during the meeting because the mics would be "hot" the entire time.

Unfortunately, the reports I heard from people who had watched the meeting over Zoom said that they could not hear the choir. Apparently, the wireless microphones still did not work properly! So sad!

I have to say, that I much prefer hard-wired microphones in situations like this. Unless you have professional sound engineers at the ready with all of their knowhow and tools, wireless mics seemed to have more potential problems than they are worth!

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Choral Warm-Ups --- Too Little or Too Much?

6/8/2022

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Even the experienced group of choir singers can benefit from WARM-UPS. I have been to so many rehearsals where the group had a hard time pulling together. In those cases, the choir singers were just not ready to sing. Let's face it, we all come from different physical places, emotional states, and psychological tangents when we come into a choir rehearsal. Warm-ups do more than just get the voice ready to sing. Warm-ups can help ready the voices, certainly, but can also help ready the emotional, physical and psychological state of the singers. WARM-UPS help singers get FOCUSED.

The big trick for the conductor is to DO JUST ENOUGH in a warm-up period and NOT TOO MUCH. I once attended a rehearsal for a Stake Conference Choir where the conductor was new and did not know many of the people. She had planned on separating the men and women for section rehearsals at the beginning so that the woodshedding could be more efficient. The unfortunate part was that the person she had asked to work with the men did not come at the beginning. Her whole plan had been upset.

So, I offered to take the men to rehearse their parts. She took a chance, not knowing me either, and let me take the men off to another space to rehearse. She told us when to return. We did a few warm-ups and proceeded to go over the Tenor and Bass parts. Then, in walked the guy who had been invited to work with the men. He was a full half hour late! We were actually just getting ready to go back into the main rehearsal.

Without even considering the time, this man proceeded to start from "his" beginning. He took these men through a grand College lecture about preparing to sing and had them do many vocal warm-ups. (He asked me to stay to play the piano, so I witnessed it all.) He never actually got to the practicing of parts before the Conductor sent a runner to beg the men to return to the main rehearsal. This man was rather put out. (He had not even considered that the rehearsal I had already done with the men was valid.)

The concepts the man was lecturing about were useful, but were just too many and took up too much time. He taught about POSTURE, BREATHING, LIFTING THE SOFT PALATE, VOWEL PLACEMENT, SUPPORTING THE TONE, and was ready to launch into so much more. Had he come on time, perhaps what he was teaching may have been appreciated. But as it was, the men were just annoyed. Better to come on time and to do a very focused WARM-UP lesson on just a few concepts.

I had already been working with the men on practicing the INCEPTION OF THE SOUND or LIFTING THE SOFT PALATE while taking the initial breath. We practiced setting the abdominal wall muscles to support the tone, correcting posture, and breathing in the shape of the vowel all from that one concept. It seemed to be working well, too. Anyway, at least we had gotten some woodshedding of the parts done before that man came!

Here are some Warm-ups I have collected over the years.
Fun and Easy Warm-up Songs for Choir

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Allowing for Different Tastes

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

Epic Failures

Choral Warm-Ups --- Too Little or Too Much?

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