Here I Go Again

I'm setting up for another summer at camp.

A different kind.

This summer, I get to be one of the music guys with Casey at chapel. That's not my only job, but when I think of one of the big things I get to do, that's the first thing that comes to mind, among others. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. I GET TO DO MUSIC with one of my good friends at Center Lake!

I think I'm going to love my job a lot. AGAIN.

I've been at this worship team thing for nine years between vocals and playing at church and at Hope. You'd think I'd feel ready for just about anything when it comes to worship band stuff but I still feel like I'm approaching something brand new.

I was watching a DVD the other day that Pastor Chris loaned me to screen for the church about worship bands. Paul Baloche was the primary teacher on it and one of the things he talked about right at the outset was this idea that in a worship band, being in WORSHIP to God must be the objective. Creating beautiful music and something artistic are absolutely part of the equation, and I firmly believe those are part of worship. In fact, the Psalms talk about playing skillfully to the Lord. Music can be a powerful way to set the mood of people towards thinking about God when maybe they weren't before. And I'll be honest-worshiping God through music is one of my favorite ways to do so.

But that's just it.

I remember once being taught at a worship workshop at church a couple years ago that as a member of a worship band, we have to be worshipers FIRST. As people who lead, we can't ever let it be about ourselves and we have to be just as much a part of the congregation. That's probably my biggest prayer for this summer.

I want to give absolutely everything I can to help make some awesome music for camp. But more importantly, to be a worshiper of our God with everyone that sets foot in the chapel's doors with them.

SPRING BREAK

It feels like a million years since the last time I've posted anything on this. Mostly because...

Several days after talking to Ben (refer to the previous post), I got a teaching job in the Ludington Area School district for the rest of the year. It's only one class at the middle school. But it's definitely a start, and if it dovetails into a teaching job either in Ludington or somewhere else, it'll be great. And I've had a chance to dip my feet into the water of working with students in middle school drama, middle school choir, and high school choir. It's been an absolute blast. Plus, I get to go with two of the high school singers who will be singing at State Solo & Ensemble in April. So I get a little bit of experience coaching/accompanying them like a voice instructor. My work really is a little bit of everything!

It's had its challenges, working mostly with middle school students, but I enjoy my job.

And on top of that, I had the wonderful surprise of working the final Quiz Bowl meet down in Newaygo. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to moderate, but in working Jordan's room, we made it like the WSCC tourney. Awesome. Plus a little extra cash is nice.

In other news, life in church music never fails to take its twists and turns. "Unfailing Love" with the Paynes was awesome. So was "All Because of Jesus" with Nate & Bob. I'll admit I was a bit frustrated with "Glory" and doing that with Lifted Voice, but it seemed to turn out well. I'm SERIOUSLY looking forward to the planning process/putting together "Desert Song" with the Paynes and everyone else involved. Hopefully it'll be fairly smooth, sound amazing, and most importantly, glorifying to God and minister to everyone who hears the song (yes, I'm geeked!)

And I might be headed to Center Lake for the weekend in April (maybe?!)

Life is good.

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Jobs and Playing

As I sit here writing (and enjoying the fact that I'm blogging on a more regular basis again, regardless of who reads or doesn't read it), I have a number of thoughts bubbling in my head.

I'm eagerly anticipating sending off a REAL job application to an institution here in town. Like the kind doing what I want to do-teaching music to young bright minds. That sounds like so much fun to me that I can barely contain my excitement at just the thought of printing a résumé, cover letter, application, having references together, packing it up in an envelope, putting the postage on it, and sending it away and having someone even think about all that. It gets to be a drag after a short time (especially if you have to do it lots of times), but there's a certain sense of exhilaration the first time you're doing it for real. Especially now that I'm really starting to get that restless feeling of wanting to teach MY students. MY kids.

The second thought I had spinning around had to do with practice tonight. Bob had mentioned with a certain degree of irony I think on Sunday how strange or ironic that the youth are leading music on the very first Sunday of Advent and on Communion Sunday. I personally don't understand why there is a certain taboo with Advent, Communion, or why the youth would be "banned" from playing on any particular day if needed or the calendar was arranged so. If we played and sang to the Lord, with joy, as skillfully as we can (and don't sell the youth at our church short-it sounded great tonight), why isn't THAT really good enough? Isn't that what worship through music really is?

I really don't understand it myself.

Friday, 16 October 2009

I'm STILL a Choir Conductor at Heart...

It's kind of discouraging to not be teaching right now. This time of year, I'd love to be working towards choir concerts and the like. Watching the Purdue Varsity Glee Club (it's so strange to hear that Purdue doesn't have ANY sort of school of music at all) brought back memories of Chapel Choir... tour... and singing. Oh gosh how I'd love to be in the midst of the fall rush with Chapel Choir and Collegium Musicum. It's Fall Break this weekend for a lot of universities and I'd be making a mad dash either for home or with friends. I still need to visit the crew in Grand Rapids. Time to make a road trip with N-Sto, I guess.

But I'm realizing that God, in His wisdom that is infinitely greater than mine, doesn't want me to be at university or teaching right now. I've dreamed of teaching choir for a while... and then strayed away from that for almost a year between other things, discouragement, and the like.

But I keep coming back. And back. And back again. I still can't get the image of myself as a choral conductor out of my head. As much as I have enjoyed the other things I do, at camp, at church with the youth group, at church with the worship team... I want to do something with choirs again. I miss it.

In the meantime, aagh. I press on. I've been doing a little teaching at the piano and I need to get some publicity up for teaching voice lessons HERE, though I'm still a little unsure how to do it on the cheap (NO, I'm not posting classifieds). I still need to meet with the folks at the Cartier Mansion - it sounds like such an awesome gig and now that I'm prepping for a wedding, I should have more music ready for evening entertainment soon.

Stuff with the worship team is going in an exciting direction recently, too. I love how it's progressed and I hope we continue doing so. Now that we're putting into practice some of the ideas that we learned at the workshop, I'm seeing some more obvious progress. It's great!

Saturday, 12 January 2008

Dwell in the present

I'll admit it. Getting this semester underway hasn't been easy. Leaving home from Christmas break is always hard, but staring my last semester at Hope in the face is a scary prospect. After Hope is my first blank prospect.

I guess that's not completely true. I'll graduate and go out into that place called "the real world" and get a job and begin "life after college." It sounds simple enough, and in some ways, I suppose it is.

But that's what makes it scary. For 22 years and a little over 4 months now, my life has been more or less been pretty clearly laid out. I knew what was ahead. No real surprises. First came preschool (ahhhh, good old Brookhill Montessori Preschool... that place is still near and dear to my heart). My time there came to end, but I knew I'd start kindergarten at Franklin Elementary where Jordan had gone. The family and I fretted over where I'd go after second grade, but once we settled on Foster Elementary (go Bulldogs!), then the sailing was smooth. Foster for four years through sixth grade. Then to OJ DeJonge for 7th & 8th grade. Then Ludington HS. I was an Oriole.

Even college, really, was a laid out path. Making a decision was a bit more difficult, but I pretty much knew I was going to college and that the next four years of my life had something to do with being away from home for about 8-9 months of the year with summers probably at home and Christmas breaks. The choice to come Hope was the most difficult part, but that became easier soon enough.

Recently, I've been overwhelmed by the unknowns. Student teaching is a big enough unknown itself-the other field placements will be dwarfed by this semester, so I really want to do my best, give it everything I can, and learn everything I can from it. I was encouraged by the first day-I think being placed with Mr. DeBoer was the right move. But I already am looking past it, maybe too much. What lies beyond student teaching and graduation, when my time at Hope is over?

Friday was a good "push" into the semester. It was a nice kick start, a healthy dose of life back at Hope and a good reminder of what I missed over break. I flirted with disaster and was almost late for class (yikes? oh yes), but lunch after Chapel proved to be a truly enjoyable experience. Communion must really be my ultimate value because I took this gathering in like a sponge-Becky & Jeannette (who was off from school because of a blackout) had the brilliant idea to ask Zach if he wanted to have lunch. He and I both jumped at that opportunity, since we've turned into an "urban tribe" with his work schedule quieting down and Brandon abandoning meal plan. Before I knew what happened, I come back from Nykerk and discover Anne putting buffalo wings in my oven, Jeannette & Becky have pizza, pop, & Crazy Bread waiting, Zach & Brandon wondering where I've been, and Jon calling on the phone asking what we're doing for lunch. Needless to say, I went crazy to have a gathering of my friends in my living room for lunch. It was grand.

(Something to ponder: what is it about eating together that is so special? I still can't explain it and I really wish I could.)

That felt like a warm-up to the evening, though. I learned an interesting lesson over the afternoon: the Wal-Mart in Holland has a pitiful selection compared to Meijer, especially when I'm looking for something specific. It almost made me late for dinner with Nate, Brandon, and Nik! And who'd want to miss a dinner with them?! The four of us proved that men know how to cook, and not only that, we can rescue food from the brink of disaster/inedibility.

Case and point: Nate's baguette was two days old. Unfortunately, the ones from Meijer's bakery are supposed to be eaten soon after you buy them, or they harden to about the consistency of your average baseball bat. Not exactly something your dentist would probably recommend for your teeth. Thankfully, I remembered an old trick I learned from days back in the kitchen at the Manor and put that sucker in the microwave for a minute with... a glass of water. Yes, a glass of water. The result? Not only did the bread soften right up to something much more palatable (and non-soggy), it was good and hot, too! So we didn't have to chop it into croutons for that chicken Caesar salad. Add some bubbly cider, a bowlful of chopped Fuji apples, some conversation about the Bible Studs, and a hefty dose of prayer, and you have the makings of a great dinner and evening with some of my best friends.

I got demolished in Blokus by Jon, Eddie, & Tyler, and laughed a little too hard messing around with Nik's Flarp with Jon, Brandon, & Nik. But that stuff proved that inside every well-adjusted college guy's sense of humor is someone who can laugh at farts. Yup.

The real highlight of the night, though, was back in Nykerk, sort of on a whim. Jon asked Nik and me if we wanted to join him for an evening at Jeannette's apartment for worship in singing with some other people. Since I don't often hear about them, I usually don't end up going to these impromptu musical worship gatherings, so I naturally jumped at the chance. Being the cold, yucky night that it was, Nik grabbed his guitar and we took my car back over to campus, only to end up walking from the mini Dow parking lot. So much for close parking.

What a night of music it was. Some of my favorite people were there! Jon. Becky. Jeannette. Analisa. Nik. Zach. Laura. Steven & Joanna. Noah & Kristen. Laura. And we had a roomful of instruments, to boot. Zach, Nik, & Jon all had guitars with them, Steven dug out a double bass, Noah knew where to find the unlocked percussion stuff, Zach pulled out his cello from his locker, and we had two pianos to work with, too. The fun kicked off around 10:30 and I honestly didn't watch the clock or really care. I only left at 1:00 A.M. because I couldn't handle staying up any later. But it's a great reason to stay up that late, and some of the best company I could ask for.

Yes, I'm looking at unknowns beyond this semester. But like last night, I'm trying to take my dad's advice into consideration and just live in the present. That's where I am, and last night, that's where I dwelled. And I knew it felt right.

Currently Listening Kingdom of Heaven By Iestyn Davies (connter-tenor), Catherine Bott (soprano), Harry Gregson-Williams Crusaders see related

Sunday, 02 April 2006

Impulsivity

I can't explain it, but despite setting out to get a lot of work done this weekend, I failed miserably. Instead, I went to a recital, went to church with Ben, talked to my parents and my brother, caught up on other homework that isn't even due for awhile, and went to The Gathering. And I stayed for the time of singing after The Gathering officially ended. Why? I don't know. But I have a theory.

I don't feel like I've been keeping God first. I did well on praying on a regular basis for awhile and then got completely thrown off, especially when break arrived. Then it seems life became difficult this week-getting sick with nasty junk in my throat, a bad piano lesson, getting stressed out thinking about everything due before the end of the semester, and the list goes on.

I've been praying to get back on track. I hadn't even planned on going to The Gathering tonight. Trygve wasn't speaking and that's typically a deterrent for me-I like our Dean of the Chapel and his messages are good. But I just felt "called" to go. I did, and I felt compelled to stay. It seemed like God was saying, "No, Tyler. Don't leave yet. Not yet." I'm glad I didn't leave. It was good to stay with the others and spend some time singing praises to Him. It made me remember: God must always come first. He won't have it any other way and it shouldn't be any other way. Needless to say, I left Dimnent Chapel refreshed and ready for a new week. I know things will come together somehow, some way, if I trust Him.

Interesting fact: Hope College students give some of the finest hugs around. (Addendum) One of them that gave me one is too tall to hug back so I was basically encased. It was kind of a strange experience but it made me think of something; that's kind of how it is with God. He's so much bigger than we are and so much greater that it's pretty much impossible to reciprocate the kind of love He shows us. So we just give Him our hearts, let Him encase us completely, with His love, do our best to love Him back, and be appreciative of it all.

Comments(1)

as you may (or may not have) noticed, I got there late. I got there for part of the after worship, and that was AWESOME! I wasn't gonna come, but God kept telling me to go and I'm glad I did.

E

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