Sing along with me

I received a great compliment today. I helped with music for the first time at the Saturday night service at Holy Cross last weekend. I played keyboard for all the songs, and sang lead on 2 1/2 of them. I've led many the service over the years, but I surprised a lot of people since I'd never done so on Saturday at Holy Cross before. I've received many compliments from people saying I have a great voice, but the compliment I received today was different and more appreciated. The compliment I received today, after she said she enjoyed my music on Saturday, was "it was easy for me to follow along and sing with you."

I can only remember completely losing my singing voice once in my life. It was March 17, 2013. I remember the exact day because it was the day after moving, and I was supposed to sing tenor in the Schola Cantorum for their Lenten Vespers service. Instead, I was sick, and while I could speak with great effort, I couldn't sing a note no matter how hard I tried. I still attended the service, but instead of singing with the choir, I sat in the congregation unable to even sing along with any of the liturgy or hymns. Lenten and Holy Week hymns are my favorite hymns, Kramer Chapel is a fantastic place to sing in, and I knew and loved all of the choral and congregational music, but I couldn't sing. I sat there with my hymnal open, and read the text as everyone sang for me--not sang around me--sang for me.

There weren't 1,000 people there, but like the hymns "Oh, That I had a Thousand Voices" or "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" wish, the rest of congregation were my "Thousand Voices/Tongues" that day singing for me the words I desperately wished to proclaim and silently joined in confessing. Nonetheless, as a musician, not being able to sing was a bit like being temporarily crippled. I really wanted to sing along. That service was still a blessing I am thankful for, but I am also thankful for the blessing that I have only been completely unable to sing that one time.

If I were the best singer in the world, but sang in a way that was hard to sing along with, it might discourage you to sing and would be like stealing your voice. I am never shy in singing in church, but this is not to steal your voice and replace it with my own, rather to give my voice as support to those who, for whatever reason, have trouble singing or can't sing. I am aware that I have been gifted with more musical talent than some, but I would much rather sing with you than sing in a way that makes you stifle your own voice. That is why I found being told I was easy to sing along with such a high compliment.

As stanza 7 of Lutheran Service Book 528, "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" says:

To God all glory, praise, and love
     Be now and ever giv'n
By saints below and saints above,
     The Church in earth and heav'n.

May we always join our individual voices into the corporate voice of the Church to sing the prayers and songs of the Church of all times and of all places.

Make your mom proud and do a good job.

I tend to listen to talk radio in the car. I know, I know...I'm a musician so you'd expect me to listen to music. Well, I need to get away from music now and then, so I listen to talk radio in the car. Something I was listening to today served as a memory trigger for a random exchange I had a few years ago. It wasn't at all a bad conversation, but I wish the circumstance prompting it never existed. Let me explain.

It occurred during the year I was volunteering as music teacher at Imagine Schools on Broadway, so I was extremely busy and ended up grabbing quick meals out on my busiest days. There were a few days a week where I would eat a late supper at the McDonald's on Stellhorn. This was also the period I was going without internet at home, so I also sometimes went at the end of the day simply to use internet since all other convenient options for public Wi-Fi were already closed. The employees got used to seeing me on a regular basis, and I got a good idea about their work habits.

During this period, most of the employees at this McDonald's were not exactly hardworking. There were times I would be there after 10pm, be the only one in the store, and have to wait a significant amount of time for the person who was supposed to be working cashier to come take my order, and then wait much longer than it should have taken for my food to be ready. It was quite ridiculous, but I practiced my patience, didn't complain, and always simply thanked them when I received my order. However, I quietly noticed at least two employees who actually did their job.

One day, I was using a coupon at Arby's to get a quick meal when a teenage girl who was one of the hardworking McDonald's employees walks in with her family.

"Cheating on McDonald's?" she joked as she recognized me.

I don't remember all of the specifics of the short conversation, but we explained to her mom that I was a regular customer during her shifts at McDonald's. I knew she was annoyed at her coworkers from watching them work, so I took this opportunity to tell the girl that I noticed and appreciated how she went about her work, that she stood out from her coworkers as a result, and thanked her for her efforts.

I remember the proud mom moment that occurred after I did this. I'm pretty sure the mom wasn't expecting someone who was essentially a stranger to compliment her daughter on her work at McDonald's while out getting a meal at Arby's. It was an interesting spontaneous experience to be a part of.

If all of the employees had been doing their jobs like I wish they would have, I'm not sure the above exchange would have happened. I don't know if I would still have made a point to thank her then and there and make sure she knew her work was appreciated. That could be a whole different discussion on thankfulness. Regardless, I do know that I still remember this random interaction a few years later. I remember the girl who did a good job even when alone in doing so, and the mom proud of her daughter as a result.