Speaking About Reading Out Loud

When I ask the general question, “Do you read music?” I get a variety of answers. Often they go somewhere along the lines of something that Good Boys Find After the Cat Eats Grass…and treble clef and hole notes and those other ones. Some have learned piano or guitar from watching YouTube and many love to sing. Singing is cool because you always have your instrument with you and absolutely everyone CAN sing (although some have been told or will say that they “can’t”).

We ALL love music, in one form or another. We may appreciate an artist or a style or have a broader, more eclectic approach, but there is something for all of us. Isn’t that amazing? I posted a letter that Helen Keller wrote about “listening” to Beethoven. Incredible the depth of appreciation she had for the nuances of voicing and the complexity of the rhythms. Worth reading!

To participate in music, whether singing along with a recording, or responding with movement is so innate and universal. I call that God-given. It’s a part of us. Music is not a thing that “some people do,” or that “some have a talent for.” It is a part of our very soul. Many great books have been written that explore these depths and I’m not even trying to summarize those works. I’m heading somewhere else.

We communicate through spoken and written words and even body language. Why? Because we are not “made” to live alone. Whether we are “good” at speaking or “talented” as a writer, we ALL “speak” and “write” (even if it’s with our thumbs or pictures). If music is so universal, does it not make sense that we can benefit by more clearly understanding some of the layers and participating in the communication?

I’m going to dive right into our "little choir that could" as a prime example right now. We have a wide range of ages and “abilities” walk through the door and look at the coded dots and lines on a page that are accompanied (usually) by words. Each person is asked to follow along and have a part in producing a sound that together makes something we couldn’t do separately. We hope the group sound is pleasant and that the result is more than satisfying to the ear. Sometimes what we produce is less than perfect and might even be worth a good laugh (which happens a lot, actually). But we are working and learning together. It’s like having a guided conversation about a wide range of topics. At times we choose to share what we’ve done with others, and sometimes we just keep it to ourselves.

No one is required to understand all the code and we don’t have a lot of time to teach it during our group conversations (aka rehearsal). But the more you “speak” and “listen” the more you understand. You might even feel compelled to learn some things on your own so that you could deepen your understanding of what’s taking place.

We can help you with that. Maybe you don’t live near here, don’t have the time or already know your “ABCs.” That’s fine. Maybe you’d like to try out this choir thing but don’t want to do an extra class. That’s fine. Maybe you don’t want anything to do with anything that has to do with music, or singing, or even more specifically, Talents Unleashed. That’s fine, too. Really. Our Creator has provided so many options. Just be aware of them!

So - to make you more aware of our little world, I’ll let you in on a couple of secrets. 1) Although “Talent” implies a certain level of skill, each and every person can take what they’re given and do more with it.* You can increase your spoken and written vocabulary, and you can do so with music as well. 2) This writer/director doesn’t know everything. 3) The basics of music reading can be taught in a day - even in an hour, and the deepening of understanding will continue with a lifetime of “practice” (just like you practice speaking and reading every day).

This music teacher used to be known as a good sight reader - on piano. You could put a piece of music in front of me and I could get through it pretty well. The code went straight through from the paper into my fingers. However, when it came time to graduate UCF with a degree in music education, I FAILED the sight-singing test. Although I had sung in choirs and performing groups for years (often holding onto the harder 2nd soprano part) and could sing solfege intervals (DO-RE-MIs) in vocal warmups, I had not practiced seeing the code on the paper and producing the right sound on sight. It’s all about what I did with my time. Yes, it’s embarrassing to share this. It was like I could read silently, or have a conversation, but could not read out loud. How did I get through? I had to get some music and practice singing the notes I saw out loud.

Back to the little choir example: Young folks might think it’s for old people who can’t do the more rigorous work of singing with choreography like we often do at Talents Unleashed. And that might be true in some instances! Older people might think that participating in music is something that young people should do as part of some rite of passage, or as part of their general education. You know what I’m going to say now, don’t you? What if there’s a place where we can have a conversation with a broad range of ages about a broad range of topics and end up agreeing in harmony that we have something important to share? If in the process someone wants to increase their vocabulary in order to go more in depth, they might take our “music intensive” or find some ongoing music reading classes.

If not local (or even if you are), you could consider other alternatives, of course. But we’d be honored if you’d consider our modest offerings (oh, I’m sounding like an ad again). That’s OK. To advertise is just to let you know what’s available. You are the consumer and can take it or leave it. But appreciate the access, the process, the talent* that you have been given. Take whatever you have and do more with it - wherever you are, whatever the circumstance. Join us if you can, if you will, or find others and have that conversation.

*There is a story that Jesus told that you can find in chapter 25 of the book of Matthew. Maybe I’ll ramble about that on another day. It’s a good read - and the principle applies. Maybe practice reading it out loud and thinking about applying it to music.

Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere!

Sometimes I see it, and sometimes I don’t. I once heard a pastor’s wife asking for help with clean-up. She said “help me see it…” I get that. I’ve never forgotten it. We can get to the point where we just don’t “see.” We put something by the door to take out to the car, to give to a friend...and it sits there for months! Is it just me? We put something IN the car and then never take it out. We get used to moving things from one seat to another, or we make a pile or put it in a box to “go through later.” If it’s not “we,” then me! MY confession. You can tell by the number of manuals for messies I have on my shelf - FIVE. I can’t “see” them either. When I looked up to count, I discovered two books that I could have loaned out recently if I’d remembered they were sitting right in front of me!

Just a couple of days ago we finally got the last (I THINK) of the Christmas decorations put away at the studio. It occurred to me this morning what a disservice I am offering to the students and parents. They either have to “grin and bear it” or they have also grown accustomed to it.

Honestly, I can’t think of a theater, music or dance studio that had everything neat all the time. I defend it as the nature of the work we do that has us continuously moving and adapting, pulling out and putting away. I get it. And I can live with it.

But this morning, I am thinking we could do BETTER. It’s about stewardship. Are we taking care of what’s been given to us? When I wax on about finding a place that would allow for outside and inside and room for “everything,” am I just asking for more clutter? I need to do better. I need to see, and then act. One small thing at a time. I should never go downstairs without trash in my hand. I should never come upstairs if there is something in the stairwell that should be put away. I should never pass through the lobby without wiping something off (like the chalkboard), or refilling something.

Now, I’m not applying a spiritual lesson just to justify this little musing. But, as it usually goes with me, my mind keeps moving forward and then realizes that it can be like this in our life. We clutter it up with things that need to be put away, tossed away, reconsidered, dealt with, etc. We can get so used to NOT looking that we miss something (or someONE) right in front of us that we don’t “see” any more.

Lord, help me see all of it, and teach me, one thing at a time, to manage it.

Opening Up

I think one of the more interesting things about having your own business is that process of opening up in the mornings. I’m sure everyone has a procedure - I know I do. There are days it’s very automatic and I pass through the routine already preoccupied with what’s coming next in the busy-ness of a life pretty much ruled by a google calendar. But one day recently, the Lord reminded me to open my eyes and look at what I was doing and what was around me.

I unlocked the door to a studio that I used to talk about incessantly with no concrete plan or hope of ever having a place. I pass by the beautiful studio sign that we had made with a little money my dad left to us. I turn on the Keurig that was donated and think of our desire to have a “coffee shop” alongside the studio, a “gathering place” to relax, talk, study, share and learn. The twinkle lights were put up for our first “interactive/immersive” Aureus performance and have now become a regular feature. O'Shaughnessy's lines about “We are the music makers” is always near the front door. I turn on the A/C control that is hidden behind the word “Inspire.” When I walk by the stage that was built by my loving husband I can recall its history and be thankful for the annual upgrades and the abundance of donated costumes stored underneath.

As I go to the stairs I pass signs - signs made by students and parents to give people reminders, directions and inspiration. The stairwell has pictures of children who are now teens, and teens who are now adults with kids of their own. The next A/C control says “Cling to what is good.” On the wall is an unfinished phrase in gold lettering about the fact that we are all precious as GOLD and an unfinished work. I’ve complained for years that the lettering is unfinished - but maybe that’s exactly as it should be so we are reminded that we are still “loading…” (this year’s Vessels of GOLD theme) and will never be finished this side of eternity.

The diffusers with beautiful scents from oils sent by another alum bring a smile as I consider how many will get a long workout that day, and wake up computers that were also gifted to us. Three real pianos - what a luxury - and now a keyboard that works.

I sit at a desk that sat at the homes of two good friends before it went to my home, and eventually to my office. A roll-top desk - always thought those were so cool and would hide the clutter that I can’t seem to avoid for very long. (Note: rolling down the top to cover the mess only works for neat people. Messy people have such a mess that they can’t roll the top down anyway.) I see one of the paintings my mom did in her retirement years, and see with fresh eyes a sign about my life sometimes being a full-blown circus that I saved from a calendar given to me by one of our precious moms years ago.

As I sit at this desk, I see a painting by one of the cast that always reminds me of how glorious it will be to be lifted from this world into my Father’s arms, and I see a drawing by another former student of a baby elephant clinging to her mom and trusting her direction. I see flowers and sayings and quotes - and calendars. There is a book about Sondheim (whose work we love) and a live blue fish named Gershwin. The funny ceramic worm from Cedar Key with a crazy starfish on his back became a gift from me to Emily - I don’t know if we ever decided who was who, but maybe it just depends on the day. There are lists of every student in every group prominent for constant reference and reminder of the precious lives we are privileged to touch each week, and cubby boxes naming every teacher we are blessed to have.

I could go on for pages. So many things that remind us of the daily grace and gifts that are so thoughtfully given to us by our loving Father. At the end of the day, I am often exhausted and just anxious to get home to dinner, family and rest. At the close of the day, the lights go off and the eyes droop, but I remain thankful to have this privilege - for whatever time given to me - of overseeing this special Gathering Place.