[Teachldsseminary] OT -- Inspiration

[Debra Woods Hamilton]

One thing no one has said is that people have opinions about songs for a lot
of different reasons. I have been the chorister where the music chairman
felt we should sing every song in the hymnal every year, while the bishopric
felt it really didn't serve anyone to sing songs no one knew.  I didn't like
directing a song when no one was singing because they didn't know it, but it
was not my decision.  Just last week the music director had a hymn number
listed that didn't match the song title, and when the chorister asked the
organist about it, she said she didn't know that song anyway so she didn't
want to play it, so a different song was put in at the last minute which
threw off all the other music planned for that theme for the month.  EEK!
But we'll work it all out.  The bishop made a mistake on the schedule for
the month saying that Fast Sunday was the 14th rather than the 7th.  That
had to be corrected at the last minute, which changed the whole monthly
schedule of songs.  Stuff happens.  In RS I would plan a practice song
because I was supposed to, and so so often, they would simply just skip it,
without even thinking (what they were thinking was about how little time the
teacher had for her lesson) - usually I just let it roll, but one time, I'd
invited people to do a special number, and so I had to interupt the
counselor conducting as she was turning over the time to the teacher and
say, we have a practice song.  All I'm saying is the issue is often
logistical rather than inspirational, or a matter of different personnel
comfort level with playing, directing, singing etc.  A chorister may have to
work very hard on preparing to direct a song, and if at the last minute it
is changed, it isn't so much that it wasn't a good song to sing, but makes a
chorister insecure to direct something she hasn't practiced.  I've known
pianists/organists who wouldn't play songs in certain keys because they
didn't feel confident in that key.  And all this can impact "feelings" and
responses that we may not understand.  Some people are too embarrassed to
admit that they choose songs based on their difficulty - sometimes I would
wither when I'd get up to lead a song and look at the time signature,
knowing I'd flub up - and that some really skilled musicians in the room
would notice and say something to me - I hated that - but oh well.  Once I
was really uncomfortable with a song - it was the time signature, not
anything else - but I got so confused I simply stopped directing and let
them sing it without me.  Everyone thought there was some horrible emotional
trauma I was going through, when it was just that time signature!!!  And it
was a song I had picked for the theme!  Sometimes you have music personnel
who struggle to work together, and when things are changed, it only makes it
worse.  Stuff stuff stuff - you just never know. Everything else aside, we
are all human and at a different place in our spiritual journey. 
Debra Woods Hamilton


-----Original Message-----
From: jarvismail at comcast.net [mailto:jarvismail at comcast.net] 
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 10:28 AM
To: Free Email list for LDS Seminary Teachers
Subject: [Teachldsseminary] OT -- Inspiration


Wise and wonderful teachers,

My sweetheart asked me to throw this question out to you, to see if he could
gain some insight.  He is a member of a newly called Bishopric (about 8
weeks old).  He is the counselor over music.  He was meeting yesterday with
the Ward Music Director.  In the years that this sister has held this
position, she has never had a leader change the music on her.  As of this
last week, this has happened a number of times that the Bishop/Bishopric
Member has asked that another hymn be sung during Sacrament Meeting.  This
is shaking this sisters faith (she is a convert, and Taiwanese, so there is
a language barrier here also) -- her comment to my sweetheart was, "If I am
receiving these hymns by inspiration, why isn't the Bishop getting the same
inspiration?"  My sweetheart gave her the usual "line leaders" response, but
it didn't seem to satisfy this sister, and has caused my sweetheart to
wonder what kind of counsel he should have given her.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  

--
Sister Jarvis 
Marysville Washington EMS 
20 Juniors (and 3 investigators)
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