Orchestra

Since the later part of January, I have been in the SBC orchestra. I wanted to give my voice a rest even though there's nothing wrong with it.

YES I went to the laryngologist and he says I strained my voice and I should take voice lessons to retrain the intrinsic patterns of singing. (Duh) I mean I could have diagnosed myself but I just wanted to be sure. 

This being said, I would like to keep singing to just Sundays and for only 5 minutes. This would be impossible if I were still in choir.

Even though I miss choir -- and mostly my field study of choice, the Choir Rehearsal -- I am really enjoying orchestra more than I thought I would. 

I've played keyboards in the band before with Sandee but in orchestra, we are on for 3 out of 4 Sundays. And since orchestra and choir are only there for two out of three services, that makes me part of the band. I'll need to learn 4 songs for corporate worship, learn the string reduction or harp part for the offertory, and the songs for communion later, or elder's fund offering, or baptisms. Some days we are up to learning 7 songs for Sunday. 

I am learning LOADS about chord structures, sequences, patches, part-playing, and voicing when playing the synthesizer or string reductions. I've become more familiar with the synthesizer I'm using -- even though it has tons of buttons.  

Until now, it has been Sandee playing the three keyboards (I think for the past 15 years) and now it's Sandee and Eve. I feel a bit bad for jumping in, and sometimes I feel like I'm not needed. But I'm learning a lot, and Sandee is going above-and-beyond to make sure I know what I'm doing.

Sandee took this picture during rehearsal and posted it on her Facebook (oh for cute). And that is Cristine in the back, she is part of the rotation sometimes too.

Our worship pastor and two of volunteer organists going on a tour of the new chapel site. Sandee is the one in sunglasses. 

Sandee and me playing on Sunday (morning rehearsal). I should I have raised my music stand a bit now that I think of it, I look like the hunchback of notre dame. 

Sandee says she will teach me a little bit of the organ when the chapel is built. 

I am so excited for that. Partially because I love the organ and partially because the organ we are getting is a hybrid -- with registrations sampled from organs from around the world. I have heard samples of these online and closing your eyes you cannot tell the difference. I am so psyched to hear sounds of majesty from the organ. 

So it's been really great getting to know Sandee and now serving with her on Sunday's. she's just one of many people at the worship ministry I have become friends with. I realize that my "colleagues" in my life right now are not my same age range or in the same major map or sorority as me. No, I'm in the school of life; my colleagues are directors, arrangers, singers, violinists, handbell ringers, percussionists, etc. and they're also parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, husbands, and wives. These people are my friends right now. I can't tell you the last time I hung out with someone my age anyway.