Sunday: Let's Get This Party Started

In the spirit of full disclosure, this blog post actually starts on Saturday. We call it our Local Music Mission day. We begin with rehearsal in the morning, then lunch, and then we sing three concerts at local places in the afternoon. The last rehearsal is a dress rehearsal, for which I take the choir to another part of the building and treat the run-through like a concert. It has a way of revealing what...needs some work. So here we are in the Grand Hall.

From time to time you'll see this guy on the blog. Sir Trots-a-Lot has been with us ever since my first tour at Oak Grove! If we're lucky, he'll comment on the blog and give us some of his wisdom. I asked him if he thought he would be able to sing with us this year, and all he said was, "I'm sorry, John, but I can't. I'm a little horse." Hal Jones, that one's for you!

We loaded up the church buses and a couple of rental vans, and we headed to our first concert at The Holbrook. I have sent groups to the Holbrook on our Christmas Music Missions in December, but this is the first time I've brought the youth choir there. It was a great venue! Very responsive audience that just kept growing the longer we were there.

As is our custom, we visited with the audience after we sang.

For our second concert, we headed to the Mansions of Decatur. Shout out to Ruth, who is for sure my hero because she always makes arrangements for us to be there and makes sure chairs are set up as needed. I've known Ruth a long time, and she's absolutely salt of the earth.

Each time we arrive at a venue, I go in with 2-4 people in a sort of advance team. We scout the venue to figure out what equipment we'll need and where the choir is to be positioned, and then I send one singer to get the choir and another to get whatever equipment is needed. This year is a special year for me because my children fill these roles: Lucy manages the equipment with a crew she organized on her own, and Wesley bring the choir in and lines them up.

This job isn't as easy as it looks! As a large choir, it can be a challenge to get us into some of the spaces, get the sections mostly together, make sure we can see everyone, etc. But he's doing a good job.

We had a little extra time between the Mansions and Clairmont Place. Robyn put the time to good use, taking this amazing photo.

Last year we were in a small community room, and it was quite tight. This year they moved us to the dining room, and it was much more comfortable!

Good to see some friends and family in the crowd. That's one of my favorite parts of the local music mission!

Returned to the hotel, and the Local Music Mission was complete. It was just over 12 hours before the trip began in earnest.

We started in the 8:30 worship service. Barely. We were there at 8:30, listened to the announcements, had a prayer, and then sang our way out of the service and onto the bus. The kids were not super excited about singing "This Little Light of Mine." It kinda sounded like "this little light of mine, it's running on fumes, and I'm going to try to keep it from going out." I mean, it was early in the morning I guess.

We stopped to see a beaver about some beef jerky. Most of the choir loves stopping at Bucee's. Not my jam.

But my spirits were lifted when I bumped into our newest and youngest singer! Oh my gosh he's sooooo cute! Choir Director Fail: I didn't get him a tour uniform onesie. Choir Director Win: I did pick him up a Bucee's onesie.

Allow Gwyn to introduce Mary Lynne and Lauren. These two seniors couldn't come on the trip, so I made it so they could!

And you know what, they're always smiling in the concerts!

Our first concert was at a Veteran's home outside of Knoxville. Loyal readers may recognize this as the same place we sang first last year. Outside can be a little difficult because of temperature, bugs, and the proximity of the home to the approach for some airport, but all in all, it went great.

Bonus! Allow Gwyn to introduce her cousin, Annie. Annie came to see us! She sang in the choir when I started at Oak Grove. She even made this delightful sign for us.

Lucy talks with her hands.

Then back on the bus. We stopped for dinner in Lexington. As it turns out, this was also the same place as last year. In fact, the guys in my room wanted to go to the same Chuy's I ate at last year. A couple of times during the week, we'll have chaperone dinner. We eat with our rooms to get to know each other. This is my room. They're great. Best room ever.

I took pictures of all the rooms, but I'm not going to put them all on here. Just a couple to show you some of our amazing singers and chaperones!

Back on the bus, where I showed Moana...

...and there was an impromptu singalong! I do love the music in Moana.

Hotel was great. They were ready for us! Had water for us and a welcome sign. And most importantly, they had our keys ready so I could send the kids on in! Solid experience here.

I once again forgot to get pictures of our devotional time. Bruh. But we talked about being thankful (it's the first steps of getting ready to write thankyou notes). We also talked about our day. I encouraged them to be present and aware this week. It can be a rich experience.

After that, final room checks and tape on the doors. The chaperones check them into their rooms, and then I come by as well to chat for a minute, make sure they don't have any questions, and put tape on the door.

Once the tape is on the 12th door, I'm finished. They're in their rooms, and they won't be out until I untape the doors in the morning (because if this tape is broken in the morning, I'm sending them home!). Then it's back to my room to start working on the blog. But maybe try not to stay up too late...I can finish the blog over a waffle in the morning!

Tomorrow we get to finish Moana, including a "You're Welcome" singalong as we make our way to Chicago.

And...they're off!

Trying something new today...a post from the road!

We were commissioned this morning at 830 and made it....not very far before we stopped. At Bucees. Bruh.

But look! It's my youngest choir tour participant ever! This is also his first trip to Bucees. 

Catch ya later!

The 2026 Youth Music Mission is about to begin.

It's Wednesday, and the clock is ticking. In just three days, the youth choir will sing three local concerts here in Decatur. And then, on the fourth day, we board a bus and head on our annual Youth Music Mission. This year's trip will take us to Chicago by way of Louisville, KY on the way up and Indianapolis, IN on the way back.

We have double checked all the concert venues and the hotels. We have sent the final rooming lists and itinerary to the bus company (note to self: remember to give the driver the new address for that one concert!). The choir has been working on the music since January when we went on our retreat.

There's something about these last few days before we leave. So many preparations to make. It's a busy time. And yet it's also somehow the calm before the storm. Because right now I'm working my way down this checklist by myself. But in three days, there will be about fifty youth and fourteen adults here as well. It would be a burden if I didn't love it. While I'm not sure I'd call this burden "easy," I do find it, shall we say, exhaustingly energizing. Like a sugar high on steroids.

This will be my twentieth Youth Music Mission trip (not counting the Virtual Music Mission during Covid). My very first trip was in June of 2005. I was the Director of Music at Embry Hills UMC, and Janet Johnson, then the Director of Music at Oak Grove UMC, called to ask if I'd like to travel with her group. Honestly Janet did most of the work for that trip. But I learned quickly! On that trip, we traveled to Chicago. I didn't actually plan it this way on purpose, but it feels important that we are going back to Chicago twenty trips later, and now I am the Director of Traditional Music at Oak Grove UMC.

I don't know what that means, if anything at all. But I do know this. I'm as excited and nervous for this trip as I was for the very first one, and as I have been for each trip in between. And I can't wait to share our journey with you.

For now, I'll paste below the "About The Music Mission" part of our program. Look for the next post Saturday if I'm really on top of things or Sunday if I'm not!

Explaining the Picture. Oh, and our last day on tour or whatever.

First things first: a little unfinished business from yesterday. I told a story about a dog and then I put in a picture of the small world ride, and it seems like many of you are aghast. Don't despair. I will explain.

It was a joke. I had just been talking about how Aaron looked at the name on the dog collar and discovered it was a friend from way back who lived on lookout mountain and what not. I thought to myself, "It's a small world." And since I'm Disney brainwashed, I immediately went to the song and then to the ride. Then I looked for a picture from the Small World ride. This didn't wind up being a good choice. The editors apologize for the oversight.

Ok. Sunday. Our last day.

Breakfast was at 8 again this morning. This picture was at like 7:40. Nobody outside. My guys, who we woke up at 7:20, were still trying to figure out who's socks those were and how to cram a sleeping bag into a stuff sack (spoiler: some of them actually didn't figure it out and just stuffed the bag into their suitcase).

Anyway, it was a beautiful morning, and quiet. Two days in a row. That's a record.

We were getting ready to go to church. Colin got these at the aquarium yesterday. I told him it isn't that kind of church.

I can't remember what Oscar was doing here, but I think he was telling me he was hungry. It was, by now, breakfast time.

We went to First Centenary UMC, as we have for the past few years. They're great. Funny, one of our Oak Grove folks sent me a text this morning at about 8:45 with a picture of the bulletin and said, "Hey why is your name in my bulletin this morning?" I told him what we were up to, and he hung out to see us sing at 10:45. Here we are warming up.

First Centenary is a beautiful church. I've put a lot of photos of the stained glass on the blog in the past. This time I stepped out during the children's moment and took some photos from the back.

Then when I got back I took a picture of our view of the sermon.

After the service, the music ministry provided lunch for us. It was delicious. We have eaten with their children's choir before, but we didn't today because it was the first Sunday of their spring break. Hopefully we'll see them again next year!

Then it was back on the bus to head home.

Now, there is a certain beaver-themed filling station that is on the road between Chattanooga and Atlanta. And certain Music Makers, for one reason or another, really wanted to stop. Against my better judgment, we pulled in.

Bruh.

It's the Easter Beaver!

Can I say this? We have the best chaperones at Oak Grove. Literally could not do this without them. A great team of folks!

Then joined by the kids. What a weekend! This is really the end. After this picture it's on the road and back to the church.

Almost. A bunch of our girls put together their funds and...

...bought our bus driver a keychain! You guys, we have the best kids. This sums it up. We've spent all weekend lifting spirits, and the last thing they did when they got on the bust was do it one more time. Tameica was a wonderful driver for us! A good drive makes all the difference. She was always there when we needed her and where we needed her. Grateful for her good work getting us all where we needed to be safely.

Including the church. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm finishing this up as we are driving into Atlanta. But I can tell you it's been a remarkable trip with remarkable people: the choir, the chaperones, the audiences, the congregation...everything. Just delightful. Everyone invited us back. I almost don't want to wait a full year (but I will!).

Check back in late May when the youth choir heads to Chicago. Until then, this has been...

~Mr. John