Children's Music Mission Blog: Saturday. It was a fuuuullllllll day.

I had forgotten how full these days are.

Some of you who have followed one of my blogs before will recognize this:

That, friends, is a hotel waffle maker that lacks just two minutes and two seconds of rendering an epic hotel waffle. Look, it's like the movie Roadhouse. I can't really explain why I like it. I just do. And pretty much the only time I ever eat hotel waffles is on the music mission.

It wasn't a particularly early morning today. We didn't have to leave until about 9am, so there was plenty of time (but...tomorrow will be quite another story). There was so much time, in fact, that it seems Wayne (our bus driver) had enough time to train a replacement.

You know he's qualified to drive because he's wearing a blazer.

Our first stop this morning was at First Centenary UMC, where we will be singing in the morning. We met with the music director there and did a little rehearsal/getting used to the space. "Ms. Jan," as she told us to call her, is amazing. She helped me a whole lot with the trip, including inviting us to sing with her choir in the morning. [Programming note: you can actually stream the second service either live or later: https://firstcentenary.com/the-sanctuary-livestream] We are singing throughout the service. The sanctuary really is beautiful.

We'll have some more pictures tomorrow when we sing. 

Next we headed to our first concert of the day: Morning Pointe. I have to say we sounded particularly good there. The room was pretty open with a nice hard floor. I really feel like they got our best, which you'll recall from yesterday's singing in the portico outside with no piano represent something of a change. Not true. They got our best at the Benton House too...it's just our best at Morning Pointe was better due to factors beyond our control.

If you look to the right of the choir in that picture, you'll see a lectern, a chair, and a table. I saw something curious on the table, and I want to share it with you:

Shhhhhh. Can you hear it? That's the sound of Berlin singing "Take My Breath Away." Or maybe it's Kenny Loggins singing "Danger Zone." You can actually leave this in the comments below: what do you hear when you see this? For bonus points, you can tell me why the fine folks at Morning Pointe are watching Top Gun. I don't know. Maybe they feel the need, the need for speed?

After pondering the Top Gun mystery for a few minutes, we left Morning Pointe and headed to lunch. As is typical on tours, we stopped at a place with multiple choices, and parents took their kids wherever they wanted to go.

I didn't go to Firehouse, but they did, and it looks delicious.

Then it was off to our second concert of the day. Now listen. I told you yesterday how they said we were going to sing outside with no piano. When we got to the Bridge, they met me at the door and said, "We've set you up out here." We walked around the side of the building, where there was a small handheld microphone and a little speaker. And a keyboard. On a table. I can tell from the way you're reading this you don't believe me.

Having left our nice keyboard with the theater folks for the weekend, we had no choice. We used it in all its foreshortened glory. And I have to say that among Leanne's many gifts lies this lesser-known talent. She can make any keyboard, no matter how small, sound like a million dollars.

You're probably tired of hearing it by now, but I was so proud of the kids here. They really overcame. Here we are, outside and about 100 yards from the freeway singing with a keyboard that isn't at all loud and doesn't really sound like a piano, and they just absolutely crushed it. At one point, a resident walked by and said, "It needs to be louder." To which I said, "We are trying, ma'am. It's just they can only sing so loud." And they promptly made a liar out of me, singing even louder without shouting. They were focused and really did a fantastic job.

From the second concert, we went to the hotel to change and then headed to the aquarium for some fun. We met up with Ms. Debbie, who is a friend of Ms. Jan's (remember I told you how much she helped us???). Ms. Debbie is a volunteer docent at the aquarium. She did NOT give us a tour. She did accompany us through the entire aquarium and answer any questions we had as well as telling us some interesting information along the way. Here are some pics the chaperones got while I was picking up our tickets.

A few other notes from the aquarium:

Apparently they heard about our concert closer, and they set up a little plaque here to commemorate it? That's definitely what this is.

<Dad mode>

The otters were not out when we went by. They're so cute...this was otterly disappointing.

Just a bit later, several of the kids posed for this eggcelent picture:

</dad mode> 

(and 100 points for those of you who recognized what < > and </ > meant there)

We had a little break between the aquarium and dinner, so we hung out around the aquarium plaza. I heard a familiar song wafting through the air, and I had to check it out.

When I turned around, I realized they had placed a cup in front of themselves, and one person had assumed the role of "Mr. John."

Mrs. Tweedy, they's organized! They took in about $2.50 in tips. I applied it to the dinner bill, which was just a block away from the aquarium.

Yes, that's me at the end of the table attempting to keep my sanity. Just kidding. These kids are great. A little loud, maybe, but great. A few of them asked me why I was sitting at the kids table. I said, "It's because I'm here for you!" Out of frame: parents at the next table questioning my sanity.

I handed out some awards tonight. One of our singers didn't miss a single rehearsal or event this year. Two of them missed only one, and nobody missed more than four, so we celebrated those appropriately. I have 2 fifth graders on the trip, and I gave them a hymnal with their names on it. I have hymnals for all my fifth graders, it's just not all of them could be with us this weekend. I'm optimistic those guys will join the youth choir in the fall...and then you'll see them on next year's youth music mission blog! 

After dinner we walked across the street to Ben and Jerry's. Because it was there. And because what a bunch of over-excited kids who have been having a blast all day long really need at the end of a long day to wind down and get settled for the night is an ice cream cone.

And then we returned to the hotel, where I once again made it to my room by 9:30pm and [checks clock] will be finished with the blog by around 10:30pm. Good thing, because we have an early morning tomorrow: we have to leave at 7:30 to be at church by 8:00 to warm up for the first service. It might rain tomorrow, which would have an effect on our plans, but I know whatever happens it won't phase these great kids.

One more thing.

After we sing for an audience, we typically head out to greet them. For the youth, I ask them to engage in conversation. For the kids, I suggested they simply say, "Hi! I'm Mr. John. Thank you for coming out to hear us sing today." Of course they immediately asked if they should really tell these nice people that their name is Mr. John. Anyway, I told them they were not required to do that if they weren't comfortable, but a lot of them did, and you can see on the faces of the audiences we sing for how much it means to them. Not just the concert, but the moment someone cares enough to stop and say hello. I've missed that.

So...to bed. I'll post one more update tomorrow night. Your Music Makers are remarkable kids, Oak Grove.

Children's Music Mission: Friday Night

The time is now. It is my first music mission at Oak Grove UMC. I'm a little out of practice. My last actual music mission was well more than two years ago. Even my virtual trip is now just shy of two years past.

This trip is also different because it is my very first time leading a Children's Music Mission. I've been on one or two before, but leading one is...different.

I've been blogging about music missions for a long time, though since I'm at a church I'm aware you may not have seen those. Here's the thing. I've always wanted to be able to let the church (and beyond) know the great work that our choirs do when they go beyond the walls of the church. So I started taking a few pictures and writing a little to go with them. So you'll know what we've been up to. I usually blog once each day, so this time around you can expect another post tomorrow, and then a final post on Sunday.

We started today at the Benton House in Decatur. I've sung there before with other choirs. I had been wondering if my moving to a new church would somehow change the dynamics of tour. It took exactly 45 seconds for me to see that it did not. That's how long it took for the activities person at the Benton House to walk out to greet me and say, "So...they tried to call you, but..."

Turns out the Benton House has been closed to extra visitors, and they have not been eating in the dining room for a minute. It is reopening...tomorrow. This is bad news because we were planning on using the piano there. And, well, singing inside.

I gathered the kids together and said, "Well, guys, welcome to music mission. It's time to be flexible. We're going to stand under this portico here and sing to the residents who can come out on the porch. Also, we'll be singing without a keyboard of any kind."

It turns out we can sing most of our songs without a piano (though it's of course better with!). And we weren't able to visit with the residents either. But, well...

...it was great. When I turned to the audience gathered on the porch, I could tell they were deeply appreciative that we had come. They clapped and cheered us with gusto. I've often felt like it's the concerts where things seem to go the most wrong that they often go the most right. The kids sang like champs, and right out of the gate, we began to serve in mission through music.

What a great beginning.

After we sang, we headed back to the church to enjoy some dinner. Chick Fil A, if you're curious. Look, I don't feel like I need to advertise for these guys, but I do want to say they were on point. We ordered for 30 folks, and it was perfect. Also, shout out to Nick for picking it up for us.

Then we got on the bus.

It's a 56 passenger bus. Which means we have plenty of room for these kids and their parents (nearly all of whom are traveling with us). It's funny because I'm used to a bus full of youth. Most of these kids disappear. But you know they're there, because you can hear them. They are so excited they chanted "Chattanooga" and "Chattanooga Hotel." And "Bucky's." To their chagrin we did not stop there. Perhaps we'll have time on the return trip... Shoot, when I got on the bus, the driver said, "Are you planning to stop, because the Atlanta kids are never happy unless you stop at Bucky's." Apparently he's not wrong.

We watched a movie while we drove. I chatted with the kids some, and the parents. Arrived at the hotel around 9, let everyone know the plan, and then headed to rooms.

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, actually. Typically I would have had a devotional time and then gone to check on all the rooms, but since they are all rooming with their parents, I don't have to do that. I'm actually, uh, not responsible for them right now. Weird.

So I guess that means today is over. I'm going to post this and get to bed...and it isn't even 1am. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow morning because waffle time!!! Don't worry...I'll post about that tomorrow.

Easter Hangover

It was the day after Easter. The office was closed, but I came in anyway. My kids were in school, and my wife was at work, so unless I wanted to binge watch Modern Family without them, I may as well come in. And as it turns out it's a great day to get things done because there aren't a lot of people around.

A few of my colleagues had the same idea, which did apply marginal downward pressure on the amount of work I was able to do, but it was still productive.

I took down the stage in the sanctuary, and I rearranged the furniture in the parlor/choir room again. It still doesn't look like much, but I've added a few chairs since we were beginning to run out at times, and I changed how the bell tables work so it will be more like it is when we ring in church. I felt good about this.

Still, I had something of a personal rain cloud circling my head on Monday morning. It's the Easter Hangover.

You might think this is fatigue because of how hard I've been working. It's true there is a lot of extra stuff happening around Easter for a church musician, but the day itself is one of the few Sundays where I finish my work shortly after noon. Most Sundays I'll be here until 8p or so rehearsing with choirs. Not on Easter. And let's be honest...all I do is wave my arm around while people sing. It's not an extreme sport.

No, I always get a little sad at Easter because so many people come. Maybe that sounds ridiculous because most people want to see a huge crowd. The crowd is nice, but it always gets me to thinking: where were they last week, and where will they be next week. Usually the answer is "not here." Which leads me to wonder what we are doing wrong. So many people clearly still feel something of a pull to church, even if it's fairly faint. But it's ignorable on all but the highest holy days.

There's something here. Something important. Something you can't get anywhere else. I promise!

A lot of professional church people are freaking all the way out because of the precipitous decline in church attendance. Many of these are the same ones who look out at that Easter crowd and think, "Ah, finally." But that's the up side of my particular melancholy: I'm not worried about it, which sounds crazy given my dependence on a crowd of folks to feed my family. But I'm not. Ultimately (like, when I give myself a couple of days after Easter), I remember that what we are about here is less the crowd and more 2 or 3 gathered together. Relationships at this church are blossoming like the flowers we put on the outside cross...and they are just as beautiful to see.