leading music: what not to do

i really love my calling.  go ahead and think i'm weird.  i know i do.  i one hundred million billion percent was sure i would hate it.  i thought i would have major anxiety every sunday for the rest of my life because i had to stand in front of the congregation and lead music.  well, i was anxious the first sunday, but also excited.  and ever since, it's just been a little nervous but in an excited sort of way.

every saturday morning, i meet with my friend jodi, the organist, and we go over the songs i've picked for sunday.  it calms my nerves and if there's anything weird about the song, strange time count, formatas, whatever, she can teach me the correct way to do it and then we can go over it until i know it and feel comfortable with it.  and then every sunday morning i practice all the songs a time or two on my own, normally while baby eats breakfast.  today all the songs i picked were really easy so i totally wasn't worried about a thing.

first, our ward believes in intermediate hymns.  every sunday there is either a musical number or intermediate hymn.  no one told me that we're supposed to stand for the intermediate hymns, so i just treat it like a normal one, with everyone sitting.  well today, jodi was about three measures into the intro when the bishop stood up, then his counselors, and then random members of the congregation.  it was confusing for everyone.  watching it from the stand it was the most awkward thing you've ever seen.  like a strange sort of flash mob with no moves other than standing up.  i actually started laughing and turned to jodi (still playing the intro) and whispered "oops!  was i supposed to have them stand?!?!"  you could tell she was trying not to laugh as she smiled and said "yeah, but it's okay, just lead the music"  so by the time we were two lines into the song, most of the congregation was standing and singing.  whatever.  i love my ward and feel totally comfortable in it.  so this embarrassing situation was not really embarrassing for me, just really funny.

christopher gave an excellent talk today.  it was on service.  he was the last speaker, the one directly after the intermediate hymn.  so while he walked up to the stand, i walked down to our seat, and we passed baby off in the process.  when he ended his talk, i handed baby to the family sitting directly behind us.  i probably should have arranged this with them in advance but they were fine with it anyways.  i walked up for the closing hymn, not really paying attention to anything.  the bishopric member conducting the meeting finished what he was saying and i got up for the closing hymn.  it was going great.  everything was perfect.  i was making sure to look around the congregation and not look at my hymn book too much.  then as we're finishing up the third verse i made a mental note that we only had one verse left.  at that very moment, i saw out of the corner of my eye, my bishop and one of his counselors close their hymn books.  i panicked.  "what?!  did they say we would only be singing three verses?!  i thought chris ended his talk on time."  i looked to the congregation and thought maybe i saw a person or two close their book too.  soo i thought "okay, i guess that's it.  i guess we're not singing the last verse."  so i cut everyone off for the third verse and then never lead in for the fourth.  sat i sat down jodi leaned over and said "did we forget the last verse?!"  ummm whoops.

so i talked to the bishop afterwards.  i repented.  just kidding, i apologized.  "bishop!  i'm so sorry!  i had no idea we were supposed to stand for the intermediate hymns!  i'll start having everyone stand from now on!"  "no problem, no problem, you're doing great."  "and bishop!  i'm so sorry to have cut off the closing song a verse early.  i saw you close your hymn book and followed your cue!"  (i realize now how ridiculous this sounds but it was the truth!)  he started laughing and explained that sometimes he and one of his counselors will sneak out one verse early so they can be in the foyers to greet people as they leave the chapel.  "OHHHHH!  good to know!"

whoops.

as i said, i probably should be embarrassed except that everytime i think about this i start laughing out loud.  if i've said it once, i've said it a million times, they called ME to be the ward music chair and chorister?!?!  what a joke.  on a more serious note though, i know these men are inspired, and for that reason, if i'm called to a calling, i'm going to say yes, regardless of how incompetent i am.  maybe i would be more self conscious had i applied for this or seeked it out (seeked?  is that a word?).  but i didn't.  i was called and i accepted and already i've spent many dedicated hours to magnify this calling as best i can.  (because goodness knows i did not magnify my last).  anyways, here are two very important lessons i learned today:

1. as the chorister, you lead the music and you lead the congregation.  everyone follows your lead.  if you screw up, everyone will follow you in that screw up.  the organist, the congregation, even the bishopric.  no one in the chapel is exempt from following your screw up.

2. always follow your church leaders.  unless you are the chorister and the subject in question is singing the fourth verse.  then it is expedient NOT to follow your church leaders.  in that particular situation, proceed as if you are almighty.  because you are.