"I've Got the World on a String..."

Here are some random observations of mine from the last few days...

I (kinda) miss taking voice lessons. Last night at NewSong rehearsal our former choir director brought in her private voice students to perform for us. Her recital is next Thursday and she wanted to give a few of her students an opportunity to perform one of their songs in front of people they didn't know as practice for their real recital. It's a great idea. I was sitting in the front row watching, listening and remembering back to the days when that was me singing in Italian at what felt like the top of my register in front of people that I didn't know. Part of me was sad because I know that I have lost much of my technical skill that I worked years to achieve. As more time passes it feels like I am looking at that portion of my life through a haze. Mozart feels like a long time ago and part of me is saddened by it. There is, of course, another part that is glad I am not singing in Italian at the top of my register in front of people I don't know. I feel both those emotions at the same time, and more than likely always will.

With the assistance of my brilliant wedding planner, Tina, I have picked 2 REALLY nice songs for the ceremony. I shall not reveal the name of the songs until the wedding day itself... so if you want to know what songs I picked I guess you'll just have to come and see me get married :) Rest assured though... it ain't no Shania Twain.

Mark and I started our premarital counseling yesterday. I can tell that it is going to be hard for me (in a good, learning and stretching sort of way). The couple counseling us is asking the sort of questions I don't like answering: questions that I can't study for and that often involve how I feel. I like questions with concrete answers that I can study for. Plus, I will give you my best answers when I can think about the questions for a long time. Thoughts need time to percolate in my brain. It's just the way I am. So when I get asked a question that needs percolating and I have to answer immediately I feel like everything that comes out of my mouth is unintelligent gibberish. It's not a great feeling, really. We have a book/workbook (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) that we are working from... so I hope that I will feel better prepared to answer their questions having spent all week reading and thinking about the exercises in the book. Or maybe I just need to get over my question anxiety. That's a possibility too...

It's been a weird week. LOTS has happened that I couldn't even begin to have space to blog about here. I'm sure I'll write about it in the weeks and months to come. Just not tonight.

And all that jazz

As previously mentioned, I am getting married. May 11th, 2007. For those of you who are counting, that's 124 days from now.

I have been thinking extensively about the music for the ceremony. Songs for the processional and recessional. Special songs to be sung during the ceremony. Pre and Post service melodies. It's a lot of music, really. Many of you who read this blog probably know that I am a Music Director for a very cool church. Music is my business you could say. It's what I do all week long. And it is why I'm feeling a lot of pressure for the music to not suck at the wedding.

Let me explain.

Obviously, whoever I ask to play or sing will do an excellent job. I'm certainly not going to ask someone to perform whose skills are questionable. And I apologize if this sounds harsh...but there is simply no room for mediocre at this wedding! The suck knob is going to be turned down so far that it is off. No, I am not stressed about quality. I'm stressed about song selection.

Let me explain further.

I am very passionate about our wedding not being a "cookie cutter" ceremony. I'm sure we have all been to those weddings where you felt like you could say "insert bride and groom here." I don't want the wedding to be so off the wall that it's bizarre...I simply want people to leave feeling like they just spent time with Mark and Jeanne - Not any random bride and groom. Therefore I have put a ban on the following song selections:

Canon in D
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Anything Shania Twain
Anything Steven Curtis Chapman
Anything Twila Paris

Now, I have great respect for those songs and artists. But apparently so does most of the rest of the free world because they have been performed at every wedding since 1990.

If you were going to the wedding of a florist you would come expecting spectacular flowers. If I was going to the wedding of a career musician I would expect spectacular music. Now, I will admit that it is entirely possible that this problem is all in my head. Very possible. But I am going to operate under the assumption that it is not and strive to have fun, creative and meaningful music selections during my ceremony.

Expect the unexpected, wedding guests. There will be no Canon in D here.