a musical opportunity

I knew that one of the potential perks of moving to SLC for me, was the hope of becoming a member of the Orchestra at Temple Square, the volunteer orchestra that accompanies the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Sure it doesn't have the prestige of paying orchestras but it'd give me something to do! A couple weeks after we got here I looked at their website and it said they didn't have openings in any section, and if they did, it would be listed on the website. I emailed anyway and asked for an audition. They granted me one! I practiced the audition material as much as I could, it was very challenging music! And I psyched myself up for the thought of playing in front of people....people listening to me...playing....by myself! Scary! I haven't done that in YEARS. Good grief it's been 5 years since my last private lesson even.

Well I played okay at the audition and got in! I was very excited! It's a unique thing, they have a long list of horn players and they email and say what is happening and ask your availability and then they put you on rosters to do Music and Spoken Word broadcasts each month. Music and the Spoken Word is the oldest continuous broadcast in history. For nearly 82 years it's been on the air every Sunday morning. Being in the orchestra is also considered my primary church calling, as a musical missionary.

The next week I played with OTS and the Temple Square Chorale (the training choir for the MoTab) on an Easter concert. It was very cool. I made new friends and I enjoy accompanying a choir. It was extra cool because I had some family in town that weekend and they came to the concert! It'd been a long time since I'd had relatives at a concert I was playing in! It's also exhilarating to be playing in the historic Tabernacle. I love having a reason to set foot on Temple Square.

On Monday the manager of OTS called to tell me that another horn player had to drop out of going on the East Coast Tour with the MoTab and he asked if I could come! Through the generous support of my husband who is willing to let me take off for 8 days, and my mom who forgives me for missing her completely when she comes to visit, if my passport gets renewed in time, I will be going on tour next month! I am sorry for the tough circumstances in my friend's life which caused her to back out of the tour but I feel really blessed by the opportunity. I am particularly looking forward to seeing Philadelphia and Toronto for the first time and a short stop at the Sacred Grove. Can you imagine being in the Sacred Grove with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? It makes my heart swell to think of it. I can't believe how lucky I am, from asking for an audition a couple months ago to now going on tour. I live a charmed life.

While 10 years ago my hopeful plan was to be playing in a professional orchestra, I love my life now and I know that the Lord's richest blessings aren't found in a paycheck or checking off a personal list of things I wanted, but in my family. He has blessed me with this opportunity to play in an orchestra and proclaim His goodness through the talents He has blessed me with and I am grateful for it.