My Inaugural Rehearsal in an Actual "Band"

Finally. FINALLY. I've been waiting my whole life for the fun of last night!

...not THAT kind of fun, I've been married for years I already know all about that. You sickos. ;-p

No, I'm talking about Music Fun: Of Being In a Band!

(Officially we're not a "band", as this is a gathering of musicians for a one-off performance. But still, it COUNTS.)

So three of us gathered at the home of a fourth last night to help him polish up his latest positive music song and fill it out for him, in advance of a performance at the Positive Music Festival in Marshall, VA on June 19th. We have J, the singer/songwriter/guitarist, D the bassist, N the keyboardist/vocalist, and me on additional harmony.

It was everything I ever thought a songwriting/practice session Should Be. In a warm cozy living room (not a sterile practice room), with everyone an equal, each bringing something unique to the song to make it great. J has such a big heart and a tiny ego, and openly welcomed suggestions of any sort. By the end of the night, our quartet had added finished the song's structure, given it an ending, added LOTS of harmony, changed a few words, rocked out to it and even recorded it together. I can't WAIT to get the mp3 of that in my inbox!!!

And... my voice actually FIT the song. I wasn't "too classical for rock" or "too rigid for classical" or any of that. This is My Music with My People. I totally fit in here, more than I ever have in any other musical community.

Whoo hoo!!!

Now, I have a lot of work to do. I volunteered to transcribe the song, which is hard because I can't play and instrument/don't have software and have to do it by hand. BUT it is GREAT PRACTICE for me that I WANT because it's been ELEVEN YEARS since I had to do anything like this. And... I want to get ramped back up into my knowledge as quickly as possible. Without alienating my family, that is. There is SO MUCH I want to do now: relearn my meager guitar skills, practice chords while learning the new thought service music in my church's "hymnal", do some writing of my own... Oh yeah, and I'm choir director too, I got some prep work to do for that as well. Ooh, I need to arrange a meeting with our accompanist, my style is SO DIFFERENT from Rev D's that I don't want that to distract from our first choir practice with me as Director this coming week.

*Joy!!!!*