On Memorization – Part 1

Part 1:  “How Do You Do That?”

For the past six years, I have performed as soloist at the international headquarters of a church whose services are broadcast around the world.  During this time, I have sung a different solo each week matched to the sermon to follow – and I have performed most of the songs from memory.

Performing from memory is a must-have skill for any performer, and yet it can be a rather illusive process.  It was, at least, for me.

This is the first of a series of posts on memorization. Through the series, I hope to share some of the wisdom and insights I have learned through exploration, study, and sheer experience.

To begin, I have been asked the following questions often and with a certain kind of urgency:  “How do you do that?”  “How do you memorize your songs week after week?”

These are good questions.  How do I memorize a piece of music — the words, music, melody, timing, etc. and stand up and perform this way week after week?  It’s not easy.  I don’t recommend it for everyone.  But it’s so very worth it if you can take the leap!  It is an on-going spiritual, mental and physical process.

My Last 3 Months… A “Bleet”

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since I have posted on my blog.  I have sincerely missed writing and posting.  Where does the time go?  In an effort to catch up fast and move forward, I offer you… a bleet!!

What, you ask, is a bleet???  A bleet is a cross between a short blog post and a tweet.  See, with a bleet, you can be short, but you don’t have to keep it to 140 characters, which, of course, is an absolute impossibility with me.  (And in case you’re wondering, I just made all that up!)

So, here’s my bleet about the last 3 months:

Julia with Bryan Ashley

At The Mother Church:  March, April and May took me weekly up to Boston where I continue to sing as Soloist at The Mother Church.  I sang some gorgeous, inspired music ranging from the wonderful contemporary songs of Mindy Jostyn, (“I And My Father Are One” and “Prodigal Child”) to a perennial favorite, “On Eagle’s Wings,” to several deeply loved traditional treasures: “Arise, Shine” by James MacDermid (with acoustic grand piano) and the healing words and music of “Reality” by Dorothy Currey Chancellor.

At The Watchfire Music Listening Room:  From March through May, I performed at The WFM Listening Room in New York City.  As a partner in Watchfire Music, I have been helping to develop this wonderful performance venue with Peter Link and have also co-produced concerts when not performing:

Interview with Composer Robert Collister – Part 2

Soli Deo Gloria:
An Interview with Composer Robert Collister
Part 2

In Part 1, Watchfire Music Composer Robert Collister shared with us his early influences that led him to writing for the musical theatre.  He has to date written 4 musicals and continues to be prolific in several genres of music. On writing music, Robert says, “I don’t like to take credit for what I write since I feel that I am just a vehicle from which music passes through. Bach would write on many of his compositions, ‘Soli Deo Gloria,’ — ‘To God Alone the Glory.’ I take the same position.”

Read Part 1 of the Collister Interview

In Part 2, Robert shares more about his process, inspiration and talks about his sacred and inspirational compositions.  Let’s continue the conversation:

Interview with Composer Robert Collister – Part 1

Soli Deo Gloria:
An Interview with Composer Robert Collister
Part 1

Composer Robert Collister was raised in Rochester, New York. He says, “I attended public school, and I was always playing baseball or riding my bike somewhere. In high school I played in the band and orchestra. I played baseball and tennis and also was in the drama club. I guess you could say I was just an average kid.”

Well, this “average kid” went on to become a versatile and prolific composer, musician, performer, and educator. Robert is a Watchfire Music composer with an extensive and beautiful catalog of Inspirational church solos. Very soon, WFM will be releasing a whole set of Robert’s choral songs on Watchfiremusic.com. Read Part 2 of the Collister Interview.

On writing music, Robert says “I don’t like to take credit for what I write since I feel that I am just a vehicle from which music passes through. Bach would write on many of his compositions, “Soli Deo Gloria,” — “To God Alone the Glory.” I take the same position.”

Please join me as Robert shares with us with rich stories and inspiring thoughts on his lifelong experience with music.

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Songs For A Summer Sunday

“Spring being a tough act to follow,
God created June.”
- Al Bernstein

Here are some June offerings from the Digital Sheet Music (DSM) store
on Watchfire Music.  Discover these beautiful
Inspirational Sheet Music titles… Songs for a Summer Sunday!

A Song Of Freedom by Carolyn Kardinal
Blessed, Blessed by Carolyn Kardinal
Bread Of Heaven by Frank La Forge
Christ Is Risen by Collister, Robert Music:
The Christ Lives On by Peter Link
Come Thou by Robert Collister

How’s Your Garden of Songs?

“‘Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,
The air is all perfume:
There’s crimson buds, and white and blue
The very rainbow showers,
Have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers.”
– Thomas Hood

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How’s your garden of songs? Here are some May offerings from the Digital Sheet Music store on watchfiremusic.com.  Sow these titles and reap the beauty of Inspirational Music for your church and worship services!  Happy Gardening!

Apple of My Eye by Deborah Offenhauser
As a Little Child – by Desiree Goyette
Gift of Gratitude – by Andrew D. Brewis

Songs of Spring — An 11th Hour Addition!

Hi Folks,

After I posted “Songs of Spring” — a list of Easter and Spring solos, Watchfire Music composer Carolyn Kardinal sent a brand new Easter solo, “Rabboni, Rabboni” to be added to her WFM web page.  It’s now available.

If you are still searching for that last minute gem of a piece for your worship service — this may be just the answer!

Enjoy exploring this beautiful new solo hot off the press! Click here for more info.

Songs of Spring

Hello, my fellow friends in hibernation!  Can you feel it?  You know, that subtle little thing in the air — riding  just behind the final March rains and snows — telling us that indeed, the winter is over.

Ah!  I am so ready for fragrant warm breezes, sunshine days, green trees, fields of flowers and birds singing in the air.  Here in New York City, all that translates to walks in Central Park and long hikes and runs along the Hudson River Park.  Those are my two nature options living in NYC, and let me tell you, I am grateful for them!

Springtime New York Style (from nylacoast2coast.wordpress.com)

I can’t wait to get outside again!  It has been a long and most definitely indoor winter for me.  Time to break out!  For me, Easter always heralds this breaking out,  and it’s just around the corner again… in a couple of weeks!

So let me get to the point:  While dreaming of the flowers and fresh air to come, this blog post is really a last-minute list of some great Easter and springtime sacred music available on watchfiremusic.com.   For you singers still seeking that perfect Easter Solo for your church’s worship services, check out these songs!  Enjoy!!

Djembe Thanksgiving – Part 5

Djembe Thanksgiving
Part 5:
Drums in Church – Some Concluding Thoughts

Read Part 1: The Drummers and Joe
Read Part 2: Kurzweil Jeff
Read Part 3: Oy! Logistics, Permissions and Switzerland, Oh My!
Read Part 4: A Joyful Chaos!

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Kemi Awosile

My friend Kemi Awosile put me in contact with Steve Okwor, an African drummer who organized the drummers for our Thanksgiving Day service at The Mother Church (TMC).  She had sat in and drummed with this group before, and so I asked her how she felt about her experience.

Kemi said, “I am in awe of the communication that occurs when two or more people sit down to drum.  The inner and outer rhythms, the call and response back and forth and the pure joy of working together and off of one another all leave me breathless and spell bound. For me, it is miraculous and magical to get to play with these folks.”

Djembe Thanksgiving – Part 4

Djembe Thanksgiving
Part 4:
A Joyful Chaos!

Read Part 1: The Drummers and Joe
Read Part 2: Kurzweil Jeff
Read Part 3: Oy! Logistics, Permissions and Switzerland, Oh My!
Read Part 5: Drums In Church — Some Concluding Thoughts

One of my most favorite times on Sundays and special service days is my morning walk over to the church.  I love to see the sun’s light starting to illuminate the church and the huge plaza with the reflecting pool that runs right by it.

Morning at The Mother Church (Tony Arruza/Corbis)

There is often a security guard somewhere along the plaza all bundled up that I wave to, and there is such peace, tranquility and beauty. Thanksgiving Day was no exception.

I always think of this phrase from a favorite hymn during my ritual walk:
“A glorious day is dawning and o’re the waking earth,  The heralds of the morning are springing into birth.” ¹

As those morning heralds, I like to get into the church good and early while it is still quiet.  On this morning, I needed to get there even a bit earlier to get warmed up.  The drummers were coming!  I had to be ready!

Djembe Thanksgiving – Part 2

Djembe Thanksgiving
Part 2:
Kurzweil Jeff

Read Part 1: The Drummers and Joe
Read Part 3: Oy! Logistics, Permissions and Switzerland, Oh My!
Read Part 4: A Joyful Chaos!
Read Part 5: Drums In Church — Some Concluding Thoughts

percussionworkshop.degraaff-multimedia.nl

At our first rehearsal, Joe Galeota, our drum leader from Berklee College of Music, told us a little about his background – and he set the stage for our music making.

He told all of the drummers, “OK, Jeff and Julia are going to play and sing the arrangement and we are just going to jam.  That way we’ll get to know each other.”  And jam they did.  They all just fell in with Joe.  It was so enthralling, watching and listening to them.  Eventually, Joe settled on different drums and shakers and parts for each one in the group.

Meanwhile, further behind the scenes, I had asked Jeff Williams, our TMC consultant to arrange the ideas that he and I had been working on to merge a beautiful “folky” Inspirational pop song with the simple, joyful Nigerian hymn that I had discovered.  Both songs had musical grooves that worked together so well – and they both possessed a simplicity that spoke to the occasion.  After that rehearsal with Joe, Jeff and I worked on concretizing the ideas for the arrangement, and then Jeff went to work.

Djembe Thanksgiving – Part 1

Djembe Thanksgiving
Part 1:
The Drummers and Joe

Read Part 2: Kurzweil Jeff
Read Part 3: Oy! Logistics, Permissions and Switzerland, Oh My!
Read Part 4: A Joyful Chaos!
Read Part 5: Drums In Church — Some Concluding Thoughts

I am grateful for many things, and as I stand facing forward into the New Year, African drumming is one of them!  Looking back over 2009, one of the stand-out moments for me was the Thanksgiving Service in Boston at The First Church of Christ, Scientist, (The Mother Church) where I serve as soloist.

This year, we had the distinct privilege of including some truly soulful folks whose lives are given to healing and caring.  These folks also happen to be mostly African and drummers and they are Christian Science nurses and they shared their musical gifts with the congregation during the Thanksgiving service.

Rehearsal in the Original Edifice of The Mother Church: Doris Olawuwo, Tamie Kanata, Nathan Frederick, Joe Galeota, Dogah Koblavi, Teresa Ambugo, Steve Okwor, Julia Wade

In my inimitable fashion, I will be telling you some stories and sub-stories of this experience – in 5 parts!  It was such a rich, unifying and uplifting endeavor that went way beyond the actual church service (which was wonderful – but more on that later!)  So here’s the story, or actually, here are the stories…

Interview with Carolyn Kardinal – Part 2

She Writes Soulful Songs
with Words of Grace
An Interview with
Composer Carolyn Kardinal
Part 2

Read Part 1 of  Carolyn Kardinal’s interview

In Part 1, Carolyn Kardinal shared with us some of her process in writing both original Inspirational lyrics and music for her songs.  She also related how her experiences as a singer and a teacher of children and of voice students have deeply influenced and enriched her work as a composer and lyricist.  So let’s continue with the conversation…

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JW: What inspires you?

CK:  One spring morning I walked outside to smell the freshness after a downpour and at that moment heard a meadowlark sing the most beautiful melody – actually I recognized the motive as something Alexander Dumas had used as a primary melody in his “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” At first I laughed at the absurdity, but as I have thought about that experience I realize many composers have been sensitive to nature’s sounds and have incorporated them into their own works. So I became a better listener.

No Emotion

This is an article by Peter Link from his blog Sparks From The Fire.  “No Emotion” is a response to one singer’s feelings about how music should (or should not) be performed  in a church worship service. Peter’s answer, written from the point of view  of a lyricist/composer of inspirational songs,  is an illuminating and even instructive  jumping off point for further discussion…

There is so much to explore on this subject!  At least that is true for me as I continue the journey of performing inspirational music in the church worship service.  I hope this article will spark ideas for you and your services.

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No Emotion
by
Peter Link

A woman called several weeks ago to thank me for a sacred song I’d written that she sang as a solo in church. We had a most friendly talk and near the end of the conversation she said proudly, “I just want to assure you that I sing your songs with absolutely no emotion.”

Interview with Composer Greg Granoff – Part 2

Music Chose Him:
An Interview with
Inspirational Composer Greg Granoff
Part 2

My interview with composer Greg Granoff kicks off a new part of Inspiratus.
It will be featuring interview/conversations with artists of all kinds.
The idea is to explore just how inspiration, creativity, and spirituality all play a role in the development, creation and reception of an artist’s work.

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Read Part One of my interview with Greg Granoff

To continue with our conversation, Watchfire Music Composer Greg Granoff has spoken in depth about his approach to composition and his thoughts on creativity. Greg also mentioned his work in the Music Department at Humbolt State University.