Singing

Tonight is another ensemble practice, and I'm looking forward to it as usual! The introduction to the new song went well, and I am so impressed with the ladies and how quickly we're bringing songs together now. This is one that we will present in mid September, which breaks down into just a handful of practices - so not that long at all! A few weeks ago, I got together with two other ladies in the group to try to write it. It has been my heart this year to include others in the song writing process, and to be less rigid about several things - not to lower standards, but to stretch us to be better and to involve everyone in the creative, beginning stages of things. This has meant that rather than me bringing everything ready to go to everyone, and teaching everyone the parts that have been in my head, complete with a full practice CD with each person's part broken down - I (or someone else) comes with an idea, an instrument, and we go from there. It has been liberating and scary. So this time around, I knew I wanted us to do an original song, but I kept going around in circles, without certainty of what that would be. So I got together with the other two ladies, and I came with two stanzas, and one of them came with two stanzas, and the lyrics worked beautifully, but the rhythm and other aspects were going to take some extra care. The three of us made great progress, and we ended the night with it all still needing to become cohesive. Collaborations can be difficult! We wanted it to sound united, and it's challenging to have the input of three sound like that of one.

So the next day, I sat down with my guitar and what we'd worked on, and to my delight, Seth brought over the conga he got for his birthday, and he started playing along while I sang what we had. And then it was just worshipful, and it didn't matter that it didn't all fit together perfectly yet. He sang along to one part, and that gave me such joy. I love that he did that. I love how he is. He is confident in all the best ways. Quiet in ways I admire. I love that man, and I'm so thankful for him.

The day after that, it clicked in my spirit and I was able to record it, and here we are today -- ready to work on it for the second time with several lovely singers, and I am happy and I think Yahweh is happy with it too!