Best Saturday

I had the greatest possible Saturday in the history of life this past weekend. Well, second only to my wedding day, I suppose, but that day was so full of formalities that it became very tiresome, very quickly. So, in the history of Saturdays in my whole life, minus my wedding day, this past Saturday was the best one yet.

It was a packed day, and had a stressful start, but by the end of the day it was amazing. The day started with a rehearsal at church for a Christmas concert for Sunday the 19th. Every single rehearsal has been the bane of my existence. I find them very tiring and I lose patience quickly. I wouldn't if some of the people that were there were diligent in knowing their parts before coming, but maybe I expect to much (not).

Then I had to find boots. Not winter boots, that would be easy. I wanted over the knee leather boots to complete my gig outfit. I finally found a pair that met my budget and was off to sound check. I didn't need to be overly involved in sound check, as I was just checking a couple tunes, but the tension was palpable and the time restrictions were getting to everyone. We got a few hours off between the sound check and the gig, and then it was show time. And man, what a show!

I had the awesome privilege of playing with some of the most talented people in Calgary. It was amazing. To have a group of like-minded individuals come together and perform to their strengths for hours is probably the greatest thing to witness and be part of. Every performer and every guest had a great time, and you could tell. The atmosphere was amazing, the bar was open, and the music was excellent. I think that every musician walked away feeling fulfilled and hungry for another gig with the same exact group of people. I haven't had many better performance experiences. Actually, scratch that; that was definitely the best performance experience I have had thus far.

It was so natural and exciting. I love getting in front of a crowd of people and performing. It's the greatest feeling. And to get to perform with that group of amazing people, with that group of friends...there isn't anything better for me right now.

-SP

The Professional Pretender

My passion is music. My husband and I are both musicians, and are very fortunate to be able to play fairly often. Performing is so much fun. I feel at home on stage. It's like this whole other personality comes to life when I let myself go and just be in the music and perform the song. There is no hint of insecurity, I am just this confident, energetic, passionate woman when I have a mic in my hand and am performing for a crowd. I feed off the band and the dancing and feel as if nothing could go wrong in that moment, despite any personal struggles I may be going through in that period of life. And when it is a smaller, more intimate setting, maybe an acoustic set, I just get lost in the music. I think about how I feel, what the words say, and how the music sounds. Performance is an awesome way for me to express myself.


But I have often wondered if I am being something I'm not. My husband and I had a conversation recently about what it means to perform. I said to him that, to me, performance is about conveying the message of a song without necessarily believing in it entirely. And I think that for me, it's true. I can to some degree relate to most of the songs that I perform, but don't always agree with the message or condone what is being talked about. But I am a good performer. To me, it's about getting whoever is watching engaged in what you are singing with how you sing it. But does that make me fake?

The performer in me

I don't know. My aim in everything is to be authentic. If I am not genuinely interested, I won't ask the question. If I don't care, I won't put my heart into it. So if I don't agree with a song, is it not authentic for me to perform it with all of me? Am I a professional pretender? I guess it would be similar to acting; I must get into character and play a part to convey the message of a song clearly. But it's just weird to think about. I have never thought of performance like this before.


I don't think this is a bad thing. I love performing, it makes me feel so good and I know that I am doing what I should be when I am. It's just a new perspective. And the more that I do it, the more I will gain insight into the art as a whole. But it really is true that you can be one person in one setting, and your truer self in another. Performance is the exaggerated, less real version of myself, but it seems appropriate for the stage.


-SP

Passion

I had a really awesome conversation with a couple my husband and I know over the weekend. We were at a Halloween party in the kitchen, munching on a ridiculously yummy seven layer dip and chips and chatting about life, more specifically our jobs. We talked about the importance of passion, and of being in love with what you do rather than just doing something for a pay cheque.

He is a photographer, she works with her husband on their shoots. He is also a part-time drummer (and a great one at that). And we weren't alone; also in the room were many of our other professional musician friends, including a bassist, drummer, keys player, my husband the guitarist, and me the vocalist. Not all of us are doing music full-time, but for most of us that is the goal. My husband is playing more than he isn't, teaching lessons twice a week, doing local gigs and out of town shows with an up-and-coming country act (he actually flew out this morning to play a few shows in Eastern Canada). Our bassist and keys player friends are full-time music, and our drummer friend owns a landscaping company and does music on the side. I was in a room with passionate people.

We talked about how amazing it was to have so many like-minded friends. We discussed how awesome it is to have this support structure around us. We said that we could see so clearly how God's hand is in everything; I married into this support structure and have built relationships with these people, and as I continue to build my career and play more and do more, they will love me and encourage me. We are so fortunate.

So much passion in one photo

I realized today that passion and faith can't be separate. We (my friends and I) are all passionate about what we do, but our jobs and our goals are not traditional. We can't just go to school and leave with a career. The arts don't really work like that. But the more that we lean on God to lead us, the more we see doors opening. It is so exciting to be able to share in this with our friends, our best friends. God placed these desires in us, and He is not without a plan, so we all need to trust that God will open the right doors at the right time. Passion is great, but faith and trust are what will lead to fulfillment. The Bible says to lean not on your own understanding. A career in music is forcing a lot of us to learn that lesson quickly, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Be passionate. Love passionately, work passionately, seek God's heart for you passionately.

-SP