Last night I was in a position that took me back to 1996, Freshman year at BYU. I was completing the little get to know you questionnaire for the Bishopric and I put on the form that I played the piano (I really wasn't thinking about all the people in the ward that actually could play the piano while people sang). I got called to be one of three people to play the piano and lead the music during sacrament meeting. YIKES!!! I learned growing up that you don't say "no" to callings, but I did hint at the fact that I really am not a good piano player (secretly wishing I wouldn't have skipped so many practices before heading to Mrs. Johnson's for piano lessons). Well, I got away with leading the music for the first few months of school and then the other two piano players (who were music majors and dating) were going out of town so I needed to play on Sunday. It was in December so I practiced some Christmas hymns all week down in the piano room in the basement of our dorms. I was getting more and more confidence in my abilities to play, bad idea.
The opening song my hands seemed to be paralyzed and the congregation sang a whole verse without the piano. I was mortified and still have a hard time thinking about that day. I never had to play the piano again in that ward. I think they didn't believe me until that day when I said I was not good at playing while people sing. I was not just being modest in my abilities and they finally got the message. I learned a few things from that calling, 1. There are some short coming that the Lord cannot make up for when you are serving 2. Never put down you can play the piano unless you really want to play
Last night I got to play the piano at a baptism and I just kept thinking, "sing louder everyone," but there were only a few people present so my music abilities again came shining through.
3 comments:
That story is HILARIOUS! Oh the BYU ward callings... I got called to be a ward missionary. In the dorms.
It is so hard to learn to play while people sing - primary is a great place to practice. They don't care if you hit the wrong notes or not - they just keep singing :) I still get hesitant to tell new wards I play the piano because there is always some conditions. I will play in primary or relief society but not sacrament for a musical number and I don't play well enough to be an accompanist for the ward choir and on and on.
Jamie that is sooo like me! I can play fine at home. But when it comes to playing for shurch it's a whole new ball game. My hands totally shake too and I think I even go cross-eyed. It must be the singing, I never knew! I played a duet with my sister once in Sacrament meeting and finished barely holding back the tears and then spent the rest of the meeting in the bathroom crying. And I NEVER PUT DOWN THAT I CAN PLAY THE PIANO!!!!
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