Life is an education. I would say we learned a lot of valuable lessons in the whole passport/visa mess -- and I have some pretty good ideas about what NOT to do when Voices In Praise heads to Russia. Yes, I would have liked to have learned this lesson in a different way but still... God does what he has to do.
Like many people in unpleasant situations, I wondered, "God, WHY are you letting this happen? And why don't you step in? You can part the sea, heal the sick, and raise Jesus from the dead... I know you can fix this. Why don't you?"
I don't know why. But I do know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). I trust that God knows what he's doing and even if it leaves me temporarily frustrated, he's not about to ditch me or VIP. He never has and he never will.
So, I reflect with gratitude on the last few days, offering God my thanks for:
- Adam, my family, and friends
- the fact that my airline ticket could be changed without penalty and that the good folks at Continental were able to get me home and then re-book me at no additional cost to fly to Moscow on Sunday
- that at no point was I starving, homeless, or hurt
- the chance to come home and spend some time in the comfort of my own home and in the company of some of my dearest friends and family
- the opportunity to be humbled in service to God and to abandon all schedules and plans to him
Onward and upward... Moscow, I'll see you on Monday!
Holly
Welcome! Voices In Praise exists for the glory of God and in service to others. As the youth choir of Friendship United Methodist Church, the group is open to all youth in grades 6 -12 who have a desire to sing and a willingness to make the commitment to the group. Singers are not required to be a member of the church or to have any background in singing. Our doors are open to everyone!
The choir rehearses on Mondays. Girls rehearse from 6:30pm – 8pm; Guys rehearse from 7pm – 8:30pm.
New singers are welcome any time. Feel free to contact Director Holly Reynolds Lee at 301-728-1748 with questions!
The choir rehearses on Mondays. Girls rehearse from 6:30pm – 8pm; Guys rehearse from 7pm – 8:30pm.New singers are welcome any time. Feel free to contact Director Holly Reynolds Lee at 301-728-1748 with questions!
Home (Part 2)
Life is an education. I would say we learned a lot of valuable lessons in the whole passport/visa mess -- and I have some pretty good ideas about what NOT to do when Voices In Praise heads to Russia. Yes, I would have liked to have learned this lesson in a different way but still... God does what he has to do.
Like many people in unpleasant situations, I wondered, "God, WHY are you letting this happen? And why don't you step in? You can part the sea, heal the sick, and raise Jesus from the dead... I know you can fix this. Why don't you?"
I don't know why. But I do know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). I trust that God knows what he's doing and even if it leaves me temporarily frustrated, he's not about to ditch me or VIP. He never has and he never will.
So, I reflect with gratitude on the last few days, offering God my thanks for:
- Adam, my family, and friends
- the fact that my airline ticket could be changed without penalty and that the good folks at Continental were able to get me home and then re-book me at no additional cost to fly to Moscow on Sunday
- that at no point was I starving, homeless, or hurt
- the chance to come home and spend some time in the comfort of my own home and in the company of some of my dearest friends and family
- the opportunity to be humbled in service to God and to abandon all schedules and plans to him
Onward and upward... Moscow, I'll see you on Monday!
Holly
Like many people in unpleasant situations, I wondered, "God, WHY are you letting this happen? And why don't you step in? You can part the sea, heal the sick, and raise Jesus from the dead... I know you can fix this. Why don't you?"
I don't know why. But I do know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). I trust that God knows what he's doing and even if it leaves me temporarily frustrated, he's not about to ditch me or VIP. He never has and he never will.
So, I reflect with gratitude on the last few days, offering God my thanks for:
- Adam, my family, and friends
- the fact that my airline ticket could be changed without penalty and that the good folks at Continental were able to get me home and then re-book me at no additional cost to fly to Moscow on Sunday
- that at no point was I starving, homeless, or hurt
- the chance to come home and spend some time in the comfort of my own home and in the company of some of my dearest friends and family
- the opportunity to be humbled in service to God and to abandon all schedules and plans to him
Onward and upward... Moscow, I'll see you on Monday!
Holly
Home (Part 1)
I am supposed to be getting my first glimpse of St. Petersburg right now. Instead, I am at home, waiting for air-conditioning man and calling Continental Airlines again. This is NOT what I had in mind! So, let me tell you how this came to be...
Be warned:
1.) This is a long tale.
2.) Know that it's just Part 1. With God, hope is never lost completely. I am going to Russia. I'm just not there yet. I'll post Part 2 later today.
The facts:
To go to Russia, you must have a Visa. To get a Visa, you must have an "invitation" to visit Russia. The Visa procurement process has several steps and a specific timeline - you can't apply more than 45 days before you're supposed to arrive.
The process:
The team I am traveling with from Trinity UMC filled out our individual visa applications, and worked with representatives from the UM Russia Initiative who get the invitations from Moscow and then work with a visa-procurement company. The company walks the paperwork through the Russian embassy who generates the visa which is applied directly to your passport, and then the company returns the passport with visa to you.
Critical info:
So, back in June I surrendered my passport and began waiting for the Visa. There was a delay in getting the invitations out of Moscow, thanks to a broken scanner. (Ah, technology...) In our last team meeting on July 10, we learned that the process wasn't moving along as fast as we hoped.
I think Team Leaders Charles and Karen were a little bit nervous, but I really wasn't. I reviewed my plans and back-up plans and felt confident that it would all be ok. We waited and prayed and hoped and prayed that the passports and visas would arrive in time. And then the news - the passports and visa would arrive on July 23. (Hooray!)
Except they didn't. It would seem that the visa-procurement company somehow dropped the ball and the visas weren't ready. (It seems like the company just sort-of forgot when we needed them.) Not a huge deal. I could get into Canada with my birth certificate and driver's license, and my passport could be overnighted to me via FedEx or UPS. (Note: while you can get into Canada via car with your birth certificate and driver's license, you need a passport to get back into the USA.)
Monday, July 26 came and went, and my passport wasn't shipped. On Tuesday, I put a call to the visa-procurement company to check the status and reminded them about when I was leaving. They sent it via FedEx on Tuesday, and it was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. Except it didn't. Apparently, the FedEx guy got lost.
So, let's ask the obvious question - why didn't he ask for directions? The house is on MapQuest and Google maps, and the phone number was on the shipping label so he could have called. According to FedEx, their drivers a.) don't use MapQuest, Google maps, or any GPS devices; and b.) do not carry cell phones.
On Wednesday evening, we provide specific directions to the house and FedEx promises it will arrive on Thursday. To this point, I've done a pretty good job keeping my worries at bay. FedEx will get here. I'll get on the plane on Friday. It'll be fine.
At 1pm on Thursday, we started tracking the FedEx package, receiving assurances that it was "on the way." The hours rolled by and FedEx promised us it was coming by 5pm. Except it didn't. More phone calls, more promises, more tracking. FedEx can't find its driver.
At 6:45pm, the FedEx guy pulls up and (seriously) you never saw a family rejoice as much as we did. Hooray, hooray! The passport is here. I can go to Russia!
Except the Visa is wrong. It says I am arriving on August 1. I am arriving on July 31. It's off by a day. With my plane scheduled to land at 1pm, it's off by 11 hours.
So, what happens if you arrive in Russia without a valid visa? Can you hang out at the airport? Is there an invisible line that you have to stay behind until the magic moment of midnight? Do they turn you around and send you home? Do they throw you in a Russian jail or hit you with a steep fine?
We make calls. We try to figure out how and where this thing went wrong. More importantly, Adam (my husband, best friend and problem-solver extraordinaire) and I look for solutions. It becomes clear that I need a correct visa and those come from the Embassy. Can the Russian Embassy in Ottawa help me? And can they do it in time for me to make a 2pm flight?
Adam's extended family includes several diplomats and politicians, so I make a call to his cousin, Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Me: Peter, do you know anyone at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa?
Peter: I know the Ambassador. Will that work?
On Friday morning, Adam and I go to the Russian Embassy, armed with hope from our call with Peter and knowledge about what happened. The dates on my visa application were correct, but when the UM-representatives sent the info to Moscow, they sent the wrong dates. We have copies of all the paperwork. The invitation from Moscow was wrong. The visa matched it. No one caught it.
The Russian Embassy representatives let me know that invitations come from Moscow and they can't issue a Visa without that invitation. The all-powerful Ambassador is in Russia on holiday and unreachable. And when asked what happens if you show up in Russia without a Visa, the only thing the Embassy representatives will say is "You can't."
I walked out of the Embassy and did the only thing that one can do in these sorts of situations: I cried. Great, big gulping sobs of complete and total hopelessness. And anger. And epic failure. I was supposed to go to Russia to serve God and now, I wasn't even going to get into the country.
I looked at Adam and said, "I want to go home." And here I am.
Be warned:
1.) This is a long tale.
2.) Know that it's just Part 1. With God, hope is never lost completely. I am going to Russia. I'm just not there yet. I'll post Part 2 later today.
The facts:
To go to Russia, you must have a Visa. To get a Visa, you must have an "invitation" to visit Russia. The Visa procurement process has several steps and a specific timeline - you can't apply more than 45 days before you're supposed to arrive.
The process:
The team I am traveling with from Trinity UMC filled out our individual visa applications, and worked with representatives from the UM Russia Initiative who get the invitations from Moscow and then work with a visa-procurement company. The company walks the paperwork through the Russian embassy who generates the visa which is applied directly to your passport, and then the company returns the passport with visa to you.
Critical info:
- You have to give up your passport to the visa-procurement company who takes it to the embassy.
- I was departing from the USA on July 23 to head to Canada for a week with my husband's family.
- I was departing from Ottawa, Canada on July 30 and traveling to St. Petersburg (via Washington Dulles).
- The team was departing from Washington-Dulles on Aug. 1 bound for Moscow.
So, back in June I surrendered my passport and began waiting for the Visa. There was a delay in getting the invitations out of Moscow, thanks to a broken scanner. (Ah, technology...) In our last team meeting on July 10, we learned that the process wasn't moving along as fast as we hoped.
I think Team Leaders Charles and Karen were a little bit nervous, but I really wasn't. I reviewed my plans and back-up plans and felt confident that it would all be ok. We waited and prayed and hoped and prayed that the passports and visas would arrive in time. And then the news - the passports and visa would arrive on July 23. (Hooray!)
Except they didn't. It would seem that the visa-procurement company somehow dropped the ball and the visas weren't ready. (It seems like the company just sort-of forgot when we needed them.) Not a huge deal. I could get into Canada with my birth certificate and driver's license, and my passport could be overnighted to me via FedEx or UPS. (Note: while you can get into Canada via car with your birth certificate and driver's license, you need a passport to get back into the USA.)
Monday, July 26 came and went, and my passport wasn't shipped. On Tuesday, I put a call to the visa-procurement company to check the status and reminded them about when I was leaving. They sent it via FedEx on Tuesday, and it was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. Except it didn't. Apparently, the FedEx guy got lost.
So, let's ask the obvious question - why didn't he ask for directions? The house is on MapQuest and Google maps, and the phone number was on the shipping label so he could have called. According to FedEx, their drivers a.) don't use MapQuest, Google maps, or any GPS devices; and b.) do not carry cell phones.
On Wednesday evening, we provide specific directions to the house and FedEx promises it will arrive on Thursday. To this point, I've done a pretty good job keeping my worries at bay. FedEx will get here. I'll get on the plane on Friday. It'll be fine.
At 1pm on Thursday, we started tracking the FedEx package, receiving assurances that it was "on the way." The hours rolled by and FedEx promised us it was coming by 5pm. Except it didn't. More phone calls, more promises, more tracking. FedEx can't find its driver.
At 6:45pm, the FedEx guy pulls up and (seriously) you never saw a family rejoice as much as we did. Hooray, hooray! The passport is here. I can go to Russia!
Except the Visa is wrong. It says I am arriving on August 1. I am arriving on July 31. It's off by a day. With my plane scheduled to land at 1pm, it's off by 11 hours.
So, what happens if you arrive in Russia without a valid visa? Can you hang out at the airport? Is there an invisible line that you have to stay behind until the magic moment of midnight? Do they turn you around and send you home? Do they throw you in a Russian jail or hit you with a steep fine?
We make calls. We try to figure out how and where this thing went wrong. More importantly, Adam (my husband, best friend and problem-solver extraordinaire) and I look for solutions. It becomes clear that I need a correct visa and those come from the Embassy. Can the Russian Embassy in Ottawa help me? And can they do it in time for me to make a 2pm flight?
Adam's extended family includes several diplomats and politicians, so I make a call to his cousin, Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Me: Peter, do you know anyone at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa?
Peter: I know the Ambassador. Will that work?
On Friday morning, Adam and I go to the Russian Embassy, armed with hope from our call with Peter and knowledge about what happened. The dates on my visa application were correct, but when the UM-representatives sent the info to Moscow, they sent the wrong dates. We have copies of all the paperwork. The invitation from Moscow was wrong. The visa matched it. No one caught it.
The Russian Embassy representatives let me know that invitations come from Moscow and they can't issue a Visa without that invitation. The all-powerful Ambassador is in Russia on holiday and unreachable. And when asked what happens if you show up in Russia without a Visa, the only thing the Embassy representatives will say is "You can't."
I walked out of the Embassy and did the only thing that one can do in these sorts of situations: I cried. Great, big gulping sobs of complete and total hopelessness. And anger. And epic failure. I was supposed to go to Russia to serve God and now, I wasn't even going to get into the country.
I looked at Adam and said, "I want to go home." And here I am.
Home (Part 1)
I am supposed to be getting my first glimpse of St. Petersburg right now. Instead, I am at home, waiting for air-conditioning man and calling Continental Airlines again. This is NOT what I had in mind! So, let me tell you how this came to be...
Be warned:
1.) This is a long tale.
2.) Know that it's just Part 1. With God, hope is never lost completely. I am going to Russia. I'm just not there yet. I'll post Part 2 later today.
The facts:
To go to Russia, you must have a Visa. To get a Visa, you must have an "invitation" to visit Russia. The Visa procurement process has several steps and a specific timeline - you can't apply more than 45 days before you're supposed to arrive.
The process:
The team I am traveling with from Trinity UMC filled out our individual visa applications, and worked with representatives from the UM Russia Initiative who get the invitations from Moscow and then work with a visa-procurement company. The company walks the paperwork through the Russian embassy who generates the visa which is applied directly to your passport, and then the company returns the passport with visa to you.
Critical info:
So, back in June I surrendered my passport and began waiting for the Visa. There was a delay in getting the invitations out of Moscow, thanks to a broken scanner. (Ah, technology...) In our last team meeting on July 10, we learned that the process wasn't moving along as fast as we hoped.
I think Team Leaders Charles and Karen were a little bit nervous, but I really wasn't. I reviewed my plans and back-up plans and felt confident that it would all be ok. We waited and prayed and hoped and prayed that the passports and visas would arrive in time. And then the news - the passports and visa would arrive on July 23. (Hooray!)
Except they didn't. It would seem that the visa-procurement company somehow dropped the ball and the visas weren't ready. (It seems like the company just sort-of forgot when we needed them.) Not a huge deal. I could get into Canada with my birth certificate and driver's license, and my passport could be overnighted to me via FedEx or UPS. (Note: while you can get into Canada via car with your birth certificate and driver's license, you need a passport to get back into the USA.)
Monday, July 26 came and went, and my passport wasn't shipped. On Tuesday, I put a call to the visa-procurement company to check the status and reminded them about when I was leaving. They sent it via FedEx on Tuesday, and it was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. Except it didn't. Apparently, the FedEx guy got lost.
So, let's ask the obvious question - why didn't he ask for directions? The house is on MapQuest and Google maps, and the phone number was on the shipping label so he could have called. According to FedEx, their drivers a.) don't use MapQuest, Google maps, or any GPS devices; and b.) do not carry cell phones.
On Wednesday evening, we provide specific directions to the house and FedEx promises it will arrive on Thursday. To this point, I've done a pretty good job keeping my worries at bay. FedEx will get here. I'll get on the plane on Friday. It'll be fine.
At 1pm on Thursday, we started tracking the FedEx package, receiving assurances that it was "on the way." The hours rolled by and FedEx promised us it was coming by 5pm. Except it didn't. More phone calls, more promises, more tracking. FedEx can't find its driver.
At 6:45pm, the FedEx guy pulls up and (seriously) you never saw a family rejoice as much as we did. Hooray, hooray! The passport is here. I can go to Russia!
Except the Visa is wrong. It says I am arriving on August 1. I am arriving on July 31. It's off by a day. With my plane scheduled to land at 1pm, it's off by 11 hours.
So, what happens if you arrive in Russia without a valid visa? Can you hang out at the airport? Is there an invisible line that you have to stay behind until the magic moment of midnight? Do they turn you around and send you home? Do they throw you in a Russian jail or hit you with a steep fine?
We make calls. We try to figure out how and where this thing went wrong. More importantly, Adam (my husband, best friend and problem-solver extraordinaire) and I look for solutions. It becomes clear that I need a correct visa and those come from the Embassy. Can the Russian Embassy in Ottawa help me? And can they do it in time for me to make a 2pm flight?
Adam's extended family includes several diplomats and politicians, so I make a call to his cousin, Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Me: Peter, do you know anyone at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa?
Peter: I know the Ambassador. Will that work?
On Friday morning, Adam and I go to the Russian Embassy, armed with hope from our call with Peter and knowledge about what happened. The dates on my visa application were correct, but when the UM-representatives sent the info to Moscow, they sent the wrong dates. We have copies of all the paperwork. The invitation from Moscow was wrong. The visa matched it. No one caught it.
The Russian Embassy representatives let me know that invitations come from Moscow and they can't issue a Visa without that invitation. The all-powerful Ambassador is in Russia on holiday and unreachable. And when asked what happens if you show up in Russia without a Visa, the only thing the Embassy representatives will say is "You can't."
I walked out of the Embassy and did the only thing that one can do in these sorts of situations: I cried. Great, big gulping sobs of complete and total hopelessness. And anger. And epic failure. I was supposed to go to Russia to serve God and now, I wasn't even going to get into the country.
I looked at Adam and said, "I want to go home." And here I am.
Be warned:
1.) This is a long tale.
2.) Know that it's just Part 1. With God, hope is never lost completely. I am going to Russia. I'm just not there yet. I'll post Part 2 later today.
The facts:
To go to Russia, you must have a Visa. To get a Visa, you must have an "invitation" to visit Russia. The Visa procurement process has several steps and a specific timeline - you can't apply more than 45 days before you're supposed to arrive.
The process:
The team I am traveling with from Trinity UMC filled out our individual visa applications, and worked with representatives from the UM Russia Initiative who get the invitations from Moscow and then work with a visa-procurement company. The company walks the paperwork through the Russian embassy who generates the visa which is applied directly to your passport, and then the company returns the passport with visa to you.
Critical info:
- You have to give up your passport to the visa-procurement company who takes it to the embassy.
- I was departing from the USA on July 23 to head to Canada for a week with my husband's family.
- I was departing from Ottawa, Canada on July 30 and traveling to St. Petersburg (via Washington Dulles).
- The team was departing from Washington-Dulles on Aug. 1 bound for Moscow.
So, back in June I surrendered my passport and began waiting for the Visa. There was a delay in getting the invitations out of Moscow, thanks to a broken scanner. (Ah, technology...) In our last team meeting on July 10, we learned that the process wasn't moving along as fast as we hoped.
I think Team Leaders Charles and Karen were a little bit nervous, but I really wasn't. I reviewed my plans and back-up plans and felt confident that it would all be ok. We waited and prayed and hoped and prayed that the passports and visas would arrive in time. And then the news - the passports and visa would arrive on July 23. (Hooray!)
Except they didn't. It would seem that the visa-procurement company somehow dropped the ball and the visas weren't ready. (It seems like the company just sort-of forgot when we needed them.) Not a huge deal. I could get into Canada with my birth certificate and driver's license, and my passport could be overnighted to me via FedEx or UPS. (Note: while you can get into Canada via car with your birth certificate and driver's license, you need a passport to get back into the USA.)
Monday, July 26 came and went, and my passport wasn't shipped. On Tuesday, I put a call to the visa-procurement company to check the status and reminded them about when I was leaving. They sent it via FedEx on Tuesday, and it was supposed to arrive on Wednesday. Except it didn't. Apparently, the FedEx guy got lost.
So, let's ask the obvious question - why didn't he ask for directions? The house is on MapQuest and Google maps, and the phone number was on the shipping label so he could have called. According to FedEx, their drivers a.) don't use MapQuest, Google maps, or any GPS devices; and b.) do not carry cell phones.
On Wednesday evening, we provide specific directions to the house and FedEx promises it will arrive on Thursday. To this point, I've done a pretty good job keeping my worries at bay. FedEx will get here. I'll get on the plane on Friday. It'll be fine.
At 1pm on Thursday, we started tracking the FedEx package, receiving assurances that it was "on the way." The hours rolled by and FedEx promised us it was coming by 5pm. Except it didn't. More phone calls, more promises, more tracking. FedEx can't find its driver.
At 6:45pm, the FedEx guy pulls up and (seriously) you never saw a family rejoice as much as we did. Hooray, hooray! The passport is here. I can go to Russia!
Except the Visa is wrong. It says I am arriving on August 1. I am arriving on July 31. It's off by a day. With my plane scheduled to land at 1pm, it's off by 11 hours.
So, what happens if you arrive in Russia without a valid visa? Can you hang out at the airport? Is there an invisible line that you have to stay behind until the magic moment of midnight? Do they turn you around and send you home? Do they throw you in a Russian jail or hit you with a steep fine?
We make calls. We try to figure out how and where this thing went wrong. More importantly, Adam (my husband, best friend and problem-solver extraordinaire) and I look for solutions. It becomes clear that I need a correct visa and those come from the Embassy. Can the Russian Embassy in Ottawa help me? And can they do it in time for me to make a 2pm flight?
Adam's extended family includes several diplomats and politicians, so I make a call to his cousin, Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons.
Me: Peter, do you know anyone at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa?
Peter: I know the Ambassador. Will that work?
On Friday morning, Adam and I go to the Russian Embassy, armed with hope from our call with Peter and knowledge about what happened. The dates on my visa application were correct, but when the UM-representatives sent the info to Moscow, they sent the wrong dates. We have copies of all the paperwork. The invitation from Moscow was wrong. The visa matched it. No one caught it.
The Russian Embassy representatives let me know that invitations come from Moscow and they can't issue a Visa without that invitation. The all-powerful Ambassador is in Russia on holiday and unreachable. And when asked what happens if you show up in Russia without a Visa, the only thing the Embassy representatives will say is "You can't."
I walked out of the Embassy and did the only thing that one can do in these sorts of situations: I cried. Great, big gulping sobs of complete and total hopelessness. And anger. And epic failure. I was supposed to go to Russia to serve God and now, I wasn't even going to get into the country.
I looked at Adam and said, "I want to go home." And here I am.
"Magic in the Sound"
A week or so before we left on Choir Tour, we got an interesting phone call. A Federal agency was looking for a group of kids to record a newly-written song for a Public Service Announcement -- could we help?
They wanted a young sound, which meant that we'd have to leave our high school singers at home :-( and let the middle schoolers tackle this task on their own. And the size of the studio meant that we could only take a handful of singers. :-( I had the tough job of figuring out which voice-types were needed to record this blues-y tune, who was in town and healthy (we had a bunch of sick VIPs after our trip!) and who had the stamina for a day-long recording session just 2 days after we wrapped up Tour.
Kaitlyn, Robbie, Jenna, Allison, and Ellie hit a recording studio in Rockville and sang their hearts out. They represented VIP well and did a fantastic job!
Here's the email I received today:
Holly, we can’t begin to thank you enough for the work you and the kids did on this project. Thanks to all of you, there’s magic in the sound. When I got a chance to listen to all the tracks, I could actually hear how you were working with them to get the right sounds – what an amazing relationship you have with them. Your capacity to get them where they needed to get was a real lesson for me, and of course, the kids completely rose to the occasion... You have our deep gratitude!
PS - As soon as we have the final version of the song, we'll post it!
They wanted a young sound, which meant that we'd have to leave our high school singers at home :-( and let the middle schoolers tackle this task on their own. And the size of the studio meant that we could only take a handful of singers. :-( I had the tough job of figuring out which voice-types were needed to record this blues-y tune, who was in town and healthy (we had a bunch of sick VIPs after our trip!) and who had the stamina for a day-long recording session just 2 days after we wrapped up Tour.
Kaitlyn, Robbie, Jenna, Allison, and Ellie hit a recording studio in Rockville and sang their hearts out. They represented VIP well and did a fantastic job!
Here's the email I received today:
Holly, we can’t begin to thank you enough for the work you and the kids did on this project. Thanks to all of you, there’s magic in the sound. When I got a chance to listen to all the tracks, I could actually hear how you were working with them to get the right sounds – what an amazing relationship you have with them. Your capacity to get them where they needed to get was a real lesson for me, and of course, the kids completely rose to the occasion... You have our deep gratitude!
PS - As soon as we have the final version of the song, we'll post it!
"Magic in the Sound"
A week or so before we left on Choir Tour, we got an interesting phone call. A Federal agency was looking for a group of kids to record a newly-written song for a Public Service Announcement -- could we help?
They wanted a young sound, which meant that we'd have to leave our high school singers at home :-( and let the middle schoolers tackle this task on their own. And the size of the studio meant that we could only take a handful of singers. :-( I had the tough job of figuring out which voice-types were needed to record this blues-y tune, who was in town and healthy (we had a bunch of sick VIPs after our trip!) and who had the stamina for a day-long recording session just 2 days after we wrapped up Tour.
Kaitlyn, Robbie, Jenna, Allison, and Ellie hit a recording studio in Rockville and sang their hearts out. They represented VIP well and did a fantastic job!
Here's the email I received today:
Holly, we can’t begin to thank you enough for the work you and the kids did on this project. Thanks to all of you, there’s magic in the sound. When I got a chance to listen to all the tracks, I could actually hear how you were working with them to get the right sounds – what an amazing relationship you have with them. Your capacity to get them where they needed to get was a real lesson for me, and of course, the kids completely rose to the occasion... You have our deep gratitude!
PS - As soon as we have the final version of the song, we'll post it!
They wanted a young sound, which meant that we'd have to leave our high school singers at home :-( and let the middle schoolers tackle this task on their own. And the size of the studio meant that we could only take a handful of singers. :-( I had the tough job of figuring out which voice-types were needed to record this blues-y tune, who was in town and healthy (we had a bunch of sick VIPs after our trip!) and who had the stamina for a day-long recording session just 2 days after we wrapped up Tour.
Kaitlyn, Robbie, Jenna, Allison, and Ellie hit a recording studio in Rockville and sang their hearts out. They represented VIP well and did a fantastic job!
Here's the email I received today:
Holly, we can’t begin to thank you enough for the work you and the kids did on this project. Thanks to all of you, there’s magic in the sound. When I got a chance to listen to all the tracks, I could actually hear how you were working with them to get the right sounds – what an amazing relationship you have with them. Your capacity to get them where they needed to get was a real lesson for me, and of course, the kids completely rose to the occasion... You have our deep gratitude!
PS - As soon as we have the final version of the song, we'll post it!
God and Google
In 14 short days, I will be en route to Russia to participate in a Mission Team and begin preparations for VIP's mission trip in 2012. The Team is traveling to Moscow, Oryol, and Voronezh and while I am excited to visit those cities, I've been praying about how to get to St. Petersburg and make some connections in that city for VIP. I have time at the beginning and end of my trip where I'm traveling solo - but how to make it work?
Last week, in all my Googling, I came across this website for Marvin UMC in Tyler, Texas and was delighted to discover that they're going to Russia, too. And (hold-your-breath) - they're going to be there when I am there by myself! (And check out the words from St. Francis on their website; VIP just sang "Prayer of St. Francis.")
I sent an email through their website and amazingly enough, I got a call last night from Melissa Brigman - who (along with her husband) is leading the team. They've been to Russia more than a dozen times! and leave in 4 days for this next trip.
Can you guess where this is going?
A few reservations for planes, trains, and hotels (no automobiles!) and I have the great joy of meeting with up with team from Tyler, TX and will experience St. Petersburg with them. Together, we'll worship at Grace UMC and I'll get to meet the Pastor there and see their children's programs in action.
I am thrilled and incredibly grateful to God for sorting this out for me. I appreciate the ways he brings people into our lives just when we need them most! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
Last week, in all my Googling, I came across this website for Marvin UMC in Tyler, Texas and was delighted to discover that they're going to Russia, too. And (hold-your-breath) - they're going to be there when I am there by myself! (And check out the words from St. Francis on their website; VIP just sang "Prayer of St. Francis.")
I sent an email through their website and amazingly enough, I got a call last night from Melissa Brigman - who (along with her husband) is leading the team. They've been to Russia more than a dozen times! and leave in 4 days for this next trip.
Can you guess where this is going?
A few reservations for planes, trains, and hotels (no automobiles!) and I have the great joy of meeting with up with team from Tyler, TX and will experience St. Petersburg with them. Together, we'll worship at Grace UMC and I'll get to meet the Pastor there and see their children's programs in action.
I am thrilled and incredibly grateful to God for sorting this out for me. I appreciate the ways he brings people into our lives just when we need them most! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
God and Google
In 14 short days, I will be en route to Russia to participate in a Mission Team and begin preparations for VIP's mission trip in 2012. The Team is traveling to Moscow, Oryol, and Voronezh and while I am excited to visit those cities, I've been praying about how to get to St. Petersburg and make some connections in that city for VIP. I have time at the beginning and end of my trip where I'm traveling solo - but how to make it work?
Last week, in all my Googling, I came across this website for Marvin UMC in Tyler, Texas and was delighted to discover that they're going to Russia, too. And (hold-your-breath) - they're going to be there when I am there by myself! (And check out the words from St. Francis on their website; VIP just sang "Prayer of St. Francis.")
I sent an email through their website and amazingly enough, I got a call last night from Melissa Brigman - who (along with her husband) is leading the team. They've been to Russia more than a dozen times! and leave in 4 days for this next trip.
Can you guess where this is going?
A few reservations for planes, trains, and hotels (no automobiles!) and I have the great joy of meeting with up with team from Tyler, TX and will experience St. Petersburg with them. Together, we'll worship at Grace UMC and I'll get to meet the Pastor there and see their children's programs in action.
I am thrilled and incredibly grateful to God for sorting this out for me. I appreciate the ways he brings people into our lives just when we need them most! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
Last week, in all my Googling, I came across this website for Marvin UMC in Tyler, Texas and was delighted to discover that they're going to Russia, too. And (hold-your-breath) - they're going to be there when I am there by myself! (And check out the words from St. Francis on their website; VIP just sang "Prayer of St. Francis.")
I sent an email through their website and amazingly enough, I got a call last night from Melissa Brigman - who (along with her husband) is leading the team. They've been to Russia more than a dozen times! and leave in 4 days for this next trip.
Can you guess where this is going?
A few reservations for planes, trains, and hotels (no automobiles!) and I have the great joy of meeting with up with team from Tyler, TX and will experience St. Petersburg with them. Together, we'll worship at Grace UMC and I'll get to meet the Pastor there and see their children's programs in action.
I am thrilled and incredibly grateful to God for sorting this out for me. I appreciate the ways he brings people into our lives just when we need them most! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
A "Battle Hymn" Battle
One of the things I like most about Methodism is its strong history of singing. We have good four-part writing in our standard hymnal, and members of Voices In Praise help to lead the congregational singing during worship. They did a FABULOUS job on Tour, singing in 5 worship services throughout the week.
The Fourth of July was a week ago and I was interested to see what hymns would be sung. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" has gone through its own battle over the years, not only over the song itself and it's link to the Civil War, but for the controversial line in the fourth verse:
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
The line was changed in the choral arrangement to:
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free
Apparently, this change was supposed to make it to the Methodist Hymnal. The General Council (the Church's top decision-making group) voted on it more than 20 years ago, but it was never changed in the hymnal! No one seems to know why.
On all sorts of levels, I find this situation (and the article about it) interesting. Don't you just wonder where the buck stopped?
I envision this young guy sitting in a cubicle at the UM Conference headquarters, who gets a memo: "Please change lyrics." Does he throw the memo out and pretend he never got it? Does he stomp and rage and tell his boss how wrong it is? Does the boss agree and do they conspire to not chanage the lyrics?
Or, was it a simple oversight? A human mistake that has gone un-corrected for more than 20 years.
Honestly, I'll sing either set of lyrics but I do think it's important that singers/worshippers/congregations commit to singing in unity. This comes up regularly in VIP. It always makes me laugh when an entire section or the whole choir makes a mistake together. I often tell them, "OK, guys - we messed up the words/rhythm/notes but you get major points for making the same mistake together!" And I believe that sort-of "group think" is important and valuable.
What really bothers me in the article, is that Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, admits to singing is OWN set of words, which is neither the original, nor the UM-approved change:
In my own selecting, leading, and singing of this hymn in worship, I have always sung, "as he died to make us holy, now he lives to make us free," regardless of what those around me are singing.
I respectfully disagree -- not only with the lyrics Mr. McIntyre chooses but with the fact that you're singing something different from everyone around you.
Can you imagine if individual VIPs starting changing words to suit them? Yikes...
Hymn-singing is a form of worship. It's designed to (literally) put everyone on the same page. As individuals and music leaders, we might not agree with everything on that page, but that doesn't mean we should create our own individual, musical diversions... especially when we're in positions of musical leadership.
The Fourth of July was a week ago and I was interested to see what hymns would be sung. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" has gone through its own battle over the years, not only over the song itself and it's link to the Civil War, but for the controversial line in the fourth verse:
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
The line was changed in the choral arrangement to:
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free
Apparently, this change was supposed to make it to the Methodist Hymnal. The General Council (the Church's top decision-making group) voted on it more than 20 years ago, but it was never changed in the hymnal! No one seems to know why.
On all sorts of levels, I find this situation (and the article about it) interesting. Don't you just wonder where the buck stopped?
I envision this young guy sitting in a cubicle at the UM Conference headquarters, who gets a memo: "Please change lyrics." Does he throw the memo out and pretend he never got it? Does he stomp and rage and tell his boss how wrong it is? Does the boss agree and do they conspire to not chanage the lyrics?
Or, was it a simple oversight? A human mistake that has gone un-corrected for more than 20 years.
Honestly, I'll sing either set of lyrics but I do think it's important that singers/worshippers/congregations commit to singing in unity. This comes up regularly in VIP. It always makes me laugh when an entire section or the whole choir makes a mistake together. I often tell them, "OK, guys - we messed up the words/rhythm/notes but you get major points for making the same mistake together!" And I believe that sort-of "group think" is important and valuable.
What really bothers me in the article, is that Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, admits to singing is OWN set of words, which is neither the original, nor the UM-approved change:
In my own selecting, leading, and singing of this hymn in worship, I have always sung, "as he died to make us holy, now he lives to make us free," regardless of what those around me are singing.
I respectfully disagree -- not only with the lyrics Mr. McIntyre chooses but with the fact that you're singing something different from everyone around you.
Can you imagine if individual VIPs starting changing words to suit them? Yikes...
Hymn-singing is a form of worship. It's designed to (literally) put everyone on the same page. As individuals and music leaders, we might not agree with everything on that page, but that doesn't mean we should create our own individual, musical diversions... especially when we're in positions of musical leadership.
A "Battle Hymn" Battle
One of the things I like most about Methodism is its strong history of singing. We have good four-part writing in our standard hymnal, and members of Voices In Praise help to lead the congregational singing during worship. They did a FABULOUS job on Tour, singing in 5 worship services throughout the week.
The Fourth of July was a week ago and I was interested to see what hymns would be sung. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" has gone through its own battle over the years, not only over the song itself and it's link to the Civil War, but for the controversial line in the fourth verse:
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
The line was changed in the choral arrangement to:
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free
Apparently, this change was supposed to make it to the Methodist Hymnal. The General Council (the Church's top decision-making group) voted on it more than 20 years ago, but it was never changed in the hymnal! No one seems to know why.
On all sorts of levels, I find this situation (and the article about it) interesting. Don't you just wonder where the buck stopped?
I envision this young guy sitting in a cubicle at the UM Conference headquarters, who gets a memo: "Please change lyrics." Does he throw the memo out and pretend he never got it? Does he stomp and rage and tell his boss how wrong it is? Does the boss agree and do they conspire to not chanage the lyrics?
Or, was it a simple oversight? A human mistake that has gone un-corrected for more than 20 years.
Honestly, I'll sing either set of lyrics but I do think it's important that singers/worshippers/congregations commit to singing in unity. This comes up regularly in VIP. It always makes me laugh when an entire section or the whole choir makes a mistake together. I often tell them, "OK, guys - we messed up the words/rhythm/notes but you get major points for making the same mistake together!" And I believe that sort-of "group think" is important and valuable.
What really bothers me in the article, is that Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, admits to singing is OWN set of words, which is neither the original, nor the UM-approved change:
In my own selecting, leading, and singing of this hymn in worship, I have always sung, "as he died to make us holy, now he lives to make us free," regardless of what those around me are singing.
I respectfully disagree -- not only with the lyrics Mr. McIntyre chooses but with the fact that you're singing something different from everyone around you.
Can you imagine if individual VIPs starting changing words to suit them? Yikes...
Hymn-singing is a form of worship. It's designed to (literally) put everyone on the same page. As individuals and music leaders, we might not agree with everything on that page, but that doesn't mean we should create our own individual, musical diversions... especially when we're in positions of musical leadership.
The Fourth of July was a week ago and I was interested to see what hymns would be sung. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" has gone through its own battle over the years, not only over the song itself and it's link to the Civil War, but for the controversial line in the fourth verse:
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free
The line was changed in the choral arrangement to:
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free
Apparently, this change was supposed to make it to the Methodist Hymnal. The General Council (the Church's top decision-making group) voted on it more than 20 years ago, but it was never changed in the hymnal! No one seems to know why.
On all sorts of levels, I find this situation (and the article about it) interesting. Don't you just wonder where the buck stopped?
I envision this young guy sitting in a cubicle at the UM Conference headquarters, who gets a memo: "Please change lyrics." Does he throw the memo out and pretend he never got it? Does he stomp and rage and tell his boss how wrong it is? Does the boss agree and do they conspire to not chanage the lyrics?
Or, was it a simple oversight? A human mistake that has gone un-corrected for more than 20 years.
Honestly, I'll sing either set of lyrics but I do think it's important that singers/worshippers/congregations commit to singing in unity. This comes up regularly in VIP. It always makes me laugh when an entire section or the whole choir makes a mistake together. I often tell them, "OK, guys - we messed up the words/rhythm/notes but you get major points for making the same mistake together!" And I believe that sort-of "group think" is important and valuable.
What really bothers me in the article, is that Dean McIntyre, Director of Music Resources for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, admits to singing is OWN set of words, which is neither the original, nor the UM-approved change:
In my own selecting, leading, and singing of this hymn in worship, I have always sung, "as he died to make us holy, now he lives to make us free," regardless of what those around me are singing.
I respectfully disagree -- not only with the lyrics Mr. McIntyre chooses but with the fact that you're singing something different from everyone around you.
Can you imagine if individual VIPs starting changing words to suit them? Yikes...
Hymn-singing is a form of worship. It's designed to (literally) put everyone on the same page. As individuals and music leaders, we might not agree with everything on that page, but that doesn't mean we should create our own individual, musical diversions... especially when we're in positions of musical leadership.
Homecoming Concerts Tomorrow!
VIP is home from Chicago and enjoying a day off before we present two Homecoming Concerts tomorrow, Monday, July 5 at 4pm and 7pm at Friendship United Methodist Church (22 West Friendship Road, Friendship, MD 20758).
Please join us!
We'll have a covered dish dinner between the concerts and invite all of you to come and bring a dish to share.
Please join us!
We'll have a covered dish dinner between the concerts and invite all of you to come and bring a dish to share.
Homecoming Concerts Tomorrow!
VIP is home from Chicago and enjoying a day off before we present two Homecoming Concerts tomorrow, Monday, July 5 at 4pm and 7pm at Friendship United Methodist Church (22 West Friendship Road, Friendship, MD 20758).
Please join us!
We'll have a covered dish dinner between the concerts and invite all of you to come and bring a dish to share.
Please join us!
We'll have a covered dish dinner between the concerts and invite all of you to come and bring a dish to share.
Friday
The last day of Tour began with a visit to the Bean and impromptu performance. Then, we headed over to the Pritzker Pavilion to watch the Grant Park Orchestra and dancers rehearse for their big 4th of July concert. We had some of the best seats in the house at this beautiful performing venue and enjoyed being in the audience. Some of the VIPs made their way back to the grassy lawn and did their own creative dancing - and were photographed by "The Chicago Tribune." We'll keep an eye on their Web site for pictures of our can-canning high school girls.
After a fabulous lunch at Steve's Deli, we made our way to the Bethesda Retirement Community for an afternoon concert and then to Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for an evening concert. Between the two concerts, VIPs spent some time listening to previous concert recordings and identifying what we could correct in our final concert on the road. This "homework" paid off and the final concert was musically-speaking the best one we gave.
It's hard to identify the "best" concert on Tour. The one at Lincoln Park Presbyterian was, from a technical perspective, the finest performance. But VIP seemed to shine the brightest when performing for kids at Newberry Center or at one of the juvenile detention centers. Music ministry comes in all forms and it's a joy to experience them!
After a fabulous lunch at Steve's Deli, we made our way to the Bethesda Retirement Community for an afternoon concert and then to Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for an evening concert. Between the two concerts, VIPs spent some time listening to previous concert recordings and identifying what we could correct in our final concert on the road. This "homework" paid off and the final concert was musically-speaking the best one we gave.
It's hard to identify the "best" concert on Tour. The one at Lincoln Park Presbyterian was, from a technical perspective, the finest performance. But VIP seemed to shine the brightest when performing for kids at Newberry Center or at one of the juvenile detention centers. Music ministry comes in all forms and it's a joy to experience them!
Friday
The last day of Tour began with a visit to the Bean and impromptu performance. Then, we headed over to the Pritzker Pavilion to watch the Grant Park Orchestra and dancers rehearse for their big 4th of July concert. We had some of the best seats in the house at this beautiful performing venue and enjoyed being in the audience. Some of the VIPs made their way back to the grassy lawn and did their own creative dancing - and were photographed by "The Chicago Tribune." We'll keep an eye on their Web site for pictures of our can-canning high school girls.
After a fabulous lunch at Steve's Deli, we made our way to the Bethesda Retirement Community for an afternoon concert and then to Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for an evening concert. Between the two concerts, VIPs spent some time listening to previous concert recordings and identifying what we could correct in our final concert on the road. This "homework" paid off and the final concert was musically-speaking the best one we gave.
It's hard to identify the "best" concert on Tour. The one at Lincoln Park Presbyterian was, from a technical perspective, the finest performance. But VIP seemed to shine the brightest when performing for kids at Newberry Center or at one of the juvenile detention centers. Music ministry comes in all forms and it's a joy to experience them!
After a fabulous lunch at Steve's Deli, we made our way to the Bethesda Retirement Community for an afternoon concert and then to Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church for an evening concert. Between the two concerts, VIPs spent some time listening to previous concert recordings and identifying what we could correct in our final concert on the road. This "homework" paid off and the final concert was musically-speaking the best one we gave.
It's hard to identify the "best" concert on Tour. The one at Lincoln Park Presbyterian was, from a technical perspective, the finest performance. But VIP seemed to shine the brightest when performing for kids at Newberry Center or at one of the juvenile detention centers. Music ministry comes in all forms and it's a joy to experience them!
Thursday - Free Day!
Thursday was VIP's free day on this Tour - an opportunity for singers to rest their voices and see a bit of Chicago. We tried something new on this Tour and let the singers choose what they wanted to do. Throughout the day. VIPs visited the Art Institute, the Zoo, and Navy Pier and attended the Cubs game, Cirque de'Shanghai, and Billy Elliott.
It was a great day!
It was a great day!
Thursday - Free Day!
Thursday was VIP's free day on this Tour - an opportunity for singers to rest their voices and see a bit of Chicago. We tried something new on this Tour and let the singers choose what they wanted to do. Throughout the day. VIPs visited the Art Institute, the Zoo, and Navy Pier and attended the Cubs game, Cirque de'Shanghai, and Billy Elliott.
It was a great day!
It was a great day!
Wednesday recap
Boat rides are a traditional part of VIP tour – from cruising the Toronto skyline to tubing the Guadalupe River in Texas. Thursday started off with an architectural boat ride from Navy Pier. The VIPs learned a lot of Chicago history while they identified flying buttresses and learned about air rights, nude buildings, and how the flow of the Chicago river was reversed. Wearing oh-so-cute sailor hats, the VIPs boarded the bus and headed to First UMC at Chicago Temple to sing at their noon worship service.
VIP entered the sanctuary in near-silence and quietly followed instructions through warm-up. They sang beautifully in this historic space and maintained an attitude of silent reverence throughout and following the service. As the last note of the postlude faded away, the choir remained silent and seated, waiting to hear about their next steps. Have you ever seen 31 teenagers sit perfectly still and silent? They did.
VIP’s stellar musicianship and respectful behavior did not go unnoticed. Director of Music Erik Nussbaum paid me one of the greatest compliments : “You have a well-disciplined choir.” Now, THAT is music to my ears. How VIPs carry themselves matters as much to the ministry as the music they sing - and VIP represented themselves well.
We had a delicious lunch en route to our next concert at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center – the largest juvenile detention center in the Nation. VIP went through a rigorous and lengthy security clearance process, and was escorted by guards at all times. When got set up in our performance space and had a few minutes before our audience entered. To loosen the choir and help them relax, we did some basic stretches and then played a competitive game of Simon Says. Petri won!
The audience filed in, along with more guards. As we looked around the room, we discovered that nearly 30 guards were in the room – and later learned that a special detail had been called in to make our performance possible. We appreciate the great lengths that the staff at the Center went to for us.
Prison rules kept us from passing out instruments (drums, maracas, tambourines, etc.) to our audience but we still wanted to get our audience involved. Brie Gresko led us through a body percussion exercise where VIPs and the audience worked together to make “rain.” Then, we did a piece called “Oye!” and taught the audience the chorus so they could sing along.
VIP got comfortable and the audience loosened up. Before long, the 30 or so young men in the audience were snapping and clapping along. They really liked “Honey in the Rock” and our closing piece – “Lean On Me."
Then, it was off to Concert #3 at the Hancock Observatory. We performed on the outdoor plaza and faced chilly temperatures and a wild Chicago wind. It was so strong that our music stands toppled over and Molly & Caitlin together had to hold Brie's music for her. The VIPs banned together for warmth and delivered a fun and energetic concert to people on the plaza.
Then, we went to dinner and Navy Pier for fun on the giant ferris wheel, swings, and mini-golf course. Fireworks capped off this fun day - Eric's 18th birthday.
VIP entered the sanctuary in near-silence and quietly followed instructions through warm-up. They sang beautifully in this historic space and maintained an attitude of silent reverence throughout and following the service. As the last note of the postlude faded away, the choir remained silent and seated, waiting to hear about their next steps. Have you ever seen 31 teenagers sit perfectly still and silent? They did.
VIP’s stellar musicianship and respectful behavior did not go unnoticed. Director of Music Erik Nussbaum paid me one of the greatest compliments : “You have a well-disciplined choir.” Now, THAT is music to my ears. How VIPs carry themselves matters as much to the ministry as the music they sing - and VIP represented themselves well.
We had a delicious lunch en route to our next concert at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center – the largest juvenile detention center in the Nation. VIP went through a rigorous and lengthy security clearance process, and was escorted by guards at all times. When got set up in our performance space and had a few minutes before our audience entered. To loosen the choir and help them relax, we did some basic stretches and then played a competitive game of Simon Says. Petri won!
The audience filed in, along with more guards. As we looked around the room, we discovered that nearly 30 guards were in the room – and later learned that a special detail had been called in to make our performance possible. We appreciate the great lengths that the staff at the Center went to for us.
Prison rules kept us from passing out instruments (drums, maracas, tambourines, etc.) to our audience but we still wanted to get our audience involved. Brie Gresko led us through a body percussion exercise where VIPs and the audience worked together to make “rain.” Then, we did a piece called “Oye!” and taught the audience the chorus so they could sing along.
VIP got comfortable and the audience loosened up. Before long, the 30 or so young men in the audience were snapping and clapping along. They really liked “Honey in the Rock” and our closing piece – “Lean On Me."
Then, it was off to Concert #3 at the Hancock Observatory. We performed on the outdoor plaza and faced chilly temperatures and a wild Chicago wind. It was so strong that our music stands toppled over and Molly & Caitlin together had to hold Brie's music for her. The VIPs banned together for warmth and delivered a fun and energetic concert to people on the plaza.
Then, we went to dinner and Navy Pier for fun on the giant ferris wheel, swings, and mini-golf course. Fireworks capped off this fun day - Eric's 18th birthday.
Wednesday recap
Boat rides are a traditional part of VIP tour – from cruising the Toronto skyline to tubing the Guadalupe River in Texas. Thursday started off with an architectural boat ride from Navy Pier. The VIPs learned a lot of Chicago history while they identified flying buttresses and learned about air rights, nude buildings, and how the flow of the Chicago river was reversed. Wearing oh-so-cute sailor hats, the VIPs boarded the bus and headed to First UMC at Chicago Temple to sing at their noon worship service.
VIP entered the sanctuary in near-silence and quietly followed instructions through warm-up. They sang beautifully in this historic space and maintained an attitude of silent reverence throughout and following the service. As the last note of the postlude faded away, the choir remained silent and seated, waiting to hear about their next steps. Have you ever seen 31 teenagers sit perfectly still and silent? They did.
VIP’s stellar musicianship and respectful behavior did not go unnoticed. Director of Music Erik Nussbaum paid me one of the greatest compliments : “You have a well-disciplined choir.” Now, THAT is music to my ears. How VIPs carry themselves matters as much to the ministry as the music they sing - and VIP represented themselves well.
We had a delicious lunch en route to our next concert at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center – the largest juvenile detention center in the Nation. VIP went through a rigorous and lengthy security clearance process, and was escorted by guards at all times. When got set up in our performance space and had a few minutes before our audience entered. To loosen the choir and help them relax, we did some basic stretches and then played a competitive game of Simon Says. Petri won!
The audience filed in, along with more guards. As we looked around the room, we discovered that nearly 30 guards were in the room – and later learned that a special detail had been called in to make our performance possible. We appreciate the great lengths that the staff at the Center went to for us.
Prison rules kept us from passing out instruments (drums, maracas, tambourines, etc.) to our audience but we still wanted to get our audience involved. Brie Gresko led us through a body percussion exercise where VIPs and the audience worked together to make “rain.” Then, we did a piece called “Oye!” and taught the audience the chorus so they could sing along.
VIP got comfortable and the audience loosened up. Before long, the 30 or so young men in the audience were snapping and clapping along. They really liked “Honey in the Rock” and our closing piece – “Lean On Me."
Then, it was off to Concert #3 at the Hancock Observatory. We performed on the outdoor plaza and faced chilly temperatures and a wild Chicago wind. It was so strong that our music stands toppled over and Molly & Caitlin together had to hold Brie's music for her. The VIPs banned together for warmth and delivered a fun and energetic concert to people on the plaza.
Then, we went to dinner and Navy Pier for fun on the giant ferris wheel, swings, and mini-golf course. Fireworks capped off this fun day - Eric's 18th birthday.
VIP entered the sanctuary in near-silence and quietly followed instructions through warm-up. They sang beautifully in this historic space and maintained an attitude of silent reverence throughout and following the service. As the last note of the postlude faded away, the choir remained silent and seated, waiting to hear about their next steps. Have you ever seen 31 teenagers sit perfectly still and silent? They did.
VIP’s stellar musicianship and respectful behavior did not go unnoticed. Director of Music Erik Nussbaum paid me one of the greatest compliments : “You have a well-disciplined choir.” Now, THAT is music to my ears. How VIPs carry themselves matters as much to the ministry as the music they sing - and VIP represented themselves well.
We had a delicious lunch en route to our next concert at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center – the largest juvenile detention center in the Nation. VIP went through a rigorous and lengthy security clearance process, and was escorted by guards at all times. When got set up in our performance space and had a few minutes before our audience entered. To loosen the choir and help them relax, we did some basic stretches and then played a competitive game of Simon Says. Petri won!
The audience filed in, along with more guards. As we looked around the room, we discovered that nearly 30 guards were in the room – and later learned that a special detail had been called in to make our performance possible. We appreciate the great lengths that the staff at the Center went to for us.
Prison rules kept us from passing out instruments (drums, maracas, tambourines, etc.) to our audience but we still wanted to get our audience involved. Brie Gresko led us through a body percussion exercise where VIPs and the audience worked together to make “rain.” Then, we did a piece called “Oye!” and taught the audience the chorus so they could sing along.
VIP got comfortable and the audience loosened up. Before long, the 30 or so young men in the audience were snapping and clapping along. They really liked “Honey in the Rock” and our closing piece – “Lean On Me."
Then, it was off to Concert #3 at the Hancock Observatory. We performed on the outdoor plaza and faced chilly temperatures and a wild Chicago wind. It was so strong that our music stands toppled over and Molly & Caitlin together had to hold Brie's music for her. The VIPs banned together for warmth and delivered a fun and energetic concert to people on the plaza.
Then, we went to dinner and Navy Pier for fun on the giant ferris wheel, swings, and mini-golf course. Fireworks capped off this fun day - Eric's 18th birthday.
Tuesday Reflections
This tour is flying by! Here it is Thursday afternoon and we haven't had time to update you- we've just been SO busy. Hope this long post was worth the wait...
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and cool here in Chicago. Some of us absolutely love this weather, while others are shivering and reaching for jackets. Despite a late night, we were up and at 'em bright and early, and made our way to the Newberry Center. Founded in 1883 by the women of the First United Methodist Church of Evanston, the Center provides a range of services and programs to low-income families -- including meals and child care for children whose parents are working.
We arrived, got set up in the gym, and then spent some time playing with some of the kids.
They even taught us some of their dance moves:
Thanks to Mary Flora, we learned a fun circle game that uses an Afghan folk tune and 3 rolling balls in a sort of musical dodge ball of sorts. The people in the circle sing, and when the tune shifts - they start rolling balls to try and hit the person standing in the center. 3 hits and you're out! Some of the VIPs have fancy footwork! Here's Petri:
Then, we got to work on different tasks around the Center. Some VIPs scrubbed walls, while others weeded or used a saw to cut tree limbs.
When the work was done, we presented a concert for the kids and the Center's Children's Choir - the Newberry Kids - performed for us. They performed several sacred pieces and closed with a memorable rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." (We're working to upload the video.) We had a great time singing, dancing, and playing with these young Chicagoans.
After our time at Newberry, it was back to the hotel for a lunch of Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza - a Chicago tradition.
We had a quiet afternoon - some VIPs hit the hotel pool while others paid a visit to the Sky Chapel at First UMC at Chicago Temple. They had a bird's eye view of the city and got to see the Stanley Cup on display on the plaza below. Many of the girls went shopping (no surprise there) while the Senior Guys worked on the Tour song.
The HS VIPs met up at 4:30pm to head to Holy Covenant UMC to serve at their Dignity Diner, which takes place every Tuesday. Homeless and hungry individuals are welcomed to a sit-down meal in the church's sanctuary. The VIP High Schoolers became waiters and waitresses, and were joined by the Middle Schoolers to present a post-dinner concert. The VIPs sang well and many of the diners stayed to listen -- something that the Diner organizers say doesn't always happen.
This setting proved to be a difficult one for some VIPs -- the sound of the El train outside, the street traffic pouring in through the open windows and some... very involved participants made for a challenging performance environment. VIP works hard to succeed in every situation and in these types of situations, our training is put to the test.
After the concert, the group visited Portillo's for dinner and celebrated Elizabeth's 17th Birthday. VIP's traditional birthday hat seems to be missing so we replaced it with a Chicago baseball cap in Elizabeth's favorite color - pink!
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and cool here in Chicago. Some of us absolutely love this weather, while others are shivering and reaching for jackets. Despite a late night, we were up and at 'em bright and early, and made our way to the Newberry Center. Founded in 1883 by the women of the First United Methodist Church of Evanston, the Center provides a range of services and programs to low-income families -- including meals and child care for children whose parents are working.
We arrived, got set up in the gym, and then spent some time playing with some of the kids.
They even taught us some of their dance moves:
Thanks to Mary Flora, we learned a fun circle game that uses an Afghan folk tune and 3 rolling balls in a sort of musical dodge ball of sorts. The people in the circle sing, and when the tune shifts - they start rolling balls to try and hit the person standing in the center. 3 hits and you're out! Some of the VIPs have fancy footwork! Here's Petri:
Then, we got to work on different tasks around the Center. Some VIPs scrubbed walls, while others weeded or used a saw to cut tree limbs.
When the work was done, we presented a concert for the kids and the Center's Children's Choir - the Newberry Kids - performed for us. They performed several sacred pieces and closed with a memorable rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." (We're working to upload the video.) We had a great time singing, dancing, and playing with these young Chicagoans.
After our time at Newberry, it was back to the hotel for a lunch of Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza - a Chicago tradition.
We had a quiet afternoon - some VIPs hit the hotel pool while others paid a visit to the Sky Chapel at First UMC at Chicago Temple. They had a bird's eye view of the city and got to see the Stanley Cup on display on the plaza below. Many of the girls went shopping (no surprise there) while the Senior Guys worked on the Tour song.
The HS VIPs met up at 4:30pm to head to Holy Covenant UMC to serve at their Dignity Diner, which takes place every Tuesday. Homeless and hungry individuals are welcomed to a sit-down meal in the church's sanctuary. The VIP High Schoolers became waiters and waitresses, and were joined by the Middle Schoolers to present a post-dinner concert. The VIPs sang well and many of the diners stayed to listen -- something that the Diner organizers say doesn't always happen.
This setting proved to be a difficult one for some VIPs -- the sound of the El train outside, the street traffic pouring in through the open windows and some... very involved participants made for a challenging performance environment. VIP works hard to succeed in every situation and in these types of situations, our training is put to the test.
After the concert, the group visited Portillo's for dinner and celebrated Elizabeth's 17th Birthday. VIP's traditional birthday hat seems to be missing so we replaced it with a Chicago baseball cap in Elizabeth's favorite color - pink!
Tuesday Reflections
This tour is flying by! Here it is Thursday afternoon and we haven't had time to update you- we've just been SO busy. Hope this long post was worth the wait...
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and cool here in Chicago. Some of us absolutely love this weather, while others are shivering and reaching for jackets. Despite a late night, we were up and at 'em bright and early, and made our way to the Newberry Center. Founded in 1883 by the women of the First United Methodist Church of Evanston, the Center provides a range of services and programs to low-income families -- including meals and child care for children whose parents are working.
We arrived, got set up in the gym, and then spent some time playing with some of the kids.
They even taught us some of their dance moves:
Thanks to Mary Flora, we learned a fun circle game that uses an Afghan folk tune and 3 rolling balls in a sort of musical dodge ball of sorts. The people in the circle sing, and when the tune shifts - they start rolling balls to try and hit the person standing in the center. 3 hits and you're out! Some of the VIPs have fancy footwork! Here's Petri:
Then, we got to work on different tasks around the Center. Some VIPs scrubbed walls, while others weeded or used a saw to cut tree limbs.
When the work was done, we presented a concert for the kids and the Center's Children's Choir - the Newberry Kids - performed for us. They performed several sacred pieces and closed with a memorable rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." (We're working to upload the video.) We had a great time singing, dancing, and playing with these young Chicagoans.
After our time at Newberry, it was back to the hotel for a lunch of Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza - a Chicago tradition.
We had a quiet afternoon - some VIPs hit the hotel pool while others paid a visit to the Sky Chapel at First UMC at Chicago Temple. They had a bird's eye view of the city and got to see the Stanley Cup on display on the plaza below. Many of the girls went shopping (no surprise there) while the Senior Guys worked on the Tour song.
The HS VIPs met up at 4:30pm to head to Holy Covenant UMC to serve at their Dignity Diner, which takes place every Tuesday. Homeless and hungry individuals are welcomed to a sit-down meal in the church's sanctuary. The VIP High Schoolers became waiters and waitresses, and were joined by the Middle Schoolers to present a post-dinner concert. The VIPs sang well and many of the diners stayed to listen -- something that the Diner organizers say doesn't always happen.
This setting proved to be a difficult one for some VIPs -- the sound of the El train outside, the street traffic pouring in through the open windows and some... very involved participants made for a challenging performance environment. VIP works hard to succeed in every situation and in these types of situations, our training is put to the test.
After the concert, the group visited Portillo's for dinner and celebrated Elizabeth's 17th Birthday. VIP's traditional birthday hat seems to be missing so we replaced it with a Chicago baseball cap in Elizabeth's favorite color - pink!
Tuesday morning dawned sunny and cool here in Chicago. Some of us absolutely love this weather, while others are shivering and reaching for jackets. Despite a late night, we were up and at 'em bright and early, and made our way to the Newberry Center. Founded in 1883 by the women of the First United Methodist Church of Evanston, the Center provides a range of services and programs to low-income families -- including meals and child care for children whose parents are working.
We arrived, got set up in the gym, and then spent some time playing with some of the kids.
They even taught us some of their dance moves:
Thanks to Mary Flora, we learned a fun circle game that uses an Afghan folk tune and 3 rolling balls in a sort of musical dodge ball of sorts. The people in the circle sing, and when the tune shifts - they start rolling balls to try and hit the person standing in the center. 3 hits and you're out! Some of the VIPs have fancy footwork! Here's Petri:
Then, we got to work on different tasks around the Center. Some VIPs scrubbed walls, while others weeded or used a saw to cut tree limbs.
When the work was done, we presented a concert for the kids and the Center's Children's Choir - the Newberry Kids - performed for us. They performed several sacred pieces and closed with a memorable rendition of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." (We're working to upload the video.) We had a great time singing, dancing, and playing with these young Chicagoans.
After our time at Newberry, it was back to the hotel for a lunch of Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza - a Chicago tradition.
We had a quiet afternoon - some VIPs hit the hotel pool while others paid a visit to the Sky Chapel at First UMC at Chicago Temple. They had a bird's eye view of the city and got to see the Stanley Cup on display on the plaza below. Many of the girls went shopping (no surprise there) while the Senior Guys worked on the Tour song.
The HS VIPs met up at 4:30pm to head to Holy Covenant UMC to serve at their Dignity Diner, which takes place every Tuesday. Homeless and hungry individuals are welcomed to a sit-down meal in the church's sanctuary. The VIP High Schoolers became waiters and waitresses, and were joined by the Middle Schoolers to present a post-dinner concert. The VIPs sang well and many of the diners stayed to listen -- something that the Diner organizers say doesn't always happen.
This setting proved to be a difficult one for some VIPs -- the sound of the El train outside, the street traffic pouring in through the open windows and some... very involved participants made for a challenging performance environment. VIP works hard to succeed in every situation and in these types of situations, our training is put to the test.
After the concert, the group visited Portillo's for dinner and celebrated Elizabeth's 17th Birthday. VIP's traditional birthday hat seems to be missing so we replaced it with a Chicago baseball cap in Elizabeth's favorite color - pink!
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