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I am honored to have another article featured on the Boundless site. It’s called Chased, Caught and it is an article about my Bio Dad, myself and our Heavenly Father. Here is an excerpt.
Four-year-old Isaac, with a flash of his bright eyes and curly blond hair, can pretty much convince you to do just about anything. That boy is going to be trouble and all you can do is smile as you pull him off the next piece of furniture.
The staff were all gathered together for lunch one day when Isaac came by the office, along with his mother and sister, to visit his dad. After the meal was over, Isaac ran around the conference table and taunting his father, “Catch me Daddy!” Every time he passed one of the guys that had gathered around for lunch we would growl and try to hook him with our arms. He giggled that 4-year-old sunshine of a giggle, eluding our scary traps as he playfully derided us, “I passed you!”
“Lately, he likes to be chased and get caught,” his dad later explained to me.
One of my delights in life, as a single man, is watching good parents love their children, and seeing those children flourish in that loving environment. I love watching little Isaac’s eyes when his daddy “catches” him and he no longer wants to escape the embrace and just smiles and rests.
Rests, that is, for about two minutes and then is off to the races again. I like that part too.
A Different Kind of Chase
I only remember brief encounters with my Bio Dad when I was Isaac’s age. And then there are a few brief drunken snapshots of him when I was in fifth and sixth grades in Nashville. That’s pretty much it.
My dad did all the running then and there was no catching him. …. read the rest here.
[From Chased, Caught]
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Oh and the Strauss piece you are talking about is 'Allerseelen'. I had to look it up. Playing that one and 'Morgen' and 'Zueignung' in a recital the end of March. Stunning music. I'm so glad to 'meet' you!
Well, I'm so glad you replied regardless!!! I'm chuckling because you and I are the same kind of pianist. Except I love opera arias and am considering further education to develop my operatic vocal coaching skills. Don't you just LOVE the Chichester Psalms? I'm currently having a love affair with the lieder of Richard Strauss. :::drool:::
I can relate to a lot of what you are saying. I have observed that the accompanying or singing business is particularly hard on men. There are social pressures and assumptions that men deal with that I have never had to deal with because I'm a woman. I'm so glad you are able to contribute your skill and musicality to your church and have found that a safe place to continue your art.
The classical music scene is very…seedy…and I've also pondered the same difficulties you mention with schedule. It is a brutal business! And kudos to you for being able to adjust to a M-F 8-5.
My experience has been different in the sense that the Lord has pulled me out of church music ministry and given me a ministry within the classical music scene. There's been lots of opportunities to share Him and I've been pleasantly surprised by the openess to Him so far. I fully expect to get slaughtered for my faith one of these days. But, they are an unreached people group and that is where the Lord has planted me. So, if you are inclined, I would sure covet your prayers. You know what it is like to live in that environment and the toll such a rollercoaster schedule has on a person.
May the Lord richly bless you as you play for Him and may others be drawn to Him through His glory revealed in you.
1. Yes, when I learned that Strauss was only 18 when he wrote that song that ends “wie einst im Mai” I was utterly jealous and shocked, because of the depth of the song and the youth of the composer. But I got over that. 2. Praise God there is openness to Him. Maybe that's because the people see that you're open to them
3. Yes the Performing Arts are of course emotionally charged by definition because there's nothing “purely intellectual” or “purely mental” about them (even for Music Historians and Theoricians). But here's a laugh: one of my friends told me they heard a professor say in class there was no unifying theme to Handel's Messiah. (Perhaps the professor missed the texts/lyrics and was only considering the music)……
You're kidding!!!!!!! LOL! The music is unified by compositional elements rather than one or two melodic themes. The whole thing is a complex structure of key relationships and,not to mention, an incredible INCREDIBLE skill and art in word painting. And well the text… That professor must of meant there was no unifying thematic melody.
Oh and the Strauss piece you are talking about is 'Allerseelen'. I had to look it up. Playing that one and 'Morgen' and 'Zueignung' in a recital the end of March. Stunning music. I'm so glad to 'meet' you!
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