King's Dominion

Just back from chaperoning two nights at King's Dominion with my kids (middle school band). On the whole, it's a brainless trip - very easy actually. If you don't mind hanging out in amusement parks with kids its a great trip. This year, as opposed to previous years, I only rode 3 coasters - I love coasters. I really enjoyed hanging out with my two friends Debbie and Lorraine. We probably had more fun than the kids did.

At the end of these two days I had to rush back to Annapolis for a 1:00 sing of Bach (it really was necessary), a 3:00 o'clock sing of the dedication of the Southgate fountain, and then I COULD have done a 5:00 o'clock Evensong - but skipped it for an antidote to performing and children and joined my dear friends at the FOAC picnic and then ended up at the Yacht club. Happily content with that decision. Evensong is not something I signed up for and not something about which I even received an email giving details about the event.

I've often said that singing for an organization such as ours is like being a musical prostitute - "You got the money honey - we've got the time." What some people neglect to understand is that behind that great choral sound are a bunch of people who have other lives. Actual lives where people are in hospitals or people are just plain exhausted or people are just tired of singing. The powers that be have a hard time with that concept. Should you not show up at an event at which teh powers think you should be you will be "disloyal" or "undependable". I know I'm not so their little labels are just insignificant. The mistake comes in putting too much emphasis in the first place on what they think. The kicker is, you really don't know how much you care about what they think until you have to make a decision for yourself that is good for you, and then they accuse you of disloyalty or undependability. That's when the real test for you comes - that's when you find out how much of your ego is wrapped up in their opinion. If you can stand on your two feet and say - nope, you go ahead and hold your own opinion - you're wrong of course, but it's your opinion - then you are truly self-actualized and content in your own decisions.

Wow - that went somewhere I didn't think it would. It's true however so I'll let it stand.

If you can sing because you just want to then you are better off than singing to please anyone.

Rambling as usual
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