It's Been Too Long
Wow. I guess it's been a year and 2 months since I posted on my last blog. I feel bad that I even used to rat on people for being infrequent bloggers. I suppose I'll take this time and catch you all up on what's been going on with me the past year and a half (I'll try and just hit the highlights):
I got married to Stacy on June 23, 2007. It was a great wedding. It was held at Altadena Pres. in Vestavia. We went to Boston for our honeymoon. Though Stacy and I both sometimes feel the effects of the big adjustment, it is so rewarding. She completes me.
I have been at Grace Presbyterian as worship leader/youth director for 2 1/2 years now. It gets better every year. My first year was VERY hard. Not only was this my first real job out of college, but I had no youth director experience whatsoever. Looking back, I'm very thankful for a. my youth director from high school, and b. the teaching and investment I received while in college, mainly through Campus Outreach. Everything I do in youth ministry is rooted out of a. and b., and I'm learning more and more about it year by year. As far as the worship leading part, I'm even more thankful for the people that gave me opportunities to train/lead in high school, and also the folks in college ministry that allowed me to share that privilege with other students. I felt well prepared for that end of the spectrum.
Stacy's working at the YWCA Birmingham as a logistics coordinator. Her branch of the program is called Momentum, where, by word of mouth, women are invited to "enroll" in a class where they attend seminars, retreats, workshops, etc. to sharpen their work skills, bow-hunting skills (sorry, couldn't resist, but seriously work skills). Stacy has to plan out these sessions, whether its hiring a caterer, setting up the conference room, making sure audio and video are working properly, she's da man.
I moved my piano studio out to Chelsea and quickly was able to get 9 students. I have one more pending student who is still looking for a good lesson time, so hopefully I'll have 10, but that's my cutoff. Teaching is VERY taxing sometimes, but over time you do reap some cool benefits from it, like when that one students finally gets a dotted quarter note, it reminds you that you're passing along something great.
Finally, and more recently, I've taken up jazz. Not solely to become a "jazz" pianist, but because I am aspiring to be a session player one day, and I am EXTREMELY weak in jazz/improvisation. However, I am thankful for my classical upbringing because it's helping me pick jazz up very quickly. But don't get me wrong - I've got a ways to go. Ray Reach is my teacher. He used to be the director of jazz studies at UAB and now is doing some stuff with the Jazz Hall of Fame. We meet on Monday's at his place in Birmingham. For those of you who are musical out there, the biggest thing I've taken away from jazz so far is that it's like trying to play the piano with 3 hands. I used to make chords mainly with my right hand with a few notes added in my left for the bass, but now I've got to think in terms of bass, accompaniment, and melody/soloing (when I play with a combo I won't have to think bass as much - my teacher says to stay out of their way). There are still times when you use your right hand to make most of the chord, but you can't get comfortable. You're constantly moving. It also swipes the crutch of "not listening while you're playing" right out from under me.
Welp, I guess that'll do for now. For any of you who might read this, let me know how you're doing.
I got married to Stacy on June 23, 2007. It was a great wedding. It was held at Altadena Pres. in Vestavia. We went to Boston for our honeymoon. Though Stacy and I both sometimes feel the effects of the big adjustment, it is so rewarding. She completes me.
I have been at Grace Presbyterian as worship leader/youth director for 2 1/2 years now. It gets better every year. My first year was VERY hard. Not only was this my first real job out of college, but I had no youth director experience whatsoever. Looking back, I'm very thankful for a. my youth director from high school, and b. the teaching and investment I received while in college, mainly through Campus Outreach. Everything I do in youth ministry is rooted out of a. and b., and I'm learning more and more about it year by year. As far as the worship leading part, I'm even more thankful for the people that gave me opportunities to train/lead in high school, and also the folks in college ministry that allowed me to share that privilege with other students. I felt well prepared for that end of the spectrum.
Stacy's working at the YWCA Birmingham as a logistics coordinator. Her branch of the program is called Momentum, where, by word of mouth, women are invited to "enroll" in a class where they attend seminars, retreats, workshops, etc. to sharpen their work skills, bow-hunting skills (sorry, couldn't resist, but seriously work skills). Stacy has to plan out these sessions, whether its hiring a caterer, setting up the conference room, making sure audio and video are working properly, she's da man.
I moved my piano studio out to Chelsea and quickly was able to get 9 students. I have one more pending student who is still looking for a good lesson time, so hopefully I'll have 10, but that's my cutoff. Teaching is VERY taxing sometimes, but over time you do reap some cool benefits from it, like when that one students finally gets a dotted quarter note, it reminds you that you're passing along something great.
Finally, and more recently, I've taken up jazz. Not solely to become a "jazz" pianist, but because I am aspiring to be a session player one day, and I am EXTREMELY weak in jazz/improvisation. However, I am thankful for my classical upbringing because it's helping me pick jazz up very quickly. But don't get me wrong - I've got a ways to go. Ray Reach is my teacher. He used to be the director of jazz studies at UAB and now is doing some stuff with the Jazz Hall of Fame. We meet on Monday's at his place in Birmingham. For those of you who are musical out there, the biggest thing I've taken away from jazz so far is that it's like trying to play the piano with 3 hands. I used to make chords mainly with my right hand with a few notes added in my left for the bass, but now I've got to think in terms of bass, accompaniment, and melody/soloing (when I play with a combo I won't have to think bass as much - my teacher says to stay out of their way). There are still times when you use your right hand to make most of the chord, but you can't get comfortable. You're constantly moving. It also swipes the crutch of "not listening while you're playing" right out from under me.
Welp, I guess that'll do for now. For any of you who might read this, let me know how you're doing.
posted by Rick at 8:39 PM
4 Comments:
rick! you will probably become amazing at jazz too. seriously, i can get so jealous when i listen to you play.
~Amy Porter (alisa's sister)
Hey, Rick! Glad to hear from you. Hopefully it won't be another year until the next post.
It's so strange to me that you have to take lessons. Just shows that there's always more to be learned.
Also, I genuinely enjoyed the Napolean reference. It made me laugh!
hey rick,
i'm glad you finally picked up jazz for real. it will be a rewarding venture and it's one i wish i could take.
glad to hear you're doing well,
sarah
Sarah - Jazz is not that hard to pick up with classical training. People like Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, and Andre Previn did it. A couple of things you can do is listen to recordings, notate certain things that you hear, and memorize it in all keys. As my teacher says..."you can only play what you know."
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