Spring quarter has just begun, after a pretty hectic spring break. The choir I am a part of went on tour to the East Coast, leaving us with many wonderful memories, but also very little of any actual break. However, the experiences definitely made the jet lag and frantic catch-up worth it. There were many aspects that made the trip a memorable one- a few being the family of people I had the privilege of travelling with, seeing the sights of the opposite side of the country, and getting to share the gift of music with people in so many different places in a fairly short span of time. Here's a link to our final concert, starting at 9:25, if you're interested in taking a listen to some of the music, which I would of course recommend. However, there was one aspect in particular that stood out to me that became increasingly clear as we continued to travel and perform in many different places.
No matter where we went, no matter what denomination the church was where we were singing, there were people that appreciated the music we had to share, showing us such generosity and love. It can be nerve-wracking to go to a church or school that one has never been to before, and get up and share music that conveys such deep emotion, unsure of whether the audience will be appreciative/receptive, or not. Granted, pretty much everywhere, there were at least a few people that didn't seem too interested in the music. But pretty much with no exception, there was always at least one person who the music clearly had an impact on, and usually many more than one. And that, that knowledge that you impacted somebody by your music, and the love being shared-- that is what made it all worth it.
It can be easy to write things off as not being worth the effort when not everybody is completely satisfied with your performance or creation, and you can start to view it as a failure. But this mindset is misleading- it contributes to the idea that perfection is the only thing worth producing, and anything less has no impact and isn't worth anything. I know that this mindset can be easy to fall into, especially with school, with projects and studying for tests and trying to get your laundry done- it seems impossible to get it all done, and done to the standard that you want. But even doing a section of it is better doing nothing, and that effort is worth something.
Even though tour is now over, those memories of sharing the euphoria of music with both my fellow singers and the people in audience, will stick with me for many years. I know that in many ways this is because of knowing that we were able to spread love, and make an impact, even if it was only in a small way to a few churches scattered through the East coast. Hopefully us singing and the music will stick with some of the people we were able to minister with, and that experience will stick with them in the years to come as well. We now have this shared experience, even though we are separated by hundreds of miles, and I think that in of itself is wonderfully valuable.
