Musical Memories

Music has always been an important part of my life. I grew up singing and playing the piano.

I took piano lessons for 7 years and still play to this day. I've played for weddings and other types of receptions and I regularly play the piano at various church meetings, either for the choir or as a soloist. I also took voice lessons for a while during junior high with a lady in our ward.

I was president of the A Capella choir at my high school in my senior year, and participated in our Chamber Singers group. During my senior year, I was privileged to audition for and perform with the California All-State Honor Choir. We had performances in the spring of 1992 in both Sacramento and with the Southern half of the state honor choir at the Santa Clara Convention Center. What a tremendous experience it was to work with Perla Warren, one of the most sought after conductors in California.

On two occasions I was able to travel with the other kids in the choir and band at my high school to Disneyland to participate in their Magic Music Days program. Having never been to Disneyland growing up, what a unique opportunity this was not only to be at Disneyland, but to be a featured group singing with my friends in the choir.

I was able to enjoy the atmosphere and ride the rides I'd only heard about growing up. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time growing up and spending summers camping with my family. We really weren't a "Disney' family, so to speak. But if I was going to be able to get there, and twice (sophomore and senior years) I was going to take it. And we had a blast.

I've completely glossed over my involvement with community theater, but from a young age I was taking drama camp classes at both the Contra Costa Civic Theater and later the Masquer's Playhouse, which usually combined singing and acting. My classes with Bill Goldsmith at the Masquer's featured a performance of a children's musical, "Wheels" which we performed for our friends and family, and I still have a copy of the video of that performance. I played "Rock."

This led to some auditions that my mom brought me to for other endeavors in musical theater. First of all, I successfully auditioned for "The Most Happy Fella" at the Masquer's and it was a hit show. So popular, in fact, that the show was extended a weekend and I'll never forget it, because my family vacation to Lake Siskiyou was planned for the weekend of the extra shows and I was unfortunately not able to perform. Lots of tears.

But I would go on to perform in numerous musicals in the community and at the high school including Grease, Camelot, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Good News, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly, and more. I was so involved and loved being in and around the theater so much that I was allowed, by membership vote, to become the first official junior member of the Masquer's Playhouse at 12-years old.

This brings me to Ricks College. As an 18-year old, having moved out of the house to Rexburg, Idaho, and on my own for the first time, I continued to participate in any musical experience I could find. And more amazing opportunities materialized that first year.

I joined Richard Robinson's College Choir and served as Tenor Section Leader. We performed in various places in and around Madison County, and at different times on campus for the community, such as Christmas, and during the spring. These were big concerts, I might add. Next to Disneyland and the All-State Honor Choir, the biggest I'd performed in front of without question.

However, in the Spring of 1993, I had the most unique opportunity in my entire life to join a Priesthood Choir that would sing in the 163rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We were going to sing in the historic Salt Lake Tabernacle, home of the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir! And speaking of big audiences, General Conference is broadcast all around the world via satellite and closed-circuit and was viewed by an audience in the neighborhood of millions of people, not to mention the thousands in attendance.

Many hours were spent practicing the songs we sang that night. The most memorable was "See, the Mighty Angel Flying."

April 1993 General Conference:
Priesthood Session

A summary from the LDS Newsroom recounts the events of that evening I enjoyed in the Tabernacle, a good 17 years ago:

Sensing that the congregation may be weary from sitting, having been edified by 90 or so minutes of instruction on honoring the priesthood and serving others, PresidentGordon B. Hinckley bade all deacons, teachers and priests to stand up and stretch. Next he invited all former deacons, teachers and priests to stand up. He then said he would like to say a few things to the boys, adding with a smile, "You old men can listen or sleep."

But President Hinckley's address - like the other sermons at Saturday's priesthood session - proved applicable to the entire congregation. The messages were enhanced by music from a priesthood choir from Ricks College, directed by Clyde Luke and Kevin Brower and accompanied by Clay Christiansen.President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, conducted the session. Prayers were offered by Elder L. Aldin Porter of the Presidency of the Seventy and by Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander of the Seventy.

I left in the fall of 1993 to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. My call to serve was to the Pennsylvania-Philadelphia Mission. I was able to participate in the MTC Missionary Choir on a few different occasions. From there, I was able to incorporate my piano-playing abilities into the homes of the members, investigators, and ward buildings in which I served, always earning the reputation of being a musical elder.

The most memorable experience I had as a missionary, and coincidentally, with music, in the mission field came when I began training Elder Nick Olson, from West Jordan, Utah. His brother Kevin was somewhat famous for having written several songs that were published in the New Era magazine. Nick was a piano prodigy and we had a ball playing the piano together for a few minutes after our district and zone meetings, and at church on Sundays, if called upon.

After returning home from Philadelphia I returned to Ricks for another year of school. I wish I was a bit more focused on an academic goal because that was not going anywhere fast. Fortunately I had the music program. Through participating in the Men's Choir I was able to sing in numerous weekly devotionals which often featured visiting General Authorities. I also took a class called Church Hymns which was taught by famous Church composer Darwin Wolford. (Brother Wolford was a member of the 1985 Church Hymn Selection Committee that put together our current green hymn book.) A requirement of that class was to lead the opening hymn at the devotional in the Hart Auditorium. What an experience that was!

In the Spring of 1996 I jumped at the chance to sing in a combined choir for the 166th Annual General Conference in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. And it was at this meeting when President Gordon B. Hinckley announced plans for the construction of the beautiful Conference Center where General Conference is now held.

April 1996 General Conference:

Saturday Afternoon Session

President Gordon B. Hinckley announced in the opening session of conference on Saturday, April 6 that Church architects and engineers are working to design a new meeting hall that will hold three to four times more people than the Tabernacle.

"As I indicated last October," President Hinckley explained, "this historic and wonderful Tabernacle is becoming increasingly inadequate in accommodating all who wish to attend these conferences and other large gatherings."He called the project a "big undertaking," but said the Church today "can do this more easily in our circumstances than could our forbearers in their circumstances when they built this Tabernacle."

I transferred to Cal State East Bay and my school-involvement with music took a backseat to my focus on obtaining a degree, teaching credential, and full-time job. However, I maintained an interest in music and continued playing piano at the University Ward in Berkeley.

It was my piano playing that helped me grow close to a circle of friends in the University Ward that was my anchor in the most difficult chapter of my life. Karen, Patricia, Brooke, and Stacey were my best friends and we did everything together. One of the many activities we enjoyed was a memorable trip to Lake Tahoe in November of 1998. Following that outing, we attended a YSA Conference in Fremont in January of 1999. It was there when I first met my sweetheart, Kari. We only met briefly at the conference but would meet later the following week at the Church Institute class by Chabot College where we made plans to go swing dancing in San Francisco the following weekend.

The rest, you can say, is history.

Needless to say, there has been an uninterrupted succession of musical memories in my life which have been so fulfilling and enriching. Music is and always has been the most important sustaining influence in my life. I have enjoyed having a piano in my classroom at school for the past 10 years. I play for my students. I love the piano I own now that my wife surprised me with as a Christmas gift two years ago.

I am grateful for music, and especially for my mother who encouraged me to perform from a young age, and religiously brought me to my lessons. Her support and love of music has inspired me to remain actively involved as a piano player. Last spring she invited me out to the Sir Francis Drake hotel to play for a reception following an educational conference, which I enjoyed. Most recently I accompanied our stake choir during the 50th Anniversary Sunday service which featured Elder David A. Bednar, in attendance.

I look forward to many more future opportunities to share my love of music with everyone I meet. And I encourage you to do that which you love the most and share your talents, whatever they may be, for the blessing and benefit of others.