A Patriotic Turn-Around – Thank You Everyone

         Several years ago, my brother Corey presented a patriotic program to the Relief Society of the ward we attended.  Great program.  One that I had tried to recreate – though it didn’t go as I had planned.

         I have the original tape that Corey had made – somewhere.  I couldn’t find it and so had to recreate one.  He said he hadn’t saved the program and so I had to recreate that as well.  Rely upon my own research instead of his.  Though I believe I had it easier.  Today we have access to several sources on the Internet.  Corey used the card catalog and spent HOURS putting the program together.

         I recorded music, though I didn’t like the quality (or lack thereof) of the recording as the volume changed with each song.  I had asked Corey if he and Joh could/would record songs for me (I still have never heard the two of them singing together) and so he created a YouTube video with most of the songs I’d be using.

         My plan was to give a brief description of the song and have the sisters guess what song I was describing, and then I would play a piece of the song.  I had handouts with lyrics to pass out at the end of my program

         I rehearsed with the tape.  I rehearsed with Corey’s video.  I was happy to go either way and couldn’t quite decide which way to go. But then a blunder that took place last week helped me decide.

        

         Jenna and I were in the Church parking lot.  She had wanted to shoot baskets, and I had brought my script and tape player to practice the performance.  When Jenna walked toward me, she started singing along with a song, she seemed stumped as a verse she wasn’t familiar with started to play.    I decided to rewind the tape for her so that she could hear from the beginning – and then the tape garbled.  Quite badly.

         I could have just found another tape and rerecord everything.  But I had my back up.  Or so I thought.  I figured even with Roland’s “slower-than-molasses-in-sub 0-weather” laptop, I would have Corey’s recording and instrumentals ready to click on when it was time.  It didn’t even occur to me that the Church has blocked the use of YouTube from their wi-fi.  It makes sense when I think about it.  Problem is, I didn’t think about it.

         No tape. No wi-fied YouTube.  Now what?  Pass out the handouts BEFORE the program and ask for audience participation (which was a success by the way) and play it by ear.

         It actually turned out quite well.  It was a good turnout and the sisters really seemed to enjoy themselves.  They wanted to sing.  And they kept singing.  I think they enjoyed singing more than if I had just played.

         I’m grateful that they were grateful for the time I had put in and that each enjoyed herself.  I thank Corey for the time he took also.  The sisters were impressed that he had taken that time for me.