We had two meetings today. both of which — together with a couple of important meetings from last week — are adding to our sense of the increasing momentum and growing magnetism of the music ministry.
It’s a very good feeling!
Building momentum
A beautiful evening for a lovely rehearsal
Tonight was our final choir rehearsal for this Saturday’s event celebrating Nayaswami Jyotish’s 80th birthday.
Two of the musical offerings we’ve prepared for Jyotish felt rather daunting to pull together in the limited time we had available after the conclusion of Spiritual Renewal Week. But tonight it was clear that both projects were absolutely the right thing to do, and they’re coming together beautifully.
In fact, thinking over the entire rehearsal, I’m feeling a whole lot of gratitude for the harmonious, team-oriented, collaborative way that our music ministry and the entire choir works together.
Sure, there are chaotic moments, but the overall feeling is one of uplifted and uplifting FUN.
What a joy it is to serve in this way.
Picking up the pace
Yep, I’m going back to regular office hours starting next week and I can already feel the increase in energy and focus.
The music ministry has been in a bit of a holding pattern for a while now — completely understandable, of course! But we’re eager to rebuild the momentum and get back to tackling important projects.
Looking back, looking ahead
Yep, it’s that time of year again. On Wednesday and Thursday each department of the Sangha Outreach Ministries will present our reports on the year just past and our plans for 2022.
We in the music ministry are doing our best to stick to our newfound mottos of “Less is more” and “Done is better than perfect.”
There are SO many things we want to do with Ananda Music and it’s SO easy to just let our imaginations roam free and to dream big!
But having a to-do list of 100 humongous items isn’t much help when it comes to actually accomplishing specific goals.
We may be slow, but we’re learning! 😊
What we have in common with the elves
Santa’s helpers make toys and the music ministry makes music, but both of our Christmas tasks are now DONE!
I imagine that the elves get to relax and kick back while Santa delivers gifts around the world, and tomorrow is our day to relax and kick back as well!
We are sooooo ready!
Experimentation and expansion
We’re trying something new and different!
At tomorrow’s Christmas Faire for Ananda Village residents we’re offering music ministry merchandise for sale!
One item is a digital Christmas album of excerpts from our 2019 Christmas concert; the first ever in what was then the brand new Temple of Light!
Of course, we’ve offered recordings before, but the second item is something brand new for us: the above image and quote of Swami Kriyananda on a refrigerator magnet, for daily inspiration.
We’re excited to see how both are received and pleased with ourselves for managing to pull it all together in time.
Mind officially blown…
…in the best kind of way!
We just finished an intense hour and a half meeting about what it means to really take the music ministry to the next level.
Wow.
Did I mention that it was intense?!?
My brain is barely functioning at the moment. I need some recovery time but then I expect I’ll be raring to get to work on this exciting new direction.
The long haul
There’s no getting around it: we really are in this for the long haul! And I’m struggling to comprehend the full extent of how this will impact our music ministry.
I almost feel guilty typing these words, when there are people facing issues of life and death or utter poverty as a result of the pandemic.
But the fact is that music has been a key element of Ananda from the very start. Swami Kriyananda composed over 400 pieces of music which, over the fifty years of Ananda’s existence, became like the soundtrack of Ananda throughout the world.
Participating in choir; performing for Sunday service; offering our devotion through chanting; singing before meals and before meetings…our lives have been permeated with the music of Ananda.
So what happens when we can’t sing together?!? Well, we’re about to find out. 😕