Joy & Angst....

This is normally a source of joy....at least for me....my family might disagree....

I don't play very well; I don't read music very well; and I can only play in 3 keys (probably goes back to that not reading music thing).  My mom's side of the family is very musical, they can all play instruments and play them well.  I wish I had gotten more of that gene. 

But today.....(there's that but)....this lovely little Baldwin beauty has become a source of my angst...along with that wonderful little dark blue songbook perched precariously on the music stand. (Don't you just love the Heavenly Highways Hymnal?  I do...usually)  Why are these normally wonderful things a source of angst?  Because I have to play the piano, out of that songbook, in front of people Sunday morning.  My palms are already sweaty.  (Can you short out an electric piano with the sweat from your palms?)  

It's Phyllis's fault, but I still love her....maybe. (wink)   Phyllis is our church pianist.  She plays by the notes (I wish I could do that).  We have a young man in the church (really young, like 13 or 14) who wants to play his mandolin, so he is playing Sunday morning, a medley from the Heavenly Highways.... "I'll Have a New Life", "When We All Get To Heaven" and "I'll Fly Away".  If you look in the songbook you will see that the first 2 are written in the key of C, if you look at page 54 you will notice that "I'll Fly Away" isn't.  The problem, our mandolin player can only play in C, our pianist can only play by the notes.  She asked me if I could play it in C (which I can, because that's one of the 3 keys I can pick out), and show her the notes.  After showing her the notes she decided I needed to "expand my God-given talents" and play it Sunday morning instead of her. 

Gasp!  I'm having heart palpitations....seriously.   We practiced tonight and our music director (James) is playing the guitar which sounds great, and Cameron is playing is mandolin; which sounds great, and I'm going to attempt to play the piano...which doesn't sound so great.

Pray for me, especially at 11am central daylight time on Sunday morning.  The congregation will thank you.  I will probably be hyperventillating into a paper bag around that time. 

My family will be so glad when Sunday morning is over....I think they are already tired of these 3 songs.