I used to read about composers that would lock themselves in their study and work all day. Day and night composing music, hardly coming up to eat, sleep or shower. Though most people would think that was insane, I’ve sometimes really wished I had that opportunity. It’s hard sometimes to balance that desire to spend all my time composing, and still be a mother and take care of my family. I know this week, my family feels like I’ve been living in a cave.
This last month- (I know you haven’t heard much from me) – I have really been working hard. My deadline is less than a week away. For three of the last 4 weeks, we’ve been sick. We’re just now starting to get better, but it just keeps circling around. At the same time, I have had some amazing miracles and blessings happen I wanted to share.
My musical had to go through some pretty drastic revisions. I took out 4 songs, rewrote the words to every single one I left in except for one, and wrote 4 new songs! I’ve also been working on my script and making quite a few changes to make it better. I’ve nearly completed the script, but I still have all the sheet music to finish up before my deadline. It’s a lot to do.
Last night, (the night my husband lets me play!) I had the opportunity to go to my mother-in-law’s house to record many of my musical’s songs on her piano. I had spent most of the morning working on sheet music for a particular song, and I didn’t have the time to prepare very much for recording that night.
As soon as I could get away. I started working on getting the sheet music written at least enough that I would be able to play them all in when I got to my mother-in-law’s house. It took me 2 hours! I wasn’t sure if I would still have time to go before my parents-in-law returned home, and would want to go to bed. I prayed I’d be able to get lots done, and if possible, that I wouldn’t bother them at all, so that if I didn’t finish all the songs, I could return later and finish the rest of the recordings.
It was a miracle that night when I was able to record ALL 10 songs before they even got home! (It was about 10 p.m.) I felt so relieved and happy. This would help me with everything else I’m trying to do this week.
My next big stress was getting some music to some of my friends and family members that will be helping me to make demos of all the songs. I want to be able to have a CD to give to Stake President’s and other’s that wouldn’t be interested in reading the whole script. The songs pretty much tell the story, but I needed 7 different voices to play the 7 different characters.
MY mother came over this morning to sing the part of the Relief Society president. She was nervous, but ended up doing a fantastic job. I love her so much! Then, I was stressing trying to figure out how I could record some demos to give to these friend and family members so they could start learning the individual songs they would sing. I couldn’t see a way. My 2 year old was really needing some attention, and I knew my 6 year old, who I was picking up for school about that time, would want my attention as well.
After I picked him up, he reminded me that my mother-in-law usually watches the boys for me on Thursday afternoons. I would be able to drop them off and spend the next 3 hours alone, in my home, in my cave…… working on music like there was no tomorrow!!!
It was heaven. I got SO much done! I sent recordings of the main songs to those that would need them, and for the others, we will just have fly by the seat of our pants. It will work out. My husband had to work all day today away from home. That was actually another blessing. We didn’t eat until late tonight. The kids didn’t mind watching a movie. My older children helped out. They’ve been really good to let me stay in my cave as long as I have today.
Last year about this time, I was doing the same thing. I was trying to finish my script and get it ready by the last day of March so that I could enter it into the Church’s Cultural Arts Contest. I had prayed for God’s help to let me finish it by the deadline. On my final day, it was obvious to me that I wouldn’t make it. I cried. It was really hard. I had really wanted to be done with it. I just didn’t know how much work needed to still go into it. Now I LOVE my script. It’s still not perfect. There’s probably lots of things that could still be improved, but I have felt God’s inspiring hand all the way through. He has been inspiring the changes. It’s better because I’ve been taking the time to listen. It’s a lot of work, but this time I know I’ll get it done. He’s helping me.
Wish me luck!