On the road again…..hard to believe but after months of preparation, we have arrived in Texas for the start of Gloriae Dei Cantores’ five-city tour through Texas and Oklahoma. Sunday was crazy –packing, making plans for the dog, paying bills. In the midst of that I was invited to an informal presentation by some young friends sharing what they’ve learned in acting. They reminded me of an important thing. Art, in its broadest sense, is never about me. It’s all about giving. Acting becomes a passive observation of people who are enjoying themselves if the actor isn’t compelled by the need to communicate to his audience. A painter or sculptor can create a masterpiece that will be forgotten by tomorrow if there is no one to see the story take shape. And a piece of music can be achingly beautiful to no effect if there is no one moved by it. I thought of this in the midst of the swirl of preparation. We can have every note tuned and every rhythm accurate (and we will endeavor to) but if we forget for a moment what the piece is about, what the text inspired the composer to write, we close the door on that indescribable moment where the text speaks to the heart. Because it’s not about us –it’s about bringing what we have and laying it at God’s feet and watching as he turns it into something that will touch another person.
