argh!

I got engaged on Saturday, and now it is hitting me that I also should be really preparing for the Extraordinary Form Mass with the bishop on SUNDAY!
I am so not ready for this...
:-o

wedding cancellations

I'd be curious to hear from other organists if they've ever encountered this, but I have found that I have NEVER been paid in advance for a wedding that ended up being cancelled. A few years ago, a wedding was cancelled the day before it was supposed to happen that I was going to play for, and I hadn't been paid for it yet! Fine by me, but the strange thing is, I almost always get paid sometime *before* the wedding. (maybe 75% of the time?) I don't require it, since I've never actually been short-changed, but when I meet with the couple a few months before their wedding I always encourage them to pay me then, but I tell them that they can mail it in to the church or even wait til the day of the wedding, but I discourage that.
Relatively recently, there has been 3 weddings cancelled that I would have played for. In the case of 2 of them, I hadn't yet met with the couple (not terribly unusual; I'm not sure how far in advance they were cancelled, but that may or may not be strange because sometimes the couple wants to meet with me really far in advance, but other times they wait til like 4 weeks or less!) But then the third wedding that was cancelled recently I *had* met with the bride and worked out her music, she was just going to mail me a check!
Is that unusual? For the only two weddings that I had already been communicated with regarding the music but were later cancelled, I had not been paid! I'm not saying I mind; I would certainly rather not have to worry about whether I should refund a check or not!
BUT...it's like...I wonder, did they suspect? Did they think there was a chance they would call off the wedding?
Any other church musicians experience this?

summertime...

I need something to do this summer! something inspirational, that will help me to be a better church musician! Well, but for other reasons in my life I have de-motivating things going on right now.
But, honestly, I don't necessarily need to spend $500+ on a week somewhere...why can't I just get myself to practice hard-core for half that time?!
I was talking to an organist-friend a couple months ago about taking lessons from someone who specializes in french improvisation (which tends to be particularly suited to Mass,) and it seemed at the time like a great idea, but then I realized that I lack much of the basic improvisation/musical skills that would make special (and expensive) study very productive. So...why can't I just get myself motivated (and organized?) enough to practice extra?

help for church musicians! :-)

I know it happens... you want an easy piece but beautiful piece, and yet your basses all totally flake out and you realize that you have a weekend with a 3-voice choir coming up! Never fear, there are plenty of SSA or TTB music written...and all it needs is a simple transposition for a competent but small mixed choir to sing it!

I have a couple of nice little books put together by our friend Carol Rossini that contain 3 part music in ridiculously high keys, but since I've done the work on transposing one down a perfect fourth (!) here it is for the enjoyment of the world and my fellow church musician friends, and so that the 45 minutes I spent inputting this can have additional benefit!
Adoramus Te
perfect for Lent!
(If you want it a whole step higher or anything, leave a comment or email.)