joy...

... a station on the radio randomly found when twirling the knob, trying to entertain myself while driving. Hoping to stay awake long enough to get to the destination, without ending up dangling from a tree limb should a short snooze overtake me on the road. In my travels to and from Valdosta in recent days, I happened across a syndicated station: JOY FM. Rather than move back to the usual spot of public radio, I left it on the Christian station, even though the music is so 'current' there are not many songs I am familiar with. As if feeling outdated and Old School is not bad enough when I discovered that the music I know and love is now on the Oldies Station: both pop and country, all the things I can sing along too are ancient by today's standards.

I was listening this morning to the DJ chat with a well known singer, though I do not know anything at all about him other than his name. I could google  him, but if you are interested you can do that for yourself. I hope I can remember enough of the story he told to make it even half as amusing as the version I heard today. I am sure they all make the rounds, like having to go to book signings when you have something published. All the people releasing new music must surely have agents that get them into radio stations to talk on air and tell anecdotes to the 'morning crew' and get more air time for their newest songs.

Chris Tomlin was telling these radio personalities about getting started in the recording business, trying to break into the world of popular Christian music. He got a call to go to a small town in Alabama and play his first every concert at a church. He called his mom, so excited he had to share his good new: a paying gig! So he loads up his guitar, and heads to Tuscaloosa. Arriving at the church where he is to play, with the understanding he should expect an audience of about five hundred youth.

He is told the person who would normally handle the sound system is  not available, but there is a substitute who is very capable and knowledgeable: a fourteen year old. She soon proves that she knows absolutely nothing about electronics, is completely incapable of providing the least bit of assistance. Chris is going back and forth between the stage in this large sanctuary and the booth in the far distant back of the room, up and down, back and forth, up-and-down, back-and-forth. Trying to get the sound he is comfortable with, what he knows he is capable of doing.

In comes the minister of music, a much older man that his contact person has advised him is likely to present a problem, as he is a person who is completely opposed to the contemporary sound. The man comes charging up to Chris and asks: What In The World Are You Doing? That Awful Sound Is Completely Unacceptable! You Are Being A Poor Steward Of The Human Ear! (I may not have that last sentence exactly right, but Chris found it so memorable, he could quote with great accuracy!) 

He tried his best to tone it down, but knew he had been hired to play the songs he had written, the music he loved and love to performed. He's getting the sound right, while watching the time, waiting for the youth to start coming in the room. It gets later and later, someone comes in to say that the kids are all at some sort of big rally/festival down town, so there might not be such a good attendance. Finally eight or nine surly teenagers come in, proceed to sit on the very back row of the sanctuary, as far away as possible from the stage and performer. Great Big Sanctuary: Eight teens with poor attitudes, talking, chewing gum, being noisy and disruptive, completely ignoring the guy who is being paid to entertain, who is so excited about his first ever professional gig!

In comes a group of about thirty kids: someone has taken a bus and picked up some students who wanted to attend the concert. They all came from the school for the Deaf and Blind! They either cannot hear  him sing or cannot even seen him up  on the stage! This struggling young musician's first ever contract for a concert.

The radio personalities he was telling this story to were laughing so hard they could not talk. Probably more to this tale of woe, but that was all I heard. Enough to keep me smiling for the rest of the day. I know he is a well-known, successful musician and a popular singer of Christian music - but everybody has to start some where, right? One of the interviewers commented: 'the only way to go is up!'