Ekklesia Rising Magazine Volumne 2, Issue 2 | Page 22

In The Battle

PIANO

LESSONS

For about 25 years I have been working on the Last Day's play (official production title still in prayer) that is now almost near to completion. Many prophecies starting from when I was 11 years old led to the start of the process. In October of 1991 my wife, Cheryl, and I moved to Elkhart, Indiana where I became the Minister of Music. We had a large choir, a strong worship team, and a 25 piece orchestra in the huge new sanctuary the church had built. We had many responsibilities including doing large musical drama presentations.

After being there for a year, the Lord in my prayer time told me that He wanted for me to take some specific piano lessons. I countered saying that I did not have time to give lessons, yet alone take them. He asked for me to go to my mailbox at the Church. In it was a pamphlet by a nationally known piano teacher. The Lord asked me to pick out one of the lesson series and order it and practice it for an entire month. He told me that He would pick out my lesson plan for the next month. One month later He asked me to look in the mailbox. There I found the same looking pamphlet and He asked me to turn it to the back page. He told me that if I was going to be able to write music for the Last Day’s Play that I would need specific lessons. On the back page was a small space used to tell potential students that there was one opening for lessons by tape through the mail. You were required to audition to be considered. This nationally known piano teacher was very sought after, and he gave lessons to the piano players of the stars. These were the requirements for an audition:

1) You had to write a 500-word essay as to why you wanted to take lessons from him.

2) You had to send a one half hour tape of your playing.

3) You had to be a professional piano player.

4) It would be a good idea if you were a piano graduate of Juilliard or Southern California; or some other fine music school.

The battle was on. I reluctantly told the Lord that I would follow through with His asking for me to audition. In a two-week period, I had the professional sound system operator from our church help me to make up the audition tape; following all of the many instructions.

The Lord told me that I would be selected and that I was to start making preparation in my schedule for the practice time. In my heart, I knew that I would be last on the list

For about 25 years I have been working on the Last Day's play (official production title still in prayer) that is now almost near to completion. Many prophecies starting from when I was 11 years old led to the start of the process. In October of 1991 my wife, Cheryl, and I moved to Elkhart, Indiana where I became the Minister of Music. We had a large choir, a strong worship team, and a 25 piece orchestra in the huge new sanctuary the church had built. We had many responsibilities including doing large musical drama presentations.

After being there for a year, the Lord in my prayer time told me that He wanted for me to take some specific piano lessons. I countered saying that I did not have time to give lessons, yet alone take them. He asked for me to go to my mailbox at the Church. In it was a pamphlet by a nationally known piano teacher. The Lord asked me to pick out one of the lesson series and order it and practice it for an entire month. He told me that He would pick out my lesson plan for the next month. One month later He asked me to look in the mailbox. There I found the same looking pamphlet and He asked me to turn it to the back page. He told me that if I was going to be able to write music

for the Last Day’s Play that I would need specific lessons. On the back page was a small space used to tell potential students that there was one opening for lessons by tape through the mail. You were required to audition to be considered. This nationally known piano teacher was very sought after, and he gave lessons to the piano players of the stars. These were the requirements for an audition:

1) You had to write a 500-word essay as to why you wanted to take lessons from him.

2) You had to send a one half hour tape of your playing.

3) You had to be a professional piano player.

4) It would be a good idea if you were a piano graduate of Juilliard or Southern California; or some other fine music school.

The battle was on. I reluctantly told the Lord that I would follow through with His asking for me to audition. In a two-week period, I had the professional sound system operator from our church help me to make up the audition tape; following all of the many instructions.

The Lord told me that I would be selected and that I was to start making preparation in my schedule for the practice time. In my heart, I knew that I would be last on the list