"The Elephant Diet" Day # 99 Waiting

I met with the conductor and his wife today.  I am so grateful for their input and advice.  I know so little about what I am embarking on and they give me plenty to ponder and decide.  He is the connector between my vision and the players I will need to make it happen.  Until he has all the information he needs, I can't move forward.

He needs to see the score of the music being recorded so that we can then determine how many players we need and how that fits into my budget.  Once we know what we need, he can hire them.

When I asked if it was too presumptuous to go ahead and book the venue and set the date for the show, no matter what, he responded with an analogy I could easily relate to.

"Booking this venue and planning to go through with the show at this point in the journey would be like climbing out onto the skinniest branch with someone else holding the chainsaw."

Since I have never worked with a professional orchestra or conductor before, I have considered his words and know that they are probably the voice of wisdom.

So on my way home from meeting with he and his wife, I called my producer in Nashville and told him that in order for me to move ahead with the show, I need to have a score of all the music we have so far.  I have no idea what's involved in that process, but I offered to do whatever leg-work I could do to move this along.

I made another phone call too.  I called the sound company.

The conductor asked me what kind of acoustics the venue has.  He explained to me the difference between an arts center built for theatre and hall built for concert.  Apparently a hall built for theatre is very different and 'dead' so that words are easily understood when someone is speaking.  A concert hall is set up to be 'alive' with reverb so that the acoustic instruments are heard well.  See what I mean.  Of course it makes sense to me.  But I guess my lack of theatre experience just gets deeper.  I didn't grow up in this world of theatre and orchestra halls.  I am learning as I go.  Thank God for people who are patient with my lack of experience and knowledge.

The sound tech is busy setting up for a big convention in Hershey, so I offered to call back on Monday when he is in a better position to talk.  I want to ask him about the acoustics, since he is familiar with The Rose venue and is the one who recommended it to me.

So once again, I am waiting for many more things to fall into place, even though I have already been working so hard at this day after day, bite after bite.  Just as one elephant disappears, more appear.  But it's ok.  I'm learning so much from this.  I am at peace with the process.

Day 100 might not be what I was hoping.  But it will be whatever it needs to be.

Now I must focus on finishing a song for a little boy who will turn 1 on Sunday.  Today is my birthday.  It's been a wonderful day so far.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 98 Contacts!

Contacted my insurance company to find out the cost of liability insurance that I'll need for an event at Rose Lehrman's Performing Art Center.  (They require that!).

Contacted the Christian Student Fellowship Advisor at HACC and presented the idea of their group sponsoring my Christmas show event at Rose Lehrman's Performing Art Center.  It was received warmly. They meet tomorrow morning.  Since their previous advisor passed away this year, they need to appoint a new one and then my proposal can be passed on to that person.  Praying for favor!

Created a 'thank you' package to be dropped off at the conductor's house tomorrow.  He and his wife have been so helpful through this process (more than they know).  I will also drop off a CD of the music we have so far from TN.  It's a rough mix, but it should give a better idea of what musicians we will need.  I hope he'll give me a 'yes' to doing the show....tomorrow. 

Worked on my Day 100 to do list.  Surprise, surprise!

Enjoyed the moon as I left the studio tonight.  It's so bright.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 97 Fear or Trust?

Still trying to make a final decision about the show.  Fear is a stronghold right now.  A few thoughts about that.....

Inside Things:

When other people book me on their own initiative through word of mouth recommendations (which is how I get most of my bookings), that feels like a big stamp of approval.  But when I decide to initiate my own creative show and invite people to come, that takes everything to a new level - (I think that's one of the big things I face right now....the reckoning with the old voices that say it's vain to do this - I fought that same mind-set when I started singing my own songs instead of other people's).

Facts:

From what I have figured out so far, just to use the venue, hire a sound and light company, orchestra and conductor, will cost $12,000.00.  Ticket sales alone will not cover this, unless I charge an unmentionable amount for tickets, which I won't do!  That can chase anyone away from a dream if nothing else will.

A remedy?:

As I've taken a few days off from the elephant diet to step back and really examine it closely (plus catch up from traveling so much lately) I realized that fear is the final giant I must face.  However, yesterday, I read an article in a leadership magazine with a phrase that caught my eye and began to release me from the clutches of fear:  "The only remedy for fear is trust."  Jeff Manion - Leadership Journal.  

Is it time for me to trust the desires God has placed inside of me, trust the One who gave me this gift in the first place and trust that as I take one step at a time I will end up where I hoped and have a great journey in the process and touch people with hope around the holidays?

News:

Still getting caught up from being away in NY and CO....just paid sales tax for sales in CO and recorded my sales information in my files for accounting purposes.   

I've been doing music each night at a local church, after working at church all day...and preparing for a ladies' tea in Elizabethtown, PA this Saturday.  I'll be speaking and sharing music on the topic of "Working Out On the Inside Things"....one of my favorite subjects!  

I've been taking a break from blogging because of the busyness and feeling like any spare time I have right now should be used to spend time with my husband, even though it's very little time.  

I'm slowly working my way back into the groove of dieting....eating my elephant, that is.  

Took a few bites today:

...phone calls that will hopefully lead to contacts with HACC to see if their Student Assoc. will consider bringing me in as a guest artist (which could mean no charge for me to use their venue)

...researched more on-line about setting up ticket sales for the event through on-line services

...e-mailed conductor to get a final commitment from him about Nov. 23 (hope so!)

...e-mailed someone else for recommendations on conductors and concert masters in case I need a plan B

.....still going!