Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 54

Day 53 - May 3rd 2009

Church

The original plan was for me to wait until I was completely done with Bang Camaro and had gone to California to return to Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, the place where I learned to live under a microscope.

At Mt. Carmel my family is a prominent one. My Dad is the minister to youth (a Sunday school teacher and youth worker before that) My mother, the adult sponsor of the Junior and Young People’s Choir who became one of the first female Deacons at Mount Carmel amidst a shit storm of controversy. They do a lot ot make the church and have done so much for the kids in the neighborhood. My dad’s most recent project is a Youth String Ensemble that now includes Woodwinds and Brass. He’s taken it from a small idea and blown it up to the point where they’ll be playing downstairs at World Café Live sometime soon. My point is people know who they are. I grew up with people knowing who I am and I have no bloody clue who they are.

My family’s prominence resulted in some folks always keeping an eye on me waiting for me to screw up. Whenever I did something someone was always running and telling my parents to sort of thumb their noses at them. Things that wouldn’t even be an issue with normal kids (a kid falling asleep in church, or siting and talking to his friends in the balcony) would be blown up to World War 5 if I were to happen to be seen doin it. I was forced to sing on the youth choir among other things and if I did something good everyone would know about it. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on everything I did and had no problem telling me. It prepares you for a life in the public eye.

Knowing all these things I didn’t wanna be bothered today, but considering God had a lot to do with me returning home in tact form the tour not going seemed kinda wrong.

I slipped in undetected. The 10:45 service has been a bit thin in terms of the crowds so I didn’t have to worry about it too much. It was communion Sunday. The sermon was okay but the choir (who specialize more in sacred hyms and old school negro spirituals) was putting me to sleep. I ran into my little cousin. Some were un aware I was home. I was able for the most part to slip out of the building undetected. I ran into some people I knew well. Some saw the show and were bombarding me with questions. Fortunately mom was ready to leave right away, She had to come back for the church Chorus Concert that they do around this time every year.

We were home for a bit as I tried to make phone calls to see if we can get someone ot run this one event. A lot of no’s at the moment. If I want to attempt to do it I’m gonna have to think of something else that’s outside of the box.

An hour went by and we had to go to my mom’s concert. She sings in the church chorus, A choir who specializes in the more feel good toe tappin hand clappin music that most black churches a re known for. The concert itself was pretty good. It was their 65th anniversary and they did songs for every era of the chorus. Best part though was seeing my sisters, nieces and nephew for the first time in two months. Everyone has been looking at me somewhat differently since I came back so it was nice ot see people that don’t think of me as some big famous guy (clearly I’m not…not yet anyway) .

After the concert was over I saw a lot of the more familiar faces and as happy as I was to see them they kept asking me how my vacation was. The word vacation sticks in my craw just a little bit. I think of beign drenched in sweat every night and the week I had strep throat and the times when I felt like I wouldn’t survive. I had a blast yet but I wouldn’t call the tour with Bang Camaro a vacation. We’re a few days away from me hitting you with my perspective on the entire experience (that’s coming don’t worry)

The family then went to perkins. My Nephew’s got another ear infection and needs to see the doctor tomorrow. We had some food followed by some cookies and then we went home. I played some guitar and that was the end of that chapter.