Homage to a Great One

When I was 16 years old or so, I had an opportunity to learn piano from one of the great instructors in our community.  Nevelyn Knisely was a retired professor from Lebanon Valley College, a local college which specializes in music performance and instruction.  My mother had apparently asked a friend from church whose husband also works at the college for references of a good piano instructor for me.  I loved playing and had somewhat outgrown my previous teachers.  Our friend recommended Nevelyn highly, and I began playing again under her tutelage.

We focused primarily on modern classics with swift tempos which would entertain audiences.  Nevelyn enjoyed fast fingers, and had be practicing with two-handed double octave scales.  I tired of that quickly and soon wanted to quit.  I preferred to play pieces for enjoyment, and could not be bothered with rote scales, as cool as they were at first.  

I remember having her call on the phone, after my mom told her I wanted to stop.  "Please don't quit," she said.  "You've got such talent.  It would just be such a shame to see you quit.  Please just keep on playing.  We don't have to do scales."  So I continued on.  

Somewhere in my home I'm sure I have the recital pieces we played.  She would have each of her students do a solo piece, and then at the end she did 4 handed duets with all of us.  Those were some of the funnest pieces, and truly instilled a joy in me for playing which I had not experienced doing solos. 

Several years ago when I first began playing on my electric piano (gasp!), I had a prompting that when I returned to Pennsylvania, I ought to see if I could find Nevelyn and thank her for keeping me going.  When I returned, I asked my friend if Nevelyn was still alive, and she said that she was, but that she had Alzheimer's and was living in a nursing home.  I was prompted to go find her and play for her, even if she couldn't remember me.  But I let life get in the way.  

Eight days ago, as I sat down to practice the organ music for the upcoming Sunday, I had a similar prompting.  Go play for Nevelyn.  Music speaks to the mind and heart in ways that words cannot always reach.  Even if she wouldn't remember me, maybe the music would speak to her?  So at church the next day, I asked my friend again, "Have you heard how Nevelyn is?  Is she still among the living?"  She confirmed that she believed so, and that she was still in the nursing home.  

I intended to go visit her later that day, and got distracted.  I also felt lazy, and was intimidated with trying to figure out how to find her at this nursing home.  Really, could it be all that hard?  So I neglected the prompting, again.  

Thursday night... reminded in spirit again... Go play for Nevelyn.  

Friday afternoon, received an email from my friend.  She says it's interesting that I asked her last Sunday how Nevelyn was, as she had passed away the night before.  Ugh.  No.  No, no, no!  

Here is her obituary.  Her work was so prolific that they named an award at the college after her.  What a rare feat!  What a woman!

I am convinced that she was one of the great ones referenced in Abraham 3:22.  

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good...

Reading Nevelyn's obituary inspires me.  It's amazing what one person can fit into a lifetime, all before 16 years of Alzheimer's.  Today in Sunday School, the mutual friend from church mentioned that Luke 24:32 inspired the song "Thy Spirit Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls".  I have to believe that Nevelyn surely received the spiritual gift of music, and transferred the blessing of it to hundreds, if not thousands of individuals.  What a gift to the planet!  Thank you, God, for sweet Nevelyn Knisely.  I am truly sorry I didn't follow that prompting, as it would have been a memorable gift to have played for her one last time.  I keep praying that a raincheck will suffice, and maybe someday we'll have a chance to play together again.  I really hope so.  In the meantime I'll keep practicing, even if I'm wearing headphones and "no one else" can hear me.   

Spiritual Gifts and Talents

This past summer my family went to a family reunion about 2 hours away, and we got to attend a small local church.  Our family literally doubled the number in attendance, and got to really participate.  The lesson was on gifts of the spirit, but the congregation interpreted it mostly to be about talents, and offering to share talents with the church.  The take away was that there, if someone had a talent, it'd be a good idea to speak up about it and let it shine.

In my ward here, growing up there were few pianists, so since I was 12 or so I had an opportunity to play in church, whether it were just for the Young Women, or sometimes in sacrament meeting.  As a college student home on summer break, I would once in awhile get asked to play the organ (not my main instrument), and learned to adjust.  But it's been almost three years since I had a music-based calling, plus a cross-country move, and people have moved into our ward and most people forgot that I even played, so it was a surprise to a lot of folks when I got called as an asst. organist a few weeks ago.  I get to trade off and on with another organist.  

Well our building got upgraded a few years ago, and I'm not trained on the new organ, with 50+ buttons and stops.  (Who knew it was desirable to play the English Horn on your organ???)  So since the start of the year, I've been up there trying to just find out where the volume pedal is, and kinda feeling like a buffoon when I couldn't even get the basic sound I wanted.  Someone offered to get a more experienced organist up to help me figure things out, and while I didn't want her to know how ignorant I was, I accepted the offer.  So this seasoned organist shows me a few things, and WOW, what a difference!  From there on I was able to go to town, and really enjoyed playing.

Again yesterday, another organist friend (also a counselor in the Stake Presidency) was around and I asked him to help me find the buttons that the lady had shown me previously (yeah, I forgot from week to week!  It turns out the buttons toggle on both the top AND bottom.  I was only pushing on the top...)   Again, had even more of a blast.  Playing the organ!!!  I never thought it was my my thing, but I seriously loved it.

I'm sharing this because I really loved an example I heard Denver Snuffer share about mowing the lawn in Zion.  (Can't recall if I saw it on his blog or read it in a book.)  In Zion, he explains, one might feel inclined to mow the lawn, and love it so much that he keeps on mowing into his neighbor's lawn.  And so on and so on until he feels content and pretty much mowed the whole neighborhood and then some.  Can you imagine if that were how church were?  To sit and play music and learn/master a new instrument, just because you feel like it?  Or to stay at the church, studying scripture or visiting as long as you want, without worry of vacating the space?

What would you do, if you had all the time in the world, and no worries or pressure?  What gift or talent or service would you volunteer to go to town on?  And is this remotely related to any calling you have now?  How would church be, if it were small and quaint like the one we visited last summer, and you had to stretch and grow in the service of a calling that you chose, because you simply desired it?  I really love this idea.

For added fun, I must share.  Two Sundays ago, I realized if I really wanted to master the sound, I'd have to learn to start playing the pedals.  The only problem was that I couldn't see them because of my skirt.  So guess who's wearing pants to church!!!  First time in my life and I have never had such a fun time at church as I did yesterday.  I almost sat Indian style in Relief Society too, but didn't want to make my friend jealous that she had to sit in a skirt.  That is, after all, my favorite way to sit.  Maybe next week.

And for your viewing pleasure, a most amazing organ performance.  Enjoy!