Together

 

Yesterday was ISSMA state finals for orchestra.  

I sat on a chair next to another parent and we watched as our girls came in confidently carrying their violins.

Our four girls lined up to play and the judge looked up and commented on their smiles and asked if their instruments were in tune.

Ella’s had just been tuned by a director but that was in a gym full of hundred of students simultaneously playing a wide myriad of notes. 

So they each played a bit to make sure. 

And hers was definitely sharp. 

She tuned a bit with her auto-tuner and then, with out a word, Abigail handed her instrument to Sophia and Courtney began playing while Ella handed off her violin to Courtney, who is adept at tuning by ear and with the pegs.

At the same time the other mom leaned over and whispered, “Is he writing?”  

Sure enough the judge was already scrawling his third line of notes and they hadn’t started playing yet.  

“Is that good or bad?” 

I shrugged and imagined him writing “unprepared, the girls had to tune and wasted time, etc”.  

We grimaced a bit and watched the girls trying to somehow urge them on with our eyebrows. 

Abigail quickly had  the instrument in tune and handed it back and soon their quartet filled the room with the well-rehearsed melody in one of their finest performances.

With hearty praise the judge handed them their scoresheet- gold with distinction! 

And that phrasing? 

It commented on how well they worked together.   

And how ensembles are such a great opportunity to work on listening skills.  

Helping, listening and working together.

From before the first note is even played. 

I have seen other times when an instrument is out of tune and bickering, blaming and conflict ensue.

What if we, like these girls saw our life experiences and interactions as great opportunities to learn to work on our listening skills?  

And helping skills.

And patience and team work.

Instead of having to be right or becoming condescending to the perceived failures (real or not) of our team mates.

Sister Linda K Burton instructed, “Brothers and sisters, we need each other! As covenant-keeping women and men, we need to lift each other and help each other become the people the Lord would have us become. And we need to work together to lift the rising generation and help them reach their divine potential as heirs of eternal life. We could do as Elder Robert D. Hales and his wife, Mary, have done and follow the proverb “Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.””

Much like I saw these girls doing for each other.