This is a simple arrangement of the tune I composed while visiting NYC. The sheet music may be found at:
https://www.giamusic.com/products/P-Instrumental-piano.cfm
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A Quiet Place
This is a simple arrangement of the tune I composed while visiting NYC. The sheet music may be found at:
https://www.giamusic.com/products/P-Instrumental-piano.cfm
Friday, April 19, 2013
Hiking in the Adirondacks
A ubiquity of trail signs in the Adirondack State Park.
Me at the entrance of the cool and damp Trap Dike.
-Malcolm Kogut
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Singing Auditions
Over the years I have played for well over a hundred theatrical show
auditions. I have shouldered this task in both the community and
professional theater arena. Some of the best prepared auditions I have
had the privilege of accompanying have been in the community theater
realm where many of the applicants were full of dreams and eagerness to
prove themselves while, some professionals can be jaded or over
confident in their skill or resumé. Regardless how good the pianist may
be, it would behoove anyone auditioning for a musical to help the
pianist to help them sound and look good. I once played for a ten hour
cattle call in NYC and by the end of the second day, I was exhausted
both physically and mentally. There were also quite a few people who
seemingly were out to challenge me and my accompanying skills. In no
particular order, here are a list of my Do's and Don'ts. None of these
are hard and fast, but, do consider them for your own benefit.
Don't give the pianist hand written sheet music. Unless your handwriting is impeccable, if the lighting is bad or the chicken scratch on the page is too small or indiscernible, your pianist may have trouble reading it. My friend Mike is an excellent pianist but he is too proud to admit that his vision is beginning to fail. He is not going to be wearing glasses so both you and he are automatically at a disadvantage. Don't let his pride make you sound terrible. Give him something easy and clear to read.
Don't provide music written in keys with too many sharps or flats. Even if you are auditioning for a professional theater company, maybe they're regular pianist couldn't make it and the union sent over some new person without a lot of sight reading experience. Again, don't make it difficult for the pianist to make you sound good. Have the music transposed up or down a half step where it may be easier to read. You can either purchase music in various keys online or input it yourself into a program such as FINALE or some other engraving software. Many simple engraving programs can be found for free online.
Don't hand the pianist a brand new book with an uncooperative binding. New books which don't already have the binding broken can close on its own at any time. Wouldn't you rather the pianist to be focusing on you and not holding the book open?
If you are going to tell the pianist that you want to "Start here," then "skip to here," "repeat to here," "skip this page," "I'm singing different words here," "I'll stop there." then clearly mark it out in advance and use colored highlighters. Better yet, have the music re-transcribed using a program such as FINALE and lay it out exactly as you wish to sing it so that the pianist doesn't have to navigate a maze of clues, scribbles or even trust their own memory.
Treat your pianist with respect, even after you finish singing and are walking off stage. I once worked at the Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts at The Egg. Our music director was named George. He was a wonderful man who always watched the interaction between the singer and pianist. There were times when George would come down to the pit and ask me what someone said to me or what the music looked like, did they say "Thank you" or if I thought they knew what they were doing. How they treated me, how prepared they were and how easy they made it for me, mattered to George when hiring future cast members.
When it comes to having your music in a key you want it in, use a music engraving program and have your music transposed in the key you prefer because not every pianist can sight transpose. Even though I can sight transpose very well because it is something I do every day, it would behoove you not to test me at YOUR audition. I used to work at the Emma Willard School playing for four ballet classes a day, seven days a week and the teacher would only allow me a repertoire of 50 specific songs. Her reasoning was that she wanted her students to know the music so well that they would be better dancers. I quickly memorized the music and on some days, in an effort to entertain myself, I would transpose everything up a third for instance, or play everything in the key of B, then Db tomorrow. So, it's your audition. Do you want to risk sounding bad because you took a risk on the pianist?
Some pianist can fake an accompaniment with just a lead sheet and chords. If your pianist can't read chord symbols and you present them with only a melody line, you're sunk.
Some pianists can't read bass clef very well so if your music also contains chord symbols at the top, that can be very helpful. Even if I am reading both clefs, sometimes having a chord above the melody line can aid me in difficult passages. Many pianist will utilize both tools in accompanying. Have a friend with a knowledge of music theory neatly write the chords in if they are not already there.
Some singers may bring in their own pianists. My friend George wouldn't have allowed that because he wanted to see how you worked with new people. It wouldn't hurt to call in advance to find out if they will allow you to bring your own accompanist. Many won't mind.
Some singers practice with a recording and are comfortable singing to that karaoke type recording. Again, directors may want to hear you with only a piano or their pianist in an effort to discern your flexibility.
Some singers ask if they can sing a Capella. Many music directors will want to hear you with a piano to see how quickly and efficiently you can match pitches and rhythms. Some directors will allow you to sing unaccompanied but won't consider you. You will be giving them a much needed two minute break.
You may be able to wow the directors with your rendition of a Sondheim piece or some other difficult work, but your pianist may not be able to. It is you who may suffer when a pianist struggles with a difficult score. The pianist already has the job. Consider keeping it simple.
If you absolutely must sing Sondheim or something from a difficult score, pay someone to simplify the arrangement so that it is easy to read and play by the average pianist. Give it to a pianist friend and see how well they can play it on sight.
A few directors may frown upon you if you bring in illegally photocopied sheet music, just a few. Personally, this is the format I prefer. If you give me single sided, numbered, loose pages, I can lay them out on my music rack or stand with little fuss. Just keep it down to three or four pages. If one accidentally goes flying, you're up the creek. I don't mind if they are in a binder either but, they should then be double sided. Don't put them in a binder with hundreds of other songs and the whole collection weighs a lot. If I am using a music stand, it could cause my stand to slide down. Don't put your music in those plastic sheet protectors, either. Depending on the lighting they can cause a glare making it difficult to see the notes.
It never mattered to me if the singer sang a song from the show they were auditioning for or, sang a song that the character they were auditioning for will sing. However, if you are asked to hang out for a call back, you will probably be asked to sing something from the score. I once played an audition for CAMELOT in NYC. We were only casting for the two parts of Guenevere and Lancelot and over 300 people showed up. It was amazing how many men didn't know the song "If Ever I Would Leave You." It really showed us who would require a lot of hand holding and note plunking if they were cast in the show, which they weren't.
No matter how good the pianist may be, let me reiterate, don't make it difficult for them to make you sound good. If you are good, your quality will shine through on anything you sing. No matter how badly a piano player may butcher your piece, the director isn't listening to the pianist but they may take notice of your composure and recovery skills or, lack thereof. Keep it simple.
Don't give the pianist hand written sheet music. Unless your handwriting is impeccable, if the lighting is bad or the chicken scratch on the page is too small or indiscernible, your pianist may have trouble reading it. My friend Mike is an excellent pianist but he is too proud to admit that his vision is beginning to fail. He is not going to be wearing glasses so both you and he are automatically at a disadvantage. Don't let his pride make you sound terrible. Give him something easy and clear to read.
Don't provide music written in keys with too many sharps or flats. Even if you are auditioning for a professional theater company, maybe they're regular pianist couldn't make it and the union sent over some new person without a lot of sight reading experience. Again, don't make it difficult for the pianist to make you sound good. Have the music transposed up or down a half step where it may be easier to read. You can either purchase music in various keys online or input it yourself into a program such as FINALE or some other engraving software. Many simple engraving programs can be found for free online.
Don't hand the pianist a brand new book with an uncooperative binding. New books which don't already have the binding broken can close on its own at any time. Wouldn't you rather the pianist to be focusing on you and not holding the book open?
If you are going to tell the pianist that you want to "Start here," then "skip to here," "repeat to here," "skip this page," "I'm singing different words here," "I'll stop there." then clearly mark it out in advance and use colored highlighters. Better yet, have the music re-transcribed using a program such as FINALE and lay it out exactly as you wish to sing it so that the pianist doesn't have to navigate a maze of clues, scribbles or even trust their own memory.
Treat your pianist with respect, even after you finish singing and are walking off stage. I once worked at the Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts at The Egg. Our music director was named George. He was a wonderful man who always watched the interaction between the singer and pianist. There were times when George would come down to the pit and ask me what someone said to me or what the music looked like, did they say "Thank you" or if I thought they knew what they were doing. How they treated me, how prepared they were and how easy they made it for me, mattered to George when hiring future cast members.
When it comes to having your music in a key you want it in, use a music engraving program and have your music transposed in the key you prefer because not every pianist can sight transpose. Even though I can sight transpose very well because it is something I do every day, it would behoove you not to test me at YOUR audition. I used to work at the Emma Willard School playing for four ballet classes a day, seven days a week and the teacher would only allow me a repertoire of 50 specific songs. Her reasoning was that she wanted her students to know the music so well that they would be better dancers. I quickly memorized the music and on some days, in an effort to entertain myself, I would transpose everything up a third for instance, or play everything in the key of B, then Db tomorrow. So, it's your audition. Do you want to risk sounding bad because you took a risk on the pianist?
Some pianist can fake an accompaniment with just a lead sheet and chords. If your pianist can't read chord symbols and you present them with only a melody line, you're sunk.
Some pianists can't read bass clef very well so if your music also contains chord symbols at the top, that can be very helpful. Even if I am reading both clefs, sometimes having a chord above the melody line can aid me in difficult passages. Many pianist will utilize both tools in accompanying. Have a friend with a knowledge of music theory neatly write the chords in if they are not already there.
Some singers may bring in their own pianists. My friend George wouldn't have allowed that because he wanted to see how you worked with new people. It wouldn't hurt to call in advance to find out if they will allow you to bring your own accompanist. Many won't mind.
Some singers practice with a recording and are comfortable singing to that karaoke type recording. Again, directors may want to hear you with only a piano or their pianist in an effort to discern your flexibility.
Some singers ask if they can sing a Capella. Many music directors will want to hear you with a piano to see how quickly and efficiently you can match pitches and rhythms. Some directors will allow you to sing unaccompanied but won't consider you. You will be giving them a much needed two minute break.
You may be able to wow the directors with your rendition of a Sondheim piece or some other difficult work, but your pianist may not be able to. It is you who may suffer when a pianist struggles with a difficult score. The pianist already has the job. Consider keeping it simple.
If you absolutely must sing Sondheim or something from a difficult score, pay someone to simplify the arrangement so that it is easy to read and play by the average pianist. Give it to a pianist friend and see how well they can play it on sight.
A few directors may frown upon you if you bring in illegally photocopied sheet music, just a few. Personally, this is the format I prefer. If you give me single sided, numbered, loose pages, I can lay them out on my music rack or stand with little fuss. Just keep it down to three or four pages. If one accidentally goes flying, you're up the creek. I don't mind if they are in a binder either but, they should then be double sided. Don't put them in a binder with hundreds of other songs and the whole collection weighs a lot. If I am using a music stand, it could cause my stand to slide down. Don't put your music in those plastic sheet protectors, either. Depending on the lighting they can cause a glare making it difficult to see the notes.
It never mattered to me if the singer sang a song from the show they were auditioning for or, sang a song that the character they were auditioning for will sing. However, if you are asked to hang out for a call back, you will probably be asked to sing something from the score. I once played an audition for CAMELOT in NYC. We were only casting for the two parts of Guenevere and Lancelot and over 300 people showed up. It was amazing how many men didn't know the song "If Ever I Would Leave You." It really showed us who would require a lot of hand holding and note plunking if they were cast in the show, which they weren't.
No matter how good the pianist may be, let me reiterate, don't make it difficult for them to make you sound good. If you are good, your quality will shine through on anything you sing. No matter how badly a piano player may butcher your piece, the director isn't listening to the pianist but they may take notice of your composure and recovery skills or, lack thereof. Keep it simple.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Legalization of Marijuana
Do you know anyone who uses pot? Has been arrested for pot? Tried it
once? Do you know anyone who suffers from depression, addiction,
chronic pain, cancer or fibromyalgia? Well, it
looks like NY is going to join the pantheon of states to legalize
medical marijuana. Many of our politicians freely admit to once using
the herb such as Obama and Clinton. Recently Republican Assemblyman
Steve Katz was arrested and charged with possession as he was commuting
to Albany to vote on legislation. It is not clear if he has ever been
high while on the floor passing laws but it seems now that these laws
are affecting our lawmakers and they're going to do something about it.
I know what you're thinking. Marijuana is a drug. It slows motor skills. It causes cancer in the long term. It kills brain cells. Well, again, the operative word here is "medical" marijuana.
If you could improve the quality of life for someone who is either elderly or suffering from debilitating injuries or disease, would you or, would you rather they suffer? We know the side effects of marijuana so let's look at a few of the side effects from many common doctor prescribed medications:
Diarrhea, vomiting, suicide, death, nausea, amnesia, heart failure, stroke, water weight gain, muscle pain, blood clots, rash, dizziness, thinning bones, weakness, internal bleeding, dehydration, headaches, blurred vision, grogginess, difficulty breathing, no appetite, loss of balance, weight loss, weight gain, ringing in ears.
Marijuana doesn't do any of those. If your 80 year old grandmother suffered from painful and debilitating arthritis, would you rather she suffer any of those aforementioned medicated side effects and sleep away her day or sit around watching TV, being snack obsessed and laughing at the paint on the wall? Would you be concerned about her pot habit becoming a gateway drug?
What are some of the conditions medical marijuana is known for amelioration? Alzheimer's, arthritis, glaucoma, ALS, MS, fibromyalgia, migraines, pain relief, cancer, HIV/AIDS, breast and brain cancer, addiction, opioid addiction, depression, chronic pain, nausea, no appetite, suicide.
When I was answering the suicide hotline, I had a caller who once had breast cancer a few years prior and she became addicted to pain killers. She was taking eight pills a day despite being prescribed only four per day. They have no effect on her anymore and the pain is unbearable to the point that she is suicidal. She admitted that she had smoked pot with her daughter and that pot was the only thing that took away the pain. She was afraid of being arrested or getting her daughter arrested who was only trying to help her long suffering mother. If this was your mother, which treatment would you prefer she imbibe in? Endless and pointless suffering or giddy induced four hour lunches?
I have a friend in his forties who was a construction worker. He fell from a roof and is now permanently disabled. When he wakes up in the morning he is in excruciating pain. He takes medication which then knocks him out for four more hours. When he wakes in the afternoon, he forces himself to get up and take more medication which makes him nauseous, unable to eat and it still it doesn't take away his pain. He has absolutely no life with his current medical treatment. Enter marijuana. When he smokes pot, he is able to eat and function for the whole day and it helps him to sleep at night. Last year we went to the state fair and he was able to walk the entire park with no complaint. So he had two fried doughs, a turkey leg, a cotton candy, two Slurpees, a beer and then we went to lunch. He was able to function and have a quality day. Please note that I did not share in his treatment and waited outside his car while he took his morning dosage.
I'm not talking about making pot legal like alcohol is - which unlike pot, kills over 5,000 children each year in DWI accidents. Make pot available to people who can't find relief from modern medicine - or who do not wish to suffer the side effects of modern medicine - or who do not have insurance and can't afford the cost of modern medicine - or who sacrifice their quality of life because of the side effects of modern medicine.
We would like for our elderly (old tokes) and disabled loved ones to have a certain quality of life. If youth is through, do you think they are worried about long term damage from consuming or smoking an herb? Not if it allows them to enjoy the few years they have left.
A relative of mine was dying from cancer and she was prescribed morphine. She refused to take it because she wanted to be awake for every precious moment she had left in this world. Marijuana gave her a few pain free final weeks with her children which she would not have had otherwise.
A funny aside, I recently had lunch with one of my former youth choir members who is now in his twenties. He told me that when he was eight, his neighbor friend found his mother's stash of pot and they both snuck down into his basement to smoke it. He said that it didn't have any effect on them and they really didn't remember much. His friend emerged from the basement with shaved eyebrows and they plugged the toilet with something causing it to overflow and flood the basement.
It seems when a senator's son comes out of the closet, they change their view on gay rights and attendant laws. When a senator gets arrested for possession, we change our marijuana laws. Once we do change the law, what are we going to do about the thousands of people in jail or prison who were arrested for possession and are serving lengthy sentences? What about the people with prior felony convictions who are unemployable? Congress, please fix the problems you created.
We need to arrest more senators.
-Malcolm Kogut.
I know what you're thinking. Marijuana is a drug. It slows motor skills. It causes cancer in the long term. It kills brain cells. Well, again, the operative word here is "medical" marijuana.
If you could improve the quality of life for someone who is either elderly or suffering from debilitating injuries or disease, would you or, would you rather they suffer? We know the side effects of marijuana so let's look at a few of the side effects from many common doctor prescribed medications:
Diarrhea, vomiting, suicide, death, nausea, amnesia, heart failure, stroke, water weight gain, muscle pain, blood clots, rash, dizziness, thinning bones, weakness, internal bleeding, dehydration, headaches, blurred vision, grogginess, difficulty breathing, no appetite, loss of balance, weight loss, weight gain, ringing in ears.
Marijuana doesn't do any of those. If your 80 year old grandmother suffered from painful and debilitating arthritis, would you rather she suffer any of those aforementioned medicated side effects and sleep away her day or sit around watching TV, being snack obsessed and laughing at the paint on the wall? Would you be concerned about her pot habit becoming a gateway drug?
What are some of the conditions medical marijuana is known for amelioration? Alzheimer's, arthritis, glaucoma, ALS, MS, fibromyalgia, migraines, pain relief, cancer, HIV/AIDS, breast and brain cancer, addiction, opioid addiction, depression, chronic pain, nausea, no appetite, suicide.
When I was answering the suicide hotline, I had a caller who once had breast cancer a few years prior and she became addicted to pain killers. She was taking eight pills a day despite being prescribed only four per day. They have no effect on her anymore and the pain is unbearable to the point that she is suicidal. She admitted that she had smoked pot with her daughter and that pot was the only thing that took away the pain. She was afraid of being arrested or getting her daughter arrested who was only trying to help her long suffering mother. If this was your mother, which treatment would you prefer she imbibe in? Endless and pointless suffering or giddy induced four hour lunches?
I have a friend in his forties who was a construction worker. He fell from a roof and is now permanently disabled. When he wakes up in the morning he is in excruciating pain. He takes medication which then knocks him out for four more hours. When he wakes in the afternoon, he forces himself to get up and take more medication which makes him nauseous, unable to eat and it still it doesn't take away his pain. He has absolutely no life with his current medical treatment. Enter marijuana. When he smokes pot, he is able to eat and function for the whole day and it helps him to sleep at night. Last year we went to the state fair and he was able to walk the entire park with no complaint. So he had two fried doughs, a turkey leg, a cotton candy, two Slurpees, a beer and then we went to lunch. He was able to function and have a quality day. Please note that I did not share in his treatment and waited outside his car while he took his morning dosage.
I'm not talking about making pot legal like alcohol is - which unlike pot, kills over 5,000 children each year in DWI accidents. Make pot available to people who can't find relief from modern medicine - or who do not wish to suffer the side effects of modern medicine - or who do not have insurance and can't afford the cost of modern medicine - or who sacrifice their quality of life because of the side effects of modern medicine.
We would like for our elderly (old tokes) and disabled loved ones to have a certain quality of life. If youth is through, do you think they are worried about long term damage from consuming or smoking an herb? Not if it allows them to enjoy the few years they have left.
A relative of mine was dying from cancer and she was prescribed morphine. She refused to take it because she wanted to be awake for every precious moment she had left in this world. Marijuana gave her a few pain free final weeks with her children which she would not have had otherwise.
A funny aside, I recently had lunch with one of my former youth choir members who is now in his twenties. He told me that when he was eight, his neighbor friend found his mother's stash of pot and they both snuck down into his basement to smoke it. He said that it didn't have any effect on them and they really didn't remember much. His friend emerged from the basement with shaved eyebrows and they plugged the toilet with something causing it to overflow and flood the basement.
It seems when a senator's son comes out of the closet, they change their view on gay rights and attendant laws. When a senator gets arrested for possession, we change our marijuana laws. Once we do change the law, what are we going to do about the thousands of people in jail or prison who were arrested for possession and are serving lengthy sentences? What about the people with prior felony convictions who are unemployable? Congress, please fix the problems you created.
We need to arrest more senators.
-Malcolm Kogut.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Diamond in the Rock
While hiking in the Adirondacks, I found this rock with an embedded quartz crystal. It is estimated that this little "diamond" is five hundred million years old. Such phenomenal beauty created and imprisoned by tons of pressure. It reminds me of the scripture about gold, tested in fire. I wonder how many thousands of people walked past this rock, never knowing the secret beauty held within.
-malcolm kogut.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Saving Money
I used to volunteer answering the phone lines for 211. Actually I
volunteered answering the phones for two suicide hotlines but 211 was
the bread and butter and funding for the suicide hotlines. Of course,
we lost our 211 funding and the suicide hotlines are now suffering their
own slow death. Meanwhile my senators are earning $194,000 per year
and "require" a cost of living increase.
I encourage anyone who could use a little fiscal assistance to call their local 211 (like 911 but with a 2) and find out what local resources are available to them.
You may be able to get assistance with rent, mortgage, heat, utilities, crime, domestic abuse issues, medical, dental, free tax prep, pet care, free cell phones, free cars, medical transportation, employment assistance, support groups, mental health, etcetera. If you need information about summer camps, day cares, the mayor's office, places to volunteer, or even a non-emergency police number, 211 may be able to provide that information. Think of them as the yellow pages but don't use them as directory assistance. They only provide information to non-profits and government agencies. If there is a dead skunk in front of your house, they should be able to provide a number to the animal control officer in your town. They won't give you the number for your local McDonalds (although, on slow days, I have).
211 doesn't provide the actual assistance, only referrals to organizations who offer that assistance. If you don't know where to apply for food stamps, we can help you. If you already know that you should go to the DSS, you wouldn't need to call us. HOWEVER, we may know of organization and community action programs who can assist, expedite or even advocate on your behalf regarding the procurement of food stamps so you won't have to personally go to the DSS.
Don't be afraid or insulted to provide the 211 operator with personal and statistical data either. That information is important for them in obtaining future funding and grants and is also important information to organizations who invest in certain communities. For instance, 211 will first require your zip code to find what is available in your area. If statistical data shows that there is an increase in Hispanic callers in a certain region, they may be able to use that information to show organizations who serve the Hispanic community that there is a need to augment assistance in those areas. If our data shows that there is an increase in single parent households looking for child care or other child related assistance, it could help us in procuring future funding from organizations that provide child related services and wish for us to provide referrals to their organizations.
There are many organizations who only provide assistance to people who are victims of domestic abuse, are HIV+, have arrest records, do or don't have children, are of a certain nationality or, there may even be gender qualifiers. Don't be afraid to reveal personal information because it could mean the difference between the call specialist from finding you help or not.
Our database was hierarchical, meaning, if you needed clothing assistance, I would type "Clothing" and a list of agencies would appear for your zip code. I could further fine tune that list to age (child, teen or adult), then gender, then employment, etcetera. There are some organizations for instance, who will provide new and free clothing only to unemployed women going on job interviews. If you get the job, they will then provide you with five free outfits. If you fail to freely provide me with that information, I wouldn't be able to find that organization for you. However, it really isn't as odious as that.
One day a man called me looking for food assistance. I listed off all the food pantries in his area. He had been to all of them and most of them only offered assistance once a month which wasn't enough. He had already been to DSS and his local churches. In passing, he mentioned that he can't even afford food for his dog and sometimes provides for her before he eats himself. Information like that puts me into advocacy mode. I thought that if I could save him money in pet food, he'd have more money for himself. I rattled off a litany of sub-groups asking him if anyone in his household had mental health issues, drug or alcohol issues, was a veteran, had HIV, and he stopped me saying, "Yes, I have HIV." I typed that into my database and an organization which provides pet food and veterinary care for the pets of people with HIV came up. I wasn't able to help him for what he called for, but I was able to ameliorate his overall condition.
There were some callers I wasn't able to help so I would ask them for their name and number, then go talk to other volunteers to see if they had ideas. Often, someone would be able to come up with some solution since not every organization poised for assistance in the community was listed in our database. Many of them don't want to be listed because they are already over taxed with requests for help.
When people call for help and they live in communities which have no support services at all, or those services have already been exhausted, I try to brainstorm with people on ways they can save money and cut expenses.
If someone can't afford their phone bill, I let them know about the free government sponsored cell phones. If they have internet, they can subscribe to iCall or GoogleTalk and cancel their landline. Maybe they can go halfies with a neighbor on internet WiFi or trash pickup. I know a guy who makes $90,000 per year but has six kids and they live at poverty level. He packs their daily garbage in plastic grocery store bags and rolls them into small, neat bundles. Each day, he or the kids take them to work or school and discreetly drop them in trash cans. It saves them about $30 per month which isn't much, but can equal food, heat, shoes or internet. Again, money not spent in one area can be spent elsewhere.
So, call 211. Be not afraid. Don't be too proud or ashamed. They're there to help. They want to help. Helping you helps them. Some of us even get a high off of helping people. Your 211 may be very busy and the person on the phone may not be permitted to deviate from the script in front of them, but maybe you'll get lucky and get someone who is willing to do some sleuthing and sacrifice their quota for you.
When my 211 closed, our region was absorbed by a 211 three hundred miles away. I know for a fact that our community is less for it, especially when I talk to some of the community service organizations and hear their complaints on the quality of the current referrals. Also, we volunteers live in this community and know of resources not listed in the database. Someone 300 miles away would not be aware of such information.
Half of one senator's salary could have funded us for another year and helped provide quality care to an increasing population of people in need, who have never before navigated the waters of seeking support.
-Malcolm Kogut.
I encourage anyone who could use a little fiscal assistance to call their local 211 (like 911 but with a 2) and find out what local resources are available to them.
You may be able to get assistance with rent, mortgage, heat, utilities, crime, domestic abuse issues, medical, dental, free tax prep, pet care, free cell phones, free cars, medical transportation, employment assistance, support groups, mental health, etcetera. If you need information about summer camps, day cares, the mayor's office, places to volunteer, or even a non-emergency police number, 211 may be able to provide that information. Think of them as the yellow pages but don't use them as directory assistance. They only provide information to non-profits and government agencies. If there is a dead skunk in front of your house, they should be able to provide a number to the animal control officer in your town. They won't give you the number for your local McDonalds (although, on slow days, I have).
211 doesn't provide the actual assistance, only referrals to organizations who offer that assistance. If you don't know where to apply for food stamps, we can help you. If you already know that you should go to the DSS, you wouldn't need to call us. HOWEVER, we may know of organization and community action programs who can assist, expedite or even advocate on your behalf regarding the procurement of food stamps so you won't have to personally go to the DSS.
Don't be afraid or insulted to provide the 211 operator with personal and statistical data either. That information is important for them in obtaining future funding and grants and is also important information to organizations who invest in certain communities. For instance, 211 will first require your zip code to find what is available in your area. If statistical data shows that there is an increase in Hispanic callers in a certain region, they may be able to use that information to show organizations who serve the Hispanic community that there is a need to augment assistance in those areas. If our data shows that there is an increase in single parent households looking for child care or other child related assistance, it could help us in procuring future funding from organizations that provide child related services and wish for us to provide referrals to their organizations.
There are many organizations who only provide assistance to people who are victims of domestic abuse, are HIV+, have arrest records, do or don't have children, are of a certain nationality or, there may even be gender qualifiers. Don't be afraid to reveal personal information because it could mean the difference between the call specialist from finding you help or not.
Our database was hierarchical, meaning, if you needed clothing assistance, I would type "Clothing" and a list of agencies would appear for your zip code. I could further fine tune that list to age (child, teen or adult), then gender, then employment, etcetera. There are some organizations for instance, who will provide new and free clothing only to unemployed women going on job interviews. If you get the job, they will then provide you with five free outfits. If you fail to freely provide me with that information, I wouldn't be able to find that organization for you. However, it really isn't as odious as that.
One day a man called me looking for food assistance. I listed off all the food pantries in his area. He had been to all of them and most of them only offered assistance once a month which wasn't enough. He had already been to DSS and his local churches. In passing, he mentioned that he can't even afford food for his dog and sometimes provides for her before he eats himself. Information like that puts me into advocacy mode. I thought that if I could save him money in pet food, he'd have more money for himself. I rattled off a litany of sub-groups asking him if anyone in his household had mental health issues, drug or alcohol issues, was a veteran, had HIV, and he stopped me saying, "Yes, I have HIV." I typed that into my database and an organization which provides pet food and veterinary care for the pets of people with HIV came up. I wasn't able to help him for what he called for, but I was able to ameliorate his overall condition.
There were some callers I wasn't able to help so I would ask them for their name and number, then go talk to other volunteers to see if they had ideas. Often, someone would be able to come up with some solution since not every organization poised for assistance in the community was listed in our database. Many of them don't want to be listed because they are already over taxed with requests for help.
When people call for help and they live in communities which have no support services at all, or those services have already been exhausted, I try to brainstorm with people on ways they can save money and cut expenses.
If someone can't afford their phone bill, I let them know about the free government sponsored cell phones. If they have internet, they can subscribe to iCall or GoogleTalk and cancel their landline. Maybe they can go halfies with a neighbor on internet WiFi or trash pickup. I know a guy who makes $90,000 per year but has six kids and they live at poverty level. He packs their daily garbage in plastic grocery store bags and rolls them into small, neat bundles. Each day, he or the kids take them to work or school and discreetly drop them in trash cans. It saves them about $30 per month which isn't much, but can equal food, heat, shoes or internet. Again, money not spent in one area can be spent elsewhere.
So, call 211. Be not afraid. Don't be too proud or ashamed. They're there to help. They want to help. Helping you helps them. Some of us even get a high off of helping people. Your 211 may be very busy and the person on the phone may not be permitted to deviate from the script in front of them, but maybe you'll get lucky and get someone who is willing to do some sleuthing and sacrifice their quota for you.
When my 211 closed, our region was absorbed by a 211 three hundred miles away. I know for a fact that our community is less for it, especially when I talk to some of the community service organizations and hear their complaints on the quality of the current referrals. Also, we volunteers live in this community and know of resources not listed in the database. Someone 300 miles away would not be aware of such information.
Half of one senator's salary could have funded us for another year and helped provide quality care to an increasing population of people in need, who have never before navigated the waters of seeking support.
-Malcolm Kogut.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
MOVEMENT PRAYER SERVICE
I once organized a weekend dance retreat where we had over 80 students
of all ages participate in workshops designed for sacred movement. The
talks and demonstrations which were presented by three local dance
teachers covered topics such as suitable clothing; working with sacred
props, dancing with candles and water; dancing the seasons; working the
Sacred Space; and a several other topics. The whole retreat culminated
with this service.
This is a flexible service which you can break up into small components for smaller gatherings. You can have the attendees assume the positions, you may have actors assume the positions, have dancers choreograph a short routine for each of the sections. Your imagination is your only limitation.
Are you ever restless? Does your heart get hungry? Week after week, when you go to the church, do you ever feel there should be something more? Nice churches, nice people, nice town, nice neighborhood, nice music, nice friends, nice preacher, nice this, nice that. But, who the heck wants everything nice all the time? Some in the church are restless, dreaming of something more. Are you ever restless that in the church all is not good? All is not well?
Bowing (Please bow)
If I could not bend low, how could I embrace a child? If I could not bend low, how could I tie someone's shoes? If I could not bend low, how could I make someone's bed? If I could not bend low, how could I give someone bath? If I could not bend low, how could I lift the fallen. If I could not bend low, how could I take bread from the oven? If I could not bend low, how could I comfort the suffering? How could I acknowledge my profound reverence before God if I could not bend low?
Sign of the Cross
We make the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the Mass. The sign of the Cross is made on us at the beginning and end of our lives. At the beginning and end of all we do stands the sign of the cross, saying: this place, this space of time, this life, this child, these people, this corpse, all belong to the Lord. For, he bears in his body the marks of that same cross.
Can you hear it through the ages, like a mighty trumpet call, the call to leave your nets and follow? It's a call to joy and gladness. It's a call to life and birth. It's a call to plant the seeds of love. It's a call to joyful expectation.
Make the sign of the cross. It's a blood stained invitation to a life of sacrifice. It's a call to face the makers of destruction and of war. It's a call to be the lowly. It's a call to be the least. It's a call to join the suffering and to bear the weeper's load. It's a call to death and dying. It's a call to live like fools. Take your cross in hand and follow, for this place, this space of time, this life, this child, thesepeople, this corpse, all belong to the Lord.
(lead them up the center aisle) Processing
We skip and limp and march and run and shuffle and stroll. Over peaks and valleys and sand and stone and mud and grass and dust and streams.
What is a procession? It is a journey distilled. Why journey? We journey to discover the source. We journey to discover the ground. We journey to discover the companion. We journey to discover the way. Like Melchior, in days of old, we journey to find a treasure in the most unlikely of places. Some people ask, why do we need to go somewhere? Why do we need to go on a journey or follow a star? (gesture to the building) Can't we find all the God we need right here?
Kneeling (please kneel)
Here we are, on our knees.
The wrestler, forced to his knees
the lover, proposing on his knees
the plaintiff, going down on her knees
the victim, flinging herself to her knees
the beggar, groveling on his knees
the loyal subject, falling to her knees
the loser, brought to his knees
the worshiper, taking to her knees
Before God, we are all of these.
Standing (look to Paul)
Just as a lawyer stands beside his client during the sentencing, we stand with the Lord as we are called to stand side by side with the weak, the poor, those imprisoned, those falsely accused, or the outcast.
Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand beside a man dying of AIDS? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand before a woman contemplating an abortion? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand against giants or governments of war and persecution? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand before those considering suicide? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand beside those imprisoned by guilt, beside those imprisoned by pride, beside those imprisoned by sorrow, beside those imprisoned by loneliness, beside those imprisoned by age? Awake, Jerusalem, arise! The power of God's holy Word rallies God's people, it brings us to our feet.
Sitting ()
The middle child of posture. Not the complete abandon of lying down, not the height of power, standing in full stature, but somewhere in the middle, between action and rest.
Jesus sat with ordinary people. He sat down to table with even the disreputable. Public opinion was never a problem with Jesus. He never had anything to lose because everything he had he shared. He served through his teaching, his healing, and his liberating people from evil influences. He was a genuine human person, a real brother to the poor, the weak, the sick, the alienated. He was not a benefactor, or a patron, or a philanthropist - but a brother.
In this lies the greatness of Jesus. To have real power and influence one does not control or manipulate. One serves and builds and loves. When we sit still, we are willing to listen, ready to be beckoned, waiting, receptive, open. In this posture of sitting, the Word of the Lord may begin to be heard.
Offertory
On Sunday, as the basket passes, we offer money. Money means a lot to us. We may be proud or embarrassed by the amount of money we make. It defines the clothes we wear, the houses we live in, the food we eat, the community we live in, the car we drive. That is the spiritual reason for offering money to God, because it bears so much of our personal identity. The real gift to God, though, is ourselves.
As the priest prepares the gifts to be sacrificed to God, he drops a little ordinary water into the wine and silently prays: "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity." In the preparation of the gifts, the water symbolizes our ordinary human nature and the wine symbolizes the divine nature. A little of the water mixes with the wine, gets lost in and becomes part of the wine. Just as the prayer says, "May we come to share in the divinity of Christ."
What is your offering to God? What do you offer God? $5? $10? $50? How much of yourself do you want God to have? Will you live a life of sacrifice? Will you oppose the makers of destruction and of war? Will you stand with the lowly and the least? Will you join the suffering, bear the weeper's load or live like a fool? Do you want to participate in the divinity of Christ? These can be hard questions. Will God settle for money?
Keeping Silence
Speech must die to serve that which is spoken. (60 seconds of silence)
The Lord is in this holy temple: let the earth keep silence and adore.
Watching
There is a beautiful Taize chant that reads: Stay with me, remain here with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Immanuel, a name which means "God is with us." It does not mean that God solves our problems, shows us the way out of our confusion, or offers answers for our many questions. It means he is with us, willing to enter with us into our problems, confusions, and questions. We, do not aspire to suffer with others. On the contrary, we develop methods and techniques that allow us to stay away from pain. Hospitals, nursing homes, rest homes, funeral homes, they all often become places to hide the sick, the suffering, and the dead. Suffering is unattractive, repelling and disgusting. The less we are confronted with it, the better. It is something we want to avoid at all cost. Among some people, compassion is not among our most natural responses. But, in times of trial, if someone were to say to us, "I do not know what to say or what to do, but I want you to realize that I am with you, that I will not leave you alone," we have a friend through whom we can find consolation and comfort.
What really counts, is that in the moments of pain and suffering, someone stays with us. More important than any particular action, or, word of advice, is the simple presence of someone who cares. They show solidarity with us by willingly entering the dark spaces of our lives. For this reason, they, like God, are the ones who bring hope and help us discover new directions. From the Beatitudes, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn." Not because mourning is good, but because they shall be comforted.
Please Fold your Hands in a Praying Position
St. Vincent de Paul writes: "If a needy person requires medicine or other help during your prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer that deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you use your prayer time to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave him for real service. You should prefer the service of the poor to making your prayer. For, it is not enough to love God, if, your neighbor does not also love God."
Here you are, you press against your own skin and bone and feel the pulse of your blood. Do you feel the warmth or cold, the tension or relaxation, the roughness or smoothness? These hands touch the ones you love, hold the things you treasure, perform the constant countless motions of your living. For now, these hands do nothing, they are not useful held this way, kept by each other from all movement of living and serving. Pressed to each other, there is no space for holding anything or anyone. For the moment these hands, are empty (and useless) and still.
Outstretched Arms (the orans position)
The tiny child, tired and frustrated by its own weight, frustrated by its own helplessness, stretches out and up, wordlessly seeking, hoping, vulnerable but trusting, pleading eloquently with frail arms. Standing quietly before the Lord, alert, watchful, ready and grateful, hopeful and expansive, with arms raised in joy, hope, desire and confidence, lift your hands to the poor, the tired, embrace the weak, embrace the suicidal, embrace the prostitute, embrace the beaten, embrace the dying. Meet God's embrace, vulnerable and waiting.
(Wait for the end of this meditation to make...) Sign of Peace
For a moment, there is hesitation or even reluctance to enter the space between strangers. Reserved and cautious, we choose some appropriate sign of Christ's peace. Over aisle and empty space - a smile or a wave. To those within arm's length - a clasp of hands. Among family and friends - an embrace or a kiss. The bounds of propriety prevail.
On Sunday, while we are in our nice churches, with our nice friends, and our nice music, before our nice flowers, in our nice communities, who is smiling at the belligerent teenager addicted to drugs or alcohol? Who clasps the hand of the hungry and poor? Who embraces the man with AIDS? Who welcomes the prostitute? Who is there to kiss the homeless? Who acknowledges the shy and lonely? Is there a restless stirring among us? Is it the peace of Christ freeing us to touch, to embrace, to kiss even the stranger in our midst? Indeed, the peace of Christ is with us. But, are you ever restless?
In the words of St. Vincent de Paul, go forth and serve your fellow man, and offer it as your prayer to God.
This is a flexible service which you can break up into small components for smaller gatherings. You can have the attendees assume the positions, you may have actors assume the positions, have dancers choreograph a short routine for each of the sections. Your imagination is your only limitation.
Are you ever restless? Does your heart get hungry? Week after week, when you go to the church, do you ever feel there should be something more? Nice churches, nice people, nice town, nice neighborhood, nice music, nice friends, nice preacher, nice this, nice that. But, who the heck wants everything nice all the time? Some in the church are restless, dreaming of something more. Are you ever restless that in the church all is not good? All is not well?
Bowing (Please bow)
If I could not bend low, how could I embrace a child? If I could not bend low, how could I tie someone's shoes? If I could not bend low, how could I make someone's bed? If I could not bend low, how could I give someone bath? If I could not bend low, how could I lift the fallen. If I could not bend low, how could I take bread from the oven? If I could not bend low, how could I comfort the suffering? How could I acknowledge my profound reverence before God if I could not bend low?
Sign of the Cross
We make the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the Mass. The sign of the Cross is made on us at the beginning and end of our lives. At the beginning and end of all we do stands the sign of the cross, saying: this place, this space of time, this life, this child, these people, this corpse, all belong to the Lord. For, he bears in his body the marks of that same cross.
Can you hear it through the ages, like a mighty trumpet call, the call to leave your nets and follow? It's a call to joy and gladness. It's a call to life and birth. It's a call to plant the seeds of love. It's a call to joyful expectation.
Make the sign of the cross. It's a blood stained invitation to a life of sacrifice. It's a call to face the makers of destruction and of war. It's a call to be the lowly. It's a call to be the least. It's a call to join the suffering and to bear the weeper's load. It's a call to death and dying. It's a call to live like fools. Take your cross in hand and follow, for this place, this space of time, this life, this child, thesepeople, this corpse, all belong to the Lord.
(lead them up the center aisle) Processing
We skip and limp and march and run and shuffle and stroll. Over peaks and valleys and sand and stone and mud and grass and dust and streams.
What is a procession? It is a journey distilled. Why journey? We journey to discover the source. We journey to discover the ground. We journey to discover the companion. We journey to discover the way. Like Melchior, in days of old, we journey to find a treasure in the most unlikely of places. Some people ask, why do we need to go somewhere? Why do we need to go on a journey or follow a star? (gesture to the building) Can't we find all the God we need right here?
Kneeling (please kneel)
Here we are, on our knees.
The wrestler, forced to his knees
the lover, proposing on his knees
the plaintiff, going down on her knees
the victim, flinging herself to her knees
the beggar, groveling on his knees
the loyal subject, falling to her knees
the loser, brought to his knees
the worshiper, taking to her knees
Before God, we are all of these.
Standing (look to Paul)
Just as a lawyer stands beside his client during the sentencing, we stand with the Lord as we are called to stand side by side with the weak, the poor, those imprisoned, those falsely accused, or the outcast.
Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand beside a man dying of AIDS? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand before a woman contemplating an abortion? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand against giants or governments of war and persecution? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand before those considering suicide? Does the power of the Lord bring you to your feet to stand beside those imprisoned by guilt, beside those imprisoned by pride, beside those imprisoned by sorrow, beside those imprisoned by loneliness, beside those imprisoned by age? Awake, Jerusalem, arise! The power of God's holy Word rallies God's people, it brings us to our feet.
Sitting ()
The middle child of posture. Not the complete abandon of lying down, not the height of power, standing in full stature, but somewhere in the middle, between action and rest.
Jesus sat with ordinary people. He sat down to table with even the disreputable. Public opinion was never a problem with Jesus. He never had anything to lose because everything he had he shared. He served through his teaching, his healing, and his liberating people from evil influences. He was a genuine human person, a real brother to the poor, the weak, the sick, the alienated. He was not a benefactor, or a patron, or a philanthropist - but a brother.
In this lies the greatness of Jesus. To have real power and influence one does not control or manipulate. One serves and builds and loves. When we sit still, we are willing to listen, ready to be beckoned, waiting, receptive, open. In this posture of sitting, the Word of the Lord may begin to be heard.
Offertory
On Sunday, as the basket passes, we offer money. Money means a lot to us. We may be proud or embarrassed by the amount of money we make. It defines the clothes we wear, the houses we live in, the food we eat, the community we live in, the car we drive. That is the spiritual reason for offering money to God, because it bears so much of our personal identity. The real gift to God, though, is ourselves.
As the priest prepares the gifts to be sacrificed to God, he drops a little ordinary water into the wine and silently prays: "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity." In the preparation of the gifts, the water symbolizes our ordinary human nature and the wine symbolizes the divine nature. A little of the water mixes with the wine, gets lost in and becomes part of the wine. Just as the prayer says, "May we come to share in the divinity of Christ."
What is your offering to God? What do you offer God? $5? $10? $50? How much of yourself do you want God to have? Will you live a life of sacrifice? Will you oppose the makers of destruction and of war? Will you stand with the lowly and the least? Will you join the suffering, bear the weeper's load or live like a fool? Do you want to participate in the divinity of Christ? These can be hard questions. Will God settle for money?
Keeping Silence
Speech must die to serve that which is spoken. (60 seconds of silence)
The Lord is in this holy temple: let the earth keep silence and adore.
Watching
There is a beautiful Taize chant that reads: Stay with me, remain here with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Immanuel, a name which means "God is with us." It does not mean that God solves our problems, shows us the way out of our confusion, or offers answers for our many questions. It means he is with us, willing to enter with us into our problems, confusions, and questions. We, do not aspire to suffer with others. On the contrary, we develop methods and techniques that allow us to stay away from pain. Hospitals, nursing homes, rest homes, funeral homes, they all often become places to hide the sick, the suffering, and the dead. Suffering is unattractive, repelling and disgusting. The less we are confronted with it, the better. It is something we want to avoid at all cost. Among some people, compassion is not among our most natural responses. But, in times of trial, if someone were to say to us, "I do not know what to say or what to do, but I want you to realize that I am with you, that I will not leave you alone," we have a friend through whom we can find consolation and comfort.
What really counts, is that in the moments of pain and suffering, someone stays with us. More important than any particular action, or, word of advice, is the simple presence of someone who cares. They show solidarity with us by willingly entering the dark spaces of our lives. For this reason, they, like God, are the ones who bring hope and help us discover new directions. From the Beatitudes, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn." Not because mourning is good, but because they shall be comforted.
Please Fold your Hands in a Praying Position
St. Vincent de Paul writes: "If a needy person requires medicine or other help during your prayer time, do whatever has to be done with peace of mind. Offer that deed to God as your prayer. Do not become upset or feel guilty because you use your prayer time to serve the poor. God is not neglected if you leave him for real service. You should prefer the service of the poor to making your prayer. For, it is not enough to love God, if, your neighbor does not also love God."
Here you are, you press against your own skin and bone and feel the pulse of your blood. Do you feel the warmth or cold, the tension or relaxation, the roughness or smoothness? These hands touch the ones you love, hold the things you treasure, perform the constant countless motions of your living. For now, these hands do nothing, they are not useful held this way, kept by each other from all movement of living and serving. Pressed to each other, there is no space for holding anything or anyone. For the moment these hands, are empty (and useless) and still.
Outstretched Arms (the orans position)
The tiny child, tired and frustrated by its own weight, frustrated by its own helplessness, stretches out and up, wordlessly seeking, hoping, vulnerable but trusting, pleading eloquently with frail arms. Standing quietly before the Lord, alert, watchful, ready and grateful, hopeful and expansive, with arms raised in joy, hope, desire and confidence, lift your hands to the poor, the tired, embrace the weak, embrace the suicidal, embrace the prostitute, embrace the beaten, embrace the dying. Meet God's embrace, vulnerable and waiting.
(Wait for the end of this meditation to make...) Sign of Peace
For a moment, there is hesitation or even reluctance to enter the space between strangers. Reserved and cautious, we choose some appropriate sign of Christ's peace. Over aisle and empty space - a smile or a wave. To those within arm's length - a clasp of hands. Among family and friends - an embrace or a kiss. The bounds of propriety prevail.
On Sunday, while we are in our nice churches, with our nice friends, and our nice music, before our nice flowers, in our nice communities, who is smiling at the belligerent teenager addicted to drugs or alcohol? Who clasps the hand of the hungry and poor? Who embraces the man with AIDS? Who welcomes the prostitute? Who is there to kiss the homeless? Who acknowledges the shy and lonely? Is there a restless stirring among us? Is it the peace of Christ freeing us to touch, to embrace, to kiss even the stranger in our midst? Indeed, the peace of Christ is with us. But, are you ever restless?
In the words of St. Vincent de Paul, go forth and serve your fellow man, and offer it as your prayer to God.
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