few months back, I sang at the LA Religious Education Conference in Anaheim (or as I casually referred to it, the “Catholic Conference”).  Not all of you are probably aware of the fact that I sing weekly at my church here in Santa Monica.  I’ve been singing with them for about a year, and they’ve completely dispelled the notion that I had of what music (and to an extent, the people) at Catholic churches is like.  Singing in the choir has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in years not just for the incredible music, but because of the people I’ve met in the process.  Living in LA, it can be incredibly difficult to meet normal, sane people who care about something beyond the car they drive, the clothes they wear, and the pursuit of becoming rich and famous.  I’ve never been one to make a big show of my faith or get into lengthy conversations as to my stance on religion, but I’ve always felt connected to something greater than myself, and I’ve always felt it is our obligation to do the best we can for ourselves and those around us.  For me, one of the obvious outlets is singing.  Singing at church is my way of doing something good for myself and the people around me — it makes me feel instantly connected to others and to the universe.

So back to the “Catholic Conference”… our choir was asked to sing with one of the performers at the concert, John Angotti.  Mr. Angotti had visited our parish a few months prior and I sang a portion of one of his songs.  At some point, he asked our music director Dan Houze to have me sing a little something at the congress.  Said song is included in this post.  My friends from home or anyone from Windham who used to come to our Chamber Singers concerts will fully appreciate this one — it’s very Gospel-y and is the type of song I suppose I became identified with.  Admittedly, I’ve listened to this song on repeat since I got it.  Some may call it ego (…ok, many my call it ego!!!), but for me, it’s exactly what I described above — being totally in tune to the universe and my spirit, and letting it take over, and I can’t get enough of hearing what that sounds like — and here’s what it sounds like!  :-)

Thanks and Praise (with Leah)

http://www.leahdriscoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Thanks-and-Praise-with-Leah.mp3

 

Comments are closed.