It's been a while...

This is my first blog since last January. It's as good a time to make an entry as any...

I am sitting at my computer taking stock of things as the unofficial end of summer is on us. The Red Sox are fighting to make it to the playoffs, the Patriots seem to look good, and the Brewers are, well, the Brewers. It's been a very interesting summer for me, highlighted by my trip to the Episcopal Church General Convention in Anaheim, CA as a legislative member of the House of Deputies representing the Diocese of Milwaukee. I had to make some very difficult votes, some of which were some of the toughest decisions I have made in my life, but I am comfortable with them, knowing that I am a Christian who has sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. I am thankful to God for His grace and love.

I also had the chance to head back to New England for the first time in years to visit the people and places I hold most dear to me. Seeing my in-laws, mom, sister, nieces, brothers, and friends, as well as visiting Boston and Cape Cod, were very cathartic for me. I miss my family a lot, but my wife and I want to try to make a trip out there every year.

Life is still a struggle, but by God's grace, we are doing all right. Next week, the roof on our condo will be replaced. We had to drain everything we had in order to play for it, but in the long run, it should help the resale value of the condo.

God's peace.

Steve

A historic day for America

What a day...January 20, 2009. Barack Obama is now the President of the United States. 'Nuf ced.

I was thrilled to hear three people at the inauguration who I either have interviewed on the radio or introduced at concerts: violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, as they played an arrangement of Simple Gifts before Obama took the oath of office. Their playing moved me to tears...it was so beautiful.

(LATE FLASH on 1/23...it was a recording made 2 days earlier that we heard. The cold weather would've wreaked havoc on the instruments.) See this link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/22/famed-quartet-played-recordings-tunes-inauguration/

Let us hope that this new administration will help get the country's economic engine going again, and as Obama said, it takes all of us to make it happen.

Pacem.

Namasté

Today I saw an old friend, Fr. John Groff. He came to my church as a supply priest and celebrated Mass. Fr. Groff is a good man and is one of the most spiritual people I've ever come across in my Christian walk. I met him for the first time in 2002 as I was discerning a call to the diaconate, a calling in which I ultimately deferred to a later time. He spoke with me in depth about spirituality and made me think about where I was in my own spiritual walk with Jesus. Later, as we were between priests at my church in 2007, he came and celebrated Mass several times. One of his homilies at that time centered around the concept of Namasté (नमस्ते), a Sanskrit word meaning, "The Light of God in Me recognizes and honors The Light of God in You and in that recognition is our Oneness." This concept is similar to a prayer that my former priest, Fr. Jay Lambert, would recite when he did monthly birthday/anniversary blessings: "May you see the Christ in all the people you meet." Fr. Groff opened my eyes to a deeply moving spiritual epiphany. I'm sad to admit that in many facets of my life, I failed to see The Light of God in others and myself. I was self-centered and was in many ways like a bull in a china shop, wanting to do things my way, without spiritual direction. As I dwelled on the words of Fr. Groff, and later studied what Namasté was about, my eyes opened, and opened widely. In the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (20:32-34), there is this passage that spoke to me:

And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

To see The Light of God in myself and in others is a most wonderful thing, and I'm still learning how to do this. Thanks be to God for this great gift.

Lord, may I be worthy to be your humble servant, and to experience the joy of Namasté in my life and the lives of others. Amen.

Pacem.

Th..th..th..th..the c-c-c-cold...

I remember when I told people I was moving to Milwaukee back in 1997, they told me that I wouldn't like the cold winters here. To be honest, I don't mind the winters here, as long as I don't have to be out in it for too long! I like experiencing all the seasons (except a hot, humid summer day).

Tonight's low is expected to be -9° with a wind chill of -30°. Tomorrow night will be even colder. Time to turn on the gas fireplace.

School has been canceled for most of the Milwaukee area tomorrow...smart move. I wonder if Friday will be canceled as well.

Wherever you are, stay warm!

ABC's 20/20 broadcast - Vanished: Missing in Milwaukee

Tonight's 20/20 broadcast on ABC told a sad story of a young Milwaukee-area woman named Becky Marie (Kraemer) Marzo who went missing in December 2003 and is presumed dead (possibly murdered by her boyfriend, who himself committed suicide). A clip of the piece (reported by Elizabeth Vargas) is at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6597021

There is a website about Becky:

http://findbeckykraemer.com/

The story doesn't exactly paint Milwaukee in a nice light, but it is a compelling story, of which there may never be closure for Becky's family.

2008...A Look Back

What a year 2008 was for me.

It started with high hopes that I would have a full-time job in classical radio in Chicago, only to have those hopes dashed.

Then it was working hard to shed the excess poundage I was carrying. I came close to my goal of losing 60 pounds in one year (after weighing 300 pounds). I didn't quite make it, but still, dropping 50 pounds in a year is darn good. The last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose, but I'll work on that in 2009. Regardless, I'm feeling healthier than I have in years. (Now I have to update my wardrobe...my clothes are all too big!) After coming close to death in September 2007 with my emergency gallbladder surgery and subsequent infection, I'm grateful to God for the second chance at life.

My wife and I were faced with a difficult decision about what to do with our finances, and now we're well on the road to getting back on track. Our family has had to make lifestyle changes, and we've adjusted. It'll be tough going over the next few years, but we'll make it.

In May, one of my closest and dearest friends in music and in life, Elisabeth Witte, was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-husband in a parking structure after the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus (with whom I sing) ended its season with Bach's B-minor Mass. I still feel the pain of my loss, but, as MSO music director Andreas Delfs said, "I take comfort that the last words she sung were, 'Dona nobis pacem'...'give us peace'." I share that sentiment.

In July, I was a finalist for a radio slot that opened up at WXXI-FM in Rochester, NY. I had a wonderful interview process, but, ultimately, didn't get the job. I was disappointed yet thankful for the opportunity. Only one could get the job, and I know the WXXI management had a difficult decision. They were good people, and I'll always have nice memories of the interview experience. Rochester is a wonderful city, and WXXI is a class organization.

Out of the blue, in late August, I got a phone call from Mario Mazza, consultant for the World Classical Network (and former Boston classical radio competitor of mine), asking if I would become morning host for the Network. I would voice the show from my home in Milwaukee. I jumped at the chance. I had to cobble together computer components and software and get a studio quality microphone, and commandeered my son's old bedroom as studio space. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to get back into classical radio. Plus, my commute is by foot...only 5 steps from bedroom to office studio. Take that, OPEC! I can be heard every morning from 6 AM to 12 Noon Eastern time at http://www.wfcc.com/.

And in October, I was elected by the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee's annual convention to represent the diocese as first alternate lay deputy to the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church next July in Anaheim, California. I was elected to the same post for the 75th GC in 2006 in Columbus, Ohio. The General Convention is one of the world's largest legislatures, with more than 1000 lay deputies and some 150+ bishops. It's also a marketplace bazaar and big de facto church building, all rolled into one. I'm looking forward to going to Anaheim.

I was disappointed that my New England Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Football Giants, and my Boston Red Sox were beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays in 7 games in the American League Championship Series. But I was thrilled that my Boston Celtics won their first NBA World Championship in 22 years, doing it in Beantown on the floor of the new Garden. And it's great to see my Boston Bruins, after so many years of mediocrity, rising to the top of the NHL. Hopefully, they can break their 37-year string of not winning Lord Stanley's Cup in 2009.

I'm currently working four part-time jobs and it's a lot to juggle, but I'm doing it. Thank God for the missus...she has the full-time gig with benefits.

I'll be ending 2008 (as I did in 1999, going into Y2K) by singing tonight with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus as we perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the MSO at Uihlein Hall. The first word I'll sing tonight is "Freude!", which in German is "Joy!" And that's how I feel about life. I'm blessed with a wonderful family and great friends, and to God goes the glory.

Happy New Year, and may God bless you. Pacem.

My First Rave

Tonight, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus had a conductor's piano rehearsal of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and I was impressed with guest conductor Lawrence Renes. His interpretation of the work is so different from the way that most conductors interpret it. He gives it life with subtle crescendi, decrescendi and melodic line, and his German is impeccable. He knows what he wants, and the Chorus responded.

We'll be performing the Beethoven 9 on New Year's Eve at Uihlein Hall as well as Friday and Saturday. If you don't have a ticket, get one. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how this masterwork sounds.