“What do you see as your 5 yr plan?”
“What do you hope to be doing in 10 yrs?”
“What is your career path?”
I have decided that I don’t have an answer to any of those questions. Because if you had told me 5 yrs ago, or 10 yrs ago, that I would be writing Amish Love Story Musicals – I can assure you, I would have said you were crazy!
So I confess – I don’t know! I don’t know what I will be doing and while I think planning is a good thing, I have discovered that God has a plan for my life and my job is to do my best to follow every little step He leads so that I don’t get off the path.
The Confession Musical is taking tons of my time right now and I am so happy to be a part of it. Through a series of relationships (how it always happens), I was asked to write the music to this new musical – that venture has led me all over the country doing auditions and meeting hundreds of super talented people. Not only did I get to write the music, but I also cast, direct, costume, and choreograph the thing as well. On October 15, 2010 the musical opened in Shipshewana, Indiana. Shipshe, as we call it, is a small little Amish community turned tourist trap in Northern Indiana with a 325 seat theater. Great community with wonderful people who support the vision of art – even in small town America. It ran for about 7 weeks. On June 1st, 2011, the show opened again and will run through December 3rd.
In addition, it will open in Lancaster, PA on September 14 in a little town called Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. I’m serious, that’s what the town in called. And just in case you want to do a google search – look also for the small communities of Intercourse, Virginville, and Blue Ball!!! Really…look ‘em up! They are all in the same area.
So… today – mostly I am just grateful. Those of you songwriters out there know how exciting it is when you write something and people like it. I am what I call an ‘on demand’ sort of writer. If you say you’ll pay me to write a song about a tree and you want it by 4 on Tuesday – I’m all over that. But I’m not like many writers who have a stack of songs sitting next to their piano, or guitar case, or computer, just waiting to be heard. I am not wired like that. So it is such an amazing opportunity for me to have someone say – if you write it, they will come… It has been so exciting to see audiences laugh and cry and STAND after these amazing performers poor their heart into the tune I heard in my head sitting at my piano or the 24 hr Steak and Shake by my house.
Thanks actors! Thanks to the audiences who have come! Thank you to the producers who trusted me! Thank you to the super talented Beverly Lewis who created the characters and sold millions of copies of the book that the musical is based on! And thanks God for having a plan way beyond what I could imagine!
Check out www.TheConfessionMusical.com – you can listen to some of the tunes on my Songwriter link as well.
If you like ‘em, let me know. If you don’t – lie – really, I’m an insecure writer like all the rest ! haha..
Blessings,
Wally