A Weekend With The Inspirations: |
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13 Year Old Pianist Wednesday July 14, 2004 seemed to be a typical day for a normal thirteen year old. Then my dad received a call from Bro. Mike Holcomb, bass singer for the well-known Southern Gospel group, The Inspirations, wanting to know if I could play the piano for them in concerts for that weekend. My dad consented and Bro. Mike Holcomb called me and gave me 26 songs to learn. |
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with Bro. Mike, I really got nervous about having this great responsibility and started
asking everyone to pray. I worked Wednesday and Thursday on the songs with my music
teacher Shelby McDaniel. It was a busy time preparing for the trip. Mom and I rushed to
the mall to buy me a suit, shirt, ties, etc. and then the time came for packing and
meeting the Inspirations!
On Thursday night we piled in the car with Dad and Mom (Rev. Stephen and Barbara
Dagenhart) in the front seat and my cousin LeAnne my music teacher and me in the back
seat! My Aunt Amy and Uncle Dennis followed in their van with my clothes and Keyboard. We
were on our way to meet the Inspirations. |
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When I saw the big yellow lights on top of their red bus I started feeling a little
scared, but as soon the bus pulled in I was anxious to see what it was like. It looked
comfortable and they showed me my bunk and I put all of my stuff in my bunk. I kissed
everyone goodbye and went to the window waving as the bus pulled out. I ate me some
popcorn and talked a little while, climbed in my bunk with all my junk and slept like a
baby. The next morning I woke to, "Whoever wants to eat, better get off the bus." Of course I wanted to eat so I got off the bus and went in the Cracker Barrel. |
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After breakfast we had a two-hour drive ahead of us, so we practiced some on the bus. After we arrived in Grantsville, MD we ate lunch. We set up our equipment under a tent on the Bitzel Farm and we practiced for a long time. |
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N ow it was time for our first performance and I was nervous. After we got on stage the Lord touched me and helped me to play the songs the group sang. That night they asked me to play a solo and I played "It Is Well With My Soul." |
| After our Friday night performance we had
a four-hour drive to the Greenwood Mennonite School in Greenwood, Delaware. After we
arrived the next morning we had breakfast at an old-timey cookin' restaurant. Then we went
to Mr. Sam Yoder's to see his big John Deere Tractor Collection. It was made up of old
John Deere tractors and also children's pedal tractors.
We fueled the bus and drove to the school to unload the equipment for our next performance in Greenwood, Delaware. That night I was not as nervous as I was the first night for I knew people were praying for me. I played, "I'll Fly Away," as a solo. We left our equipment at the school for the service the next day. On Sunday morning we ate a delicious breakfast at Mr. and Mrs. Moore's house. We returned to the school for the church service had been moved there. Matt Dibler preached and the Inspirations sang. We had lunch at the
school and then we said our good byes and started home. I slept for a long time until we stopped at Burger King. Then I rode with Bro. Archie and Mrs. Cindy to return home to typical days for a normal 13 year old. It was an honor and a privilege to play for the Inspirations. It is an experience I will never forget. Thanks to Matt,
Melton, Cindy, Archie, Mike, Boo, Nanny Wig, Darwin Gerald, Myron, Jennifer, and Oh Yes,
Jack!!!! (who taught me the tricks of the trade.) |
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NOTE: The boys bragged so much about Jordan's exceptional job filling in for Martin, that Martin has now vowed that nobody younger than 60 can be considered for any needed piano player fill-ins in the future! LOL (Just kidding, Jordan) |
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