This weekend I was amazed by a sweet humble lady and her extremely supportive husband. They talked about how music influences our lives.
One story was of a young elder who had just entered the mission field. He couldn't teach with the spirit at all. He had spent 5 yrs listening to hard rock and the filthy lyrics kept running through his mind blocking the spirit. It took six months, the whole zone fasting for him, and a special blessing from the mission president before he could teach. He wrote home to his brother... never listen to music with bad language, and filthy lyrics.
The other story was about when she, the speaker, had been in a horrible car accident. She had to lie flat on her back for a test to see if her neck was broken. She couldn't breathe very much, and said it was the worst pain she had felt in her life and the longest 30 min. Over and over she reapeated in her mind the words of a primary song... one of her own.
The part that touched me the most was how the Lord had used the trials in their lives to guide them to write and produce her music... that she didn't even know she could write.
She typed for professors and students to add to their income. One day she made 32 errors on one page. She took it out and threw it away. Her hand and fingers curled up, it looks like the tendons were shortened. She couldn't type or play the piano any longer.
She loved sports, and was a fanatic of city league, church ball, and all sports on tv. When she broke her ankle playing basketball Brother Perry asked her if she could find a different hobby that didn't cause so many injuries. She said also the tv quit.
Her son was asked to sing at a youth activity. He said everything was old fashioned did she think she could write him something to sing. She had only tried once before in high school. She prayed and wrote a poem, then put it to a simple tune. Kelly might remember from our old seminary record. It was something about Jesus.
She wondered if she could write more songs and her goal was to get ONE song in the primary song book. How about that?
Brother Doug Perry is a linguist, he had the feeling to take one year of music. which, of course led to four classes with Janice. The most important thing was that he was prompted by the spirit that she would one day be his wife. He was madly in love with someone else and thought WHAT? Which received a scolding from the spirit. She will one day be your wife, you need to help her. He obeyed.
He takes her scribbled pages and turns them into sheet music. He's working on translating them into the various languages he speaks.
They just returned from a trip to Japan. From North to South 11 stops in 8 days, and they are in their 70s. They loved how the Japanese children could raise the roof when they sang. And how in the world did they get her songs clear over there in Tokyo? she asked.
They also loved their mission to Santiago, they wondered which mission Rebecca served in. They taught music to the people there and started the first choir. after a few weeks of practising one sister asked if they were as good as the tabernacle choir yet. OH, said sister Perry, If we practise as long as they have perhaps we will be. She didn't tell her that it was 75 years. She said she didn't know why they let her sing in the tabernacle choir. Since then she has started writting hymns. Her husband told her to write one hundred.. she thought he was crazy.. she's up to 150.
she said her whole life has been over coming fear. Fear of not being able to write songs, fear of speaking, fear of anything new. She said try to do something new... She was 40 when she started to write music. Sister Janice Kapp Perry and Brother Janice Kapp Perry, as he calls himself , were amazing. They are so humble. She can't see why people are enthralled with her.
I wish so much that I could have blinked you all there. It was wonderful. She doesn't think much of her voice, but you should see her light up when she hears her songs sung well and loud! I'm still a little hoarse. Boy, she would have loved listening all of you.
One story was of a young elder who had just entered the mission field. He couldn't teach with the spirit at all. He had spent 5 yrs listening to hard rock and the filthy lyrics kept running through his mind blocking the spirit. It took six months, the whole zone fasting for him, and a special blessing from the mission president before he could teach. He wrote home to his brother... never listen to music with bad language, and filthy lyrics.
The other story was about when she, the speaker, had been in a horrible car accident. She had to lie flat on her back for a test to see if her neck was broken. She couldn't breathe very much, and said it was the worst pain she had felt in her life and the longest 30 min. Over and over she reapeated in her mind the words of a primary song... one of her own.
The part that touched me the most was how the Lord had used the trials in their lives to guide them to write and produce her music... that she didn't even know she could write.
She typed for professors and students to add to their income. One day she made 32 errors on one page. She took it out and threw it away. Her hand and fingers curled up, it looks like the tendons were shortened. She couldn't type or play the piano any longer.
She loved sports, and was a fanatic of city league, church ball, and all sports on tv. When she broke her ankle playing basketball Brother Perry asked her if she could find a different hobby that didn't cause so many injuries. She said also the tv quit.
Her son was asked to sing at a youth activity. He said everything was old fashioned did she think she could write him something to sing. She had only tried once before in high school. She prayed and wrote a poem, then put it to a simple tune. Kelly might remember from our old seminary record. It was something about Jesus.
She wondered if she could write more songs and her goal was to get ONE song in the primary song book. How about that?
Brother Doug Perry is a linguist, he had the feeling to take one year of music. which, of course led to four classes with Janice. The most important thing was that he was prompted by the spirit that she would one day be his wife. He was madly in love with someone else and thought WHAT? Which received a scolding from the spirit. She will one day be your wife, you need to help her. He obeyed.
He takes her scribbled pages and turns them into sheet music. He's working on translating them into the various languages he speaks.
They just returned from a trip to Japan. From North to South 11 stops in 8 days, and they are in their 70s. They loved how the Japanese children could raise the roof when they sang. And how in the world did they get her songs clear over there in Tokyo? she asked.
They also loved their mission to Santiago, they wondered which mission Rebecca served in. They taught music to the people there and started the first choir. after a few weeks of practising one sister asked if they were as good as the tabernacle choir yet. OH, said sister Perry, If we practise as long as they have perhaps we will be. She didn't tell her that it was 75 years. She said she didn't know why they let her sing in the tabernacle choir. Since then she has started writting hymns. Her husband told her to write one hundred.. she thought he was crazy.. she's up to 150.
she said her whole life has been over coming fear. Fear of not being able to write songs, fear of speaking, fear of anything new. She said try to do something new... She was 40 when she started to write music. Sister Janice Kapp Perry and Brother Janice Kapp Perry, as he calls himself , were amazing. They are so humble. She can't see why people are enthralled with her.
I wish so much that I could have blinked you all there. It was wonderful. She doesn't think much of her voice, but you should see her light up when she hears her songs sung well and loud! I'm still a little hoarse. Boy, she would have loved listening all of you.
Love, Sandy
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