Dan Schutte "On The Road"

From Dan Schutte's Blog, March 12th.

http://danschutte.blogspot.com/2008/03/these-days-im-on-road-three-out-of-four.html

These days I'm "on the road" three out of four weekends a month to give concerts and, often enough, to offer a workshop for those involved in liturgical ministry in their parishes. I'm privileged to meet some amazing people, so generous with the gifts God has given them and eager to help others.

People will often share with me profoundly touching stories of how music has touched their lives and helped them walk the path of faith. Last week I gave a concert at St. James Parish in Salem, Massachusettes. The community there couldn't have been more welcoming. I could tell that the people who attended the evening loved music and were very touched by the songs.

After the concert a lady come up to me and told me a story of her favorite uncle who had been like another father to her. She told me how in his latter years he contracted Alzheimer's disease and slowly faded away. When they couldn't care for him any more, they had to put him into a nursing so that he'd get the care he needed. With tears in her eyes, she told me how they visited him and how he didn't even recognize them and could barely speak a coherent word. But when the started singing "Here I Am, Lord" together, he would join in and could sing the words along with the rest of the family. It had been his favorite him and somehow it was planted so deeply in his soul he could sing it without really understanding anymore what he was singing.

This lady reminded of the many stories people have told me over the years where the music I've written has helped them. As has happened before in these situations, I feel both humbled and privileged to have been given the gift of music that touches other people in amazing ways. I often don't understand how this happens but have learned to simply bow before the mystery of God's grace.