Annette Margaret

I’m following in the footsteps of Bach. Sure, by playing his various Inventions and delving into counterpoint, yes, I have been following his method of mastering the piano. But truly, I’ve been following in his footsteps for the last few months by being a church musician and dedicating my talents to the Lord.

I figure, what other reason would I have to play piano? My own fame? It is highly unlikely that I myself am the next Bach. I passed the point where I could qualify as a virtuoso years ago. Playing for someone who transcends time itself (Our Lord Jesus Christ) is the goal I should have in mind. This is the exact same goal Bach himself aimed for.

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

-Johann Sebastian Bach

Amen to that. Can we get a few more amens?

Bach is still heralded to this day as revolutionizing the world of music. Yes, even more so than Michael Jackson. To this day, Bach’s Mass in B Minor is considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed.

It certainly will stick with you after you hear it. I don’t know what makes Bach’s Mass in B Minor one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed… But the fact of the matter is, Bach was a revolutionary who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the advancement of music. Not only for the delight of man but for the glory of God.

He paved the way for hundreds of other revolutionaries thereafter, and notably to a certain Frederic Chopin (Whose music I enjoy, along with other millions of Chopin admirers for sure.) Chopin would warm up before concerts by playing Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier”. He knew them all by heart. He adored the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. It seems Chopin followed in the footsteps of Bach, too!

So, to all you classically trained musicians using your talents in church - Press on my friends, by dedicating your talent first off to God, you are on your way to greatness. Keep following in the footsteps of our friend Johann Sebastian Bach!

It’s come time that I finally get down to business… Quite literally. Business. Show business! That feels so cool to say, you know… Show biz… I imagine some Italian mobster from the 1950s with a cigar in his mouth, waving his hand around authoritatively from the directors chair when I say that. Which is a fond memory for me, considering I have a huge Italian (Actually… Sicilian) family on my moms’ side!

That was a bunny trail, but a fun illustration nonetheless. I’ve prayed about it, and thought about what I like to do, and what God has equipped me to do… And I feel He’s leading me into the arts. Of course, I’ve always been into it, but now it seems He’s specifically leading me into playing piano and acting. Oh, and writing. Because I always have something to say!

I really didn’t care much for playing piano when I first started taking lessons. It was such a chore, because I didn’t see the use for it! But somehow I was able to keep going and feel inspired by people like Rachmaninov, Chopin, Michael W. Smith and other nice pianists in their respective genres. But now it’s getting exciting! I did those competitions for the past two years, and now I have a job playing at a church. It’s been such a joy! Is it a lot of work? Yes, but that makes me appreciate the skills I build even more.

And acting? Oh, it’s just effortless, fun and never dull.

The tough part with choosing acting is, there are not a lot of opportunities to do it in the area I am at. But somehow God will make a way! I’ve played tons of different roles, and they’re always so different and fun. I’ve played Josephine March from Little Women, various characters from the book The Phantom Tollbooth, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz… The list goes on a bit. When you’re an actress, it’s like you have multiple personality disorder, but enjoy it. A lot! (You can quote me on that.)

And I don’t need to explain my love of writing! I love to tell stories, I love to write stories, I love to hear stories. Truth, fiction, in a book, in a magazine… It doesn’t matter. As long as it requires a good imagination, I’m there! I wrote my first story at the age of 4 and never came back from that place called “Creativity” ever since. Maybe I’ll share my first dabbling in writing with you someday.

And this all sounds fine and dandy, having an imagination the size of jupiter and a sixth sense for adventure… But oh, can it be done? Can it be successful? Can you do it without starving in a bad economy that’s already taxing its artists? People have told me “Oh, that’s nice, Annette… Playing piano, acting, writing… But you do realize you’d be broke! You need a back up job.”

Let me tell you something about crazy artists. They can’t have a backup job. You can’t separate a wild imagination and a passion for the arts from every day life. You can’t turn off ideas and ambition when you get up and go to work at the office all day staring at a fabricated gray cubicle and a computer screen. You can’t just ignore those ideas for the next big story, concerto or performance… Or that groundbreaking idea that can change your life could be gone forever and forgotten!

And so, there you go… Again I ask, can it be done? Good question. You and I are both going to find out in the years to come.

Oh, and a side note. I updated my About page a little bit.

Hi world, I’ve been silent lately but certainly not bored! After graduating high school, I busied myself this summer with receiving my boating license (Enabling me to drive a jet ski legally), participating in an arts competition in Orlando, FL and I just got a job as a church pianist! This has been one of the most exciting years of my life so far. But it has also been one of the hardest.

Today, I’ll share with you a little work I’ve done on the piano. I’ll be posting some new piano videos within the next two weeks. I’m currently working on a jazzy version of the hymn, The Solid Rock. But here are some songs to keep you occupied in the mean time, including the song I did for competition in Orlando. Enjoy!