"Hey, you've got it on backwards!"

It was my first day with the gospel choir at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and I was nervous. I must admit, it was a very new and awkward experience, but also fun and stretching. I had no idea what I was doing when I first got there. I walked into a room filled with people (of course, almost all African-American). Everyone was waiting in a line, so I did too, even though I had no idea what the line was for. Eventually I found out that we were waiting to be fitted for our choir robes.

When I got to the front of the line I was asked to put on a flowing bright yellow robe. Trying to act normal, I said, “No problem!” I jumped right into the robe. Just when I thought I was fitting in well, a voice said “Hey! You’ve got it on backwards!” Duh! So I humbly took it off and turned it around.

Before I knew it, we were all herded outside for . . . what? It was the official picture of the ASU gospel choir! And there I was, right in the front, smiling but wondering, how in the world did I get here? Then I remembered how God had been leading me to get involved in the choir.

After that we went to the rehearsal room where the director separated us into sections: sopranos, altos, tenors and . . . basses? Hearing of no bass section, I asked the guy next to me, “What about the bass section? Where do the basses sit?”

He responded, “Yeah, right! Bass section, that’s a good one!” So then I understood . . . bass sections don’t exist in gospel choirs! Looks like I‘m in the tenor section.

Once we got started, I absolutely loved it! We sang easy, tight choruses, and everything opened my heart to worship! Even the warm-up drills were filled with praise and worship. I’m having a great time with my new friends as we sing together in the gospel choir. I’m just glad the first day is history.

—Adam is in his second year on staff at Appalachian State U. He and his wife, Kendall, both graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Adam was a psychology major and voice minor. His favorite color is green.