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December Featured Reader: Kara Reed

Kara Reed is a pianist and MasterWorks Festival alumnus. She is currently a piano performance major at Sam Houston State University where she actively witnesses to her fellow musicians.

1. What's going on in your life this year? (School, work, etc.)

I am in my first year as a piano performance major at Sam Houston State University right now. In addition to my studies, I accompany some of my fellow students and teach a few children on the weekends. That is pretty much my life. The workload is very intense and time-consuming, but I am enjoying it and know this is where I am supposed to be.

2. How long have you been playing piano? Do you participate in any other performing arts?

I've taken piano lessons since I was seven, so that would be almost 12 years now. i also took voice lessons for a while, but realized after a few months that piano is definitely my instrument, and I wouldn't trade it for any other.

3. When and how did you become interested in performing arts?

I have always loved the arts, but it wasn't until my teens that I really became interested in being a performing musician. When my sister started her first semester at college as a piano performance major, I was 14 years old. She took me with her once a week so that I could take lessons from the piano professor there, and so I got an inside look at what it would be like to be a music performance major. At the end of the semester, she decided that the life of a musician wasn't for her, but I had simultaneously decided it was definitely what I wanted to do. And the rest, as they say, is history!

4. Which MasterWorks summers and programs have you attended?

I was part of the piano program in '10 and '11. Two of the best summers of my life!

5. How has MasterWorks affected your life?

MasterWorks has been life-changing for me and I do not use that word lightly. When I first became interested in being a performing artist, there were major struggles that I began to go through related to that. Foremost among them was confusion over how to integrate my faith with art. It seemed that the "good Christian thing to do"would be to use my musical abilities just for the church, or give them up altogether and find a vocation more obviously "Christian," like being a missionary. I struggled with myself for a long time with how exactly I could live a life fully devoted to Christ and work for His kingdom while at the same time pursue a path in the classical performing arts.

It was along journey and there were many other issues that went into it as well, but finally God brought me to the point where I was able to surrender my desires to Him. Once I did that, blessings started pouring into my life. Among them was MasterWorks. I believe I can honestly say that if it had not been for MasterWorks, there is a good possibility that I would not be where I am today, doing what I'm doing. I learned so much about living out my faith in the performing arts world, and what's more, was surrounded by real examples of how it is done. Those people were all such a blessing and an inspiration to me. I saw that I really can be a missionary and a classical musician, that the performing arts world is my mission field, and that I really can make an impact there. That's just a tiny piece of what I learned at MasterWorks, and although time and space won't permit me to rhapsodize on any further aspects, I thank all of the people involved in making MasterWorks possible from the depth of my heart for allowing themselves to be used by God in my life.

6. What has the Lord been teaching you recently?

Adjusting to my first semester of college and living on my own at a secular state university has brought lots of challenges and lessons into my life, especially having been home-schooled almost me entire life and coming from a strong Christian family. Most of these lessons are a continual process for me, and not ones that I by any means have down "pat." I learned, and am still learning, what it means to "take every thought captive unto Christ." I've been learning that my peace doesn't have to be affected by the negative things going on around me. That any good change that is made on campus is not going to be Kara's doing, but God's. That people really do notice a difference in when Christ dwells in you, even if they don't know what that means. That a tiny, simple action or word can have a bigger impact that the person doing or saying it could imagine. That joy really is contagious, that first impressions and judgements can be wrong, and that it's not all about me. That I don't have to have all the answers and that my focus shouldn't be on a change in a person's behavior, but a renewal of their hearts. And that the love of Christ can come from the most unexpected places. I am learning to step out of my comfort zone once in a while and take a risk when God prompts me. To rejoice in others' talents and achievements and to look beyond myself and beyond the surface, to seek to know people at a heart-level.

Finally, I suppose over all of this is the continuing lesson on loving others as Christ has loved me. Laying down my self-will and pride, time and comfort, and truly seeking to love all those around me. Which is something that I hope God will never stop teaching me how to do.

7. What is it like to be a performing artist at your college?

I'm glad to be at SHSU and love the school of music there. Going to a secular school does come with its own set of challenges, as I mentioned above. The music school has a lot of those same issues, of course, and unsurprisingly many negative tendencies of performers abound, but actually, it isn't nearly as bad as some other ares of the college. I've met so many wonderful people there, and there are many committed Christians who have been a great encouragement to me. The fact that it is a somewhat small program is a plus in my opinion. From what I have experienced, it helps the music student body as a whole to be more close and connected. As far as education goes, I have been very pleased with the quality of the program so far, and love all of my professors. We have a beautiful new performing arts center which has been such a blessing. But some of the greatest highlights of my time there so far have involved seeing how God is working in the school of music as a whole. I was blessed to be able to pray with some of my fellow pianists before our performances, and I'm hoping to get together a group of fellow Christian musicians this semester to start a weekly Bible study. I really sense that God is beginning something wonderful here, and I am so excited to see it and hopefully participate in it. Your prayers would be appreciated for the life and love of Christ to penetrate the school of music at SHSU!

8. What is your favorite: movie, book, and/or food?

Movies: I'm not really much of a movie person, but I like The Ultimate Gift, The Lord of the Rings series, It's a Wonderful Life, some period dramas, and the occasional cute Disney/Pixar movie.

Books: I'm a serious bookworm, so I'll just give a few of my favorite authors-- C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, L.M. Montgomery, Emmuska Orczy, Gene Stratton-Porter, and Charlotte Bronte.

Food: fruit, yogurt parfaits, and chocolate chip cookies.

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Glad to see this. Blessings on you, Kara.

Posted by Walter Cosand on January 12, 2012 @ 1:53 pm

Aahhh... a Scarlet Pimpernel fan. And what a great list of authors!

Posted by AmandaZ on January 12, 2012 @ 1:52 pm

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