As a lifelong musician, Anna Fritz has played a lot of gigs. But when she sang in Quaker worship, Friends in her community started treating her music as something more than performance.
Resources:
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Transcript:
I think that one of the most powerful gifts that Quakers have to offer the world is an understanding of discernment, and a practice around discernment, and an understanding that there is something larger than us guiding us, and that there is a practice of listening and discerning that can help us know our right path. I think that if we are to realize the kingdom of God here on Earth, it has to involve each of us following our deepest leadings from moment to moment, and we need to support each other in doing that, and we need to teach people how to do that from a very young age.
Exploring Music as a Quaker Ministry
I’m Anna Fritz. I’m a member at Multnomah Monthly Meeting and I’m a cellist and folksinger and songwriter and composer. I’ve been a professional musician for most of my adult life, and in 2013-14 I was coming back to Quakerism after the thing that a lot of young adults do—kind of meandering away—and I was attending this meeting, Multnomah, and really connecting here and starting to put down roots. I went to the Pacific Northwest Women’s Theology Conference and had my first experience there of performing my songs out of worship, and that was really transformative for me, as was the reaction from Friends, which was: “Do you have support for this ministry?” And I was like, “This what?”
Exploring Music as Ministry
So having what I was doing named as a ministry by Friends outside of myself and then connecting with Friends in my Yearly Meeting that were wanting me to bring the music to their meetings, I traveled in Washington State sharing my ministry at a number of different meetings, and that was my first experience of spiritual accompaniment, actually having someone supporting me, which was novel to me as a touring musician who is used to wearing all of the hats and doing everything alone. It was such a rich experience of seeing the power of spirit moving through me and having it reflected back, seeing the power of the songs that spirit had given me and watching them at work in the communities that I visited. It showed me that I had to keep doing this, even though it was hard for me. Even though I’m an introvert who doesn’t really want to perform, that there was real medicine for my people in what I had been given.
Music as a Spiritual Opportunity
In my work as a solo performer, even when I’m performing in bars or clubs, I see my work as carving out sacred space in that secular environment, and when there are people in the audience who are holding you in prayer, it makes it a lot easier to do that.
Approaching Performance in a New Way
I’ve always struggled with performance anxiety. That’s always been a thing I just had to deal with. When I was working as a musician that was primarily entertaining people, that performance anxiety was very egocentric. I was concerned that I wasn’t good enough, that I was going to make mistakes, that it was going to reflect poorly on me. Now performance for me is an opportunity to connect to the divine with the other people in the room. I now prepare for a performance with prayer and with a deep understanding that my work is to get out of the way. My work is to surrender to spirit’s will and to spirit’s movement through me, and that there are no mistakes. I’m still really nervous, but it’s ok.
Discussion Questions:
- Anna Fritz says that “even when I’m performing in bars or clubs I see my work as carving out sacred space in that secular environment.” Have you experienced music that carved out that kind of space?
- Anna says that it’s easier for her to do this work if she knows there are people in the audience praying for her. Have you experienced this kind of “holding space”?
The views expressed in this video are of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Friends Journal or its collaborators.
thanks for your work on Quaker Speaks..I enjoyed many of them
I definitely want to stay connected with you through your newsletter .
Thanks Kristin! You can find the signup at jonwatts.com
I love the Quaker Speaks videos! I try to listen to each one the very day it arrives in my email inbox. As a lover of music, this one especially touched my heart. Thank you for bringing Anna to us.
Anna, a group of us Milwaukee Quakers who gather to sing were just talking about you this afternoon. When I got home, what was waiting for me (and us) but your video! Love your music, love your Quaker story, love you.
Thank you, Jon. Well done and blessings to you.
Sandy Kewman
Oh Jon your news that you are leaving brought tears to my eyes. Your ministry has been amazing and transformative for all Friends and those who want to learn about us. I’m a Friend who lives in Mexico for at least half of the year. Your videos have sustained me during these months when there is no Meeting.
I don’t see a link for your newsletter and I would like to receive it.
Hi Martha! What a sweet message, thank you. I am happy to say that QuakerSpeak will continue, and I feel very blessed to have been able to see such an ambitious vision through for these 6 years, and deeply touched at how it has impacted Friends all over the world.
Here’s the link to the newsletter: jonwatts.com
Thank you, Jon. Anna’s words are an amazing testament to the experience of call itself, the challenges and transformative power of it. I really needed to hear this today. Her words are meaningful to me far beyond a leading to music ministry (I don’t have that).
Many of the messages I have received hae been in song…
Thank you, Jon! You have given Quakers and those Interested in Quakers around the world a new vision, a new medium, and a new sense of community. You are a splendid example of social entrepreneurship walking gently throughout the land looking looking for that of God in everyone. Godspeed.
Norval! Thank you Friend, your support means so much. I still credit you with the idea of housing QuakerSpeak at Friends Journal! Thanks for believing in it from the start.
Jon,
What a little surprise you had for us at the end of this remarkable video. I am writing to share some selfish thoughts. Your work, your ministry, has been an important part of my life since I first discovered it. Through you, I I found Friends Journal and the White Supremacy workshop and the North Columbus Friends Meeting and Pendle Hill and the writings of some of the people you’ve hosted on QuakerSpeak. And your own original wonderful music since your time in college. And so many, many other things! Anna’s artistry being the newest sweet surprise. I can’t wait for the download of her albums to be completed.
I’ve had silly daydreams of being able to give you and Quakerspeak a million bucks so you could take the video series and your artistic talent globally to help build the Quaker faith worldwide and to better connect American Quakers with the work of their Friends elsewhere. I’ve walked through (too many) crowded airport terminals to find myself staring at little corners or blank spaces of wall imagining video touch walls, kiosks, escape rooms where travelers could immerse themselves in QuakerSpeak videos and virtual shared meetings of silent worship with other travelers around the country connected through your artistry.
All to say, I can’t express the depth of my thanks for the six years you’ve provided the world a chance to see all that is Quaker in a brand new way through QuakerSpeak. I wish you a well earned rest and great success in your next ventures. Thank you.
What a sweet message Mark! Thank you. I hope you will sign up for my newsletter so that we can keep in touch.
-Jon
i will so miss your gentle wisdom. be well in your next endeavor.
It’s been a great run!