Introducing Mardell Coleston

Mardell Coleston was 9 years old when I first met him. He walked into our Sunday School class and our Sunday School teacher introduced him to us. Mardell was a tall kid for ten years old. He was taller than most of the 10-year olds in the class. He was dark skinned and skinny. He had an old man's haircut. His hair cut was not like the hair cuts of the time. He had no lines in his hair. His suit looked like something my 38-year-old father would have worn when he was a kid. Mardell wore the suit with pride. There was something about him. He seemed older than ten. I don't know what is was, but he just seemed older than he was. Our Sunday School asked him to introduce himself. He said, "Hello. My name is Min. Mardell Coleston. I was a member of Hines Temple COGIC in Rysar before we moved here. God has been good to me and I am glad that I can be here with you all." I wanted to do the same thing that Jamie did, but I didn't have the guts. Jamie raised her hand. Our Sunday School teacher asked her what she wanted. Jamie replied, "You sure you 10? Don't no 10 year olds I know talk like that." Mardell responded, "I have been blessed to grow up around older saints, so I tend to act older than my age." I just stared at Mardell. I had never seen a kid like him before. It was like my grandmother says, "Hum, I see that boy done caught yo' tention."

Getting Into Trouble

I got into trouble all the time. My father was the assistant pastor of Harmon Street. I guess everyone expected me to be this little angel. It wasn't that I was bad, but I refused to sit and be the church's picture of "AN ANGEL." I was a normal child. I was subject to talk in SUnday School, choir rehearsal, and even church. I did it in regular school. I was a normal child and I did normal things. The person who understood this the best was my Sunday School teacher when I was nine, Sis. Natalie Hammond. I think she was a preacher's kid herself. I never asked her. SHe just told me to be quiet. She never threatened to tell my parents. She was cool like that. My mother and father never fussed at me much for getting into trouble at church. They just told me not to cut up too much. The person I got into trouble with the most was Sis. Amelia Crawford. SHe was the president of the youth choir. We clashed from the minute she made me the main musician of the choir. Sis. Crawford acted, treated, and yelled at us like we were adults. Most of us were just kids who were made to get into the youth choir by our parents. LaDawnya wasn't. She was serious about singing. She enjoyed the way Sis. Crawford treated us. LaDawnya never played around in choir rehearsal. She would laugh from time to time, but she was never the cause of the trouble. I don't think that girl ever got into trouble. She was a little too good for my taste, but that's jsut me. (I am not talking about her. She knows I feel like this because i have told her on several occassions.) Back to my story. Sis. Crawford was too serious with us. I often, with my outspoken self, told her that too. I don't think she minded so much as long as I was respectful. Most of the times I voiced my opinion in a respectful manner. THere were a few times, I wasn't respectful. One time, I got so mad at Sis. Crawford that I walked out of rehearsal and didn't come back for 3 weeks. She didn't go to my parents and say a wrod to them. When I came back to the choir and tried to sit on the organ, she politely told me to get up off the organ. She then told me that I had to earn my spot back as the main musician. It took a month. My mother went to Sis. Crawford and asked her why I wasn't playing. Sis. Crawford told my mother that she would have to discuss it with me. I won't tell Sis. Crawford this, but she was a cool lady. Sis. Crawford was always hard on LaDawnya, this guy named Arthur Craven, and I. Sis. Crawford always told us, "You all have too much potential for me to treat you all like you are children. You all need to develop your talents and use them for the Lord. I would put you all up against the best adults in the world." Sis. Crawford was cool like that. SHe was always getting LaDawnya, Arthur, and me in come kind of workshop, contest, and talent show. She believed in us. Back to getting into trouble... I wasn't bad. I just did normal kid stuff, but it got blown out of proportion.

The Youth Choir/My Turning Point

The youth choir at Harmon Street COGIC was a turning point in my life. I was able to be the main musician for the choir a few months after I joined. The age groups for the choir was 13-21. I was able to join at 12 years old. LaDawnya Adams was made the choir director of the choir when she was 11 years old. The girl is an awesome director. Can't nobody out direct that girl. When she became one of the choir directors of the youth choir, she went to Sis. Crawford and asked her could I play for the youth choir. Sis. Crawford said that I could. After that, LaDawnya and I wrote history in the youth choir of the Harmon Street COGIC.

Singing And Things

Everyone always asks me can I sing. I can sing well enough to sing background or to do a congregational song during testimony service. Other than that, I can't sing. I get asked can I play any other instruments. I can play the piano, organ, keyboard, and a synthesizer. I can strum a little on the guitar, but I can't play it well enough to say I can play it. I can play the drums well enough to keep the beat during old school testimonial service.

The Shouting Music

The shouting music was one way that would make people think you were an awesome musician. The more extra notes you could add in between the steady stream of jubilant music, the more excited people got about you playing. I became profiecient in playing the shouting music. Every time I heard someone play the shouting music, I tried to get close to them so I could see their fingers at work. I would memorize their finger movement and try to immulate it at the house. I would often try to get other musicians to let me play the shouting music. A lot of times, they would let me. I often heard, girl you better play that then. There were several times when I knew I was in the flesh and I would mess something up. I don't think anyone else could tell, but I could sure tell. I begin to pray and ask God to annoint me when I played. He would annoint me. There have been times when I played the shouting music and did things that no one else had done. Other musicians would say, "Show me how to do that." I could only respond, "I don't know how I did that." There is something about playing the shouting music. It is a totally free expression of your love and praise for the Lord. I love playing The Shouting Music.

Never Another R&B Song

I got caught playing an R&B song once. My mother heard me playing at the house one day. She walked into the room and asked, "What are you playing?" I looked at her and said, "Just some music." She Said, "That don't sound like no church music to me." I just shrugged my shoulders. She walked over to me and grabbed my chin and asked, "What were you playing?" I didn't say anything. My mother repeated her question. I responded, "Awe, come on Mama. It's just music!" THat response caused me to not be able to play my keybord for a month. Believe me, I never played another R&B song in the house.