I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world….California!
December 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
Wow, 2011 is coming to a screeching halt. I just started my eight quarter this week at Walden University and thoroughly enjoying the learning day to day, week to week; I have always loved the field of Counseling and Psychology since taking 6 courses at my undergraduate level in psych…so working towards a Masters in Counseling has been a great dream of mine come true!
Some highlights from the year include seeing my dear friend Sonya Chittum whom I have known since 1978. We travelled mucho during our days at Liberty University and over the years have cherished mutually our friendship. She was in town to visit family and I deeply appreciate the long trip she made to see me. We enjoyed her first exposure meal of Iranian Food complete with belly dancing. Her life will never be the same :)
I also cherish the rich friendship with Michele Worthington Adkins who lives in Birmingham, AL. We chat weekly and I am so proud of her new assignment of teaching 3 online classes at Liberty University. She is a sweetheart and our friendship started July 21, 1975 when Jerry Farwell started a new full time 14 member choral group that travelled for 9 months solid, 300 church concerts, 35 states, clocking over 80,000 miles to promote Liberty U. If one can live through that experience and still be friends, one CAN do anything in life! Michele is on the front row far left!
My brother Dale married a wonderful gal named Heidi. Dale has had consistent contract work in the computer field and fixes laptops in his own business. I thank God for his friendship. Dale has two great sons, Micah and Nathan. Nate is in Afghanistan as we speak so we all can enjoy Freedom! Thanks are to God.
This summer in August I had the privilege of attending at Residency with Walden University required as part of my Masters degree for a week. I was fortunate to become acquainted better with my brother Chris, sister-in-law Rachel and his 8 children, and grandchild. Though the demands of residency were great, I enjoyed getting to know these precious nieces and nephews better and see how each one has their own unique personalities. My sister Carolyn, her husband Frank and daughter, Macy were in town my last day and we got to have lunch. Macy was being rewarded for having a consistently great report card to the new Harry Potter amusement park was a fitting present. It would not surprise me if Macy became president of the United States someday!
While at Residency I got to meet in person one of favorite on line professors at Walden University, Dr. Tiffany Rush-Wilson. Her friendship is very special to me. In her class I had to submit 4 mock videos to portray my counseling skills. Her grades and comments I know have posted in a frame with our picture in my living room. Affirmations coming from a professional with her background and expertise solidified to me that I am pursuing a great field and although I will always be a Musician, Counseling is quickly earning a co-equal place in my soul.
I complete 2.5 years of successful music ministry at a local small Methodist church which was filled with some very precious Senior Citizens most of which are humble, on fixed incomes and failing health. The current minister was way too liberal and narcissistic for my taste and of my own volition, I resigned. I offered to volunteer to re-tweak their ineffective website and help with marketing the church through concerts and other means, and it fell on deaf ears. I have never in 35+ years a minister or church board threatened by the potential of a church growing and prospering. With so many churches being closed and boarded up throughout the nation, three (two of them were Methodist) in Baltimore, MD my home state, I was very sad to not be allowed to help this dying church especially as a volunteer. Some members have indicated because of my Evangelical background and my roots from Liberty and TRBC, I intimidated her. How weird and how sad if that is the case. My last Sunday there Oct. 3, less than 50 people present as compared to the 150 members on the ‘rolls’.
I have enjoyed the months now of reflection and am excited about what doors in future minister God has in store for me. I will always be friends with the great members of this church and choir. If there are any Liberty pastors out there looking for a great place to start a new church, San Clemente California is prime territory. I always grow spritually when going through events like this. I know God is a omnicient and omnipresent and He IS the last word. His accounting ledgers are precise and He knows my heart. I have many friends who have been through some very painful, unfair church situations and suffered abuse and unfair treatment from Senior Pastors and Church Boads. To aid in the process of healing I started a new web site to support folks who have been the victims of Spiritual Abuse. You can find it at;
My resume and playing the piano on you tube can be found at;
I have deeply appreciated my long term friendship with Bob Shaw whom I met when I around 6 years old at Grace Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. I saw him in person after 30 long years shortly after Christmas. He is one generous caring soul. He gave me a tremendous music work station which I am still exploring and having fun with in my living loaded with some of the same sound patches that are used in the best recording studios in Hollywood. I consult with Bob often over Spiritual, Music and Church related issues and have found his advice and counsel to be consistently solid like the rock of Gilbratar.
I attended a wonderful Celebration of Life for a former student and dear friend of over 20 years, Irish Davison. She passed away at age 91 and went to hear heavenly home shortly after Thanksgiving. She studied Organ with me a mastered many of the great classics. In her honor and memory the Organist at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church played 5 works including the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, J.S. Bach, The Widor Toccata by Charles Marie Widor. The family presented a magnificent slide presentation of her life and family. I left feeling to blessed to have known her and to call her my friend.
I always enjoy spending time with my dear long term friend, Dave Brown and his wife Vicki! There son Nick graduates from LU in a few days and Allison may return to LU. There are great kids! Whenever I am in town for the holidays and not able to go home to the East Coast, Dave and his family extended have always greeted me with open arms and hearts and me so appreciate them! Barbara Nichols is like a second mom! Another “thanks be to God”.
The end of last year, literally the last week spilling into January I went back home to MD and took 2 days to visit Lynchburg, VA. The last time I was there I think was in 1992. I had the joy of connecting with Charlie Elders, my dear friend who used to drive the large Golden Eagle busses at Liberty U. and his daughters Charlene and Cynthia and Paul and Jani DeSaegher. Charlie cooked me a home cooked meal and brought it to my hotel room in Lynchburg…I think he is 82 now. All dear friends whom I hold in high regard. Charlie’s wife we affectionately called Granny went to heaven several years ago and we all miss her. I have no doubt she is still cooking wonderful meals such as corn bread, pinto beans cooked with a ham hock, steak and eggs. You name it.
I am still teaching Piano, sometimes as early as 6:30 am! I am probably the only piano teacher in the world who teaches at that hour! I have some of the best clients in the world; some families have been with me over 8 years and yes, some of gone on to Music careers and getting degrees in Music. I am grateful for God for the many wonderful Musicians who influenced my life at a young age and gave me a concrete sense of direction. 70 students a week at times and I stay very busy clocking 100 miles a day on 2 cars.
I still have my home in Aliso Viejo and totally by the grace of God and 4 loan modifications later, I still own three rental properties which I have structured to help fund my retirement. Thanks be to God!
Some personal notes of humor;
In a recent lesson with a 5 year old piano student we were learning a new piece “Benjamin Franklin”. I asked Ryan if he knew who Benjamin Franklin was and what he invented. “I sure do, he invented computer games!” (I had to pull out some nose hairs to stop from laughing out loud!)
I was going through a drive through Chinese Restaurant recently and noticed when I was at the window waiting for my meal, the driver behind kept waving at me, I figured she wanted a business card since I have singe advertising piano lessons all over the car. I gave the cashier one of my cards and ask her to give it to the next driver. I pulled out onto a side street and then had a driver slow down and lower his window to tell me that my back hatch was wide open. Opps. I forgot to close it when I was getting gas!!
At a choir practice leading up to Pentecost I choose the old John W. Peterson’s piece “Come Holy Spirit” as it was the only appropriate piece I could find that was up tempo and told the ‘story’ behind Pentecost. I took me several hours to find it and thanks to George Bieri back at Liberty U., he found me a copy. While reading through the piece with my modest 8 member choir, one dear man who has the outset to Alzihmers through his music in the air and exclaimed that is was rubbish. Directing a geriatric choir has some unique peculiarities. Thanks be to….Thank you Dan Wagner, Melody Zann Parsons Day, Ed Norman, Kathy Winn, Paul Bender, Mrs. Flo Fry, Bob Jones, Bob Shaw, June Ferbstien, Dr. Sandy Matthes, Mr. David Ehrman for all your contributions to my life. I am eternally grateful for your support, wisdom and encouragement.
Here is one of my proudest moments; my Senior Recital, Feb. 3, 1980 with my teacher Mr. David Ehrman. Where did all the red hair go? I kiddingly tell my students that every time I make a mistake, I get a grey hair.
I trust your doing well. Happiness IS an inside job. Stay in touch.
All the best,
Art Scott
Art G. Scott
Email: mraspiano@yahoo.com
Websites: www.MUSICBYARTSCOTT.com www.ARTSCOTTPIANOBROKER.com
Studio Phone: 888.410.4773
22681 Oakgrove Dr. #623, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
