The
voice of Santa Barbara County Monday, May 1, 2000
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Opportunity
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Percussionist
now plays to different beat as I.V. priest |
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
email: rparks@newspress.com
A top-rate percussionist, Norman Freeman recently shared the stage with Metallica, Paul McCartney, the New York Pops and the New York Philharmonic. And he rocked at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards
But on Sunday mornings you can find him close to home, at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Isla Vista. On March 1, he became the church's new vibraphone- and kettledrum- playing priest and university chaplain.
Freeman hopes to use his musical gifts to energize the church and connect with students. Just prior to Easter, for example, he let UCSB students know about holiday services at the church with an e-mail titled "Musician with Metallica at UCSB."
It worked: 15 new student faces greeted the congregation that Sunday. They got to hear him play the vibes during the "musical meditation" portion of the service, after the sermon.
"I see this church as an oasis, this whole block as an oasis for the community." Freeman said noting that the sanctuary at 6586 Picasso Road is neighbors with St. Mark's Catholic Church and the Hillel Jewish center now under construction. "I'd love to use my musical background to help build the community and to deepen our connection to other Episcopal churches in the area."
Freeman replaces the Rev. Mark Gardner, who served the church for eight years. Gardner resigned as vicar of St. Michael's in 1999 to return to full-tome work in the newspaper advertising industry. He continues to serve as priest in the Episcopal Church in a voluntary capacity.
Freeman's call to the priesthood came late in life, in the midst of his successful professional musical career. Ordained in 1997 and now 47, Freeman sees the inspiration for music and ministry as coming from the same sacred source.
"Entering concert halls is very spiritual for me - like entering a temple," he said, inside ST. Michael's, with its low sloping ceiling, shaped like a tent.
Freeman previously served at St. Paul's in Greenwich, Conn., where he was a curate and earned praise from parishioners and the press for innovative programs such as a jazz vespers series that blossomed into a fund-raising CD; a 12-step spirituality group; work with children and teens; and sermons that emphasized service and lessons in everyday life.
The training position at St. Paul's lasted nearly two years, and then Freeman felt ready to lead a congregation of his own. After working with Barbara Streisand in Southern California during her reunion tour in 1994 and later vacationing here with his wife, Lori, and their two children, Freeman and his family decided they would be open to moving out West. An only child, he also has family in the area.
Being appointed as a parish priest is a process that can take several years. A year ago, Freeman submitted his application to the Episcopal Diocese in Los Angeles, which oversees the local parishes. The bishop and a committee from St. Michael's selected Freeman to lead the Isla Vista congregation, in part because his musical talents seem uniquely suited to serve no only the student population, but the culturally-attuned greater community, as well.
"He comes to the priesthood late in life with a very colorful musical life, and he is very fresh and original in his approach," said Sally Hall, a longtime St. Michael's parishioner. "He talks a lot about rhythm, because that has been his medium, but he has a strong sense of the rhythms of the church, the seasons of the church in the liturgical calendar."
He studied percussion high school and went ton to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. After graduating, he played with the New York Pops and the Philharmonic and he spent nearly 10 years on Broadway with "A Chorus Line" and other shows.
He met his wife Lori, a dancer, while on Broadway. They married in 1983 in the Catholic Church to which she belonged.
Freeman said he was drawn to the pageantry and mystery of the Catholic church, but he never felt truly at home until we worshiped at an Episcopal Church.
"When I stepped out I felt a sense of the Holy Spirit that I hadn't felt before," he said of the experience.
In the late 1980s with his musical career in full swing, Freeman also was teaching at a music college and pondering to return to school for a doctorate to broaden his teaching opportunities. He also was on the road a lot, playing with superstars in the jazz, rock'n'roll and classical worlds.
It was a full, exciting life. But in time, during his prayer and meditation sessions, Freeman felt the tug of priesthood.
"I started to realize that my heart's desire was to draw upon God's presence in life, and the wholeness of body, mind and spirit," he said. " I reflected upon what my studies would be, and kept coming back to spirit, to Gold."
In 1989, Freeman told his wife of his yearnings. She was surprised, but supportive. He continues to perform as a professional musician while attending General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York. Once ordained he was mentored in Greenwich, Conn.
Since moving to Goleta, Freeman has used his musical talents to get to know the community. Just a few weeks ago, for example, he performed with the Santa Barbara Symphony.
One of the things that prompted Freeman to become a priest was a desire to help make the world a better place for his children, who are 12 and 9. He said he is pleased to be working with the students at UCSB, and hopes to inspire them, too. The university serves about 19,000 students.
"I'd like to connect with them, to let them know that this church can be relevant to them, present to them, and that we can support them at this crossroads in their lives," he said. "Personally, I'd like to be seen as user-friendly. The can come and I will listen."
