Deven

I met my friend Lynn when I was a freshman at Olivet College; she was taking a small break from school and had a 3-year-old son, Deven.  I fell in love with the kid immediately.  Although I could wax sentimental about him for hours, I'll just say he was a really cool kid.  Deven's all grown up now, himself an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Missouri and already an award-winning composer!  Until this past week, I hadn't seen him since he was a junior groomsman in my wedding when he was 11.

So Deven was in my area to visit his father and Lynn told me to call him up and see if he wanted to see me.  Wow!  What a thought!  So I checked with Deven and he made some time in his schedule, right before departing, to have a meal with me.  I found him so tall, socially conscious, funny, talented and just... too cool for his age.  At one point I even exclaimed, "Deven you are so cool!"  He responded, "I know," proving his deep humility.

I told Deven about this project and how I'm scoring out everything before heading the recording studio, then planning on offering the sheet music along with the CD.  "Send me the scores when you get them done," he said nonchalantly over burgers and root beer, "and I'll edit them for you."  I asked him if he was sure, because it would be a lot of scores, and I know he's very busy at school.  He insisted that he can handle it.  He also has more experience than I do with voicing the band and orchestral instruments, many of which have different clefs.

WHAT A GODSEND!  People are just falling into place right where I need them.  Makes me more than a little aware that heaven is on my side.

Anyway I dropped Deven off at the airport reluctantly.  I wanted to just take him home and keep him until the new semester started!  But alas, he has grown-up obligations.

How cool is this?  I'll give Deven credit on the sheet music, he gets a professional job to put on his resume and I'll give him a small stipend out of the budget (because it is a small budget).  Like I told him in an email - I'm glad to have him to help on my project while he is still cheap.  I mean, before he is famous!!!