‘Chosen’ Take Center Stage at TAM Conservatory
by Robert Mitchell
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” —John 15:16
“Chosen” was the theme of this year’s Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM) Conservatory. Staffer Lydmarie Rivera Antonetti said that idea stole the spotlight during the weeklong event.
“I see a lot of kids who feel like they have been chosen for something,” said Rivera Antonetti, a Salvationist from the Guayama Corps in Puerto Rico. “Maybe they don’t think they fit in, but they feel special, and they feel connected here.
“That’s honestly what TAM is about: Having that moment and this space where you can not only express the art God has given you, but also connect with other people.”
Almost 100 delegates gathered at the College for Officer Training in Suffern, N.Y., Aug. 3–10, for this year’s TAM, a discipleship-focused program centered around training in production leadership, dance, theater, live audio, visual arts, and worship.
“This week, the Lord truly quieted the doubts and lies in our minds long enough to hear these three affirming words: ‘I chose you,’” said Kathryn Higgins, director of the USA Eastern Territory’s Creative Arts Bureau, as the program’s spectacular finale opened via livestream on Friday.
Rivera Antonetti, who attended her eighth TAM this year, was on staff for the first time and missed being the “star of the show” and performing as a delegate, but she found that God had chosen her for another role this time.
“I’m learning that it’s OK to not be the center all the time,” she said. “I’m just taking a step back and letting God use me.”
Showing others the way
Fellow staffer Isabella Wiand, who attends the Beacon, N.Y., Citadel Corps, echoed Rivera Antonetti. At TAM for her fifth time and transitioning to more of a backstage role, Wiand enjoyed helping others hone their skills.
“I love seeing 14-year-olds get on stage and do their first-ever drama piece,” Wiand said. “And I love being a guide and a light to those who are still coming up.”
It was a busy summer for Wiand, a timbrelist who also performed at the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings in Maine and was headed to Star Lake Musicamp in New Jersey as soon as TAM ended. She’s also a Star Search judge, but TAM is special, she said. “I love coming to TAM because I get to be in a group of like-minded people who love Jesus and they love the arts.”
Jerica Knickerbocker came to TAM from the Quincy, Mass., Temple to teach drama and share her experiences with the Creative Arts Service Team (CAST). A theater student at Gordon College, she was impressed with the spiritual side of TAM.
“Everything that we do here is based around scripture and God and His presence in us,” she said. “Everyone gets to grow not only in their craft and their passion, but with their spiritual life as well.”
One of those students was Marlon Rosario, who attended TAM for the eighth time from the San Juan Central Corps in Puerto Rico, where he teaches music through the Fortissimo program. Rosario came to The Salvation Army at age 9 to learn the guitar and is a product of Fortissimo.
A life-changing experience
“I meet people and get to play my guitar better, but every year I also get stronger in my relationship with God,” said Rosario, who like many others was headed to Star Lake Musicamp next.
“Being here is like being out of my comfort zone. When I come to TAM, I always grow in those aspects I’m uncomfortable with.”
Rivera Antonetti said some TAM attendees come from broken homes and TAM “just gives them an out” and a place to belong while using their gifts to bring glory to God.
“That’s very nice because some of them find their calling here,” she said.
That was certainly true for Rivera Antonetti, who described herself as “socially awkward” and suffered stage fright before coming to The Salvation Army at age 14. She has since performed at Star Search, Star Lake Musicamp, two years of CAST, and other events.
“You sometimes don’t even recognize just how impactful this is,” she said of TAM. “When I first came, I couldn’t even speak. I didn’t know what to do. I could barely speak English. It was scary for me, but knowing all these people for years, and having a chance to get together every year and seeing God move in different ways, it has helped.
“The Salvation Army helped me come out of my shell and try new things. I’ve seen that growth in a lot of the kids, especially this year.”
The inaugural Carol Jaudes Award, named after the founder of TAM and the Creative Arts Services Bureau who passed away last year, went to Jacob Price from the SWONEKY Division. A TAM Facebook post said Price was nominated by multiple instructors “for his work ethic and willingness to help out. Always prompt, present and prepared, Jacob was the embodiment of TAM Conservatory, always striving for excellence. Carol would be proud.”
