MUSIC & WORSHIP ARTS WEEK 2022


Mark Burrows juggles boxes during a drama moment in wor- ship at Music & Worship Arts Week 2015.


Photo: Daniel Craig


Children’s musical ‘Called’ takes center stage Te last time Mark Burrows, aka


Mister Mark, served as a clinician at Music & Worship Arts Week in 2015, he juggled multiple roles and, somewhat infamously, a stack of box- es during a worship drama in Stuart Auditorium. As Elementary Music clinician


in 2022, however, Burrows will be juggling much more than just roles and boxes. “So, we’re doing a musical in a


week,” Mark said. “It’s exciting and it’s going to be so much fun. I’m going to be exhausted, and so I’m probably going to sleep on the plane the whole ride home back to Texas. To put on a show in less than a week and do all the songs, some light choreography … the dialogue. It’s such an exciting process.” Te children will work to present


the musical “Called,” which Mark published in 2019 through Choristers Guild. Te show premiered that same year, just a few months before the pandemic. “One of my favorite bible stories –


“God can and will call anyone at any time. And that includes children.”


it’s not one of the ‘Top 40,’ it kind of gets glossed over – is the story of God calling the prophet Jeremiah,” Mark said. “God called Jeremiah when Jeremiah is a child. Like so many of the best prophets, he’s reluctant; he doesn’t feel like he’s worthy of this call. He says, ‘I am just a child,’ and God says, ‘Do not say you are only a child for I will be with you.’ I think that’s a powerful message for young people that no matter how young you are or how insignificant you feel, God can and will call anyone at any time. And that includes children.” Mark explained that the show


works to help children eliminate the word “can’t” from their vocabularies, and instead emphasize the things that


they can do. He approaches this con- cept in the script in a unique way. “One of the things I always do


with my shows, the first thing I do is get rid of the adults,” Mark said. “Because so many times in a show the kids will kind of go through the life of a child and then some well-meaning grownup will come along and explain everything. And it’s like, let the kids figure it out. Let them enjoy the dis- covery process and make mistakes. … I’m huge on child empowerment.” Another unique aspect of the show


is that it will combine children rang- ing from those who just completed kindergarten all the way through 6th grade. Mark, however, says that even though there’s a wide range in ages, no one will be leſt out. “Tere’s a little something for


everyone,” Mark said. “If you want to have a speaking part, you can do that. If you want a singing part? Yes. If you want to dance? Yes. If you want to build props or be a part of designing the set, there’s something for every- one.”


__________________________________________________________________________________________________ January-February-March 2022 • WorshipArts • UMFellowship.org


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