Wanelle Lowe was only three years old when she sat
down at her sisters piano and begin to play a familiar tune – by ear.
It was then that Lowes mother – and others – realized
the child had a gift for music.
It is a gift Lowe has nurtured and used throughout her
life – and continues to do so. Indeed, she recently celebrated her 45th anniversary
as pianist at First Baptist Church of Pineville.
Wanelle Lowe was only three years old when she
sat down at her sisters piano and begin to play a familiar tune –
by ear.
It was then that Lowes mother – and others
– realized the child had a gift for music.
It is a gift Lowe has nurtured and used throughout
her life – and continues to do so. Indeed, she recently celebrated her 45th
anniversary as pianist at First Baptist Church of Pineville.
Lowe began playing at the church when her husband,
Carroll, was serving as the churchs music minister in 1955. Playing the
piano is her way of worshiping with fellow Christians, Lowe says.
“I hope that I am a vehicle to enable them to
have a worship experience,” she explains.
Lowe confesses she does not remember the incident
when she was three years old. It was told to her later by her mother.
However, Lowe says she does recall an early church
solo. “They asked me to play a solo in church when I was four,” she
explains. “My feet didnt even touch the ground.”
Lowe also had not taken a piano lesson yet. She would
not begin those until she was seven.
At 12 years old, Lowe began playing the piano at
her church. During her childhood, she played at revivals and churches all over
the nation.
“Ive played all my life,” Lowe says.
Lowe says she never considered any other path for
her life. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in piano performance
and has played and taught for her entire adult life.
Lowe says she always assumed her musical abilities
would be the center of her career.
“I never consciously thought Im
going to be a music major. Its just one of those things that is
as natural as breathing.”
Throughout her life, Lowe has used her ability to
help lead worship and to teach others how to appreciate music. Once she began
studying piano at age seven, Lowe continued in that way until about 15 years
ago. Her primarily classical training cultivated a love for classical and choral
music, but Lowe acknowledges she can play just about anything. And her studies
enable her to improve the sound of any piece she plays, Lowe says.
“You can take a piece thats not very difficult
and if you take all your background knowledge, it will sound very different
than if you just play the notes on the page,” she says.
With the rising use of praise choruses in worship
services, Lowe says she still prefers traditional hymn arrangements in worship.
However, styles have changed, so she plays whatever the minister of music wants
her to play.
“It has not changed my level of appreciation,
but it has changed what Im able to play,” Lowe says.
For personal enjoyment, Lowe says she likes playing
classical and popular music, as well as hymn arrangements. “Becoming involved
in music, creating interpretations – its the thing that feeds my soul,”
she says.
And in church, she enjoys what she calls the “great”
hymns. “We still sing hymns that were around when I was a little girl and
before then.”
In addition to her church responsibilities, Lowe
also accompanies various choral groups. She has accompanied the Louisiana Baptist
all-state youth choir for 17 years. She also has played with Simon Carrington,
the founder of King Singers in Oxford England, at a state choral event for the
Louisiana Music Educators Association.
“I love accompanying a good choral director
because youre making good music then,” Lowe says.
In honor of Lowes musical achievements, a nine-foot
grand piano was given to First Baptist Church of Pineville in 1989, Lowe says.
“I thought that was just about the greatest honor Ive ever had.”
Lowe says she does not want people to assume she
intends to retire as she marks her anniversary at her church. She insists that
she wants to play for as long as possible. ” I will play as long as Im
able to and as long as Im able to discern that Im not being a hindrance.”