By Anna Keller
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist
Martha Waldrip isn’t the type to seek out the spotlight. But when you’ve been playing music for churches for more than seven decades, some recognition becomes inevitable.
Waldrip, 83, who has played both piano and organ for First Baptist Church, Weaver, for the past 50 years, was honored by the church with a special service and lunch event Jan. 29 with about 200 in attendance.
“We had a covered dish lunch, a big cake — everything was decorated really beautifully,” Waldrip said. “Several former music directors from the church came and it was a really special day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I’m not used to stuff like that. I don’t seek out the limelight.”
It was Dennis Wood, the church’s chairman of the deacons, who initiated the event after overhearing Waldrip tell another church member that January 2017 would mark her 50th anniversary at First, Weaver.
Fixture in the church
“I thought we needed to recognize this lady, because she’s not the type who would (make a big deal) about this milestone,” Wood said. “People like Martha become fixtures in the church.
They’re always there, always in their place. I think we miss the boat when we don’t honor people like that. We’re getting better at it and I think it’s paying off in a lot of ways, and it’s an example to the younger ones about the elders who have served and raised them in church.”
Waldrip is certainly worth celebrating, especially considering she was initially self-taught at piano and only had one organ “lesson” before playing that instrument during a Sunday service.
Roma Lightsey, Waldrip’s niece, said, “She learned how to play the piano by ear, when she was very young, and she played by ear for a few years before she even took any lessons. She’s been playing piano for her church since the age of 10.”
Waldrip can trace her passion for music back to a prayer her mother had before Waldrip was born.
Waldrip said, “(My mother) started praying for a little girl who could play the piano for church.”
As a child Waldrip was always interested in piano and learned to play a few hymns by ear, which is when she began playing for her church in Sylacauga. “Then when we could afford a piano and we could afford lessons, I took two 30-minute lessons a week. Each lesson was 50 cents. My mother baked and sold chocolate meringue pies to pay for them.”
Learning the organ
When she was in 10th grade, Waldrip recalls, the church’s organist (who also was her piano teacher) was going to go on vacation and asked Waldrip to cover for her on the organ. The high-schooler had never touched an organ.
“She said, ‘Let me tell you what to do,’” Waldrip explained. “‘You play the melody on the bottom keyboard with your right hand. You play with your left hand on the upper keyboard. You play the bass notes with your left foot. Your right foot plays the expression pedal — loud and soft.’ I practiced and played for the service and continued playing from there.”
In addition to being dedicated to the church through the music she brings each week, Waldrip has been plugged in to serving in numerous other ways. Through the years she’s served as Bible school director, Woman’s Missionary Union director, taught different grades of Sunday School for 55 years (she’s still a teacher) and served on countless committees.
As for her plans for continuing to play piano and organ?
“I just love it and quitting was never an option for me,” she said. “When the Lord is through with me, He’ll let me know.”
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