Merry Christmas to those who embrace this marked day. Christmas is a day full of expectation with families gathering and excitement for all ages. As you pass thru this life there is one particular day that stands out among the 352 days of the year that offers promise of reconciliation of family members separated by miles or even years of silence. The truth is there is a whole lot of "hope" bouncing around in our hearts. Like a faint tune of a song we may have sung in years gone by, as we grow older we long for the security and sounds of simpler times. Life tends to bring a complexity to life's motif that challenges us to the degree a masterfully crafted composition does an aspiring musician. All the practice in the world cannot predict the variables in a live performance. As a musician myself, you work to achieve a familiarity of the musical rendition that gives you a confidence that cannot be shaken by distractions or surprises. Like a child that waits impatiently by the tree for the moment they can tear into the neatly wrapped gifts, we grasp to the idea with faith and hope that something is going to change or happen that seems improbable or even impossible. The seconds on the clock of life ticks in such a way that we can hear the beat of time as we hold to the promise that a new day will dawn.
I recently found myself in a conversation with a sales rep of a supplier that left me perplexed and concerned. I had never met the young lady but as we were discussing a timeline in regards to delivery of a product she was having difficulty saying the word "Christmas". She stumbled over it and moved on but I could not help but ask her why she had such a hard time saying a word that is likely the most celebrated day in the history of the world. As I awaited her response I heard her say "I don't believe in anything......well I believe in science". As she opened up she began to share that she was raised Roman Catholic but began to question her faith as a teenager. What broke my heart was the fact that she had decided that she didn't believe in anything. I was struck by the emptiness of this life without belief.
So, millions of people celebrate Christmas on different levels. For many it is a season for hope and belief that Jesus lives. I'm not ashamed to say I have decided to follow Jesus and I do believe that he was more that a great profit or teacher, and he is exactly who he said he was. Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving them with a gift.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 New Living Translation (NLT)
" Who hopes for what he already has?" Remember when you were a kid as Christmas neared and the Sears & Roebuck Christmas catalog came out? I would sit and look thru that catalog and study it to see what exactly I wanted for Christmas. It wasn't an easy decision but when I locked into it HOPE kicked in. One thing I've discovered as I've gotten just a little older is my HOPE list is less about getting something and more about belief that life is too short to live it hopelessly. There's an old chorus we used to sing in church that went like this, "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face, the one who saved my by His grace, and he takes me by the hand, and leads me thru the promised land, what a day, a glorious day, that will be"
I pray you find living, sustaining Hope in the real meaning of Christmas.
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom%208:%2024-25&version=NIV
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Music Is Still Playing
As we wrap up this year we recognize that the air is still breathable and the water drinkable. For sure these are the two most important resources in the sustenance of life on earth. As we exited 2009 and entered 2010 we did it much like we did the year before and the year before that……with a desire to make a fresh start and put aside old habits and start new and better patterns in our life that would lead to a more productive end of 2009. How did that work out? I would like to ask a bigger question – is the music still playing?
We all have a song inside us and music is the expression of that song. Some have been blessed to write lyrics and others compose the melody. There are many others that can play the melody on a musical instrument and others sing the lyrics and melody at the same time. It seems to be a huge part of the expression of our life and symbolizes the spirit that lives within us. The truth is if you have no musical talent at all you have access to thousands if not millions of tunes through the internet.
In just a few clicks you can pull up an old tune you heard when you were a child or young adult that marked a significant event or time in your life. That song is embedded in your mind and spirit whether or not you are conscience of it at any given time. It only takes a few seconds once you hear the music for the flood of emotions and the memories of those cherished moments roll. Regardless of how tough life was there was a song that helped you get through it giving you strength and rebuilding your esteem and drive to carry on.
As we wrap up the year and begin a new one, it is obvious from reading and listening to many of my Facebook friends that there were some who lost loved ones, others separation and divorce, others found themselves in a fight for their lives and many who are struggling to make it financially in a troubled economy. One thing I am sure about is the music is still playing. Let me encourage you to play uplifting songs that builds you up and doesn’t extend your pain. Life is too short to dwell in the painful moments. After all, that breath you just took is living proof that you are supposed to be here and God has a plan for your life. He put the music inside you and although circumstances tried to rob you of your joy you can sing a new song. I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you Psalm 144:9
Is the music still playing? I would say that it is but you have to select the tune and push play. Take the music off pause. If you’ve never sung a new song do it today. It’s cleansing and frees the soul. There is a merciful and loving God who longs to hear the song in your heart. May you have a blessed New Year and a song of encouragement sustain you in 2011.
We all have a song inside us and music is the expression of that song. Some have been blessed to write lyrics and others compose the melody. There are many others that can play the melody on a musical instrument and others sing the lyrics and melody at the same time. It seems to be a huge part of the expression of our life and symbolizes the spirit that lives within us. The truth is if you have no musical talent at all you have access to thousands if not millions of tunes through the internet.
In just a few clicks you can pull up an old tune you heard when you were a child or young adult that marked a significant event or time in your life. That song is embedded in your mind and spirit whether or not you are conscience of it at any given time. It only takes a few seconds once you hear the music for the flood of emotions and the memories of those cherished moments roll. Regardless of how tough life was there was a song that helped you get through it giving you strength and rebuilding your esteem and drive to carry on.
As we wrap up the year and begin a new one, it is obvious from reading and listening to many of my Facebook friends that there were some who lost loved ones, others separation and divorce, others found themselves in a fight for their lives and many who are struggling to make it financially in a troubled economy. One thing I am sure about is the music is still playing. Let me encourage you to play uplifting songs that builds you up and doesn’t extend your pain. Life is too short to dwell in the painful moments. After all, that breath you just took is living proof that you are supposed to be here and God has a plan for your life. He put the music inside you and although circumstances tried to rob you of your joy you can sing a new song. I will sing a new song to you, my God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you Psalm 144:9
Is the music still playing? I would say that it is but you have to select the tune and push play. Take the music off pause. If you’ve never sung a new song do it today. It’s cleansing and frees the soul. There is a merciful and loving God who longs to hear the song in your heart. May you have a blessed New Year and a song of encouragement sustain you in 2011.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ice Cold Water
Ice Cold Water
It doesn’t take a lot to make us thirsty. On any given day we get thirsty because our body is telling us that we need to re-hydrate. Oddly enough we usually go for a beverage that does little or no good for hydration and we know that but the urge to drink that cold coca cola is bursting forth in our minds. Yes! So refreshing!
It wasn’t all that long ago when we loaded up our ice chest with everything but water. Why? Because it was packaged that way and it was so easy…..just buy your favorite drinks in a bottle or can and ice down. Water wasn’t so much available in these convenient forms, it was FREE right out of the tap right?
A classic image I have in my memory is those times when we would be at Mama and Papa’s sitting outside under the shade tree on a hot day. My grandmother would bring out these clear, glass canning jars with ice cold water. So cold there would be beads of water running down the sides. I can hear the ice cubes bouncing against the side of the jar as she brought them over to where we sat. Then I can remember my dad and Papa taking one of those quart jars and downing it in what seemed like a single gulp. Now that was thirst quenching!
Another image I have is my grandmother, Mama, asking just about anyone in the vicinity if they’d like a drink. That was just her way! She’d even ask a customer she didn’t know at their shop next door to their house if they wanted an ice cold “glass” of water. Common hospitality? Maybe but on a hot day you didn’t usually have someone hesitate. The answer was quick and to the point….SURE, if you don’t mind!
I miss those simpler days when we felt comfortable asking a stranger if they’d like a drink. Now, we may offer them a bottle of water but it’s not the same. It was more personal and intimate when we offered someone a drink in a glass fruit jar. The same can be true for the living water that abides in us. Have you received that living water today? Are you thirsty for more of what life has to offer than the impersonal idea that we are all just derivatives of a process of evolution? Do you seemingly drift thru this life without a purpose or someone or something to worship? Jesus said that if anyone “thirst” he would give them living water that truly satisfies. Not superficially but from the “inside out” in a way that hydrates the inner man and overflows onto others. That’s the kind of thirst quenching water I want in my life. How about you?
It doesn’t take a lot to make us thirsty. On any given day we get thirsty because our body is telling us that we need to re-hydrate. Oddly enough we usually go for a beverage that does little or no good for hydration and we know that but the urge to drink that cold coca cola is bursting forth in our minds. Yes! So refreshing!
It wasn’t all that long ago when we loaded up our ice chest with everything but water. Why? Because it was packaged that way and it was so easy…..just buy your favorite drinks in a bottle or can and ice down. Water wasn’t so much available in these convenient forms, it was FREE right out of the tap right?
A classic image I have in my memory is those times when we would be at Mama and Papa’s sitting outside under the shade tree on a hot day. My grandmother would bring out these clear, glass canning jars with ice cold water. So cold there would be beads of water running down the sides. I can hear the ice cubes bouncing against the side of the jar as she brought them over to where we sat. Then I can remember my dad and Papa taking one of those quart jars and downing it in what seemed like a single gulp. Now that was thirst quenching!
Another image I have is my grandmother, Mama, asking just about anyone in the vicinity if they’d like a drink. That was just her way! She’d even ask a customer she didn’t know at their shop next door to their house if they wanted an ice cold “glass” of water. Common hospitality? Maybe but on a hot day you didn’t usually have someone hesitate. The answer was quick and to the point….SURE, if you don’t mind!
I miss those simpler days when we felt comfortable asking a stranger if they’d like a drink. Now, we may offer them a bottle of water but it’s not the same. It was more personal and intimate when we offered someone a drink in a glass fruit jar. The same can be true for the living water that abides in us. Have you received that living water today? Are you thirsty for more of what life has to offer than the impersonal idea that we are all just derivatives of a process of evolution? Do you seemingly drift thru this life without a purpose or someone or something to worship? Jesus said that if anyone “thirst” he would give them living water that truly satisfies. Not superficially but from the “inside out” in a way that hydrates the inner man and overflows onto others. That’s the kind of thirst quenching water I want in my life. How about you?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Resonation of the Heart
Over the years I’ve had many people come up to me and say things like, “there’s something about your tone” or “you have a unique sound”. In fact, I was only a couple of weeks into learning to play the clarinet when my instructor, Mr. Tommy Williamson, told my parents that I had one of the best tones he had heard in a beginner clarinetist. Some of you may realize this but a reed wind instrument is quite unique in that you have to blow air thru a reed to create the sound. What you hear in a beginner is usually very difficult to listen to and sometimes it’s like listening to someone scratching a chalkboard. Now that makes me cringe even as I write. It takes time to develop the natural, mellow tones a clarinet can produce. Oh, I know, you see when someone wants to poke fun the beginner clarinetist is the butt of the joke with squeaks and off pitch notes. Practicing the correct embouchure, air support and pitch is critical to finding a balance to achieve the pure, pleasant sounds a clarinet can produce. For some reason good tone has stuck with me all these years.
When I was taking private lessons in high school I was privileged to study with the principle clarinetist of the Houston Symphony. One day he demonstrated something to me that may be nothing more than a myth to the average person. He explained that his dog would tell him if he hit the note dead center. See, most people think that a bad note will make a dog howl but in fact, he proved to me it was the “resonant” note that actually did that. He played a middle C on his clarinet and when he centered the tone and it resonated perfectly his dog would howl like no other. The dog would not howl on just any note. He challenged me to play and find that perfect resonate tone. It wasn’t easy but I worked on it for weeks. No, making the dog howl is not the goal. That truth is I already had a good tone, better than average but he challenged me to reach deeper and find another level in my music. What really brings me joy is to hear someone say, I really enjoyed hearing you play today……it encouraged me….it lifted my spirit….brought me joy….helped me find peace. Those are the real rewards.
That being said, let’s talk about how to apply this to the resonation of the heart. We can go along thru life and feel like we have done all we can to affect our world of influence in a positive way. Many of us give to ministries and charities, feel compassion on those less fortunate and may even work in a homeless shelter or outreach from time to time. But do we reach for the power of a resonate heart that is beyond the ordinary. Like in music, we can work on the tone of our heart and may indeed find resonation in our heart that will move us to do more than we ever thought possible. And it could be just a simple act of kindness or putting an arm around an elderly relative or even a friend and telling them how special they are and that you love them. The more we practice the better we’ll get and result will likely be a warm smile and kind thank you from someone you may have missed an opportunity to touch otherwise.
When I was taking private lessons in high school I was privileged to study with the principle clarinetist of the Houston Symphony. One day he demonstrated something to me that may be nothing more than a myth to the average person. He explained that his dog would tell him if he hit the note dead center. See, most people think that a bad note will make a dog howl but in fact, he proved to me it was the “resonant” note that actually did that. He played a middle C on his clarinet and when he centered the tone and it resonated perfectly his dog would howl like no other. The dog would not howl on just any note. He challenged me to play and find that perfect resonate tone. It wasn’t easy but I worked on it for weeks. No, making the dog howl is not the goal. That truth is I already had a good tone, better than average but he challenged me to reach deeper and find another level in my music. What really brings me joy is to hear someone say, I really enjoyed hearing you play today……it encouraged me….it lifted my spirit….brought me joy….helped me find peace. Those are the real rewards.
That being said, let’s talk about how to apply this to the resonation of the heart. We can go along thru life and feel like we have done all we can to affect our world of influence in a positive way. Many of us give to ministries and charities, feel compassion on those less fortunate and may even work in a homeless shelter or outreach from time to time. But do we reach for the power of a resonate heart that is beyond the ordinary. Like in music, we can work on the tone of our heart and may indeed find resonation in our heart that will move us to do more than we ever thought possible. And it could be just a simple act of kindness or putting an arm around an elderly relative or even a friend and telling them how special they are and that you love them. The more we practice the better we’ll get and result will likely be a warm smile and kind thank you from someone you may have missed an opportunity to touch otherwise.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My Christmas Wish
My Christmas Wish
Over the last few days I have been reflecting on what my most memorable Christmas gifts were. I realized that there were so many over the years they all just blended together. I know I’ve always appreciated my gifts but some were everyday things I used, others were gadgets, and as it turns out the one I remembered most was the race track I got when I was a little boy. Now, my first track as I recall wasn’t really a race track but it was a road track with battery powered cars and a mountain range, a bridge or two and scenery. As I reached back to my childhood and thought about it I remembered getting the Sears Christmas catalog and sitting there looking at all the toys and fixating on the race tracks. It was easy to build a wish list as a child……so many things I wanted and needed, at least I thought I needed. I had my car track set up in the corner of my bedroom and probably played with it more than most gifts. It was a nice present and that brought a lot of joy.
Now as I’ve turned another milestone in life with our youngest graduating from High School the Christmas wish list is different. It’s not so much about gadgets and things although I still get them and I still see things that I think I have to have. I’ve found now my wish list is more about my life mission and purpose. In fact, even at this stage in life I would love to get a wrapped box with a Christmas Wish coupon that said I was awarded a 10 year advance on reaching a broader audience with my music.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been able to play at a number of events and it is so rewarding when you know that you’ve touched someone in a positive way with your music or for you whatever your gift may be. My gift is the gift of music, something that started to emerge in my life as a young boy and has never really stopped blooming and growing. When I play I love to look around the audience and most of the time I’ll see someone that is connecting with my music and message. It’s hard to say what they are thinking but I can see it in their eyes. The music has struck a chord in their heart and I am witnessing it in person. Some are older, some are middle aged adults and some are just very young. At each age, the music is speaking something different to them, giving hope, or to another a vision of becoming a better musician, or to another a new found joy that they once experienced in life. I’ve seen that in the eyes of people over the last few weeks and it makes me realize that nothing is more important than the intangible gifts we give or receive.
My wish this Christmas and coming year is that I can give more intangible gifts. One that inspires a young musician to work harder and strive to be the musician God wants him or her to be. To give hope to those who have lost hope because of a lost loved one, parent or child or a lost job, or even a lost home. And for what it’s worth, joy for those who are suffering and haven’t heard the music for the struggle in their life has been overwhelming. I wonder if we all just reached one person or family who was less fortunate how much better the world would be. It might be that all you have to do is pick up the phone and call someone who you haven’t called in some time. Better yet just go by and see them. Take some music with you!
Merry Christmas
Paul Aaron
Over the last few days I have been reflecting on what my most memorable Christmas gifts were. I realized that there were so many over the years they all just blended together. I know I’ve always appreciated my gifts but some were everyday things I used, others were gadgets, and as it turns out the one I remembered most was the race track I got when I was a little boy. Now, my first track as I recall wasn’t really a race track but it was a road track with battery powered cars and a mountain range, a bridge or two and scenery. As I reached back to my childhood and thought about it I remembered getting the Sears Christmas catalog and sitting there looking at all the toys and fixating on the race tracks. It was easy to build a wish list as a child……so many things I wanted and needed, at least I thought I needed. I had my car track set up in the corner of my bedroom and probably played with it more than most gifts. It was a nice present and that brought a lot of joy.
Now as I’ve turned another milestone in life with our youngest graduating from High School the Christmas wish list is different. It’s not so much about gadgets and things although I still get them and I still see things that I think I have to have. I’ve found now my wish list is more about my life mission and purpose. In fact, even at this stage in life I would love to get a wrapped box with a Christmas Wish coupon that said I was awarded a 10 year advance on reaching a broader audience with my music.
Over the last few weeks I’ve been able to play at a number of events and it is so rewarding when you know that you’ve touched someone in a positive way with your music or for you whatever your gift may be. My gift is the gift of music, something that started to emerge in my life as a young boy and has never really stopped blooming and growing. When I play I love to look around the audience and most of the time I’ll see someone that is connecting with my music and message. It’s hard to say what they are thinking but I can see it in their eyes. The music has struck a chord in their heart and I am witnessing it in person. Some are older, some are middle aged adults and some are just very young. At each age, the music is speaking something different to them, giving hope, or to another a vision of becoming a better musician, or to another a new found joy that they once experienced in life. I’ve seen that in the eyes of people over the last few weeks and it makes me realize that nothing is more important than the intangible gifts we give or receive.
My wish this Christmas and coming year is that I can give more intangible gifts. One that inspires a young musician to work harder and strive to be the musician God wants him or her to be. To give hope to those who have lost hope because of a lost loved one, parent or child or a lost job, or even a lost home. And for what it’s worth, joy for those who are suffering and haven’t heard the music for the struggle in their life has been overwhelming. I wonder if we all just reached one person or family who was less fortunate how much better the world would be. It might be that all you have to do is pick up the phone and call someone who you haven’t called in some time. Better yet just go by and see them. Take some music with you!
Merry Christmas
Paul Aaron
Thursday, September 10, 2009
UNLOCKING ANSWERS TO LIFE’S CHALLENGES
Many times when we are looking for answers to questions about our life and purpose we seek God for His will. I have found that many times God is giving us the answer but we simply cannot see or hear it. The answer may be hidden in the following illustration. Recently, I had a conversation with an employee about a key and lock on a trailer he was picking up one evening. I had used a different lock than he was accustomed to but called and told him in advance where I had put the key. He said OK! Given his reassurance I went to bed since I had an early morning ministry obligation. Having already gone to sleep I hear my phone ringing. I abruptly awoke to answer and it was the employee who was trying to open the lock but was frustrated and trying to tell me the key wouldn’t work. I tried to walk him thru it. “Does the key you are using fit easily into the lock?” He said “yes, but it will not turn”. I asked, “Are you sure? Turn it both ways. It is very simple to turn and slide the block off to release the locking pin.” I could hear it in his voice as he struggled, “it doesn’t work!” I asked him again if he had the right key. He assured me it was. I asked, “Is it a round key….does it have a black top”. He responded, “Its round”. I continued to drill him as gently as I could but now my frustration was building. “Did you get the key out of the utility box?” Again the answer was “YES”. I remembered there was another key in the utility box but I had taken a magnetic key box and placed the new key in it and attached it to the underside of the utility box lid so he could easily find it. I asked him to look in the utility box and look inside the lid for the key box. He did and I waited for an answer. I asked again, “did you find it…..did it work?” I could here shuffling in the background but no answer right away. Then I heard these words, “I got it!”
I went back to sleep and in the pre-dawn hours that night I was awakened with these thoughts. It was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me about some of the trials I was going thru. I believe the message was compelling. You know how many times we call on the Lord and we just don’t seem to get an answer. While it seems like we have the key in our hand, it just does not open the lock to the treasure or answer that God has waiting for us. Can you see the Lord looking down at us and saying, “You have the wrong key”. It looks the same and fits in the keyhole but it just will not turn and open the lock. We tell God we are trying but nothing has changed….it just doesn’t work! God is saying, stop and listen carefully to my instructions. There are many keys that look like the answer but only one is custom made for you for this moment in time.
When life gets complicated we naturally react and as we do we get frustrated. The more noise and clutter there is to distract us from the task at hand the harder it is to find the right key. Whether it’s a real lock we are dealing with or a real “life” situation, God’s answer to you may simply “be still and listen”. It is all about finding the correct key. Once you find it, you calmly insert the key in the lock and turn it gently to hear that magical click. Try too hard and you may abandon the key you were holding because you were not patient enough or didn’t turn it the right way. We’ve all done that at one time or another. Now unlock the answer to prayer that God has already sent you. It may make the journey just a little easier.
I went back to sleep and in the pre-dawn hours that night I was awakened with these thoughts. It was as if the Lord was speaking directly to me about some of the trials I was going thru. I believe the message was compelling. You know how many times we call on the Lord and we just don’t seem to get an answer. While it seems like we have the key in our hand, it just does not open the lock to the treasure or answer that God has waiting for us. Can you see the Lord looking down at us and saying, “You have the wrong key”. It looks the same and fits in the keyhole but it just will not turn and open the lock. We tell God we are trying but nothing has changed….it just doesn’t work! God is saying, stop and listen carefully to my instructions. There are many keys that look like the answer but only one is custom made for you for this moment in time.
When life gets complicated we naturally react and as we do we get frustrated. The more noise and clutter there is to distract us from the task at hand the harder it is to find the right key. Whether it’s a real lock we are dealing with or a real “life” situation, God’s answer to you may simply “be still and listen”. It is all about finding the correct key. Once you find it, you calmly insert the key in the lock and turn it gently to hear that magical click. Try too hard and you may abandon the key you were holding because you were not patient enough or didn’t turn it the right way. We’ve all done that at one time or another. Now unlock the answer to prayer that God has already sent you. It may make the journey just a little easier.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Making of a Musician
I recently spent several days serving as an evaluator at a National Fine Arts Festival. One can only hope that in the few minutes we are engaged with the student musician we can actually communicate in a few words, hand written on a score sheet something that will positively impact them. This awesome responsibility causes me to reflect on how difficult it was for me to play in front of the “judges”. The hours of practice and the inspiration of those around me were all part of the cost in the making of a musician. In just a few minutes, one person could tear all that work down by making degrading comments or being completely subjective. No matter how hard we try, I’m sure there are comments that I have made that a student or teacher feels I’m from another planet. In five minutes or less, we have to make a split second decision to focus on one or two aspects of the musician’s performance and offer constructive criticism.
The interesting thing I’ve noticed in listening to musicians from all over the United States at a National level event is regardless of the student’s background, training or talent, they are all there, each one on the surface for the same reason. Then there is the realization that some are there because someone told them they should be and others because they were driven. I was one of those people, driven by something deep inside me, a desire to learn, overcome and achieve new levels as a musician. Once I reached another plateau, I had to reach for another and each achievement in itself was just a step and although the higher you reached, there were fewer and fewer of us striving to climb another. The difference between the two types of musicians is stunning. Even at the national level there are “average” musicians and yet in their schools and churches they are considered the “cream of the crop”. Some surely leave these events devastated and others perplexed as to why they didn’t fair so well. That would take a book to cover all those topics.
The point I really want to make here is how important the mentors are in relationship to these musicians. Pour into them and make sure you are honest and fair. Build them up but don’t elevate them to a place where they crash when they fail. I truly believe the mentor is the key to bringing this all into balance. No two musicians are alike……we are all like snowflakes and many times just as delicate. The success of a musician is built on talent but talent alone will not bring a musician to maturity. My band directors and instructors were both honest and pushy. They told me when I was bad and they pushed me when I was good. Knowing when to criticize and motivate are all about timing and consistency. A musician is an artist and they need to hear their mentor both rave about them and critique them in the right moment. Indeed, each one will grow depending on how you nurture their raw talent and exercise their discipline.
It is my hope that in the five minutes we have as evaluators with a single musician, we can at least tap into what makes them tick and pull something out of them their mentor had mentioned or worked on with them. They should already know what we are going to say and yet, they must decide to carry on and take it to the next level. Never underestimate what a musician can become. My mentors have and still continue to stretch me and with that I am grateful. That may be the single most important part of building a musician.
The interesting thing I’ve noticed in listening to musicians from all over the United States at a National level event is regardless of the student’s background, training or talent, they are all there, each one on the surface for the same reason. Then there is the realization that some are there because someone told them they should be and others because they were driven. I was one of those people, driven by something deep inside me, a desire to learn, overcome and achieve new levels as a musician. Once I reached another plateau, I had to reach for another and each achievement in itself was just a step and although the higher you reached, there were fewer and fewer of us striving to climb another. The difference between the two types of musicians is stunning. Even at the national level there are “average” musicians and yet in their schools and churches they are considered the “cream of the crop”. Some surely leave these events devastated and others perplexed as to why they didn’t fair so well. That would take a book to cover all those topics.
The point I really want to make here is how important the mentors are in relationship to these musicians. Pour into them and make sure you are honest and fair. Build them up but don’t elevate them to a place where they crash when they fail. I truly believe the mentor is the key to bringing this all into balance. No two musicians are alike……we are all like snowflakes and many times just as delicate. The success of a musician is built on talent but talent alone will not bring a musician to maturity. My band directors and instructors were both honest and pushy. They told me when I was bad and they pushed me when I was good. Knowing when to criticize and motivate are all about timing and consistency. A musician is an artist and they need to hear their mentor both rave about them and critique them in the right moment. Indeed, each one will grow depending on how you nurture their raw talent and exercise their discipline.
It is my hope that in the five minutes we have as evaluators with a single musician, we can at least tap into what makes them tick and pull something out of them their mentor had mentioned or worked on with them. They should already know what we are going to say and yet, they must decide to carry on and take it to the next level. Never underestimate what a musician can become. My mentors have and still continue to stretch me and with that I am grateful. That may be the single most important part of building a musician.
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