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
Thursday, December 17, 2009
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.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Rain Beat – Heaven’s Rhythm
The last few weeks the theme of rain has been very much on my mind. The impact rain has on our lives is beyond comprehension and the level of appreciation for rain is certainly tied to our abundance or lack of water. If we have a sufficient supply of fresh water, life is good but if you are unfortunate to have too little, it can really crimp your lifestyle. Fresh drinking water is essential to keeping the human body hydrated and functioning properly. I recently read a statistic that 1.1 billion people have inadequate access to water. That’s tough to think about for very long. It seems like rain would fall more evenly over all people and everyone would benefit equally.
There are a lot of songs about rain and regardless of your favorite style of music rain is a very popular theme. The fresh rain theme seems to be the most popular……the type of rain that falls softly and evenly. It’s not so hard and fast that it runs off and fails to penetrate the dry earth and ultimately saturate the soil. This type of rain has a soft beat but a steady, tight rhythm. When the rain falls it’s like the percussion section in an orchestra and symphonic band. The rhythm section in a jazz band is the key to the success of that band. Ever notice the difference in how the grass, trees and plants respond to rain? They really bloom out and new growth flourishes after a long, steady rain. There’s nothing like it. The heaven’s open and life springs forth thru the beat of hundreds of thousands of tiny water droplets. Each one seemingly insignificant yet without the sum total of the rain drops, the lakes, reservoirs and aquifers would be empty and tempo of life begins to drag and to fall behind. Next time it rains listen to the “rain beat”. You may indeed be surprised at what you hear under the sound of all those water drops working together to create a masterpiece anchored by none other than “Heaven’s Rhythm”.
There are a lot of songs about rain and regardless of your favorite style of music rain is a very popular theme. The fresh rain theme seems to be the most popular……the type of rain that falls softly and evenly. It’s not so hard and fast that it runs off and fails to penetrate the dry earth and ultimately saturate the soil. This type of rain has a soft beat but a steady, tight rhythm. When the rain falls it’s like the percussion section in an orchestra and symphonic band. The rhythm section in a jazz band is the key to the success of that band. Ever notice the difference in how the grass, trees and plants respond to rain? They really bloom out and new growth flourishes after a long, steady rain. There’s nothing like it. The heaven’s open and life springs forth thru the beat of hundreds of thousands of tiny water droplets. Each one seemingly insignificant yet without the sum total of the rain drops, the lakes, reservoirs and aquifers would be empty and tempo of life begins to drag and to fall behind. Next time it rains listen to the “rain beat”. You may indeed be surprised at what you hear under the sound of all those water drops working together to create a masterpiece anchored by none other than “Heaven’s Rhythm”.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
What Makes the Music...the Instrument or Musician?
What makes music, the instrument or the person playing it? That is my question today and it crosses over into everyday life. What a man or woman does with the essence of their breath and motion from their hands creates the music. The instrument, while very valuable in delivering the sound is in fact, secondary to the musician.
Let’s examine the instrument by itself. In fact let’s use the Steinway piano as the example. The world’s most respected name in pianos, each one hand crafted to perfection. In fact, here’s a link to the Steinway website showing how each piano is built with the hands of actual people using their talent and expertise to build each piece. It is a work of art. In Steinway’s own words, “Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year – creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.” Take your own factory tour. http://www.steinway.com/factory/
Now, if a person decides he wants this extraordinary musical instrument, he can purchase it, put it in a place of his or her choosing and yet, it sits there silent, beautiful as it may be. The piano itself cannot produce the amazing sounds it was created to make without a living, breathing person to bring it to life. Sure sounds elementary but let’s examine this just a little further.
The person that sits at the these 88 black and white ivory keys has to have more than just a desire to play, they must in most cases, practice countless hours, making hundreds of thousands of repetitions of scales, arpeggios and chord progressions to master the skills needed to bring real music out of the wood, metal and ivory sitting in front of them. Irregardless of the worth of the instrument, the musician that plays it has worked thousands of hours more than the people that crafted the instrument.
My point in illustrating this is so relative to the everyday life we live. What we expect to get out the magnificent body, mind and soul the Creator has designed with HIS own hands is indeed music. However, too many times we want the sounds of a concert pianist to flow forth in our life experience without paying forward the price required to actually realize it. There’s music inside all of us, yet we must put our hands to work to make it play. My grandpa, with a fourth grade education told my mother when she was a girl, “I don’t understand why a man says he can’t make it. There’s so much a person can do to make a living, he just has to make an effort”. He worked for himself most of his life and he was content in knowing he had done the best he could with his hands and the breath God given him. I could see, hear and feel the music that played thru his life and it was indeed magnificent.
Let’s examine the instrument by itself. In fact let’s use the Steinway piano as the example. The world’s most respected name in pianos, each one hand crafted to perfection. In fact, here’s a link to the Steinway website showing how each piano is built with the hands of actual people using their talent and expertise to build each piece. It is a work of art. In Steinway’s own words, “Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year – creating an instrument of rare quality and global renown.” Take your own factory tour. http://www.steinway.com/factory/
Now, if a person decides he wants this extraordinary musical instrument, he can purchase it, put it in a place of his or her choosing and yet, it sits there silent, beautiful as it may be. The piano itself cannot produce the amazing sounds it was created to make without a living, breathing person to bring it to life. Sure sounds elementary but let’s examine this just a little further.
The person that sits at the these 88 black and white ivory keys has to have more than just a desire to play, they must in most cases, practice countless hours, making hundreds of thousands of repetitions of scales, arpeggios and chord progressions to master the skills needed to bring real music out of the wood, metal and ivory sitting in front of them. Irregardless of the worth of the instrument, the musician that plays it has worked thousands of hours more than the people that crafted the instrument.
My point in illustrating this is so relative to the everyday life we live. What we expect to get out the magnificent body, mind and soul the Creator has designed with HIS own hands is indeed music. However, too many times we want the sounds of a concert pianist to flow forth in our life experience without paying forward the price required to actually realize it. There’s music inside all of us, yet we must put our hands to work to make it play. My grandpa, with a fourth grade education told my mother when she was a girl, “I don’t understand why a man says he can’t make it. There’s so much a person can do to make a living, he just has to make an effort”. He worked for himself most of his life and he was content in knowing he had done the best he could with his hands and the breath God given him. I could see, hear and feel the music that played thru his life and it was indeed magnificent.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Life charted on a musical score
Well friends, this might not be original but it is personal and real. When we get out of high school and college we embark on writing a musical composition that is completely unique in regards to the way the notes fall on the musical staff. The question that is foremost in my mind in this season of life is whether there really is a "right" road to take. It's like saying there's only ONE spouse out there for each person. I've always said that would pretty much mean we were all married to the wrong person because the freedom to chose was God given from the first breath man took. The one thing in life that we must chose correctly is something we don't get the report card on until after the last breath. We pretty much have to chose our "faith" and as they say chose it wisely. Some feel like we might as well write our life composition like a contemporary modern artist.....just take the brush, dip it in the paint, or hey, why not two or three colors and sling it at the canvass. If you were a real musical composer you definitely wouldn't want to play that back.
So what's my point? The point is most of us really do try to pick the right path. The melody we want left on our legacy is one we want people to have pleasant memories about and produce lasting impressions like a Mozart or Beethoven. Mozart is my favorite of the classics. When we come to that proverbial crossroad, the point in life that we must decide, really decide in a life-changing way where we are to go, it seems like there may indeed be no right answer. So we chose and the new road is riddled with weak bridges and potholes, does that make it the wrong road?
My crossroad is a real life-changer and those don't come everyday. Those are once in a couple of decades or more. That's about all I have to say for now. It's just another day, right?
So what's my point? The point is most of us really do try to pick the right path. The melody we want left on our legacy is one we want people to have pleasant memories about and produce lasting impressions like a Mozart or Beethoven. Mozart is my favorite of the classics. When we come to that proverbial crossroad, the point in life that we must decide, really decide in a life-changing way where we are to go, it seems like there may indeed be no right answer. So we chose and the new road is riddled with weak bridges and potholes, does that make it the wrong road?
My crossroad is a real life-changer and those don't come everyday. Those are once in a couple of decades or more. That's about all I have to say for now. It's just another day, right?
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