I am in the process of preparing for some solo recitals and possibly getting back into the seasonal soiree's so encompassing for performing artists. What a relentless conundrum of exhaustive practicing and meticulous technical work!
In the course of this re-development of the musical arts, I am in a quandry as to what actually denotes sacred and secular music/performances and actions. Posting to the internet I have asked for input on these concepts and a bit of the discussion (with annotations in the proper places) seems appropriate at this time.
Let's take the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, K. 622 for Clarinet in A. The second movement is considered a movement full of melancholy and very intense emotions when performed a certain way. Is that what Mozart intended for this movement? Perhaps, looking at it from a different aspect, it can be interpreted as a movement showing love and adoration of a spiritual nature for expression on the concert stage around the world, or in a church service for meditation, prayer and thought about the Love of God and how it is shared.
Of course, there is the cadenza in the middle of the piece, where it is left up to the performer to give their own interpretation, unaccompanied, of the thematic materials of the piece or the freedom to interject various aspects of the spirit of the day in which it is performed.
I am considering, for a sharing experience in the sacred service of life at church the following, for the cadenza, a Pete Fountain, jazzy rendition of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" or some some other soulful and fulfilling interjection of spirtual faith and love.
A bit out of character with the Concerto itself? Perhaps not, who's to know, so I ask the question of anyone out there, "What Would Mozart Do?"
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Mediocrity and the Impact it has on our Lives
Perhaps you can take a moment and contemplate exactly what is going on in your life! Are you doing things that are inspired or are you merely just going about the day, looking at the clock waiting for it to be over?
I have been a clock watcher a lot in my life, waiting for the bell in class, waiting for the shift to end at work, and as a union musician, watching that union clock for the next break. I think of all the things I have missed in being so anxious about time, and how I spend it, whether it is of value or if I am just filling in the blanks with some busy work.
Spiritually, if I don't look at these "times" as sharing opportunities, I feel I am missing the whole point of even existing. At this point, I wonder how many of us just take up space on this earth and how many are waiting for something fantastic to happen in their day, life, or even their suppossed meger existence.
Wow, I could of had a V8 instead of being here...hehehehe (my off the wall sense of humor comes into play a lot).
Anyway, back to the topic at hand....I am studying the life of Gideon as well as David. Both of these biblical characters grew to be an army of 1 and defeated many odds that in today's world are seeming unsurmountable. Gideon reminds me of the soul that is seeking to lead people that have gone astray, back into the fold and David, with a mere rock, defeated the Philistine Army with one blow to the giant Goliath. These actions are unheard of in today's world, it takes massive armies to even perform a police action around the world.
Interesting concept, sounds pretty mundane to me, a lot of lives put on the line for some greedy people who wish to control the world in a massive ploy of control issues. Maybe, if their mothers and fathers had gone the extra mile (responsibly) and taught values to their children, the world would not be in the mess it has been for millenia.
Mediocrity comes into play in value judgements that are just not in sync with wholeness and wellness. Lack of care, concern and the willingness to take the easy road (go with the flow) concept overtakes legititamite reasoning and deduction processes and replaces these ideals with knee jerk reactions. Envy,Greed, Longing seem to come into play, not only for physical posessions of others, but also the inner strength that is shown by people who truly recognize God as the leader of their life and pay homage to Him instead of themselves. To show humility in today's world usually leads to some form of human humiliation and becomes circumspect in our realities.
There are some traits and some questions that are having an impact on my life right now that I would like to share with everyone who is interested and is not feeling the need to watch the clock.
From "Living Above The Level of Mediocrity" By Charles R. Swindoll....
1. Openly acknowledge what caused our present condition.
2. Focus Directly on the Lord and not the odds against you.
3. Declare your allegiance publicly.
4. Remeber that God pefers to work through a remnant.
5. Do not accept the glory after God uses your life!
I am taking off now for some serious contemplation on the inner workings of a swiss watch, and admiring the craftmanship of each individual part and the people that developed and worked on the craftmanship and the integrity in it and in them, people I will never meet and will probably never know, and give thanks to God for their intricate work on the timepiece that keeps time for me right now.....
I have been a clock watcher a lot in my life, waiting for the bell in class, waiting for the shift to end at work, and as a union musician, watching that union clock for the next break. I think of all the things I have missed in being so anxious about time, and how I spend it, whether it is of value or if I am just filling in the blanks with some busy work.
Spiritually, if I don't look at these "times" as sharing opportunities, I feel I am missing the whole point of even existing. At this point, I wonder how many of us just take up space on this earth and how many are waiting for something fantastic to happen in their day, life, or even their suppossed meger existence.
Wow, I could of had a V8 instead of being here...hehehehe (my off the wall sense of humor comes into play a lot).
Anyway, back to the topic at hand....I am studying the life of Gideon as well as David. Both of these biblical characters grew to be an army of 1 and defeated many odds that in today's world are seeming unsurmountable. Gideon reminds me of the soul that is seeking to lead people that have gone astray, back into the fold and David, with a mere rock, defeated the Philistine Army with one blow to the giant Goliath. These actions are unheard of in today's world, it takes massive armies to even perform a police action around the world.
Interesting concept, sounds pretty mundane to me, a lot of lives put on the line for some greedy people who wish to control the world in a massive ploy of control issues. Maybe, if their mothers and fathers had gone the extra mile (responsibly) and taught values to their children, the world would not be in the mess it has been for millenia.
Mediocrity comes into play in value judgements that are just not in sync with wholeness and wellness. Lack of care, concern and the willingness to take the easy road (go with the flow) concept overtakes legititamite reasoning and deduction processes and replaces these ideals with knee jerk reactions. Envy,Greed, Longing seem to come into play, not only for physical posessions of others, but also the inner strength that is shown by people who truly recognize God as the leader of their life and pay homage to Him instead of themselves. To show humility in today's world usually leads to some form of human humiliation and becomes circumspect in our realities.
There are some traits and some questions that are having an impact on my life right now that I would like to share with everyone who is interested and is not feeling the need to watch the clock.
From "Living Above The Level of Mediocrity" By Charles R. Swindoll....
1. Openly acknowledge what caused our present condition.
2. Focus Directly on the Lord and not the odds against you.
3. Declare your allegiance publicly.
4. Remeber that God pefers to work through a remnant.
5. Do not accept the glory after God uses your life!
I am taking off now for some serious contemplation on the inner workings of a swiss watch, and admiring the craftmanship of each individual part and the people that developed and worked on the craftmanship and the integrity in it and in them, people I will never meet and will probably never know, and give thanks to God for their intricate work on the timepiece that keeps time for me right now.....
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My Ultimate Autobiography...
Chapter 1: I Am Born
Chapter 2: I Live (see attached)
Chapter 3: To Be Continued Indefinitely, Check Back for Updates....
Chapter 2: I Live (see attached)
Chapter 3: To Be Continued Indefinitely, Check Back for Updates....
What is Love?
Love to me is, (fill in the blank), and there you have it. Love is a very personal thing, with many so called "definers" in today's world. In the biblical text, it is mentioned and discussed with definitions that seem to define an unselfish sharing and caring type of love Romans and Corinthians for example). But around these descriptors are many other events and serializations that can seemingly disprove the basic concepts and spirit of faith and understanding.
How do we as individuals, define love in our life? A very sincere question for anyone to contemplate. Aa a person in what I percieve as life recovery, love has taken on many different meanings, such as, Control, Opression, Loss of self worth and self esteem, People Pleasing, Acceptance Issues (I'll love you if....), and various statements of the amount of love given and taken.
In treatment many decades ago, one of the counselors had us put on one piece of paper what we perceived God to be in our lives from everything we had learned and what had led us to the path of self destruction. On another piece of paper, he had us write what we wanted God to be in our lives, and the definers were very different. I will follow through on this later in the week, hopefully, but just be aware, that was a defining day in my life and the beginning of a wonderful spiritual awakening!
Perhaps a reading of Romans and Corinthians would be in order, not only about love, but it's responsibility as well as the gifts we are given and how they can be used.
(This is a work in Progress, not yet completed...)
How do we as individuals, define love in our life? A very sincere question for anyone to contemplate. Aa a person in what I percieve as life recovery, love has taken on many different meanings, such as, Control, Opression, Loss of self worth and self esteem, People Pleasing, Acceptance Issues (I'll love you if....), and various statements of the amount of love given and taken.
In treatment many decades ago, one of the counselors had us put on one piece of paper what we perceived God to be in our lives from everything we had learned and what had led us to the path of self destruction. On another piece of paper, he had us write what we wanted God to be in our lives, and the definers were very different. I will follow through on this later in the week, hopefully, but just be aware, that was a defining day in my life and the beginning of a wonderful spiritual awakening!
Perhaps a reading of Romans and Corinthians would be in order, not only about love, but it's responsibility as well as the gifts we are given and how they can be used.
(This is a work in Progress, not yet completed...)
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Valueless Life
I keep reading, with utter dismay, of all the conflicts in the world that seem to drive up the price of essential commodities that promote human life.
In Russia and the Ukraine, people are freezing to death, and there is a fight. In the Middle East, there are wars on top of wars that seem to regulate the price of Oil.
Around the world, people are freezing, unable to afford the very thing that could prevent that, meanwhile the price of Oil keeps going up so the Oil Barons can get richer. To what end do these riches yield? “What value does a man have, if he gains all the possessions in the world and loses his soul? Praise the Dollar as God Himself!”
I question the bailouts in the US, for bailing out the ones that spend money foolishly and care nothing about the common man, I question the Oil Barons, who speculate on the price of a necessary commodity in this day and time, as if they were shooting craps at the casino. Guess what folks, there is an eventual crap out, where the house takes all the table stakes and your left with just a little bit in reserve, perhaps to speculate some more a push for more wealth, no matter what the personal cost is.
In Houston, Texas, as a disabled vet on limited income, the energy companies here don’t hesitate in the heat of summer or the dead of winter to cut the necessities of life for not paying the entire extravagant bills they send. There is no heart and soul in these actions, only dollar signs, and human life is not even worth a penny to them if it’s not in their pockets.
What’s happened to the world? I really don’t know, and I question all humanity on this issue. What happened to the days when people actually cared about other people, and would belly up and provide for each other, no matter what the cost. Have we become that selfish and self centered as a society? How about just sitting with someone, perhaps that person on the street, laughing with them, giving them your smile…..it doesn’t cost you a penny, but it does take about 5 seconds of your precious time. Sounds pretty cheap to me, except….time is the most precious commodity we have to give each other. To bad, in this hectic world, we take that for granted and spend the time we have chasing the almighty dollar that sharing God’s Love with each other.
Who knows, in an ideal society, there would be no hunger, no greediness, no lack of self worth, no suffering, no loneliness……perhaps we would be one people, together, with full lives and no worries about today.
“But of these, three remain faith, hope and love…but…the greatest of these is Love!”
In Russia and the Ukraine, people are freezing to death, and there is a fight. In the Middle East, there are wars on top of wars that seem to regulate the price of Oil.
Around the world, people are freezing, unable to afford the very thing that could prevent that, meanwhile the price of Oil keeps going up so the Oil Barons can get richer. To what end do these riches yield? “What value does a man have, if he gains all the possessions in the world and loses his soul? Praise the Dollar as God Himself!”
I question the bailouts in the US, for bailing out the ones that spend money foolishly and care nothing about the common man, I question the Oil Barons, who speculate on the price of a necessary commodity in this day and time, as if they were shooting craps at the casino. Guess what folks, there is an eventual crap out, where the house takes all the table stakes and your left with just a little bit in reserve, perhaps to speculate some more a push for more wealth, no matter what the personal cost is.
In Houston, Texas, as a disabled vet on limited income, the energy companies here don’t hesitate in the heat of summer or the dead of winter to cut the necessities of life for not paying the entire extravagant bills they send. There is no heart and soul in these actions, only dollar signs, and human life is not even worth a penny to them if it’s not in their pockets.
What’s happened to the world? I really don’t know, and I question all humanity on this issue. What happened to the days when people actually cared about other people, and would belly up and provide for each other, no matter what the cost. Have we become that selfish and self centered as a society? How about just sitting with someone, perhaps that person on the street, laughing with them, giving them your smile…..it doesn’t cost you a penny, but it does take about 5 seconds of your precious time. Sounds pretty cheap to me, except….time is the most precious commodity we have to give each other. To bad, in this hectic world, we take that for granted and spend the time we have chasing the almighty dollar that sharing God’s Love with each other.
Who knows, in an ideal society, there would be no hunger, no greediness, no lack of self worth, no suffering, no loneliness……perhaps we would be one people, together, with full lives and no worries about today.
“But of these, three remain faith, hope and love…but…the greatest of these is Love!”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)