10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 5)

The fifth lesson I've learned from J.S. Bach is that it's not about where you are, or your lack of resources.  The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this concept that Bach lived are Scripture stories about God's provision in seemingly insurmountable places of lack and distress.  I remember the story of Isaac prospering in a time of famine (Gen. 26:1-14), of Elijah being fed by the ravens during a time of drought (I Kings 17:4), or of Jesus who fed the multitudes out in the wilderness with just five loaves of bread and two fish. (Lk. 9:12-17)  Bach had read these passages.  Did you know that he studied his Bible, even writing in it some of his thoughts about the passages he read?  (More on that later.) 

A thread of thought that weaves throughout these Biblical stories is that provision comes to those who are obedient to follow God's supernatural leadership.  All of us have experienced it, we may not talk about it the same way.  Some call it 'women's intuition', or others may have had a dream warning them of danger, others just have a 'knowing' that some direction is the right way to go.  This is God's leadership in our lives.  Some people are 'tuned in' to it, and others have become so used to ignoring it that they have become calloused to it.  Nevertheless, provision comes to us when we are living our lives directed by this "still, small voice" (I Kings 19:12-13)  I am convinced that Bach knew the voice of God's leadership in his life.

Another equally important concept of provision is that of thankfulness.  The miracle of multiplication didn't happen until Jesus first gave thanks for what He had to work with. (Mk. 8:6)  How many times do we find ourselves complaining about our lack of resources or capabilities?  When we complain, we stop the miracle.

In all my reading and studying of Bach's life, I know he got angry on occasion when he believed that there was injustice in some circumstances, but the general theme of his life's demeanor was to roll up his sleeves and work with what he had.  He took the initiative to train his family, students and community in the skills of making music.  In the midst of misunderstandings and lack of resources, living in a fairly small city (compared to his contemporary Handel), he systematically produced a legacy of work that resounded through the generations of history.

Handel, by the way, lived in England and had just about every imaginable resource available to him.  He was lauded by the masses, praised by the king.  He was like a contemporary rock-star in his day.  No one knew of Bach, however.  Was Bach ever tempted to be jealous?  I don't know.  But something satisfied him that kept him going.  I think it was that he knew he was where God wanted him to be.  By following God and being content, at peace with himself, he then generated great works because he himself had become great in spite of his circumstances and lack.

He had learned the principle written by the Apostle Paul (whom Bach had undoubtedly read): "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:12-13)

The 5th lesson I have for you is this: don't be moved by lack, but look on the things you have with an eye of thankfulness and be truly grateful.  When you begin to give thanks...that's when the miracle starts. 

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 4)

The 4th lesson that I have learned from J.S. Bach is to be diligent.  "The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor." (Prov. 12:24)  I know that Bach read and believed this scripture.  He was the epitome of a hard worker.  In today's society he would probably be known as a 'work-a-holic'.

It amazes me in America, in the 21st century, how many things have been handed to us 'on a silver platter'.  Those who have grown up here, never having the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. to different parts of the world, especially third world nations that are impoverished, have a distorted view of the reality of human life.  The vast majority of us live like kings and queens.  We are the most prosperous nation, not only on the earth today, but that has ever been on the face of the planet in the course of human history!  Then to hear some news anchor talk about how bad the economy is simply shows how far off our perception of reality has gone.  Even the beggars on the streets of N.Y.C. are better fed than most people in the world.

Instead of a well-spring of thankfulness to God and to those who have gone before us, who established patterns of wealth and prosperity by their hard work and sacrifice, there has come to be an attitude in America of entitlement: "You owe me something", and it has nothing to do with the amount of wealth an individual has. 

While all of this is going on, however, those who immigrate to our country from foreign lands are in awe of the plentiful opportunities that are here.  They immediately roll up their sleeves and go to work, pushing through the barriers of discomfort that usually make those who have grown up here turn away, declaring, "It's too hard" or "Why is this happening to me?"

Worship in American churches, unfortunately, has also been influenced by an attitude of 'doing what's easy'.  I know that simplicity of design is a virtue, but when the vast majority of what is produced and popular is typically no more than 4 chords on a guitar, it says something about our work-ethic, self-discipline, and depth of commitment.

When mega-churches use drama and pop-genre music to draw a crowd, they quickly find out that they don't have a congregation, when they start asking some commitment from their people.

Discipline, faithfulness, commitment: these are not popular words in churches today.  Bach, however, demanded excellence even from his volunteers (which made up the majority of those he had to work with).  There is no way he could have produced and ministered a new Cantata each week for a number of years successfully without a stiff rehearsal schedule and high expectation of his people.

He was probably familiar with this verse, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies" (I Pet. 4:10-11)  He expected that even his volunteers would 'employ' their musical giftedness in the service of the local church.

My 4th lesson for you is: don't allow the mind-set of average to creep into your attitude, but expect more productivity from yourself than others do of you.  Don't wait for someone else to motivate you to do something, and then do just enough to get by.  Keep stretching yourself, keep motivating yourself to see and pursue new possibilities.  Do you know why most ideas don't come to fruition?  It's because people are afraid to work.  Ideas require work, it's that simple.  The reason Bach produced more music than anyone else is because he wasn't afraid to work.

Opposing Paradigms Reconciled

Have you ever wondered what it would like to reconcile ideas that most people in society are content to 'leave well enough alone'?  I believe there are new areas of success in music and worship if these following concepts can be successfully integrated:

1) The artistic integrity and technique of the Great Masters versus the Contemporary relevant styles of current culture 

2) The Sacred ‘guardedness’ of style and procrastination of historic advances, versus Secular careless experimentation

3) The sense of community experienced on past ‘stages’, versus the technological advances of our day.

To see how this might be possible, come see my article: Current and Future Worship Trends- My Vision

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 3)

The third lesson J.S. Bach taught me is to be inventive.  While he was alive, he dramatically altered the way people would think about music for generations to come.  Some of the most profound musical paradigm shifts began with him, and have lasted for centuries, even to today...things we take for granted.  We think it has always been this way.  Things like pianists using their thumbs.  Did you know Bach created that technique?  How about equal-tempered tuning.  If we had any other tuning system in our Western music, the average non-musical citizen walking the streets would declare, "That doesn't sound right!"  Bach established it hundreds of years ago.  Now all of our computer sequencers, electronic keyboards and tuning devices are all built on this system...globally.

Compositionally speaking, he pushed the boundaries of the musical instruments of his day to the extreme, like creating a four-part fugue for a violin, or creating music that pianists still believe is impossible to physically play.  He established and 'maxed-out' the concept of motivic development, which would be imitated by composers for many generations to come.  He boldly created things that others wouldn't have even dared to, most not even perceiving the possibilities that he saw.

I sometimes wonder if he ran into opposition when establishing new approaches.  Undoubtedly he did.  Obviously it didn't deter him.  At times I've thought about what he would do if he were alive today.  Would he be creating software, or using new tuning systems that are technologically available?  I know this for sure: you would find him in a church, creating new ideas and pushing boundaries as a spiritual quest, ignoring popular 'fluff', while digging deep into the reservoir of new potential within himself, and inspiring others to do the same.

So the third lesson is: Be perceptive to new potential, not just swayed by those who take popular roads easily travelled.  Search and dig for the undiscovered opportunities that are all around us, but that few dare to see.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 2)

The second lesson that J.S. Bach so wonderfully displays is that of passion.

He had a passion that drove him to create a vast amount of music, more than most composers would be able to create in two or three lifetimes.  So what drove him in this quantity and quality of output?  Was it fame?  Was it the hope of fortune?

No one knew of Bach like we know him today, until he was rediscovered many years later after his death.  He obviously was not motivated by fame.  His employers apparently had little understanding of the greatness of his work, criticizing him as having been unproductive, when in fact he had produced in a period of seven years what most composers would have been glad to produce in a lifetime.

His income was barely sufficient to meet the needs of his family.

His musical resources were comparatively limited to other musicians living in that same time-period.  When he asked for a few more hired musicians, he was scoffed at and ridiculed. 

By comparison, most of us music ministers today have it easy!

So what motivated him?  How did he keep going in the midst of the lack of appreciation and misunderstanding?

It was his vision and his faith.  He had a vision to bring to God in worship music of superior quality.  He wasn't content to give God second best in his creativity, and he wasn't content to just let church be average.  Along with this, his personal integrity and expectation of himself was commensurate with the godly Christian values of a work-ethic not based on pleasing man, but on pleasing God.  To him it didn't matter if man revered him or disdained him, because it wasn't man he was ultimately working for. 

As prayer and worship are integral to the Christian faith, so was the act of composing for Bach.  When he wrote, he wasn't just making something to get by for the next event, rather, it was prayer and worship for him.  When he wrote, he was touching his very relationship with God.  His creativity was prayer and worship, and he participated in it on a daily basis. 

Many scholars of his work are amazed by the complexity of pattern and design.  I believe the supernatural touch of God through this interaction of prayer and worship is key to the genius that is evident in his music.

In conclusion, the second lesson that I have for you is this: Don't be swayed by the opinions of man, but rather stay true to your inner convictions which, through a relationship with God, will give you passion and unshakeable vision for the future.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 1)

J.S. Bach was perhaps the greatest music minister to have ever lived.  As I am a music minister, and have sought to find inspiring examples to help motivate my work, I have learned to appreciate Bach's life-example (not just his works) as an excellent model of both Christianity as well as musicality.

When I was in 5th grade, we were asked to do a book report on any historical figure that we desired.  You guessed it, I picked Bach.  Ever since then, the books I have read, the works I have listened to, and even the life experiences that I have had as a music minister have deepened my respect for this man.

The first lesson I learned from J.S. Bach that I would like to share is that he was a man who studied the works of others.  I learned, back when I was doing the book report in 5th grade, that Bach studied the works of those who had come before him, like Vivaldi, among others.  He had to go to great lengths to get Vivaldi's manuscripts and would hand-copy them by candle-light secretly at night for his own research and study.  He would travel several days to reach concerts that he thought would give him some bit of musical wisdom.  Time and time again he demonstrated that he had a passion for any knowledge that would come available to him.

Many times, in today's society, we look for the 'new' or the 'trend', but lessons from those who have come before us, from those who have created works that have withstood the tests of time, are of greater value.  The future is built on the lessons we have learned from the past.  Many people do not receive inspiration from the past, thinking that it will somehow hinder their vision and hope for a better future.  I have found, however, that the more I know about the past, the greater my understanding of the future will be (as human history has a tendency to repeat itself).

By studying the life of Bach, as a music minister, I have found that many of the same difficulties he had could very well be right around the corner for me (although by comparison I've got it easy!). Knowing what happened with him helps me navigate around or through similar situations.  At the very least, it gives me comfort to know that someone else has been successful before me. 

So my first lesson to you is this: Look to the past to those who have lived and created before you, and dig for hidden treasure.  You may be surprised at what you find!

Why Does all the Music Sound the Same?

Why does all the music sound the same?  Have you ever asked that question?

How about spicing it up with some serialism, or some retrograde inversion…or maybe some augmentation or diminution?

If you’re in a rut musically and you’re looking for some ideas, check out how you might be able to use some Classical Music disciplines to spice up your creativity and sound like no other band out there.  (For more ideas, see my article What Is "Classical Music?")

I’m not saying you’re going to like this short song I wrote for a Christmas Eve service at my church, but it shows how Classical disciplines can be applied to make something completely different.

When I wrote “God of the Heavens” I sat down and asked myself, “What would it look like to write a song using a simple contemporary song-structure, but a fully orchestrated use of contemporary Classical techniques and motivic development…no holds barred ?”

Here’s what came out, it’s not with a real orchestra, since I don’t have one.  I used Apple Logic to build it.  Hopefully someday it could be performed with live players.  Nevertheless, I stated the theme with the opening instrumental section, then used it to develop Verse 1.  Verse 2 is an inversion of Verse 1, to portray the fact that Jesus came from Heaven to Earth, a mirror image, upside-down from heaven.  There are other motivically developed ideas that I used as well…so essentially, it’s a Christian/Pop-song/Contemporary Classical piece.

I guarantee you…you’ve never heard ANYTHING else like it!

The God of all eternity,

The God Who spread out all the heavenlies

has come to the earth as a tiny seed,

planted into the earth, just for you and me.

The God of all the life we see

has come into the very air we breathe,

and has given Himself to us

that we would be set free

from disease and inflicted poverty.

God of the heavens,

God of the miracles we see,

God of the true reality,

You came to earth,

You came through birth.

(repeat)

God of the heavens,

You came to earth.

You came to earth.

You came through birth.



What Is Classical Music, Anyway?

Is Classical Music violins and oboes?  Is it a conductor standing in front of an 80-piece orchestra?  Is it tradition and history, or is it somehow deeper than all of this?

Why is it that many of the songs we hear today are forgotten in just a few years, while music from the Classical past has been able to last through the centuries, many being so much a part of our lives that we don't even realize where they came from.  (Take for example 'Brahm's Lullaby' or 'Pachelbel's Canon')

What is it that has caused these materials to span the decades and even centuries?  Perhaps there is something beneath the surface that seems to resonate with our perception of truth and beauty.  Maybe, like hidden treasure, there are things that can be discovered and even applied in the creation of contemporary popular music, which could perhaps give greater depth and lasting resilience.

What are these hidden secrets that the Great Masters knew about, and how can they be used today?

Come see my article, What Is "Classical Music"?

What's a Music Minister?

When I first learned that my official title was 'Music Minister' I cringed.  I grew up poking fun at the lack of excellence in church hymns and the corny emotionalism found in certain denominational music.  Sure, some churches tried hard to be excellent, but they were, ultimately, a long way off.

But now I was leading people in Christian worship music and amazingly, in my own church community, I was the one holding the destiny of what I used to make fun of!

I guess, like the many media images of pastors that we see, portrayed as boring, impotent, and self-effacing, I likewise had a warped image of what I thought a music minister was supposed be.  I knew I had to replace that image in my mind quickly if I was going to have any success.

I was pleasantly surprised when I looked into my Classical music background.  I found that many of those we consider great composer/musicians had religious convictions and inspiration for their music.  Among them were Messiean, Beethoven, Mozart, and Mendelsohn, to name a few.  But the one who stood out to me as a potential role-model was J.S. Bach.

Here was a man that stood for moral and spiritual integrity, as well as artistic integrity.  He was not only inspired by Christianity in his work, but he lived it.  Here was someone who took Martin Luther's 'praise songs' and brought them to a much higher artistic level.  He was an innovator in musical tuning, keyboard technique and new instruments, as well as being the 'father' of Western art music.  I couldn't think of a better example to draw from, as I embarked upon my new journey into contemporary Christian music.

My second example and role model for being a 'music minister' came from the Bible: King David.  Before he reigned as king, he watched his father's sheep, out in the middle of nowhere.  He was unknown, unappreciated and yet he was content to worship God in the wilderness...no recording contracts, no concert tours...just himself, his harp and God Almighty.

I related to this picture of David, because in my high-school years, I was 2,000 miles away from home, living in the generally unoccupied home of my violin teacher, practicing between 5-8 hours a day.  Since I did my high school work by correspondence, I had no friends.  It was just me, my instrument and God. 

I learned in those days not to be afraid of being alone, not to be afraid of asking probing questions about life, why I'm here and what I'm doing.  I'm sure David did this too.

Out of David's relationship with God, he wrote songs that have echoed through the ages, drawing hearts into a greater focus of God Himself.  David, too, was an innovator of new methodologies of worship, new musical instruments, and ultimately, a new theology that made a way for the Messiah of the New Testament.  David saw things that others couldn't see, he led Israel into a success that others couldn't accomplish, and he became the channel through which God Himself would enter the world.

After seeing these two examples of 'music ministers', I was fueled with new enthusiasm.  I still don't like hearing the phrase 'music minister', but when I realized that I was in the same line as J.S. Bach and King David it sure made me feel a lot better! 

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