Balance between Perfection & “Inspiration”—part 2

 Balance between Perfection & “Inspiration”—part 2   

            If you are finding the colors very dim in your life, it may be time to re-discover your “inspiration”.  Some people have the opposite problem - they seem to just jump from one inspiration to the other. I have a student or two like this who loves to play inspiring music but doesn’t want to slow down long enough to perfect any of it!  It must be in balance.  I tell my students:  when you stick with this piece and learn to really play it well, you will see what joy it brings. 

            My husband (Dr. David Fry) calls it the discipline of doing something UNTIL you are “inspired”.  He once heard Zig Ziegler say at a conference:  "A thing worth doing is worth doing poorly until you learn to do it well.”  “Inspiration” fuels action.  Consistent action fuels “inspiration”.

The author Sarah Wolf Frey is my daughter who is a 20 year veteran of applied music teaching.  In her words “There are some ‘lessons’ that have become more and more true to me about life in general...”  This series is used by permission of the author.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Performance perfection goes hand in hand with careful Christian living.  Although high levels of musical artistic performance is by no means the “door to the kingdom”, God does deserve our best musical offerings.  Music lessons provide an opportunity for the Christian music instructor to teach children and young people that they should always give God the best music performance of which they are able to present.  GLW

 

Balance between Perfection & “Inspiration”—part 1

Balance between Perfection & “Inspiration”—part 1 

 

            One of my biggest challenges and responsibilities as a teacher is to keep a good balance in pacing the speed and progress of a student.  Kids need to stick with a song until they can play it cleanly and accurately.  But they go through seasons when they get bored with it all and they’d rather be out playing ball.  That’s when we start digging through stacks of music and pulling out something that brings a smile to their face!  Then they will practice their heads off--Because they are “inspired”. 

            “Inspiration” is important to God.  Think right now about one thing that inspires you – that gets you energized or excited or makes you want to take some action.  For me, sometimes it is a beautiful sunset.  Sometimes it‘s cleaning out a closet.  For some it’s a quiet fishing lake.  For my husband it is 400-page 19^th century novels and huge volumes of Latin. 

            God has pressed his image into you.  So somewhere inside of you, there is some influence of Divine inspiration.  It’s okay to follow that love.  Life requires lots of dogged work, but if the music is all work and never inspiration it isn’t worth much. 

The author Sarah Wolf Frey is my daughter who is a 20 year veteran of applied music teaching.  In her words “There are some ‘lessons’ that have become more and more true to me about life in general...”  This series is used by permission of the author.

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

Isaiah 28:10, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” Sarah is correct in her assessment that musical learning is often accomplished in little increments rather in gargantuan practice sessions!  The Scripture quoted above teaches that children learn “here a little and there a little”.  GLW

 

What Teaching Has Taught Me—part 2

What Teaching Has Taught Me—part 2

            I am reminded of the principle that I have learned in my own life.  Doing a small amount consistently is better than doing a large amount rarely or never.  This applies to devotions, exercise, reading or even cleaning out that closet.  Somehow we get the idea that things have to be done in large hourly chucks to count.  (If I don’t pray for an hour I haven’t really had my devotions...  If I haven’t run a full 6 miles it doesn’t count.) 

            Please understand that I’m not down on large amounts of practice and other things.  We all know that’s really what it takes to truly master something.    But when we find ourselves frustrated because of a lack of consistency in any area, we should consider lowering our expectations a bit until it becomes a well-established habit.   And a 15 minute run or 15 minutes on your homework or 15 minutes of practice really do count.  And they can add up to some pretty strong habits.    The ant doesn’t carry the whole mountain at one time.  He does a little bit consistently.

The author Sarah Wolf Frey is my daughter who is a 20 year veteran of applied music teaching.  In her words “There are some ‘lessons’ that have become more and more true to me about life in general...”  This series is used by permission of the author.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Parents are always the ones who can most effectively effect change in their children’s music behavior.  Shinichi Suzuki taught that children learn best by what he called the “Mother Tongue Technique”.  GLW

What Teaching Has Taught Me—part 1

What Teaching Has Taught Me—part 1

A little bit (done consistently) - is better than a lot (done inconsistently)  

            Those of you who teach lessons know that it is a joy to find students who actually practice consistently.  Actually, it’s usually the PARENTS who are with it enough to either practice with their child or see that it happens before iPod and phones and tablets and every other screen in the house come on.   So although I still firmly believe that it is impossible to grow musically without practice, and that 30 minutes is usually a good average time for kids to practice in the early days,  I have found myself telling kids who are struggling to practice…Just do at least 5 minutes, every day!  Just play your song through once carefully if that’s all you have time for.

The author Sarah Wolf Frey is a 20 year veteran of applied music teaching.  In her words “There are some ‘lessons’ that have become more and more true to me about life in general...”  This series is used by permission of the author.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

As Christian musicians we sometimes erroneously believe the notion that, since we love and serve the Lord, we are exempt from being influenced by this present world system.  This happens to us because of the constant subtle ways that the various popular music styles influence our psyche.

 

Doing the Work of God Deceitfully—part 2

Doing the Work of God Deceitfully—part 2 

            God’s ways are higher than the ways of the world.  We, as Christian musicians, should notice that the world sells everything from food to liquor with sex.  The world uses man’s depraved nature and man’s natural sexual appetite for that matter, to present a multiplicity of products.  Why can’t Christians take advantage of man’s depraved nature and his natural sexual appetite for that matter to present the good news of the gospel?  The reason is that as Galatians 5:17 states, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

             The Galatian writer makes it very clear that the flesh and the sprit are contrary one to the other when verse seventeen tells us that the flesh lusts against the spirit.  The Bible teaches that the flesh and the spirit are not compatible.  It is a mystery to me that so many Christian musicians are determined to try to work them side by side as a team.  Placing the flesh and the spirit side by side is like placing a lion and a lamb in the same harness.  If one does, there is no doubt about it; the lion will eat the lamb.

            There is another reason that Christian musicians should not sell sacred things with sex.  It is deceitful to get people’s attention with sexual innuendoes and then hit them with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Certainly Christian Musicians should have discernment when it comes to musing unto God. However, a Christian musician’s perceived understandings of the proper way to music unto God should be firmly grounded in Bible principles of music and musicing.  Although the Bible is not an exhaustive source of musical truth, what it does teach is “true truth”. 

 

Doing the Work of God Deceitfully—part 1

Doing the Work of God Deceitfully—part 1

            What many Christian musicians have forgotten is that direction determines destiny.  If you start west on I 70 from Indianapolis, you will not arrive in Columbus, Ohio, no matter how much you desire to go east to Columbus, Ohio.  Getting a crowd’s attention by emphasizing the flesh will by no means draw them to Christ.  If a performer maximizes the physical, by doing so he or she minimizes the spiritual.  If a performer sings religious music and at the same time draws attention to the flesh, he or she will get a message across to the audience, but this message will not be good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The reason one cannot successfully sell sacred things with the sensual is that the Bible states in Galatians 6:6-9 that it just won’t work.

            Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day          

           Christian musicians must get rid of the sense of the ownership of music and musicing.  If a Christian owns music he or she is truly an autonomous musician.  If I own music it is my music!  I have rights concerning music because it is mine.  If my music and the way I music is mine then I have rights when it comes to my music.  Since it is my music and my music ministry, I have the right to tell you that you are out of step with my musicing and If you do not like it you probably should worship somewhere else where you would be more comfortable with a church that utilizes an antique, out of step with reality, style of worship.  However if I am a servant musician I don’t have any rights I only have responsibilities when it comes to the music I utilize in our worship.  I am here to serve in the spirt of sharath (8334)—I chronicles 8:14, 23:6-- i.e. it is my responsibility to music in the spirit of humility as though I was a menial worshiper although I am a chief musician.

 

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 6

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 6

            When Christian musicians realize that they do not own, they recognize that they are musical servants with responsibilities rather than rights.  Music was created because God willed that it should exist. Therefore, it is not farfetched to come to the logical hypothesis that He still has a will concerning music.  Again we should remember that God created the formal properties of music i.e. the nuts and bolts of music that make what it is capable of being. However, what a musician does with them is a different matter. When we, as musicians, face Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire we will give a stewardship account of what we did with His musical building blocks.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

            I recently read a book on worship that emphatically stated there should be no such thing as a Christian Music Philosophy.  Such thinking is without doubt a Philistine Philosophy.  Of course, non-Christians do not believe that Christ should be at the center of a music philosophy.  However, it is somewhat shocking to read the work of a Christian musician who has been squeezed into the world’s mold philosophically.  Christocentric music philosophy is not only expedient it is a must if a Christian’s music and musicing is going to be truly Christ centered and if it has any hope of consistently following Bible principles of musicing unto God. 

 

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 5

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 5

            A non-descript and fuzzy music philosophy derived from a misunderstanding of the significance of Gen 1:1 will give rise to a faulty musical ministry praxis which is one’s on purposeful way of using music as a secular art form or in one’s church music ministry.  This means that if God, by virtue of ownership, does not become Lord over all of a Christian’s musicing, as an art form and as a musical offering to God in that musician’s music ministry, it will not be very long until God will not be Lord at all over a Christian musician’s musicing.   Because of the causality resulting from faulty music praxis, it will not take very much time until a musician’s music ministry will all become anthropocentric rather than Christocentric.

 

Thinking about Love on Valentine’s Day

Thinking about Love on Valentine’s Day

Song of Solomon 1:15, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.”

            Today is Valentine’s Day.  I want to take this opportunity to thank God for my valentine Shelia Marie Parsons Wolf.  The other night our family went out to eat and my wife wore a new outfit that I had purchased for her.  She reminded me of the Scripture above, “Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.”  I was proud of her she looked so nice!  I do not deserve to have such a queen as my wife and the mother of our children, but I thank God for her today. If you are married, this would be a good day to thank God for the special one in your life.  

            There are different kinds of love mentioned in God’s Word.  Today would be a good time to do some word study of love mentioned in the Bible.   To some people love for other individuals is just a theory.  Let me let you in on a secret—God is in favor of love.  Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  To show us just how passionate God feels about love His Word says in 1John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” Also,1Pe 1:22 states, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”   So, take this day and be thankful for those in your life that love you and be sure that you also love others.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

            If a Christian musician believes that God in His infinite wisdom created the building blocks of music, it is only that he or she should come to the conclusion that God has a will concerning the music building blocks that H created.  Furthermore, it seems logical to also deduce that if He had a will concerning the art form He created that He also has a perfect will concerning His creation.  If he has a will concerning music it is the responsibility of every Christian to study His Word to continually try to come to a more perfect understanding of how He wishes for us to worship him with His wonderful creation.  We should be reminded that is the Christian musician’ responsibility to “prove what is acceptable unto the Lord”—the “monkey” is on the ministering musicians back—not God’s back!  His Word is there to teach us and the blessed Holy Spirit is there to guide and guard us but we must do the proving.

 

 

 

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 4

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 4

             I am drawn to the logical conclusion that out of the chaos, emptiness and confusion reported in verse two of Genesis chapter one, God created and His creation included music.  God chose to create music because, in his perfect will He desired that it should be a part of His perfect creation. 

            In his objective acts of creation, God created the mathematical ratios that are the basis of what music is and what music will be like when a musician arranges the music part of music unto artistic musical patterns.  Because of this God has authority over how we arrange and use His musical building blocks.   When Christian musicians get rid of the sense of music ownership many Church music problems disappear. 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

            I have always told my college students that the word “evolved is not the proper word to use when speaking of the development of music over the centuries.  The word evolved has come to connote a musical “big bang” rather than the development of a God created art form.  An evolutionary process from “musical ameba” to major symphony is a naive notion rather than a fact grounded in our knowledge of ancient world music.  The recent deciphering of ancient music by the University of Berkley Department of Assyriology (Kilmer et. al.) and the deciphering of the Bible te’amim (Suzanne Haik-Vantoura) has proven such notions to be entirely false.

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 3

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 3

             Some Christian music philosophers and practicing church musicians believe that music has evolved (from noting to something) over the centuries and that it is the product on mankind rather than a God who created it on purpose. This faulty philosophical theory effectively lets the Christian musician who is seeking autonomy off the hook philosophically.  If God did not objectively take nothing and make music out of this “nothingness” then what does Psalm 146:6 mean when it so clearly states that it was God “Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever”?  Strong says that asah (6213) means “to do or make” something. 

             Is there any logical reason why music is not a part of this “all” which is mentioned here?  Also, St. John 1:3&10, Ephesians 3:9, and Revelation 4:11all support the belief of a complete creation and especially, Colossians 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

            If God thought about music “in the beginning’ (and he most certainly did), and if God is “there” concerning music in this century, it is only logical to deduce that He still thinks about music.  Smaller minds serve a smaller God who is perhaps too busy to think about music and musicing today or just doesn’t care how we music unto Him.  After all haven’t we grown up as Christian musicians until we can do this job all by ourselves?  No we haven’t.  We need God and we specifically need the guidance of the Holy Spirit when we music unto God.  We also need the comfort and guiding power of what His written Word teaches us about music. 

 

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 2

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 2

            God thought Music into existence in his acts if creation.. Because God created everything, music did not come later. Its origin is not the result of causation by man’s actions.  Music was created in the original acts of creation—any other belief is faulty and opens the door to music being or becoming an autonomous art form.  Most of the references to music in the Bible are found after the Genesis record.  There is much that is still unknown about music in ancient Israel but that is not an indication that what the Bible has recorded about music in Ancient Israel is not important to Christian musicians today.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

            Those who summarily dismiss what the Bible has to say about music normally believe that when the Bible mentions music that this mention is really not really about music but rather about worship or diversity or anything but musical meaning.  Therefore, these misguided writers do not see any reason to place the music part of music under the lordship of Christ.  So, to them placing music and its beginning in the acts of a real creation is a superfluous exercise of over-zealous music philosophers.

 

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 1

Music Was an Act of Creation-part 1

            Was music made as a part of God’s objective acts of creation?  Again I remind us that as Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created…”  We know from the words Elohiym bara eth (430,1254, 853)  in verse one that the supreme exceeding God absolutely made or created music from or of Himself.  Some Christian music philosophers have believed that since music is “of or from God” that it was always a part of His moral nature and therefore did not have to be created in His objective acts of creation.  They sometime use John 1:3, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” as support for their belief by saying that God made things that needed to be made but He did not need to make music so He did not make it.  This faulty belief is predicated on the theory that since music was already in, of, or from God, it was part of his moral nature at the time of the creation and therefore without need of His creative work. 

          Was music made as a part of God’s objective acts of creation?  Again I remind us that as Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created…”  We know from the words Elohiym bara eth (430,1254, 853)  in verse one that the supreme exceeding God absolutely made or created music from or of Himself.  Some Christian music philosophers have believed that since music is “of or from God” that it was always a part of His moral nature and therefore did not have to be created in His objective acts of creation.  They sometime use John 1:3, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” as support for their belief by saying that God made things that needed to be made but He did not need to make music so He did not make it.  This faulty belief is predicated on the theory that since music was already in, of, or from God, it was part of his moral nature at the time of the creation and therefore without need of His creative work. 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A fresh anointing from the blessed Holy Spirit will do more than anything else to ward off “burn out”.  Ephesians 5:17-19 teaches that Christian musicians should and should not do: Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…”

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 6

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 6

            I believe that sacred musical performance that has been devoid of the characteristics which have been mentioned I  my earlier posts on “faithful Musicians” has been one of the reasons that so many Christian musicians becoming disillusioned with traditional sacred music.  One of the other reasons has been that some busy musicians have failed to seek the aid and anointing of the Holy Spirit upon their sacred musicing.  Therefore, I contend that a part of being a faithful servant (pistos doulos 4103, 1401) is being completely submissive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, I believe that a part of faithful musical servanthood involves being as passionate, and being even more passionate, about sacred musicing than one is about secular musicing.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

A Christian musician’s joy should exude from a holy heart life.  As early as Leviticus 20:7 God’s Word states, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.”  Also, this command is continued in 1Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

 

 

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 5

More on Good and Faithful Musicians Part 5 

            Nehemiah 8:10  states, ”Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Psalm 89:15 states, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound [teruah 8643—great acclamation of joy]: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  Psalm 149:1-2, “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful [giyl, 1523] in their King.”  The word giyl is used in a great variety of applications in the OT but it most often connotes gladness and rejoicing.  These scriptures are only a few of the multitude of Scriptures that teach worshiping with much joy.

 Certainly the fact that the Bible repeatedly mentions singing with joy should encourage us to music with outward joy and emotion.  1Chronicles 15:16  states, “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy [simchah, 8057-exceeding gladness and pleasure].”  Isaiah 12:2-3 states, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.  Therefore with joy [sasown, 8342—cheerfulness, gladness and mirth] shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”  Zepaniah 3:17 states, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy [giyl, see above] over thee with singing [rinnah, 7440—singing with gladness and joy].”

 

Prayer for this Blog in February

Prayer for this Blog in February

            I want to thank You Lord and Father for the 108 countries that are a part of our blog family.  It is my sincere and earnest prayer let this blog will go around the world to places where I cannot go.  Lord, thank You that You are answering my prayer by guiding people from 108 countries to find and read my blog posts. Help me in 2016 as I prepare a post for each day to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  Only You know Lord who is out there ministering musically that needs a fresh anointing for musical ministry.  Help me to know which philosophical and devotional thoughts will help these busy pastors and musicians.  Lord, you know that I am not sure which aspects of music education and music ministry to write about that will stimulate and encourage the blog family.  Please anoint the blog, the blogger, and the blog readers during 2016. If it is your will I am asking that the number of page views will increase during each month. These things I ask in your great and wise and wonderful name.  Amen.

Thank you for a Great Month of Janruary

Thank you for a Great Month of January   
            Last month was the 37^th month of my blog which contained devotional and philosophical thoughts for Christian musicians. I have written over 2,238 posts since this blog was started. There have been several times this year when I have experienced a certain amount of writer’s burnout.  However, I am praying that my posts in 2016 will stimulate both the regular and new blog members to remain faithful to their musical Ministeries. It is my continued prayer that each new post will bring honor to our heavenly Father in 2016.  My posts in the month of January were a mixture of philosophical and devotional topics.  

       Since we began on January 2 of 2013 we have received a total of over 65,030 page views with over 1,600 views in January which is about 50 fewer than we had in December of 2015.  Since I started this blog the page views have come from 108 different countries. 

            These views have come from Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Argentina, Armenia,  Aruba, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Colombia, Congo [DRC], Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong,  Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland (Republic of),  Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia,  Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands (Antilles) New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru. Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Porto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, USA and Zimbabwe.

             The ten countries with the most page views in June were: USA, Russia, Germany, France, Portugal, Ukraine, China, Poland, Mexico, and India.

          If you are from a country that has had page views in the past 37 months and has been omitted from the 108 countries listed above, please email me your country’s name.  Please continue to pray with me that God will allow this Music Philosophy Blog to continue to go places where I will never have the opportunity to minister musically in person. Please pray for me, as I have mentioned before, I am in the process of writing a general music philosophy book and a devotional book for musicians. My philosophy book is now in the hands of the content editor. I would like to report that while I was in Ireland the editor and I were able to make some progress on the devotional book.

        I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to view my music philosophy blog during the month of January and a special thanks is in order to those countries that faithfully view this blog month after month.  Please continue to pray that God will guide each post and allow it to reach those who need encouragement to keep ministering for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  

The main reason that I started this Music Philosophy blog is that, although there is much music philosophy information on the net, not very much of it is from a biblical perspective.  Please share the blog address with your friends.   If you have an area of music or fine arts philosophy that troubles you, please feel free to let me know and I will include it in our discussions.  My email address is Garenlwolf@gmail.com.