Talented Musicians Who Will Not Teach Others

Talented Musicians Who Will Not Teach Others

            The renowned musicologist Curt Sachs reports that, “In the last time of the Temple, Hygros ben Levi ‘was over the singing.’  He had a great name as a brilliant virtuoso; but his memory ‘was kept in dishonor’ because he would not teach his special art to any other.  Sachs, Curt, the Rise of Music in the ancient world, p 61, quoting Talmudic Tractate Arakhin 2:3.

            This information attests to the fact that Musicians who were talented who were involved as temple musicians were expected to prepare future generations of Temple musicians by not only performing at a high level of skill but also sharing this knowledge with others.  There is no doubt about it, musicians who loved and served YHVH were expected to not merely consume their God given musical talents on their own artistic lusts. 

            When I was the music chair at a Bible college, I was always amazed when very large churches would call me for an accompanist for their church choir (s) because no one attending that church was willing to share his or her God given skill as an accompanist with the local church music ministry.  I was always glad when I could send a church an accompanist, because our music philosophy stressed the necessity of giving back to God their musical skills while attending Bible College. 

            The truth of the matter is musicians who reach adulthood and have not been involved in a local church music ministry will probably never get involved in the music ministry of a local church.  One of the problems is that students who have studied under music teachers who do nor love and serve our savior Jesus Christ will most likely be steered away from church music to other musical gigs hat pay much more.  My Bible states, in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”