My Christmas Eve Blog explores the Wonde

My Christmas Eve Blog explores the Wonder of Music as the Soundtrack to the Sacred Story: http://bit.ly/1drzqZW

The Wonder of Music!

My wife absolutely L O V E S  Christmas. It is her favorite holiday and she cherishes it more than her own birthday – perhaps even our anniversary, but I’m afraid to ask…

The fact is that she will spend the entire season playing holiday music in her car and at home, practically non-stop. Obviously, as we decorated the tree and began to light up our house, she switched to that nauseating 24/7 station that begins to choke you with sleigh bells and every other conceivable lyrical concept that have completey no thing to do with The Savior’s birth. With the exception of a few recognizable traditional favorites, those artists that came closest to the reason to celebrate seemed, in my opinion, to only be pimping Jesus for airplay.

I remained silent. I love my beautiful wife. She was humming along while placing the ornaments on what was turning into a marvelous display and hanging the girls’ stockings about the fireplace. I coughed a few times and stifled a groan or two, but I began thinking about how God originally utilized the gift of song as a backdrop to the entire narrative surrounding the conception and birth of His Son and I became more engaged and intrigued, in spite of what was blaring through the speakers.

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter One records the song Mary sang to her expectant cousin Elizabeth, soon to be mother of John The Baptist and she, a virgin, carrying The Messiah in her womb. In Chapter Two, Angels appear to the shepherds in the field singing “Peace on Earth & Goodwill toward Men!” the shepherds go into Bethlehem to praise God and worship The King, no doubt humming, whistling, singing with joy! Matthew’s gospel reveals rejoicing and worship of the Wise Men to the toddling King!

God took great care that the Wonder of Music, Laughter and Singing comprised the soundtrack of the glorius prophecy fulfilled in Isaiah 9:6-7:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

What a Wonderful Reason to Dance & Sing!

BRAVERY

Since the first note was struck, Musicians have grappled with the contention of making music from the bottom of their hearts or solely for the attention of their audiences. The entire industry of managers, agents, promoters, publicists, publishers, record companies and the army of attorneys was created to make sense (or otherwise take advantage) of the complex marriage of art and commerce.

EntreMusicians face this battle daily. We must continually create marketing platforms for our music or forfeit eating. We walk an ultra-thin tightrope, without the safety net of the aforementioned “experts.” We balance ‘left brain’ cells to follow up calls, emails, texts and constant promotion with the ‘right brain’ activity of creating the work. Furthermore, we endure the tension of choosing synth patches and drum patterns that fit popular formats countered with revealing our purest notions.

Rare is the artist who stands emotionally naked in front of their audience to bear their true soul. Few are the musicians who completely ignore the boxes of the business to blaze their own paths. Far more sporadic are the audiences who appreciate and support such honesty, so the cycle perpectuates. Many give up, give in or give out.

Bravery requires of us to expose and share what has been placed deep within. Bring it to the surface. Unedited, Unbiased and Uncompromising. That “Thing” only You were meant to do. That “Sound” that is uniquely yours demands to be heard, be it the 240 club hoppers who socialize through your set, or the 24 true listeners who cling to your every riff, You must be YOU!

Bravery cares less about You making a name for yourself, than it does You leaving a legacy others revere. Bravery desires that every ounce of musical treasure inside You reverberate around the earth, even if not discovered in your lifetime. You’ve been given 10,000 songs and not every one was meant for mass consumption, but each one was meant to change someone’s life, if only one person at a time.

Bravery demands intentional non-conformity presented in a way that inspires the best in others.

That’s Quite A Feat…

Are You Among The Brave?