Any musicians on BB?

[Scarlett O.]

Anybody play a musical instrument? If so, do you use that talent for the Lord and/or has He called you to other arenas of service?

I played the flute and piccolo in a marching band during junior/senior high. I played again during college. It paid part of my tuition. I don't play much anymore.

But I do play the piano at my church and have for over half of my life. I started playing at 8 and began playing for the church at 15. It's definitely a calling as far as the piano goes.

Anybody else play anything?

Peace-

YSIC
Scarlett O.
<><

 

[Clint Kritzer]

I know Joe, Mike and Curtis will jump on this thread!

I played brass instruments in high school. Started on coronet and progressed to baritone, trombone, tuba, and any other that followed that valve sequence in the scale.

These days I bang on the guitar some but never play enough to develop a good technique.

There was a thread just like this some many months ago but I can't find it with the search function down.

2:30 in the morning is a good time to find musicians on the internet, isn't it, Scarlett?

 

[Scarlett O.]

Ha!! I was just thinking that it is absolutely insane of me to be awake at this hour. School starts in less than two weeks and I cannot keep the "night owl" hours that I do now!

I do this every summer. My body naturally doesn't get tired until about this time. And I could sleep from 2:00 AM until about 9:00 AM.

But, in the real world, that doesn't cut it. I have to be at school every morning at 7:00 AM. We start teaching at 7:30. So, I must be in bed and asleep by 10:00 at the latest, if I am going to function properly.

GADS!! I am rambling!

Go to bed, everybody!! Ha!!

Peace-

YSIC
Scarlett O.
<><

 

[Clint Kritzer]

I have a very difficult time shaking midnight oil hours myself. I'm just wired to stay up late. Problem is, I usually get up early too and then nap in the afternoon.

I have no sleep "schedule." I just sleep...whenever.

BTW, envy Margie! She's not going back to work until the middle of September.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Every once in a while I jump on a thread. I did say I was leaving, but it's so hard to stay away. So now I just limit myself to non-argumentative posts. Like this one!!!

I play guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, & trumpet. All pretty good. But my main instrument right now is the mandolin. I have a pretty good collection of stringed instruments, some better quality than others. I have some beautiful guitars, and a very nice mandolin. I have a recording studio in my apartment, and I play in a bluegrass duo with my brother Jim, who also has some pretty nice guitars. I play trumpet a lot in church, & every once in a while I play guitar behind our resident violin player, usually an old hymn. It sounds great with just the two of us. I am in the process of recording a CD of the church members who do play, and I am enjoying this project a lot.

I played rock & roll in every bar from here to Baltimore, before I was saved. I have played with Canned Heat, & Molly Hatchet, and have had impromptu jam sessions with Arlo Guthrie and Graham Nash, but I no longer play anything like that. Nowadays I'm just as happy playing with my brother, to anyone who will listen. I don't play in bars anymore, and try to be selective of the gigs I agree to do.

I have learned a lot in the 18 months of being saved, about music, and what Christian music is for. I truly feel priviledged that I have been chosen by God to make music, it's a lot of work, and it's not always convenient, and there is a certain responsibility involved, but I do love to play.

About 10 years ago, the ring finger on my left hand was crushed in an accident at work. My biggest fear was that I would have to stop playing, but the Lord had mercy. I have a plastic knucle installed that works just fine, and I continue to do what I love.

 

[Young Disciple]

Hey, y'all...

I'm a church musician. I play keyboards and woodwinds (and enough guitar to get myself into trouble), but my "job" right now is as a choir director. Supposedly, my ministry is to get other people involved in the music ministry of the church and thus become ministers themselves. Unfortunately, I've lately had the feeling that God cares more about whether we are good neighbors to our community than about how great a choir we are. I've come to feel that music in the church is a huge distraction from the actual work of the gospel.

Having had those thoughts, I've been trying to use music as a means of racial reconciliation in my community. I'm Caucasian, but I play both "white" classical and "black" jazz styles. We've had joint concerts with a local African-American church, singing and worshipping in a range of styles. It's felt more like the kingdom of God than our usual practice of merely entertaining ourselves on Sunday morning.

Just some thoughts,

YD

 

[Mike McK]

Hi Scarlett,

I play guitar, mandolin, piano and fool arould with a couple of others.

Up until this past spring, I played with a band that did a wide variety or music. Unfortunately, we quit because half the guys wanted to play more and the other half wanted to play less and nobody could really agree on what direction they wanted the band to go in.

I used to be a regular in our church's worship band but only do that occasionally now.

 

[Multimom]

I've come to feel that music in the church is a huge distraction from the actual work of the gospel.

This comment reminded me of the story behind this song.

When the music fades and all is stripped away, and I simply come. If only just to bring something that's of worth that will bless your heart. I'll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required. You search much deeper within with the way things appear your looking into my heart. I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and its all about you, its all about you Jesus. I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, when its all about you. Its all about you Jesus.

The story goes that a minister of music, feeling deeply convicted by God that the people were worshiping the praise and worship and not the Lord, prayed and fasted for days. He went to his pastor and with the pastor's approval, this minister announced to the congregation that until God released him that there would not be one note sung or played because the music had become and idol in the hearts of the people.

So after a period of about 6 months and much prayer and fasting, God gave him this song. When the Lord finally released him to start praise and worship again, he opened the service with this song. He told the people that this was the prayer that God had layed on him during his time of fasting. The church was never the same again and music took its rightful, subordinate place in the service.

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Instruments:
Flute, Percussion, Piano, Piccolo, alto sax, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and the voice.

I've played flute for about 11 years. percussion for about 7 years, alto sax for about 5 years, played clarinet very shortly, same with trumpet and trombone. The voice I have been strongly excersing for about 6 years.

Right now I'm not doing anything but singing anything in the congregation right now, but I am going for membership, and if I get it, I will become strongly involved in the music ministry.

The church I went to previously, I played offertory, sang in a choir, did prelude, and sang/provided special music. I miss these things, but I know that I had to take some time to step back away from the light and just focus on God.

In Christ's gracious love,
Teresa

 

[ArchAngel]

I have been playing the violin since I was about 10.
I just started playing my violin for the offering a couple of weeks ago and I do it about every other week or so.

 

[stubbornkelly]

I'm a singer. My hands are useless for playing instruments. I tried piano for a while, but then switched to voice.

I never sang at my church, at least not outside the congregation and the occasional Easter or Christmas musical, to supplement the soprano section.

In a way, I agree with YD, except I think that music in a service can detract from the point of being there, but that it doesn't always. At my church, I think most of it does detract. People applaud after the choir sings, and after there's a soloist, which is what you do after a performance, not after receiving a message. It's become commercialized in many churches I've been to. But it doesn't have to be that way.

As a performer, I rarely have such moving experiences while singing, or even while listening, since I hear it as a performer, not as a worshipper. I once had a pastor's wife ask me why I didn't sing in the choir regularly. I had to tell her that I saw no point in doing so. It gives me joy to sing, but to do so in front of the church, letting people believe I'm singing from the heart, when it's more likely I'm singing as a performer. That's feels like misrepresentation. Also, my church is televised, which makes it feel all the more commercial. I don't like feeling that way when I'm supposed to be worshipping, you know?

 

[AITB]

Originally posted by ArchAngel:
I have been playing the violin since I was about 10.
I just started playing my violin for the offering a couple of weeks ago and I do it about every other week or so.

I play violin too...I'm playing the communion music (accompanied by piano) for the traditional service this coming Sunday. It's the first time they asked me to do that although I've been playing in the church 'orchestra' (it's not a full orchestra) for a little while and have done a couple of small group instrumental things during worship services there before.

Actually, a lot of the church will be away this week on the annual church weekend retreat; and we have a Jewish Christian guest speaker. So I kinda wish we were doing some cool Jewish Christian music...but, I think it will be conventional Protestant stuff

I was asked not to do anything 'different' during communion so I'm doing hymn-devotionals

AITB

[ August 02, 2002, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: AITB ]

 

[Young Disciple]

Originally posted by Multimom:

The story goes that a minister of music, feeling deeply convicted by God that the people were worshiping the praise and worship and not the Lord, prayed and fasted for days...

That's a wonderful story, Multimom. I remember that Keith Green did something similar, giving up music completely until the Lord gave it back to him. That was before he recorded all those great albums.

The other thing he did that set him apart among Christian musicians: he gave concerts for free and gave away his albums. So, I figure if I'm getting rich as a Christian musician, something is wrong.

YD

 

[AITB]

Originally posted by Young Disciple:
So, I figure if I'm getting rich as a Christian musician, something is wrong.

YD

Not a problem for me!

AITB

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Originally posted by Young Disciple:

Originally posted by Multimom:
[qb]

So, I figure if I'm getting rich as a Christian musician, something is wrong.
YD

They need to make a living too! They have families to support, you know, mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, minds to educate. It's a living, just like if you were president or CEO of a company. Would there be something wrong if a Christian was rich because they were president or CEO of a major company?

~Teresa~

edited to add a word to make a thought the correct thought

[ August 05, 2002, 02:51 AM: Message edited by: baptistforever ]

 

[stubbornkelly]

I think the point is that getting rich (not making a living) from Chistian musicianship might be a problem. To me, it would feel like exploiting my beliefs, which is a pretty rotten feeling.

There's a difference between being a rich CEO who is a Christian and a person who gets rich out of being a CEO for a Christian organization.

Now, I'm not saying that the CEO of a Christian organization shouldn't make the salary befitting his or her position - same with a Christian musician - but there are some issues involved that would make me uneasy.

I'm a Capitalist to the core, but I wouldn't want to make my fortune exploiting Christianity. I'd feel like I was hawking merchandise, which is certainly not what I want to feel like I'm doing with my religious beliefs.

Others may not ever have those feelings, and for them, I'd say go for it. But it doesn't feel right for some reason, to become a multimillionaire selling Christianity . . .

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Who are the people that meke Christian artists rich? Not the artist themselves.

~Teresa~

 

[Abiyah]

A talent, which is a gift from our God, should be
strictly kept as a gift to our God, with the money
made from it all going directly to Him and none
held back for ourselves. That means whether
your talent is singing, playing a musical instru-
ment, painting, sculpting, writing music, speaking,
or any other visual or physical arts--like brick
laying, carpentry, managing, plumbing, electical
work, computers, . . . .

My point: we aare all given gifts from our God,
and some of us are decided artists in what we
do, so why is it that musicians are always
picked out of those artist and told that they
should not live off their craft? We all make
money from our talents which have been given
by our God; why should a musician be expect-
ed to live differently?

That said, I used to be a singer, starting from
the age of two in church and continuing on to
sing live on radio. I was asked to sing on TV,
but my parents did not believe in that, so I
didn't. I did, however, go on to sing in churches
and large conventions.

I say all that to say that for the last couple
years, I have not soloed at all, and I miss it. 8o)
Because my synagogue has no music other
than congregational, I don't there. And I am
not a member of my husband's church, so I
am not asked to sing there. I am getting older,
so it is likely that my singing days are over.
The voice is not what it used to be, because of
age and not using it. Yeah, I feel a bit sad about
that. 8o)

Oo-ooo-oo! Pity Party! But I guess that's all
right, as long as it doesn't last moree than ten
minutes! 8oD

 

[AdoptedDaughter]

Abyiha, I don't quite follow what your stance is. Could you be a little more clear, please?

I'd appreciate it!
~Teresa~

 

[GIG]

Well, first of all I do not play an instrument but I do sing Bass for a Southern Gospel Qt called Growing In Grace....I Am going to give my opinion on several different threads that were posted without going into too much detail,,,first of all, Music and singing done incorrectly and to glorify man is definetley a hinderance to the service, but we have witnessed 9 Precious souls Saved this year with 8 of them being over the age of 20, including 2 over the age of 60...my point is this...the right kind of song done correctly (with the messasge overriding the music) can soften hearts that have been hardened to the Preaching of God's Word....secondly I do not believe , personnally, that you can get rich materially if you are doing (singing as a ministry) the right way...I believe that if you ask a church for anything over a love offering and travelling expenses that you have ceased to become a "Ministry" and now have crossed into "Gospel entertainment) I do not know how you can justify charging a church 7-8 thousand dollars to pull your $500,000 bus into their parking lot....if all singers would remind themselves of (1) who they are singing to glorify and (2) when in a church service (revival, service, homecoming, etc) that your only job is to help to prepare hearts for the Word of God preached by the Man of God, than you will have riches untold (spiritual riches) I know the question was "do you play an instrument" but this is a subject that I get a little passionate about mostly because of the times that we have sung with major Southern Gospel groups and the poor spirit and testimony that we have witnessed...if you would like to get info on our qt look us up at Growing-In-grace.com