Praise the Lord for Music

Music has been an important part of my life for many years. This started when I was watching the junior high band as they played for our fourth-grade class. I was struck by the sound and the precision of the trumpets and shortly thereafter began contributing my less than well-timbred sound to the school orchestra and increasing the cacophony around our house.

As I traversed my way through grade school, junior high, high school and ultimately on to college, I spent many hours in lessons, practicing and playing in a variety of school bands and orchestras. As I look back on these years, many of my significant experiences were centered on music. There also were several major achievements such as when I was selected to participate in the All-Washington State concert band, and when our high school stage band really stretched ourselves and won the Western Washington Stage Band contest. During my college years, I also added several other instruments to my repertoire and ultimately had to make a decision whether to major in music or science (science won out). While I enjoyed playing, the practicing and performance usually seemed a lot like work.

As I moved on to graduate school and a real job, music (other than listening) took a back seat to other things, much as did my spiritual life. After moving to Oakton and finding this church (another story), I had an opportunity to make an attempt at playing again. In August of 1999, Michele Bair, our organist/choir director, said she was putting together an ensemble for Christmas, and since I had let it slip once that I used to play the trumpet, she asked if I would be willing to play. Well, this was quite a challenge, since it had now been more than 20 years since I so much as opened the trumpet case, though I had dutifully lugged it for multiple moves. At first as I began to play, I found it very frustrating; nothing seemed to work quite right. I did manage to get myself ready in time for Christmas, and while not perfect, the performance went well. Since then I have continued to play the trumpet and later even added a flugelhorn. I also started playing the guitar again when we needed music for an Easter sunrise service my Disciple Bible study class was presenting. I went on to help the youth and later began playing occasionally for services. Bringing music back into my life has brought with it a strong sense of renewal. No longer is practice or performance like work; it has become a joy and an opportunity to praise God and share the wonderful gift of music with others.

The joy of this gift really came home this last Thanksgiving when the church was serving dinner for the Bethany Women’s Center for homeless women in downtown Washington, D.C. Myron Hanke suggested I bring my guitar so we could play some music during dinner, which we did. It was difficult to tell if anyone could hear or cared since the turkey dinner really stole the show. But, after it was all over, and we were about to leave, a woman walked into the kitchen and handed me a napkin on which was scrawled: “Thank you Simon and Garfunkle, Psalm 150.” Praise the Lord for music.