Stand by me - worldwide

This video has been making the rounds again.  A clever sound engineer shares his vision and message for unity for the human race.

"Stand by me" reminds us that we are not alone, that no man is an island.  That mankind can stand together and go forward shoulder to shoulder.

"Stand by me" holds even more promise.  It can also serve as a reminder that God, Truth, that higher power, does stand by us.  He/She made us, loves us, delights in us -- and stands behind the quality of His/Her creation.  

She (my favorite sense of Creator)  intends for us to discover our own humanity and get it right.


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Even a child can do it

So simple even a child can do it? Apparently.

It's all that we love about children -- their joy, their spontaneity, their natural love for things beautiful, their ability to laugh at themselves, to surprise us with their talents.

It's also what we love in adults -- their joy, their ability to laugh at themselves, to appreciate things beautiful, to focus on what they love, to surprise us with their talents.

Love the child in you today, just for fun.

This is 3 year old Jonathan conducting to the 4th movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. This piece was originally conducted by Herbert von Karajan ...

I feel the doors of heaven open

Very exciting interview: Tavis Smiley talks with Gustavo Dudamel, "Conducting a life."

The Dude, as he is fondly known in Los Angeles,  Gustavo Dudamel cares about kids and music.  He brings the two together in life-changing, life-affirming action. 

Tavis says, "Kids have a lot in common with those old Polaroids.  Just as that process needed exposure to the air, to develop into fully articulated photographs, kids need to be exposed to the best in this world to develop into fully realized human beings.  And music without doubt should be part of that."

A 12-year old tympanist explains what classical music does for him, "When I play I feel like the doors of heaven just opened up for me."

If you enjoy classical music, or maybe more importantly if you haven't discovered that joy as part of your life yet, you might be interested in this interview. 

Tavis Smiley interviews Gustav Dudamel

Jesus loved little children too.  Perhaps he knew they were in sync with a higher music, that of the Kingdom of Heaven which, he said, is within each of us.

Harmonica in Carnegie Hall

Focus, dedication, and practice.

One happy man shares his talent in Carnegie Hall.

Motherhood

Mothers come in all sizes, shapes, and colors.  Everyone of us has had one or, if we are particulary fortunate, perhaps more than one nurturer has been important in our lives -- grandmothers, aunts, neighbors. 

The best mothering expresses the motherhood of God -- patient yet firm, caring yet wise, nurturing yet willing to let go. 

God's mothering goes a little further, insofar as God is never on a coffee break, never out of town or out of touch, never too busy.

Hope you enjoy the wit and wisdom of an experienced, everyday mom in this video.

Should life be fun?

How do we make choices? The shortest distance. The right thing to do. The easiest thing to do. The best of two not very good choices.

Or, sometimes just for the fun of it!

Playing your life's music

While the following email has all the earmarks of a fabricated story, it does convey a sweet and timeless message.

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, a mother returned to her seat and discovered that her little boy was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, playing his favorite piece, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, 'Don't quit . . keep playing.' Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been an awkward situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what ele the great master played. Only Mozart's playful melody which we call, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish projects, great or small, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit . . Keep playing." May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping transform your humble attempts into true masterpieces.


It seems God doesn't call the equipped, rather, He equips the "called."

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire.

Remember: "Don't quit . . Keep playing."

Music and healing

Talents. Gifts. We all have them. I see our ability to share with one another, to support and encourage and bring out the best in each other as gifts from our Maker.

In the car earlier today, I was listening to beautiful music on Chicago's classical station. So incredibly pure were the strains from the violin that I wondered who the soloist was.

Turned out to be Rachel Barton Pine, a Chicago area woman who has had to prove her commitment to excellence after a tragic accident some years ago. She also played at the Chicago Annual Prayer Breakfast in December, and her performance was a pleasant surprise to me at that time.

Does music have power to heal? David played on his harp to soothe King Saul when the king was mentally deranged. Rachel's faith and her devotion to musical excellence sends a healing message to the whole world. I honor her perseverance and success.

Here is Rachel telling her faith story. CLICK HERE

Should we stop for beauty, music, or art?

This came in an email today. It's a good reminder.


A man stood in a metro station in Washington DC on a cold January morning, and played his violin -- six Bach pieces for about 40 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tugged him along, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 40 minutes the musician played, only 7 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $59. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed. No one applauded.

No one knew this violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the finest musicians in the world today. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.

The outlines were -- in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour:

• Do we perceive beauty?
• Do we stop to appreciate it?
• Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Here is a video clip on YouTube from The Washington Post.

Unobtrusive prayer

Everyone has music within them

I have been praying to upgrade my relationship with my grandsons when we are together. If prayer is interactive, I figure my part in this prayer means being aware of the presence of one infinitely good Mind in charge of our day.

This has reaped great results. Last week, for instance, they built a fabulous snow fort – their idea and without my help.

This week the morning began with video games. Ugh. However, putting my prayers into practice, I did not launch into the adult "can't you find something better to do?" lecture; I backed off and thanked God that He/She was already giving the boys good ideas. And that it is their nature to listen to those good ideas.

After an hour or so, they turned the game off, and soon live music drifted down the staircase. The younger boy was plunking away on his keyboard, and the older boy was strumming his guitar. Never mind that neither one had any idea how to play, or how to write music. They were writing a song.

The boys conspired together on a macaroni concoction for dinner and were pleased with the results. “Don’t tell Dad it’s spicy!” they begged. “Let him find out!” (Dad likes “spicy,” so it would be a happy surprise.)

Afterwards the older boy wanted to play guitar again, but his brother was busy playing a computer game, so I sat down at the keyboard. Using the five notes to which the guitar strings are tuned, I played little melodies around those, while he strummed away.

Inspired, he reached over and touched a couple of preset buttons on the keyboard, and suddenly we had drum rhythms for my five notes. Soon his younger brother came in to see what all the fun was about, took my place at the keyboard, and by the time Dad came home, the boys were well into a musical evening.

God is so cool!

Neighborhood at its best

Terry’s friends and neighbors came from miles around to hear her grandson’s jazz band. The five boys set up in his grandmother's backyard, which comfortably seated over 60 people.

Terry forestalled noise complaints by inviting all her neighbors via flyer and email: "Bring your lawn chairs and snacks to share!" Only the string bass was amplified, so the decibel level was kind.

These were high school kids – a sophomore on string bass, three seniors – alto sax, tenor sax, and drums; and an extra drummer who, as a college sophomore, added some pizzazz to the charts he played.

The boys performed a two-hour program including music by Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.

These kids were good. It is amazing to me at least, to find musicianship of this caliber at the high school level.

What’s the spiritual perspective? It’s about finding God’s goodness shining past all the negative stuff the media spews out. It’s the tough guy singing his puppie to sleep; it’s Lorenzo treating horses with respect and finding they’ll do anything for him; it’s kids dedicating themselves to making the world a better place by playing beautiful music.

It’s about parents and grandparents and neighbors who celebrate young people as they venture into new responsibilities and new arenas.

It’s neighborhood at its best. Thanks Terry!

He saw God the other day

I have as a goal finding elements of God's nature in everyone I meet. Some days I do better than others.

Someone sent this YouTube of a talented young musician with the same goal.





See how you connect with Victor Wooten's message.

Joy of music

Third graders on the risers

The grandsons' spring concert was tonight. The tight and efficient format has evolved over decades.

Each grade, K - 5th, sings three short songs.

This year the music teacher jumped light years ahead. Most of the songs were bouncy. Even the kindergartners used hand motions. Each grade addded appropriate dance, rhythm, swing, to their presentations. Everyone went home with singing hearts.

In the words of aTeresa Jennings song from the fifth graders, "Wherever I go in life, whatever I'll be, music will be there for me."

I still remember fun songs I learned in first through fourth grades.

Think about it. Conductors from Japan perform with Chicago and London symphonies - some one hundred musicians playing incredible music with a conductor they have never met before. Conductors from New York make guest appearances in Paris and Sydney - with orchestras they have never conducted before. The notes on the page are a universal language.

Children's choirs travel to various countries. Modern rock and jazz groups play to audiences in countries where they do not speak the native language.

That universal language of music speaks to people's hearts across oceans and generations.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote, "Music is the rhythm of head and heart." I think she's right.

No more age limits!

Have you seen those cutesy emails about Baby Boomers reaching Social Social Security age –that detail in a humorous way the aches, vulnerabilities, and deterioration accepted as normal for seniors?

While it’s probably better to laugh than to cry, I must protest.

Might age be a state of mind? Musicians and politicians (very strange bedfellows) often stay physically active and mentally sharp decades after others have retired.

Grandma Moses stands as a worthy example of a woman who, unexpectedly, launched a new career in the arts in her 70s.

Another woman who defined “productivity” during her senior years was Mary Baker Eddy – author, editor, publisher, lecturer, teacher, and preacher. She wrote, “Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise. Man, governed by immortal Mind, is always beautiful and grand. Each succeeding year unfolds wisdom, beauty, and holiness.”

In fact, when Eddy wrote those words, the average life expectancy was 45 – so that age 70 (threescore years and ten) is about 60% greater. Google reveals the life expectancy in 2007 in the United States at 78 years. So, an increase of 60% over that, using Eddy’s cheery estimate, would be 125 years. In other countries, today’s life expectancy is even greater – 82 in Japan, 81 in Singapore, 80 in Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland, Canada, and France.

So why not anticipate vigor, freshness and promise -- right through 125 years of age? What if the antidote has more to do with attitude than we think? -- to not measure or limit anything good and beautiful in our lives.

This includes deciding whether to forward even those emails that, while eliciting chuckles and smiles, spread an accepted curtailment and inevitable decline of intelligence, health, and mobility for those past a certain number of years.

Yes, the lives of those in all generations can embrace “all that is good and beautiful.”

The ad below affirms the satisfying surprise of challenging assumed limits for age and gender too.

What is your song?

Playing her song

Have you ever thought of your life as the music God has composed for you to play?

So, what’s your song? Music performed by Elvis? Bon Jovi? Marty Stuart? Beethoven?

And what if we find ourselves humming a tune we don’t even like -- or a sad song -- or maybe the same old, tired refrain over and over? What then?

Three thousand years ago, a wise man wrote, “Sing unto the Lord a new song!” He recognized that the world’s songs don’t always fill us with joy and hope. He was ready for something with more substance.

God has given us each wonderful spiritual qualities, and our expression of these qualities is our music, the music God has given us to play.

Everyone’s expression of life should be unique. It may come out as folk music for me, rock and roll for you, country and western for a neighbor, jazz or classical for someone else – and it is all good. Whatever God has given us is excellent. How we play it is our own expression of that excellence.

Our decisions, the thoughts we choose to think, determine how we play our music. How much is stormy, how much is gentle, whether there are lovely duets or trios. How we sing or play – the timing, tempo, dynamics, and nuances – are our contribution to the world.

What about you? Are you ready for a new song? We find our identity, and therefore our special song, by looking to our source. We might call Soul the source of all that is beautiful and spontaneous and pure.

And if we say God, or Soul, is the composer of the music that is our lives, can we say Christ is the conductor? Christ -- that law of God that brings everything together for good and defines our being and purpose --interprets the music God has written. Christ cues individual players to confirm the timing of their entrance, their solo, their melody, or their countermelody. Christ brings everyone together at the right time for greatest blessing.

If we use an orchestra as an example, these musicians can look at their music, count the rests, and come in at exactly the right place. The music indicates how quickly or slowly to play the notes, how loudly or softly, even how to touch each note (legato or staccato). Dynamics, phrasing -- all the refinements the composer intended are written on the page.

In jazz, the musicians are more likely to play from sparse notations and improvise. They are so at one with the melodies and chord progressions that good singers, reed, brass, string, and keyboard players, can close their eyes and improvise marvelous solos.

In any musical group it is important to listen to the other musicians, hear what they are playing, and know when and how they come in, and also when they are silent. Thoughtful listening helps us discern better how our part fits into the whole score, the big picture.

Even so, we are not responsible for what somebody else is playing or not playing. We are responsible for playing our own music the very best we can. And if we are carefully listening, we might be able to help others find their place through the grace in our own lives.

Christ Jesus’ life showed how to play these vibrant life melodies. Scotsman Henry Drummond observed that Jesus spent a lot of his recorded life just going around being kind to people. Simply being kind to them.

Jesus expounded brotherly love in what we call his Sermon on the Mount. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. We can take the initiative in our relationships and be caring first.

Love expressed in kindness -- this is one of the genuine and magnificent pieces of music our lives are to play.

Women of courage find their voices

Two recent events stand out for me. One was a panel of women of faith. I walked two blocks to the event with the driver of the car parked ahead of me. She herself was an amazing woman. I was so glad to hear her voice.

Rose is writing a paper on the ordination of women in the Catholic church. We discovered we had both read “The Gospel of Mary Magdalene” by Karen King, which posits that Jesus’ real message was hijacked – by men – officially in 325 AD, and has been mostly buried ever since. What remains is what men have permitted, and what remains missing is the voices of women.

The women on the panel – a Jewish Rabbi, a Catholic sister, and the (woman) president of the Islamic Society of North America – made warm, yet serious, presentations about the roles of women in their faiths.

But what stuck with me most was Rose’s courage. Her heart tells her that Jesus’ ministry was very woman inclusive. Her church tells her women are excluded from giving sacraments. She follows her heart in an uphill struggle.

The other event was Friday morning’s 44th Annual Greater Chicago Leadership Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the Chicago Sunday Evening Club. A wonderful Gospel choir sang throughout.

This choir with the descriptive name of “Harmony, Hope, and Healing,” functions to give back to marginalized women their voices. These women, primarily from shelters, are survivors – women who have recently escaped abusive situations. Violence had silenced their voices, and this joyous choir helps them find the songs their lives are intended to be.

Their final number, “This little light of mine,” strongly confirmed the choir’s success in achieving their goal. The showcased soloist proved that she had indeed found her voice, and used it to improv for her Lord – as she soared all over the treble staff and beyond. She followed her heart and found the courage to let her light and her voice shine.

A time to dance, and a time to be quiet

Ellen is a trooper. She’s the mother of a guy I dated in Junior High, and we’ve stayed in touch these many years. We went to an indoor concert last week

The catch is that we weren’t quite sure what we were getting into, only that it would be different. A lively and delightful Cuban Salsa band invited the audience to dance in the space between the stage and where the seating began.

We totally enjoyed watching the dancing. I counted 32 couples just before intermission. These included what appeared to be grandmas and sons, dads and daughters; a family with children dancing enthusiastically; there were couples with polished moves, and people just having a good time.

Ellen and I struggled with the volume issue though. In case you’re wondering, it was REALLY loud. So in spite of the joyous dancing, we left at intermission.

So what did we learn from this experience? We learned to be adventurers. To push beyond our comfort zones. We succeeded in looking for the good. We found we could have a happy evening together in spite of the volume. We also discovered that it was good to know when it was time to leave.

While the instruments drowned out even the singer, which we found odd, we heard quieter messages that united our hearts in companionship for the evening.

That’s not so different from everyday life. Sometimes the volume or the momentum of the day would try to upstage or push aside the inner stillness that speaks to our hearts and restores our peace. It’s important to know when to step aside and find that quiet space that challenges the rush and noise.

It’s also important to know that we CAN step aside. It’s in that quietude that balance is restored, perspective broadens, alternatives appear. Claiming our special space is as old as civilization.

Christ Jesus called it prayer. And he advised that the best way to hear what God is telling us is by going into the closet and shutting the door – closing out all distractions.

Not a bad idea.

Toscanini's trumpet player

Arturo Toscanini is said to have told a trumpet player, "God tells me how the music should sound, but you stand in the way."

Glad I wasn’t that trumpet player! Being chewed out by Toscanini would be something to remember. A maestro brings out the harmony, the music’s special messages – its sorrows, and joys, its struggles and triumphs. He or she molds the music by sharing his vision with the musicians.

Christ works pretty much the same way. Christ knows the whole score, the big picture, and shares the vision of what our lives can be -- our lives are the music God has written for us to play. So even while we are participating in the beauty of living the music that is our lives, we’d best not get in the way of it.

What helps me to stay aligned, and to not get in the way, is to keep an eye on what is good and worthwhile and constructive, because that's what God is doing in the world. If I begin to feel burdened or imposed on, or if things are not coming together, that’s a clue that infinite good has slipped from being central to my day. At the risk of mixing metaphors, some wag noted, If God is your co-pilot, change seats.

Because whatever God gives me to do is not a burden – He/She is right there with me, giving me right ideas, helping me bring out the best in others, helping others to see how to give their best. If what I'm doing is burdensome -- it didn't come from God.

Where conflict arises – that means I’ve become Toscanini’s trumpet player. Somehow I’ve gotten in the way of the plan. And usually it’s because I’ve forgotten to ask God what to do next, and just plunged ahead with my own interpretation, my best guess.

The good news is, it’s never too late to ask God what to do, how to do it, where to go. And if we really want to know, God tells us. Usually we have to silence the chatter of our own opinions, anxieties, likes, and dislikes before we can hear. But He/She always answers our honest questions.

When the musicians perform under a skilled conductor’s interpretation of the music, the results can be magnificent.

When we do our part in God's magnificent purpose, humbly and with loving attention to detail, the results are huge in their potential for universal blessing.

Related links:

Music is the rhythm of head and heart.

Harmony in man is as real and immortal as in music.

Sing unto the Lord . . . with trumpets

Advancing years can be productive

Those senior jokes aren't always so funny. I rebel against an underlying negativity that anticipates decay and decline as inevitable. The joke can become a vehicle for passive acceptance.


Years have nothing to do with usefulness and productivity.

Grandma Moses began painting in her 70s.

Pablo Casals, the famed cellist,

was performing in his 90s.

Mary Baker Eddy, American religious leader, author, business woman, founded The Christian Science Monitor daily newspaper in her 88th year.

Love for mankind, and the conviction that one has something to contribute, however small, finds its expression. A volunteer in California at 104, shows up at her job as a hospital receptionist every day. When asked why, she replies, “What else would I do? Sit around and play cards?”

Asked for her advice on longevity, she counsels, “First of all, keep breathing! Then, help others, and stop thinking about yourself.”

Expecting decline and decay needs to be revised. It's healthy and satisfying to turn thought into more productive channels.

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“Except for the error of measuring and limiting
all that is good and beautiful,
man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten
and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise.”

“Life and goodness are immortal.

Let us then shape our views of existence

into loveliness, freshness, and continuity,

rather than into age and blight.”

“Each succeeding year unfolds

wisdom, beauty, and holiness.”

Mary Baker Eddy

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