Amen

8. We would like to see a serious examination of the deception and seductive power of advertising in terms of its role in fostering envy, consumerism, and false gods. 

/"Deliver Us from Evil--Consultation Statement," under the heading "Frontiers that Need Ongoing Exploration, http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/all/ nairobi-2000/179-overview.html
 

O Church Arise

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole 
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—

An inheritance of nations 

/"O Church Arise," Keith and Kristyn Getty

It is a difficult thing to pray that Father put me in a situation where I have no other option than to tremble and proclaim Christ and Him crucified. I have so much growing to do...

The Conductor's Credo

Music lives only when the notes fly off the page and soar into glorious sound. The performer, the conductor, releases them from bondage through his or her feeling for the message, through the power of the imagination, and by means of the physical technique one devotedly acquires. We build technique only to ensure that our music can achieve its unforgettable moments, evanescent as they are, before once more returning to its prison of impatient silence. The most profoundly inspiring performances o a lifetime were those where the performer's technique was so superb that we forgot it existed. Music spoke its own language in its own way, uninfluenced by human frailty.

~Elizabeth Green, The Modern Conductor

While I was sitting one night with a poet friend watching a great opera performed in a tent under arc lights, the poet took my arm and pointed silently. Far up, blundering out of the night, a huge Cecropia moth swept past from light to light over the posturings of the actors. "He doesn't know," my friend whispered excitedly. "He's passing through an alien universe brightly lit but invisible to him. He's in another play; he doesn't see us. He doesn't know. Maybe it's happening right now to us."

~Loren Eisely

3 Incredible Music Things Happened This Week

Monday
I was given the opportunity to conduct Ron Nelson's Courtly Airs and Dances with the university's premiere wind ensemble. Of course, with such good players, I couldn't really mess up--it's like driving those antique cars at Six Flags. Unlike those cars, though, this is like driving a new Ferrari. It handles great, and it's incredibly fun to drive. Conducting is a ton of fun, and my professor said I have the chops to continue if I wish (I'm only a first grader right now, and since our university doesn't like to let us learn (something about an economy or whatever; that's why I'm a music major, not a money major), the traditional classes stop here). More than anything, though, is that I was leading a group of incredible musicians in the art of making music. How humbling is that? I'll tell you. Stoopid humbling. And a ton of fun.

Wednesday
My score to "Mabul" (P and my second installment in our Believe It Anyway series) was read by a saxophone quintet here in the department. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY ELSE HAS READ MY MUSIC. Ever. And I got to conduct them. Wait, two chances to conduct in one week? What kind of program is this? Where's the macro-economics of music making class? Anyway, I was prodigiously (yes, I used a thesaurus, and yes, I love the movie October Sky) overwhelmed. The musicians themselves were incredible, and they played some probably-too-hard-parts very well for a quick sight-reading session. And the saxophone professor himself read the soprano part that has a high B held for too long. And he held it longer than I could have ever conceived. When we finally finished the last note, the atmosphere of the room was something I've never breathed before, and I'm hooked. How humbling is that? Stoopid humbling. And a ton of fun.

Friday
My jazz combo had our first big public performance in the town (we've performed plenty in other towns, but you know how it goes with your own town). However, the performance was a huge success. Picture a restaurant full of people (many of them your best friends), all of them hooked on what they're hearing. And what are they hearing? Jazz. Jazz! Who would have ever thought people in 2012 could be dancing and cheering for jazz! We played for two hours, and afterward my fingers fell off and the vibe player's knuckles busted in half. It was definitely the best gig we've ever played, if only because everybody was actually listening. Jazz isn't only for the background of an important conversation. So many people there listening to us play our hearts out. How humbling is that? Stoopid humbling. And a ton of fun.


Incredible week, and none of it because of me. How humbling is that? Stoopid humbling. And a ton of fun.