10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 8)

The eighth lesson J.S. Bach taught me is to give who you are to your family.

Bach had a very large family, and he included all of them in his musical vision.  Out of his family came two historically distinguished composers in their own right: Carl Phillipp Emanuel (C.P.E.) Bach and Johann Christian (J.C.) Bach.

As I wrote in the previous blog, father Bach may have taught and trained his family members musical skills simply out of necessity, so that he could keep pace with the needs of his ministry.  Copying music, rehearsing sections, etc. may have been done by his family members, much like a farmer and his family would work together as a team to keep things running.

Although this is probably part of the benefit that he gained by spending time with his family, as he gave them the musical skills he had acquired, I believe J.S. Bach's motivation was deeper than that. 

It's obvious that he had a passion for what he did, and this passion spilled over to every part of his life.  His passion and dream was to bring an offering to God of highly crafted music, the best that he could give.  This life-quest couldn't help but be influential to everyone he was around, especially his children.

When at the end of the day, instead of watching 5 hours of television, or playing video games, Bach would gather his family around the piano and sing together, each child contributing a musical part, perhaps playing an instrument, or taking turns on the piano.  This was their established routine, but it was also their recreation, their fun.

The test of greatness for any teacher is to take something that is complex and difficult and make it fun for the student.  I believe, even though his children showed him respect, that father Bach did his part to make this a fun time for them.   He couldn't separate his love for his family from his life's passion, nor did he have to.  He simply gave them who he was, in a fatherly way, and that was enough.

What were the other families doing?  Were they out playing games together?  Or maybe they weren't doing anything at all.  Maybe other families didn't have the rich times of enjoyment that the Bach family had.  Maybe the Bach family was the envy of the town, being able to come together and sing and worship together.  Undoubtedly, the material Bach must have used for these times was filled with spiritual lessons, through the lyrics.

Bach was never ashamed of who he was as a father, a Christian, a musician of the highest standards, and his heart was to give to his family who he was.  His interaction with his children was interwoven with his dream, and they picked up on it.  He was a man of truth, and for him to be one way 'at the office' and another way 'at home' wouldn't have worked for him.  He didn't compartmentalize his life.  Rather, he lived a vision and a dream big enough (like a big stretched-out tent) to include all of those he loved.

The test of a man's greatness is not how much money he has made or how famous he has become, but rather it's the favor and respect he has from those who are closest to him, his own family.  Respect cannot be demanded, but rather it must be earned through years of consistent love and sacrifice. 

Someone once said that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  His family both respected him and imitated him.  It was his greatest legacy.

Application: Don't worry about what you think you lack as a parent, just give who you are (who God has made you to be).  Give them your dream, a dream big enough for all of them to enter.  It's their greatest inheritance.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 7)

The seventh lesson J.S. Bach taught me is to teach and train others.

There is a distinct difference between teaching and training.  Teaching is simply giving out information to those who are listening.  Training, however, is guiding the student into the life-integration of these principles.  When the principles have been completely absorbed into the subconsciousness of the student, it is at this point that the student is fully trained.

Bach was constantly training those around him.  He trained his children, his young students, his community, and ultimately, generations of musicians to come.

His intent was to give who he was to others, to distribute his knowledge.  Possibly, it was out of necessity.  He needed a veritable army of skilled people to surround him with aid, those to whom he could delegate tasks of such things as copying parts.  But I believe he had a deeper conviction than simply delegation for the sake of productivity.  One of the main goals of Christianity is that of sharing God's grace with others.  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19)  Bach, a student of the Bible, had read this passage.  Notice the emphasis of making disciples.  The word 'disciple' means 'disciplined follower'.  I believe that Bach's ultimate goal was to do his part in the propagation of the Gospel, by raising up disciplined followers who would carry his dream of great music in the Church, proclaiming the Gospel through music for generations to come.  I believe he envisioned the potential of his dream echoing into the future through those he trained.

He wrote numerous musical studies for his students to use, but in a larger way, one could almost say that his entire corpus of creativity was profoundly educational.  It seems like everything he wrote took on an intellectually stimulating voice that beckoned: "look a little deeper, there's a hidden secret I want to share with you". 

How many generations of musicians did he effect?  Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bartok, Stravinsky, to name a few.  His work is still being studied by contemporary creators.  Who knows how many more will follow?

Not only did Bach train his immediate students and community in the art of producing highly-crafted music, but he also successfully facilitated his dream of proclaiming the Gospel into future generations.  "That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God." (Ps. 78:6-7)  Bach, perhaps, has had a greater Christian witness than some of the greatest preachers and theologians throughout history.  His life's example of unselfishly sharing and giving to others will continue to echo through the generations.

Application: Don't allow the contemporary attitude of competitiveness to hinder you from giving to others, building others up with encouragement and assistance.  As you give your life away, you never know how far-reaching the effects will be.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 6)

The sixth lesson Bach taught me is to be persistent, even in the face of opposition and misunderstanding.

I've already enumerated several of the trials and tribulations Bach had to endure in previous blogs, but let me just sum it up by saying that it wasn't an easy ride for him.   Most people think that if you're talented enough, then you can just sail through life on easy street.  Obviously, that concept doesn't work in the real world.  At some point all of us are going to have to fight our way through the difficulties life throws at us.  The Apostle Paul admonished his student Timothy to "fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience". (I Tim. 1:19)  Again, the Apostle Paul writes, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore... (Eph. 6:13)

Bach, a Bible student, had undoubtedly read these passages.  To whatever extent he meditated upon them, I don't know.  What I do know is that he lived them in the life-decisions he made.  He always seemed to 'weather the storm', even when it looked like the odds were stacked against him.

He probably knew the Bible story of Nehemiah, who fought against insurmountable difficulties and persecutions from people who were trying to stop him from achieving his dream: re-building the walls around Jerusalem.  There is a Scripture passage that says, "Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon." (Neh. 4:17)  His team of volunteers had to both build and be ready to fight while they were standing against the enemy, pursuing their vision.  

Bach patiently, and almost defiantly stood against the numerous misunderstandings he had to endure.  I don't know what his personality make-up was, but based upon my study of him, I would guess that he was what I refer to as a Melancholy-Phlegmatic.  In other words, he was detailed, yet stable, not wanting to 'rock the boat', unwilling to be moved from his convictions.  One weakness of this type of personality mix is that they hate to be misunderstood.  They will do almost anything within their power to help others understand why they do what they do.  This seems congruent with Bach's high motivation to teach and train those around him, through the music book 'teaching tools' he created and his daily schedule of training his family and community.

Yet he was constantly plagued by situations of misunderstanding, those who really didn't care about the whys.

As artists, we deal with materials that cannot be easily understood.  Take sound, for instance.  It's a subject that can be scientifically measured, but yet it's unseen.  Everyone has a different set of ears, and different life-experiences which cause them to 'hear' (psycho-acoustically) a little differently from someone else.  The subject is fraught with subjectivity.  And yet for those of us who have spent our lives working in music and sound design, there are foundational truths that we have come to rely upon in our creative processes.  But these things are not easily explained, especially to someone who really doesn't want that much information in the first place.

It's easy for people to make knee-jerk assessments of what is good or bad, whether they know what they are talking about or not.  Everyone has an opinion.  Many opinions, unfortunately, are driven by popular culture, peer-pressure and a desire to 'fit in', rather than careful perception of excellence.  Pop culture changes like the wind, but that which is excellent withstands the forces of nature.  It takes on its own stability, even beyond the control of its creator.  It stands undaunted by the whims of culture and takes on an almost 'eternal' quality.  Why?  Because it is standing on Truth.  Truth doesn't move.  (I know I'm speaking contrary to popular situational ethics in these concepts.)  Nevertheless, Truth, Integrity, Character...these things can be, and are, present in the works of art that have been handed down to us through the ages.  The depth of these characteristics that are present in the works are directly proportional to their lasting nature.  A little compromise here and there will mean a shorter life-span of historical impact.

Bach knew, created and lived these principles unmoved by the situations, murmurings and antagonistic attitudes around him.  "Having done all to stand, stand therefore..."  He just kept standing.  He just kept creating and living a life of integrity to the best of his ability, because he knew it was the right thing to do.  He knew that if he continued to stand on the Truth, that the Truth would eventually defend him.  And you know what?  It did! 

In conclusion: Don't allow people's misunderstandings and negativity to 'get under your skin'.  Just know that they can't see what you see.  Just stay steady, keep 'building the wall' with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other.  Keep fighting the good fight of faith. (I Tim. 6:12)  As you stay steady, weathering the storms, God will bring you to the other side victoriously.

Current and Future Worship Trends- The Technique

In order for the future to be successfully navigated, contemporary Christian musicians need a certain set of tools in their tool-belt in order to achieve the maximum success.

These tools can be studied, learned and applied.  To see what makes great music 'tick' in worship, come see my article: My Vision- The Technique.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 5)

The fifth lesson I've learned from J.S. Bach is that it's not about where you are, or your lack of resources.  The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this concept that Bach lived are Scripture stories about God's provision in seemingly insurmountable places of lack and distress.  I remember the story of Isaac prospering in a time of famine (Gen. 26:1-14), of Elijah being fed by the ravens during a time of drought (I Kings 17:4), or of Jesus who fed the multitudes out in the wilderness with just five loaves of bread and two fish. (Lk. 9:12-17)  Bach had read these passages.  Did you know that he studied his Bible, even writing in it some of his thoughts about the passages he read?  (More on that later.) 

A thread of thought that weaves throughout these Biblical stories is that provision comes to those who are obedient to follow God's supernatural leadership.  All of us have experienced it, we may not talk about it the same way.  Some call it 'women's intuition', or others may have had a dream warning them of danger, others just have a 'knowing' that some direction is the right way to go.  This is God's leadership in our lives.  Some people are 'tuned in' to it, and others have become so used to ignoring it that they have become calloused to it.  Nevertheless, provision comes to us when we are living our lives directed by this "still, small voice" (I Kings 19:12-13)  I am convinced that Bach knew the voice of God's leadership in his life.

Another equally important concept of provision is that of thankfulness.  The miracle of multiplication didn't happen until Jesus first gave thanks for what He had to work with. (Mk. 8:6)  How many times do we find ourselves complaining about our lack of resources or capabilities?  When we complain, we stop the miracle.

In all my reading and studying of Bach's life, I know he got angry on occasion when he believed that there was injustice in some circumstances, but the general theme of his life's demeanor was to roll up his sleeves and work with what he had.  He took the initiative to train his family, students and community in the skills of making music.  In the midst of misunderstandings and lack of resources, living in a fairly small city (compared to his contemporary Handel), he systematically produced a legacy of work that resounded through the generations of history.

Handel, by the way, lived in England and had just about every imaginable resource available to him.  He was lauded by the masses, praised by the king.  He was like a contemporary rock-star in his day.  No one knew of Bach, however.  Was Bach ever tempted to be jealous?  I don't know.  But something satisfied him that kept him going.  I think it was that he knew he was where God wanted him to be.  By following God and being content, at peace with himself, he then generated great works because he himself had become great in spite of his circumstances and lack.

He had learned the principle written by the Apostle Paul (whom Bach had undoubtedly read): "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:12-13)

The 5th lesson I have for you is this: don't be moved by lack, but look on the things you have with an eye of thankfulness and be truly grateful.  When you begin to give thanks...that's when the miracle starts. 

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 4)

The 4th lesson that I have learned from J.S. Bach is to be diligent.  "The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor." (Prov. 12:24)  I know that Bach read and believed this scripture.  He was the epitome of a hard worker.  In today's society he would probably be known as a 'work-a-holic'.

It amazes me in America, in the 21st century, how many things have been handed to us 'on a silver platter'.  Those who have grown up here, never having the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. to different parts of the world, especially third world nations that are impoverished, have a distorted view of the reality of human life.  The vast majority of us live like kings and queens.  We are the most prosperous nation, not only on the earth today, but that has ever been on the face of the planet in the course of human history!  Then to hear some news anchor talk about how bad the economy is simply shows how far off our perception of reality has gone.  Even the beggars on the streets of N.Y.C. are better fed than most people in the world.

Instead of a well-spring of thankfulness to God and to those who have gone before us, who established patterns of wealth and prosperity by their hard work and sacrifice, there has come to be an attitude in America of entitlement: "You owe me something", and it has nothing to do with the amount of wealth an individual has. 

While all of this is going on, however, those who immigrate to our country from foreign lands are in awe of the plentiful opportunities that are here.  They immediately roll up their sleeves and go to work, pushing through the barriers of discomfort that usually make those who have grown up here turn away, declaring, "It's too hard" or "Why is this happening to me?"

Worship in American churches, unfortunately, has also been influenced by an attitude of 'doing what's easy'.  I know that simplicity of design is a virtue, but when the vast majority of what is produced and popular is typically no more than 4 chords on a guitar, it says something about our work-ethic, self-discipline, and depth of commitment.

When mega-churches use drama and pop-genre music to draw a crowd, they quickly find out that they don't have a congregation, when they start asking some commitment from their people.

Discipline, faithfulness, commitment: these are not popular words in churches today.  Bach, however, demanded excellence even from his volunteers (which made up the majority of those he had to work with).  There is no way he could have produced and ministered a new Cantata each week for a number of years successfully without a stiff rehearsal schedule and high expectation of his people.

He was probably familiar with this verse, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies" (I Pet. 4:10-11)  He expected that even his volunteers would 'employ' their musical giftedness in the service of the local church.

My 4th lesson for you is: don't allow the mind-set of average to creep into your attitude, but expect more productivity from yourself than others do of you.  Don't wait for someone else to motivate you to do something, and then do just enough to get by.  Keep stretching yourself, keep motivating yourself to see and pursue new possibilities.  Do you know why most ideas don't come to fruition?  It's because people are afraid to work.  Ideas require work, it's that simple.  The reason Bach produced more music than anyone else is because he wasn't afraid to work.

Opposing Paradigms Reconciled

Have you ever wondered what it would like to reconcile ideas that most people in society are content to 'leave well enough alone'?  I believe there are new areas of success in music and worship if these following concepts can be successfully integrated:

1) The artistic integrity and technique of the Great Masters versus the Contemporary relevant styles of current culture 

2) The Sacred ‘guardedness’ of style and procrastination of historic advances, versus Secular careless experimentation

3) The sense of community experienced on past ‘stages’, versus the technological advances of our day.

To see how this might be possible, come see my article: Current and Future Worship Trends- My Vision

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 3)

The third lesson J.S. Bach taught me is to be inventive.  While he was alive, he dramatically altered the way people would think about music for generations to come.  Some of the most profound musical paradigm shifts began with him, and have lasted for centuries, even to today...things we take for granted.  We think it has always been this way.  Things like pianists using their thumbs.  Did you know Bach created that technique?  How about equal-tempered tuning.  If we had any other tuning system in our Western music, the average non-musical citizen walking the streets would declare, "That doesn't sound right!"  Bach established it hundreds of years ago.  Now all of our computer sequencers, electronic keyboards and tuning devices are all built on this system...globally.

Compositionally speaking, he pushed the boundaries of the musical instruments of his day to the extreme, like creating a four-part fugue for a violin, or creating music that pianists still believe is impossible to physically play.  He established and 'maxed-out' the concept of motivic development, which would be imitated by composers for many generations to come.  He boldly created things that others wouldn't have even dared to, most not even perceiving the possibilities that he saw.

I sometimes wonder if he ran into opposition when establishing new approaches.  Undoubtedly he did.  Obviously it didn't deter him.  At times I've thought about what he would do if he were alive today.  Would he be creating software, or using new tuning systems that are technologically available?  I know this for sure: you would find him in a church, creating new ideas and pushing boundaries as a spiritual quest, ignoring popular 'fluff', while digging deep into the reservoir of new potential within himself, and inspiring others to do the same.

So the third lesson is: Be perceptive to new potential, not just swayed by those who take popular roads easily travelled.  Search and dig for the undiscovered opportunities that are all around us, but that few dare to see.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 2)

The second lesson that J.S. Bach so wonderfully displays is that of passion.

He had a passion that drove him to create a vast amount of music, more than most composers would be able to create in two or three lifetimes.  So what drove him in this quantity and quality of output?  Was it fame?  Was it the hope of fortune?

No one knew of Bach like we know him today, until he was rediscovered many years later after his death.  He obviously was not motivated by fame.  His employers apparently had little understanding of the greatness of his work, criticizing him as having been unproductive, when in fact he had produced in a period of seven years what most composers would have been glad to produce in a lifetime.

His income was barely sufficient to meet the needs of his family.

His musical resources were comparatively limited to other musicians living in that same time-period.  When he asked for a few more hired musicians, he was scoffed at and ridiculed. 

By comparison, most of us music ministers today have it easy!

So what motivated him?  How did he keep going in the midst of the lack of appreciation and misunderstanding?

It was his vision and his faith.  He had a vision to bring to God in worship music of superior quality.  He wasn't content to give God second best in his creativity, and he wasn't content to just let church be average.  Along with this, his personal integrity and expectation of himself was commensurate with the godly Christian values of a work-ethic not based on pleasing man, but on pleasing God.  To him it didn't matter if man revered him or disdained him, because it wasn't man he was ultimately working for. 

As prayer and worship are integral to the Christian faith, so was the act of composing for Bach.  When he wrote, he wasn't just making something to get by for the next event, rather, it was prayer and worship for him.  When he wrote, he was touching his very relationship with God.  His creativity was prayer and worship, and he participated in it on a daily basis. 

Many scholars of his work are amazed by the complexity of pattern and design.  I believe the supernatural touch of God through this interaction of prayer and worship is key to the genius that is evident in his music.

In conclusion, the second lesson that I have for you is this: Don't be swayed by the opinions of man, but rather stay true to your inner convictions which, through a relationship with God, will give you passion and unshakeable vision for the future.

10 Lessons I've Learned from J.S. Bach (part 1)

J.S. Bach was perhaps the greatest music minister to have ever lived.  As I am a music minister, and have sought to find inspiring examples to help motivate my work, I have learned to appreciate Bach's life-example (not just his works) as an excellent model of both Christianity as well as musicality.

When I was in 5th grade, we were asked to do a book report on any historical figure that we desired.  You guessed it, I picked Bach.  Ever since then, the books I have read, the works I have listened to, and even the life experiences that I have had as a music minister have deepened my respect for this man.

The first lesson I learned from J.S. Bach that I would like to share is that he was a man who studied the works of others.  I learned, back when I was doing the book report in 5th grade, that Bach studied the works of those who had come before him, like Vivaldi, among others.  He had to go to great lengths to get Vivaldi's manuscripts and would hand-copy them by candle-light secretly at night for his own research and study.  He would travel several days to reach concerts that he thought would give him some bit of musical wisdom.  Time and time again he demonstrated that he had a passion for any knowledge that would come available to him.

Many times, in today's society, we look for the 'new' or the 'trend', but lessons from those who have come before us, from those who have created works that have withstood the tests of time, are of greater value.  The future is built on the lessons we have learned from the past.  Many people do not receive inspiration from the past, thinking that it will somehow hinder their vision and hope for a better future.  I have found, however, that the more I know about the past, the greater my understanding of the future will be (as human history has a tendency to repeat itself).

By studying the life of Bach, as a music minister, I have found that many of the same difficulties he had could very well be right around the corner for me (although by comparison I've got it easy!). Knowing what happened with him helps me navigate around or through similar situations.  At the very least, it gives me comfort to know that someone else has been successful before me. 

So my first lesson to you is this: Look to the past to those who have lived and created before you, and dig for hidden treasure.  You may be surprised at what you find!

Why Does all the Music Sound the Same?

Why does all the music sound the same?  Have you ever asked that question?

How about spicing it up with some serialism, or some retrograde inversion…or maybe some augmentation or diminution?

If you’re in a rut musically and you’re looking for some ideas, check out how you might be able to use some Classical Music disciplines to spice up your creativity and sound like no other band out there.  (For more ideas, see my article What Is "Classical Music?")

I’m not saying you’re going to like this short song I wrote for a Christmas Eve service at my church, but it shows how Classical disciplines can be applied to make something completely different.

When I wrote “God of the Heavens” I sat down and asked myself, “What would it look like to write a song using a simple contemporary song-structure, but a fully orchestrated use of contemporary Classical techniques and motivic development…no holds barred ?”

Here’s what came out, it’s not with a real orchestra, since I don’t have one.  I used Apple Logic to build it.  Hopefully someday it could be performed with live players.  Nevertheless, I stated the theme with the opening instrumental section, then used it to develop Verse 1.  Verse 2 is an inversion of Verse 1, to portray the fact that Jesus came from Heaven to Earth, a mirror image, upside-down from heaven.  There are other motivically developed ideas that I used as well…so essentially, it’s a Christian/Pop-song/Contemporary Classical piece.

I guarantee you…you’ve never heard ANYTHING else like it!

The God of all eternity,

The God Who spread out all the heavenlies

has come to the earth as a tiny seed,

planted into the earth, just for you and me.

The God of all the life we see

has come into the very air we breathe,

and has given Himself to us

that we would be set free

from disease and inflicted poverty.

God of the heavens,

God of the miracles we see,

God of the true reality,

You came to earth,

You came through birth.

(repeat)

God of the heavens,

You came to earth.

You came to earth.

You came through birth.



Opposing Paradigms?

Should composers be performers, or performers composers?  Where in the world did improvisation go, when it comes to academic music training?  It seems that the longer a musical style is around, the more cemented it becomes, less flexible, less innovative.  Jazz, birthed in a highly innovative environment, is already starting to show signs of this.

What about new styles versus old ones...is there any common ground between Pop genres and Classical disciplines?  What would benefit popular styles from the Classical heritage, if anything?  What would J.S. Bach likely do, if he were alive in today's culture?

These are some paradigms that seem to be contradictory, but maybe these questions should be asked.

To find out more, see my article Opposing Paradigms.

What Is Classical Music, Anyway?

Is Classical Music violins and oboes?  Is it a conductor standing in front of an 80-piece orchestra?  Is it tradition and history, or is it somehow deeper than all of this?

Why is it that many of the songs we hear today are forgotten in just a few years, while music from the Classical past has been able to last through the centuries, many being so much a part of our lives that we don't even realize where they came from.  (Take for example 'Brahm's Lullaby' or 'Pachelbel's Canon')

What is it that has caused these materials to span the decades and even centuries?  Perhaps there is something beneath the surface that seems to resonate with our perception of truth and beauty.  Maybe, like hidden treasure, there are things that can be discovered and even applied in the creation of contemporary popular music, which could perhaps give greater depth and lasting resilience.

What are these hidden secrets that the Great Masters knew about, and how can they be used today?

Come see my article, What Is "Classical Music"?