I love fall. It always gets my composing/arranging juices flowing; I get so energized when I do it this time of year. Whenever I start practicing I always have to mess around and make up some melodies-maybe it’s the wonderful cold chills. If that’s the case, keep the cold a ‘comin’!

Everywhere in the world, music enhances a hall, with one exception: Carnegie Hall enhances the music.
~Isaac Stern~

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is.
~William P. Merrill~

I have often felt this way-anybody else?

Sometimes, it can be sooo frustrating when I’m composing and I just don’t know if a particular area sounds right. Plus, many times I struggle with knowing if what I’m composing is God-honoring. Quite frequently, questions go through my head like, “What if God doesn’t approve of this style?”/”Are there certain instrument combinations He doesn’t like?” etc. Other general questions cross my mind, too, like “What about this phrase, or what about that phrase?”

So I start looking for answers in books, online, and forums, but yet so often I leave out the two, most helpful resources: the Bible/Prayer
God is the CREATOR of music; it only makes sense we should look to his advice and opinions.

It is without doubt I am going to have to go to him in prayer and Word for His counsel and help on a music project I’m about to tackle. (This area is still pretty difficult for me, but God is faithful and will meet my needs. Besides, you can’t get better at hard things if you don’t practice them.)

I know it might seem silly, but try it when you’re struggling, ask him for help; God can do great things through prayer and reading His Word. (He has MUCH to say about music.)

• Ornamentation started to be used midway through the 15^th century, but didn’t become more popularized until the 1580s-90s.
• Our modern day ornaments are patterned after J.S Bach’s Explication.
• Not many people were against the method because in that era they really cared more about variety than structural clarity.
• In many instances, if not all, ornaments bring a song more to life. They also help connect and emphasize notes. This is another reason people weren’t too skeptical.
• The use of ornamentation gives the song a more elaborate/full sound, and by using this method, performers could show off their technical skill.
• Ornamentation is often used to help interpret the character of a piece.
• If you leave out the embellishments it can make a song sound very “blah”-especially with the songs meant to have much added to it.
• Some instruments are limited to what type of ornamentation they can do.
• Because of how frequently this was used, many patterns/variations developed over time.
• All trills begin on beat. All trills begin on the upper auxiliary note.
• Ornamentation includes things such as: turns, trills, grace notes, mordents, and appoggiaturas
• Trills: To create dissonance proceeded by the resolution.
• Mordents: Add rhythmic accents and brilliance.
• Appogiaturas: Take half the value of the main note. (Not a definition, but how they’re played.)
• Turn: To convey a fleeting touch of expressive dissonance.

Here is a table that shows all the different types of common ornamentation and how they’re played:

Resources: http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory23.htm / Ornamentation-A Question/Answer Manual by: Valery Lloyd-Watts & Carole L. Bigler
Picture: http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/henry/music/bachnotation.htm

The other day I was practicing piano and I was getting so IRRITATED because I kept messing up on a song!

When this happened, I had to remind myself not to bang the keys, and either walk away for a minute or play a peaceful hymn or song. Or just TAKE A BIG, DEEP BREATH!!!

I play the notes that are written, but it is God who makes the music.
~J.S. Bach~

I wrote this post a while ago for my personal blog, and as I was thinking about it earlier, I thought that this is worth sharing with you: my fellow musicians

Yesterday, I paused, wondering if God was trying to show me something. A theme was emerging from the Bible passages, and I turned again to revisit the three chapters I had previously read:

Psalm 93:3-4~
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty.

The seas having a voice lifted up to God really captured my imagination, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The seas have a voice? Always before, I had just thought of it as noise. This new perspective boggled my mind!

Then, a few chapters later…

Psalm 96:11-13 ~

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the LORD,

Again, I was in AWE! And again, I read…

Psalm 97:1-6 ~

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.

And yet, still another chapter…

Psalm 98:4, 7-9 ~

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth…
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the LORD.

Have you ever thought of creation like this? Have you ever considered that nature itself sings? I sure hadn’t! But it makes sense. Everything God created has a purpose, and every part of His creation has a purpose. The wind, trees, grass, and water are actually designed to give praise and glory to God. Now I am listening to life around me in a whole new way. It is no longer merely noise. I’m listening to music being lifted up to the Creator.

Here’s something else I discovered:

In verses like Psalm 98:4, it really means “all the earth“!

In Hebrew, the definition for “earth” is as follows…
eh’-rets: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):–common, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations, way, wilderness, world.

I had always thought “earth” was directed to people. But in this instance, it is clearly referring to the whole of creation. What a fascinating discovery!

Indeed, the Lord reigns forever. Let the whole earth rejoice!

(Originally written on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009)

I love the quote Natalie put on the gift to her students last year:

“The music you make is a picture of who you are.” -inspired by the following quote from Samuel Butler, an English writer in the 19th Century

Every man’s work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself.

Here’s some info I shared last night about the instrument I want to play. (Plus, a little extra. ):

The hammer dulcimer has a trapezoidal shape and strings are attached from one side to the other. And very similar to the piano, the shorter the string, the higher the pitch; the longer the string, the deeper the pitch; contrary to the piano, however, this instrument is not widely used…but it’s SUPER cool! The dulcimer has a rich, sweet resonating sound. In fact, “dulcimer” comes from two words, one Greek and one Latin, “dulcis” and “melos” together they mean, “sweet sound or song”.

To play the dulcimer, you position it somewhat diagonally and use two little hammers to hit the strings. There are a variety of hammers and all of them produce a different tone-whether richer, softer, or sweeter. Also, depending on the type of wood it’s made of, it produces a different tone, too.

This instrument is known around the world as a zither, hackbrett, santoor, etc. and has been in existence since before the 12^th century; it’s believed to have originated in Persia. Interestingly, the dulcimer is mentioned in Daniel 3:5: “That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:…”

Here are some links to see pictures: Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3
Here’s a link to listen to a YouTube recording: Baby Dulcimer