Once again, I was voted in as a Vice President of our community concert band. I have been here many times before and many times as President. The job is not hard in fact there is really not much difference from not being a board officer. however, it does require some extra time doing the necessary chores in keeping the band moving forward.

I have been a musician for over 45 years. I started when I was at the age of 7 taking piano lessons. As a boy, my attention span along with the energy as a young male child, I could never discipline myself to sit down long enough to really learn how to play the piano and after a year of struggling, the piano lessons stopped. My yearning for music, even as a young over ambitious boy never stopped. During that year, I also started learning how to play the trumpet. My thirst for music kept me from giving up playing the trumpet even though, I never practiced much. As the years went by, I became better and better even with less than adequate practice and my desire for music grew stronger. If I would have practiced with diligence at a younger age, I would have become a much better player than I am now.
Once in High School and a member of the marching band, the director needed another tuba player and asked me if I would learn to play it. Of course I jump at the chance and the rest of the years in High School was playing tuba. Now a member of our local community concert band, I have learned to play not only the tuba, but french horn and currently playing the baritone.
I still play the trumpet and sound “Taps” for families laying their loved Veteran’s to rest. I have also have had a great experience playing trumpet in a praise band with my Niece when she was living in Michigan.

People say, that with music there is no language barrier. I agree with that statement. There are many different styles of music, but music always finds away to stir emotions no matter who you are.
As an instrumentalist, practicing your part for a band the notes and rhythms many times sound strange when played alone, often they make no sense. When you put your part together with the rest of the band, it fits in perfectly and you begin to hear all the moving sounds as music becomes alive with spirit and enthusiasm.

In my thoughts, this is why God places such an importance on family. When you are a single note, you can only make one sound, but when a family of notes are played in order, beautiful music starts to appear, emotions begin to stir with spirit and enthusiasm. If you belong to God’s family, you understand the need to be yourself but more importantly know the need to have other brothers and sisters in Christ to see and hear the great sounds of blessings and joy and giving praise to our One True King.