Stamp out stubbed toes

In the night or the early morning when all the other Tuckers are asleep, I often awaken wanting to read or exercise or watch an old show or write music or write a blog or simply go out on the front porch, provided the weather permits, and watch the stars or listen to the sounds of the darkness, or get a drink of water. I then reach for my glasses, roll out of bed very carefully so as not to disturb my wife, and begin my trek through the maze, the obstacle course, toward the kitchen, hoping to reach the small light under the cabinets that will permit me an unimpeded reach toward a glass. But my hopes are usually in vain, for inevitably something is in the way.

It could be the piano which has not moved an inch in nearly 10 years, or the rug which is very low to the ground, or perhaps the coffee table, or the little rocking chair, or maybe a Yahtzee game or maybe the television remote or a piece of candy. Whatever it is, whether soft or hard, I somehow hurt my toe everytime, and it is not fun.

When I was growing and would hurt my toe on an object, my dad would always say, "Ouch, you stubbed your toe." The word stub is usually used as a noun, but can be an intransitive verb meaning "to strike accidentally against a small object" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stub). So my dad's usage of the word stub was correct, and it is always nice to learn a new word, but it did not change the pain of the situation and in fact sort of exacerbated it in the way that all dads seem to frustrate their children at times with brutally honest statements. Yes, Dad, I stubbed my toe and yes it hurts and yes I feel very dumb not to mention the throbbing pain in my toe.

Now, you would think that the whole stubbing of the toe problem would disappear as a person matures. For example, I no longer have acne the way I did when a teenager, and I no longer have loose teeth (loose hair, yes, but not loose teeth). I have outgrown many negative behaviors and no longer run everywhere I go (okay, I do walk briskly). So why can I not outgrow this stubbing toe problem? Could it be I have long toes? Or could it be that I am simply clumsy? Or just not very careful? Or have I always insisted on trying to walk in the darkness?

But I have decided to solve the problem in this way: house shoes. I will not walk around in bare feet again since I have received house shoes as a Christmas gift. I now awaken, reach for my glasses, roll out of bed, put the house shoes on, and walk gracefully to kitchen without screaming in agony. Stamp out stubbed toes I say. Happy New Year to pain free toe existence.

It's all about the harmony

Please excuse the limited inclusiveness of this blog as I pontificate on harmony in music. Most musicians are drawn to some particular element of music be it rhythm, sound, melody, bass, instrument timbre, text, volume, or tempo. As musicians become more trained in these elements, they inevitably become more selective and more knowledgeable about how the elements operate congruently in a piece of music. Yet, it seems that knowledge, education, and training do not necessarily alter one's preference for music, or one's attraction to a specific element. Since preference rarely is fastidious, it is probably stretching to say one's attraction to a single element is solely responsible for one's judgment or criterion for excellence. But for the sake of clarity, I am merely explaining how I hear music.

I am always curious as to what element is most fascinating or preferred in people's attraction to music. I have a friend who tends to judge music, at least initially, based on the vocal quality of the singer. When the singer has a harsh, strained quality regardless of the style of the music, whether country, rock, Christian, art, or folk, my friend simply rejects it outright. His initial reaction is negative due to the painful vocal quality being presented. Another friend is a text guru. He seeks out quality poetry and relates the internal qualities of the text to the performance of the music, being emotionally and musically satisfied when the music matches the text, and being less sanguine when the music is not well matched with the text.

I know people who are attracted to slower music with smooth, non-percussive timbres, still others who prefer a clean presentation such as found in cultivated chamber music or solo sonatas. Melody is always an attraction and many are drawn to how a melody is shaped and what it means. Rhythm and/or the beat is yet another element that elicits strong reactions and in fact tends to govern the popular world of rock and country/western music. Of course this discussion of preference and musical responses is unending with the parameters being limited to the number of people on the planet. It is further complicated by the setting in which particular music resides. At a formal church service, some people prefer certain elements over others that may be found at an athletic event or a dance. Yes, this is a complex issue, that's for sure!

But for me, given my personality, learning style, priorities, and training, I am comfortable assessing music through its harmony. This is not to say that I reject melody, for melody is what I remember more than anything else; and this is not to say that I think rhythm is not important, for rhythm is what pushes music forward, giving it the energy, drive, and passion we seek for an emotional experience. But at the end of the day (I can't believe I just used this worn-out cliche'. I won't ever use it again, promise!), I love the harmony of the music. I am thrilled by the music that goes beyond three or four chords, music that shifts in and out of the key, music that has chromatic alterations, and music that experiments with new land, explores, examines, and teases, but then returns to the origins of the piece.

Because of my interest in harmony, I find myself fascinated with certain composers over others, and certain genres over others, and certain sounds over others. This makes my musical world of preferences a little elite at times but also fairly accepting of variety within the parameters of my harmonic world. In this world, I tend to compare the music of Vivaldi with its limited harmonic interest to the music often found in modern praise choruses. I also tend to reject the less innovative composers in favor of those who tried new and creative harmonic alterations.

So by my oddly narrow definition of excellence based on harmony and its creative application, in the area of art music, I am less interested in the music of Vivaldi, Haydn, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, and Verdi than I am in Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Wagner, and Brahms. In jazz, I prefer Duke Ellington over Count Basie and Chick Corea over Dave Brubeck. I like show tunes more than rock music, but in rock music I prefer Stevie Wonder and Chicago over Paul McCartney and the Bee Gees. Using my evaluative system of examining harmony, Lead On, O King Eternal is a stronger hymn that Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Of course, I tend to like whatever I am hearing or studying at the time, so it is difficult to remain consistent, but in general I prefer music with harmonic interest over music that is simplistic. This makes for a rocky musical existence in that I have to know something about the harmony before passing judgment, but one which is fun and different. Ah, to be different, perhaps that is the preference!

Autism and Cell Phones, Pt. II

After writing the blog on Autism and Cell Phones I discovered the same title had been used for an entirely different purpose. To that end, I am writing a follow-up addressing the same topic but for a new reason, the reason being that I do not believe that cell phones are causing a rise in autism in our culture as proposed by many. The argument in favor of such posturing is that autism increased at approximately the same rate and at the same time we saw a rise in cell phone usage http://www.internalbalance.com/CELL%20PHONE%20USE%20AND%20AUTISM%20RESEARCH.htm

I am not a scientist and have little to substantiate my beliefs other than years of study of findings plus many years of searching for causes as well as cures for autism. We have examined pollutants, allergies, enzymes, food, weather, animals, vitamins and minerals, water, medicines and homeopathy, and experimented with all known forms of cures that are within our limited budget. Obviously there are other cures outside of our resources that we are still considering. Yet with the thousands of suggestions for causes and cures, and much research, and devotion to the problem, and absolute commitment to finding a cure, much of, but not all of, autism remains a mystery.

Not that I am suggesting we give up. No, in fact, I continue to hope and pray for the magic dust that will fix all of the problems with autism and autistic students. Some of the mystery, indeed, involves the proliferation of autism or at least the identification of children with that particular disability over the last ten years, matching that of the rise of the cell phone. During the last ten years we have also seen the decline of the base stealer in baseball, an awareness of steriod use in sports, the rise of the mp3 player, an increase in Starbucks coffee houses, an increase in body piercings, the stunning success of google, and the spectacular popularity of pre-teen idol Hannah Montana. All this to say that any extended period of time usually demonstrates a marked ebb and flow of ideas, people, objects, inventions, events, and circumstances. It is possible and in some cases likely that such growth in one is related to or even causes another or that a decline leads to a rise in something else. But it is also just as likely the events are totally unrelated.

I have no irrefutable proof for what I believe and only time with careful data will determine the truth, but for now I will stand firm that cell phones are not causing autism, and to think such a thing, detracts from where the truth will be found. The truth to the causes and cure for autism will be found in the DNA, from the millions of strands being studied at this very moment, in the thousands of laboratories across the country, by the scientists and mathematicians looking for the abnormality we know as autism. Meanwhile, parents and physicians continue to try different approaches to help--and virtually every technique is beneficial.

Good nutrition, vitamins, breathing, therapy, behavior techniques, more sleep, order, quiet, organization, and deliberation, are all appropriate and productive in helping the autistic. And no doubt allergies, pollutants, stress, disease, and various other problems have contributed to the increase in Autism. Yet there is also no doubt we are identifying the disability, which has become quite broad in scope, earlier and more accurately, in an effort to help these children adapt better in an educational environment.

Back to our issue: Is it possible cell phones with their electromagnetic radiation have added to the rise of autism? I suppose it is possible. Is it likely? I think not. Meanwhile, let's continue to help the disabled and let's continue to search for a cure. Until that time occurs, however, we should avoid blaming outside sources for this problem and focus our attentions on improvement.

Autism and Homework

Now that school is over for our autistic son, I would like to give some helpful hints to parents and teachers about ideas to help the educational process.

Homework assigned to students will always be a controversial topic in education especially given the schedules that many students keep after school, but also the pressure to keep standardized test scores at a high rate causes schools to remain committed to constant improvement. While a certain degree of homework can supplement the in school process or, in the case of students unable to complete assigned work during the day, homework can keep slower students caught up, it can also be a great burden to both the student and the parents. When homework causes serious emotional duress and becomes a time-consuming project to the exclusion of family time, personal endeavors, or positive support, then the gain is actually a loss, a bear market with little hope for a rebound. This is often the case with autistic students.

Autism is a difficult disability to define partly due to its complexity and diversity, and partly due to the often accompanying disabilities such as speech problems, reading disorders, behavior problems, and various learning challenges. Since these problems may or may not attend during the day, it should come as no surprise when a teacher assigns work to be done at home, assuming the student would benefit from the supplemental learning experience or stay caught up on the work required. But, sadly, unless the instructions are very explicit, and unless the required work is prepared to accommodate the disability, most likely the homework will take several hours and be a combined effort, or combined torture, of student and parent.

Educating the autistic, as has been discussed in earlier entries, requires a thorough and precise process to include modeling, pictures, limited sequencing, and opportunities for practice. While homework can include these elements, most likely, unless the teacher has provided some of this, and unless the parent has received the proper training, the homework will be missing some these necessary ingredients for success, making it a hardship for everyone and most likely a moving target for any kind of winning benefit. This probably becomes compounded as the autistic student progresses through the grade levels, and in having several teachers and several subjects, all of which are committed to the finest in education for all students. It then becomes a difficult arena for even the most advanced student to deal with 5 or 6 different homework expectations, with the difficulty multiplied several times for the autistic and his parents.

So how do we solve this problem? We do not necessarily advocate zero homework, for there is no question that study time and supplemental work can be constructive when handled judiciously. And we certainly do not advocate lower expectations in the classroom, for many autistic students can learn at or sometimes beyond that of other students. But the system has to be different from the norm, with great preparation, and exact deliberation of presentation, allowing for time, minimal distractions, and fewer problems on each page. Mostly, it is necessary to provide a thorough education to teachers and parents that will prevent any kind of stressful home situation including excess homework time, emotional strain, and negative educational dividends.

To teachers I suggest coordinating the homework assignments with the other teachers to prevent too many subjects being dealt with at home. This may require a bit of centralization through the system but is definitely worth the challenge. I also recommend that when homework is necessary, the teacher give very specific instructions as to the expectation, including minor recommendations such as pencil or pen or time suggestions. Furthermore, make sure that no homework assignment would take more than 30 minutes. Remember a rule of thumb of doubling the time: a 30 minute assignment will probably take an autistic student 60 minutes.

To the parent, don't allow the total homework to exceed 60 minutes and 30 minutes is much preferred. Avoid any kind of emotional duress or excess tension during the process. Help your child to think critically by encouraging the responses rather than providing the answers for him. Remember that our goal is independence,with the ability to make informed, responsible decisions. Mostly, remain committed to the educational process, knowing that teachers and schools have the best interest of the student at heart, but also be firm in your convictions to develop a healthy, loving, and patient environment both at school and at home.

Autism and Cell Phones

It was with some reservation and curiosity that we finally purchased our 19 year old autistic son a cell phone this Christmas. Our reservations were primarily based on his ability to manipulate the sequence and order required to make and answer calls, to set up contacts, and to send text messages, plus the responsibility of keeping up with it. But the need to have ease of communication, knowing where he is, and giving him a sense of security, all added up to his having a cell phone. I went to the cell phone store to pick one out with the typical concerns of price, size, style, color, screen, and all those things that make each phone unique. After a confusing 30 minutes of a salesman explaining the differences, I landed on a little flip phone with a choice of red, black, or blue. Settling on the blue one and picking the contract system for the next year, I took it home and gift wrapped it (okay, my wife actually wrapped it), and placed it under the tree.

Christmas morning he opened it up and with his typical stoic reaction, said thank you and proceeded to some other gifts. After all was done, I turned to Joel and asked him if he liked his new cell phone. He of course said yes and in his customary, understated manner mentioned that he liked all his gifts equally and was glad it was Christmas. I knew I would need to show him some things about the phone but wasn't entirely sure how to go about teaching him the basics. Luckily, his younger brother who is 16 decided to take it on himself to teach Joel. Remember that virtually every behavior and action must be taught to autistics. This is due to their lack of perception of social behavior and their general lack of creative curiosity. In addition, while they enjoy new things, they usually do not have an innate desire to explore and discover, or at least the knowledge needed for such endeavors.

But Joel's brother, Jordan, jumped in and created family contacts plus a few friends, taught him how to answer the phone, and taught him how to send a text message. I then showed Joel how to place the phone in the holster and how to attach it to the belt. He now walks around with his phone on his side, wearing a tie, and a slight swagger, with a kind of pride demonstrating that he has arrived in the world! When we call him or send him a message, he is a bit slow at responding but in his cautious way, does get the job done.

I realize now that given the right instructions, the right circumstances, and mostly lots of patience, Joel can learn how to navigate through a cell phone. I also recognize how much security this gives him and mostly us as we prepare him for the working world. If he will keep it with him, we will always know where he is and how is doing. At the same time, it is also our continued goal and responsibility to help him be as independent as possible and make his own decisions. The cell phone is an ideal way for us to monitor his activities a little, yet give him room to make his own mistakes and his own successes. But we are only a call away from helping him if he is in a predicament, or lost, or frightened. Obviously, more teaching of when to use it is needed, but in general my comfort level about this new item for Joel is quite high.

In conclusion, I believe that autistic adults need and deserve a cell phone, but they also need careful teaching on appropriate usage. Mostly, autistic adults and children must have someone or many someone's who love and care about them. Sometimes loving and caring takes the form of allowing effort and encouraging independence. In our case, the cell phone just may be the right tool for this delicate yet joyful balance.

The Joys of the Beginning Band

Having taught music to all ages of students including older adults and small children, and having taught every type of music from folk songs to rock, sacred, contemporary, art, experimental, and having used a wide variety of resources including theory, history, recordings, power point, visual aid, and models of excellence, and having been personally rewarded with watching and hearing success in terms of love of music and enjoyment of the musical experience, plus being involved in choral, instrumental, academic, and popular styles, I am concluding that of all these events, the greatest and most rewarding teaching occurs when guiding and directing a beginning band. Furthermore, beginning band epitomizes the value, purpose, and process of education by being a direct and ubiquitous example of growth, development, and product.

Rarely in the educational process is there a more stunning and dramatic occurrence than the improvement of a beginning band from the first day to the last. The learning of a musical instrument in a group setting is so pronounced, individually and collectively, that teachers and students alike find themselves on an adventure of affirmation and success. Not that all moments are like Disneyland, but taken as a whole, there are few educational experiences that can claim such obvious growth. Beginning with virtually no knowledge or ability, a student in a relatively short time, can make sounds, play notes, play songs, feel a musical phrase, read music, and have a powerful emotional connection to what it means to perform.

Driving through our fair city a couple of years ago, I was shocked to see that a local Sonic restaurant had disappeared. The day before it existed, but the next day it was gone, having been destructed and everything removed in a shocking example of efficiency and decision making. Even more stunning, however, was that about 2 weeks later, there stood another newer and improved Sonic in the same location! The system in place for creating a new Sonic is remarkable and demonstrates how goals and commitment can have quick and positive results.

Obviously, people do not suddenly become educated in a matter of days or weeks, and life-long learning cannot be capsulized nor described in terms of bricks and mortar, yet in many ways, a beginner band exemplifies the same creation and the process of a new Sonic. With resources and materials, a teacher has all the elements in front of him each to render a band that while questionable on day one, can be aesthetically and musically solid by the end of the school year. Like a building, a solid foundation, thorough adherence to excellence, and dedication to the process leads to objectives and outcomes that are both desirable and measurable. But the musical result is only part of the story.

The true rewards of the beginning band do not come from the concluding musical excellence alone, but rather from the joy and satisfaction that playing in a music ensemble produces. The old adage of "teach a child to blow a horn and he'll never blow a safe" is obviously simplistic and a gross generalization, but also, when considered symbolically, contains more than a grain of truth, for playing an instrument is so psychologically and emotionally fulfilling that it can focus attention on the benefits, the rewards of discipline, the gain of group excellence, the sense of belonging that a music ensemble provides. In many and sundry ways, playing in a band is a microcosm of the independent yet synchronized lives we lead.

Each person applies musical knowledge, skill, and sensitivity to the printed page to make music. But in an ensemble, the music that is made is full, complete, and includes all members, making the rewards feel team oriented and serving the greater good. The selfish application of excellence in an ensemble, can, when handled correctly, produce selfless outcomes. This teaches and embodies the concept of acting individually but thinking globally.

But even this idea does not tell the full story, for the story is really about the joy that both students and teachers experience on a daily basis. Teaching a group of students replete with eagerness and anticipation on what they can accomplish that day is the highest in affirmation for a teacher, and the rewards for such endeavors are infinite. That is why I loved my time teaching beginning band.

The Economics of Joel in Education

The students wore ties, the faculty were moved, and there was a general out-pouring of love and support for Joel as he concluded his last day in school. What to Joel might have seemed unusual, and I have little doubt that he never understood what the tears were all about, nevertheless he was aware that he was being honored and while he may have been confused by all the attention, he also responded with hugs and sincere appreciation. Why all the fuss? Isn't Joel simply one of thousands of students who graduate from high school?

The show of warm affection mingled sweetly and nostalgically with sadness as the students and faculty gathered around Joel to demonstrate what he has meant to them through the years. Joel's disability, autism mixed with learning problems, could have resulted in rejection, loneliness, and alienation as he did his best to fit in to a public school system whose prime concern is to meet or exceed academic expectations on standardized examinations, but somehow instead resulted in unconditional acceptance. Never mentioned, but maybe foremost in an administrator's mind, has to be the cost of educating a student so far away from the model needed for institutional success. Joel, in his thirteen years, cost the district time, money, and to a small degree academic reputation. Not only that, there is the peripheral curiosity that the time Joel required may have taken away from other childrens' educational needs. His need for specialized classes, teacher's aids, almost constant attention, modified grades, meetings, individualized teaching, and unique scheduling had to have been a serious drain on the resources of the district.

But, ironically, the cost of educating Joel was much less than the gain. Economically, when I spend money on an item, I hope to gain more than I spend whether it is a car, computer, clothes, or food. If I buy something that quickly breaks, then I realize I spent more than I gained. Yet if the car I purchase helps me make a living, then it is my contention I have gained more than I lost (unless of course fuel and upkeep costs keep escalating!). Obviously people are worth the investment and should not be considered objects or commodities for consumer consumption. Yet, even from an economic standpoint, is it possible that Joel was worth more than he cost? I believe the answer is yes.

The surface explanation is that any cost that leads to the education of a child to make him a productive, contributing member of society is beneficial to the common good. And, no doubt, in spite of his disability, Joel's education has helped him to cope, to adjust, to think critically, and to make his own decisions at least to an extent. The relentless commitment to Joel's improvement, the concerted effort of teachers, other students, administration, and yes even custodians and maintenance workers, all came together in a glorious chorus of dedication to helping a disabled child.

But returning to the question, what did they gain? Why invest so much effort into one person? Were they simply doing their jobs or was there more to it? As I watched the myriad of reactions to Joel's departure from school, I realized for not the first time that it was not Joel who was being honored but rather it was Joel who had done the honoring for the last thirteen years. Joel was simply being thanked, thanked for all he had done for everyone else.

Thanked for the smiles, the handshakes, the hugs, the encouragement, the support for everyone, for everything. Thanked for the consistently good attitude, the effort, the adherence to looking his best, the absence of ugliness, or bad language, or unkind words. He was thanked for being true to himself without malice, without pretensions, and without the lies that often accompany students trying to make themselves look better. He was thanked for his unceasing and transparent honesty. He was thanked for making their world a better place. His value was and is immeasurable and in economic terms the demand for Joel is far greater than the supply. Maybe if we had more Joels, the world would be a better place.

Master composer--Jean Sibelius

The study of music history can also be a study of cultures, progress, development, and perhaps most importantly, a study of the human spirit and creativity. The life and work of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius embodies this idea of a study of music history being akin to the study of native culture, creativity, and progress or rather, in his case, refusal to progress. For Sibelius rejected, not an unusual path for composers of that era, the temptation to alter his personal approach to music making and was not tantalized in the least to jump on the serial or avant garde or experimental train that so many others joined.

That stated, and there is more to come on Sibelius, I must say that I am not a proponent against modernism in music. I have a great love for the experimentalists of the latter half of the twentieth century and attribute much of the mounting success of music to the unusual and creative spark in those who carved their own path against the pressures of traditionalism. While much of their music has been relegated to peripheral academic settings or small cultish coffee houses, there is no denying the vast influence that their music has had on today's world. The first half of the twentieth century is more difficult to label in that composers and the world in general seemed to vacillate between the old and the new, in an attempt to learn from the past but make a forward statement. As we look back on this important time in music, we find ourselves entranced by those writing in a Romantic vein and fascinated by those pushing the envelope of modernity. More on that at another time however!

Returning to Sibelius, he was born in 1865 in the country of Finland where he spent his entire career devoting much of his music to the nationalistic spirit of the country. His music is distinctly Finnish, with folk idioms, and powerful images causing the listener to visualize the stunning landscape of the country. From orchestral suites, symphonies, chamber music, concertos, and songs, Sibelius music covers the gamut of musical output, and all of it within a traditional framework yet distinctly Sibelius with rich chorale writing, vibrant, relentless string writing, long transitions, variety of tempo, and colorful orchestration without resorting to trickery and extreme excess. Although his musical canvas is tonal, his melodies romantic, and his texture complex, Sibelius' sound is a unique, personal expression of his own majestic optimism and powerful energy.

My personal favorite work, at least as of this writing (I tend to be drawn to whatever piece I happened to be studying at the time), is the Violin Concerto with its beautiful 2nd movement orchestrated with 4 horns serving as accompaniment to the soloist. The harmonic suspension of this movement gives a tension and relief that almost causes a physiological reaction in the listener. Each movement is vibrant, rich, and musically demanding on the players as well as the audience, with the last movement being a fireball of rhythm and excitement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXYXUd_N2YI.

Other enjoyable works are the symphonies with the most popular being the 2nd symphony, Finlandia Suite, and the rarely heard but quite engaging Lemminkäinen Suite which includes The Swan of Tuonela. In truth, I enjoy everything Jean Sibelius wrote and expect to continue to champion his music and what he represented as one of the finest nationalistic composers of the 1st half of the 20th century. A traditionalist? Yes, but certainly one of the best of that genre.

Revisiting Thunderball

I have no intention of reviewing every James Bond movie, but after watching Goldfinger with a less than complimentary eye, I became curious about other older James Bond flicks. Are they all as poorly acted with cliched lines, superficial delivery, weak plot, and a general lack of action? Are they full of predictable puns and eye-rolling sexual innuendos? I was convinced I would not enjoy Thunderball and would hereafter reject all early Bond attempts. In fact, I had about decided to revisit the Ian Fleming books and give up on the movies.

As the show began, I was immediately drawn into the world of espionage and intrigue, enhanced by some of the most striking music I have heard from this genre. While the story itself is not necessarily new, a powerful organization called Spectre seeking money or it will blow up part of the world with nuclear bombs, it is handled realistically with a combination of investigative techniques and personal infiltration of the organization. With an excellent balance of action, repose, reflection, and determination, Thunderball delivers a solid punch both physically and emotionally.

Aside from the occasional pun, after shooting a harpoon into an advancing villain, Bond says "He got the point," and the too many young, attractive women (is there a place for women over the age of 30 in a Bond movie?), the acting is solid and the lines are delivered with realism and honest concern. Sean Connery seemed sincere in his quest for truth and to complete the mission plus having compassion for those in plight. Admittedly, the confusing and oddly stilted underwater battle scene was not really believable, and the absurd speeding of the action was silly and unnecessary, making the movie seem too long and predictable at times; yet the film moved well and the exciting fights included guns, fists, and various weapons.

For me, the best thing about Thunderball is the music. It is a wildly inventive score requiring extreme range, technical, and tone demands from all the players. The music enhances and improves the scenes, catapulting John Barry's score into one of the finest of the spy genre. There is no question that a weak score can ruin a movie, but in this case, the score is almost stronger than the film itself.

In spite of the flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed Thunderball and place it in much higher category than Goldfinger in terms of its story, acting, and cinematography. It is worth watching and Bond fans should consider it as one of the best. Mention should be made of the intense and exciting performance of Tom Jones in the main title, setting the tone for an engaging and intense movie.

Movie Review: Quantum of Solace

Being a James Bond fan, having read all the books and seen all the movies, I felt compelled, maybe even required to attend the latest fare titled Quantum of Solace. Like everyone else, I was originally cautious with the choice of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. He was an unknown, nearing middle age, and somehow not as strikingly handsome as previous Bond actors. His ruddy, earthy look and demeanor does not seem as comfortable in the refined arena of high finance, sophisticated parties, and elite environments. Yet, in contrast, Roger Moore, whose appearance is nearly opposite to Craig's, never looked entirely at ease with the action scenes. Moore's refinement and sophistication somehow prevented him from getting his hands dirty, giving his performance a lofty disconnect from the brutal requirements needed from a spy of Bond's stature.

Daniel Craig, in contrast, performs admirably in quality social situations, yet even in the most relaxed, elite world, one gets the feeling Bond is always ready for action and absolutely committed to reaching his goals. Also, what has changed in the new Bond thrillers is the silly emphasis on sexual puns and sly, not-so-clever humor found in earlier Bond movies. A recent watching of "Goldfinger" reminded me of the strange smooth hero (who is really not so heroic) approach that we came to accept as James Bond. For example when the main female character, Miss Galore, introduces herself, he says, "I must be dreaming." In "Goldfinger" the villain doesn't seem all that bad, and the good guy, James Bond, appears to be apathetic about danger but primarily concerned with having a relationship with the lady.

Whereas in Quantum of Solace we find action from a serious James Bond, who although not perfect, accomplishes his mission in spite of the odds and the obstacles placed in his path. The filming and story are fast-paced with an energy not found in earlier Bond movies and action that borders on the impossible but never actually crosses that line. Without resorting to silly puns and inane, pointless humor, Quantum is edge of the seat viewing and bad guy versus good guy polarization. It is an escape, feel good kind of film that does not disappoint. As in other Bonds, we are treated once again to pretty ladies, villains, guns, and clever conclusions to the problems presented, plus the ongoing concern from Bond's authority figures that James is too autonomous. What is very different, however, is the general serious tone of the movie and the ubiquitous, unrelenting dedication to accomplishing the mission.

On the negative side, the story is a bit difficult to follow, perhaps requiring a viewing of Casino Royale prior to seeing Quantum, and the filming is almost dizzying in its quick alteration of setting changes particularly in the action scenes. Plus the viewer has to question how much punishment Bond can handle and keep coming back strong.

This latest Bond adventure, like many great stories in literature, can be viewed on several emotional levels. One of the most artistically stunning moments is the Tosca scene, a glorious opera by Giuseppe Verdi, where gunfire, death, and destruction are accompanied by lovely singing and melodious, tonal music that causes an unsettling sense of confusion when violence and beauty are blended together. In addition, there is the inevitable personal motivation for revenge level which includes almost extreme pain and death, the geo-political "save the world" level, and another level that is difficult to pinpoint. It is a dimension dating back to Homer's Odyssey that finds fruition in Shakespeare and onward to McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, and even Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece, The Road. It is the dimension of destiny or calling. James Bond now has a serious and relentless destiny to make the world a better place and stop the evil tyranny that lies just below the surface of existence. Bond seeks a moment of peace but is forced to use violence to create the moment.

This is a film worth seeing that can be viewed on many levels. A fine achievement in terms of acting, story, filming, and music. I look forward to many more James Bond features with Daniel Craig.

The Gift of Music

Logically and spiritually I realize that Christmas is about the birth of God's son, Jesus Christ; and yet, for me as a child growing up in a musical home, Christmas was definitely enhanced by the music. I grew up in a musical home and almost cannot imagine a home in another way. The sound of the piano was nearly as constant as hearing instruments, trombones, horns, or the stereo, and if that were not enough, you could always hear somebody whistling, humming, or singing. And the music ranged from Beethoven to Mozart to Elton John to jazz, hymns, choruses, folk songs, and the inevitable Gospel "classic." It was as though we could not get enough music and the curiosity about music was infinite, comprehensive, and infectious.

But before I get too astray in my explanation of our musical world, let me return to Christmas. There is something about the Christmas season, with its emphases on festivity, food, fun, and family that begs for more music. While today's technology allows for an inundation of sound, including every elevator, store, barber shop, and automobile, and while some may argue that it is too much, try to imagine a world at Christmas without music. The season of Christmas is manifested in glorious music for all ages and all types of people. We depend on it, and we love it, for it reminds us of the many blessings that surround us, and it reminds us to reach out and bless others.

As a child growing up, we would sing, play, listen, and love the Christmas music that surrounded our lives. Now today, my children once again sing, play, listen, and love the Christmas music. And each Christmas eve, like the generation before, we read the Christmas story, sing Joy to the World, and open some gifts. We then thank each other, and we thank the Lord for the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. And I always go to bed and thank the Lord for another great and glorious gift--the gift of music.

Inspiration: the key to teaching

After reading a recent comment to an entry, I feel a need to respond with yet another essay on inspiration, communication, and connectivity.

With few exceptions, we do not live and cannot live in a vacuum with a one way ticket to a psychology or to the pathology of self-understanding. If our prime directive is to serve our own inherent selfishness by expending great energy in reflection on who we are and who we choose to be, then it stands to reason we will be less inclined and certainly less successful at connecting to people. Obviously, however, as Shakespeare said, one must "know thyself" and "to thine own self be true," but it is that knowledge, unless it is entirely self-serving (apologies to the Randians, but I just cannot accept your premise in its entirety) which in turn makes a person more effective in dealing with others. This brings me back to teaching.

While I have spent my career in music and am now in college administration, I believe that successful teaching does require inspiration, at least in some form or another. Yet I also am utilitarian enough to recognize that inspiration cannot shine forth, indeed almost cannot occur, without certain elements behind it, namely knowledge, skill, and passion.

Football is an American pastime and a general favorite topic of conversation. I spend several minutes per week involved in some sort of football discussion with a friend or acquaintance. A discussion on football can take many slants including referee complaints (boring), injury descriptions (gruesome), pity for losers (shared sorrow), joy for winners (shared happiness), projections for the future (ignorance), and elation over particular plays or players (usually I just nod at these). Discussions often jump from high school through college and onward to professional level and result in some sort of bonding and shared experience by those involved (mostly men it seems). From these discussions I have learned many things about football, and while I don't have the skill (I was very bad at it), I do have quite a bit of knowledge gained primarily through osmosis. But, in truth, while a good football game is exciting and fun, and I will always remain a Cincinnati Bengals fan (they will come back strong someday), I don't really have a passion for the game. It occupies very little of my emotional attention. Therefore I have little to offer others in terms of inspiration of football, and this is actually fortunate since there is plenty of passion for the game already in the world.

Without skill but with knowledge, I might be able to impart certain principles and be a mildly effective football teacher, but my lack of passion would most likely result in uninspired teaching perhaps with negative consequences of uninspired performers, or to put it another way, a losing team. Conversely, then, it seems to me that inspired teaching must have skill in the discipline (maybe this is not essential but certainly to be valued), knowledge of the discipline, and a passionate belief in its role in education and culture at large.

When we think back on those teachers who made the most impact on our lives and taught us the most, we recognize several essential qualities or characteristics that cannot be denied. Those people knew their subject matter, they had the skills to support their knowledge, and they were passionately committed to communicating that knowledge to those willing to learn and to listen. Perhaps the truly outstanding ones had one other essential tenant that came shining forth to cause what we now called inspired teaching: those people had and have a love of people.

I was recently reminded of the need to love people when I overheard a student say to someone else, "Why don't you love people as much as you love music." The greatest teachers I know have skill, have knowledge, have passion, and they love people. For without that love, their abilities turn inward and lack the connectivity, the level of communication that is absolutely required for successful education. In fact, to take it another step, I would posture that love of people is essential for success in nearly (notice my careful disclaimer!) all disciplines that involve connectivity. Inspiration comes from passion of the discipline and great teaching becomes even better when accompanied with a love of people. So I continue to develop my skill, my knowledge, and my passion but never to substitute those things with the required ingredient for success, that is love of people.

The Simple Joys of Book Collecting

I am an avid book man with limited financial resources to support my hobby. Yet, it does not stop me from constantly seeking books of all types, genres, shapes, even condition. Having written about my father's influence and my early love for particular authors' books, I won't expend much more energy on the past. Just know that I have moved from being a reader and collector of paperbacks to being more interested in hardback books.

I find myself walking into antique stores, pawn shops, even garage sales with the hope of finding that special book treasure that I must own (a misnomer since one can never truly own a book; rather, we are more likely caretakers of the books). The greatest pleasure for me is entering a used book store, many of which are dark, a little dusty, odorous, cluttered, unorganized (to be fair, it is nearly an impossible task to make a book store ordered), and start examining titles. Each store seems to emphasize a particular genre or type of book, most likely according to the interests of the owner. I enjoy the search, the quest, the exploration, the sense of adventure that accompanies my visits to bookstores. My pulse quickens when I think I see something I must have, and I relish the getting on the floor, pulling books out of the way so I can see the books behind the books that may have been hidden for years.

I love opening a book hoping to find a 1st edition, maybe even signed by the author! Or seeing a book I have never seen and learning something about it, its history, its writing style, its organization, and mostly its personality. For, you see, each book has a kind of personal distinction: from the binding, to the title page, to the publisher's information, to the table of contents, and finally the prose or narrative. Is it 1st person or 3rd person? Does it cover a short period of time or does it change time periods frequently? Is it factual or fiction or maybe a little of both (I am beginning to believe that even the boldest fiction cannot be entirely removed from reality or fact). All these factors and more make each book, no matter how insignificant, special with its own character and qualities.

And reading remains an important part of my life in that I cannot recall a time when I was not reading several books at once usually with one in particular that captured most of my attention. Couple this devotion to reading with my tendency to get immersed in one particular author and suddenly I find myself committed to acquiring every book by certain authors. And there I was driving through a city out of state, looking for bookstores when I stopped and visited a dark, rather musty bookstore in a bad part of town. After a quick look to get the "lay of the land," I began my closer inspection of the contents. I found a few books that had to be in my collection, but nothing really substantial. Finally, out of time, but wanting to do one more quick look, I moved several books out of the way and found a treasure. It was a 1st edition, 1st printing of a book in mint condition. The owner wanted $83 for it which I was happy to give knowing the book was worth close to $500.

I left happy with my find, feeling as though I had explored, conquered, and somehow improved my lot and my territory! All rather silly emotions to a non-book person, but those who love books will understand the feeling. Onward to future books, more reading, and more dedication to the search. Ah, the simple joys of life.

Music education: teaching and performing

While it does have natural beauty, knowing more about a rose, how to fertilize it, how to treat it, and how to prune it, lifts the rose to a higher stature both for the viewer and for the owner. One can appreciate the beauty without knowing the struggle that went into it, but knowing more provides a depth of respect that has greater meaning. Such is the process of education, thorns and all!

I have enjoyed my career as a performing musician with a music education background who has a love for teaching. Some have expressed surprised that I have worked to maintain a certain performance level while being a committed music educator. In many ways, both historically and pragmatically, this is not necessarily unusual, for to teach well requires both knowledge and skill of a particular subject. But this brings to mind an ongoing dispute that requires attention, with the sad knowledge that the argument will never be solved due to the countless examples and persuasive discourses on both sides of the complex issue. Yet, sometimes it seems that powerful opinions melded with extreme emotions have yielded several generations of musicians committed to one ideal over another.

If I may be so bold as to capsulize what I am talking about, I would say this: performance v. education, which is better and which is right? The argument rages in musical circles at all levels and tends to find its loudest voices in academia. Yet, in my view, it is an argument without merit, perhaps developed by a few musicians incapable of seeing the global benefits of music and its vast influence on the world. Now, now, you say, isn't that a bit harsh? Maybe, but I am concerned that the argument, the division, has created an odd problem that has no solution. The separation of the ideals has resulted in those who do, that is those who perform, waging war against those who teach. And conversely those who teach sometimes having little regard (except perhaps a begrudging but not necessarily admitted respect) for those who perform.

Those who know me already recognize the signs of my writing, a theme I tend to posture often on many different issues: the theme of peace and solidarity, for to teach is to perform and to perform is to teach and to war over which is better is to lessen the beauty inherent in both. As I write this, I am thinking through the upcoming concert I am preparing to perform. I will be playing the Mozart Horn Quintet (called such due to the horn being the unique instrument in the group) with a visiting string quartet. I consider myself an average performer (most performers recognize their own limitations), but I am absolutely committed to communicating the beauty of Mozart to the audience. Since communication is essential to the process of education and educating is moving from the known to the unknown, from the concrete to the abstract, logic dictates that my performance is actually a form of music education, a way to reach people through music.

No, it is not music education in the classic sense (once again depending on one's definition of classic), that is standing in front of a classroom of eager students teaching them the elements of music which ultimately one day lead to an understanding or perhaps the skill to perform music. Yet, in truth, how different is it indeed to perform a Mozart chamber work from telling children about rhythm in music? Both require communication, both are music related, both invoke a higher level of thinking, both require knowledge and skills, both are events that are hinting at more to come, more lands to conquer, and more worlds just beyond the immediate grasp of the learner.

Now back to the argument. It is common in academic circles to hear the utilitarian view, "I am going to get a teaching certificate as a fall back plan in case I don't make it as a performer." Or perhaps the selfish, lofty view, "I would rather perform it than teach it." Or the contentious "I would rather be unemployed than to be a teacher." None of these interest me as a music educator/performer. Knowing that each person has a unique personality, aptitude level, work ethic, I recognize that not everyone is designed to a be a teacher. With that in mind, it seems to me that a student choosing a profession should consider his/her capacity to communicate and assess the role of that ability in a teaching or performing environment.

Furthermore, it is the rare almost impossible situation where a first-rate performer does not do any teaching, and it is the rare situation where a teacher never does any performing. As we meld the two concepts together and create a harmonious yet polyphonic musical world, I find myself urging all musicians to teach, to perform, and mostly to share the joys of music with a world of people wanting and needing music in their lives. Perhaps the problem occurs more with regard to college students and is caused inadvertently by negative music education experiences from the past. If so, it is our job as music educators to create positive experiences that have great influence.

For me, I shall continue to perform and will continue to teach and will present all that I do in music as music education in the highest sense of what education means. It is through education that we reach the children, it is through education that we reach adults, it is education and progress of ideas that moves the world forward and creates refinement. And it is through education, similar to knowing about our rose, that we acquire a greater awareness of how music works--its elements, its beauty, its challenges, and its joys. Music education: the process of teaching that can include performance at all levels.

An Essay on the Reformation

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Explorer of the Reformation Frontier


A study of Martin Luther and his influence is inevitably and rather joyfully a sociological study of God’s working in the world for His glory. This very fact gives the entire Reformation a multi-faceted dimension that requires a comprehensive look at the history of the political, religious, and personal events both before and after Martin Luther’s startling posting of the 95 Theses. In many ways, we will need to consider a macro-historical look at the Papacy in order to understand the need for change. In other ways, we will also consider a micro look at the people, for it is the people, their lives, their families, who had the most to gain from the events of the Reformation. And those people are us in many respects. You cannot squelch human creativity and the desire for personal expression. The strange but true dichotomy of our need for leadership that allows and encourages personal freedom cannot be ignored. Freedom without guidance, without parameters, and without a pathway is anarchical, resulting in random decisions leading to negative consequences. Antithetically, restrictive dictatorial leadership, with no sense of democracy or consensus, such as the people were experiencing at the time, is demeaning, and demonstrates a lack of respect for the human spirit. Yet the human spirit is a boundless energy force that may be individually constricted at least temporarily, but in time becomes unleashed and creative. With that creativity and desire for exploration of what is right and what is wrong, comes protests against injustices. Thus the Reformation Frontier and its exploration were born.

As we proceed in this study, please know, however, that a 20 minute historical discourse of these events can only provide a precursory glance at the complexity surrounding the Reformation and its influence on the world. As we wade through murky waters of corruption, interpretation, personalities, human nature, politics, culture, and scholarship, we must remember that regardless of the human frailties and the mistakes made by governing officials as well as the common people, God ordained the events and used them for His glory. The Reformation may have been divisive and create schisms of polarization in religious thought, and may even now contribute to emotional and irrational behavior both individually and collectively; yet it also caused a comprehensive examination of many issues. Perhaps through patience and prayer, time will continue to be kind and we can one day embrace the totality and overall purpose of God’s Church so that the differences become harmonious with the end goal being love rather than violence.

At the time of Martin Luther’s birth was a growing dissatisfaction among the common people with the ruling Papacy of Rome, with one concern being an obvious disconnect and distance from the lives of the German commoners. The Papacy simply did not know the pulse of the German people. To be fair, the Roman Catholic Church’s strength and influence were not necessarily a result of widespread corruption but actually an effort to unify the worship practices and religious thought throughout the western world, to establish the proper practice, and to understand and trust those who spent years struggling through doctrinal questions. Today, due to our advanced technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to imagine a world that is not interconnected through immediate communication tools, but we must realize that historically, any practices or concerns about events occurring outside of the recommendations of the papacy were not easily fixed. Furthermore, in many ways, while the ruling order of the Roman Catholic Church would certainly prefer conformity to the higher ideals set forth, much of the Western World was not easily accessible, resulting in pockets of religious autonomy at least to an extent. Inevitably this lack of governance can cause corruption to exist at the local level often times apart from the knowledge of the rulers, for as the saying goes “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Yet it is more likely, in Johann Tetzel’s case, that he was following the spirit of the Papacy if not the intent in trying to acquire more money. Rome had certain requirements that needed money, and the Church Universal should help provide the needs.

In religion, this corruption is easily fostered through fear and discord by saying “God says you will….unless you do…” If the listener, the learner, the believer does not have direct access to God through His word, then he cannot discern truth from fiction and often implicitly trusts the deliverer of the message. For all its apparent absurdity, today’s world is not far from this in our tendency to trust politicians or even the people around us. Examples such as the economy or questionable healing or crime rate causes or fuel costs seem to be delivered by people we trust with little empirical evidence to support the position. How much does this differ from a man who claims to represent the papacy requesting money to get someone out of purgatory? Sadly, the parallels to our modern world are dangerously similar. But that is another story for another day. Let us return to Martin Luther.

A complicated, highly intelligent man with a law degree and an unswerving desire to serve the Lord, Martin Luther became a monk in 1505 following a lightning bolt promise, and entered the priest-hood in 1507. He began coursework in theology from the University of Wittenberg where earned the Doctorate in Theology in 1512. His devotion to his calling, his creative brilliance, and his concern for the German people subsequently led to the events of 1517 and beyond. In addition, there was the questioning problem of his own commitment to the priesthood plus his scholarly ability and desire to read and understand scripture. All these plus the courage to stand up for what is right, in part, led to the events. Yet, there is little doubt that had the abuses of Johann Tetzel not occurred, any reforming of the church, and any criticism from Martin Luther would have been ultimately beneficial but also primarily culturally and religiously benign.

Whether ordained or happenstance, the truth remains, Johann Tetzel was selling indulgences with the idea of raising money for a new building, pocketing the money, taking advantage of the people, and making Martin Luther and the people of Wittenberg discontent. A self-appointment protector of the people, Martin Luther began to preach against the practice of indulgences, believing instead that God solely has a right to forgive, not a man, particular one whose forgiveness of others was based on the amount of money given. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses were born out of this written disputation again the “…power and efficacy of the sale of indulgences.” So as to attract the largest number of readers, Luther posted these 95 Theses on the door of the Castle church in Wittenberg on the eve of All Saints Day, a day and location not unusual for various announcements.

Rather than being an announcement that caused people to nod and go about their business, this particular notice received attention, further propelled by one of, or perhaps the greatest invention of the Western world, the printing press. Eventually making its way to the unhappy leadership of the Catholic Church, Martin Luther found himself in a precarious position and was called upon to respond to his heretical views. As a priest, he should uphold the papacy and its authority over the people, but as a devoted and scholarly Christian, he felt called to teach and preach the teachings of God as presented in scripture. Being unable to find any scriptural evidence for the sale of indulgences and the role of the priest as the forgiver of sins, Luther decried the practices of the papacy and quickly endeared himself to the common person who was simply looking for an opportunity and most likely for leadership to rally against the authority of the time—namely the church. The church, however, did not accept the criticism from the young and obviously brilliant priest who had dared to question the authority of the papacy. Fortunately for Martin Luther, he had a friend in the Frederick the Wise, the Elector. In 1518, the inquisition against Luther proceeded until a Papal bull was issued in 1520 demanding Luther recant his accusations. He burned the bull and was then excommunicated in 1521. To bring conclusion to these inflammatory events, Martin Luther was officially summoned to the city of Worms for a gathering of church authority figures, called a Diet of Worms, in the hopes of requesting Luther renounce his earlier tirade against the papacy. The journey to Worms was an opportunity for preaching, teaching, and general support resulting in a type of populist glitter for the already famous German theologian Martin Luther.

Whether the people saw in Luther a type of hero who could lift them out of their religious restriction, or if they simply hoped for greater German autonomy apart from Roman, is debatable and incidental to the story, for Luther capitalized on his popularity not to mention the respect and admiration from his friend Frederick the Wise. Luther did appear before the officials at Worms, refused to recant his words, and left of his own free will. Similar to the releasing of the floodgates, the rushing tide of German people against Rome was impossible to prevent, and Martin Luther the man, by virtue of his gifts and his own rebellion, became the instigating force behind what would eventually become a major societal, cultural, and religious shift of authority in the world. On his way back to Wittenberg, after refusing to recant, he was kidnapped by Frederick the Wise, for his own protection, and taken to a castle at Wartburg where he began a German translation of the Bible.

During this period of self-imposed captivity, Luther experienced great productivity mixed with religious torment, a not unusual event for Luther who was plagued with fear of the wrath of God and the desire to war with Satan throughout his life. Such emotional anguish could result in a deepening madness, and some have suggested that Luther flirted with such throughout his life; yet, if brilliance indeed borders on brink of insanity, Luther stayed on the side of brilliance with regard to his remarkable literary output during this time.

Meanwhile, back in his hometown of Wittenberg, the people felt unleashed to experiment with their new-found freedom from Catholic religious restriction. This resulted in 3 local priests deciding to get married, people questioning purgatory, and a general mistrust of papal authority. With the eventuality of the Bible being placed in the hands of the German people, came the requirement to intercede directly with God rather than going through another person. This practice, plus the problem of Biblical interpretation outside of those so ordained was both radically, personally expressive and collectively dangerous. If knowledge is power, and power is potentially dangerous, then it stands to reason that the Bible in the hands of the people could have frightening or, if we look at it another way, maybe even glorious consequences. While it may be a sticky proposition or even a little messy at times to give religious tools such as the Bible to the people, ultimately putting knowledge and truth in the hands of the people leads to power decentralization and a form of freedom. If the worst form of slavery is ignorance, the Reformation gave flight to the people by virtue of its liberating knowledge.

In spite of Luther’s original intent simply to dispute some of the practices of the local Catholic authority not turn the world on its heels, when put to the task of stating whether he agreed with all the teachings of Rome or if he believed that the Pope could indeed be wrong, Luther was forced into referencing scripture as the divine truth rather than the church. In doing so, Luther was branded a heretic by the church and a hero by the people. It is not surprising Luther was excommunicated, furthering his status by the people and driving the nail deeper on the former practices by the Papacy. The Reformation was put in motion and the momentum could not be stopped. This growing demand for reform, coupled with great admiration for its early spokesman, Martin Luther, aided in his protection. To rid the world of the person who represents public thought would be a major political and religious faux pas, but to keep him could be worse! Nevertheless, Luther remained and with him the Reformation flourished.

Luther’s refinement of theology to include grace, justification, and atonement established him as reformer. His marriage to Katherine von Bora in 1525 was roundly criticized by some of Luther’s followers, but he continued to teach at the University of Wittenberg while living in a modest home. His years with Katherine were filled with writing, debating, discussing, and further refining the reformation movement, including frequent contentious disputes with fellow reformers. Luther’s passion and zealousness was expressed in his writing and in his music where he could be found playing the flute and writing hymns including the famous Reformation hymn Ein Feste Burg.

To his credit, aside from some rather emotionally charged writing on various potentially explosive topics, Luther tried to bring a lofty, theological viewpoint to his world and to the process of reforming the church. Luther’s concern about abuses and theological doctrine added to the general social unrest of the people. Luther’s focus may have been on spiritual matters, but the people were also concerned with taxation, class structure, religious freedom, and general treatment. Unfortunately, the rising and oft ugly tide of the people, led by Thomas Muntzer, caused the Peasants War, a violent expression of anti-Catholic sentiment that resulted in the death of over 70,000 people. Other losses include the destruction of churches, castles, and great Catholic art of the period.

Martin Luther denounced the Peasants War and in the final years of his life, found himself in disagreement with some of the practices being taught by other reformers, almost imperceptibly regretting some of the results of his earlier disputations. Yet, even as he desired a little more harmony with the Papacy particular in light of his disagreements with Zwingli, he ironically wrote yet another diatribe against the Catholic church further solidifying his permanent break with Rome. Throughout his illustrious and fervid career, Luther remained true to his convictions while seeking for peace rather than war. His last days were spent trying to settle a mining dispute.

Martin Luther explored a new frontier, a world begging for recognition but a world virtually unknown to the principalities, the ruling order. What makes his story appealing is the idea of the underdog battling the big boys and winning. Yet, further examination of the Reformation frontier reveals that the seeds of unrest had been planted many years before, and when there is good land, land ideal for farming, there is always someone or thousands who wish to settle upon it.

His famous words have a type of anthem or slogan feel to them and are regarded as the liberating words of the Reformation:

"Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."

Sad but true (sort of!)

"We just got word from the cousins that a party is on the other side." The very large family of raccoons got excited, for it had been at least a day since the last big party. Time is a strange commodity in the raccoon world for its passing has no meaning and no memory, thereby causing an instinctual goal direction based primarily on selfish motives, food, shelter, and moments of pleasure.

So young and old, a misnomer in the raccoon world since they have little concept of the maturation process, gathered their belongings, namely themselves and headed toward the great event. The older ones had a fleeting memory of a similar event occurring at some point previously, but unable to recollect any details, they proceeded forward with a vague but ill-defined sense of dread. Raccoons, like any other animal, develop a sort of conditioned response to their environment that is designed to meet their individual and collective needs in some ways, but mostly to maintain a sense of self-preservation. This particular evening, some of the old raccoons became a little curious as to the consequences of their journey to the party; but alas, as often happens with animals, they were unable to articulate their fears and instead set out for the raccoon party.

Darkness finally arrived and their journey began. But night is a different sort of experience for a raccoon and goals are not really goals. While the party sounded exciting, the aroma of trash or fish or cat food or really anything eatable (a real word by the way, go look it up!), is a major distraction, often resulting in completely forgetting any original agendas. Strangely, however, this particular night, those raccoons who did get distracted were saved from the sad event that occurred later.

While many raccoons addressed the delectable odor of trash and cat food and selfishly attended to their own desire for food, the rest of the group headed across the busy road toward the party. But this particular night was a busy one as well for drivers. Perhaps a human party in Brownwood caused more traffic than usual; or perhaps many had to work late, or maybe others were out for a late night spin. Whatever the case, the excess of vehicles resulted in tragedy for many raccoons who were unable to cross the road. The speed of a truck going 65-70 miles per hour was too much for several of the raccoons and the end came swiftly. Sadly their death did serve a purpose by balancing the ecosystem and providing food for the vultures.

For mighty Casey there was no joy in Mudville the next day, but for the raccoons, since their memory banks were nearly non-existent, their joy and desire for food overrode any kind of fear. Perhaps some wondered about the missing raccoons, or maybe they instinctually knew that the road was dangerous. But nevertheless, such logic required cognition of which they were not capable. And sure enough, word of another party reached the ring-tailed mammals and off they went where some once again met their doom. Such is the life of a raccoon on a Saturday night.

Are we becoming more considerate? Why?

Is instant communication via the internet, cell phones, texting, messaging, and the general synchronicity of our world actually creating a new generation of more considerate people? I don't think I am imagining that people are improving their general manners and treatment of each other. The other day, I pulled out of the dry cleaners and apparently was slow in doing so, and I suppose the driver coming the other direction felt I had interrupted her busy schedule since she had to slow down to accommodate my inability to navigate my automobile without moving into oncoming traffic. Subsequently, she honked her horn, causing me to turn in surprise at her presence, which caused me to see her using a different finger from her pointing finger and gesturing toward something which I assumed was me.

My temptation to exit the car and have a discussion with her was curbed when her face registered some kind of recognition. Being in college administration, it is not unusual for people to know me before I know them. The young lady in question quickly averted her gaze and moved forward preventing me to have any kind of face to face interaction. Later, thinking through that episode, I suspect any encounter would have been filled with apologies from both parties, for discord can escalate in unfamiliar situations but many people adopt a more euphonious attitude with friends or acquaintances. Further reflection made me realize that I have not experienced nor witnessed "road rage" in quite a long time.

Recently, after driving several hours in order to judge a marching band contest, and being in a location where I did not expect to know many people, I heard my name called and looked over to see a friend of my youngest son smiling broadly. We had met earlier in the summer, and she was a facebook and texting friend of my son. We proceeded to have a pleasant conversation, and I was looking forward to telling Jordan hello from her and let him know how she was doing. The next morning I woke Jordan to give him the message and he smiled and said, "I know Dad, she told me five minutes after you had talked with her." I realized that had I not been pleasant or said something rude for whatever reason, or not recognized her, my son would have known within 5 minutes!

Our collective society is so connected that we can no longer operate in a vacuum, oblivious to our own insensitivities or our own seemingly rude behavior. Each action witnessed or experienced by others can be and just might be expressed within moments anywhere in the world. We cannot hide from ourselves nor others in this time of instant communication, in this age of almost endless forms of technological expression. On the down side, perhaps this forces us into a plastic kind of ersatz existence where our real self is but a shadow of the outward appearance, a world of darkness and imitation. An imitation of who we really are with dire negative consequences. In this case the price extracted for our mendacity is a squelching of emotions with a slow but deliberate destruction of the inner psyche that resides deep in the soul.

Conversely, one has to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the immediate communication of our world actually reminds us to be polite, compassionate, friendly, supportive, and selfless. Is it possible that our awareness of behavior that can be known by all, our concern that what we do cannot be hidden, and our fear that our human frailty is visible, ultimately serves as a mirror, a reflection of who we are. Unlike Dorian Gray whose conduct is demonstrated on his private portrait, never to be seen by anyone, our own behavior, positive or negative, becomes conspicuous by virtue of technology. Perhaps frightening or perhaps comforting, nevertheless, it is true that what you just could be known by others in a very short period of time.

What are the results of this instantaneous communication? Fear, anger, paranoia, insecurity? Or could it force us to act more mature, to be kind, to be helpful, to be compassionate, and to think carefully before acting? Is this actually an example of human improvement and refinement?

Magical Memories

There I was in my lecture mode offering great pearls of wisdom to the senior level music class, a class of 4 eager students whose goal is first to graduate and second to be successful. A class of students needing to understand the difference between programmatic music and absolute music, and it was my job to help them with that understanding. As the lecture on the life, music, and significance of Beethoven progressed to the point of discussing one of the first programmatic symphonies, the wonderful "Pastoral" Symphony, a work in 5 movements which portrays a storm and the beauty of the world after a storm, a work whose simplistic joys are only surpassed by the majesty of the presentation, a work that somehow achieves intimacy while encompassing the whole, I intended to give the students profound information useful for their musical lives.

A tone poem or a symphonic poem as it is sometimes called is an instrumental work that tells a story or describes events through music without words. We had earlier discussed why and how Johannes Brahms avoided programmatic symphonic music as well as the various composers who chose to write a tone poem and why. We mentioned Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz, Les Preludes by Lizst, and referenced the Moldau by Smetana. It was time then to listen to Beethoven's masterful work the 6th Symphony otherwise known as "Pastoral." I found an excellent excerpt of the piece on Youtube, went to the last movement and began.

The clarinet begins with a lovely argeggio, followed by the horn statement of the same. As the horn concludes, the main theme comes in--beautifully, simply, calmly, yet with the same boldness of expression found in most of Beethoven's music. So the theme began and without warning, without any preparation, without any intention, the tears began to flow from my eyes as the magical memory of my childhood came gushing forth from my inner being. Trying as hard as possible to keep my decorum as a professor, all efforts were in vain as I could hear my Dad's voice singing and see him strumming his guitar to that beautiful melody written by Beethoven.

Using classical melodies, Dad would sometimes write words to the music and sing songs that in many ways were lullabies to his family. Strangely, I grew up believing this to be the normal practice of all Dads! Didn't every Dad in the world play guitar and sing songs to his boys? Of course, I now know my Dad was giving me songs to place in my heart that would last forever. Songs of love, songs of thankfulness, songs of culture and appreciation, songs of humanity, and songs to embrace all of life including its joys and its sorrows. For in my father was an unbridled zeal of life and a limitless love of his family. His tenor voice rings clearly in my ear and I can see his eyes shine as he sang this song based on the famous Beethoven melody.

Please click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23bJlv4UgjA&feature=related

Wait for the string melody found at count number 16 and fit the words into the melody:

Father, we thank thee
We thank thee for this day
We honor and serve thee
In each and every way.

Dad loved the Lord, he loved music, he loved people, he loved his wife, and he loved his boys. As I discover frequently, he left me and my brother Jeff with an infinite number of magical memories that continually make our lives complete. It was through music that Dad taught us the most and the song of my father is the song in me. I just hope and pray I can be the song for my own children.

Sadness prevails as efforts go in vain

Some may take this as silly, lacking in depth, without an awareness of the impoverished world, or perhaps an embracing of material and fleeting pleasures; yet, even with the knowledge that a good cup of coffee is simply a passing fancy, I cannot help but feel sadness tinged with anger at Starbucks for having closed our local establishment.

Four years ago, when Starbucks moved into our community, a mostly blue-collar community ripe with auto parts stores, hardware stores, dollar stores, and farming equipment, I and others recognized the immense value of having the famous chain locate a coffeehouse in our area. Bragging rights abounded, and one could often hear "we have a University, a Walmart, a Home Depot, a movie theater, J.C. Penney, Staples, Chilis, and of course Underwood's Barbecue." This pronouncement would quickly and inevitably be followed with "And we have a Starbucks" as though this concluded the definitive proof of our "arrival" into the 21st century and our demonstration that we are a worthy town with many things to do not to mention strength of culture. In short, there is and has been something rather "classy" about having a Starbucks in town.

But one day, a median showed up in front of the store, having been built overnight by the city for safety reasons. I do not question the need for traffic safety, but we must acknowledge that the median took half the business away from Starbucks due to the inconvenience of having to go around it to frequent the famed coffeehouse. Furthermore, Walgreens decided to move in, resulting in the temporary closing of the road directly behind Starbucks. Suddenly, all was hopeless. Sales plummeted and the customers chose to drive onward rather than dealing with the very difficult situation of traffic flow.

And, in all its bean-counting wisdom, the home company made a decision that Starbucks in Brownwood was no longer worth the effort, was losing money, and closed it. The months preceding the closing were filled with various efforts to prevent the dastardly deed including letters, petitions, calls, anger, pleading, and many emails. But all efforts were in vain, for it did happen. Gone. History. End of story. Kaput. Finished. Of course, there is a good side I suppose, I now save $2 to $4 a day. But, alas, our four years of great coffee and a nice environment replete with soft jazz, nice art, comfortable chairs, good pastries, and mostly insightful conversation is a thing of the past. Obviously all those things are available in different places, including my own office if I so choose, but regardless of the utilitarian viewpoint, I and many others will sorely miss our Starbucks.

So in spite of my immediate bitterness and hurt I share with our community, I cannot help but admit that because of Starbucks I now have many new friends. During our four years together, I became friends with a local physician, police officer, construction worker, businessman, banker, bookseller, and deepened my relationship with a pastor friend. The last four years have been special and not easily forgotten, for as the saying goes, "'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all!"

Which is better? Which is right?

Walking through the streets of Leipzig this past summer, I heard a sound which I knew to be professional musicians playing the music of Robert Schumann. Gravitating toward the sound and navigating through the various shops and people, I found myself standing in front of a group of four street musicians, 3 string players and a clarinet player, dressed in tuxedos with their cases neatly placed behind them and their music stands in front. I stood there several minutes enjoying the mostly art music with one show tune thrown in for fun. They were marvelous musicians, having achieved great skill on their respective instruments, and most certainly having attained some sort of status in the musical world. Their music was beautiful and I was moved by the accuracy, the artistry, and the expression. It was a real treat to hear them and my respect for their musicianship is unbounded. In my small world of musical training, I would give them a 1st division!

The next day we arrived in Berlin, in some ways a more modern and bourgeois city with a greater mix of cultures than Leipzig. Once again, I enjoyed the food, the environment, and the natural blend of art, antiques, and contemporary concepts that pervade the businesses and the people. And again, I heard some music. Yet this time the music was different. It was rough, raw, dance-like, fun, a little out of tune, melodious and tonal, but with an edge and a lack of sophistication. Not unpleasant, nothing offensive, nothing negative, but certainly different from the group I had heard the day before. I quickly found my way to their locale to find a trio comprised of a tuba, saxophone, and a baritone like horn.

Unlike the first group where I preferred to stand several feet back so as not to distract them from their musical goals, with this 2nd group, I moved near them and felt the energy that emanated not only from their instruments but their personalities as well. As they played, without any music in front of them, they caught my eye and smiled. I felt further drawn to them and upon the conclusion of a song we began to communicate. Using poor German, I asked them about the key of the baritone horn. I also let them know I was musician as well. They enjoyed the attempt at the language and I subsequently asked them to play "Chicken Dance." This meant nothing to them and I was quickly frustrated as I tried to translate the words chicken and dance into German. Finally, I started singing the song. They laughed and within 2 measures recognized the song and began to play it.

Their performance was pretty rough, replete with oom-pahs, shakes, missed notes, rhythm problems, and imperfect tuning. Again using my system of examining performance quality, I would give them a 4th division. But I loved every sound and every moment of the music that came from the heart, and I recognized their talent and skill and grew envious of the freedom they portrayed, and the earthy shimmering energy their music offered to those who could hear.

So my questions are: which group is the better group? which group is the most "right" for the cause of music? which group reaches the most people? which group should receive the highest respect? or the most money? which group philosophically will withstand the test of time?

While I am anxious for people's opinions on these difficult and complicated questions, I anticipate hearing some variation of this: each fulfills an important musical niche in the world and each should be valued and respected for what it is. One requires years of training and leans on the introspective, and the other requires a different kind of skill and personality. Both groups need collective and individual courage to perform in front of many people for little monetary gain, and both groups touched me in different ways!

Handel with care

In many ways it is a rather humorous commercial and difficult to refrain from smiling as the large group begins to sing "Hallelujah" from Handel's "Messiah", one of the great and certainly most known works from the Baroque period of music and a popular oratorio often heard during the Christmas season. The story goes that King George, while enjoying the amazing music of Handel, grew weary of sitting that long and stood at the beginning of the chorus titled "Hallelujah" thus causing the audience to respond in kind. Tradition now requires the standing during any singing of this chorus.

Incidentally, as I write this blog, I cannot help but remind the readers that George Frederick Handel(1685-1759) composed this marvelous oratorio in 24 days and it is largely regarded as his greatest work and one of the most significant religious works in the history of music. Unfortunately, as often occurs with music, literature, or art that is so strong as to achieve popularity from the masses as well as garnering respect from experts in the field, "Messiah" and "Hallelujah" chorus in particular has become so common place as to be considered cliched and, sadly, at least to some, almost comical. In the case of the airline commercial, the good news presented results in an outburst of the well-known Handel choral work with the intention of eliciting smiles and joy with the proposed product.

Not intending to be a purist nor to be labeled part of the cultural elite, nor to be awashed in some sort of self-designed, pearl-laden sanctimonious criteria of excellence, nevertheless, it bothers me on several levels that the commercial uses the theme from "Hallelujah" to extol the virtues of its product which in this case happens to be no fees attached to a flight service. I suppose it is more enjoyable to sing "Hallalujah" than simply to cheer or give high fives or jump in excitement or to exclaim the collective happiness of this event, but in truth, I believe it lowers the meaning of Handel's marvelous score, turning it into a commodity to be used for comic relief.

It just seems to me that something should remain true to its form and purpose in this world and of all the pieces of music worthy to honored for its divine inspired brilliance, "Messiah" stands at the top. Furthermore the chorus was composed to honor our Lord, lifting Him above all others and recognizing His status as a deity, the son of God, and as the Savior, for a moment of great joy and exultation.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with celebration and who am I to question the happiness of a group of people at receiving a great bargain. With the current economic condition brought on by escalating fuel costs, it is no surprise that a person would rejoice over any kind of savings or financial benefit. But I posture that "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's "Messiah" is deserving of greater respect than to provide an insidious and most likely evanescent emotion with little to no meaning.

The Media Choice

We arrived in Leipzig, having ridden nearly two hours on a bus from Berlin, checked into the very nice motel, opened the curtains and saw a partially nude and sexually explicit woman on a billboard. I then turned on the television and was shocked to see a lady begin to remove her clothes as she was trying to convince the viewer to buy a particular item. Changing the channel, I found another scene of a couple in a state of loving bliss showing more of themselves than I am accustomed to seeing on television. It all seemed blatantly prurient at the most and inappropriate at the least, and I reminded myself we were no longer in the United States of America, and subsequently began to make typical critical comments about the rampant liberalism of foreign countries, and further began to extol the virtues of our homeland with the proper mixture of arrogance and pride found in many Americans. Oh how great to live in a country where modesty and conservatism are more than ideals but are indeed practiced by most people and where the media does not force us to accept sexual themes.

Frightening, however, is the thought that there is always the likely possibility that the media simply reflects the general culture, and the values of a particular region or country are simply manifested on television. We know that there are more truck commercials displayed during football games and that Saturday morning television is geared for a younger generation, thereby demonstrating media's tendency to analyze, react, then present something new. Using this prescription, it becomes debatable whether or not a billboard is forcing a particular value acceptance on the viewer or if a billboard is more of a representation of given practices of a culture. If the latter is true, then perhaps we should examine our own emphases, our own priorities, and, yes, even our cultural values that exist in our country.

As I was arrogantly extolling the virtues of our country (which are certainly numerous), and reveling in our own self-righteous moral code, proud of our resistance to unbridled media-driven sexuality, it suddenly occurred to me that while we may not allow obvious nudity, we do, instead, frequently or even constantly accept violent images and visual human pain. We may indeed be squelching some sexual concepts at least visibly, and we may expect a kind of social protocol from our media, and we might even demand a family oriented type of visual experience, but, ironically, we are quite comfortable seeing murder, mayhem, destruction, and inflicted pain.

From animation to reality, our emphasis on our television sets is often on violence. German emphasis may be sexuality (at least from our perspective that is--I'm not convinced this is necessarily the reaction from the German people, but that is a subject for another essay!), but we replace that notion with an emphatic stress on violence. I am not prepared to state which country is wiser or which country will end up with fewer problems or which country has the higher crime rate or teen pregnancy (no doubt those statistic are available somewhere). I am prepared to question, however, our propensity for self-righteous attitudes as regards our own so-called protection of our young from nudity as opposed to violence.

Please understand I am not advocating in any sense that we allow or encourage the media to display public nudity on television or billboards. In fact, I often become uncomfortable with the extent of sexual themes encountered everyday on television and in the media. Like most parents, I fear that as cultural morals erode and as our acceptance of sexual behaviors takes on a lower standard, our society will one day suffer the consequences of unrestrained sexual action. Yet, my concern is that we have become desensitized to violent images and violent actions while remaining somewhat morally righteous in other areas. There seems to be an inconsistency in our media driven world that defies logic. So back to the question, does the media direct our value system or does it reflect it?

Whatever the answer to this question may be, there is no doubt in my mind that love in whatever form is always preferable to pain in any form.

Paying for certain privileges

Strolling through the famous train station at Leipzig, Germany, and experiencing delectable chocolate, ice cream, various shops, German bookstores, elderly people, young people, spiked hair, individual artwork, conservative attire, and liberal attire, and in thinking about the similarities between American culture and German culture, my often excessive over-indulgence in water caught up with me, and I felt a need to participate in a normal human function(please forgive me for discussing this somewhat indelicate topic in a blog, but there is a point to this essay!) which required the use of a public facility. So I began a somewhat urgent search for the necessary room.

Unfortunately, my quest was hampered by my limited German language skills and a marked lack of understanding of the visual signs pointing to the nearest facility. I soon became concerned with this problem and wondered about the possible solution when I looked up and recognized the universal sign for "men" and proceeded to the entry point. But, alas, I was without the 50 cents required for entry! Yet, all was not in vain, for a compassionate German lady perceived the difficult situation and handed me 50 cents, solving the problem and restoring my faith in human beings and the often forgotten practice of altruism.

But let's not discuss altruism and its ultimate self-serving benefits (as proposed by the philosophy of Objectivism), instead, let's talk about the condition of public restrooms in Germany as opposed to America. You see, they are immaculately clean. Unlike the restrooms often found in convenient stores in our country, German restrooms are not strewn with paper, discarded gum, water spots on a stainless steel mirror, acidic deterioration in the stalls, and layers of grime on the floors. I suppose some would claim to miss the philosophic wisdom usually found on the walls, but for me, I enjoyed the clean, blank walls, devoid of disgusting graffiti and suggestions that are usually impossible. To sum up, since I paid for it, I am glad it was a clean, nice environment.

Our commitment to having free, public facilities (this of course becomes a debatable topic since our tax dollars are actually paying for these accoutrements), such as parks and roads, makes us somewhat cavalier toward our sense of entitlement for these luxuries. When we have to reach into our wallets and our purses for money in order to use a necessary room, maybe it makes us appreciate the opportunity and the physical properties of the room, thus reminding us to maintain its fastidious facade. By not having to pay, our sense of ownership becomes negligible, with the recognition that anyone and everyone uses the same item. By its very nature of being available to all, the sense of personal pride becomes superfluous, resulting in a lack of care. Private property and ownership creates responsibility; whereas, free access for all results in an abdication of commitment and obligation.

The irony of free, public access is that ultimately it costs more to maintain the access than if individuals were forced to pay to use the facilities. Now I am not necessarily advocating that we insist on making all public facilities coin-operated. I am, however, insisting that we adopt a little more ownership with regard to the "free" necessary rooms, and treat these public places with more care and personal pride, without that feeling that someone else will clean up for us. Mostly, I think we should be more appreciative of the opportunities we have to use these facilities and work diligently to leave them in better condition than we found them. Perhaps, then, we could experience the cleanliness and order found in certain other countries.

Of course, there is always the possibility, that if we went to a pay system, there would be rampant use of nature for bodily functions, in addition to a disregard of personal modesty. So maybe, just maybe, we do have the right answers!