Thank you for attending music sessions at the NAD Teacher's Convention. Below I've provided links to one PowerPoint and a PDF of selected resources. For Music Spa participants, a great source for similar activities is the Higgins & Campbell book, Free to Be Musical.
Also, a teacher asked for recommendations for beginning piano methods. For traditional early beginner piano lessons, I like the way two series are organized: Hal Leonard Piano Lessons Series by Kreader, Kern, Keveren, and Rejino, or Alfred's Premier Piano Course by Alexander, et al. They both come with cd's if desired, which have accompaniments for duets. Either publisher will probably send a complimentary copy for preview. For older beginners (4th grade and up), I like Alfred's Adult Beginner Series. Hope that helps!
Music Resources
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/83150403/KWilliams%20Music%20Resources.pdf
PowerPoint Information
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/83150403/Help%21%20I%20have%20to%20teach%20Music%21%20Ref.pdf
Friday, August 10, 2012
Friday, November 20, 2009
Muses and Mentations
Okay, if we humans could figure God out, He wouldn't be much of a God, would He? And if we could fix everything ourselves, we wouldn't need His help. Well . . . He already told us His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and we obviously can't fix everything ourselves [see: current state of the world]. Logical conclusion: we need God.
But what kind of God are we looking for? Who do we expect to show up? Evidently, there's Who we think we need, and Who we really need. Depending on our readiness and openness, what we get lies somewhere along that spectral range.
Example #1: God in the role of Santa Claus. St. Nick, that validation for excessive dining, comes to town every year [earlier and earlier, it seems!], and if he's good to us on December 25, we wish he'd stay around year-round granting our every wish. Sometimes we expect God to take his place, and even try to make deals with Him so when He checks His list twice for the naughty and nice part, we'll be good if we can get . . . .
Or how about Example #2, the “bless me, Father, for I have sinned, but please don’t punish me” syndrome. You know you’re wrong, and consequences are warranted, but you’re hoping His benevolent grace and mercy kick in and spare you the pain one more time. If you’re spared, God’s still your Main Man [high five!]. If you end up suffering the consequences anyway, maybe you didn’t ask forgiveness for enough things and God’s mad at you [too bad to be forgiven?]. Or maybe they were right after all—God doesn’t exist and you missed your chance to evolve to a higher level of existence.
Or just maybe God’s lost interest in you since He does, after all, have to run the universe [“What’d you say you needed child, a job? Don’t you still have a roof over your head and food on your table? Can you wait your turn while I try to interest somebody in helping those AIDS orphans alleviate their swollen bellies? By the way, since you have a little more time, can YOU help?”]. Still needing that kind of God that will work the program your way, eh? Kindly refer back to paragraph one. Yep, you’re back at square one.
From human observation, God is a God of paradoxes—you know, give and you will receive, follow Me and I will make you a leader of men, five loaves and two fish equals dinner for 10,000 [less is more, you know], etc. Although it’s difficult to fathom, one of those close-to-home paradoxes is pondering the promise of riding upon the high places of the earth and being fed with the heritage of Jacob [a rich man], your ancestor. This ponderance is especially difficult when you’re wondering where your next meal is coming from, when nothing in your life seems to be as you desired, and you’ve been emotionally beaten into a depressive stupor. You have now entered your own personal “Twilight Zone” [hear the theme music?]. You’re between your perceived reality, fed by an old enemy’s emotional manipulation, and faith-filtered reality. Twilight Zone. Nothing feels real or right.
What do the self-help gurus keep saying—visualize! “Learn to use the power of your mind and the energy of the universe to get what you want out of life!” Close, but no cigar. Mahalia had it right—“move on up a little higher”. Come on, dip in that Bethesda pool and be healed [where’s Rev. Ike and his prayer cloths when you need ‘em?]. Andre said, “Stop depending on your feelings, and start trusting in His word.”
That leads to Example #3, the “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” end of the spectrum. Whoa, there, pilgrim--mature Christian talk ahead! What, you thought “faith” was cute Christian-speak? In God’s lexicon, faith is a serious action verb, to be accessed and used much more than spoken. Oh, you thought if you could see the light at the end of the tunnel, then you could believe? Anh [buzzer sound], wrong! Faith is KNOWING God knows how to work your life WHILE you are still in that dark tunnel with locomotives coming from BOTH ends! Even if you NEVER see how it works out in your lifetime. Visualize that!
Faith is worthless sitting on that shelf with that Bible and potentially live connection with an on-time God. “Lord, I believe—help thou my unbelief!”
But what kind of God are we looking for? Who do we expect to show up? Evidently, there's Who we think we need, and Who we really need. Depending on our readiness and openness, what we get lies somewhere along that spectral range.
Example #1: God in the role of Santa Claus. St. Nick, that validation for excessive dining, comes to town every year [earlier and earlier, it seems!], and if he's good to us on December 25, we wish he'd stay around year-round granting our every wish. Sometimes we expect God to take his place, and even try to make deals with Him so when He checks His list twice for the naughty and nice part, we'll be good if we can get . . . .
Or how about Example #2, the “bless me, Father, for I have sinned, but please don’t punish me” syndrome. You know you’re wrong, and consequences are warranted, but you’re hoping His benevolent grace and mercy kick in and spare you the pain one more time. If you’re spared, God’s still your Main Man [high five!]. If you end up suffering the consequences anyway, maybe you didn’t ask forgiveness for enough things and God’s mad at you [too bad to be forgiven?]. Or maybe they were right after all—God doesn’t exist and you missed your chance to evolve to a higher level of existence.
Or just maybe God’s lost interest in you since He does, after all, have to run the universe [“What’d you say you needed child, a job? Don’t you still have a roof over your head and food on your table? Can you wait your turn while I try to interest somebody in helping those AIDS orphans alleviate their swollen bellies? By the way, since you have a little more time, can YOU help?”]. Still needing that kind of God that will work the program your way, eh? Kindly refer back to paragraph one. Yep, you’re back at square one.
From human observation, God is a God of paradoxes—you know, give and you will receive, follow Me and I will make you a leader of men, five loaves and two fish equals dinner for 10,000 [less is more, you know], etc. Although it’s difficult to fathom, one of those close-to-home paradoxes is pondering the promise of riding upon the high places of the earth and being fed with the heritage of Jacob [a rich man], your ancestor. This ponderance is especially difficult when you’re wondering where your next meal is coming from, when nothing in your life seems to be as you desired, and you’ve been emotionally beaten into a depressive stupor. You have now entered your own personal “Twilight Zone” [hear the theme music?]. You’re between your perceived reality, fed by an old enemy’s emotional manipulation, and faith-filtered reality. Twilight Zone. Nothing feels real or right.
What do the self-help gurus keep saying—visualize! “Learn to use the power of your mind and the energy of the universe to get what you want out of life!” Close, but no cigar. Mahalia had it right—“move on up a little higher”. Come on, dip in that Bethesda pool and be healed [where’s Rev. Ike and his prayer cloths when you need ‘em?]. Andre said, “Stop depending on your feelings, and start trusting in His word.”
That leads to Example #3, the “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” end of the spectrum. Whoa, there, pilgrim--mature Christian talk ahead! What, you thought “faith” was cute Christian-speak? In God’s lexicon, faith is a serious action verb, to be accessed and used much more than spoken. Oh, you thought if you could see the light at the end of the tunnel, then you could believe? Anh [buzzer sound], wrong! Faith is KNOWING God knows how to work your life WHILE you are still in that dark tunnel with locomotives coming from BOTH ends! Even if you NEVER see how it works out in your lifetime. Visualize that!
Faith is worthless sitting on that shelf with that Bible and potentially live connection with an on-time God. “Lord, I believe—help thou my unbelief!”
Friday, October 30, 2009
Currents: Hymnspot
Live Out Thy Life Within Me
The text of the hymn "Live Out Thy Life Within Me" by Frances Havergal caught my attention this week (especially verse 3!). Frances was a PK, living in 19th century England. She was quite a linguist, a prolific writer. She said of her hymns,
"Writing is praying with me, for I never seem to write even a verse by myself, and I feel like a little child writing. You know a child would look up after every sentence and say, 'And what shall I say next?' This is just what I do."
Samuel Wesley, also of England and a grandson of the great hymn-poet Charles Wesley, wrote the hymn tune most commonly associated with this hymn. He was the son of a musician, and became a noted organist (no pun intended :-o) and church musician in the mid 19th century. He was famous for his organ improvisation, and for a determination to improve the standards of church music and the status and salary of musicians (hear, here!).
Here is the hymn (tune coming later!):
Live out Thy life within me, O Jesus, King of kings!
Be Thou Thyself the answer to all my questionings;
Live out Thy life within me, in all things have Thy way!
I, the transparent medium Thy glory to display.
The temple has been yielded, and purified of sin;
Let Thy Shekinah glory now shine forth from within,
And all the earth keep silence, the body henceforth be
Thy silent, gentle servant, moved only as by Thee.
Its members every moment held subjct to Thy call,
Ready to have Thee use them, or not be used at all;
Held without restless longing, or strain, or stress, or fret,
Or chafings at Thy dealings, or thoughts of vain regret.
But restful, calm, and pliant, from bend and bias free,
Awaiting Thy decision, when Thou hast need of me.
Live out Thy life within me, O Jesus, King of kings!
Be Though the glorious answer to all my questionings.
Source: Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal and Companion to the Hymnal, #316.
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