Now, some might read this story, and chalk it up to coincidence. Some might be able to provide psychoanalysis, and others might do some other third thing. But as for me, I think that the real Big Papi has His prints all over this.
This is a story of my musical journey...or a song about my musical journey, if you should so choose...except in song form, it will probably end up being as long as 'American Pie'.
Tragically, the autopsy revealed that the music would not have died had Don McLean not dragged it on for so long. A steady diet of whiskey and rye by the 'good ol' boys' didn't help matters.
Let's start back a little ways...when I was growing up, my dad played many weekends in local establishments, so I've always had some exposure to music. As a kid, I wanted to be a musician as well...I think it's natural for kids to want to be like their parents. In fact, I remember making up a song once, and then hearing that song on the radio later! I think I may have heard the song earlier, and then subconsciously credited myself as the author...or else this band sent people to spy on me and steal my awesome work. Unfortunately, we can never know for sure.
My dad is an amazing musician...one of those guys that can play guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, and free cell (not all at the same time, although that would be amazing also). I felt I could never measure up. I resisted any of his efforts to teach me, and I found myself embarrassed by my fledling efforts to even try. So basically, I just kinda let that die in me. I was in school band, and that was fun, but even then, I never really immersed myself in it. I was content just to get by. After high school, I kissed music goodbye, and set out on my voyage to...
Well, I didn't really have much of a plan. I just knew that it was not going to be a musical one. I guess I can't even say that...music was so far off the radar that it didn't even register as an option to not be an option. A couple years into college, though, I came into awareness of God, and my place within the cosmos. So now it's a clean, blank slate. The summer of 1999 (maybe a little before that, I don't do well with dates-that's what she said OOOOOHHHHHHH) I was placed into a relationship with music. The drummer at our church was leaving in the fall to go to college in Texas, and since we had been in band together in high school, I became the default option.
Now understand, I had never really played on a drum kit before. I had tried, sure, but I had never really done much with it. The most I could really do was play the intro to the song 'Wherever I may roam' by Metallica, and that was by myself with no one around. Needless to say, I struggled mightily in the beginning...I couldn't even keep a beat! I remember getting frustrated at the first practice, because I just couldn't keep up.
I'm not going to lie and say that the next day I woke up endowed with magical powers. I'm not even going to say that I had nothing to do with it. I'm sure that any dilligence (which is not as much as I'd like it to be, ashamedly) has played a role. But you're missing the point if that's what you're thinking about. This is the birth of vision, of passion, of something that I suddenly found enjoyable to do, something that had been previously dead to me.
For the sake of not killing the music or drying up the levy, I'll cut a few years out. Just know that I started to feel like God had music for me in the future. When I married Sara, this vision was solidified. Sara is AMAZING...she has a voice like an angel (with the wings to boot), and can play piano and violin. So we've really felt for a while like God has wanted us to do music.
Ahead another couple years. At Water's Edge church, I was really taken through a series of levels in my journey as a worshipping musician. I'm not going to go through these in depth like I'd wanted to, but I'll summarize them. But do know this, that at the beginning of each school year, for the past two years, I've been placed on a worship team other than what I'd wanted, and in turn I've been blessed with growth beyond my own imaginings. First, I learned that you can worship in musical technical excellence. I learned this from Rob, who teaches music at NMU and is the embodyment of musical knowledge. From Brent, I learned to start to be able to cut loose, and rock out, applying musical dynamics to the tune of the Spirit. I never really got to do that at my old church, we always played more reserved. And that brings us to now.
Charlie, who is an awesome man and one of the leaders at our church, came to our worship practice one night, and basically told us to push ourselves as musicians, to try things we've never tried before, and to not be afraid to fail. Now, what I just wrote is a paraphrase, but I can't even begin to summarize the impact that his words had for me. All my life, I'd been operating under this idea that in order to play for the Lord, that we needed to hold back...I've even been told this at one point. I always felt upset by this...I felt like I wasn't really able to worship, because I had to focus on sounding not fancy or not loud.
Then Charlie comes in, and says basically, 'be awesome for God'...and since then, it's been amazing! I've been trying new things, the worship band I'm in has been doing that as well, and together, we are starting to take our music to new levels. This has been way cool, and it's hard to imagine that at one time, I didn't even want to play drums!
There is an 'also going on' also going on, though. More background- I love rock music, have since high school, and ever since I've started to play drums, I wanted to be in a rock band. Several years ago, I had a couple garage band ventures with buddys that never got out of the garage (although one group was immortalized via Crappy Garage Recording, earning the timeless compliment from my dad 'Not all your songs sound the same').
So I had pretty much given that up, I wasn't even thinking about it at all. Then, lo and behold, earlier this semester I get the opportunity to play Beets songs in the NMU homecoming parade with some dudes from church. We rock, and take first place in our division. One of the most fun experiences of my musical life. Still, an afternoon of fun, and file it away...
Can't see the line, can you Russ?
Late October, the apartment complex I'm in does this little impromptu type music thing, Lincoln Rocks. So Matt, a friend from church and leader of the Beets, asks me to fill in on drums for this thing...again, music is on life support, so I'm cutting this story short. Long story short, I'm in this rock band that's awesome, we're making songs, and we're going to be recording those songs in December!
Now, I'm not saying that we're famous, or even going to be famous. We haven't made it, we've only played one gig. For all I know we might not go anywhere or do anything. But it's a rock band, and I'm playing in it. I'm happy. And this semester, Sara and I were just hoping to survive her return to school. Pursuing music was the furthest thing from our minds. In the midst of it all, God has been stirring our musical gifts and passions. Maybe it's because Sara is in the music program, and all this is subconscious desires and abilities brought to the surface by the change in our lives and routine. Maybe...
But to me, there are just too many variables for this to be coincidental, or subconscious. This is God, and God is moving in us. I'm not sure where He's taking us, but it's gonna be awesome!
So I wouldn't be grassroots if I didn't plug the band in a music blog. This is us, Baby Cannon. You can check us out at: www.myspace.com/babycannonplaid.
The best band you've never heard of. If you have heard of us, I guarantee we're ranked no lower than 234th.
No comments:
Post a Comment