I'm so amazed at GOD. I was worshiping alone on my trumpet. GOD gave me a brand, new song in my old format, Bebop (acoustic jazz). Haven't composed in the Jazz idiom in years. Suddenly I have a heavenly download of this song —parts, harmonies, and all, floating in my head. Not only that, GOD gives me the teaching that goes with the song. What's He saying? Go back and start playing Jazz again? Shine the light in dark corners?
THE MONK'S MONASTERY
That's the title. God showed me a way to dialogue with Him while I play. It's been almost 15 years since I abandoned playing in Jazz clubs and concert settings (I was directed by Holy Spirit to do so). I never stopped playing through these years. I mean, I didn't have the trumpet near, but I played constantly in my head, often moving my fingers on imaginary valves, in sync to the sounds that I heard. I have this way of buzzing my lips to approximate the trumpet. It keeps me fresh, as if I were actually playing the horn. If you're around me, at any given point you might notice my fingers moving while we're conversing. I "practice" incessantly. (Well actually, I don't practice, I don't even perform, I WORSHIP God incessantly. Totally different headspace!)
This song is about a monk in a monastery. It is instrumental at this point, until the lyrics are shot into my head. Prophetically speaking, it's about a Jesus disciple exploring the treasures in the Father's house. Lately (over the last 5 years), I've been having these encounters somewhat like in that book, The Final Quest. That's what this monk experiences in the Father's house.
For you musician-types, you might want to read my post in my other blog, sound vignettes, this describes the process that the Lord trained me in. I was already using this with my painting and writing. This opened the door to this blog for aural (music) worship, Sound Into Light. I have 5 blogs (with a 6th in the noggin.) but most are under construction. I'm going to modify this FB post and repost on the new music blog.
This new blog will have recorded vignettes of trumpeted love songs to/with/from Holy Spirit. First I have to get the moolah together to buy a high quality digital recorder and mixer (hint, hint, nudge, nudge - [whispered] "opportunity to plant seed!"). I do have the connections to recording studios and engineers, but I am looking into one (that a friend has) that is the size of an iPod, that gives pro results. I would then be able to record my daily worship to an audience of one (God).
TECHNICAL DETAILS: THE MONK'S MONASTERY
This was conceived as a 3 tonic composition. Multitonic Systems in music composition are an avenue I loved to explore when I wrote music in my Jazz days. This song structure is written in three equidistant key centers, G (C lydian), B and Eb. Multitonics are always in equidistant keys. you can have a 2, 3, 4, 6, even a 12 tonic structure. There isn't a 5 key multitonic, because 5 doesn't divide into 12 (12 keys), therefore no equidistance, no multitonic relationship. For you Jazz aficionados, John Coltrane wrote a tune in multitonics, Giants Steps.
The three keys reflect the Triune God, because the monk is walking around in God's monastery. He's in the house of the Godhead — the holy 3-in-1.
I didn't compose this by traditional means. I improvised while listening for God's song. I got the song with all its harmonic complexity before I could analyze it. The amazing part is this: I listen while playing, for the song of the Lord. The Holy Spirit sings it to me as I play. When I am accurate in relaying this song, the supernatural of God happens. It's not something inherent in me, it's the power of God that gets released. I've seen the downpouring of His presence when I was successful in communicating His song. This has nothing to do with natural skill level, other than that highly developed skill level helps one to be able to hear God's fire song. This also happens in other SURRENDERED artforms.
The Glory Realm descends. For the kingdom of darkness, that's the GORE-Y realm. They don't like it. They hate it. They work hard at preventing God's beloved ones from entering into this. The host of heaven are activated there. It's gore-y for the dark angels.
I've even seen it fall into a nightclub , back in the day. Not every one felt it. But somebody would inevitably come up to me during my break, asking me, "What is that in your sound? There's something gripping me in my gut." Their heart was cracked open. Then I would talk to them about the God that I serve, His name (Jesus),and how He loves them and is calling them. We'd pray together as directed by Holy Spirit.
In the scriptures, there was the 288 and the 4000. 288 singers and 4000 musicians in the Davidic tabernacle. They would march at the frontline in battles. A wall of worship would sound forth while God smote their enemies. This is what we are walking into around the globe in our modern day battle of Kingdom conflict. This is why it's so hard sometimes to enter in. We are actually in boot camp. The training is very hard. We might not realize that it's going on, but God has purpose in letting the enemy hit us hard (us meaning those who've whispered the dangerous prayers). He refines us, His foot-soldiers.
I might add, I'm not just talking about musicians or artists, all of us are worshipers. We all worship in the symphony of life. Our instrument is different with each person, but each has an instrument, perhaps yet undiscovered, to play in the Grand Symphony. Those instruments may not make sounds, they might not even be artistic in the ordinary sense. A rocket scientist can worship within his setting. An accountant can worship with his numbers and calculator. Just a slight turn of the head, a shift in awareness is all it takes to transcend in whatever your doing, to shift into worship (warrior) mode.
So worship your hearts out. Pour out the entire contents of His love shed abroad in you heart, there's more where that came from.
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Other details: 1) This tune is in the style of Jazz composer Thelonious Sphere Monk. How would you like a middle name like Sphere?
2) I wrote a tune when I was at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I titled it "The Loneliest Monk".
3) My brother Hank, who passed on in 1998, was nicknamed Monk by fellow bandmates. He was a piano player, as was Thelonious.
4) When I listen while playing, God often leads me into a personal bible study, while I'm playing. How cool is that? God wants to take advantage of every possible moment. He's really something.
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Suggested read: Sound Vignettes
