BreakPoint Blog
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A New Rendition of the National Anthem Alfonzo Rachel is one of my newest favorite cultural commentators. He is young, hip, and funny. I just found out that he also plays a mean guitar. Rachel's commentary concerning unorthodox versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," especially Jimi Hendrix's version, is interesting. He maintains it's that our American Experiment that allows people flexibility to express themselves differently, and that we should consider "changing our approach" to cultural engagement. Rachel's commentary goes well with Eric Metaxas's commentary about LifeWay Christian Stores pulling "The Blind Side" of their shelves. It's just something to consider. |
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About ready to hop in my Z and “toodle” out (at mach 0.26) to Cali for some Peet’s coffee and Peet’s jazz. And then make a run up to Portland to see my other West Coast buds. And, of course, make the return trip to SC by way of Idaho and DC to make my joy complete.
Sorely tempted.
I try to play jazz on guitar, and one of my motivations is that I think playing jazz can express our freedom in Christ: in jazz, one can play with the rhythm, play with the melody, play with the harmony. But there is also discipline involved, so that one cannot play just any old thing; instead, if a musician is good, what he or she is playing is linked directly to the chord structure, 'the skeleton', of the song. And as my guitar teacher Mimi Fox said to me in our very first lesson, "Don't forget, we are PLAYING music." In jazz, one can express freedom, one can be playful, yet one must also be quite disciplined-- to me, this sounds like quite a good comparison to significant aspects of the Christian life.
My lament, of course, is that I'm not a better musician, and there is so much that as yet I am unable to express musically...
(As an aside, after I began to take lessons, I remember on occasion stopping just to stop and contemplate my fingertips, because, as a guitarist, that is where the music emerges. It's a remarkable thing to me, that everything I have lived, everything I feel, all of the music in me tries to come out through maybe one square inch total of fingertips. Praise God for this wonder!)