Music Matters
July 2007
Bloom Where You’re Planted
Creating vibrant music ministry in worship can be a big challenge.
Are you thinking, “Duh! THAT’s the understatement of the year!”?
It is true that God provides fabulous gifts to us as music ministers – gifts
of inborn talent, of marvelous musical instruments, of beautiful worship spaces,
of inspired musical compositions, of enthusiastic participants and supporters of
the arts in worship. But it is also true that our use of these gifts is often
thwarted by a variety of obstacles. One hurdle in particular is the focus of
this month’s Music Matters column: the challenge of creating music in an
artistically apathetic worship environment. What should we as musicians do,
when faced with “less-than-enthusiastic” or even negative response by some to
the arts in our congregations?
 Bloom where you’re planted. Do what you can do.
I have a friend, Robert DeBruyn, who, when he was in high school, wanted
nothing more than to sing in the choir. The problem was, he wasn’t a very good
singer. Instead of finding an outlet for Bob’s enthusiasm, his music teacher
told him that he wasn’t welcome in her choir, and perhaps he should find
something else to do. What’s more, the talented kids who made it into the choir
treated him like he was worthless as a person since their gifts were clearly
superior to his. Bob got the message loud and clear: “Go away.”
Bob did have many talents in other areas, so he left music behind and pursued
his interests in football, science, and other studies. After high school and
college, he became a teacher and then a very successful businessman. He founded
a company called The Master Teacher, which today provides training for teachers
in over 12,000 schools and districts in all fifty states, every province in
Canada, and twenty-two other countries. (See
www.masterteacher.com/about.cfm for more information.) Bob is a
self-made success story! But he still carries with him the musical snub he
received in high school.
For the past 29 years, Bob’s company has completely funded a fully-scholarshiped
Summer Choral Institute for talented high school singers. During this week-long
intensive course, exceptional vocalists specifically chosen for this program are
given expert instruction in how to be better musicians. But more important to
Bob, every year he personally meets with the students and talks to them about
how to be better people. He tells them
why it’s essential to have the arts in schools – and why it’s crucial that they,
as amazingly talented young people, take seriously the responsibility to mentor
and encourage their less-talented peers. Instead of letting his high school
experience have a negative effect on his life, he’s turned it into something
very positive. Over the years, Bob’s message and values have been passed on to
literally thousands of talented high school musicians, who in turn have impacted
their schools, families, and communities.
Bloom where you’re planted. Do what you can do.
I have another friend, Aaron Zimmerman. He’s a couple of generations younger
than Bob, and as far as I know, they’ve never met. But they’re “cut from the
same cloth.” Aaron is an amazingly talented young man. He plays multiple
instruments (has taught himself many of them), composes and arranges music, is a
conductor, and will soon complete his master’s degree in music.
Unfortunately, some congregations give musicians like Aaron a negative
message like Bob got from his high school choir director. Through action or
apathy, words or behavior, the message some musicians receive is loud and clear:
“Go away.” You may have experienced this type of reception from some in your
congregation or its leadership. I don’t know if Aaron has, but from what I’ve
heard in responses to these columns, it’s a common experience.
Instead of rehashing the stories of these challenges with fellow musicians –
a habit too many of us fall into – Aaron has chosen to create opportunities for
himself, other musicians, and local congregations in his area. He recently sent
out an e-mail to church leaders, which said in part:
I would like to offer the services of the newly formed Church Musician's
guild. The purpose of the group is to bring high quality, live chamber music to
Community of Christ worship services around the Kansas City area. We can cater
the music for any services to any particular needs your congregation may have.
For example, the group could accompany the hymns, provide special music,
accompany a soloist from your congregation in a ministry of music, play the
prelude and postlude. I will arrange each piece that you would like for the
group, so I can tailor each piece specifically to any needs you may have. If you
are interested in this idea, I would love to discuss it with you further, as
well as any specific upcoming dates on which we could play.
(If you are a musician in the Kansas City area, and would be interested or
know someone who might be interested in joining this group, contact Aaron at
816-210-7040 or
apzm94@umkc.edu.)
Bloom where you are planted. Do what you can do.
May we all endeavor to follow the fine example of these two men wherever we
each are planted.
Go! Bloom! Do!
—Jan Kraybill
If you have suggestions or ideas for future columns, please contact:
Jan Kraybill
Principal Organist and Director of Music
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA
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