HELPING HORACE HELP HIMSELF
Some Christmas season a few years ago, at the suggestion of Thad Carlson, who introduced me to visiting inmates in the jails and prisons, I went with a friend to visit some “shut-ins” in our neighborhood with a Poinsettia as a holiday offering. I had volunteered to visit the home of Horace Baugh and his wife. The Baugh family had been important in my formative years, as they were a very musical family. Horace’s brother Frank had come to my elementary school to excite us in the creative possibilities of music. He had asserted that music was not necessarily the stuffy art form where people wear “penguin suits” in dark concert halls and play on fancy instruments...he maintained that music was everywhere. He brought bells and whistles and noise makers and made with great delight from us, witty and charming music. He was great! It was my hope in visiting with Horace that I could repay in some small way the joy that the Baugh family had brought to me. When we arrived, Mrs. Baugh quietly confided in us that her husband was very weak and was reluctant to receive visitors. She sadly acknowledged that he was “slipping away” as she put it. We explained that we would only stay a moment, but hoped to bring some holiday cheer. He let us in and took us to the reclining chair where Horace was seated. He looked frail but pleased to see us. We sat down, presented the flower and prepared to leave. In doing so, I asked if perhaps I could leave them with a song that I thought they might enjoy. I went to the piano and began to play “Christmas makes you feel emotional. It may bring parties ???and thoughts devotional. Whatever happens or what may be, ??? here is what Christmastime means to me...City sidewalks, busy side walks dressed in holiday style in the air there’s a feeling of Christmas, Children laughing people passing meeting smile after smile, and on every street corner you’ll hear... During the verse I heard someone moving towards me from behind. When I began the refrain “Silver bells....” I was singing a duet. Horace had gotten out of his chair and was standing beside me singing in perfect harmony the refrain of that wonderful song. When we finished, I turned to see his wife whose eyes were filled with tears of joy. Horace said “have you got any more?” I said “about a million”. We sang a few more at which point Horace said “Dear, don’t we have something we could serve these good people” he went off into the kitchen to prepare a refreshment for us. In his absence, his wife confided that he had not shown this kind of energy for months. What was it? The music!!! I do not mean to presume to say that any form of music will create such an effect, but I wonder how many times we have missed an opportunity by not trying. Mrs. Baugh began to use music more often and the last months of Horace’s life was filled with joy and fraternity with his grandchildren and friends. Is this really such a new discovery? The Greeks used music for healing and energizing millennia ago.
My Purpose
My Purpose
The purpose of this blog is to help people understand that music can be more then just entertainment, and what those things are. I want be able to help people with this blog. I don't know everything about music, I am still studying it, however, I will share what I have found. I hope you will be enlighted and edified by what I have to share. I worry that some people might turn a deaf ear to my blog if they read something on this blog that they don't agree with. I respect your beliefs. I don't agree with everything I read either. But I know you can find something that can help and interest you, if you just keep reading.
The purpose of this blog is to help people understand that music can be more then just entertainment, and what those things are. I want be able to help people with this blog. I don't know everything about music, I am still studying it, however, I will share what I have found. I hope you will be enlighted and edified by what I have to share. I worry that some people might turn a deaf ear to my blog if they read something on this blog that they don't agree with. I respect your beliefs. I don't agree with everything I read either. But I know you can find something that can help and interest you, if you just keep reading.
"Quotes Worth Mentioning"
QUOTES WORTH MENTIONING
When asked where his inspiration came from, Johannes Brahms said, "I immediately feel vibrations that thrills my whole being. These are the Spirit illuminating the soul power within, and in this exalted state, I see clearly what is obscure in my ordinary moods: Then I feel capable of drawing inspiration from above, as Beethoven ... Straighway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye but they are clothed in the right forms, harmonies, and orchestration. Measure by measure, the finished product is revealed to me when I am in those rare, inspired moods." "The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspiration is the same power that enabled Jesus to work his miracles. It is the same power that created our earth and the whole universe"
("Talks with Great Composers", Arthur M. Abell)
"Give me power over he who shapes the music of a nation, and I care not for who shapes it laws"
Napolian Bonaparte
“Intellectual enlightenment consists of instruction in the arts, numbers, history, speech, and government. Music consummates a man’s life, giving his rituals meaning. Music has a trensforming effect on its listeners, and should be the first principle of government.” -The Teachings of Confucius.
I quote some remarks between,Gene R. Cook, and Mik Jagger made a few years ago:
Cook: "I have the opportunity to be with a lot of young people. Many say your music does not affect them adversely in any way. Others say it effects them in a very bad way. What is your opinion? What is your impact?”
Jagger "Our music is calculated to drive the kids to sex. It's not my fault what they do. It's up to them. I'm just making a lot of money.”
Cook: He was in Mexico making a profane and pornographic music video because the cost is 1/3 there. In addition it is easier to produce such videos there at the moment. He explained that though such videos with explicit sexual behavior is illegal on US national television, it soon will be, and they want to have the videos ready. Now not only audio pornography can be portrayed, but they can view it as well. He was making more money this way."
Jagger:“It doesn't matter what you do in life, there are no rules. There is no god. You can take whatever you want. It doesn't matter."
"To encourage literature and the arts is the duty which every good citizen owns to his country."
George Washington
"Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it."
Aristotle
(more qoutes to come)
When asked where his inspiration came from, Johannes Brahms said, "I immediately feel vibrations that thrills my whole being. These are the Spirit illuminating the soul power within, and in this exalted state, I see clearly what is obscure in my ordinary moods: Then I feel capable of drawing inspiration from above, as Beethoven ... Straighway the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye but they are clothed in the right forms, harmonies, and orchestration. Measure by measure, the finished product is revealed to me when I am in those rare, inspired moods." "The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspiration is the same power that enabled Jesus to work his miracles. It is the same power that created our earth and the whole universe"
("Talks with Great Composers", Arthur M. Abell)
"Give me power over he who shapes the music of a nation, and I care not for who shapes it laws"
Napolian Bonaparte
“Intellectual enlightenment consists of instruction in the arts, numbers, history, speech, and government. Music consummates a man’s life, giving his rituals meaning. Music has a trensforming effect on its listeners, and should be the first principle of government.” -The Teachings of Confucius.
I quote some remarks between,Gene R. Cook, and Mik Jagger made a few years ago:
Cook: "I have the opportunity to be with a lot of young people. Many say your music does not affect them adversely in any way. Others say it effects them in a very bad way. What is your opinion? What is your impact?”
Jagger "Our music is calculated to drive the kids to sex. It's not my fault what they do. It's up to them. I'm just making a lot of money.”
Cook: He was in Mexico making a profane and pornographic music video because the cost is 1/3 there. In addition it is easier to produce such videos there at the moment. He explained that though such videos with explicit sexual behavior is illegal on US national television, it soon will be, and they want to have the videos ready. Now not only audio pornography can be portrayed, but they can view it as well. He was making more money this way."
Jagger:“It doesn't matter what you do in life, there are no rules. There is no god. You can take whatever you want. It doesn't matter."
"To encourage literature and the arts is the duty which every good citizen owns to his country."
George Washington
"Music has the power of producing a certain effect on the moral character of the soul, and if it has the power to do this, it is clear that the young must be directed to music and must be educated in it."
Aristotle
(more qoutes to come)
PLEASE NOTE: It would greatly benefit the reader to follow blog postings from the first post to the most recent. Using the Blog Archive in the left column of the page to jump to the oldest posts. For now I will see if I can find a way to display the posting in chronilogical order, first post to the latest post.
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