Welcome to the first Tuesday of spring!!! Have you gotten used to the sun shining until bedtime yet? Despite the annual governmental interference into the "absolute" of time (Daylight Savings Time Side Effects), it is a glorious spring day here in Tuesday's Musical Notes land!!! We're glad you've decided to spend some time contemplating the melodic strains of the decades while meditating on the Messianic message of eternity.
This...is...Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!
(ok, so imagine James Earl Jones just said that...)
Each week The Notes visits the life of musical icons while we explore spiritual applications to the songs in which they write. Some of those visits include retrospectives on artists whose musical score in this life has come to its fine'. Such is our case today as we celebrate the contributions to our culture and to the popular music of Chuck Berry who passed away last Saturday at the age of 90. Go, go, go, Johnny go...
"Johnny B. Goode" is a semi-autobiographical song by legendary artist Chuck Berry. It has one of the most recognizable introductory guitar riffs in all of Rock-N-Roll and was ranked at #7 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It has been used in countless applications including television and movies. It's most famous "cover" was by Marty McFly in the movie Back to the Future...."ok, guys this is a blues riff in B, watch me for the changes...and try and keep up"
Autobiographical parts aside, "Johnny B Goode" speaks to a time when many people, especially the country boys back in the woods, were handed down their musical educations by parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, and community members who were considered family. These forerunners would infuse the passion for music in the next generation so much that young people would indeed pick up their instruments to start practicing as soon as they were done using the "tools of their trade" for the day or got all of their chores complete. Those who became adept at their craft did so because of the hard work and endless hours of practice that they put into it. Formal music education was not something for which the "one-room" schoolhouse would have had time. But a child's relatives would certainly use their non-work time in pursuits that included music and singing that would be passed on to younger talents.
There has been much discussion in recent days of funding for "arts" in our country. I am blessed to have a job whereby I am paid to get to do my musical calling. I do not take this for granted. However, I am curious as to why there is such an uproar regarding funding for something that at the founding of our country was accomplished by those who chose to enhance their community by providing resources for artistic endeavors. It was not something the fledgling government could have afforded.
With regards to the proposed budget, a March 16, 2017 article at NPR.org stated "CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) received $445 million in federal funding in the last fiscal year; the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) and NEH (National Endowment for Humanities) got about $148 million each — a tiny portion of the roughly $4 trillion federal budget." (Trump's Budget Plan Cuts Funding For Arts, Humanities And Public Media - NPR.org ).
In perspective, the article states that these amounts are "tiny" when compared to the overall national budget. In fact, it is less than 2% of that budget. However, compared to Tuesday's Musical Notes land budget, these are massive amounts of money that could be turned back to the states in the form of "arts" education in Public Schools for band, choir, theatrical arts, etc. Perhaps a local school band concert that charges nothing for entry is a better use of resources than watching the Boston Philharmonic, which is charged for admission for the live performance and is funded by private entities as well, performs hours of music that many do not watch. Let's face it if Sesame Street and the latest documentary by Ken Burns were so popular, why are they not winning their time slots? But I digress. Sorry. Rant. Over.
And now back to our previously scheduled blog, already in progress...
"Johnny B Goode" represents a time in music history as well as American history where parents seemingly played a more important part in their children's lives. In fact, the entirety of one's family played a more important role in the rearing of children than it appears they do today. Ponder this: Many in America wake up in the morning to get their children ready to spend 7-10 hours of the day at either a daycare, preschool or educational institution. Our point is that we pay, either through fees or taxes, someone who may not have our goals, beliefs, or ideologies, to spend time and care for the children with which we have been BLESSED. These caregivers, many of whom are exemplary, have the opportunity to "raise up" our child, at the very least, under the influence of their worldview. Is this a dereliction of duty?
We can not get back time that is lost with our kids.
The Bible has much to say with regards to the relationship we have with our children.
They are OUR responsibility. They are OUR legacy. They are OUR blessing...
I suspect that if Johnny was Goode at anything, it happened because a family member imparted wisdom, knowledge, love, care, and time into him. Playing guitar like ringing a bell came naturally for him as he had an older generation that emulated every strum that he practiced, they encouraged him every time a string would break, and they engendered an environment by which he would innovate his playing to the level for which he would become known. Not just in 1958, but 49 years later as well... You see it probably wasn't screaming fans, but a loving family that was singing...
Go... go...go...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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