Hey there! It's Tuesday and it's time for the only blog of its kind on the internetosphere, it's Tuesday's Musical Notes! Did you hear the trumpet fanfare? Maybe that was a Jazz lick...
I confess my affinity for all kinds of music (and we hope Tuesday's Musical Notes reflects that affinity). I even have a unique passion for music that many consider "children's" music. There are lessons to be learned from kids' music that are more effectively communicated in that style. I learned the alphabet by singing the "ABC" song. I learned all kinds of great lessons about math, science, civics, and history by growing up and then raising my kids on Schoolhouse Rock. (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Three Is A Magic Number" (Schoolhouse Rock - Bob Dorough)) Even proper respect, ok let's call it what it is...a terror, for treetops and tops of clocks ("Rock-a-bye baby", "Hickory Dickory Dock") came from the pleasant tunes with frightening lyrics that can be "classic" children's songs. Perhaps you are nodding your head right now as you are beginning to understand the groove I'm layin' down. 
These songs can be very simple, but more times than not, they are pretty complex, especially from a musician's perspective. We've mentioned many times how our education in classical music has benefitted from the songs of Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart being included occasionally as the underscore for some of our favorite Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and Disney animated shows. You can't get much more complex than that. Again, understanding achieved.
Now that we all can agree about the contributions of Kid's music (Did the "Bluey Theme Song" just pop into anyone else's head?) in rounding out our education and growth as humans, I must also confess that I probably wouldn't be listening to any kind of Jazz music (see aforementioned comment on complexity) were it not included as the backdrop for animated shorts and features that I watched growing up. That being said, let's provide one of the best examples...
Some of the most endearing children's literature ever written is well, let's face it, kind of depressing. Enter Walt Disney. He was a master and his company has continued the tradition of taking some of the most interesting, yet tragic, stories and making them into something the entire family can enjoy. Here at The Notes, we call it "sanitizing". I'm not being negative when using this word, it just best describes what The Disney Company has done to many Children's stories that quite honestly, I wouldn't like if I read them in their original state. I'm a "hero rides off into the sunset with the damsel in distress", "hero/heroine always wins in the end" kinda guy. So Disney's sanitizing of these stories is ok by me.
A case in point is the 1894, classic tale by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book. It was the last animated feature produced by Walt Disney himself, as he died during its production. I confess that I have never read the Kipling story, but in previewing the synopsis of it, the creatives at Disney took the base story and made it into their own. Including, of course, a musical underscore and songs that are still being sung and recorded today.
"I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" was written by Disney Songsmiths, The Sherman Brothers. They were brought into the film's production to use music to lighten the mood in some of the scarier portions of the film. The brothers wrote all of the music for the movie save one. They did not write the signature song for the film "The Bare Necessities". It was the only song retained from the original music written by songwriter/folksinger Terry Gilkyson. (Most of his early songs for the movie matched the original storyline and were deemed too dark).
The Sherman Brothers brought their classic optimism and upbeat grooves to the film as evidenced by today's featured song. The best way to describe the origins of today's song is to let one of the composers do it himself.
Jazz great Louis Prima adds his voice to King Louie and during the "scat" section of the song, Phil Harris (Baloo) was supposed to repeat what Prima had been doing. Their vocals were recorded in two different sessions and when it came Harris' time to lay his repeat of Prima's scat down, Harris decided to do a scat of his own making which became the beautiful back and forth that arrived in the film.
The song describes King Louie's desire to be more like a man. I don't know about you, but I have been witness to some ape-like behavior from people who should have had the same desire. (Seen any Tik Tok videos lately?)
I read about one such account of an ape wanting to be like a man just the other day...
When last we left Saul, he was in Damascus and had just received his sight after having been blinded by his encounter with Jesus. He had taken some nourishment and regained his strength. He was going to need all the strength he could muster as God had some pretty big plans for his life.
Scripture tells us that Saul, who would have been very knowledgeable in Scripture because he was a Pharisee, hung out with the disciples in Damascus in an attempt to be more like them. The Scripture also describes the urgency that Saul had in going to the synagogue to teach Jesus as the Son of God. 3 of the 4 references say that Saul went immediately to the synagogue. His message confused many as Saul's reputation had preceded him. He had come to Damascus to arrest the very ones he now claimed to have joined. Their confusion turned to frustration as Saul refuted their arguments regarding Jesus, proving that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah for which they had so long been waiting.
After many days their ire soon became action as the Jews in Damascus began plotting to kill Saul. This plot became known to Saul and the Damascus disciples who quickly devised a means by which Saul could escape. They found an opening in the wall around the city and during the night lowered him through that opening in a basket so he could leave.
After he departed from Damascus, Saul made his way to Jerusalem. Because of his reputation, many of the disciples there were afraid of him. Yet, Barnabas befriended Saul and made a defense of his conversion and desire to be like Jesus to the disciples. Saul became one of the most outspoken of the disciples in Jerusalem as he continued his transformation into Christ's likeness. His boldness proved to draw the attention of the religious rulers of Jerusalem as it had in Damascus. So much so, that these rulers sought Paul's life as well. Upon hearing of this and realizing God's hand on Saul's life, the Jerusalem apostles and disciples sent Saul back to his home of Tarsus where he continued to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God and become more and more like Him.
The church in Israel saw peace at this time and grew in numbers as they continued in the fear/respect of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and tried to be like Jesus.
Most folks will attest to there being someone in their life to which they have said, "I wanna be like you." Our character is developed by those we attempt to emulate, whether they be parents and family, or mentors. We are all influenced by someone. This begs the questions, "What is motivating that desire to be like them?" "What characteristics about that person(s) draw us to them and encourage us to imitate them?" What is it about them that makes us wanna sing...
"...Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll see it's true, someone like me
Can learn to be like someone like you..."
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll see it's true, someone like me
Can learn to be like someone like you..."
Later on in his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul (name changed, that's a Note for another day) encourages the believers to do much the same:
The cool thing is that we get to choose. There are only two choices, however, choose Jesus/reject Jesus. Jesus is the one we wanna be like. He is the One who died so that our broken relationship with God can be repaired permanently. He is the One who loves us so much that He would do anything to be with us forever. I don't know about you, ooo, ooo, but someone like me ee, ee will choose to be like someone You...take me home Daddy!!!
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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