Slaying the Creative Dragon

Amy and I are so very much alike in many ways... but, oh so different in others. For instance, when it comes to  the ways in which we approach learning a new song we are, like the colors of the keys on a piano, polar opposites!

Amy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Musical Theatre. As a performer and vocalist she is exceedingly well trained in addition to being incredibly gifted. She knows, better than anyone I've ever had the pleasure of sharing a stage with, how to nail down her moves, lines and notes with pinpoint precision. When it comes to learning a new piece of music she is an astute student and will reproduce the original artist's performance, tempo, rhythm, note and nuance as accurately as possible within an instant of hearing the piece.

She will tell you that she is in her element as a member of the chorus where she can blend in and offer support to the lead players from the ensemble. Personally, I think she's nuts. Although I do agree that she has the perfect ingredients for a great chorus member, she also has oh so much more to offer downstage center and in the spotlight. I think she is amazing. On top of this she has a great ear for lyrics. The girl knows the words to every song ever written including TV commercials, children's songs, radio jingles, Gregorian Chants, and songs not yet even written. It really is annoying!

I, on the other hand, am completely self taught and don't share Amy's propensity for xerox-like reproduction of an original piece. I am in my element when I can mold and create something new, something imagined, something more personal out of the original. For me the original is a more of a foundation upon which to build a new personalized expression. I want to bring a distinct point of view. I want to be inspired and then let that inspiration find a new perspective to further generate new inspiration from others. That's an artsy-fartsy way of saying I don't think I'm nearly as talented as Amy, but relatively creative and charismatic! I don't possess the same detailed skills necessary to emulate another's performance.  I make a lousy chorus member. In an ensemble I stick out like a sore thumb. I tend to re-write and improvise on the fly, but I have no trouble standing out in front bringing a spirited and engaging interpretation with skill and ease. I've always believed that I'm not quite gifted enough to be in the chorus, but I can definitely play the lead. Amy thinks I'm nuts. She sees abilities in me to which I'm blind much in the same way that I see the same in her. I don't however, share her gift for lyrics. If you've been to one of our shows you may have noticed this! I do, however, have an ear for music and can listen to something once and reproduce it... with my own interpretation of course!

Last weekend Amy and I provided all the music for our church worship service. We love our church. It's very contemporary, very honest, and full of some extremely colorful people. Our church is called Discovery. Its website is, imho, pretty bad but you can check it out at www.discoverychurchnj.com.

Earlier in the week we selected songs for the service. We needed five songs, two moderate to uptempo pieces for the beginning of the service, and what I call the three song journey - one reflective piece to transition to one moderate tempo piece to segue to a final uptempo celebrative song to send everyone out on a high note at the end of the service. We selected our five songs, all familiar to our congregation and ourselves, however Amy and I had never performed three of the five songs and so we needed to "work them out." This is where we begin the process of slaying the creative dragon.

Discovery Church regularly uses full bands for the music on Sundays. The bands are made up of volunteers who occasionally need a break from the rigors of preparing, rehearsing, and the performing every week. This is where Amy and I come in. I like to think of ourselves as providing the "Understudy Ministry!" We fill in from time to time to give the bands a break. In addition, I deliver the message (that's preach for you traditionalists) about once a month to help support our Lead Pastor. Thus, the Understudy Ministry! Of course, when Amy and I provide the music it's a big sonic, as well as visual change from the big band to one keyboard and only two vocalists. As such there is no way that we can reproduce the same sound and/or feel that our bands provide. This, for me is a world of opportunity! This, for Amy, is a freaking nightmare! Change is inevitable...

We download the three songs into iTunes to get a feel for the original. We compare this to what our bands typically do on Sundays. Then Amy and I go to the piano. This is where the real battle begins. I start to play the song like we've heard it. We begin to sing together and then all hell breaks loose. Amy is spot on with reproducing the "Discovery vocals." I, on the other hand, have instantly realized that we need to begin changing the arrangement because it just doesn't feel right and have stopped playing the familiar and have begun noodle-ing on the keys to find a better fit. She looks at me with that, "here we go into the unknown again" smile through clenched teeth, and I glance back with my "don't be so stinking rigid" grin. The swords are drawn. The dragon's firery breath raises the emotional temperature in the room. We try again.

This time I bring a different feel to the arrangement. It's fresh. It's unique. It's creative. Amy takes this brilliant new invention of mine and... proceeds to mangle it all up by singing the exact same thing as before. "What are you doing? You've got to feel this!," I quip. "What are you doing?! That's not the way it goes!," she drones. Slight pause. I take a second to remember that Jesus loves not only the hard-hearted, but also the hard-headed... and back to noodle-ing I go.

Take 3 - another feel to the song. I play. We sing. Train wreck! The dragon is blasting with the heat of a furnace against our creative armor. More than emotional temperature is now rising. Take 4. Take 5! Take 6!! Ok time to save the marriage... Take a break!

We do so and are able to remind ourselves that the dragon is our enemy, not one another. Together, without compromise, we can create something new while maintaining the familiar and slay this dragon once again. You see, we're both right when it comes to our different approaches to this particular challenge. We'll be leading the congregation in singing songs they already know and have learned to sing in a specific way. We need to not confuse them and so distract from the reason that we sing. But we're also not able to recreate the sound or feel a band with drums, guitars, keys, bass, and numerous vocalists has, and so need to create a solid, confident, creative alternative perspective that is easy to sing with and plays to our strengths so that everyone benefits.

Take 7. I begin to play. Hmmm... yeah.... there it is. There's the grove. My fingers have connected with my heart. I look at Amy. Her eyes are closed and I see I've also connected with her head. It's a totally different foundational feel. The rhythms are well suited for a solo piano to carry the melody without a band. The sound is full, complete. We begin to sing. We sing the song like our congregation knows it. The melody, rhythms, phrasing all fits beautifully with the new arrangement. It flows. Amy and I share a knowing smile. The dragon gives ground. We continue and stop here and there to collaborate. She helps me with a phrase. I help her with an interpretation. The songs takes on its own life. The temperature is cool now even as the music grows hot. The dragon is in full retreat. A new arrangement has been born. It's completely familiar and completely unique. It reflects the best of my amazing wife, and it's not so bad of me either.

We continue to tweak, practice, and perfect. The dragon has been slain. There was much rejoicing... until... song number two. Lord have mercy on our souls!

Comments

[randall murphy]

I enjoyed what you shared. It is so true....this is life. Our pastor says "there be dragons"!!!

Not to be misunderstood, I got it!! Thanks for the humor......
Peace,
rmurph

[Kathy Rosales]

I really enjoyed reading this post! All the time we were growing up I always thought you were very creative and charismatic. It's so good to see how happy you are, both in performing and in your personal life :)

[Teresa Rightmer]

Michael, That was wonderful! What a writer you are. I always wondered how in the heck you guys worked all that out. You should keep all these and write a book. It would be a best seller! And I'm not predjudice.