Every piece of music should contain certain things if you want people to remember it.  I’m not talking formula here.  I hate music created by formula.  I’m talking substance.  I’m talking essence.  I’m talking story line.  I know that there are people that would disagree with me over this because they confuse story line with purpose.  Bach’s inventions, for instance, were created to help pianists with their fingering and technique.  I am here to tell you, though, that I have never heard a Bach invention that doesn’t tell some kind of story while it is teaching you.  If you aren’t telling a story with your music, it all too often will wind up flat and unmoving.

Each and every piece of successful music has a beginning, middle and an end.  You have to have a beginning to get someone’s attention so that they will listen to the rest of the piece.  The middle must contain enough substance to keep the listener’s attention and speak to them while the end should leave then satisfied, knowing that they have heard what the composer and musician have to say.

I directed a play once that had wonderful characters.  It was from a play-writing competition.  I chose the piece because of the characters and their interaction with a moving plot.  It was very well crafted.  The only problem I had with the play was that the author was writing it as the first play in a trilogy.  For that reason, he did not bring closure to the play.  He meant for it to end somewhat like a television serial drama where the questions go unanswered at the end of each episode and if it is the season finale they leave you hanging until the following season.  But what happens if the show gets cancelled during the summer and the questions never get answered.  I’ve always felt that is a disservice to the audience.  You can leave them wanting for more without making them hate you for not finishing what you started.  I had to have a talk with the author and force a new ending on the play.  I just couldn’t leave everything unresolved knowing that we would probably never do the next two plays.

Music is the same way.  You must have a beginning, middle and an end.  You must have some sense of conflict and resolution.  That doesn’t mean that is has to be fast, loud or dissonant.  It simply means that you have to tell a story and the “the end” should leave the listener satisfied that they can now applaud.  Have you ever been to a performance where the audience did not know when to applaud?  It’s embarrassing.  It’s embarrassing for the composer, musicians, director and audience.  It is just not a good experience for anyone involved.

The ending can be subtle but still sure of itself.  It can also be blatantly obvious.  The point being that the ending should obviously be the ending and not leave the audience confused.

Life can be like that.  We start things that we don’t finish and leave people hanging.   Everything we do should have a beginning, middle and end.  If it doesn’t, we feel cheated; incomplete.  We become unsatisfied.  God wants us satisfied.  He expects us to finish the tasks He sets before us.  It brings fulfillment to not only ourselves, but those around us.  Take a look around at the project that God has you working and make a commitment to complete them in a timely manner.  Trust me, it will give you a true since of satisfaction and fulfillment and will open the doors for God to entrust you with bigger projects in the future.