I’ve never really considered myself a leader. I’m really more of a get-er-doner. Don’t get me wrong; we need both in this world. But get-er-doners don’t always make good leaders and vice versa. A leader should lead by example which means that sometimes he/she is a get-er-doner. The major problem with get-er-doners is that sometimes they forget that there are others around to help. They often insist on doing it on their own. They see a problem and set about rectifying it, sometimes without even checking to see if someone else is already working on the problem. There are even get-er-doners that believe that they don’t need anyone else and that they are quite capable of doing it all themselves. The thing that get-er-doners have to learn (including me) is that service is a privilege. It is its own blessing. When we decide we don’t need others involved we deny them the blessings that we are experiencing. It’s true, there are people who just don’t want to get their hands dirty, but if they do want to get involved, who am I to deny them? I do not always have to be at the head of the class or in front of the platoon. Maybe if I get out of the way, they will find that leadership gene and experience the blessings that I experience.

My music is like that. I’ve written things for solo instruments and I have put solos into my orchestral arrangements. There is certainly a time and place for going solo. But what happens when you add another instrument? Well, you get a lot more that harmony. You get all the tonal qualities, the craftsmanship of the creator of the instrument, the skill and emotion of the musician and yes, you get harmony. And if you add another instrument and then another, you compound all those qualities. There are things I can do with a group of instruments that I could never accomplish with a single instrument.

There is a time and place for both. I know I need to treat my life more like my orchestrations and allow the other instruments to come through. It not only accomplishes more but it makes life interesting. How boring life would be if I was the only person in the world, never able to harmonize with anyone else. How much more exciting life is when I take a back seat and just listen to the sound as others play and harmonize. Oh, there are moments when I have to step up to the plate but it takes nine men on a team to play baseball. Sometimes, it is just best to realize your place in the music and give it all you got. It may be a solo, it may be the melody, it may be the harmony, it may be the baseline but if you don’t do your part, something is off. Something is missing. The same is true if you don’t let others do their part. It is the coming together of all the parts that makes the difference between a nice piece of music and a masterpiece. Now imagine God as the conductor… That’s just awesome!