About ten years ago, I was on a trip with the high school band. We were waiting outside a building before we played at a band festival, and some people in the school choir started singing "Amazing Grace." This was a public school choir, and I'm sure some of the members weren't Christians. And at some point during high school, we played "Amazing Grace" in band. As I said, it was a public school.
Just last week, when someone asked me to play some music on the train on the way back from band practice, he asked me to play "Amazing Grace," and he may have been drunk or something. Before he made that request, I don't think he said anything that sounded spiritual, and he swore like a sailor. (I wrote about this encounter last week, and I didn't include most of the swearing.) It felt good to be asked to play that song in particular. It can be an honour to share God's grace in some small way.
I can't think of any other old hymn that has such a broad, timeless appeal.
What is it about this song that makes it so timeless and its appeal so broad, even to people who most of us wouldn't think are Christians? Could it be that they really do realize their need for God's grace but they don't want the "Christian" label? Or do they not believe in God but consider the song a simple and beautiful expression of a beautiful idea?
I know that some songs tend to cut through my own cynicism and doubt about Christianity, if only for a while. Sometimes it's simple, classic songs like "Amazing Grace" that do that best.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saxomaphone
Last Tuesday, I was on the train on the way home from band practice. After I got on the train and sat down, a guy had a question.
"What's in that case?" he asked, referring to my saxophone case. He sounded like he wasn't all there mentally, maybe drunk or mentally ill. (Some people have bad gaydar; I have trouble telling what's impairing a person mentally. And my gaydar probably isn't very good either.)
"A saxophone," I replied.
"Were you just rocking out?"
"I was at band practice."
I think he thought I was in a rock band or something, and I tried to explain what kind of band I'm in (a concert band, kind of like a high school band, but with adults), but he kept interrupting and didn't seem to get it. And he talked about Homer Simpson saying "saxomaphone." It was all semi-intelligible.
"You play guitar too?" he asked.
"No."
"You fucking asshole. You play music but you don't play guitar?" Judging by his tone of voice, he didn't mean this as a serious insult and he wasn't going to hurt me, but he was quite surprised that I play music but don't play the guitar.
Then he asked me to play something for him. So I asked where he's getting off, and he said he's getting off at the next stop, which is two stops from the end of the line. "But I'll stay on the train until the last stop if you play something." I found myself wondering if it's illegal to play a musical instrument on the train, but I guessed that nobody would care, so I started setting up the saxophone.
"You'd better rock out."
I was having trouble even thinking of a song that I remembered how to play, but as I finished setting up, I thought of a song we had just played at our concert last weekend called "Fidgety Feet." I think it's a ragtime song. We had the melody near the start of the song, so I played that small part of the song.
"Cool. Can I have your phone number?"
"Um. No."
I thought of another song that I know that would probably be more familiar: "Heartbreak Hotel." He seemed to enjoy it, and another guy on the train applauded a bit. I was starting to enjoy this.
"Do you know that Lisa Simpson song?" At first I thought he was referring to the part of The Simpsons theme song where Lisa improvs on the saxophone. That part of the theme song changes once in a while, so I don't remember any specific versions. Then he said something about Michael Jackson, so I thought he might be talking about the "Lisa It's Your Birthday" song. I didn't know how to play that song, but I remembered a little bit of The Simpsons theme song from when we played it in high school band. So I played a line or two of that song.
Then he asked me, "Do you know how to play 'Amazing Grace'?" I do know how to play it, so I played a verse. He tried singing along for a bit of it. Like his talking, it was semi-intelligible. We were almost at the end of the line, which is where I get off, so I started putting away the saxophone. He asked if I could play a bit more, but I said I have to go. As I got off the train, he was still sitting there, semi-intelligibly singing another verse of "Amazing Grace."
"What's in that case?" he asked, referring to my saxophone case. He sounded like he wasn't all there mentally, maybe drunk or mentally ill. (Some people have bad gaydar; I have trouble telling what's impairing a person mentally. And my gaydar probably isn't very good either.)
"A saxophone," I replied.
"Were you just rocking out?"
"I was at band practice."
I think he thought I was in a rock band or something, and I tried to explain what kind of band I'm in (a concert band, kind of like a high school band, but with adults), but he kept interrupting and didn't seem to get it. And he talked about Homer Simpson saying "saxomaphone." It was all semi-intelligible.
"You play guitar too?" he asked.
"No."
"You fucking asshole. You play music but you don't play guitar?" Judging by his tone of voice, he didn't mean this as a serious insult and he wasn't going to hurt me, but he was quite surprised that I play music but don't play the guitar.
Then he asked me to play something for him. So I asked where he's getting off, and he said he's getting off at the next stop, which is two stops from the end of the line. "But I'll stay on the train until the last stop if you play something." I found myself wondering if it's illegal to play a musical instrument on the train, but I guessed that nobody would care, so I started setting up the saxophone.
"You'd better rock out."
I was having trouble even thinking of a song that I remembered how to play, but as I finished setting up, I thought of a song we had just played at our concert last weekend called "Fidgety Feet." I think it's a ragtime song. We had the melody near the start of the song, so I played that small part of the song.
"Cool. Can I have your phone number?"
"Um. No."
I thought of another song that I know that would probably be more familiar: "Heartbreak Hotel." He seemed to enjoy it, and another guy on the train applauded a bit. I was starting to enjoy this.
"Do you know that Lisa Simpson song?" At first I thought he was referring to the part of The Simpsons theme song where Lisa improvs on the saxophone. That part of the theme song changes once in a while, so I don't remember any specific versions. Then he said something about Michael Jackson, so I thought he might be talking about the "Lisa It's Your Birthday" song. I didn't know how to play that song, but I remembered a little bit of The Simpsons theme song from when we played it in high school band. So I played a line or two of that song.
Then he asked me, "Do you know how to play 'Amazing Grace'?" I do know how to play it, so I played a verse. He tried singing along for a bit of it. Like his talking, it was semi-intelligible. We were almost at the end of the line, which is where I get off, so I started putting away the saxophone. He asked if I could play a bit more, but I said I have to go. As I got off the train, he was still sitting there, semi-intelligibly singing another verse of "Amazing Grace."
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Irish accents
This morning on The Bear (a local radio station), Yukon Jack went on a rant complaining about fake Irish accents. (To hear it, go to the Yukon's Big Yap page and listen to the March 17 thing. But at the time of writing, it's not posted yet.)
This got me thinking. I wonder if St. Patrick could do a good Irish accent. Because he wasn't Irish either.
This got me thinking. I wonder if St. Patrick could do a good Irish accent. Because he wasn't Irish either.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Shameless self-promotion
This Sunday at 2:30, I have a concert! I'm playing the alto saxophone in a band of about 50 people. The concert is in the Old Strathcona area of Edmonton. Tickets cost $5 to $12, depending on your age and when you buy them. There's more information available on the Cosmopolitan Music Society website. Hope to see you there!
And there will be food afterward.
And there will be food afterward.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Being an elite athlete is overrated
"StrengthPlanet.com reveals that the average elite athlete will die by the age of 67, considerably lower then the 76 year life expectancy of the average North American."
--"Fame's Dark Shadows", Edmonton Sun, March 1, 2009
Sometimes it seems like my most active friends and acquaintances are the ones who need more medical treatment. Usually it's from strains, sprains, and breaks from being active, not cancer, heart problems, or other issues that are connected to less healthy lifestyles. It seems like they're "out of commission", unable to participate in hiking, sports, and stuff more often than my moderately active friends. Some of the older ones have some serious knee and hip problems too. This doesn't make me want to be as active as them.
And now I see this article saying elite athletes tend to die 9 years earlier than the average North American. The article is mainly about the high-risk lifestyles that some athletes get themselves into, but I wonder if it has anything to do with over-exertion too. Many athletes take supplements and work out like crazy to focus on conditioning their bodies for a specific activity. I wonder, does this conditioning help them live longer, more satisfying lives?
Of course, being too inactive is filled with problems too. I'd like to improve my fitness somewhat, but I'm satisfied with not being anywhere near the caliber of a pro athlete. Besides, I'm 27. It's pretty rare for anyone to get into pro sports at that age.
Disclaimer: Don't take health advice from an engineer, especially when most of it is based on anecdotal evidence, not scientific studies.
--"Fame's Dark Shadows", Edmonton Sun, March 1, 2009
Sometimes it seems like my most active friends and acquaintances are the ones who need more medical treatment. Usually it's from strains, sprains, and breaks from being active, not cancer, heart problems, or other issues that are connected to less healthy lifestyles. It seems like they're "out of commission", unable to participate in hiking, sports, and stuff more often than my moderately active friends. Some of the older ones have some serious knee and hip problems too. This doesn't make me want to be as active as them.
And now I see this article saying elite athletes tend to die 9 years earlier than the average North American. The article is mainly about the high-risk lifestyles that some athletes get themselves into, but I wonder if it has anything to do with over-exertion too. Many athletes take supplements and work out like crazy to focus on conditioning their bodies for a specific activity. I wonder, does this conditioning help them live longer, more satisfying lives?
Of course, being too inactive is filled with problems too. I'd like to improve my fitness somewhat, but I'm satisfied with not being anywhere near the caliber of a pro athlete. Besides, I'm 27. It's pretty rare for anyone to get into pro sports at that age.
Disclaimer: Don't take health advice from an engineer, especially when most of it is based on anecdotal evidence, not scientific studies.
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