of Love and Bass Drum
So Jack was sharing 1st Corinthians to some of us yesterday when we came to this verse.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” 1st Corinthians 13:1
As a percussionist, I play many gongs and cymbals. As a matter of fact, there are numerous Orchestra Cymbal excerpts for auditions into music festivals or full time orchestra musician positions. From Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninov, cymbal excerpts not only takes stamina (yes they are heavy in weight) and perseverance, it easily displays some of the obvious flaws when it comes to consistency in tone color, dynamics and musicality.
I enjoy playing cymbals because of the grandioso it gives to the orchestra, amongst other aspects. However, I must say i feel weird when playing cymbals for an audition, because it always reminds me of the verse in the opening of this post. Something is missing, and that is love. Now, what if we draw a parallel to percussion? What do you think is missing in a cymbal audition?
Even a rock drummer will tell you that the bass drum is so crucial to the cymbal that it feels awkward to have that beautiful, and sometimes ignored bass drum, AWOL or unaccounted for. And here, I am talking about a beautiful “boooom” color and not a “whaack” noise on the concert bass drum, the latter anyone can do. (Notice the parallel to love)
I have come to realize love is something I am still learning and growing as a Christian. Even simple things like praying for others, I find it so hard to do. Maybe that’s why out of all my 4 ensemble assignments this semester (Chamber, Wind Ensem, Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra), I received bass drum parts without fail. God help me grow in love, as I play the bass drum beautifully for You.
