For some reason, I have a problem starting pieces. I’ve played with many directors, and they all have a slightly different way of directing. Some indicate a very clear downbeat with their baton. Others have so much bounce that it’s hard to tell where the precise moment of beat one happens. You blink, and you miss it. Others just vaguely wave their hands around, and I can’t tell a thing about which motion means the first beat. Are they moving their hands sideways for beats two and three? Are we even in three? (Time signatures, for you non-musicians – indicating how many beats are in a measure.) Then there’s the issue of pick-up beats. Are they directing a whole measure first? Two measures? Or just a one or two pick-up beat before starting measure one? Am I supposed to be playing the pick-up?
I worry about these things. And then I don’t know when to start playing. The piano almost always starts first, even when playing with an orchestra, so it’s fairly important for the pianist to know when to start. It’s a bit embarrassing for everyone if the pianist just sits there without playing while the director keeps directing, and everything is silent. But the piano is also often the dominant instrument, especially at the beginning. In cases where I am totally lost as to when to begin (or wasn’t paying attention when the director started), I just figure whenever I start playing, everybody else, including the director, will catch up with me.
This is probably not the best way to work together with others.
As I’ve played more with other instruments and even orchestras, I’ve gained much more experience with working together with other musicians. Hopefully, I’ve gotten better at it. I will talk about unity in a later chapter, but for the purposes of this chapter, playing with others is a great way to increase your courage. Playing with others is like praying with others: courage is contagious.
Not only does worshipping together keep us focused, and encourage all of us, it can help us sense the presence of Jesus even more vibrantly. And the presence of Jesus grants us such courage! This is the reason we meet together for worship, to sing and make music and pray together: joint worship gives us courage in this world of doubt and disbelief. Having others with you – playing along with the same music, in a sense – grants strength and confidence in our own beliefs.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20