“The day the music died” is a memorable line from the iconic 1971 lament, “American Pie” by Don McLean. The song reflects back on the changes that happened through the turbulent 60s beginning with the death of rock and roll star Buddy Holly in 1959.
The eight and a half minute long “song of the century” created endless discussion as to the meaning of the various verses. When McLean was asked what the lyrics of “American Pie” really meant, he replied, “It means I never have to work again”!
In the song, McLean captures more than he intended with the statement “the day the music died”. Our real lament is not for the lost days of rock and roll, Bobby Dylan, the Beatles, or the simplicity of a previous decade but for the loss of the song God designed us to play. The Bible tells us we lost our real Song in the Garden, when the piano on which it was to be played lost its strings, and we lost our ability to play.
The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that although the Song has been lost, there is still a faint echo of the melody residing in the heart of every man and woman (Ecc. 3:11 “He also has set eternity in their heart”). When our hearts respond to the vertical tug of the gospel, the Holy Spirit replaces the strings and renews the Song.
The Psalmist said, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD” (Psa. 40:3). The idea is repeated in the book of Revelation, “And they sang a new song saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals” (Rev. 5:9).
However, the Song (more majestic than any written by Beethoven) cannot be played without restoring the piano (i.e. our lives in all its complexity) and relearning how to play. Even if given a Steinway, we would not expect to play music without training our mind and bodies to master the skills of a pianist. Telling people how great the music is, how others long to hear it, how well it is composed, does not equip them to play it on their piano.
Without training and practice, we can play notes but not real music. Discipleship is the process of learning to play God’s music on pianos that he is restoring. He has given us the song to play, but if we don’t understand the fundamentals of music, the names of the notes, where they are on the keyboard, and possess skill to play, we will make noise but not music.
In Meredith Wilson’s 1957 classical musical “The Music Man” Professor Hill, masquerading as a traveling band instructor, cons the citizens of River City by promising them that they can keep their boys out of trouble by creating a real marching band. All they need to do is buy all the equipment from him including instruments, uniforms, and music. Once the equipment arrives (and he has his money), he plans to skip town.
When he is forced to explain how they are to actually play music with their instruments, Hill tells the boys to use the “Think System,” in which they simply have to think of a tune over and over and they will know how to play it without ever touching their instruments.
It seems to me that Professor Hill has slipped into our Christian communities and convinced us that we, too, can play spiritual music with just the “Think System”. All we need to do is to think about it and we will be able to play the Song.
It is like we are standing on the train station platform, decked out in our uniforms, proudly holding our instruments as Professor Hill leaves town. As he fades from sight, we shout in unison, “So how do we play the music?” and he yells back, “Just use the Think System!” Then we go home, try it, and pass it on to others.
Teaching beginning piano for 20+years, my wife observed that the difference in those who eventually played music and those who quit was not so much in their ability as in their discipline. Most of the kids, unwilling to practice daily for a variety of reasons, eventually lost interest. Practice was a drudgery that never became a delight. They wanted to play songs without learning the fundamentals. There are a few exceptions, but for the 99.9% of us we learn to play one note and one day at a time.
The music has not died. God has given us his Song and is renewing our broken pianos. But without learning, training, and practice, we may play Chop Sticks but definitely not Beethoven or more importantly not his Song.
Questions for reflection:
- Think of a time when a particular practice/discipline became a delight rather than a duty.
- What are the benefits when a practice is no longer a duty?
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart (Jeremiah 15:16).