OUR MUSIC MINISTRY MISSION
To seek always to raise our voices and use our talents to proclaim our most joyful expressions of praise and edification of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
BOB BATES
Our Music Director came to Maize Road Baptist Church in June of 1976. He attended The Ohio State University, as a music education major and works for the State of Ohio. He directs our worship music, adult and youth choirs, and our instrumentalists. He works with Jean Tanner, who directs our pre-school and children’s choir.
REGULAR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Adult Choir Wednesday evenings 7:00 PM
Youth Choir Sunday evenings 5:00 PM
Praise Ensemble rehearsal Sunday evenings 6:30 PM
(subject to irregular scheduling)
Children and Pre-school Choirs Sunday mornings
during Sunday School hours
Musical Notes
In my last article, I attempted to define music. This article will be devoted to a discussion of instrumental music. Some musicologists believe that instrumental music is the only “true” music. They would suggest that a composer creates a melody or theme. The theme is then developed using various harmonic choices and generated rhythms. The composer uses either a single instrument like an organ or piano, or a collection of instruments like a band or orchestra, which accounts for the timbre. The theme is further developed by creating contrasts between portions that are played quietly, loudly, or that move from loud to quiet or quiet to loud. This last aspect accounts for the dynamics. This explanation makes it all sound very simple and limited, but the combinations of these elements are infinite and limited only by the composer’s imagination and the instruments of the time period. Musicologists would propose that without lyrics, the created music carries each listener to a place unique to that listener. Without lyrics, there are no preconceived ideas to create mental images other than what the particular listener ascribes to it. Additionally, those who learn to play instruments proficiently, enjoy the experience and the opportunities to test their abilities. In other words, instrumentalists learn to enjoy playing instrumental music; especially, as they learn to improvise and add their own ideas to those of the composer. If you are not an instrumentalist, if you do not enjoy listening to instrumental music, you may be thinking at this point okay Bob, when are you going to talk about the kind of music I like?…to be continued.
