Seeing God in the Creativity of Everyone

It is not only Christians who can paint with beauty, nor for that matter only Christians who can love or who have creative stirrings.  Even though the image is now contorted, people are made in the image of God.  This is who people are, whether or not they know or acknowledge it.  God is the great Creator, and part of that unique mannishness of man, as made in the God's image, is creativity.  Thus, man as man paints, shows creativity in science and engineering and so on.  Such activity does not require a special impulse from God, and it does not mean that people are not alienated from God and do not need the work of Christ to return to God.  It does mean that man as man, in contrast to non-man, is creative.  A person's worldview almost alway shows through in his creative output, however, and thus the marks on the things he creates will be different.  

- Francis Schaeffer, How Shall We Then Live?, p. 97, 98

Jason Bourne - Classical Music Style

(HT:  Blazing Center)

Triumph of the Cyborg Composer

Emmy was once the world’s most advanced artificially intelligent composer, and because he’d managed to breathe a sort of life into her, he became a modern-day musical Dr. Frankenstein. She produced thousands of scores in the style of classical heavyweights, scores so impressive that classical music scholars failed to identify them as computer-created. Cope attracted praise from musicians and computer scientists, but his creation raised troubling questions: If a machine could write a Mozart sonata every bit as good as the originals, then what was so special about Mozart? And was there really any soul behind the great works, or were Beethoven and his ilk just clever mathematical manipulators of notes?

Read the rest.

(HT: Trevin Wax)

Z Music - Prelude in E Minor

Prelude in E Minor - Bach from Zach Nielsen on Vimeo.

Z Music - Fugue in C Minor, Bach

Musically, this is one of the things I have been working on for the past few months. I am no classical player, but love the challenge of it. I don't read music all that well, thus these types of pieces take me forever to learn. It's a great workout for the fingers and Bach was from another planet in terms of his talent, so it's a joy to enter into his music. I am hoping to perform this piece and another one for a recital in March. I still have a ways to go. It's far from perfect, but it's getting there.

Fugue in C Minor - Bach from Zach Nielsen on Vimeo.

If You Want To See What Amazin Piano Playing Looks Like, Watch These

Classical Music with Shining Eyes

A very interesting and entertaining video on classical music:



Check out some other interesting talks from TED.

(HT: Evangelical Outpost)

Christians Should Be The Ones Who Appreciate Art

Last night we had our first annual "For The Joy of Music and the Glory of God" concert at DSC. It was a great event. I think God was glorified as his creatures reflected his creativity back to him. We had a great turn out and they were very responsive to what we played. (Youtube videos coming soon).

As I was sitting backstage during one of the classical numbers, it occurred to me that this type of thing is what Christians should be all about. Of all the people in the world, Christians should be the ones who rejoice in and appreciate with gladness God's creation more than anyone else. Why? Because we know and are saved by the One who is supremely creative!

Christians should be the ones who appreciate art. Our God is supremely creative, thus we should rejoice in seeing his creativity reflected in his people.

Yes, we can walk the line of idolatry (Romans 1) through worshiping the creation instead of the Creator, but with those dangers fully in mind I think we need a revitalization of appreciation for what God has made through his people.

So I say let's get together and have more concerts, art showings, dance recitals and nature expeditions for the glory of God! Let's be known as people who fully embrace the distinction between Creator and creation (unlike the church of Oprah), yet are not dismissive of what God has made and are able to fully rejoice in it.

Who is with me?

Classical Music Still Alive?

Al Mohler reviews the book, "Why Classical Music Still Matters" by Lawrence Kramer.

These are the best of times and the worst of times for classical music. More music is available to more people than ever before. The digital revolution has made more music available than at any previous time in human history, and available 24/7 at very low cost. Musical performances silent for decades are now available in new digital editions.

Yet, enrollment in many musical education programs is dropping fast as children and teenagers play video games, spend time on the internet, join soccer leagues, and think of music as something they buy -- not something they do. Music programs in public schools are often cut for budgetary reasons or reduced in size and scope.

Lawrence Kramer, Professor of English and Music at Fordham University in New York City has written a wonderful and informative book intended to make the argument that classical music has a distinctive and much-needed place in our culture and in our individual lives.

Read the whole thing.



Speaking of classical music. I just bought this recording yesterday: Mozart for your Mind. I feel smarter already. WAY smarter.

In all seriousness it's really good. I wish I would have paid more attention when I was forced to learn this kind of stuff when I was a kid. My parents told me to, but I just wanted to play basketball. That's probably why I lean towards jazz today.