Steven Halpern-Interstellar Light

It has long been said that "music calms the savage beast."
And it has definitely helped me to relax on more than one occasion.
But does music really have healing properties?
For many, there's not any question.
The field of music therapy has been around for over 60 years, but it has gained more popularity in the last 10 years.
Whether it is for chronic illness, such as Alzheimer's or autism, or recovery from a stroke, or times of acute stress, music therapy is an effective balm for many afflictions.
Most music therapists are primarily active in hospitals, nursing homes, special needs classrooms, and rehab centers.
"Music might provide an alternative entry point to the brain, because it can unlock so many different doors into an injured or ill brain," said Dr. Gottfried Schlaug, a Harvard University neurologist.
Steven Halpern has been a proponent of theories which emphasize the healing properties of music.
In fact, he has released over 50 albums since 1975.
This is from his 2003 recording, "Music For Healing Mind, Body, & Spirit".
Sit back, relax, and be healthy.

Artur Rubinstein-Chopin-Nocturnes, Op. 27, No. 2 in D Flat

I love hearing stories of child prodigies.
And Artur Rubinstein was just that.
Rubinstein was born in Poland in 1887, the youngest of eight kids to a well-to-do Polish-Jewish family.
It has been said that at the age of two, he became fascinated with the piano while watching his elder sister's piano lessons.
He also demonstrated perfect pitch at age 2.
Really?
At the age of four, the great Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, heard him play and began mentoring him.
At the age of 10, he moved to Berlin to continue his studies, and at 13 he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic.
He then began studying with Karl Heinrich Barth, an associate of Brahms (think the lullaby dude).
So get this.
Barth was a pupil of a guy named Franz Liszt.
Liszt studied under Carl Czerny.
And Carl Czerny had been taught by none other than Beethoven.
Not a bad lineage.
But this Rubinstein was a player in every sense of the word.
He once stated: "It is said of me that when I was young I divided my time impartially among wine, women and song. I deny this categorically. Ninety percent of my interests were women."
Nonetheless, he continued performing up until the age of 89 when his eyesight got the best of him.
He died in 1982 at the age of 95.
Watch him play.
Not a single piece of sheet music.
Effortless. Incredible. Beautiful.

Trono de Mexico-Te Recordare'

I used to wonder why many people from Mexico enjoy wearing cowboy hats and boots.
Then it dawned on me.
Duh!!!
They come from some of the original "cowboy" land.
So they should be able to get away with it more than the average Joe.
I'm still not so sure about these suits, though.
I guess if it worked for Liberace.
Wait...did it work for Liberace?
By the way, I hear they are making a movie on the life of Liberace.
I think I just set the world record for having the most Liberaces in one blog post.
Back to our friends from Durango.
The lead singer actually wears a sweater and some jeans in a couple of scenes in this video.
My Spanish isn't great but I think she's telling him, "I liked you better in that suit."
Some chicas, ya know?
So superficial.
I guess she gets to him, cause he's back in cowboy gear by the end of the video.
You wuss.

Zero 7- In The Waiting Line

Wifey and I teach kindergarten Sunday School.
I've been doing it for five years now. Wifey joined me last year.
Thank God she did.
She totally balances me and helps me to realize and appreciate the simple things in life, oh such as, you will probably go to jail if you spank that child.
Apparently, a demonstration on stoning is not on our curriculum.
I'm way kidding...for the most part.
There is usually only one or two kids a year that you spend the entire hour and a half calling their name.
Two weeks ago, I was trying to get this one kid's attention, and so I called his name five times. This little dude was straight ignoring me.
So, I got everyone's attention.
"I'm going to give you all a life lesson. If someone calls your name, turn around and see where the voice is. They may be trying to tell you that there is a giant boulder about to fall on your head."
Of course, now all of the kids are looking up at the ceiling, and John the Baptist has no chance.
Anyway, once a month, our church puts on Kidzplace during Sunday School.
This is where grades K-4 gather together in one place, and some of the older elementary school kids and some of the middle school kids , teach a lesson through a skit, song and dance.
This month's virtue was "patience".
In the beginning, someone noted that patience is harder for adults than it is for kids.
I think they're on to something.
Whether it's trying to lose weight, pay off debts, or wait for vacation, it just never seems to happen fast enough.
But patience is a discipline that leads to victory. Get-rich-quick doesn't work. Body re-shaping doesn't happen overnight. It's a journey.
But it's a journey that is worth the effort...and the patience.
Here's something to listen to to help pass the time.

Tennessee Ernie Ford- How Great Thou Art

Oh Lord.
My God.
When i in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.
i see the stars.
i hear the rolling thunder.
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Saviour, God, to Thee.
"How great Thou art!"

Avenged Sevenfold-Unholy Confessions

I mentioned on my last post that many times these days, I find the sacred amidst the secular.
Here's a good example...from an unlikely place.
The realm of death metal.
The band "Avenged Sevenfold" is not a Christian band. I'm sorry...the bio says that they're not "religious", so maybe there's hope, right?
Anyway...on to the story.
The name, "Avenged Sevenfold", does have Biblical roots.
In the Genesis 4 account of Cain and Abel, we have two brothers, children of Adam and Eve, bringing an offering to God.
One brother, Abel, has his offering accepted and God is pleased.
The other brother, Cain, had his offering "disrespected" by God.
We are not given a particular reason for this.
But based on character, we can suppose that it was probably in the attitude that it was brought.
At any rate, Cain gets jealous, lures his brother out in the field, and kills him.
This is the first murder in history, and it was performed by his own brother.
We shouldn't be surprised, therefore, when we hear that a gunmen has slain innocent people.
Cain lost the war against his flesh, and the enemy had him.
God curses Cain and makes him a fugitive of the land.
He complains to God that being a vagabond will make him an open target for someone.
Gen 4:15 "And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, he will be avenged sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him."
And there you have it.

Lecrae-Overdose

I grew up on rap music.
I remember the first time that I heard Run-DMC's first album.
I hadn't heard anything like it before.
You can ask anybody that I went to high school or hung out with then, I knew of just about everybody that was in the rap game at that time.
And that was all I listened to.
The madre and padre listened to country (which I used to call "anti-music" but lately have begun to appreciate much of the genre).
But after I gave my life back to Christ in the early 90's, I went through a period of time where I only listened to Christian music.
I feel like I needed some time to simply focus on Him...to recenter.
During that time I also abstained from any alcoholic beverages and R-rated movies. It was a healing process.
This took about 10 years.
So one day at Lifeway, after purchasing a book or CD or something, they gave me a compilation CD for free.
There was an artist named T-Bone with a song on it called "Psychowestcoastridermuzic".
Gospel rap.
I never knew such a thing existed.
Over the next few years, artists like T-Bone, Ill Harmonics, KJ-52, Pigeon John, and John Reuben gave me what I needed for my hip-hop fix.
Obviously, since then, I have lifted my ban.
I feel like I am in a stronger place of self-control and have realized that evidences of the sacred can be found many times in the "secular".
I still love me some Christian hip-hop, though.
And Lecrae's latest release, "Rehab:The Overdose" does not disappoint.