I had some awe-inspiring experiences last week. They reminded me of the labor of love described in Proverbs 31, where the virtuous woman patiently seeks out raw materials—wool and flax—to create something valuable.
At my age, I am now a significant part of America’s 250-year history. Five percent is significant, or so I learned from my husband, a data engineer who enjoys statistics. I’ve also lived through nearly 25% of the life of our Constitution.
Just believing is not going to make the U.S. win the World Cup. The team has to score goals and deal with failure the same way everyone else does. In much the same way, creative growth requires both faith and faithful effort.
God had a purpose for me being in Tallahassee, even though at times I felt it stunted my musical growth. I stepped away from conservatory life for a season and focused on developing my prospects for marriage and family life. What I didn’t realize was that if you didn’t have a connection with Florida State University, there wasn’t much demand for teaching artists or bassoon players.
Looking back, I can see God’s hand at work. My second daughter was born there, and this week she became engaged in roughly the same region. Not South Florida, where I grew up, but that other Florida near the Gulf Coast.
A Conversation About Creativity and Faithfulness
Last week, I met with Greg Scheer, an excellent minister of music, worship leader, and composer. Greg is deeply devoted to both creativity and faithfulness, advocating faithfulness over the pursuit of worldly success.
Greg and I share many values. He continues moving forward creatively while placing worship and the Word of God above notes, techniques, and gimmicks.
At Doran Music Studio, we also value God and family above music. For me, this can sometimes lead to uncomfortable conversations at gigs or interviews when I feel obligated to explain my vocational choices and the limited number of hours I can devote to music each week. Most people eventually understand, but the pressure to justify those choices can be discouraging.
Still, I remember advice from The Accidental Creative: don’t be overly anxious to resolve every creative tension. That can lead to impatience and too much fault-finding. (see below)
Composition Clarifications
After nearly a decade of setting Psalms to music, along with studying composition with Allan Sapp for two years at CCM and later spending some time studying with Krystal Grant, I have collected a few observations and reminders for myself.
- Everyone has their own “Psalm vibe”—antiphons, chant, hymns, art music, pop, electric, acoustic, and everything in between.
- NotePerformer (approximately $150) can imitate how musicians actually perform larger scores.
- A Mac Mini paired with a tablet may be a better performance setup for gigs than purchasing another laptop.
- Michel Guimont is doing work in Canada that is similar to some of my own interests.
- Amy-Jill Levine, the Jewish New Testament scholar, has written fascinating works about the stories of Jesus. I was interested to learn that her parents allowed her to attend Christian retreats while encouraging her to remain connected to synagogue life.
- Use more word painting around key words in the text.
- Consider more expressive markings than simply moderato. Since much of this music is intended to be chant-like and enjoyable to sing, perhaps “moderate” became my way of balancing different worship styles and budget expectations in former church settings.
- Proper lyric hyphenation is a mark of quality and can be assisted by resources such as the https://juiciobrennan.com/hyphenator/.
- In written music, D minor rather than d minor is the standard notation.
- Even though many choral scores omit chord symbols, I like including them because many musicians appreciate having harmonic guidance.
- Complete three editing passes to strive for your best work.
- Think carefully about each line from the performer’s perspective. Most musicians prefer clear directions rather than uncertainty.
- Good music makes you want to hear it again.
- Don’t miss opportunities to create something more valuable by endlessly overpolishing the current project.
One practical outcome of these reflections has been a renewed commitment to publishing and sharing my own work. For example, one of my Psalm settings, The Steadfast Heart (Psalms 1–4), is available through Sheet Music Plus:
👉 https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/product/the-steadfast-heart-psalms-1-4-21987036.html
Writing music for Scripture has taught me that composing is often less about sudden inspiration and more about patiently gathering the wool and flax of ideas, texts, revisions, and musical insights until something useful emerges from the dross.
Patience in Musical Growth
These reflections have reinforced some thoughts I’ve developed over the years about patiently pursuing the art of music.
How long does it take to learn an instrument?
Perhaps a related and even more practical question is:
How long should I practice each day?
Watch here:
👉 https://youtu.be/syrjkTl48V0?si=QBp3dThxxXhmT9WN
For my own teaching and learning, I’ve decided that staying at least three days ahead of my students is good enough. Excellence matters, but so does sustainability.
I look forward to helping you find the right inspiration, training, and resources through Doran Music Studio lessons and classes. Wherever you are on your musical journey, be patient. Keep cultivating the gifts and opportunities already available to you. Over time, you will be better equipped to fulfill your own calling in music.
📅 Schedule lessons or learn more:
👉 https://doranmusicstudio.setmore.com/
“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.” — Proverbs 31:13
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