Published: April 25, 2009 04:21 pm      

Vasicek: Wonders of being human

A music director was having trouble with his drummer. He confronted him repeatedly, but his performance did not improve.

In an attempt to embarrass him before the orchestra, he quipped, “When a musician is incompetent with playing his instrument, they replace the instrument with two sticks and make him a drummer.”

The drummer responded, “And if he still cannot handle that, they take away one of his sticks and make him a conductor!”

When it comes to musical talent, I have none. But you do not need to have musical talent to enjoy music (and do I!). Besides, musicians need an audience.

This past week has been a stunning week in the realm of popular music. Two dazzling amateur performers have monopolized the world’s spotlight. They appeared on Britain’s version of “American Idol,” “Britain’s Got Talent.”

Although “American Idol” garners a lot of worldwide attention, the Brits have blown the lid off the box – twice in one week. Two previously undiscovered singers wowed the masses. And I mean wowed.

The first narrative is that of Susan Boyle. Her life’s story reads like a Disney flick. She is described as a 47-year-old “frumpy” church lady from Scotland who has never been kissed. She lives alone with her cat, having devoted herself to caring for her aged mother who is recently deceased.

Boyle awed the audience with the tune, “I Dreamed a Dream.” It seems the dream she dreamt is about to be fulfilled! Since her emergence, she has been enjoying guest stops on the morning television circuit; she is even scheduled to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s show – the unofficial portal to popular fame. One night, she retired to bed as an unknown, the next night she slept as a world-renown celebrity. More than 20 million people have witnessed her musical clip via the Internet. The major news networks and papers carried her seemingly bizarre story. Yes, this sounds like a Disney movie if there ever was one!

But it gets better. That same week, a 12-year-old boy dazzled the same judges and wowed the crowd with a voice that some consider even better than Boyle’s. The Yahoo headline was titled, “Susan Boyle Eclipsed By 12-Year-Old Talent.” Shaheen Jafargholi began singing one song, was stopped by one of the judges who requested he try a different song. Although the boy was shaken for a moment, he kept his composure and drove the crowd wild as he sang, “Who’s Loving You?” (a song made popular by The Jackson 5). The kid is good.

What is going on in the UK? From whose woodwork are these talented people surfacing? I think talented people are everywhere. Before Susan Boyle made her public debut on television, she sang in her church. A number of contestants on this year’s “American Idol” are music ministers in their churches. If you look at our community, you find great art, great music, and all sorts of abilities: athletic, culinary, mechanical, relational, analytical, verbal, theatrical ... on and on it goes.

Humans are not merely survivors. We crave meaning in life, and we are drawn to the arts, hobbies, interests, religion and culture. And we feel fulfilled when we develop our talents. We are not all talented in the same area, nor do we have the same interests. But, in principle, none of us are that far removed from a Susan Boyle or Jafargholi in some domain or another.

One reason I support the arts, culture, community participation, and the promotion of social courtesies is theological. I believe being human is a privilege. Mere animals are concerned with survival.

Human beings are most human when they are creative and engage in society and the arts. And every human has a creative or artistic slant somewhere, in the image of the Great Creator. Even if they look frumpy, and even if they are only 12 years of age.

Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.