first chair

I was denied the coveted snare drum allotment in 5th grade band… I was singled out as the off-key singer in 11th grade choir… but, I persevere through my musical journey despite a few wrong notes…

I love the classics… mozart, beethoven, bach… I can truly admire their complexity, beauty and never-ending staying power they have among generation to generation… thus why they are indeed referenced as “classical” music… interesting to know… mozart was locked in a room as a child with a pen, paper and his bed… he could write music notes before he could write words… beethoven was deaf at an early age and cut the legs off a piano so he could feel the vibrations of the music in order to continue composing and conducting... bach’s virtuosity was self-taught and he became blind by over-straining his eyes in poor light through many years of writing and copying music… he wrote his masterpiece "Mass in B Minor” almost totally blind…

of the heart… forms the heart…

5th grade… I really wanted to play the drums… only two students were selected for the beloved positions available in the band… and since I did not score high enough to be awarded one of those positions, I resorted to playing the flute… I didn’t want to play something so large or trite as a trumpet, tuba, or trombone… and was not fond of the clarinet or saxophone… piano wasn’t an option either… and there were no strings such as guitar, violin or cello… those beautiful string instruments were out of price range for a youngster such as myself in those days anyway… so, I was forced to “settle” with playing the flute if I truly wanted to be in the elementary music class… rejected; advised that I was average, and not talented or rhythmical enough to play my instrument of choice… I carried on…

I learned how to play the flute, I took lessons, followed in my sister’s pursuit of playing the awkward silver instrument that I would often double as a baton and practice my majorette moves with, unrenowned to my mom of course, who probably would not have been pleased with the idea… regardless, I did just well enough to maintain a significant place standing/top seat among the flutist sections in the orchestra… not the best, but not the worst…

then… my best friend decided to get serious about playing the flute… I tried the oboe… I tried the precision flute… hoping for something to inspire me… nothing! Until, I finally I decided… I am either going to really play this instrument or forget it… amazing what can happen when you actually apply yourself to accomplishing something… I focused on playing my flute to scale… learned the great artists and their work… music that truly touches the heart and stirs the soul… I took a genuine interest for the first time in my orchestral vocation and landed the coveted first chair position via winning challenges over my colleagues… I accomplished the top honor in band and received a multitude of ribbons and medals during the same time frame for my musical achievements…

choir took me into another direction… after being singled out among my peers by my teacher (not judy schnebly)… I found myself canceling my choir class the following year to take typing and spanish classes instead… this decision in hind sight turned out to be a great choice and blessing in disguise (there is no way I would have survived my college years without typing knowledge!) I continued singing and playing music via new outlets and venues at my own discretion, self teaching and criticisms…

from the heart… fills the heart…

against the odds… I received a phone call from Ed McMahon years later who called me to personally congratulate me and my singing group, J3, on winning the Inspirational Music Singing Category for NextBigStar.com Star Search… which ultimately led to our first self-produced cd project and two additional Nashville recording projects over the past four years…

I’m certain that bach had his moments of great criticism, trials and tribulations… "overture no. 3 in d major: air" is absolutely beautiful in reflection of this notion... it's so peaceful... uplifts your soul high... then sadly takes you down... and then picks it back up... a genuine lullaby... i love the emotion and the hardship and the serenity it eludes!!! i too... love how bach was involved and influenced in his church as a young man... where his music truly ignited and was born alive within... my musical upbringing and inspiration is much like this... my church, zion, my refuge and sanctuary of my first musical compositions, emotional performances and beautiful tributes...

from the heart… to the heart…

music is truly something we all create and nurture within each of our own souls… it is up to each of us to take that song within our heart and work on it... in our own way... to make it magical… worthwhile… and wonderful for ourselves… for when the music stirs our own soul... it is only then, that it can possibly stir another’s… we ourselves, are really the only critics that truly matter in this lullaby of life… may you too take the first chair... and a bow!

overture no. 3 in d major: air; bach


- j. marshon