In the last article, I talked a little bit more about the percussion section and the different parts and players within. However, in this article, I want to expand the picture and the view more to encompass the whole orchestra or band. As a percussionist, I have to spend a lot of time listening. Many of the parts that I have to play aren’t soloistic; rather, they add a unique texture or feel to another part. This requires a tuned listening ear so that the parts I play fit in well with the ensemble.

Any piece of music consists of many different instruments and even different parts among those instruments. Some parts will contrast each other and be featured at different times and some parts will double each other and line up for a few seconds or so. The deliberate and intricate design of the musical score lays out the different interactions that each unique instrument and part has with each other.

When I play in an ensemble, I have to know my part extremely well so that I have the capacity to take a look around and listen to the other parts. When listening, there are many factors to listen for, such as how people play, what notes they are playing, their approach to the notes, and how those notes fit in context with my own. All of these will affect my next upcoming notes and affect my approach to my portion of the piece. 

Similarly, we need to know Christ who lives within each and every one of us! Then, through fellowship and paying attention to Christ within the other members, we will know how our portion of Christ fits into the Body as a whole.

1 Corinthians 12:12 - “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12:18 - “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”

Just like there are many different instruments within an ensemble, there are many members within the one body of Christ. The composer arranging the parts to create the perfect sound that he desires could be compared to how God arranged (some versions even say “composed”) the members of the Body within the Body of Christ. 

Similar to how I need to listen clearly to the rest of the ensemble to figure out how I fit in, we as members of the Body need to be aware and “listen” to the other members to see how our part fits in. The arranging of compositions are studied by the conductor who directs the members in carrying out the vision of the composer. 

In the next two articles, we’ll go into more detail about the conductor to composer relationship, and also the relationships among each member of the orchestra. However, for this week, I want you all to see just how amazing it is that there are many members, and we all function together, and we all need each other! Let us be aware and “listen” for each other so that our portion can be expressed within the Body!