Who all pays attention to the rest you model?

You never know who's listening

Feb 02, 2024

Hi everyone,

On Masterclass, the great Hans Zimmer breaks down his process of music scoring. (I strongly commend the course to the initiated and aficionado alike.) Part of the secret of his success is that every score he composes for a film is dedicated to a hypothetical single mother of two teenagers in a small town in the UK (I forget which). At the end of a tiring work week she drums up just enough disposable income to go to the movies, and decides to check out the one Hans scores. After the credits roll, what does she hear? Hans scores his music in order to care for her.

Last night after my first set with my trio Circle of Trust at the Hungry Brain, an audience member came up and said that he was really going through it, and that he had needed this show. A big piece of news was going to come his way today (Friday) that could be life-changing in very good or very difficult ways. However, no matter the outcome, he had resolved to not let the news dictate who he was.

When they shared this with me, they were holding back tears. I remembered Hans and that hypothetical mother, about how a big blockbuster score for Pirates of the Caribbean or Batman could be dedicated to touch one person. Taking my cues from Hans, I inwardly dedicated that second set to the man who chose to confide in me. Afterwards, I told him I had done so, and he appreciated it. I then was even able to pray for him to hold onto some of the lightness and joy of this night come what may the next day.

One thing I love about playing in clubs is that you really just never know why people are there. Hans’ image really has helped frame for me the importance of imagining - or actually learning - the lives of those I play for. In any given crowd, somebody could be experiencing tremendous loneliness or tremendous joy. Somebody could be contending with being fired or celebrating the start of a new job. Somebody could be missing their family or starting a new one. Hopefully my music can comfort those who are challenged and challenge those too comfortable. Hopefully I can play for you and talk with you afterwards about how the music meets you in your life these days. (This was part of the impetus behind my project JazzRx with The JuJu Exchange.)

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Yesterday at Notes of Rest at Olivet Nazarene I was able to share with 1700 students in their auditorium as well as some of the faculty and staff (and more online). Seeing so many college students so calm and still was a holy gift in and of itself. But on top of that, as I was heading to the car, a custodian working in the hallway gave me the biggest smile. My manager Hannah told me that the custodian had been able to step away from work for a while to sit in chapel and listen to my speaking and playing. Man that heartened me so much to learn because during the session I had asked the students to think about how their practices of rest enable rest for custodians who work the grounds of the campus. I had no idea that one of said custodians would be able to receive from that session. Bless God.

You never know who all is paying attention to the rest you preach and model.

Practice: Dedicate Rest to A Stranger In Your Midst

It can be easy to practice rest for yourself and for others you know directly, but who is a stranger in your midst whom you can help rest? Perhaps it’s a custodian or someone pouring their hearts out to you at work. Maybe it’s someone posting in the comments of a thread you follow online. Whoever it is, I pray God bless you with insight on how to give them rest, be it offering them a place to seat or an ear to listen, or maybe refraining from buying on Sabbath or being mindful of the space you take up in public when near strangers. Our care can be more far-reaching than we realize.

abundantly,

Julian