Creating "En-theos-iasm"

“That guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “He calls Pachelbel a composer and it’s the name of a piece of music.” I listened to my co-worker assert this repeatedly before I finally tentatively suggested that Pachelbel was, in fact, a composer. But my mealy-mouthed contradiction wasn’t very convincing. If she and I were to debate the question, I had nothing but the facts on my side, for she had all the confidence and gift of persuasion.

Before resolving the matter, let's meditate on the music.  There’s a difference between listening to Pachelbel’s classic Canon in D and working through the piece, playing the notes and feeling your soul swell with the sweet strains.  When you join hands with the composer to create your interpretation of his work, it touches you deeply.  You own a piece of it, along with the gift of sharing its soul-swelling joy with others.

The same thing can happen with classic books. A powerful thing happened to me when I began crafting words together to tell about the books I was reading.  This opened me up to receive inspiration and a connection with my Creator that made me excited about life, filled with enthusiasm.

The root word of enthusiasm is theos, or God. As I join hands with the Creator, seeking to step outside myself and give to others in meaningful ways, I feel joyful and capable. I love life; I love the people around me. I value their gifts and mine. I don’t feel small because others around me are great. I can see the genius in all of us.  I’ve even gained the confidence I need to convince a skeptic that Pachelbel is a composer!

“As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life

and create something of beauty and helpfulness,

you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.”  Dieter F Uchtdorf

To hear a powerfully presented two-minute summary of President Uchtdorf's message, click on this link: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k
  

Johann Pachelbel

(1653 – 1706)

Johann Pachelbel was born in Germany to a family of humble means.  Early in life, his father recognized his musical talent so arranged for his tutelage by the organist of his local church in Nuremberg.  His abilities propelled him past class boundaries, so he was able to study in a school normally reserved for only the upper-class.  Although he was admitted, his father still had to pay the bills and he eventually ran out of resources and was forced to withdraw. 

This disappointment served to open the door to other opportunities.  Pachelbel soon found another school administration that was so impressed with him that they waived his fees, allowing him to attend on scholarship.  He eventually learned both German and Italian musical techniques which enriched the development of his own personal style.

Pachelbel became a church organist, often composing a new piece of music every week.  He was also an educator and mentored many musicians, including the Bach family.  He tutored Johann Sebastian Bach’s older brother, Johann Christoph. In the Bach household there was a coveted piece of Pachelbel's music which Christoph forbade his younger brother from playing.  That ban effectively worked its magic to impel the young Johann Sebastian to study Pachelbel’s style.  He snuck a peek at the manuscript by moonlight every night for six months.

Pachelbel’s most famous work, Canon in D, has inspired scores of artists.  His influence is easily detected in many modern works of music and film.  He has been called by some “the intellectual progenitor of Bach” and by others “the father of modern music.”  His influence is expansive, crossing continents and centuries, but it also touches us personally as we take joy in his “soul-swelling strains.”

Link to Canon in D:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOA-2hl1Vbc