Is It Right? ...

Inspiration is a funny thing. It makes you want to do something. It gives you the ideas on how exactly to do something and makes you willing to give what it takes to accomplish it. But the thing is, it doesn't make it the correct thing to do. Inspiration is largely an emotional response and is thus prone to error, whether in the wanting or in the planning. So this is what I have been wondering...

My career choice is architecture. That is what I plan on doing with the majority of my working life. That's fine, that is probably what I shall do. But I want to do music too. Okay, that is okay too, a guy is entitled to a hobby or two. But I don't just want to write music for fun. I want to put on a show. Every time I go to a concert and see the polished product of fine musicianship and engineering, I get this feeling like, "I want to do that..." 

Perhaps it is overly-presumptuous to even think I have the ability and the slightest chance at that, but my self-confidence wasn't my purpose in this discourse. My question is: "Is it right for me to want that?" Being a Christian, it is my belief that God gave me the skills and talents that I have. Some Christians believe that means it is wrong to put on a show with them because it is "taking credit" for them as though it is our own accomplishment, thus downplaying God's role in it. Others believe glory can be given to God in their performance, and they make sure He receives the credit He deserves. (I am speaking, in this case, about generic, non-religious music. Leading praise music or doing a "Christian concert" is another matter entirely.)

So which is it? Is wanting to stand on a stage and perform wrong? Is it contrary to a Christ-like attitude to want to be famous? Ouch, perhaps it is. Though it could be argued that His purpose actually was to be famous, it just wasn't for self-serving purposes. So the attitude with which I go about it plays a huge role. Is it wrong, then, to enjoy being onstage? As a musician, I have spent a fair amount of time being onstage and have lost much of the stress and nervousness that one initially feels when first stepping into the focus of attention of any group of people.

I love making music, I love sharing emotions. That's what music is: sharing emotions. I share thoughts and ideas by writing, like I am doing now. I can evoke emotion in writing too, but music seems to lend itself to that so much more easily. (Just as music can communicate factual information as well, but writing is far more effective, I think.)

So if I go onstage with truly the sole desire of wanting to share the art form I love and have been given to work with for the enjoyment and betterment of others, that is right? But music manipulates emotion, that is how it works. So in actuality, I love to manipulate people's emotions. A good musician is a good manipulator. That makes it sound bad, doesn't it? I want to go up there and wield this power over my audience. Then again, it isn't wrong to have power or influence, it just means greater responsibility.

I think the answer to my question is in what I said before about how Jesus went about His life's work. It was unselfish. It was awesome, it was powerful, at times it was quite a show (I do not use this term to describe a lack of sincerity, only the extraordinary nature of His actions, specifically His miracles). But it was for the love of people, and the love of helping them.

If my purpose is to write music because I love it and to share it with people because I love them, then that is right.

P.S. I am still planning on being an architect. ;)
(edit) P.P.S. I changed that plan... now I'm going to be an Industrial Designer! =)