The origin of today’s National Day Calendar celebration cannot be traced but it’s one that has a special significance for me. Today is National Buy A Musical Instrument Day. For me, it all began with a Wurlitzer organ, purchased from Grieser Music Store in Archbold. I’m not sure how the interest developed but I found myself picking out this small organ and getting signed up for organ lessons from Helen Grieser. This sweet, elderly lady with snowy white hair got the interest in music rolling for me.
When fifth grade rolled around, the opportunity was presented to be in Stryker’s band. Another trip to Grieser’s and we returned with a saxophone. That sax would be played through the 12th grade.
In sixth grade, I wanted to switch from playing organ to piano. Guess where we went? We were becoming frequent customers of Grieser’s and we returned with a piano and piano lessons began.
The transition from sixth to seventh grade revealed that we were an all-brass marching band – the only one in the area. Therefore, if you were going to continue in band, you had to learn a second instrument if you played a woodwind instrument. Hello, Grieser’s? What do you have in the way of trumpets? After purchasing a trumpet, we never had a need to return to Grieser’s. My collection of instruments was sufficient, and I have them all today except the organ. The trumpet was played through the summer months for marching and the sax was used for concert band during the school year.
Looking back, I know this was an incredible sacrifice for my parents as they made
payments on the instruments. Today, a new trumpet costs about $1500, saxophones are about $2500, pianos like I had are about $6500, and organs – you can’t find anyone selling organs apart from the huge models for churches nor can you find organ teachers. Wurlitzer is still around but only to service jukeboxes.
Walking through the pages of Scripture, you can see that music plays a big part in worship. And you can see a number of musical instruments in the text. The first musician and musical instruments in the Bible are found in Genesis 4:21. “And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” The organ isn’t what we would think. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Dictionary says that the word for organ leads us to think of some kind of reed pipe, flute, or panpipes. The original pipe organs were built off this concept, pumping air across reeds and pipes to make the sound.
Woodwind, string, horns, and percussion were all used in worship music. Psalm 150 encourages this. “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. (2) Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. (3) Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. (4) Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. (5) Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. (6) Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
As with anything provided by God, Satan perverts it, twisting it to become something God never intended. The same is true with music. However, we cannot allow Satan to steal our song, our music, or our instruments. The instruments, the ability to play, and the song God puts in our hearts are a gift that must be rendered back to Him and used in a sanctified, God-honoring way.
Maybe today is a day to blow the dust off those instruments that have been stored in the back of the closet since high school. If it’s been a long time, you’ll find that your lip is gone but muscle memory will help you squeak out a few sounds. Since a lot was invested to give you the opportunity and ability, maybe this could be a renewed hobby as you learn to play it once again.
Psalms 98:5-6 encourages us to “Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. (6) With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.”
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