The Music Exchange | Richard Simpkin

Old musicians never die - they just decompose

The Lord has given me a great way to prevent me getting too old before my time. The way he does it is through godly people who gently teach me by example and skill that there can be better ways of doing things than I think. This is always a difficult lesson to learn for a musician, and especially one without a thick skin, but I’m grateful that before middle-age seriously sets in I’m used to being challenged to shuffle out of my comfort zone.

I’ve been asked to make a number of changes over the years to the way music is done. Those changes are governed by two principles: 1) the demographic of the congregation, and 2) the need to have as few cultural barriers as possible for visitors. This isn’t to say that we need to be driven by the culture rather than the Word — the content and depth of the theology that we sing must remain uncompromised. However, as I get older the congregation by default gets younger. At the same time I’m fearful of becoming the 70-year-old musician who digs his heels in and refuses to shift from ‘the position I’ve held for most of my life, you know, young man, mark my words…’. As musicians, however old we are, we need to keep a constant open eye on the make-up of our congregations and be prepared to make changes to the style of what we do. In fact, the earlier in age we can have this attitude, the easier it will be to keep flexible later on in life — there aren’t many more difficult members of a congregation than a musician who won’t budge either stylistically or physically.

If we think that what we do is so important that we couldn’t possibly stop, then why haven’t we thought it important to pass on what we know to others?

The apprentice

One of the best ways I’ve helped keep myself fresh is to take on music apprentices. They are trained in Bible handling for part of the week, and then for the rest of the time they are involved with Word ministry among students, and they help run the music for the Sunday meetings. In fact, since we started up an extra meeting on a Sunday afternoon it has become impossible for me to lead the music at every meeting. This has meant that one of the apprentices has had to lead the evening meeting himself. I’d like to say that I’ve been training these apprentices in how to lead a congregation’s music, but I’ve probably learnt more from them than they have from me.

Just do it

The best way for them to learn is simply to get on and do it — I can help with certain techniques in leading a congregation, but stylistically I don’t want to impose a straight-jacket on them. I don’t want them to feel as if they need to play like me. It’s done me the world of good not to be in control, not to mention how much good it’s done the evening congregation, and has given me some good ideas for things to introduce into other meetings.

Having younger musicians around who are willing to learn helps in many areas. It prevents us older musicians getting too stuffy, while reminding us that we are not indispensable. At the same time, younger musicians are given confidence in leading music under the guidance of those teaching the Word of God and older musicians. They are also being equipped to serve the church in the future — whether we like it or not, music is one of the main elements of a meeting that attracts or repels visitors, and so our generation need to be producing godly musicians who love the Word of God. They also learn to deal with positive and negative feedback under the protective eye of older musicians.

Two challenges

So, here are two challenges to musicians who, like me, are over 40. Keep sitting humbly under the Word of God so that when we are challenged stylistically we are happy to make changes where necessary graciously. Then try and do ourselves out of a job by looking out for younger musicians to train up. I realise that this second challenge is completely unrealistic for many of us who are the only musicians capable of even stringing three chords together, but, as long as we believe that is the case without praying for new musicians, then we’ll still be the only musician capable of stringing the same old three chords together when we reach our 70s, and we’ll be impossible to budge. Far better to reach our 70s having a humble and flexible attitude to change and having passed on those three chords to someone else.