WORD UP: Limiting Theories and Limitless Possibility

I'm enjoying BSF's study and discussion on Genesis. It's our second week and we are still on chapter ONE and I'm being inspired into a lot of thought.

Today we discussed the limiting theories that are part of popular thought on the beginning of beginnings, ie.. Darwinian evolution, intelligent design, theistic evolution, gap (restitution) theory, progressive creationism, and literal six-days viewpoint. We have a garden variety to play with.

Some thoughts. I am in awe at imagining what kind of intelligence came up with designing this basic reality I call my world that I experience. If we gathered all the poets, composers, and artists of the world... how far and wide would their collective imaginations stretch? The sum of all artists perhaps is what God is.

What was a day to God? The sun and moon and stars that tracked the seasons were not created until day FOUR. How long were the three that preceded day FOUR? A few million years? Light was created on day ONE... light that was not generated by the sun nor stars... that must have been a surreal starting point to be creative in...a galactic playground. Modern astrophysicists declare that light existed for immensely longs periods before the sun, moon and stars came into being. I imagine it was pretty :)

And lastly, I find it fascinating that God said...

"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...."

I had read Genesis 1:26 before but I took for granted that the phrase said.. US.. Let US... OUR image... OUR likeness. I wonder what aspects about ourselves are we blind to because we don't even know how to begin looking at ourselves.. let alone imagine beyond that into a realm of infinity. I put it on the table for the group to think about..

He created them male and female... Doesn't that mean then that God is in essence male and female? The attributes of God expand if I extend to characteristics of the "Spirit of God" and then there's the "Son of God" which makes a Triune with "God." What are the possibilities of who we are that are "created in the image of God... these three separate yet connected entities?"

It's week two of BSF... I've kept of with the homework. It's interesting and I'm committed to write my thoughts on the class each week. I'll preface the titles with WORD UP for easy reference. Please share any of your thoughts if you wish :)

Something to think about.
It beats talking about the weather and movies...

JNET

MUSIC: Simply Simpsonic Music!

I had the pleasure of joining the Audio Engineering Society for a great presentation by the creative team responsible for composing, recording, mixing and editing the music for "The Simpsons" thanks to an invitation of my dear friend, R. She is responsible for putting the event together.

Thanks to the efforts of R. the female attendance for an audio engineers' event rose and will grow:)

My interest as a music educator was to learn about the world of my friends and colleagues. I may not choose to be in the studio but I wanted to see what possibilities I can bring to my students.

Alf Clausen (composer), Rick Riccio (recording engineer) and Chris Ledesma (music editor) were excellent speakers. They were inspirational in sharing their work which they love. I wished that I had brought a couple of my high school music students. I think they would have understood quite a bit and learned a lot of new technical terms. I think they would have been inspired by the persistence and impeccability of how this successful collaborative team work and relate...

This evening I learned how a cartoon is born and the technical and creative intricacies that goes into it. Alf Clausen shared how the animators had a scene in mind with Homer playing an instrument and had requested to be present as the soloist played so that the cartoon movements matched what the musician was doing. The care and level of impeccability is admirable.

Sometimes a piece incorporates more than a dozen cartoon characters. Music is written sensitive to the diverse vocal ranges and personalities. As the composer beautifully described it, it's like putting together a "New York Times crossword puzzle".

So putting this puzzle is quite a masterful game and I was present to the respect and trust he had for all involved to help make his music happen. There is no room for second guessing and no time for wondering if it's good enough. That was the sentiment of the creative minds on the stage. When you are committed and doing something you love, you make Emmy-award winning work.

Chris Ledesma (music editor) thought he wanted to be a conductor when he was in music school but was bitten by the music editing bug. His persistence, attention to detail and commitment to showing up to life created the life he enjoys. He's edited every episode of "The Simpsons." He is another proud papa who loves his work.

Rick Riccio (audio engineer) also shared. I thought he was a creative and innovative thinker having designed sound systems and sound studios as well as mixing and recording. In listening to him and his friends onstage, I was present to mastery and flow.

I am happy to visit with the Audio Engineering Society. R. hosted a great event that I think a couple of my students would have enjoyed it as well as been inspired. I will be sharing with them what I learned and maybe will invite a couple should a suitable open event comes up.

The cartoons were hilarious, the process of creating the music a pleasure to learn about and I saw that remarkable work is put together by remarkable people.

JNET

WORD UP: Creativity Beyond Crayons and Clay

I have been very naughty in completing my BSF homework but I did glean at least one profound thought thus far.

Creativity.. Beyond crayons

Can you imagine an intense love that is inspired from within and not through mechanical reasoning... power with life behind it?

Inspiration where creation comes from nothing... having purpose... making preparation?

I listened to Bach's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor today and was humbled to tears by Glen Gould's performance of Bach's genius. What a brain massage! Put it on really loud or listen via headphones. I don't care how you do it, just do it.

What an inspired composer.. Listening to Bach connected me to my Genesis homework. I can only imagine the zone that Bach created from and if that is genius to me than my understanding of God's mind is only a tenth of a grain of sand. Both created from the nothingness and the everything-ness of their imagination, inspiration and purpose; a power and passion from within...

The water picture ABOVE is of the effects of Bach music upon water. Yes, water actually has a reaction to music. Some food for thought. Considering that we are made up of water molecules....

I thought I'd also share a tiny bit of Dr. Emoto's findings which he writes of in "Messages in the Water." The picture BELOW is the effect of HEAVY METAL music. Hmmm... Bach vs. Heavy Metal... Is it a difficult choice?

The concept of time interests me as well as our perspectives of time.

To a child, a time-out minute in the corner is torture. Time moves differently for a child. I remember one day after planting some bulbs in the garden with my niece one spring day, she watered them with me and then sat there and waited. She expected something to happen.

For a while, time seems to go at a slow pace. You're not 10 years old.. you are 10 in a half or 10 and three quarters. And it felt like you were 10 forever.

I'm in a space where time seems to be an illusion.... a game. And I'm still not a grown up grown up.

So if a thousand years is like a day to God.... really.... what is time?? How will our perspectives of time evolve with each phase of our life? With each lifetime?

And how will that perspective influence what kind of creative thoughts we generate?

JNET