My Love of Music

I think my love of music started at a very early age as both my Mum and Dad were always very musically minded.

My Dad is a big fan of jazz/big band music and as a keen musician has played in many bands over the years. He also spends a lot of time arranging/composing music for some of the bands/soloists he knows.

On the other hand, my Mum's side of the family grew up attending the Salvation Army and as such were heavily involved in both the singing groups and the bands - My grandfather having been the leader of the first singing group (Songsters) at Rutherglen corps!

I remember when I was very young, climbing up on the piano stool beside my Dad while he "tried out" some of his arrangements/compositions - Apparently I was a "great help"!

As soon as I turned seven I started piano lessons and continued this for a number of years, going through the exams up to Grade 8. It wasn't always easy but thankfully I stuck at it.

Although having been taken along to the Salvation Army at Rutherglen from a very early age, and giving my heart to Jesus at age seven, I never joined the junior band (Young People's Band) until I was about 11 or 12 as my piano lessons were the same night as the learners class! Even when I did initially join it was to play percussion!!!

After a short while I was given a trombone, a short lesson on how to hold it, blow into it and the various slide positions for the notes and the rest is history as they say! That was my one and only trombone lesson (and yes I know that explains a lot!) - My Dad and one of my cousins both being trombone players, then became the source of the rest of my trombone training.

Between learning the piano and trombone, I also learned to play clarinet, although I did continue to play my clarinet for a number of years, I'm afraid it's now been a while since I last played it.

After all this while I was still at Rutherglen Salvation Army, age 18, I became a uniform wearing Salvationist - during this time still in the Singing Company (junior choir) and  YP Band (junior band), but also joined the Songsters (senior choir) and Senior Band. Not long after becoming a Salvationist I became pianist for the Singing Company (junior choir), and then also for the Songsters (senior choir). A little later I took on the roll of Deputy Songster Leader and a little later again followed in my grandfather's footsteps by taking on the roll of Songster Leader for about two and a half years. After a short break from the Songsters I took on roll of Songster pianist for the second time. I also following in my Dad's footsteps, by composing several songs for the songsters and arranging music for several soloist.

In 2002 I transferred to Bellshill Salvation Army where I'm a member of the Senior Band.

So there you go, that's my musical background! Having had a grounding in music from an early age, I've also found music to be a very important part of my life and especially my Christian life. I've found over the years in so many situations that a piece of music or a song can say more to me than anything another person can say. Music seems to be able to touch my heart and emotions to a greater extent than anything else, so I do treasure the times when I get to just sit and listen to music.

So what's my favourite music?

That's very hard to say, because I often find it depends greatly on how I feel at the time I'm asked! I love a very wide variety of music and style, however it may not surprise you when I list several Christian or Salvation Army songs/pieces of music as my favourites:

- Lord I Come To You (The Power of Your Love)

- The Light of the World

- Just As I Am

- Milestone


I've used it before but here's an video of Lord I come To You which I find inspiring and emotional from the start of the video:

Spiritual Home

What kind of weekend have you had? Have you been busy or have you just been relaxing and chilling out?

Well I've had a busier weekend than I've had for a wee while, having been a 3 meeting at the Salvation Army - 1 at Bellshill and 2 at Rutherglen!

For those of you who have not been reading my blog here's a wee bit background - I attend the Salvation Army at Bellshill, but I was brought up at the corps in Rutherglen and transferred to the corps at Bellshill in 2002.

My cousin and his wife are the Salvation Army ministers (officers) at the corps in Keighley, and this weekend they came "home" with the Keighley Salvation Army Community Band, to lead the services at Rutherglen Salvation Army. As I don't see my cousins and their family very often, I went along to Rutherglen last night (Saturday) and this afternoon (Sunday).

Although I've been back at Rutherglen Salvation Army since I left, it was still strange being back there, particularly as I played in the Rutherglen band! It was just like old times, especially with a number of my family also being there.

There were several times during the two meetings I attended at Rutherglen when I must admit I felt a bit emotional, not just because my cousin was back home and leading the meeting, but because spiritually this was my home too. So much of my Christian learning and experiences happened at Rutherglen, it was where I committed my life to God and publicly declared my love and desire to serve Him all my life.

This weekend, I've found myself reflecting on past times, but also the present and the future. I realised for example that without the basis to my Christian faith that I gained while I grew up attending Rutherglen Salvation Army, I would not be the person I am today. While I am happy in my service at Bellshill Salvation Army, I will be forever thankful to those at Rutherglen who taught me all able God and influenced/inspired me to be who I am today. Some of these folk still attend Rutherglen Salvation Army, others are now with God in heaven, others no longer worship at Rutherglen.

1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation

So today, take a few minutes to think about those people who have had an influenced on your life (for the good of course!). If you are still in contact with them, thank them for the impact they've had on your life, after all they may not be aware of it! Say thank you to God too for these people as He is the one who is responsible for it all.

Have you influenced anyone or had an impact on their life?

With God's help and guidance each one of us is capable of making a difference in someones life.

I pray today God will help you to make a difference in someones life.

It's Thursday Night!

...and for me that means band practice night. No I'm not in a rock band, I am in fact a member of the Bellshill Salvation Army Band, where I play trombone. So today I thought I'd tell you a wee bit more about me and the Salvation Army.

My Mum's side of the family has always been in the Salvation Army so I was taken along to the services at Rutherglen, from a very early age. When I was 7 I gave my heart to Jesus. I joined the Singing Company (which is the junior choir), and about 5/6 years later I joined the Young People's Band (the junior band) playing percussion for a few months before moving onto trombone.

When I was 18, after a number of years of doubt and soul searching, I decided that I wanted to continue serving God through the Salvation Army, so became what we call "soldier" - I wear Salvation Army uniform. From then I sang in our Songster Brigade (senior choir) and played in the Band.

I continued to attend the Salvation Army in Rutherglen until 2002. Since then I have been attending Salvation Army in Bellshill where I play in the band and also look after the band's website (www.bsab.co.uk).

I have been very priviliged to travel with the band to a number of place in Scotland, England and further afield. Our Easter Tour in 2003 to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium was a particular high for all of us in the band. You can read more about all the places we've visited in the band's website.

The band has recorded 4 CDs, the last of which we just recorded a few weeks ago and has not yet been released. It was really hard work recording the CDs but I'm sure those who have listened to them will tell you our hard work has been well worth it! Again if you want more details please visit the band's website.

So there you go, that's a very brief history of my time in the Salvation Army. If you want to know more, I have two testimonies listed on the band's website, plus if you keep reading the blog I may tell you more about me in the coming weeks. :)

Today I've been thanking God for the allowing me the opportunity to play in the band again - for several years I was unable to play much due to some health issues. Music has always been a big part of my life and so I find it a great way of expressing my faith and praising God's name.

I'd ask that today you say thank you to God for the wonderful music that He has inspired many to write, and for those use their musical talents to share God's message by singing/playing the music.