Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

 So today, Reformation Sunday in the Lutheran church, I played Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. This is 9+ minutes of ongoing busyness. I spent about 2 months in focused practice to prepare for today.

 Why this piece? There are a couple of reasons. First, Bach was a Lutheran church musician. So it's quite fitting to tie in to Reformation Sunday. Second, I had been feebly "attempting" to learn this piece since college. That consisted of trying to play the piece, failing miserably, and giving up. Another 6-8 months go by, and repeat. A year goes by and repeat. Third, it's the week of Halloween. The Toccata and Fugue have been corrupted as "Halloween music". It's not. It's one of Bach's top compositions, at least in my mind.

 Why this particular day? Obviously the reasons I mentioned in the previous paragraph, but there's much more. I've been "reforming" my attitude toward playing the organ, and this Sunday seemed to be the best culmination of that. I had become great at listening to the negative voices, whether real, perceived or in my head over the past few years, and had not challenged myself to play new pieces. If I did, I stuck to hymn improvisations by composers I knew and liked. I mean, really, I've been playing the organ for worship services for 20 years. Do I really need to learn new music?

YES I DO!

Why?

I've been given a talent from God. It's sinful if I don't use it and work on it to be better.

It's my job. I am paid to be a professional musician, and if I don't take pride in myself and my abilities (given by God), that reflects in my "professionalism".

It's actually fun to take on a challenge and work at it, see improvement, and build on that.

It makes things easier overall. As I was working on the variations on "Holy God We Praise Your Name" for last Sunday, as well as this piece, I noticed that my overall musicianship seemed to fall into place like it used to. Why? I was paying attention to details. I was working on skills that I had been neglected for a while now.



So? How did it go?

I played it as my prelude for both worship services. It wasn't perfect. I didn't expect it to be. It didn't bomb either! In fact, those spots that had given me the most trouble throughout the years, those reasons why I quit working on it from time to time, went as smooth as one could expect. I even received applause after playing it for the 10:45 service! That was totally shocking! Overall, the hard work put in reaped rewards. Now, I could puff up my chest and say, "Look at how good I am! All my hard work paid off." Me. Me. Me. It's not about me. It's about God. He's the giver of the gift. For far too long, I have neglected that gift. And just a couple of months of focused effort have led to some positive changes. I'm excited about what's next.


So? What is next?

I'm going to be doing an organ/piano/vocal concert on December 8th. That will be really fun. I've got some fun Advent/Christmas pieces I'm working on, religious and lightly irreligious. As for what challenge I may take on next, I'm either leaning toward a Buxtehude piece, to work my fingers some more, or some romantic period organ music, as that fits the organ I play. And because it's far from my first choice in organ repertoire.


No matter what the task, it can be accomplished. It may take a lot of focused effort, or it may take time, but it can be accomplished. Whether it's music, or any other task, it can be accomplished. And I thank God for reminding me of this truth.