Keepin' It Real

Let me start by apologizing for skipping out on my post last month… I apologize.
As a person that plays the organ, there are many occasions in Apostolic services that my services are called upon to, without listing all the different terms, “preach with the preacher”. I know somebody’s thinking I’m about to complain about this, but I’m not. I actually have a great time doing that (preaching with the preacher). It’s one of my favorite things to do, but don’t tell me to get on some keyboard with a pathetic excuse for some organ sounds on it. This should be a sin. People should be beaten for asking this of anyone that truly loves playing the organ. You may say “that’s harsh TJ!” And I’ll just say “it was harsh to ask me to do that.” No, I’m not bashing people that don’t have best keyboards money can buy (which by the way, I don’t like playing organ settings on them either).
If somebody asks me to come back them up, I don’t mind doing that, just let me choose a sound on that bad boy that allows me to create the best sound I can with it. Don’t insist on using the organ sound. Sometimes it just doesn’t sound right… to me.
Let me explain. The sound that we are using a single keyboard to imitate is so much more complex than we seem to think. It’s like asking a 10 year old to play point guard for an NBA All-Star team. It may be pretty good, but it’s not going to accomplish the task at hand. And this isn’t just for preaching with the preacher; I’m talking about throughout a service. One keyboard, with 88 keys to imitate a beast that has two keyboards with 61 keys and a pedal board with another 25 is just not right! And on top of that, one can manipulate the sounds on a Hammond C-3 almost just thinking about it. Mm BABY!!! Ok, I’m getting too technical. If you want me to go deeper, just let me know.
How often do we hear drummers complain about playing electric drums, or just anybody complaining about a guitar sample on a keyboard? But let an organist say he or she doesn’t want to play an organ sound on a keyboard; the looks people give me are priceless.
I’ve said all this simply to make this point: You can’t beat the real thing. Thank you Coca-Cola! We can’t just be trying to be some kind of imitation. You need to sound like you when you’re singing or playing. While someone else can’t tell the difference – He knows the real deal. There are things that only you can do. There are things that separate you from the bunch. So no matter how “old school” someone may think your style is, or how irrelevant somebody may claim your sound to be. God requires that each man give according to what he has. Don’t try to turn what God gave you into something else – keep it real!