Doing life in the Right Key

I have spent much of my life as a musician.  I enjoy great music in a variety of genres. 

As a musician, I fully appreciate playing and singing a song in the right key. 

Carolyn is a very accomplished pianist, and she can play just about any song in any key desired.  She is a fabulous accompanist.

Let me tell you a story. 

During my college days I directed the music program for my Dad’s church in Lewisburg, Tennessee.  Every Sunday, for two years, I made the fifty-three mile trip down to Lewisburg to direct music for the church.  Often I would take a college friend or two down with me, usually to sing or play in the service. 

Every seventh Sunday we were asked to broadcast our church services over WJJM, the local radio station.  On these Sundays Dad wanted the music to be extra special.

On one particular broadcast Sunday I took my two best friends down with me -- Harold Ivan Smith and Michael B. Ross.  We formed a trio and practiced the song “I’m a Child of the King” as our special for this particular Sunday.  Harold accompanied us. 

We rehearsed a few times, decided on the perfect key and made the fifty-three mile trip down to Lewisburg, my home town. 

When it came time for us to sing, we took our places around the piano, my father placed the microphone on the piano and Harold began his introduction.  We soon realized that Harold had forgotten the exact key we had practiced in and had us off into some strange, lower key.  We sang, actually it was more like a growl, because of the lower key, yet we somehow managed to make it to the end of the song. 

That was a funny moment, and it has given Harold, Mike and I a lot of laughs.  Harold dubbed us “The Three Bears Trio”, since that is what we sounded like as we growled out the song in a too-low key.

Even as I sit keying in this story, I’m laughing out loud remembering this incident.  What a great story for a lifetime. 

Here’s the application.

Boys and girls, life needs to be played in the right key.  Here is what is on my mind.

Carolyn and I will have our 9^th wedding anniversary in September.  We both want to play in the right key to help keep our marriage strong and alive.  We don’t want to go off on a solo binge or try and ad lib in some other strange key. 

I work in a bank.  There are rules, guidelines and regulations that must be followed or I’m in big trouble.  You will find a lot of people in bank work who play in the right key.

I drive the freeways of Seattle.  I have to play in the right key as the other traffic or I could cause a big and serious traffic jam, or accident.

Our health needs to be played in the right key.  For a few years now, Carolyn and I make it to the gym early in the morning.  My body needs this in so many healthful ways.  If I stopped, I would get off key real fast and the cacophony would hurt my ears, metaphorically speaking, and my life would be in a train wreck.

Now, you are a bright reader, and you’ve understood the intent of this post.

My encouragement to you – Go play in the right key, Always!

P Michael Biggs

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