I'm an unashamed, ardent follower and super-fan of James Taylor. Jackie and I recently attended one of his concerts and he again didn't disappoint us. In fact, in my opinion, he's gotten better and better over the years. And he's still alive in his mid-seventies. Enough said on that.
And oh, sorry, for those of you under forty, James Taylor is one of the most accomplished pop singers in history. He's had scores of hits and still does extended tours even at his age. Plus, he still sings rather than have band members double his part, so the songs still sound like they did decades ago.
But I'm not here to convince you to become a JT fan though you should be. If you're not already, at least try him out on You Tube and see what you think. Instead, I just want to talk about principles from his music and how it's performed that we can all benefit from whether you're a Sinatra, Beatles, Nirvana or Swiftie fan.
First of all, JT and his band don't limit their set list to songs with the same four or five chords and the overused progressions employed so much these days. His songs sail through complicated, but enjoyable structures and patterns that take way more talent to play than the average pop or RB song today.
LESSON: Don't limit yourself to what you've always done or know how to do. Try something new and challenging that even makes you a bit uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to fail. As Dr. Seuss said, "Oh, the places you can go."
Second, JT has some of the best musicians in the country in his band. He surrounds himself with other greats to no doubt get the best possible result and keep him sharp as well. His sax player, for example, was in the very first Saturday Night Live band. You don't get there by being average. One of his back-up singers sang with Michael, Stevie, Whitney . . . well, you get the idea.
LESSON: Spend time and work with people in your field of interest, job or avocation who are as good if not better than you. Grow. Improve. Surprise yourself. People better than you always make you better. Give people the best you can.
Third, James' band performs as a unit, complementing each other with no one playing all the time, louder or acting like it's a competition for who's best. Yes, JT is the star, but he compliments and introduces each one and goes and shakes their hand during the concert.
LESSON: Great accomplishments are almost team-driven and team-produced. We need to be okay with whatever role we get that makes the group effort better. Don't get me wrong, there are times when we should be proud and excited over a personal, major achievement or goal reached. However, there's no one who can't be replaced and teams always produce better products than solo acts. Less really is more.
Fourth, they have fun. So much of what people do today gets lost in the seriousness, demands and expectations they place on it. Yes, there are also times when we need to be focused, work hard and take our efforts to another level. But a life without fun will likely be a life without passion, satisfaction, meaningful relationships and fulfillment.
As someone sings, "Shower the people you love with love," because "How sweet it is to be loved by you."
copied with permission from Gary Sinclair
Pastors In Prayer Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 283 ~ Roanoke, IN 46783
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