Keith Urban, Robert Mirabal, Doyle Dykes, and the Power of Music

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By Brian Nixon
Special to ASSIST News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS) -- Music has always been a part of my life. Since childhood, the allure of musical sounds and instruments has fascinated me, causing me to pursue music with a passion. Some of my earliest memories as a child are of my father singing in operas and my mother singing in the church choir. Later came rock music, country, folk, classical, world, and any type of music I could get my hands on. So any chance I get to hear great music I jump at.

This past week I had three opportunities to take in great sounds.

Keith Urban plays his guit

The first was a concert by Keith Urban. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t a Keith Urban fan before this night. I knew only one song, “Sweet Thing.” And every now and then, while channel surfing, I’d see him on American Idol. But after the concert, I can say that I walked away unduly impressed with his showmanship, musicianship, and desire to connect with the people in the audience.

For my wife’s birthday, we drove to the Sandia Resort Amphitheater on the Sandia Pueblo outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico to join 4,000 other people to watch, listen, and take in the sounds of Australia’s best country artist.

In his quest to bond with the gathering, Mr. Urban pulled ladies from the Cochiti Pueblo onstage, told stories of his time in New Mexico—before fame came his way, came out into the audience to perform, gave away one of his guitars, and most importantly, played his heart out with guitar solos galore.

I walked away from the concert saying to myself, “he did everything right.” The power of music prevailed, winning many people over, including myself.

Robert Mirabal performing Native American flute at the Albuquerque Museum of Art

The second musical event was a concert by Grammy Award-winning, Native flute player, Robert Mirabal. In preparation for an upcoming PBS special, Robert performed at the Albuquerque Museum of Art to highlight some of his new work and talk about his quest to provide corn (a symbol of life and sustenance) to people from around the world.

In an hour and fifteen-minute performance, Robert played flute, sang, and danced various traditional Taos Pueblo dances, all the while discussing the importance of corn, family life, and agricultural on the Taos Pueblo.

I just so happened to bump into Robert prior to the performance. We were able to chat about his book, “Running Alone,” and his upcoming PBS series. He’s a genuinely nice man, hugging all he comes into contact with.

The whole evening was a fascinating cultural and musical feast.

Pastor Skip Heitzig and Doyle Dykes at Calvary Albuquerque

The final musical event, turned out to be the best. Master finger style-guitarist, Doyle Dykes, was at Calvary of Albuquerque to perform at the four services and give a Sunday evening concert.

I was privileged to join Pastor Skip Heitzig and Doyle for dinner after the Saturday evening service. Doyle told stories of Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash’s house, recording studios and guitars. I nodded my head in amazement as he conveyed whom he’s played alongside, and where he’s performed. It was a smorgasbord evening. I was stuffed full of musical treats.

But it was my time with Doyle the next day that I really got a sense of the man. In several conversations, we discussed his brain surgery, his love of his family, and his strong Christian faith. I was impressed with Doyle’s candor and openness to talk about difficulties he’s overcome—by God’s grace—to continue performing at the level we’ve become accustomed to. If there was one thing that rang loud and true it was that Doyle is appreciative of God’s blessings upon his life. Doyle is a light in the music industry.

Speaking of light, in Doyle’s book, “The Lights of Marfa” (Moody Publishing), he discusses the phenomena of glowing lights in a small West Texas town of Marfa. Many speculate that the lights are piezoelectric charges from igneous rock under the Mitchell Flat area by Marfa. Other people don’t believe the Marfa lights exist.

But for Doyle, the Marfa lights are a metaphor for God speaking into a person’s life with love, truth, and grace. After seeing the lights himself, Doyle writes in his book, “I realize that God’s peace and joy, and His love and the miracle of His grace, are much more miraculous than any mysterious lights in the desert…[but on] That cold night on February 5, 2010, I saw the lights of confirmation and direction for this book. I saw the Lights of Marfa.” Doyle is one who basks in the light of God’s presence. Just like the old Hank William’s song, “I Saw the Light,” Doyle has experience first-hand the light of Christ’s love.

So what is it about music that draws people? Generations of people have speculated, philosophized, and qualified music’s power.

Greek philosopher, Plato, speculated that music had spiritual, physical, and mental benefits, saying, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination.”

Christian thinker, Augustine of Hippo, likens God’s saving presence to music. In his “Confessions” he writes, “The delights of the ear, had more firmly entangled and subdued me; but Thou did loosen, and free me. Now, in those melodies which Thy words breathe soul into, when sung with a sweet and attuned voice…”

Martin Luther, reformer, scholar, and musician, states, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” And when feeling depressed, Luther states, “My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.”

Even famed doctor, theologian, and musician, Albert Schweitzer, likened music to healing hearts: “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”

Put in a secular-scientific context, Daniel J. Levitin, a neuroscientist, discusses the neurochemistry and cognitive psychology of music on the brain in his book, “This Is Your Brain On Music,” pointing to the fact that music may be a large component of what makes people “human.” He writes, “Music may be the activity that prepared our pre-human ancestors for speech communication and for the very cognitive, representational flexibility necessary to become humans.”

Whether it is a concert, worship, to heal broken hearts, or help make us more human, music has a powerful influence in the lives of people.

Yet, when it all comes down to it, the power of music is found in the power of God’s creative order. God is the ultimate composer and author of music; it’s in God’s creative nature that births the creative arts, music being chief among them.

Johannes Sebastian Bach

So it’s no wonder when someone hears a great guitarist, flutist, singer, or any masterfully produced sound, that our ears perk: for in the sound of music, we hear the voice of God, however distant, however concealed. In music, God has wrought a gift that echoes throughout eternity.

And that eternal sound can bring glory to God and nourishment to a person. Or as composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, once stated, “The aim and final end of all music should be on other than the glory of God and refreshment of the soul.”

Stay refreshed, my friends.

 Source: Assist News Service