passed away you are left with trying to comfort those who are mourning for their loss . That is a ministry unto itself . What are your thoughts on that aspect ?
[ John ] Once , early in my time , I was invited into a room where the chaplain told me , “ The whole family is present .” I thought , what a wonderfully supportive family , I didn ’ t realize that phrase is code for the end is very near .
The oldest sister , seated beside her mother , asked me to play “ Folsom Prison Blues ”. She said , “ Mom loves Johnny Cash .” Halfway through the song , a nurse walked in , put her stethoscope over the mother ’ s heart then whispered to the daughter . Tears began to flow as the whisper passed from person to person . I immediately slowed down the Folsom Prison train and flowed into a peaceful spontaneous instrumental as the family grieved together .
The moment when a soul passes from this earth is sacred , even when the passing is expected and imminent . Being able to bring musical comfort into such a situation is a privilege and a blessing . One role of a musician is to create music that enhances and gives shape to the emotions in the room .
One thing I ’ ve had to realize is that I ’ m not the Great Comforter . I am an ambassador . The tool He has given me is music . Music is the medicine .
One day as I was having a upbeat interaction with a patient who was on the mend , I heard a heart rending wail from a nearby room . When I stepped into the hallway a young woman with tear-soaked eyes asked , “ Can you play some music for my brother ?” She paused . “ He just died .”
When I entered the room Mom and Dad were seated on the couch beside the bed . In the bed their thirty-something son was , stone still as if he had just fallen asleep . The father asked for anything bluegrass then requested , “ I ’ ll Fly Away .” Tears were still flowing as I sang , but a sense of peace fell upon the room . Music gives voice and context for emotions that are difficult to speak .
[ WM ] You have taken on the task of writing an entire book about this . What are your hopes for those who read it ?
[ John ] First of all let me say , I would rather spend time practicing my guitar than typing on a computer . After several years of resisting , it became clear that this book was a God assignment . I had been given a perspective that was different from the doctors , nurses , or patients . I was in a front row seat to witness the power of music and like all Christians , I was deputized as an ambassador . This combination made an opening for some amazing encounters . These were stories that had to be told .
The primary audience for Notes in the Key of C is cancer patients , their friends , and families . These stories show that people don ’ t lose their humanity because of a disease . There is still joy , laughter , and meaning that can be found even in the most desperate situations . All of this is part of life .
My secondary audience is musicians . There are people who will read this book and think , “ I could do that .” My hope is that they will .
As Christian musicians in the mid-2020 ’ s , there may be a tendency to think of worship as an experience involving a stage , nice lighting , a large band , and a stadium full of people . photo by Heather Evans
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