Transcript included below…
Today, we’re going to talk about fear. Really? Fear? Yep. Fear falls on the serious side of Guitar Serious Fun.
Now, I know that fear is not what we might call a fun subject, per se, but it is relevant to our guitar journeys, so I believe it’s important to talk about it.
I’ve battled fear much of my life, and also over the course of much of my music career. Fear has taken on many forms for me.
The subject of fear has enough complexity to it that I believe it warrants a two-parter here at Guitar Serious Fun. So today’s episode is one of two episodes where we’ll discuss the 10 fears we face. We’ll talk about five today, and five more next week.
And spoiler alert: at the epic conclusion of all of this, as we talk about the 10th fear, it will be the only fear I believe we need to embrace. The rest are fears we need to overcome in the strength of the Lord.
As I address each of these fears, I’ll provide some words of encouragement, and I’ll cite some scripture at certain points as well. Interestingly enough, the phrase “do not fear” or some variation of it, appears in the Bible 365 times.
I’d say that’s evidence that the Lord does not want us to be afraid.
So, let’s talk about how we can face fear.
To start things off, I’d like to provide a window into some of the mission trips I’ve served on.
High school and college were wonderful opportunities for me to step outside my comfort zone, to look outside my life, and to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to serve in a missions setting. During high school and college, I went on 10 mission trips over the course of about 10 years.
Whether doing inner-city street evangelism, or building houses for the impoverished, I encountered many different scenarios where I could have been afraid.
Most of the time, I was supervised by adult leaders who had an eye on the situation, and there was also an over-arching missions organization coordinating the effort, so things were intentionally looked after. But we didn’t have cell phones in those days, so sometimes we felt a bit more vulnerable.
One mission trip involved bringing hot meals into low-income urban housing where people were living out their final days in isolation, battling terminal illness.
For this leg of the mission trip I had at least two other people with me as we brought meals to these fragile people. It was coordinated through an organization that prepared the food, but needed teams to distribute it.
I recall being in an elevator as we made our way to a dark, quiet floor in what was a pretty rough part of the city. We knocked on apartment doors to give these people the meals they had signed up for. Everyone thanked us, and most of the time they opened their doors just enough for us to hand them the food and leave.
We were sophomores in college, and one of my teammates was trembling slightly as we did our work. She seemed to be a little afraid.
But for me, I had a strangely overwhelming sense of calm. I can’t explain it, except that I felt like the Lord was with me at every turn, and that He offered me His comfort, even in those dark corridors.
I was doing His will, and He was with me. And I suppose it was the fact that I was focusing on serving the Lord that kept fear from overwhelming me.
Fear is something many of us battle on our musical journeys. Some kinds of fear are more obvious; others are much more subtle. And some are fears we struggle with…even though we don’t even realize that we do.
I’ve learned over the years that it’s never healthy to make decisions motivated by fear. It’s also not good to live in fear.
But fear can be prevalent, so I believe it’s important to address 10 fears we can all face as guitarists. Let’s take the first five today, one at a time, in no particular order of significance.
#1. Fear of Loss
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. This is a familiar story about a master who entrusts various amounts of talents to his servants before he goes on a journey. I’ve alluded to this parable in a few different episodes of Guitar Serious Fun, including Episode 46, Reduce it to the Ridiculous – with Dawn Jones.
Now, in the context of the parable, a talent was a measure of money. And although two of the servants doubled their money by prudently investing and stewarding their talents, one of the servants physically buried his talent.
This servant in the parable defended himself to his angry master by basically saying he didn’t want to lose anything. Fear of loss is hard, because we have no guarantee of tomorrow, and the reality is that we just might lose things or people who are precious to us.
I myself am coming up on the 30th anniversary of the tragic passing of my younger sister. Loss is a part of life.
Even our own lives are not guaranteed to us, right? So when it comes to music, perhaps we might not cultivate our talents because we’re afraid that by investing in them we might lose something – perhaps the time we put into practicing, or the money we invest in resources or instruction.
We may fear the loss of our instrument to theft. We can take precautions, like not leaving our guitars in an unattended vehicle. We can buy music gear insurance. But our treasures are meant to be in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:20).
Having open hands about our stuff can be pretty liberating. I’ve heard stories of people who have had possessions stolen, and who have responded in faith with words like, “Well, I guess the Lord doesn’t want me to have that right now.” That’s a pretty deep faith.
We may fear injury. Is it important to wear gloves when we handle rough items like chopped wood or sharp metal? Yes! Just like we’d wear a seatbelt when driving a car, we can take precautions to protect ourselves.
Injuries happen, though – short term or long-term chronic injuries. I’ve sustained both. As of this episode, I can still play the music I want to play, and each day being able to do this is a gift from the Lord.
The loss of love ones, our stuff or our abilities are real fears. Perhaps those fears could lead us to avoid leaning into our musical callings in some way, for fear of loss.
But I haven’t met a single musician who worked hard or invested in musical development and wished he or she hadn’t done so.
The only musician I heard about recently who may have regretted purchasing a guitar is the one who, despite being warned not to leave it in his car, did so, and when it was stolen, ended up making payments on an instrument he no longer owned…for the better part of another year.
But let’s dispel that fear – the fear of loss.
I’d rather look back on a life well-lived, and talents well-used, having played a decent guitar and enjoyed it, for however much time the Lord has allowed – than to have not invested in my abilities and some good gear, for fear of loss.
#2. Fear of Failure
“But what if I fail?” I’ve spoken those words at various times in my life.
There are many different areas where we might think or say those words.
For example, have you thought about stepping forward to share your music with an audience, or to lead worship on the platform at your local church? Has it occurred to you that some of your audience members might not appreciate your music, or that you might stumble and struggle to play well during a worship service?
I’ve gotten up on the worship platform and played songs I thought I knew. I’ve missed chords, dropped words, sung flat, and broken lots of guitar strings. I’ve had mornings of worship where I’ve felt like a “pipin’ hot mess”…and yet the Lord has somehow moved through my inadequacies to minister to His people.
Interestingly enough, some folks have been very encouraging to me under those circumstances, thanking me for leading them “so well.”
Contrast this to other mornings where I have played with great precision and artistry, and been met with “crickets” in terms of verbal congregational response.
But over the course of many years, with dedicated practice and experience, I’ve raised my game and played and sung more and more capably.
What about the music industry? Have you given careful consideration to prayerfully taking the step of faith to pursue music vocationally on some level? Has it come across your mind that you might “fail” at that?
I’m an indie recording artist. I decided a long time ago that success to me was not household name recognition and six figures of record sales. It was: making enough money through the use of my talents to provide for my and my family’s needs, including their spiritual and emotional needs.
If someone’s goal is to be a chart-topping platinum record selling artist, selling one million units, and they don’t reach that, is that a failure? I’ve only sold about 30,000 units total of all four of my albums.
Is that failure? Only when compared with the lofty goal of selling one million units, which, by the way is not realistic for an independent artist without the backing of a significant amount of personnel in the industry. Side note: even with a label, a booking agency, and all the people involved with marketing an artist, platinum status is not guaranteed.
On a related subject, if our goal is to perform concerts and have that be the only source of income to sustain our family, is that realistic, right out of the gate? Artists who are signed to a label aren’t guaranteed financial security in that situation.
Some artists may actually need to rely on other sources of income for an extended season to keep their dream in motion. If that’s the case, is that failure? Again, no.
And speaking autobiographically, my performance career has ebbed and flowed from a few dozen shows a year to a hundred shows a year. I took a full-time and part-time worship position to be more local and to provide more consistent income for my family for over a decade, while still touring part time. Was that a failure? I really don’t think so.
I believe failure is a rather subjective term.
As I mentioned in Episode 45 of Guitar Serious Fun – “Glancing Back, Looking Forward,” Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” And sometimes it’s a learning experience that serves us the best.
Sometimes our definition of failure hinges on our definition of success. In other words, if our goals are unrealistic and we don’t meet them, we could consider ourselves failures.
I believe we need to be realistic with our goals, and also to be realistic with how we evaluate our accomplishments in light of those goals.
In this current season at the time of this episode, my ministry is not limited to concerts. It also includes guest worship leading, worship team consulting, and nearly a couple dozen seminars I teach. I encourage you to peek at www.davidharsh.com to learn more about my onstage offerings, as well as my seminars.
The other aspect of our ministry which is gaining momentum and significance is GuitarSuccess4U.
If you haven’t discovered GuitarSuccess4U, it could be a game-changer for you or someone you know who wants to develop their guitar skills for the Lord. The website for that is GuitarSuccess4U.com.
Since I don’t tour exclusively, have I failed as an artist? No. Actually, some touring artists have such a rigorous schedule that they risk missing out on relationships and family moments. Remember how I stipulated that success for me was also providing for my family’s spiritual and emotional needs?
Making enough money to sustain them, but not being around for them, does not serve anyone well.
I am fortunate to be able to say that I was able to watch each of my daughters’ first steps.
In Guitar Serious Fun Episode 9, “Do we need to Understand Music to Enjoy it?” I talked about my dad’s favorite artist, the late Harry Chapin.
He is most famous for a song called “Cat’s in the Cradle” that speaks of a missed opportunity as a father, and it begins with these poignant lyrics:
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
May it not be so. If there’s a failure that we could fear, that’s probably one of them. The failure to be a present parent. But as a musician, especially one who is in pursuit of the Lord’s will, there’s no failure to be afraid of.
Remember, it’s God’s calling. If He wants to supply the need through other avenues, including working in a non-musical venture for a season, then perhaps that’s what He wants to do.
But let us not fear failure as professional musicians just because our sights have been set unrealistically high.
When it comes to writing songs, will everyone love our music? Nope. I’ve been up onstage performing a concert where people have literally looked at their devices or looked away from the stage the entire time. Is that failure on my part? No, it’s not.
I’ve played for an audience of two thousand people. Did two thousand people buy my CD that day? Nope. More like 50. Does that mean that only 50 out of 2000 people liked my music? No.
I take from these scenarios that it’s God’s economy, and it’s really not about me. So I don’t need to fear failure with my art, my presentation, or my worship leading. God can use it all.
And even when I write songs that don’t connect – there’s an opportunity to revise them. A songwriting coach once told me that “Great songs aren’t written – they’re re-written.”
And making mistakes on the platform with my guitar are actually opportunities for self-examination and a better approach to practicing and preparing for next time.
So let’s not fear failure, because God can use it all.
#3. Fear of the Unknown
Some people thrive on the adrenalized feeling that comes with an unexpected outcome. They love the suspense. Others want to know what the plan is, even before step one is put into action.
I tend to be someone who likes to be “in the know.” But sometimes we need to walk by faith. There’s walking blindly without any strategy, and there’s taking intentional steps of faith, guided by wise counsel.
We as musicians may be fearful of what may come in the future as it pertains to our music. We may wonder what the Lord has for us, and if we don’t know, we may hold back on cultivating our gifts.
But when we listen to fear, we don’t listen to the still small voice of the Lord who has the capacity to prompt us through the Holy Spirit, to step forward.
Fear drowns out a lot of what could be a clear, guiding voice, telling us that we need to lean into our gifts.
The unknown can be intimidating, but is it intimidating enough that it should keep us from cultivating our talents? Perhaps not.
Will we fully know what the Lord has for us before we embark on it? I don’t think so. We need to live in the moment, trusting Him for the next season, or the next thing.
This will allow us to get down to the business of working on our craft and taking steps to share it with a waiting world.
#4. Fear of Hard Work
This is a fancy way of describing what it’s like to be lazy or complacent. Thomas Edison once said, “There is no excuse for hard work.” The soprano Beverly Sills once said, “There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.”
I’ve been lazy or complacent at different seasons of my musical journey. I’ve “phoned it in” and just played what I know. Sometimes, time is not on my side to cultivate or create new things, and it’s all I can do just to maintain my current repertoire.
But there are new songs to learn, and to create or to arrange. And what bridges the gap between not knowing a song and being able to present it capably and confidently?
Good old-fashioned hard work.
And with hard work come patience and time, two things that some folks just may not want to invest, at least right now.
Not everyone wants to work hard to fulfill their dreams, but those who do experience a tremendous reward of making things happen.
But let’s not fear hard work. Some of the best music we will ever play is waiting on the other side of good, hard work.
Lastly for today…
#5. Fear of Losing Control of our Art
My first recorded endeavor was a compilation I was invited to be on, where I contributed two of my earliest songs. With the best of intentions on both sides, the recording came out, and the production aspect had taken both of my songs into new stylistic realms that I hadn’t anticipated.
I liked what they did. Liked. I didn’t love it.
And unfortunately, my expression of these sentiments wasn’t timed well, because the disc was already finished and pressed. And one of the titles was actually worded wrong in the CD insert. But hey, that was an excellent learning experience for me.
What I learned was this: I like to have some control during production so as to help achieve my vision for the finished product. This was my first opportunity to record something, so I really can’t fault myself or the team that invited me onto the project; there was a lot of “new.”
In the years that followed, I acted as the producer for two of my albums, all the way down to overseeing the graphics design. This had its upsides: I was at the wheel, but the productions hit a ceiling on multiple fronts.
My fear of not having control of these projects resulted in what I look back on as amateur offerings for both projects.
Another project followed, where I again produced, but incorporated some outside counsel a bit more, and was able to take the production standard up a bit more in how it sounded and looked, but still not to where I knew it could go.
Finally, it happened. I joined forces with a producer and multi-instrumentalist who was so gracious and so talented, and yet had such a clear vision for how to carry the songs across the finish line based on my artistic vision. I also found a photographer who had an amazing eye for lighting and faces.
It took me relinquishing some control to allow a great thing to happen with this album. I will qualify this scenario: I was shown audio recordings of this producer’s past work that met and exceeded my standards. The same was true of the photographer.
I did the diligence to make sure the work of these two artists was on par with what I would be paying them (which was a lot, but worth it) and also commensurate with my expectations. And it became my best record to date.
There can be a scenario where an artist relinquishes control to those who do not steward their gifts well, and the project does not turn out well. I want to acknowledge that.
Rather than be fearful of losing control, though, I would recommend being diligent and vigilant. Requesting samples of past work, and even referrals from past clients, can really provide clarity and peace of mind as well.
But let’s not fear losing control of our art. God’s got this, and we can lean into His sufficiency.
As we wind down today, I’d like to go back to the story I opened with about my mission trip adventures. I was prompted by the Lord to go on these trips. And they were uncomfortable, had a lot of unknowns, and opportunities to be afraid. But He was with me. So I said no to fear.
Is the Lord always with us? Yes, He is, if we’ve surrendered our lives to Him and accepted what Christ has done. Embracing the good news of the Gospel is all that’s needed to be saved and brought into a relationship with the Lord of the Universe, in whom we find the peace that passes all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
With that, I think we’ll let things rest until next week.
Today, we talked about the first five fears we can all face as guitarists: Fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of hard work, and fear of losing control of our art.
We’ll come back next week for the epic conclusion. Remember my spoiler alert? Fear #10 is the only fear I believe we need to embrace. Stay tuned for that.
What fears are you battling these days? Do any of the aforementioned fears from today’s episode come into play on your journey? I’d love to know. Please include them in the comments for this episode.
And don’t forget to check out GuitarSuccess4U.com, and to like and share what I’m doing here, especially if you’re hoping to experience more of these episodes.
I’m working to develop my audience for Guitar Serious Fun, and I need your help. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next week as we bring this two-part series to its epic conclusion.
The 10 Fears we Face as Guitarists (Part 1 of 2)