Bumping Into God

At a summer jazz camp in the backwoods of Tennessee the author began to sense a uniquely unifying spirit among the gathering of players from around the world. It was more than just the comradery of musical genre and orientation, it was as if the harmony of the environment began to take up a presence in the audition halls, workshops, and stage performances. After hour conversations eventually led the author to ask an off the charts question. "Have you ever bumped into God during a song, or a solo.?"

The generous answers of the musicians and singers interviewed spoke directly to the deep mystery of music's personal value as a source of the good in our lives and provided a roadmap for the answered prayer of a late bloomer picking up an instrument for the first time to jamming with Grammy winners.

Reading the accounts in this search for the sound of spirit will bring music into areas of our lives we have kept silent for way too long.