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Stanton Lanier

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

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Come and Talk with Me

May 24, 2022 By Stanton Lanier 16 Comments

Today – May 24, 2022 – is release day for Come and Talk with Me. You can stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and all music services, or by clicking below. As you listen, scroll down to read the inspiration behind this song…

https://www.stantonlanier.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Come-and-Talk-with-Me-Stanton-Lanier-c2022-MTLTW.mp3

 

Don’t we all have a friend or family member who we want to talk with, or who we want to come and talk with us? The title of this piece speaks to this universal human desire, for another person to “come and talk with me.” Yet the context of these words from Psalm 27:8 is an invitation from God, asking us to come and talk with Him. In Psalm 27:8 the psalmist writes, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.'” (NLT) Other versions of this Scripture speak to seeking God, seeking His face, worshiping God, praying to God, and chasing after God. God’s simple invitation to Come and talk with Me is deep and rich with meaning.

Psalm 27 begins with, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Throughout the Bible God promises to be our Savior, Protector, Provider, Comforter, Healer, Guide, and much more. When I put my faith and trust in Him as Father, and seek to obey Him, God is always faithful to be with me. He is filled with love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and patience in response to my sin, and when I fall short of His holiness. Jesus is the only Perfect and Holy One, without sin. He invites each of us to be saved by His grace and forgiveness when we receive this gift by faith. We can come and talk with Jesus and God with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Musically there are two primary themes. The introductory theme has some rhythmic movement to symbolize life’s busyness. Even though coming to talk with God is a simple invitation, it is not so easy most of the time. The main chorus theme which answers is an expression of when we begin to experience God’s voice, and when we purse coming to talk with Him. The beauty and wonder elevate musically to illustrate the blessing of being in fellowship with Him. The “life is busy” theme returns once more, but the “hearing God’s voice” theme becomes what the song is about. This chorus theme is repeated to the end of the song with various solo instruments, orchestra, and choir joining the piano, sometimes in unison, and sometimes with a counter melody or harmony. The music fades slowly to a gentle chord ending, symbolizing walking through life on earth, and into eternity in conversation with God, speaking our heart and listening to Him. I hope this piece is uplifting to your life and faith journey, and offers you peace and encouragement in your current circumstances.

How does “Come and Talk with Me” speak into your story right now?

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” — Psalm 27:8 (NLT)

Filed Under: Inspiration, Music Stories, Spiritual Journey Tagged With: Beauty, Hope, peace, Peaceful Piano, piano, Psalm 27:8, talking with God

Harmonies of Light

April 19, 2022 By Stanton Lanier 8 Comments

Today is release day for the new song Harmonies of Light. You can stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and all music platforms, or you can click below. As you listen, scroll down and read some of the story behind this song.

https://www.stantonlanier.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Harmonies-of-Light-Stanton-Lanier-c2022-MTLTW.mp3

 

The new title Harmonies of Light surfaced when I came across Isaiah 45:7, which talks about how God forms light and makes harmonies. These are only two of His vast, infinite capabilities, and they are definitely worthy of musical expression! I also found the word harmonies used in Philippians and Colossians, and included all three passages down below.

Since Johann Sebastian Bach is my favorite composer, and he phrased my favorite quote about music, I was inspired to use the opening chord progression and harmonies from his famous Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. If you haven’t heard it before, you should look it up (renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs a gorgeous version on YouTube). After finding the left hand chords, I began experimenting with melodies in the right hand. The ideas began to flow over a couple of days, and the opening section began to take shape. I initially thought I would continue to use Bach’s harmonic chords, but the initial sequence launched me into a new place. The Cello Suite harmonies became a slow introduction theme, followed by a variation on this with piano and a solo clarinet. Then I found my own chord progression and melody, which became the central theme of the piece. It appears first at the 2:25 mark, with piano and harp, and is repeated from 3:20 to 4:15 with the clarinet, orchestra and choir joining in. The introductory theme returns again for a slow, beautiful ending with its beautiful harmonies. The very end features a hint of the main theme melody to tie everything together and complete Harmonies of Light.

In my 2021 video series Piano with Stanton Lanier my opening words for each of the 12 episodes is “…I believe we all have a song in our heart, and we can think of our life as a song as we seek to make a positive difference in the world.” And the Bach quote I love is, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” If we seek to glorify God and refresh the souls of people through our lives, this is one way to be a harmony of light in the world. I pray your light shines brightly today!

How does “Harmonies of Light” and its inspiration speak to you?

“I am God, the only God there is. I form light and create darkness, I make harmonies and create discords. I, God, do all these things.” — Isaiah 45:7

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” — Philippians 4:8-9

“He (Jesus) was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.” — Colossians 1:17-20

Filed Under: Inspiration, Music Stories, Spiritual Journey Tagged With: God's healing, God's hope, healing, Hope, piano, sadness, tears, wiping away every tear

Wiping Away Every Tear

March 15, 2022 By Stanton Lanier 7 Comments

The new song Wiping Away Every Tear just released today. It is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and all other music platforms, or you can click below. As you listen, scroll down and read the inspiration behind this piece. (The “Explicit Lyrics” indication on some music services is an unfortunate error which hopefully will be corrected and removed soon.)

https://www.stantonlanier.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Wiping-Away-Every-Tear-Stanton-Lanier-c2022-MTLTW.mp3

 

I was inspired to compose and record Wiping Away Every Tear to express the need for hope and healing in times of loss or sadness. During twenty-two years of composing Scripture inspired instrumental music, within my fourteen albums and twenty-one singles there are some melodies and harmonies which “speak” to real life moments when we have tears, distress, or sadness. Hope, healing, and even forgiveness can all be found in time, and are available from God by His grace when we seek Him and ask Him for help. This can also require surrendering or releasing a circumstance to Him. This has helped me make progress toward not being anxious about anything, and experiencing God’s peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

Fear and anxiety are issues I have faced for much of my life, but God has continued to offer hope and healing. I have found Him faithful to guard and protect, and even bless my heart and life with His goodness and faithfulness. I hope this melody will inspire you and encourage you if you are facing any type of loss or sadness. The verses below were the inspiration behind this song, and have been helpful to me.  Wishing you God’s grace and peace today, and in your days ahead, Stanton

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” — Revelation 21:4

“…he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” — Isaiah 25:8

Filed Under: Inspiration, Music Stories, Spiritual Journey Tagged With: God's healing, God's hope, healing, Hope, piano, sadness, tears, wiping away every tear

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