Imagine you’re at a concert where your favorite band is performing.

The next thing you know, you’re being invited up on stage to play with them.

More than adding to the noise

This must be a dream, right? Well, watch this video and then continue reading.

There’s so much I love about this video.

1. Switchfoot is a fantastic band
2. I knew drummer Jon when he was a kid¹
3. The band took a chance on someone who asked for it
4. When given the chance, Jon was ready and made the most of it

Letting go of the wheel

I love how Jon Foreman (Switchfoot front man) likens what he’s doing to “handing over the wheel”.

I’m a parent who has now helped two teens to learn how to drive. Handing over the wheel in that context is definitely nerve wracking. But if you don’t do it, you’re hindering someone else and not giving them the chance to grow their potential and reach.

I have to imagine that being a professional musician and handing the full tempo of your song to an unknown must be similarly terrifying. I mean no one is going to die, but you’re up there with a responsibility to your fans and you’re taking a big risk letting someone come up and play with you. But if you do it and it goes well, what a magical moment it can be.

Taking the wheel

So I think if I didn’t know a bit about Jon and his dad, I would have figured this was some sort of staged situation. There’s no way someone just gets on stage in front of a crowd with their favorite band and rocks it like that. Right?

But knowing what I know, instead I wonder…

How long has he been playing drums? How many times did he play along with the live version of that song? What prompted him to make the sign and think that the band might invite him up?

I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I do know the answer to this one: man, was he ready or what!?

Taking a chance

I’ve watched Jon’s video three times over the last three days. I think what strikes me about it is he was so ready for his chance. I feel like I’m in some sort of in between phase right now. Mid-life, figuring out how to work as a solo software developer, wondering what’s the next chapter ready to unfold.

I’m also a Christian and believe that I’m called in some part to do more than “add to the noise” and instead play some (maybe small but still important) part in this life I’ve been invited into.

I don’t know what I’ll be asked to take the wheel on next, but my goal is to be ready. I’m learning, I’m creating and I hope that whatever it is I can take a deep breath and rock it as hard as Jon did playing Adding to the Noise.

Footnotes

1. I attended a church youth group in the 90’s while in high school, and Jon’s dad was my youth pastor. Hi Mark! (if you ever see this) ↩