Transcript included below…

As someone who has served for multiple years on staff in a worship setting for churches, I’ve interfaced with a lot of technically-minded people. At one of those churches, I overheard a conversation between a couple sound technicians, and I heard one of them drop the term “future proof.”

It gave me pause, because I can’t quite think of any piece of technology I’ve encountered that qualifies as future-proof, in other words, once you’ve bought it, you never have to buy a next generation version of it.

My line of thinking was verified in a subsequent conversation with a couple established staff technicians at a church I served at, when I asked them if “future proof” was such a thing.

All they could think of in terms of equipment that could stand the test of time (and I mean decades) was electrical conduit, which is used to protect and route electrical wiring in a building or structure.

It’s true – we are witnesses to the perpetual updating of equipment, for which some versions come out annually.

Exhibit A: the smartphone. Sure, sometimes it’s more to the monetary advantage of the manufacturer, and there may be some hints of planned obsolescence, but there are pieces of technology that are worth updating.

Even the laptop I’m stringing these words together on has been slow to respond recently. It could probably be replaced in a year or so.

Remember GPS units for cars? I had a friend who was an early adopter of technology, and he bought the first GPS unit he could get his hands on. But he promptly returned it to the store he bought it from, because it had led him up the wrong way of a freeway exit ramp.

Apparently, that technology had not been refined yet, so it certainly wasn’t even close to “future proof.”

In terms of recording equipment, I invite you to roll the clock back with me even further. How have we seen recording technology advance through the years? Well, there have been many iterations, but there was one recording device I was quite familiar with.

Just to provide a little context, I remember a music store I went to in the mid-90s.

On the wall, just inside the front door, there was a huge sepia-toned photograph of a legendary acoustic multi-instrumentalist by the name of John McCutcheon, who in addition to playing the guitar, is known for his skills on the hammered dulcimer, which I also play.

In this photograph, John was teaching a hammered dulcimer workshop to at least a half a dozen eager learners, all huddled around him. I suspect the photo was taken in the 1970s, because each student was holding a portable battery-powered…wait for it…cassette recorder.

That was their portable device for capturing his wisdom and musical sonorities. No video, despite the fact that video would have changed the game in terms of comprehension and retention of what he was demonstrating.

An audio recording of a music instructional experience can be helpful (and incidentally, I provide audio as just one of several learning mediums in our online membership at GuitarSuccess4U), but it’s only a part of the picture (so I also provide video, transcripts, and PDFs. This multi-faceted collection of file options has been called multi-modal learning.)As of this episode of Guitar Serious Fun, there exists a portable device that exceeds the cassette recorder in just about every way: the smartphone, which I mentioned earlier. It can capture amounts of full-color video, as well as audio, and doesn’t have to be rewound.

Do you remember when the world had to rewind audio or video tapes?

With the speed of the innovation and invention these days, who knows what will follow in terms of future technological advancements in the audio recording arena?

Now, this photo of John McCutcheon and his students was at the top of the stairs of a basement music store in Fremont, Seattle, called Dusty strings, where I bought my first acoustic guitar, a Simon Patrick Luthier (6) WC. I still have that guitar, and I still love playing it. (Side note – Dusty Strings actually made my D550 hammered dulcimer, which is another element of my sonic sandbox.)

Now, that handmade Simon/Patrick guitar I bought in the mid-90s sounds even sweeter today than when I bought it. Something about the woods maturing over time, right? An acoustic guitar, especially, can mellow and mature like a fine wine.

I’ve had the privilege of playing some older guitars, and as long as they’ve been taken care of, they can sound remarkably rich and deep in their tone. Guitar music has been with us for quite some time now, through various generations of styles and genres. I believe that it will endure.

So perhaps the guitar is “future proof” on some level.

But when we speak of styles and genres, it’s important to take into consideration how the guitar is played. Music components can be universal. Rhythm, notes, rests…these are all things that exist across all genres in some capacity, because they are part of the vocabulary.

A C Major chord is an element of music that’s much less subjective – it’s basically like a chemical formula – we have varying quantities of the notes C, E, and G which make up the chord, much like Hydrogen and Oxygen, in their proper proportions, can make up a molecule of water.

And a molecule of water can exist in a drop of water, or a bucket of water, and even the various states of matter from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (steam).

The chemical composition of water does not change throughout these states. Nor does the formula of a C Major chord, regardless of voicing or inversion, unless it gets embellished with additional tones.

Sure, there are certain chords that are more conducive to certain genres of music.

For example, a dominant 7th and its variations with additional chord components can be especially effective for blues guitar. Will the blues be with us well into the future? I’m thinking they will. The blues have proven their staying power.

In terms of grooves, though, it’s important to weigh how the subtleties of our strumming patterns sound. Some guitarists I’ve met are very deliberate about how they strum, especially in terms of rhythms, accents, and the like.

I’ve also heard it said by some guitarists that they just strum intuitively, without giving intentional thought to how the patterns edify (or don’t edify) the song they’re supporting.

We could go into further discussion on this, but instead, I’ll draw a quick parallel with the analogy of fonts. Really? Really.

Although I’m not trained in graphics design, I’ve appreciated graphics designers and the way they leverage fonts in their work.

Some of the more “straight ahead” fonts out there have been with us for quite some time. However (and this is a little subjective,) some more distinct fonts have a very short shelf life.

Depending on how pronounced their shapes are, there are some fonts that were super common even a year ago that can actually look a bit dated today. Some fonts may be anchored to a certain time period or era.

Think about it. If you see a certain font in an advertisement, an invitation, or a book cover, it can actually evoke a past season of life. It’s possible that the use of what I’d call a “retro” font can be intentional, but if it’s done haphazardly, it can feel anachronistic and out of place.

Here’s where I’m going with this. Strumming patterns can be like fonts. Some strumming patterns are more cutting edge – they may remain for a while, or they may fade in their artistry. Other strumming patterns might, in my opinion, be relegated to old school church camp songs from the 60s, 70s or 80s. I tend to favor the strumming patterns that tend to be more middle-of-the-road, which have endured for decades, as professional recordings have proven. They’re not super revolutionary or edgy, but they also have a longer shelf life and can appeal to different generations.

And yes, the types of chords that are paired with a strumming pattern can influence their sound.

So, to bring this in for a landing, most tech gear is not “future proof.” It will likely be surpassed by subsequent generations of that gear.

Sometimes vast improvement are made, but more commonly, there are a few subtle updates, and the consumer gets to decide if it’s worth it to get a whole new device.

In terms of guitar grooves and longevity, some strumming patterns, like fonts, will be a flash in the pan with edginess that appeals to listeners today and supports the chart-toppers that are currently in rotation.

Other strumming patterns will be a bit more nostalgic and potentially less useful. I prefer to lean into the longer-lasting, more even-keeled strumming patterns that I use on a regular basis, and I prefer to teach those to my eager students in GuitarSuccess4U.

But even strumming patterns are likely to age and fade with time, and are therefore not likely to be “future proof.”

By contrast, the guitar is a bit of an anomaly. It spans genres, endures through generations, and can be wielded by seasoned musicians and neophytes to bring forth the music that’s within them. It could be argued that the guitar is “future proof” in some ways.

But when it comes to the future, what are we to really focus on? I believe we must frequently look beyond our lifetime for what truly matters and what will last into eternity.

My prayer is that you are making music unto the Lord as you play your guitar. This instrument you play may be a new guitar, of which you are the first musician to play it. Or, it could be an heirloom passed down to you.

Either way, it could outlast your lifetime and be passed into the hands of a future guitarist. Depending on how well taken care of it is, it could last generations.

The style of playing you enjoy on this guitar will likely be different from those before or after you, but it will be your style of playing. And that’s a beautiful thing.

But at the end of time, Jesus’ words are clear when he says in Matthew 24:25, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

I appreciate the opportunity to use current technology at a level that honors the Lord, but it too will pass away. I try to be diligent and intentional not to get so caught up in longing for the next level of technology that I can’t effectively use what I have now.

Longing for the next guitar or the next piece of technological equipment can lead to a lack of contentment, or worse, to coming close to idolatry. And like we talked about in Episode 11, “Guitar Player, Guitar Owner, or Both?”, we have the capacity with our guitars to impact people’s lives for eternity. This truly is a way of storing up treasures in heaven (as Jesus talks about in Matthew 6:19.)

So, if you don’t have a guitar yet, I encourage you to start shopping, and find a good one. It doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest, but it does need to be one that suits you well.

We talk about what’s involved with shopping for a guitar in one of our guest expert interviews in GuitarSuccess4U with the Master Luthiers at Mike Lull’s Guitar Works.

If you do have a guitar, think of it as something to be taken care of, that may outlast your life. But like we talked about in Episode 15, don’t forget to “Put Some Dents in Your Guitar.” It’s all about a balance.

I hope this discussion has inspired you to think a bit more about the long term, and what will last.

Whether our equipment or our music has longevity, let’s live worthy lives on earth, with heaven in mind, and make God-glorifying music on our guitars, having serious fun all the way through our journeys as musicians.

If you’re enjoying these episodes, please comment – I am grateful for each of my listeners and readers, and I always like to hear how you receive these thoughts.

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Thanks for experiencing this episode, and I’ll see you next time.

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