There are moments of clarity from time to time; epiphanies, perhaps, that shape our thinking and course of action thereafter. One such moment where (I believe) God was at work in shaping my understanding was in an unlikely place: the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City. Another story altogether could be told of how I got there in the first place. Suffice to say; there I was, in 1993(?), playing solo stride piano 6 days a week (for about 6 months) in the hotel lobby. You could say that I (my station) was the "musical welcome station" where many made their initial entrance into the building, and encountered their first taste of the atmosphre they would find. At the time, the Showboat engaged dozens of entertainers, many of them full time. Strolling ukelele players, clowns on stilts making baloons for children (it was a full service hotel complete with multiple restraunts and a bowling alley), 6 piece dixieland bands (in three shifts), and more worked to create a theme park atmosphere that attracted many people, especially seniors. One gentleman stands out. He was often one of several (sometimes many) who would gather around the piano, for a time, for a sing along. My attitude when that happened was "oh great! so much for enjoying myself, I hope it's over soon", while trying to put on a good face and acting like that's what I was there for. Time playing for "sing alongs" was time taken from the creative playing I wanted to do (or so I thought).Then. one day, as I was watching this gentleman and the pleasure he was having, it hit me. He made the bus trip to the Showboat because he was seeking out a particular atmosphere and experience that cannot be found anywhere else nearby, of which I (at that moment) was the provider. I was there for him (and all like him), not me. All at once, this man's smile, indicating his pleasure in the moment, became most important. It told me that I was lifting him up, that I was doing my job. The "sing-alongs" suddenly soared from inconvienences to be tolerated, to being the highlight of the gig. What changed? Not, as some would accuse, the level or depth of the presentation, but rather the attitide of it's delivery. We ought to be making music (and everything else) for the benefit of those around us. This does not mean a cheapening or dumbing down, or a lowering of artistic integrity. It does mean that we put on an attitude of servanthood (love) to others. Rather than being mutually exclusive; creativity and "loving your neighbor as yourself" can form a union which God blesses. I've been told that the more I grow in artistic creativity, the more I "diminish my audience". My experience has taught me otherwise.