Soaring on the Wind
- John Kulikowski
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
Last week at the piano recital for my students, I played an original composition
I had written and invited the audience to participate in something a little different.
I asked them to listen carefully and then provide a title they felt captured the spirit of the piece.
An award would be given to the person whose title best reflected what I felt the music was expressing.
What happened next fascinated me.
Many titles were submitted. Some evoked peace. Others suggested adventure. A few hinted at longing, freedom, or even healing. Every title was different. Yet every person had listened to the exact same notes, the exact same melody, and the exact same performance.
The winning title was "Soaring on the Wind," submitted by Stan, the grandfather of one of the piano students.
As I reflected on the experience afterward, I realized the most interesting part wasn't finding a title for the music.
It was discovering how differently people heard the same piece.
Why?
Because music doesn't just reveal the composer. It often reveals the listener.
Each person brought their own story into the room. Their experiences, joys, disappointments, memories, hopes, and struggles shaped what they heard. The melody was the same, but the response was unique.
That reminded me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:15:
"Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."
Jesus wasn't merely talking about physical hearing. He was talking about the condition of the heart. Two people can hear the same message and walk away with entirely different responses. One hears comfort. Another hears conviction. One hears hope. Another hears an invitation to trust.
The message is the same. The hearts listening are different.
The winning title, "Soaring on the Wind," also brought to mind another passage of Scripture in John 3:8:
"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going."
There is something mysterious about both music and the Spirit of God. Neither can be fully captured or controlled. Both have a way of carrying us beyond ourselves. Both can awaken emotions, memories, and longings that we didn't even realize were there.
Perhaps that's why the title resonated so deeply with me. To soar on the wind is to trust something greater than yourself. It is to stop striving and start yielding. It is to allow yourself to be carried by the unseen hand of God.
If you haven’t already listened to the recording of the piece, I invite you to do so and reflect on the following questions:
What feelings rise within you?
What images come to mind?
What season of life does it remind you of?
If you had to give the piece a title, what would it be?
Most importantly, what does your answer reveal about your own story?
Maybe the music is more than a melody.
Maybe it's a mirror.
And perhaps the question isn't simply, "What do I hear?"
Perhaps the deeper question is, "What does what I hear reveal about my heart?"
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Listen to the recording, share the emotions it stirs within you, and tell me what title you would give the piece.
Who knows? You may discover something about yourself in the process.
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