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Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise! — Psalm 98:4

Brian Beane is a musician, father, husband, son and student. He has been making a joyful noise and singing praises to the Lord since he was a young boy.

“My family was a musical family,” Beane said. “My mom played the piano. Dad said he could only play the radio and that had static on it. We did make a joyful noise unto the Lord. None of us had formal music training. We played three chords.”

Beane said he had several uncles who sang at churches on Sundays. One uncle, who played bass guitar, gave Beane his first lessons when he was 6.

“Our church was close to my house. I would often walk up there on Sunday afternoons to play guitar,” Beane recalled.

Roger Thornburg, a musician who visited the church, would leave his guitar in the church after service. “When I was 13, I would often go up and play that guitar for two or three hours, Beane said. “It was a Gibson J-45. I would like to have one of those someday.”
Thornburg taught Beane about finger picks.

“He has really had a big influence on my music,” Beane said. “He plays and sings similarly to James Taylor and I guess he was the first professional musician I heard.”

Beane grew up in Asheboro and his wife, Shellie, grew up in Troy.
The Beanes married in 1994 and moved to this area, brought here by the furniture industry. Beane worked with Woodworkers Supply for 13 years — in the import business and, in 2004, with case goods. Beane traveled a lot in his work and usually visited China and Vietnam five times a year.

When Woodworkers Supply closed, Beane opened his own furniture business in 2008.

With the downturn in the economy, it was a difficult to get ahead with a new business.

“The timing was terrible to open a business,” he said.

Beane closed the business in July 2008.

Last year was full of highs and lows. It was a time for Beane to examine the meaning and purpose of his life and work.

“The situation forced me to focus on myself and God. He certainly got my attention,” Beane said. “Many people are going through the same thing now.”

Beane has a strong faith and a strong desire to serve the Lord. He says he does not write his songs but rather the Lord gives him the songs. If someone tells him his song brought them back to the Lord, he knows this is God’s doing.

Beane has been called upon by others who know of his writing and singing to write songs for special situations.

His pastor, Darryl Craft at Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, has asked him to write songs several times.

The first one was “Draw Near: Never Be the Same.” It was played on Winston-Salem radio station WBFG. Beane has never heard the song on the radio, but others have told him about it. This was written to go with a series of messages on drawing near to God.
Most recently he wrote “Transformed” to go with another series of messages.

“Pastor Craft and Green Streeters have been an encouragement to my writing,” Beane said. “Mark Loy, the music minister at Green Street, has given me the opportunity to sing and play bass guitar during the contemporary service on Sundays at 11 a.m.”
Beane has two friends who are long-time encouragers, Andy Clodfelter and Eric Marlowe of Trinity, who have supported him for 15 to 18 years.

Beane strives to let the Holy Spirit speak though his music. “God gives me the song. I want to be open to what he is doing,” he said. “God gives me the words. He knows who needs to hear them. That is in his hands. It may be one person or 100.”

Looking back, Beane says he always feels closer to God when he is singing, writing or playing his music.

He doesn’t see his music as just entertainment. He wants the music to mean something to those who hear it. It is his ministry.

Beane is working on a new song with special relevance for these times. It is based on Psalm 37:25 — I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.

“Basically what I hear in my head right now is a song of encouragement,” Beane said. “So many people are going through the same thing right now with the economy. I tell people I am working on my 'hanging on’ song.”

Many people have encouraged Beane to make a recording. He would like to do that in the future, but that’s in God’s hands.
For more information, visit Beane’s Web site at www.brianbeane.net.

Several of Beane’s songs can be sampled on the site. Beane is available for concerts and can be reached through the Web site.

Kathy Johnson is a retired educator living in the High Point area. If you have information about High Point people and events, contact Johnson at mjohnson2@triad.rr.com.