SHEFFIELD, UK (ANS) -- I love music. All sorts - classical to country, rock to reggae, folk to fusion, blues to bluegrass. My CD collection is huge, and growing every week. I’m almost thinking of renting another house to keep it in.

Rick Wakeman with Andrew Wooding

My only problem with my love of music is that I’m great at listening to it, but no so good at playing it. I did learn the violin at school once, but never progressed beyond basic scales and “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.” And when I broke my violin bow against the back of another pupil (I think she’d been calling me names), I decided to call it a day.

“No, the trumpet’s the instrument for me,” I thought. “It sounds better. It looks good. And it doesn’t break when you hit people on the back with it.”

Many years later I found myself at a charity concert by one of my idols, keyboardist Rick Wakeman. Rick has sold more than a hundred million albums, both as a solo artist, and also as a member of the supergroup Yes, who sadly, he is no longer with. (He son, Oliver, has taken his place at the keyboards.)

I was enjoying the concert - both the playing, and Rick’s witty stories - and I was especially enjoying my daydream that one day I would play a public duet with him.

The trouble was, my daydream came true. With a mischievous grin on his face, Rick pointed at me in the audience and summoned me up on the stage.

“What, me?” I said.

“Yes, you,” he mouthed, and I obediently joined him, nervously quaking in my trainers. Before I knew what was happening, he’d sat me down on his lap, grabbed hold of my wrist and told me to stretch out my index finger.

“Trust me,” he whispered. “You don’t have to do a thing. I’ve got your hand and I’m going to guide your finger onto different notes so that you sound like a really good piano player.” Well, miracles happen sometimes.

I did my best, honest. But I was nervous. Here was the hand that was responsible for worldwide fame and album sales in the millions. Rick was struggling with me and I kept hitting wrong notes even though he was guiding me perfectly.

“Just relax,” he told me. “Don’t be so tense.”

Rick Wakeman with Dan and Norma Wooding and Andrew with his family some time back

Rick soldiered on with me for another couple of minutes, but in the end enough was enough and he patted me on the back and told the audience to give me a round of applause.

“If only I’d let Rick guide me more,” I thought afterwards. “That was my only chance to play a duet with him, and I’ll never get another go.”

I soon realized that I often behave the same with God. I’m a Christian and I want God to do good things through me. I tell Him I want him to guide my life, but then I get nervous, or stubborn, or scared - or all three. I fight against his perfect will, and then I get things wrong.

The good thing about God is he’s always ready to forgive us and give us another chance. And He’s done much more than sell a hundred million albums - He’s the creator of the whole of the universe.

Go your own way, and your life will be an out-of-tune version of Chopsticks.

Trust God and let him guide you, and your life will be better than Rachmaninoff.