One Man Band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions. The simplest type of "one-man band" — a singer accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harmonica mounted in a metal "harp rack" below the mouth. More complicated setups may include wind instruments strapped around the neck, a large bass drum mounted on the musician's back with a beater which is connected to a foot pedal, cymbals strapped between the knees or triggered by a pedal mechanism, tambourines and maracas tied to the limbs, and a stringed instrument strapped over the shoulders (e.g., a banjo, ukulele or guitar). Since the development of Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) in the 1980s, musicians have also incorporated chest-mounted MIDI drum pads, foot-mounted electronic drum triggers, and electronic pedal keyboards into their set-ups.
The term is also used in a general sense to refer to a person who runs a business alone, particularly if the operation requires that person to assume multiple different roles, in a manner akin to the way a musical "one man band" performer plays different instruments at the same time. Another way to put this is that one person runs the whole operation. He makes decisions and acts on them. He fixes and maintains everything. On the one hand it makes life simpler. You have no bureaucracy and no one to neither get in your way nor delay you. However, one-person bands have the potential to burn out because they have no physical or emotional team support.
There are situations where there are one-person bands where there are more that could contribute; such as churches. The one person does most of the work while the others sit and watch. This many end up with the same result: The one person burning out because of the lack of support. Often, in this situation, the one person band sometimes complains about the lack of church support. However, while it is often the case that the congregation has probably not been asked to be involved in any way other than financially, most likely it is that the congregation just does not want to be more involved than they already.
This is not a new phenomenon. Ellen White once stated that the cause of their husbands early demise was that the brethren were not doing there part, so James felt as if he had to do more to make up for what lacked in others. James White became pretty much a one-person band.
There is another use for the one-man band metaphor. The basis for this is that Paul says that we are all part of the body of Christ. He says in 1 Corinthians 12:12 – 14 and 27,
1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ …
So, Christ is one body, of which we are the members. He says in Romans 12: 4 – 5,
Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
So, this means that if are indeed abiding in Christ, then all we do, is Christ doing; for we are but, His members. So, just as when my hand does something it is my body doing it, when we do something it is Christ doing it. So, Christ - One Person - does it all. So, He is a One-Man Band.