Jul. 26, 2010

Some time back I was checking out the site of Todd Robbins (the guy who engineered my CD). I was checking out some projects he was working on and other’s that he had recently completed. While going through his site I stumbled upon an artist named Andrew Peterson. I’m sure many of you know of his music, but I had never heard of him. I purchased his “Appendix C” CD and was blown away by his writing. I search for artists who have an ability to move me with their storytelling and challenge me with their musicianship. Andrew Peterson is truly one of the best musical story tellers that I am aware of in the CCM. He is also a part of a site called “The Rabbit Room” that I really like which has thoughtful posts from a number of artists. Recently I was looking at this site while I was suppose to

Jul. 16, 2010

This is the “b-side” to my last post which may have seemed a little “type A”. The truth is, we all need a little “type a” in our life - but only a little. Any more than a little makes an artist a criminal.

So, you’ve become a disciplined artist (is this an oxymoron?).  You write/paint/create at the same time everyday. You are in a good spot and suddenly…

It’s been a month. You’ve done your work, yet after four weeks all you have to show is a song that slightly resembles Barney’s “I love you”. You are depressed and anxious. Depressed because the only one who might be interested in hearing your song wears a very large purple costume. Anxious because he (she?) might sue your pants off. This is known as “writer’s block”.

This afternoon I read a chapter from Anne Lamott’s “Bird by

Jul. 12, 2010

One of the books that I’m currently reading is “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” by Anne Lamott. I’ve read “Grace (Eventaully): Thoughts on Faith” by her as well and came away with some of the same feelings about her (as an author). Feeling one: This lady is really crass. There are a moments in her books that might make you blush. If you’re theologically conservative you will probably think she is the anti-christ. If you’re politically conservative you will probably think worse. Feeling two: She is one of the funniest geniuses I have ever read. She can make you laugh in one sentence and ponder the greatness of God in the next. She is truly; a brilliant writer.

So, “Bird by Bird”. I have wanted to be more faithful with my blogging, but I also have wanted to be

Jul. 10, 2010

I haven’t been too diligent with my “Artist Spotlights”. In fact, I’ve only spotlighted one artist to date - Staci Frenes. There are more artists to come shortly (which I’m really excited about), but I wanted to update you about an exciting new project that Staci will be releasing called “Snapshots”.

Staci is unique from several artists that I know with regards to her writing. Many of us write songs for ourselves. I might hook up with other writers occasionally who have a similar vibe and try to write with them (usually with the hope that they will spend the money to record the song which will become a hit and make me lots of money). Staci’s writing is much broader than that. She is an excellent co-writer, but not a “one vibe only” kind of co-writer. I remember sitting in a hotel

Jul. 9, 2010

I like old people. Some of them like me too. Some do not. I remember one guy who, because of my music, told someone else that he wanted to punch me in the face. But, as it turned out, he wanted to punch most people in the face. I don’t think he was a jerk because he was old. He was just a face puncher. He was probably a face puncher when he was 21.

Back to the old people that are nice. I often wonder what life is like for them. A lot of things that seem like very old history to some of us who are younger didn’t really happen that long ago. The Great Depression for example. How does the memory of such a time effect someone today who actually lived through it? How about the segregation of African American people in the US? There are some African American people alive today who were

Jun. 28, 2010

Peter and Paul. How many times have I heard those two names? It would seem like divine providence that they both have a name that starts with the same letter, no? I guess since God changed both of their names, it was. These two men lived several thousand years ago. So long ago, in fact, that they often seem more like fictional characters than real men to me. Sometimes they seem more real than others though. I remember being in Greece several years ago at some of the locations where Paul had stood, preached, and suffered. He felt very real at to me then. But a lot of times he and Peter seem fictional. Peter, the bumbling idiot type who was always saying the wrong things. Paul, the really smart one who wrote a lot of the New Testament but said some things about women that you are

Jun. 23, 2010

Okay, so I asked if any of you had any horror stories to contribute and you kept me hanging. Well, just to show that I’m not the only one...here’s a great Martin Smith clip for you (e-mailed to me by “Nameless Drummer").

If you have some stories - share

Jun. 22, 2010

I’ve been a church music director professionally for a little over a decade and I can say that things have changed - a lot.  Part of what has changed, of course, is me.  I didn’t have a clue (musically) as to what I was doing when I first started out.  I remember my transcribing efforts.  First of all, they were on paper.  This, for any beginner is a terrible thing because you mess up a lot.  When you realize that you’ve left a measure out (for example), there are no keystrokes to “add a measure”, so you have to start again from scratch.  Truly, it develops character.  Or insanity.  When I finally learned about Finale (musical transcription software) it took me quite a while to understand the program.  When I finally started getting the hang of things I became bold.  I charted a

Jun. 21, 2010

I have recently begun an ancient practice of prayer called “The Divine Hours”.  It is also called the “Daily Office”, “fixed-hour prayer”, the “Liturgy of the hours”, and the “canonical hours”.  Given the plethora of titles already mentioned, it’s probably known by other names as well.  This is way of praying goes back at least 6, 000 years.  The idea began from Psalm 119 when the psalmist wrote “Seven times a day will I rise to praise your name”.  So, people started praying seven times a day and at very specific hours.  Today, all seven times are still observed in monastic settings.  But, life outside the monastery is a little different.  Or, a lot different (if you have small children, for example).  So, “the hours” have been condensed by some to include 4 times a day:
morning

Mar. 31, 2010

Eugene Peterson is one of my favorite authors.  In the past number of years he has done more to create a hunger in me for “spiritual formation” than any other author.  He recently released his fifth (and final) book in his “Spiritual Theology” series entitled “Practice Resurrection”.  The book is a conversation in the book of Ephesians.  A conversation on church.

Today I was introduced to a new term - “Inscape”.  This termed was coined by a nineteenth-century Jesuit priest and poet by the name of Gerard Manley Hopkins.  The term “inscape” has something to do with the word “landscape” but differs significantly.  Landscape has to do with what we can see, and do see everyday.  As I write this post I am looking out of a window in my office at the beautiful

Nov. 6, 2009

I’ve written about my friend Bobby before.  He’s a guy I know from “my” Starbucks.  He lives with people who don’t have all of their mental capacities.  You know, unlike you and me.  We’re normal.  Anyway, I’ve been trying to make coffee at home more often so I haven’t seen him quite as frequently.  I saw him yesterday and he looked both good and bad.  Good because he was really cleaned up and, to be honest, his hair was pretty cool.  Bad because he was depressed.  When I asked him how he was he said, “there’s no hope.  There’s no hope.  There’s no hope for me...except for God”.  As we talked about what was wrong he told me about the place he lives (an institution of some sort).  “They’re insane.  They’re all insane.  And I’m insane too”.  He told me that when he looked at them they

Nov. 2, 2009

For the past two days I’ve begun a discipline called “lectio divina” which translated means divine or spiritual reading.  I’ve read about this many times and in some regards have done it, but I am now being much more intentional with it and it is changing me.  Aparently, lectio divina has been getting a bad rap.  First of all, you should know that it is not a new practice.  It has been around a long time, dating back to the 12th century.  Secondly, the gist of it is this: read a select passage of scripture, meditate upon that scripture, pray about it, and finally - LIVE it. I hate to admit it but I often read the Bible to make myself feel better or more spiritual.  Certainly this is not the point of scripture reading.  Other times I read scripture so I can show people how much I know

Oct. 5, 2009

The first time I met Staci Frenes was in Nashville, Tennessee.  I know it’s shocking that two singer/songwriters would meet up in Nashville, but it’s true.  We were both tracking our records at Darkhorse studio and both working with Producer Nate Sabin (Sara Groves, Jason Gray…Staci Frenes!).  When I arrived she had already spent a couple of days in the studio.  I remember hopping in the backseat of her car while Nate, who had shotgun, was excitedly popping the rough mix of a few of her tracks in the car stereo.  He put the song “Meteor Shower” on and Staci sang it for us.  That was our introduction.  She sang “Meteor Shower” in her car for me.  It was such a cool and unique track.  It was also amazing to be one of the first people to hear the song fresh out of the gate.  After that

Sep. 26, 2009

The music business is a hard business to be in these days.  This is true both for people who are “signed” (by record labels) or who are independent.  Because of this, there are musicians, singer and songwriters who are incredible but are not heard widely enough, in my opinion.  While both veteran and up-and-coming musicians are selling fewer and fewer records, they are giving away more and more.  Because of the web you can hear, see, and read about these artists for free.  I would like “promote” some artists who I believe are making music that needs to be heard.  I use the word “promote” loosely because I don’t have a huge “fan” base (I use the word fan very loosely), but if you like some of the people that you hear about on the spotlight, there are a number of things that you can do. 

Sep. 25, 2009

My son, Spencer, was born on Monday at 5:34pm.  Whenever I am in the chair in the birthing room (this was the third time) there are a lot of thoughts and feelings swirling around my head.  What will it be like to hold my son for the first time?  Will this be an easy or hard birth for my Marisa?  Do I really have to sleep on a chair like that tonight?  (I know that I should only be thinking of my wife, but all guys have this question whether they admit it or not).  What will he look like?  How much will he weigh?  What will it be like when he is a teenager?  But one of the biggest questions going through my head this time was “how will my girls react the first time they see him”?  I had been excited about this for days.  Spencer arrived.  I held him for a few minutes before we were