Tour Ontario! - Gig #6

That's it! We're done! It's been awesome, but now, I'm looking forward to a little rest time!

This morning was the final gig of our Tour Ontario week. We were blessed to visit Mom and Dad's new church in Burlington, St. Christopher's Anglican. This is a vibrant and growing church, with a new organ, a guitar club, and a great choir. But today, all the musicians were away, visiting another church. So they took advantage of the timing, and had us in for some special music.

We didn't do any of the hymns or liturgical music (which was okay after our huge show last night). We were just in charge of the music during Communion.

Their congregation is used to singing along during that time, so we chose "Just a Closer Walk" and "I Call Out Your Name". I printed the "I Call Out" chorus in the bulletin, and I was thrilled to hear so many people singing along.

After Communion, we did our duet version of "People Get Ready" as an anthem. When we reached the end, the congregation broke out into applause. And not polite applause. Generous, appreciative applause. The kind with a swell in it. It was a little overwhelming. This is a church that is used to great music, and apparently, they rarely clap for it. Gerald and I were surprised, and very moved.

After the service, we had a tremendous response from the congregation. One woman was so happy she came this morning, because we played "her music". Apparently, they rarely have Gospel music, so we were a bit of a treat. The feedback was great, and I think we have an unofficial invite to come back in the fall!

And now - rest time! Actually, it will be family time. Tonight, Mom and Dad hosted a BBQ with family and friends. So wonderful and completely needed by me and Gerald. The past week has had 6 performances in 8 days in 4 cities. (We prepared for a 7th, but it was cancelled). We've tried new arrangements, and even finished and debuted a new song. We've sung for hundreds of people, and met and chatted with lots of them. All in all, I'm so happy with how things have gone.

Some time this week, Gerald and I will sit down, go over things, and figure out what worked, and what needs working on. But for now, we're just grateful for doors that have been opened, and opportunities that have been blessed. And personally, I'm so happy to have a loving partner to join me on stage and in my ministry. Feeling very blessed and satisfied tonight!

Tour Ontario! - Gig #5

Tonight was the biggest gig of the whole week - a complete concert of just me and Gerald!

We did it at Church of the Holy Family, a wonderful Anglican church in Brampton. I did a worship service there last summer, and we've been eager to go back.

The church had a good crowd, especially since we're competing with basketball and hockey playoffs right now. But most importantly, they were an enthusiastic crowd! I asked for a show of hands, and over half had never seen us perform before. But they were with us from the opening notes, right through to the ice cream reception that followed the show.

We called tonight "Cowboys and Angels" to reflect our mix of country and Gospel. We did a few covers, but mostly originals. A lot of the songs we've done this week became part of the program, including our new song, "Praise", and our new jammin' version of "Infinitely More" with Gerald on djembe. We couldn't plug in both guitars, so when it came time to do "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus", we unplugged everything, walked into the aisle, and sang out.

I did Mom's song "All Because of You", and we did "I Call Out Your Name" with Gerald on lead vocals, and me on guitar and harmonies. We ended with our super-fast Celtic version of "Lord of the Dance".

After the show, we got to catch up with a few old friends, and got to meet a lot of the members of Holy Family. One woman told me that she has been through a lot lately, but during the show, she felt peace. That made it all worth it for me.

I also need to note that this is the longest show that Gerald and I have ever done with just the 2 of us. Our full concerts have always included guest artists, but this time, it was just us for the whole 90 minutes. I'm really proud of us. At the risk of bragging, I think we did a dynamic show with lots of music, yet we still felt very relaxed on stage. All in all, a very successful night!

One more gig in the morning. Off for sleep!

Tour Ontario! - Gig #4

First, an announcement: There will be no Gig #7. Sunday afternoon, we were booked to perform at an interdenominational worship service at Billings Court Manor seniors residence. Well, this week, we got a call saying the whole building is locked down under quarantine! What an awful situation! But on our end, we've told the chaplain that we will gladly take a rain cheque and perform next time we're up this way.

Tonight was Gig #4 - Tin Pan North!

Earlier this spring, I wrote about Tin Pan South, the awesome songwriting festival that happens in Nashville every year. (That's where I heard the amazing Stephen Schwartz concert!) NSAI Toronto is the only chapter outside Nashville to try and replicate this festival. The northern version is slightly different in that it's smaller, and it also features NSAI members, and not just pro-writers.

Our round was at the NOW Lounge, which is a great venue for this kind of show. Cozy space, and great sound. Each round in this festival features a headliner, and our's was none other than Marc Alan Barnette from Nashville. (We stayed in his house when we first moved to town.) Laura Ranieri, NSAI Toronto co-coordinator was our fourth, and she brought a lead guitar player into the mix.

I was really excited to be on stage with all these great players. Gerald opened the round with "Hot Bath, Cold Beer, and You", and I followed with "Wedding at Cana". Laura and Marc kept the rounds going with party songs all night. Gerald did "Never Learn", his newly written "Never Wait Until Tomorrow", and "Barrel of a Gun", which was a total treat because he hasn't played that in ages!

I did "My Father's Arms", and "Sing Me a Song". On that one, Gerald did rhythm on the guitar (we accidentally left the drum at home), which was really interesting because the strings rang every time Gerald hit the body of the guitar, giving it a new age/Celtic/new music kind of sound. Laura sang harmony, and then the sound guy put an awesome echo on my voice, making the whole thing sound very atmospheric. Sooo cool!

We ended with a brand new song called "Praise". The full hook is "The point of the song is to praise", and it was inspired by people who had trouble understanding why I wanted to sing Gospel music. And I do mean brand new - I brought the lyric and most of the melody to Gerald a week ago, and we just finished it yesterday. But all things considered, I thought it went really well.

After the show, we got to chat with friends we've been away from for far too long. It was so great to reconnect with people! We got great feedback on our performances, and I had several people come up to tell me how much they loved hearing Gospel music. I was a little nervous singing my songs in that environment, so that confirmation meant a lot.

All in all, it was a great night of music and fun. Must rest - the big show is tomorrow!

Tour Ontario! - Gigs #2 & #3

Busy day!

We started off with Gig #2 - our "Southern Fried Gospel" concert! We were invited to perform a 45-minute lunchtime concert as part of the Music Mondays series. Housed in Toronto's gorgeous Church of the Holy Trinity, this series is in its 16th season, and I've been thrilled to perform there twice over the last 5 years. This marked Gerald's first time with the series, but we led music for several Holy Trinity worship services last summer.

With our "Southern Fried Gospel" theme, we wanted to do songs that reflected what we're learning and writing in Nashville right now. We did a few traditional covers, like "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" and "Do Lord", and the rest of the program was filled with originals. We've always performed as solo artists, but we're working on our skills as a duo, so we tried several new things with our originals. While I played "Infinitely More", Gerald jammed along on the djembe. I played tambourine for "Real Big Fan". We also added djembe to "Sing Me a Song", keeping it really light to emphasize the Celtic feel of the piece. Gerald also debuted his latest song, "Never Wait Until Tomorrow", inspired by a letter written by Erma Bombeck after her cancer diagnosis.

We had a small crowd, but as the first concert of the series, we sort of expected it. But the audience was with us the whole time, and we got to chat with several people after the show.

We enjoyed a little downtown living, before heading off for a quick rest in preparation for Gig #3.

Tonight, we performed at the Moonshine Cafe in Oakville. This small venue has only been open for a year and a half, but they already have a reputation worthy of any great Nashville club. They feature live music every night of the week, and they host songwriter workshops too.

Monday's are open mic and 2 feature writers, and we, as a team, were one of the feature writers. The other was Nancy Dutra - an incredibly genuine person with beautiful songs. Gerald and I did a 30 minute set, with a mix of Gospel and country. We did some of the Gospel songs from this morning, but Gerald added in a few party songs for good measure! We finished with a duet version of "All Her Flowers are Wild", my favourite of Gerald's country songs.

All in all, the past 2 days have been a great start to our tour. We're now almost halfway through, and we've covered 2 cities and 3 completely different performance venues. Tomorrow will be rest, and starting our preparation for a very busy next weekend!

Tour Ontario! - Gig #1

Whoo-hoo! The tour has begun!

As of today, we have officially started our Tour Ontario! It's not a 'tour' in the traditional sense, where we'll have to travel from city to city, staying in hotels and eating restaurant food. (Not that I'd complain about that!) This part of Ontario is very densely populated, so we'll be able to use my parents' house as a home base, and just 'tour' around from here. We have 7 shows in the next 8 days, in the surrounding cities of Burlington, Brampton, Oakville, and, of course, Toronto. We're doing concerts, church services, cafes, and NSAI Toronto's Tin Pan North festival. The performances are clustered around the weekends, as opposed to spread over the week, so we'll have to be aware of rest and water. But all in all, I'm very excited!

We started this morning with a church service at St. John's West Anglican Church. We always love returning to this vibrant and awesome congregation. In some ways, it was the toughest gig because we had to learn several new songs, and we couldn't just choose whatever songs we wanted to sing. Our main role, when we visit St. John's, is to lead the congregation in singing hymns and liturgical music. I'm very aware of picking songs that fit the theme of the service, and I want to choose pieces that will be easy to sing and fun for the congregation. Between myself and the church's music team, I think we had a good line-up for this morning's service of Pentecost, including one of my favourites, "Wind of Change" (F. Kaan, R. Klusmeier).

They did something different for the sermon today. St. John's supports a local food bank, so in order to put a 'human face' on the project, they invited a guest speaker. Dawn is a woman who has had a difficult life with schizophrenia. She is not always able to make ends meet, so sometimes, she has to use a food bank. She talked about bringing grocery bags to the bank, so that neighbours will just think she's been shopping. She talked about not being able to have custody of her daughter, because of her illness, and because of her poverty. But she also talked about her faith in God, and how she is never poor because she has God's richest blessings. What an amazing faith!

I had to get up and sing my solo after that, and with tears brimming in my eyes, it was no easy feat. I sang "Abide With Me", and suddenly, the words took on new meanings. "When other helpers fail, and comforts flee. Help of the Helpless! Oh, Lord, abide with me.".

After the service, we got to catch up with old friends, and enjoy the great fellowship. We basically have a standing invitation at St. John's, and have already been told to reserve a Sunday for them on our next trip home. Gladly!

Tomorrow, we have 2 shows in one day. Off for a big glass of water and some of that rest I was talking about...

Under the cover of darkness...

I hate to start with a complaint, but I have had an ongoing battle with my allergies all week. I've been dying to plant a garden, but I literally couldn't spend the time outside. The heat and the pollen were overwhelming! So over the last 2 nights, under the cover of darkness, I broke ground and planted my garden. It's not very big - just 4 hanging baskets and 2 small beds, all pink, white, and blue - but it's so pretty! At the risk of sounding punny, I feel like I put down my own roots in Nashville this week.

My dear friend, Kimberlee, who is also the organizer of the CWE nights, had a solo show tonight. Kimberlee is an amazing singer, who recently had such severe voice problems that she had to take a complete year off from singing. She's just getting back at it, so tonight was a brave move.

A few days ago, she asked if I'd sing a few songs. I was thrilled, but given the state of my allergies, I was also a little nervous. My head, nose, and throat have been pretty awful. I decided to only do 2 songs: "The Wedding at Cana" and "Sing Me a Song". They're not necessarily easy songs, but I feel very confident with them, and sometimes, that's easier than 'easy'.

Both songs went well, and were very well received. Kimberlee did a great set with one original gospel song, and covers of some soulful R&B classics. She had a strong combo put together with keyboard, bass, and 2 harmony singers. She should definitely do more gigs with this group!

The night was wrapped up by April, another CWE alumnus. As usual, all the CWE girls chatted long after the show. I'm finding this group to be such a support for me. Not only am I getting opportunities to play, but I feel like I'm part of a real community. I may also have a new co-writer for the summer! Yay, Nashville!

Pastors, Allergies, and Joy!

Okay, a little business to start: I forgot one more good thing in my Weekend Update post. I got an letter last week inviting me to join the BCC (Bellevue Community Church) music team. Yay! It's not a weekly commitment, which is good, and they make great music. Very happy for this opportunity!

On the down side, I am completely plagued by allergies right now! They were annoying in Toronto, but there's something different in the air down here, and I've been in terrible shape for 2 days now. And yes, I am taking antihistamines! I was supposed to go hear Allison Durham Speer in concert last night, and Buddy Greene tonight (both artists that I adore!) and I couldn't make it to either show. Very frustrating!!!

But, here's the real highlight of the day: Bright and early this morning, around 8:30am, we received a phone call asking us if we could sing at noon! Don Burnett is the interim music director at Calvary Baptist Church, where we sang before Easter. He's involved with a weekly fellowship meeting for Baptist ministers, and he sometimes gets to bring in the guest musicians. Well, today, with 3-and-a-half hours notice, we were invited to come and sing for the group.

We were very excited about the possibilities, because each of these pastors could potentially invite us to sing in their church. We only had to sing 2 songs, but sometimes, that's harder than singing a full program. Those 2 songs really had to count! We rushed around getting ready, warming up, and choosing arrangements. The room we'd be visiting had no real sound system for the guitars, so we were really excited to use the new amp!

We packed up the car and headed downtown to First Baptist Church. The meeting room was small, with 25-30 pastors having lunch. After the lunch, and a few announcements, we were invited to sing. We started with "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus", with both of us on vocals and guitars. In our introduction, it was announced that I was a PK (Preacher's Kid). It wasn't until I was announcing our songs, that I realized how special this event was to me. For years, Dad went to clergy conferences and meetings, and I know how much they added to his life and ministry. Standing before these men (yes, Baptist church, all male pastors!), I recognized the importance of that community. They were gathered together to be around other men who "got it", other men who could understand the unique pressures of being in the ministry. I suddenly felt very emotional, and very humbled, to be invited into this time. I mentioned that briefly in my introduction, and we ended with our second song, "People Get Ready", a vocal duet with Gerald on guitar.

After our songs, the main speaker gave his message about 'anger'. He was a great storyteller, and spoke about the anger that seems to be infecting individuals in our society. He also spoke about the anger that many people feel towards the church, and how they, as ministers, can address these needs in their congregations. It was a wonderful talk. After the meeting, we got to speak with many of the pastors, and then had a great Italian meal downtown.

This afternoon, Gerald continued his co-writing session with Lisa, and I continued to work on the tour. We leave next Wednesday! Can't believe it's so soon! There's so much work to do, but I refuse to get overwhelmed by any of it. I was watching Oprah today (yes, big Oprah fan!) and she was talking about 'joy'. In many and various ways, she seeks to invite joy into her life. Not simply peace or contentment, but joy! I love that, and I've decided that, throughout this touring process, in everything from the booking to the driving to the performances, I will seek JOY in all I do!

(Of course, if I have a cranky day, please refer me to this entry!)

Weekend Update

Today's title was inspired by the recent SNL retrospective! So funny!

It's been a busy weekend of small and large accomplishments, so I thought I'd do a quick summary here.

I've been invited to join the Christian DIVAs network. I know! Of course I'm a Christian diva! But in this case, DIVAs stands for Devoted Inspired Victorious Artists. This group is by-invitation only, and provides opportunities for fellowship and promotion. They have some great artists, and I'm really thankful for the opportunity.

I'm on the hunt for a producer for my CD. I really want to start recording this summer, with a release date before Christmas. I want the music to be rooted in Southern Gospel, with influences of jazz and big band. As an indie project, the producer will be a key element. On Thursday, we met with Aaron Minick, who worked on Allison Durham Speer's latest project. My meeting went well, but we still need to figure out all our options. Even though our budget is small by industry standards, it's still a lot of money for us, so we want to be wise with our choices. If you can pray for us in this process, we would really appreciate it.

But the big drama this week was the amp. Gerald is working hard to have his first CD ready within the next week or so. It's all acoustic versions of his own songs, and he's even doing all the recording himself (in our bathroom studio!) He wanted an amp to add different sounds to a few songs, and he's been searching for weeks for the right one. Well, last weekend, he found the perfect amp and ordered it. The large box arrived on Wednesday afternoon, and the excitement was palpable. We dragged the box up to Gerald's writing room, opened the cardboard top, pulled out the heavy piece, and heard the sounds of ... tinkling? Yes, little glass and metal bits tinkling around inside the amp! The speaker had completely smashed out of it's place and was floating around inside the casing of the amp. Our hearts sank! Needless to say, it was not a good day.

Friday, we declared official Amp Day. We made a list of stores, grabbed a mango sweet tea for the road, and started the new search. But it really didn't take long. In the first store, Gerald saw all 3 amps that had made his short list. He got to try them all with his T5. Because he had done so much research, he noticed that 2 of the amps seemed overpriced. He questioned the prices, the staff double-checked, and dropped the prices accordingly.

Long-story-somewhat-short, we walked out with the perfect amp at a great price. It sounds incredible, and will give Gerald the final technical tool he needs to complete the CD.

As I'm writing this, I'm watching the Dove awards ceremony that we attended just a few weeks ago. I'm revamping the calender for our upcoming tour of Southern Ontario. I'm listening to Gerald co-writing upstairs. And I'm planning my songs for tonight's show. I feel so many things swirling around me, so many plans and so much energy, and I just want to be calm and focused, and enjoy every minute of it.

Cafe Forte & Rick Cua

Cafe Forte has become my favourite place to spend a Monday night. It's always great music, and you can meet some really cool people there too.

Since I've been going, the format has been a 30 minute set by one artist, 30 minutes of fellowship/networking time, and another 30 minute set by a second artist. The organizers have decided to start switching up the format so they can meet more of their ministry goals, and tonight was one of those first switch-ups.

Our feature artist tonight was Rick Cua, who has had a lengthy career as a bass player, band leader, and songwriter. He was joined by guitarist, singer-songwriter Tony Hooper. Other than visiting Rick's site this afternoon, I'd never heard of Rick or Tony, but I quickly fell in love with their music. Great melodies, great vibe, and lots of soul!

After a few songs, our host, Jeremy, grabbed the mic and started to interview Rick, and this became the format for the evening. A few great songs, and a few questions to help us learn, not just more about Rick, but more about the skills and talents needed to build a lasting career. After a while, they opened it up for questions from the floor. I asked about Rick's program of sharing free music with churches, which was really fascinating.

We had such a great night! Awesome music, and great info, and just incredible people. We even met a couple from BC who are here recording an album. I guess all musicians have to come here eventually!

NSAI Pitch to Publisher, and Our Bathroom Studio!

Gerald has been collecting recording equipment over the past few months with the goal of building a small home studio. He doesn't want to start producing or anything. He just wants to be able to make killer recordings at home.

So today, we recorded our first full-out song: Gerald's song, "My Heart is the Manger", which was inspired by Dad's Christmas sermon.

I've mentioned several times how much we love our new living environment - trees, clean air, and lots of birds... which is a problem with recording! There was so much noise from the birds, we had to move right into the center of the house. So, our studio is in the bathroom! Luckily, it's a big bathroom. Gerald set the mic up on the counter, and the tiles gave a lovely acoustic. A little unorthodox, but we ended up with a great recording!

Tonight was NSAI's Christian pitch to publisher night. This is when a publisher comes in to hear songs, and we all hope our song will get chosen for publishing. Many are heard, few are chosen! Gerald has had a country pitch to publisher, but I've been waiting months for Christian pitch night.

Our publisher tonight was Rick Shelton of Daywind Publishing. I felt some confidence in that Daywind's primary focus is Southern Gospel. Yay! But due to a series of mishaps, I had to enter the session with a less-than-perfect package, which shook my confidence a little. I couldn't print off my lyrics, so I had to give in a hand-written lyric sheet. And then we couldn't find the right version of my demo, so I had to bring in the version without the harmonies. Arg!

My song choice was "Welcome to Bethlehem". An odd choice, perhaps, but I've heard this is a good time to push Christmas songs, and I was hoping the harmonies would sound Southern Gospel (those harmonies that weren't on my demo!)

Because pitch nights bring out so many people, they only play a verse and a chorus, and the publisher gets to read the whole lyric. When my time came, I was nervous, but I also decided that I wouldn't take it personally if it was rejected. Well, he liked it! He said it could have "commercial appeal" in a musical, and maybe even in a children's musical. He said it's not the kind of thing he can use directly, but he gave me some names of other publishers to approach. Yay!!!

This was such a huge confirmation for me! A lot of my songs feel weird and not commercial. I know I'm not writing country radio hits, which seems to be what most people here are aiming for, and I'm not writing the big CCM or Christian rock hits either. Maybe I'll write hits someday, but the truth is, I don't really care who sings my songs - churches, choirs, Sunday schools, youth groups - don't care! I just want people to sing my songs and feel closer to God. So, tonight just let me know that there can be a viable place for my music, even the weird stuff. It was a reminder to stay open to the creative process, to write what feels true, and that "a good song is not written, it is rewritten."

This is all good! And now, to contact those publishers...

Michael English in concert!

Tonight, I drove to the other side of town to see Michael English in concert. (It was actually close to the Stamps-Baxter end of town.)

The concert was at Una Baptist Church. I'd never been there before, and once I got in the area, I had that uniquely Nashville problem: I hit a strip of churches, all next door to each other, all with very similar names. I only had to go to 2 before finding the right one, but I did end up with a very nice invitation to a Spanish fellowship night.

Una Baptist Church is quite beautiful, with a not-too-large sanctuary, perfect for an intimate concert. And I just need to get this out right away: Michael English has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. I'd heard recordings, but nothing prepared me for this live performance. It's a really incredible instrument. It's strong and soulful, and he has a very precise control over it. Very, very impressive!

He started with a few songs, and then moved on to "Mary, Did You Know." (Michael was the first to record this song.) He introduced his family, and his 3-year-old little girl nearly stole the show with her rendition of "You are my Sunshine". He does a real mix of southern gospel, black gospel, CCM, and hymns that have been all funked up. Love those hymns!

In some ways, he wasn't what I expected. His voice is incredible, but I thought his stage presence would be more polished. Instead, he was a guy who just told stories about his life. He talked about some of the problems of his past, and how he is now choosing to approach life with complete honesty. When he brought up guest soloist, Christopher Lee, for a song, he admitted that part of the reason for having a guest soloist was because he needed a break. He said that his body can't sing as high or long as it used to, so now he takes a little break in his shows. How many musicians would admit that?

An honest Christian musician. What a novel concept!

After seeing the 'mix' of Christian musicians I saw this week at GMA, Michael was a reminder that brilliant talent is best used for God when used with genuine intentions and an honest spirit. At one point he talked about his resume. Years ago, he would tell people he had a brilliant resume. Now, he says, his resume is terrible, but he is better equipped for the job of ministering the Gospel than ever before.

Isn't that the goal?

GMA Week - Day 5 & The Dove Awards!

What a long and incredible day!

This is the final day for the GMA Week seminars, and we started bright and early with "Sole Story, Soul Art". Al Andrews gave us the template of Innocence, Tragedy, Contending, and Resolve to study the story of the Bible, and then, the stories of individual people. All our lives can be told through this pattern, and when we understand this, it can help us to better understand other people. When turned on ourselves, it can also be used to improve and affect our art and ministry. Very intriguing workshop!

Next, came our keynote speaker - Max Lucado! This session started with a worship session lead by Joel Engle. Joel has a fantastic testimony of losing his parents early in his life, being raised by his grandparents, losing them, and then being adopted by a family when he was 16 years old.

Max Lucado spoke on the theme of his latest book, "Facing Your Giants". What a gentle and wonderful speaker! Some speakers like to bounce all over the stage to get your attention, but Max is passionate and calm. His theme was based on the five stones that David chose to fight Goliath, and how we have five "stones" we can use to fight our giants. Brilliant and wonderful!

Then it was home for a quick nap and a make-over, cause tonight was...

The Dove Awards! The Doves are the Grammys of Christian music. I've seen the awards on TV, but this was my first ever chance to see them in person. Tickets are pricey, but we discovered we could go for free if we volunteered as seat-fillers. In retrospect, this was a win-lose situation - 'win' because we saw the main show for free, but 'lose' because we had to wait outside for a long time, so we missed the whole pre-show.

The pre-show has some performances, but most importantly, this is when the bulk of the awards is given out. And these are the kind of awards that really interest us, such as 'Song of the Year' and 'Album of the Year' in different genres like Southern Gospel or Inspirational.

The main part of the show is the stuff filmed for television. As seat-fillers, it was our role to fill unsold seats on the main level, or to fill seats for artists as they went on stage to perform or give out awards. At first, we were seated right in the back. But the people next to us (also Canadians!) had a writer friend who was nominated for an award, but she didn't want to sit up front. So they asked us to switch! We got to sit in Row F, which was one row away from the Crabb Family, across the aisle from David Phelps. Whoo-hoo!

The show started with a huge performance featuring Toby Mac, Kirk Franklin, American Idol's Mandisa, and a killer gospel choir. Awesome! But as soon as the song was done, we took our first 'commercial break', and the tone of the evening was set. Since the show is taped for TV, it runs just like a TV set. There would be a relatively short burst of excitement while we'd have one song or one award, and then we'd take a break for them to reset the cameras and set pieces. As a live show, it was hard to build on the excitement because we were stopping so much. The pre-show started at 5:30 and the show finally ended at 11:00. But in between, we had some awesome performances!

With only a few exceptions, I'd never seen any of these people perform live, so each performance was a real treat. Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), Mac Powell (Third Day) and Brian Littrell (former Backstreet Boy) performed as a group. Mercy Me was fantastic! Newcomer Aaron Shust held his own as the only singer-songwriter on the bill, and walked away with several awards.

Gerald and I were both blown away by acapella harmony group Take 6. Brian Free and Assurance raised the roof with James Cleveland's "King Jesus". (Love that song!) Chris Tomlin and friends did an incredibly moving performance of his version of Amazing Grace, from the film of the same name. Chris was introduced by teenage activist, Zach Hunter, who is working to abolish slavery in our modern world. Did you know there are 27 million people still living in slavery today? How can that still be happening?

The show ended with gospel music history. As we all know, the Crabb Family has decided to retire this August. Tonight was their final Dove Award performance as a group. They did a rocked up version of "Power in the Blood", with great solos by Jason and all the instrumentalists in the band. Such a great group!

How do I feel about my GMA Week experience? Well, before I did this, I was told I would see the best and the worst of the gospel music industry this week, and that was true. I met people who were incredibly genuine and passionate about spreading the Gospel though music. And I met people who have read their own press and become seduced by the glamour of the music industry.

But overall, I'm so glad I went. I think I got a really good sense of the music industry in Nashville. I learned a lot about the business of touring, promotion, and digital music. I met some wonderful people from all around the world. I learned that Southern Gospel really is the smallest part of the Christian music industry. And I heard many words of brilliance and wisdom.

But most importantly, I have been reminded that the industry must be a tool and not a goal. For...

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause.
I rather be faithful to His dear cause.
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame.
I'd rather be true to His holy name.

(Rhea F. Miller, 1922)

GMA Week - Day 4

This morning started bright and early with a session entitled "Still Standing". Bishop Paul Morton had a thriving ministry in New Orleans, until Katrina hit. His story of survival through the storms of life was nothing short of inspiring. He illustrated his talk with stories from the Gospels of Jesus calming the storm and walking on water. The Bishop is also a singer, and he sang his new song, also named "Still Standing". He has a wonderful voice, but mostly, he just has a wonderful spirit!

The next workshop was excellent! Called "Making the Cut", it dealt with many issues surrounding getting signed to a major label. I really have no desire to get signed to a major label right now, but I still found this workshop to be invaluable. It brought up the debate of indie artist versus indie label versus major label. The panel offered a check list of things the majors look for before they sign you, such as the number of dates you're playing, the publicity you're self-generating, your fan base, etc. Even if I never try to get on a label, this checklist is a great set of goals to work towards.

Just after this workshop, I got the call from the auto shop. My tires were repaired! Translation: I didn't have to buy new tires! Whoo-hoo! Answered prayers. Picked up my car and took a little break before...

"The Power of Personal Branding" with Phil Cooke, who is definitely the single best speaker I've heard all week. I took more notes in this session than I took in first year psychology. It was incredible! Phil deals with branding in all kinds of corporations. He describes branding as 'the story behind a person, product, or service'. He gave us tonnes of advice on discovering our own uniqueness, and then building our brand around it. There was so much information, but Phil is also a dynamic speaker with lots of insight and wisdom. I tried to buy a recording of the session, but this is the one class they couldn't record. Very disappointed!

We finished with a panel of heavy weights. "Behind the Music" featured some of today's top music producers, including people who produce for Yolanda Adams, Janet Jackson, and Prince. That was all very cool, but, admittedly, I was there for Wayne Haun, who is one of the top producers in Southern Gospel. The discussion was very industry focused (as opposed to artist focused). It gave me a new perspective on the production of the music and the artist, and how that feeds back into the whole music community.

On Sunday, I said that there were 2 shows this week about which I was really excited. Well, the second one was tonight - the Southern Gospel Showcase! The evening was hosted by Michael Booth of the Booth Brothers, and it featured a large line-up. Each artist performed 2-4 songs. It was different than a fan concert - no product table, no long patter, and the only things pitched from the stage were Jesus and Compassion International. This was actually a great show for me to see. In the past year, I've been able to learn about a lot of groups through Singing News Magazine, but I've never been able to see most of them. Tonight, I got to see several groups for the first time.

The opening act was one such group - The Skyline Boys. They have a traditional sound, with a super-high tenor! Next came Mark Bishop, another Singing News discovery. Mark has great songs, and an engaging stage presence. I've seen Crystal River on a DVD, but it was great to see this young quartet carving out their own place in the Southern Gospel world. Hope's Call was another group I'd only heard about. I love their mix of Southern harmonies with bluesy, pop rhythms.

Next came SG royalty - Janet Paschal. Janet has a new album coming out, so she was previewing some new songs tonight. So charming and beautiful on stage! I'd read about the Triumphant Quartet, but you have to see them live to appreciate them. Great sound, with a really fun, and sometimes goofy, stage presence. I'd also heard of Three Bridges, but I was not prepared for this trio. They mix Southern Gospel with 'black gospel', and it's awesome! Great harmonies, great voices, and killer fun songs. Love them!

Next came someone I just admire so much: Karen Peck and New River. Karen's song choice is always great, and she's a fantastic communicator. If I was a little more country, I'd be singing her songs all the time. And, of course, I'm always biased towards sopranos. The grand finale was the Booth Brothers. Their sound just gets smoother ever time I hear them. They did a few new songs, plus "He Saw It All".

Such a fantastic celebration of Southern Gospel music. I saw some friends too, including a Stamps-Baxter friend I haven't seen for over a year. What a great night!

GMA Week - Day 3

Tonight has ended roughly, so I may not sound very excited about my day, even though it was great. I left the conference at 6:00 to pick up Gerald so we could go to a showcase together. That's when I discovered I had, not one, but 2 flat tires! Needless to say, the evening went downhill from there. My car is at a repair place tonight, I've sat in my second tow truck in 3 weeks, and I'm in a city with no public transit. (deep breath)

... But today was excellent ...

To start the day, I attended a panel on touring. Most of the people were from Christian and crossover rock bands, but the reason I went was to hear Ronnie Booth (of The Booth Brothers). There are so few Southern Gospel people here; it's mostly CCM and rock. Most of the questions were directed at the rock dudes. When Ronnie was finally asked a question, he acknowledged that he felt a little out of place, and that 99% of the people in the room probably didn't even know who he was. When I stood for my question, I started with, "I'm a Southern Gospel girl, and I know who you are." He was so great in his answers, and said he felt hopeful that a young person wants to sing SG. We chatted for a bit after the discussion. Very kind and humble man.

I hooked up with my friend, Kimberlee, who is the organizer of CWE (Christian Women of Entertainment). We had a long leisurely lunch on Broadway, and picked up more free stuff from the exhibit hall.

This afternoon focused on the digital market, and I must say, it was a little depressing. I love holding a CD and reading the lyrics and credits in the little booklet. According to today's panel, the CD will be completely out of commission in the next 5-20 years. Maybe in 20, but I don't see it in 5. It's not that the technology won't be in place and simple to use. I just think there will still be people in 5-10 years who won't know how to download, who won't want to download, or who won't own a computer. I probably sound very old-fashioned, and I'm okay with that. I think digital downloading is pretty incredible, and I'm completely in support of adding that to the music industry. I just don't like it when technology people give off that "join the wave or you're a loser" attitude.

The afternoon ended with a really strong panel called "Blurring Genre Lines". The group was a mix of agents, managers, and artists who have experienced a lot of crossover in their careers. It was a heavy-hitting group including the Foreman brothers from Switchfoot (a crossover rock band), the senior VP from the William Morris Agency, and songwriter/music-innovator Kirk Franklin. First of all, what a great topic! And secondly, how smart of GMA to have such diversity on the panel. The information was a good mix of spiritual insights, story-telling, and just good practical advice.

After that, I left the conference, and we're back to my first paragraph. Tomorrow, I'll get a call that will either be for a reasonably priced repair, or a very expensive replacement. Praying for the first one...

GMA Week - Day 2

It's been a wickedly long day, and all I want to do is crawl into bed with the family, but I really want to get all this down. Please excuse typos and things that just don't make sense!

This morning started with a worship service for the whole conference. Ross Parsley, from Colorado Springs is not just the Senior Pastor of his church, he's also the music minister. Very impressive to see the music leader suddenly stop jamming and just start preaching. He was good, but there were so many sound issues that it just got distracting. The percussion overpowered the vocals, so you couldn't sing along. And then a very loud sound check in the next room killed almost every intimate moment in the sermon. Rough way to start the day.

After that we had a rather long break, so I wandered through the exhibit hall, filling up my free tote bag with free pens. Love free stuff!

This afternoon was awesome! We did "networking roundtables". We all sat at round dining tables in a large room, and each table had an "industry leader". This person could be an artist, booking agent, manager, radio promoter, producer, etc. We would have 20 minutes to bombard that person with every possible question we might like to ask. After 20 minutes, the industry leader would stand up and go to another table. We now had a new person to bombard with questions. My table had a publicist, a record distributor, an artist manager, an indie booking agent, and an e-newsletter developer. It was just incredible. The manager was the last one, and by that time, the other people at my table were networking amongst themselves, so I got to have her all to myself. I took tonnes of notes. This workshop also had a reception with cannoli and chocolate-covered strawberries, so this gets my vote as Best Workshop of the Week!

Right after this, we all raced down to the park across from the Country Music Hall of Fame for the Music City Walk of Fame induction ceremony. There were several people honoured, including The Crickets, Wynonna Judd, and Nashville BMI founder, Francis Preston. But I had personal interest in the other 3 honourees. Emmylou Harris is the love of my father-in-law's life (don't' worry, my mother-in-law knows). I felt I was his proxy today. Michael W. Smith was nominated, and his chosen presenter was his good buddy, Jim Caviezel (Jesus of "The Passion"!) Finally, John Hiatt. John Who? John Hiatt wrote "Have a Little Faith in Me". Gerald sang that to me constantly when we first met. It eventually become 'our song', and that was our first dance at the wedding. *sigh*

During the afternoon, I hooked up with some Write About Jesus alumni, so we all headed down to the Hard Rock Cafe for supper, and then off to the first of the evening's concerts. Hillsong United in one of the world's leaders in praise and worship music. One of the most popular praise songs ever, "Shout to the Lord", came out of their music program. Tonight, their youth band lead worship at the Ryman. I've seen them before, and for what they do, they're just fantastic. They are bringing teens and young people back to the church in droves. I can't believe I'm going to write this, but at the risk of sounding like an old lady, I just don't like loud music in worship time. I like to hear the voices of the other people singing around me. Yes, even those of you who think you can't sing. But I can never put down the incredible gift of ministry present in these young musicians. They are truly blessing so many people.

Michael W. Smith was the host of this worship time, so he came out to lead a song or 2. Then he brought out his good buddy, Jim, again! Jim Caviezel is a soft spoken and articulate man. It is clear from his demeanor why he was considered for the role of Jesus. He told some amazing (and some frightening) stories about making "The Passion of the Christ". He talked about getting the call from Mel Gibson. But most importantly, he talked about finding God while he was literally hanging on the cross. He reminded us that earthly fame is fleeting, but we have the greatest awards and rewards awaiting us in heaven.

Finally, at 9:30 tonight, we got one of the 2 shows that got me really excited. (Tuesday will be the second) The Songwriter's Showcase featured some of the top songs of the past year sung by the writers. A lot were artist co-writes, but a few were pure writer performances. The best of these was definitely my friend, Joel Lindsey, and the song I adore, "Orphans of God". I sang this song at an audition last week, so I sang it about 20 times in rehearsal last week. But tonight, it still moved me. It still gave me chills and made me want to stand up and cheer. What a great song!

The artist line-up for this show was completely impressive. One of our hosts was Mandisa (who got kicked off American Idol way before her time; what were Americans thinking?), and she sang a song off her new album. Great song, and what a set of pipes! I hadn't heard of our other host, Mark Schultz, but as soon as he started singing his song, "I Am", I recognized it from the radio. Chris Tomlin sang "Made to Worship" with his co-writers, and ended by leading us in a chorus of "How Great is Our God". Everyone sang, and people added harmonies. Awesome! Jonathan and Ginger Bond of Young Harmony sang "God's Sing God", which combined a powerful testimonies with great harmonies. There were a few bands that did acoustic versions of their songs, which was very cool. It ended with Mark Hall's "Praise You in the Storm", which I'd never heard before. (sometimes I am so out of the loop!) It's a song about giving God praise even when your life is completely falling apart. It's not just a great message, but it's a great song.

And now, tonight, I'm tired and inspired and ready for bed.

GMA Week - Day 1

GMA is the Gospel Music Association, and this is their week in Nashville!

GMA Week is a 5 day conference for people in all areas of the gospel music industry - artists, promoters, agents, radio djs, producers ... everyone. There are workshops and special events all day, and concerts by top artists each night. The whole thing ends with a bang Wednesday with the annual Dove Awards ceremony. For the uninitiated, the Doves are the Grammys of gospel music.

I'd heard lots about GMA Week, but it was never feasible to go. But now that I'm in Nashville, it just made sense to sign up. I'm hoping to get an overview of the industry here in Nashville, and to learn about the services and options available to me as an artist.

It started bright and early this morning with registration and orientation. I'm in the "Music Professional" track, and our special track for the weekend is called "Indie Impact", focusing on the needs of the independent musician.

Our opening speaker was Christian artist, Shaun Groves. Shaun lead us in a few worship songs, and reminded us that this week must be about finding fame for God and not ourselves. The rest of the day was organized with panels of 3-4 speakers with a moderator. The panel idea was good because you got many answers to each question, but there was also a bit of rambling at times.

The first panel spoke about finding an online presence through sites like myspace. I was quite surprised that none of them knew about Shoutlife. Luckily, one of the audience members brought it up during the comment time. I can't say this was my favourite panel. The presentation was quite jumbled, and it was hard to get clear information. I have a basic knowledge of operating online, but I think a newcomer would have just been lost.

Next, we had a great panel called "Place in this World", about finding your niche. Again, a bit of rambling and storytelling, but there were some great stories, and some great advice. Denver Bierman was one of the panelists, and he has a group called the Mile High Orchestra that does Christian big band. Definitely going to check them out.

This panel also featured Tammy Trent. I first saw Tammy on 100 Huntley St, about 4 and a half years ago. She was speaking about the losing her husband, Trent, through a shocking accident. As she spoke, I realized that she had lost Trent only 3 months before I lost Steve. Our grieving time-lines were the same. I wrote her that night and told her how much it meant to me to hear her testimony. At the time, I was still so mad with God, and I was so impressed to hear how Tammy had clung to God in the same moment that I had pushed Him away. I've been on her email list ever since, and write her occasionally, and it was through Tammy that I was introduced to Shoutlife, which has been nothing but a blessing! I took a minute before the session to introduce myself to her, and to thank her for sharing her story. Such a gracious lady! Tammy Trent is a masterclass on how to treat a fan.

Next was a panel on touring. At first, I thought this might be beyond me because it seemed to be dealing with bands, but it ended up being one of my favourite panels of the day. Tara Leigh is a solo artist who tours and does all her own bookings, and she had great practical information about the ins and outs of booking yourself.

We ended with "The Long Haul" featuring artists who have built careers spanning 20 years or more. I was uber-excited about this panel because it featured the wonderful Allison Durham Speer. There were obvious lessons from each panelist about being persistent, but there was also a lot of detailed practical advice too. They recommended writing out a mission statement for our ministry, so that will be a project for me.

I met some great people today from the States, Canada, Ireland, and Poland. I heard some inspiring stories of overcoming great failures. I connected with some very interesting artists, and made plans to see some great shows.

However, I must say this, too. I was warned that GMA Week will show me the best and the worst of the industry, and my greatest annoyance in the church reared it's ugly head before the day had even begun: Denominational Snobbery. I hate hearing Christians make snide remarks about denominations that are not their own. The Devil is never happier than when we're fighting amongst ourselves.

(Must stop there. I could vent for days on this topic... and it wouldn't be pretty!)

There was a showcase tonight featuring delegates, but I was really exhausted from the past week, so I decided to head in early. Tomorrow will start at 9AM and end around midnight, and I really need my beauty sleep!

CWE Showcase at Caffiene

Tonight, I was blessed to perform at this month's CWE (Christian Women of Entertainment) songwriter showcase. I got involved with this group in March, and I'm just loving it. There are monthly showcases, and next month, they're hosting a fellowship night.

Tonight's show was at Caffeine, which is a great cafe on Demonbreun. It was extra special to have Gerald play with me tonight, because we used to visit Caffeine on our honeymoon!

It's an intimate venue, and tonight, it was packed! Some people stayed the whole night; some came and went; but it was full for the whole show. I felt very lucky that I actually had people there to see me - 6 Shoutlife friends came to see the show! Yay, Shoutlife!

I started with "Infinitely More". Then Gerald joined me for "My Father's Arms". Then I booted Gerald off the stage so I could do "Sing Me a Song, Sing Me a Lullaby". I was happy with all the performances.

We met some great people tonight, heard some good music, and got some really wonderful feedback on the songs. But I must get some sleep tonight - GMA Week starts bright and early tomorrow morning!

A Round of Pizza

Tonight marked a milestone for us - Gerald and I performed our first round together!

I think I've explained this before, but a "round" is a performance style unique to Nashville. You get 3-4 songwriters on stage at a time, sitting in a row, each with their own stool and mic. The first sings one song, the second sings one song, and so on down the row. At the end of the row, you go back to the first songwriter and go "round" again. You go round and round til everyone has done 3-4 songs. The number of songs generally equals the number of performers, but not always.

Last night's show was at Pizzereal. Yes, we performed in a pizzeria, and yes, we were actually paid in pizza. (Welcome to Nashville!) It's actually a gorgeous little place, built on the first floor of an old house in East Nashville. This was a monthly songwriter night organized by songwriter, Donna Long, who we met at Doak's party. (Who haven't we met at Doak's?)

Gerald did some of my favourites: "I'm a Real Big Fan" and "Never Learn", and we finished together with "All Her Flowers". I did "The Wedding at Cana" and Gerald accompanied me on "My Father's Arms". I also debuted a new song, "Sing Me a Song, Sing Me a Lullaby". I sang it acapella, but I think it might be nice with a light djembe under it. I was completely nervous to do something new. Unfortunately, the audience was loud when I started it, but by the end, I had their complete attention. Gerald had never heard it before, and it got good reviews from him, so that's always very satisfying.

One of the great things about rounds is that people tend to jump in and add to each other's songs with vocal harmonies or guitar leads. Obviously, I'm not going to add guitar to any one's song, but my ability to improvise harmonies is getting better by the day. In our round, we were joined by Diana Gibson-Kelly, and I felt myself humming along on her songs (beautiful melodies!), but I wasn't sure if I should sing it into the mic. I think I'm still getting used to the etiquette. She told me after that she could hear me and loved what I was doing, and that she wished I'd done it into the mic. Next time...

For now, I'm happy with another performance done, and my first round with my hubby!

The Isaacs in concert!

We are hosting our first Canadian house guests here in Nashville - my in-laws are here for a visit. But I'm very aware that we are not the only attraction here in Tennessee, for tonight, we all headed off to a very special treat - The Isaacs!

We first heard the Isaacs in the Gaither concerts, and it's always one of the highlights for us. But tonight, we got to see them in an intimate, full-length concert, and it was great.

The family has a wonderful stage presence, with lots of joking and loving, and I think a lot of that is lost in the large auditoriums. Tonight's concert was at College Heights Baptist Church in Gallatin (just outside Nashville). They had a great venue with an enthusiastic audience, and that combination led to a great show.

They have just put out a new album, so the show was a mix of classic and new material. In this intimate setting, even the old songs seemed to take on new meaning. I've heard "Yours and Mine" many times, and I always love it, but tonight I could really see the intimacy of the mother singing to her daughters, and it was just beautiful. Of course, since moving to Nashville, this song just makes me homesick...

Because it was Nashville, the audience was full of musicians, so they started pulling people up. I couldn't catch all the names, but at one point, there were 10 people on stage performing an impromptu arrangement of "In the Garden". The Florida Boys' Gene MacDonald was pulled up to sing bass, and I just love his voice! The whole song was terrific, and it received the only single song standing ovation of the night.

The whole show was awesome, and, as all great shows should be, it was inspiring. Gerald and I left hungry to play, write, and sing. And that's all we ever ask from a show.

Nashville Symphony Hymn Sing!

We're back in Nashville! We did the whole drive yesterday. I have to admit: We had rain for the first few hours of the trip, and I was very nervous because of it. But deep breaths and constant prayer kept me calm, and we arrived home safely and in good spirits late last night.

And we had to arrive home quickly because I had a 12th row centre ticket tonight to the Nashville Symphony Hymn Sing!

Let's just start by getting it out in the open: AMAZING!!!

The event was held at the brand new Schermerhorn Symphony Center's Laura Turner Concert Hall, which is nothing short of spectacular. It's very ornate and built in the style of an old European recital hall, with gorgeous white and grey details, a fabulous pipe organ, and long galleries on all sides.

I saw this concert advertised weeks ago, and it immediately appealed to me for many reasons. First off, we all know how I feel about hymns. Second, it was a hymn sing lead by a huge orchestra and choir. (The Nashville Choir is similar to Toronto's Mendelssohn Choir.) And third, it had a killer line-up of soloists, including my favourite: David Phelps.

And this is where the only disappointment of the evening occurred.

There was no David Phelps! They weren't really honest in their advertising (in my humble opinion), because David was only singing in the Sunday show. I was at the Friday and, therefore, Davidless show. Not impressed.

But I was able to recover quickly because the show was brilliant from the first note.

It opened with the choir singing the Doxology, acapella, from all different parts of the galleries. Gorgeous acoustics and stunning harmonies. Hearing this choir brought back so many great memories of my time with the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir!

The choir then moved to the choir loft, and the hymn sing proper began. Everyone was given a beautiful hymn booklet when we went in, so when the choir arrived up front, we all joined in the singing of the Doxology again. The conductor encouraged us to sing, but the audience needed no encouragement. Voices soared all around me, and I could even hear an audience member singing the occasional harmony line.

Gerald and I have a test for great songs: they can bend, but they won't break. The great hymns fit this category. Tonight's program ranged from gospel classics to the lovely Irish and British hymn tunes. They were sung acapella, with solo piano, or with full majestic orchestra. Each song bent to fit into it's chosen interpretation, but none fell under the weight of diverse rhythm and harmony.

Our first guest soloist was Steven Curtis Chapman. I know I'm so behind on this, but I am only a recent fan of Steven's. He accompanied his own solo of "Fairest Lord Jesus", and then acted as emcee to introduce the other guests and lead in the audience singing. His humility and warmth were perfect for the occasion.

I was incredibly excited about the next soloist: CeCe Winans! How can you not love that voice? CeCe is so well-suited to sing with an orchestra - so much poise and a voice that was never overwhelmed by a stage full of musicians and a 100 voice choir.

Next, we were treated to the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and I mean treated! They sang 2 spirituals, acapella, and they were just incredible. Clear tones, perfect blend, and sopranos that make you sit up in your seat. And here's the wild part - Their conductor walked out with them, but he stood behind them the whole time. A chord would play on the piano, but he wouldn't give so much as a downbeat. Without a physical act that I could see, the choir was completely self-directed. I was just in awe! I've sung in lots of choirs, and seen lots of choirs, and I've never seen a choir do this. I kept thinking, "Maybe he's poking them in the back to tell them when to start?" Okay, pretty sure that's not true, but you've got to wonder...

Next came the song that, Sunday, will be the David solo, "What Wondrous Love is This". Tonight it was performed by CCM artist Steve Green. And I don't mind admitting, I was completely impressed. He had incredible poise, stunning tenor notes, and a heartfelt performance.

Our final soloist also gave cause for excitement: Alison Krauss! Who's not a fan of Alison's? I have to admit, I don't think she was entirely comfortable singing in front of the orchestra. She had her lyrics with her and never seemed to get physically comfortable. But that voice! Her song was "Be Thou My Vision", and I can't think of a more perfect marriage of voice and melody.

But even with all those artists and all those musicians on stage, the best part was still the hymns and the corporate singing. Thousands of people, all singing the great songs of the church. When we reached the 3rd verse of "Amazing Grace", I had to catch my breath. "Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come." I flashed back to last week, sitting in our car on the side of the road, and realizing Gerald, Sebastian, and I were all completely unharmed. God has been so good to us, so I sang extra loud on "Great is Thy Faithfulness".

I don't think I can even properly express how wonderful it was tonight. From the theatre to the songs to the choir to the soloists, it was all just overwhelming in its power and beauty. Where else but Nashville could tonight have happened?

NSAI Toronto meets an Alien

Tonight was a very cool experience: I was a guest speaker!

One of the hardest parts of getting my American work visa was just getting the correct information on the process. When I got my visa in January, I offered to speak about my experience to the NSAI group in Toronto. Tonight was my night...

I knew there was some interest in the topic, and we packed the meeting room with over 30 people, which is great for this group. I was also joined by Erica L. James, my immigration lawyer.

It was great to do the presentation together because Erica could provide proper legal info, and I could talk about the human experience, including some of the quirky parts of the process. For example, each of my letters of reference required a resume from the writer, but some of the artists didn't have resumes! So, I spent hours googling names and searching websites, building resumes for people! Crazy, but it worked.

We'd planned on speaking for an hour, but there were so many questions that we ended up speaking for over 2 hours. The feedback after was tremendous, and Gerald and I received many great words of support for following our dream.

I really just wanted to make it easier for other people. I spent the first 4 months of the process just trying to find out how to get the visa. If I can save someone that time, I think that's a great thing. After all, what's the point of having "extraordinary ability" if you can't spread it around?

Jesus, take the wheel!

We arrived in Canada last night, but I was too tired to touch the computer til today. For those who prayed for our safe journey - Thank you! I'm writing today to tell you that your prayers worked.

The drive from Nashville to Toronto is approximately 13 hours of driving time. We have done the trip in one day twice now, so we figured we would do it again on Wednesday.

The day started perfectly - clear sky, but not too sunny; cool weather requiring neither heat nor air conditioning; good moods and lots of car snacks. What else could we need?

In northern Ohio, we hit a small patch of snow. We considered stopping for the night, but we drove through it quickly and decided to press on. After all, I have all-weather tires on my car and I took all my driving lessons in thick, Newfoundland snow. I have no fear of weather.

The border crossing was very quick, and we were now facing the final 3 hours of the trip. The weather was clear, our moods were great, and the chocolate-covered espresso beans were keeping us bright and alert.

We hit London around 11pm, and that's when the snow returned. First a few flakes, then almost total white. I slowly brought the car to a slower speed, but we were hit with a driver's nightmare: sudden road freezes. The pavement became an ice-slick.

Within seconds, I lost complete control of the car. Before I knew what was happening we had slid over into the left lane. I realized we were spinning backwards, and then...off the road. "Please God don't let us flip over!" Snow sprayed everywhere. Within seconds, the car stopped, and I realized we were completely off the road, looking up at it from below.

Gerald and I turned to each other. "Are you okay? How's Sebastian?" The first moment of peace came in realizing that, even though we had just spun 360 degrees and flew off the highway, we were both completely unharmed.

Now what?

We were shaken. I tried to drive out of our spot, but a quick inspection by Gerald determined that we were completely stuck in a muddy field. A car stopped by and offered to call 911. Thank you. Within half an hour, the police arrived.

The weather was too rough for towing, so we had to leave the car in the field and hope it would be clear enough in the morning. The police called around to find a hotel that would take dogs. We threw our suitcases and guitars into the cruiser and slowly, very slowly, drove to the hotel.

On the short drive to the hotel, we saw 3 more cars off the road.

The hotel gave us a special rate. Sebastian loved staying in the hotel (2 beds!). By morning, the weather had calmed, so we had a tow truck help us out.

The car was half sunk in the mud, which had also frozen. It pulled out okay, but the tires were caked with mud, hay, and the odd piece of garbage. It felt a little stiff to drive, but when it hit 60 K, it would just start to shake.

We went to a Canadian Tire (so happy to be in Canada in that moment!). The guys spent 2 hours removing over a garbage can's worth of mud and ice from my tires and axles. They thought I had done some serious damage to the car, but once it was clean, it ran just as perfectly as ever.

We got in the car, took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and drove to Mom and Dad's place.

Today, I am exhausted.

Last night, I saw a short TV clip of a car spinning out of control on a highway. My stomach tightened.

When I think of the 'what ifs', I just have to stop myself. I don't even want to open my imagination to the possibilities.

Our car lost complete control, and yet I, Gerald, Sebastian, and the car were completely and utterly unharmed. We always say 'nothing matters but my family', but I can honestly tell you that, for me, that statement will forever have a deeper meaning. We could have lost the car, the clothes, even the guitars, but my family was safe, and nothing else mattered. We have been so richly blessed!

"His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He's watching me".

Cafe Coco and the Guitar-B-Que

Today was a very Nashville day - very social and full of music.

This morning I attended the Palm Sunday service at Church of the Redeemer. Last year, I was singing at a non-denominational church on Palm Sunday. It was a great church, but I missed my palm! Today's service started with the traditional outdoor procession, leading into the sanctuary. We sang great Palm Sunday hymns, and had a special vocal trio during the offering. The whole service was just full of joy!

This afternoon, Gerald and I played Cafe Coco. The front part is a very busy cafe, but they have a back room set up as a small music venue. It's very cozy, but they have music there all the time, so I'm sure it can get pretty busy. Today was not one of those days. We were part of a special all-day NSAI line-up to celebrate Tin Pan South. When we arrived for our time slot, there were 6 people in the room, 7 when the bartender arrived. I think we maxed out at 10 when a few people came in to find a quiet place to eat their lunch.

But, we followed the Equity rule and carried on with the show. (Equity says you must perform if the audience equals the cast + 1) They actually had several performers not even show up, so we ended up going on just seconds after we walked through the door. Gerald started with his set, including his ever-soulful "I'm a Real Big Fan", and "Never Learn". He hasn't done that song forever, so it was a real treat for me.

I did "My Father's Arms", with Gerald on guitar, followed by "Wedding at Cana" and "Abide With Me". After the set, I met a new Shoutlife friend! She had come to see me play, but because they put us on early, she only caught the last few bars. Disappointing on both sides, but at least we got to meet. Hopefully, we'll hook up again.

To top off the day, we attended Doak Turner's annual Guitar-B-Que. (I have no idea how to actually spell that!) Doak hosts the monthly songwriter party we attended back in November. At the monthly party, people group up in rooms in the house to play songs for each other. This time, it was more about the food and the socializing. There was one large song circle in the middle of the yard, but it was mostly loud party songs being performed. Surrounding the circle was a large crowd of songwriters recovering from a crazy week and stuffing their faces with pulled pork and sweet tea. (soooooo good!) We saw tonnes of people we knew, including NSAI Toronto members, so it was a great time.

Gerald met up with a guy who also writes Christian songs, and we all got curious about each other's music. When it was time to leave, we left with this guy and his wife, found a quiet place on the lawn of a nearby church, and sang our songs under the trees. Such a great way to spend the day.

We're going home for Easter this week, so it's going to be crazy busy, but this was a great way to end Tin Pan South and just enjoy being in Nashville!

Stephen Schwartz!!!!!

I had to choose an obvious title, because I never want to have trouble finding this post. Tonight was a night to remember and revisit!

We continued our Tin Pan South journey tonight by attending a show at the Bluebird Cafe. As soon as I saw the TPS schedule, I knew I had to see this show: "Nights on Broadway: The New York - Nashville Connection". Because it's the Bluebird, I needed to make a reservation weeks ago, but I couldn't get a reservation, so I was put on a waiting list, and finally got a call this Tuesday to say we could get seats, and we still had to show up an hour before curtain! And it was all worth it...

Tonight's show, held in the round, was hosted by singer, Lari White, and featured music theatre composers Amanda Green, Marcus Hummon, Mike Reid, and the completely amazing Stephen Schwartz!

Stephen Schwartz has been in my life for a long time. I grew up listening to a record of Godspell, and very early in my career, I was thrilled to play "Peggy" in a Toronto production. Most recently, I, like half of North America, fell in love with Wicked. I couldn't have been more excited for tonight's show. I've been singing "Beautiful City" and "Day by Day" all week!

I don't even know if I can find the words to tell you how amazing this show was! (yes, bad sentence structure!) Each and every song was brilliant. The songs were dynamic and funny and painful and fascinating.

Amanda has a recent Broadway hit with the musical, "High Fidelity", based on the John Cusack film. She did 2 songs from the show, plus 2 others, and they were all funny and wickedly entertaining.

Marcus did songs from "American Duet", which he's hoping will hit Broadway in the fall. One of the biggest surprises of the night (at least for me) was when he silently sat at the keyboard, and with very little introduction, started to play his non-theatre song, "God Bless the Broken Road". I love that song! I couldn't believe this was the man who created it!

Mike did some never-before-performed material, which was pretty awesome. And again, he pulled it out of the music theatre realm for a minute with his song, "I Can't Make You Love Me", as recorded by Faith Hill. Unbelievable!

Lari would sing harmonies, and tell a few stories about the Broadway scene, and she did some solos as well. She has a real ability to communicate a song.

But, of course, my favourite moments all came from Stephen. I'd never heard of his first song, which was a delightful and witty interpretation of trying to fall in love in New York City.

Next, he said he didn't want to sing a theatre piece. Instead, he wanted to do a medley of a few songs, and I knew the first tune within a few notes: "Colours of the Wind". Amazing! I'm sitting there, not six feet from Stephen Schwartz, listening to him sing his song, "Colours of the Wind". But then he switched into the second song of the medley: "When You Believe", from Disney's Prince of Egypt. Last October, when Gerald and I had our Nashville Bound concert, Esther and Monika sang this song for us, as a blessing for our adventures. I couldn't believe he sang it. I just started to cry!

Next, he did a newer cabaret song that I'd never heard of. I can't even tell you the title of it. But the song talks about having parents that hurt you and didn't love you. And it says the best way to heal that pain is to wrap you parents in love and forgiveness. It was powerful, and received the only standing ovation of the night (except for the end of the show). Looking around the audience, the tears showed that this song touched many hearts.

Stephen, of course, got the final song of the night. I was really hoping for something from Godspell, but he chose to sing something from Wicked. Couldn't really complain about that. And what did he choose? "For Good". At Dad's retirement in January, we were all brought to tears when 3 teenagers from church stood up and sang this song. The entire lyric is moving, and the chorus ends with "But because I knew you, I have been changed for good". This song would be powerful on any day, but to have people sing this to my Dad was amazing. And then tonight, with that memory still fresh in my mind, to sit 6 feet away from the writer himself, and hear him sing it...well, it was just too much. I couldn't help but burst into tears all over again.

Who knew Tin Pan South would be so emotional?

After the show, I just had to introduce myself to Stephen and say "Thank you for your songs". Gerald and I both agreed it was our favourite show this week, and we couldn't imagine any of the other shows topping it.

The whole thing was just so complete. I just feel so satisfied in every way. I don't even need a late night snack. I'm all filled up with good stuff!

Crook, Kix, and Tin Pan South

Tonight, we continued our Tin Pan South adventure with an early show at 12th and Porter. (I realized today that, if nothing else, this is a good way to check out a bunch of venues. Most won't be places for me to play, but they will be great for Gerald.)

Once again, sooo happy for the pass! There was a long line, but we were able to jump to the front. Oh, and they had free valet parking. Nashville is great for parking!

Tonight's line-up was Peter Cooper, Marshall Chapman, Tommy Womack, and Kix Brooks (of Brooks and Dunn fame).

Kix was the only familiar name to me, and he was great! You usually just hear his guitar and vocal harmonies, but he's got a strong voice, and I really enjoyed his songs.

Peter, Marshall (a blues woman!) and Tommy were all very different, but really great to watch. Again, they would just jump in on each other's songs with harmonies and guitar solos. Marshall and Tommy are great friends, and obviously great fans of each other's music. At times, it was like watching a duo. Very cool!

After the show, we were invited to visit the Gibson bus. This custom designed bus sits outside the Tin Pan venues to act like a green room for the performers. It looked like a regular high-end tour bus (which is usually pretty gorgeous anyways), but it had all sorts of guitar and music themed stuff in it. The ceiling was one long, lit up fret board. The edging on all the counters and window sills was like a keyboard. The table top looked like a Gibson guitar top. There was even a small studio/practice booth. So cool!!!

This afternoon, I met with a representative from the Eddie Crook Company. This is a group that does a lot of recording and radio promotion in the Southern Gospel industry. They found me on Shoutlife (http://shoutlife.com/allisonlynn), and invited me in for a face to face. I had my list of questions about what they do, and they wanted to find out more about my goals in the industry.

I got some good counsel and, overall, it was a very positive meeting. I've been invited back for a second meeting. I have a lot of things to figure out over the next few months - what to record, how to record, when and where to record, and then, how to start finding the right venues and showcases.

I'm going to take Easter to consider some of my options. I feel like there's a bit of a catch-22 here in Nashville. Everyone tells you to wait and record your CD in Nashville, because that's how you'll get that authentic southern sound. But the minute you get here, everyone wants you to have a CD ready to play for them and to sell at events! I am anxious to get into the studio. It's been almost 3 years since my first recording, and I have so much more to say now.

Today was a reminder to look at all my options, be wise with my resources, and stay focused on my personal goals.

The Hit Men

This is such a cool week to be in Nashville! Tin Pan South is an annual songwriting festival sponsored by NSAI. It's a week of shows, 2 shows a night, in all the best venues, with all the best songwriters. Later in the week, there are 2 days of songwriting workshops, called 'Songposium', and Gerald will be taking part in that.

Tonight's show was called "The Hit Men", a title taken from a new reality show being shot about 4 of Nashville's most successful songwriters: Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, Bob DiPiero, and Tony Mullins. These guys are not only songwriting peers, they are also great friends, so the energy on stage was pretty wild. The energy outside was pretty wild too, with the line-up stretching down the side of the building, and only people with festival passes actually making it in to see the show. (Yay! We bought passes!)

Even if you've never heard of Jeffrey, Craig, Bob, or Tony, if you listen to country music, you will have heard their songs.

Every song they played was great, but the show was so much more than just the songs. The energy among the players was infectious. They would just jump in on guitar or vocal harmonies, and suddenly you were watching a band of buddies and not just solo performers.

But the highlight (and what may very well be the highlight of all Tin Pan South for me) was "Believe". The first time I heard this song, I just shook. I couldn't wait for Gerald to hear it. I've heard it a hundred times in the past year, and it never fails to move me.

Craig Wiseman co-wrote the song with Ronnie Dunn, and near the end of the show, he started to tell this story about talking to a woman from his hometown, who reminded him that all his songs come from God. As the story developed, you knew it was coming, and I was so excited.

Craig isn't the same kind of singer as Ronnie, but it didn't matter. His performance was passionate and authentic. I couldn't help but cry. You could feel God's presence in the bar. It reminded me of a speaker I heard recently who said that we are always so determined to 'invite' God into our worship, that we forget that God is already here, no matter where 'here' is. And God was definitely in the room tonight.

The rest of the show was so good, and it ended on a truly awesome note: Craig's other life-changing song, "Live Like You Were Dying". It was one of the few moments of the night when the audience really sang out and sang along.

Such a great night! Can't wait to see what else is in store this week...

The 23rd Psalm Cafe

For months, now, I've been seeing an open mic advertised at The 23rd Psalm Cafe. It didn't seem to be part of the main-stream venue line-up, but it was obviously a Christian place, so I've been wanting to check it out. Tonight, we got our chance.

A few weeks ago, Gerald and I drove to the Cafe to play the open mic, only to find out that the paper had the days listed incorrectly, and the venue was actually closed that night. Gerald ended up speaking to the owner, Ben, on the phone, who remembered my emails, and a few days later, we had an invitation to play The 23rd Psalm Cafe.

It's a small white building and, as we suspected, it is far off the main strip. Inside, it's even smaller, and quite cluttered. The walls are covered in 8 x 10's of artists who've played there. The whole thing feels a little like a Newfoundland kitchen party: great food cooking in one corner, a stage in the other, and all sorts of people crammed into every nook and cranny, laughing and singing and telling stories. But the spirit is tremendous, and we were in for a great night of music and fellowship...

There were several other singer-songwriters, and a band from Kentucky. Gerald was second on the line-up, and he opened with "I'm a Real Big Fan" - perfect choice cause it just got everyone going. He followed with "Do You Trust the Wings God Gave You?" and "My Child is Dancing With God". Beautiful!

I was supposed to go next, but Ben decided he wanted the band to play next. So up comes this 6 piece worship/rock band, with a huge sound and great players. And all I could think was, "I have to follow this? Me? With my solo guitar and my pretty little church songs? Arg!!!"

Yes, fear swept through me. I could imagine the crowd taking their smoke break when my turn finally arrived. But then I smacked myself in the head. I reminded myself that I wasn't in competition with anyone, and that the only reason I had for writing or singing was to please God. If I could be worthy of Him, then any spot, any time, would be just fine.

As I was coming to this conclusion, a friend of mine walked into the Cafe. She came to hear me, but had gotten lost.

If I had gone on earlier, she would have missed my performance. Funny, huh?

When my turn came, I brought Gerald up to accompany me on "My Father's Arms", and then kicked him off the stage so I could do "The Wedding At Cana" and "Abide With Me".

In the end, I think we both did really well. But there was so much more to experience that night. We heard some great singer-songwriters, and met some wonderful people. Ben knows several other Christian venues, so we may be able to find some more opportunities that way.

And once again, I was reminded that God's plan is always better than the one I design myself!

Painting Cars and Goober.

Today was filled with two truly unique events.

At Cafe Forte on Monday, we met an artist named Rachel Kice who invited us to her performance art piece this afternoon. Rachel has a friend who's a single mom, and this mom's car broke down. Obviously, as a single mom in Nashville, which has practically zero public transit, you need a car. So Rachel and friends brought the car out to Caffeine Cafe, and parked it on the side of Demonbreun. Accompanied by live music, Rachel began to paint the car with wild colours and abstract designs. Later, the car will be auctioned off and the money will go to buy the single mom a new car.

Rachel is associated with the Muzik Mafia (which isn't as subversive as it sounds. It's a music collective who does a tonne of charity work.) The Mafia has given the car a starting bid of $2000, and they are also sponsors of the event. The whole thing was pretty fun, and Rachel even had some children filling in the colours, and adding pink hearts in the 'empty' spaces!

While I was watching the car painting, I was invited to another event tonight. At 5:30, I wandered over to the Belcourt Theater, which is a local rep cinema in Hillsboro Village (an area like Toronto's Annex). I really didn't know what to expect, and when I arrived, I felt like the loner in high school. I was by myself, and everybody seemed to know everybody else.

The place was packed, so I grabbed a few snacks off the complimentary buffet, and settled into a seat. It ended up that this was the release party for a new country video by the sister act, Moore and Moore.

The song, "Find Me a Man Like Goober", was inspired by the Goober character of the Andy Griffith show. The video not only featured George "Goober" Lindsey, but a host of country music legends, such a Porter Waggoner, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Hee Haw alumni, the Hager Twins.

After they showed the video, I saw some people I knew, so I started chatting and meeting people. Before long, I was one of the last people in the place, meeting artists and folks and just having a great time. (I am so my Dad in those moments!)

I had a very different day planned - very practical, finishing my paint job on the kitchen, faxing Toronto's DVM - but this was just all awesome and fun. I think a lot of doing well in Nashville is just being open to new people and new experiences.

BCC Easter Video

A few weeks ago, I went to the Artist's Well at BCC, where I got to meet all their music and art directors. I volunteered to get involved with their music and drama areas, and today was my first opportunity.

BCC is a huge church with a 'contemporary' style of worship, basically consisting of 30 minutes of music and 30 minutes of message. One of the ways they segue the music and the message is by short videos pieces that focus on the theme of day. They show the video on the large screens in the church.

Today, they were shooting a video for Easter Sunday, and I was invited to take part.

I had to read a rather long section of Isaiah, followed by a few lines from Matthew 28 (which I love because it was read at our wedding!) They're going to shoot several people reading the passage, and then intercut us, so one person says a line, another says the next line, etc.

We just shot in an office at the church, and it went pretty quickly, but it was still pretty cool to do. We won't be here on Easter when it's shown, but they post all their videos online, so I'll be able to see it when it's done.

We shot it early, so when I was done, I wandered into Happy Hour (their name for coffee hour!), and then attended the service. Great way to spend a morning!

Tea and Jam and Shoutlife

Last month, I joined an online community called Shoutlife. It's like the infamous myspace, but it's all Christians. I found it really easy to use, and I've just loved being on it. There's tonnes of musicians, and lots of them in Nashville, so I've been able to ask questions about the gospel music industry here.

Well, today, my Shoutlife life started to meld with my real life.

This afternoon, we got a call booking us for a gig in June. It's an all-day festival of indie Christian musicians, ranging from country to rock. And I booked it through Shoutlife!

Tonight, we attended an event called Tea and Jam, at Madison Church of Christ. It's a monthly event, with live music, free admission, and complimentary tea and sweets. We went because the 2 performers were both Shoutlife members!

When we walked in, we started meeting fellow Shoutlifers right away, which was just surreal. The space was set up cabaret-style, and was originally built as a small TV set, so it was all very cool.

Our first performer was singer-songwriter, Rachel Carrozziere. Great voice, with really good songs. Next up was Christian comedian, Marty Daniels. He told great stories, but he ended the set with his personal testimony, which was powerful.

The whole night was awesome! Yes, great entertainment and wonderful snacks. But the best part was meeting people! Here are all these people who, up til now, have only been represented by a few lines of typing and a tiny head shot on a screen. Tonight, they became living, breathing, new found friends.

Sometimes, it's a very, very small world.

More CWE!

Tonight, I was blessed to perform again with the CWE (Christian Women of Entertainment). They're committed to having a showcase once a month, so I was thrilled to be invited back.

They're always trying to find non-smoking venues, and tonight's show was at the Rutledge, which is downtown. (As a side note, the smoking regulations are terrible down here. You can actually still smoke in restaurants! It's so gross. They're trying to bring in new smoking bans. We're crossing our fingers!)

The Rutledge is a very funky, somewhat urban club, with a bar on one side, and a partially enclosed music venue on the other. Tonight's line-up contained a few of us from the February show, but mostly new performers. The thing that impressed me most was the huge variety of performers - jazz, gospel, folk, and even Christian rap. Everyone was good, and some were well above good!

I started with "The Wedding at Cana", which I introduced as my version of a Christian 'drinking' song (since we were in a bar...the song is about wine...you get the picture!). Next I did "I Call Out Your Name", followed by "Welcome to Bethlehem". Yes, a Christmas song in Lent. I told the audience, "This is the part of the show where you either go 'She's crazy' or 'She's fearless!'" Gerald joined me on stage to add his funky solo guitar part, and the song got a huge response.

I felt very comfortable on stage, and got a lot of laughs from the audience. I think my performing and improv skills are going to be an asset here. A lot of songwriters aren't performers, so if I can make people laugh, I think it will make me stand out from the crowd.

Of course, singing Christmas songs in March will also make me stand out too!

NSAI One-on-one...

Every 6 months, as an NSAI member, I get to sit down with an NSAI staff member for a one-on-one session. Since we're so new to town, Gerald and I decided this would be a good week to do this. The point of the one-on-one is to determine where you are in your songwriting career, where you want to be, and how you're going to get there.

My session was with a girl named Jimi. My greatest fear was that I would get my one-on-one with someone who didn't know about Christian music, but Jimi actually writes CCM, and she's had some indie cuts, so it was a great match up.

First, she listened to 2 of my songs, "I am Waiting Here for You" and "Infinitely More". She gave me a little feedback that mostly involved tightening things, but overall, her response was very strong. She really liked my melodies, and that was a really pleasant surprise. I guess I think of myself as lyrics first, so it's nice to know that good things are happening with the music side of things.

Next, we discussed a 6-month-plan for me. I told her that my main focus was to be an 'artist' (as opposed to a full-time writer), and that I'd like to start co-writing with other people. She gave me lots of ideas for live venues, networking places, and tips on co-writing in Nashville.

The whole meeting was just great. I left feeling very encouraged and inspired.

Tonight, I attended the Lenten program at Church of the Redeemer. There was a meal, which was great for meeting people, but the main focus was the Bible study on the Letter to the Colossians. I was expecting a gentle, after-dinner study involving phrases like, "Paul said this..." and "The Colossians felt this...". Nope! This was like a university level discussion involving a study of myth, empire, and metanarrative. Totally not prepared for it, but I loved it. I'll definitely be back next week. (I actually need to go back. I'm still slightly confused, and I'm hoping a return trip will straighten me out!)

Watching and learning...

Today was a good, busy day. This afternoon, I got to visit my friends Tracy and Shawn at UpTown Studios. Shawn is making a choral CD, and is in town to record the instrument tracks. (Tracey is doing the piano parts. I know both of them from Stamps-Baxter.) He'll take the tracks home where he can finish the recording with his church choir.

The studio had a great set-up, with a main room, that was surrounded by lots of smaller, isolated booths for piano, drums, guitar, etc. (The guitar player was Kevin Williams, of Gaither Homecoming fame.) The booths meant that everyone could record a take of the song at once, but then they could go back in and fix up individual parts without losing the whole take. Wish we'd had that with the big band recordings I did!

The most impressive part was watching the musicians with the charts. These are all seasoned session players, which is a very different beast than a live performance player. And all the charts were in the infamous Nashville Number System. Before each song, the players would sit quietly in a room, each looking at a single piece of paper that contained lines of numbers, with a few dashes and dots added to mark repeats, etc. They would talk through the structure, but they would never really practice anything. Then they would step into the studio, and just start to record. A few things would need to be adjusted, but basically, they would get the bulk of the song down in a few takes. Amazing!

Tonight, I attended a Christian writer's night at NSAI, where we had a guest speaker. Dan Keen is a VP with ASCAP, and he specializes in Christian music. He was really fantastic because he covered both sides of the business. He spoke in very practical terms about copyright, streams of income, and PROs. (Performing Rights Organizations, like SOCAN or ASCAP). But then he also spoke about the role of Christian writers to serve the needs of the church. He encouraged us to be very local, and to create projects specifically for our community. It was all really well balanced, and very inspiring.

From Day 1, Gerald has said that we are here to learn. Today was definitely a great day for that!

Asked back...

This morning, I continued my hunt for a home church by actually returning to a church. I attended the morning service at Church of the Redeemer. I really enjoy their worship style, which I think they call "evangelical Anglican". The service ended with "It is Well", which I ,of course, love. But they played it uptempo with a drum beat. Very cool and unexpected.

This evening, we had one of the great honours you can have as a working musician: We were asked back. It's wonderful to go and sing in a new church, but when they ask you back, well, that just means so much.

Calvary Baptist Church, where we sang last week, is starting a new Sunday evening service. It's very casual, in their Fellowship Room with the congregation sitting at tables, "cabaret" style.

I sang "I Call Out Your Name", and Gerald did one of his new ones, "Reborn". We also did a duet of "People Get Ready", which was really fun to work on.

The service was very relaxed, with a great energy. It's such a warm and welcoming congregation. This was their very first service of this kind, and I hope it's a ministry that grows and grows.

And, of course, I hope we're asked back!

Allison & Wess & Allison.

I feel like I just made my non-Stamps-Baxter-Southern-Gospel debut!

Tonight, I attended a concert in Walling, about 2 hours from Nashville. I'm sure in the light of day, it's beautiful country out there. But getting lost and ending up on a unlit dirt road was not my finest moment. I'm a city girl - I like streets that are concrete and have signs that flash at me. But I digress...

The concert started with the Anchored Quartet. Great sound, with a strong blend. Next was my friend, Wess Adams. I met Wess and his wife, Susan, at Stamps-Baxter 2 years ago. Last year, he moved to Nashville and recorded his first CD. It was great to hear him in a full set with his own songs.

And then came the headliner: Allison Durham Speer! It was so good to see her. Allison is one of the best live performers I know. Her voice is tremendous and she makes great song choices. She has the best stories about her family, and she always throws in a good amount of theology to boot.

One song she chose tonight was "Sweet Beulah Land". I just loved hearing her voice soar on that chorus. But then she turned to me, put the mic in my face, and said, "Do you know this?"

Eep! I do know it, but I was a little freaked out, so I took the mic, Allison fed me the words, and I sang the first verse. When it came to the chorus, Allison whispered, "Take the lead" and she sang a harmony line. I couldn't believe I was singing an impromptu duet with Allison Durham Speer! At the end of the song, the audience gave us a standing ovation. I was overwhelmed....

At the end of the show, Allison got Wess, the quartet and a few friends up to sing "What a Day", and I was also invited up to join in. Again, I just felt honoured to be up on stage with this great group of performers.

After the show, so many people came up to compliment me on my voice, welcome me to Tennessee, and to tell me that they would pray for my ministry. A little girl asked me for my autograph.

Tonight was an incredible show with great talent and wonderful songs, but being invited to sing just made it over the top. Allison and Wess and Susan, have offered to give me some advice on getting in the 'loop' here in Nashville. Driving 2 hours there and back and getting lost was all pretty awful, but it was so worth it all. Tonight was incredible! It was so worth the drive!