NQC - Day 5

It is 3:35AM Kentucky time as I start to write this blog. Please excuse all typos and weird things that may get typed here tonight!

I was encouraged to attend the Celebrity Softball Game this morning, but mornings don't seem to exist for me here at NQC. I did need some sleep, but I also had some annoying hotel issues that took up time. We're staying in an extended stay hotel which rents by the week. It's super cheap, which is great, but I've never had so much paper-work to stay in a hotel. Also, they're not open Sunday (cause apparently people don't need to check in or check out on Sundays), and - honest truth - they don't provide toilet paper. Thank goodness for neighbours who visit Walmart!

But NQC itself was pretty awesome today. I started with the Artist Spotlight Showcase that featured some great family groups. I'd heard great things about the Browns, and they stood up to the buzz. It's a Mom and four children, which is a nice combo. They started an uptempo song in harmony, but things got really cool when all the kids stepped away from the mics and pulled out their fiddles. Then they started trick fiddling - behind the back, playing another person's fiddle with your bow, 2 people playing the same fiddle with 2 bows - and the crowd just went nuts. I had a terrible spot in the room, yet I was still completely entertained.

I really went there to hear the Daryl Williams Trio, whom I just love. (Daryl is my Stamps-Baxter songwriting teacher, and Gerald's newest co-writer). The trio was incredible, and the crowd just ate them up, giving them a standing O on both of their songs.

My first year at Stamps, we were treated to choral nights with Mike Speck. Well, each year at NQC, Mike runs the Choral Extravaganza. I'd heard great things about it, and being a choirgirl myself, I couldn't wait to check it out. I went in with high expectations, and I wasn't disappointed. The event was held in the enormous Freedom Hall, and as we went in, we had the option of buying the music so we could sing along. Obviously, I bought the music! It was general seating, so I sat near the front in the middle so I could feel like I was in the middle of the sound.

Mike is a crazy-dynamic person with a love of choral and corporate singing. On stage, we had Mike's trio The Specks, Greater Vision, Stan Whitmire on piano, and a 60-plus voice choir made up of choirs from several churches. We opened with a medley of favourite hymns, focusing on today's theme of Heaven. Next we sang the songs in the packet, and it was so awesome! I love sight-reading, and I don't get many opportunities to do it, so this was just a thrill for me. The songs were great, and the arrangements were fantastic, with lots of key changes and full chords.

The choir did one song by themselves called "I Am Redeemed", a large and powerful ballad. But here's the cool part: Just as they broke into the final chorus, the part that would give you goosebumps anyway, right on the downbeat, the entire choir held up individual signs saying "Redeemed, 1975", or whatever date it was that they got saved. They held the signs right up over their heads, singing their hearts out. The entire audience rose to their feet as one. It was incredible! We then continued to sing the new songs as a group. Imagine over a thousand people, gathered together to sight-read new music. First with that awesome choir up front, but also with the guy behind me singing tenor, and an alto 2 seats over. So wonderful! I will definitely say that this event was one of the best of the week.

I tried to hear my Stamps' friends, the Stutzman Family in the Regional Artist Showcase, but they ran out of time and several people have to go tomorrow. Frustrating, but I'll go back to see them. The rest of the showcase was good, with great special appearances by the King's Heralds, Karen Peck and New River, and Palmetto State Quartet (my first time hearing them). Actually, I visited the Stutzman's booth today because they were giving out free massages! They'd brought in 2 registered massage therapists to give free back and shoulder massages to anyone who wanted them. Always happy to support a friend in their ministry!

I continued to visit with people, but I also rushed to get over to the show tonight. First, let me make this observation on the main stage show: What was up with the Christian bootlegging tonight? In my area alone, I saw several audience members with small recording devices in their laps. One guy had an actual old-school (read: large and obvious) cassette tape recorder. Maybe I just assume that audience's know that you can't record a show? My first job was as a theatre usher, and I couldn't believe the ushers did nothing tonight. I could definitely preach about this subject, but I won't, but I just had to say something about it. So rude!

First let me say that tonight's show promised the best line-up so far this week, and everyone lived up to the excitement. I arrived just in time to hear the end of the Specks song, and it sounded wonderful. Next came the Kingsmen, who started with a beautiful acapella number. We then had a surprise performance by solo pianist, Dino, who was plugging the Pianorama tomorrow afternoon. He chose a great song, but his strength is definitely in his amazing showmanship. Think Liberace-plays-for-Jesus!

Poet Voices had trouble with their tracks on their first song, but they finished strong and had the entire crowd on its feet. The Talleys did a great set, including a guest performance by Connie Hopper. Such a great match of talents. Hope's Call is a trio I first heard at GMA Week this spring. They opened with an acapella arrangement of How Great Thou Art. Not my favourite song, but I could listen to them sing it all day long. Killer arrangement and execution!

(That reminds me: I have so many CDs to buy tomorrow!)

The Hoppers were, of course, excellent, but they did something really special tonight. They had The Jackson Sisters, a string quartet, join them on stage. Such an elegant touch! But all this was building into something really special: The 50th Anniversary Celebration! This was a 45-minute show within the show. (How very Shakespearean!) They had lots of vintage video clips from past years of the NQC main stage. Then they had some great live performances by artists who were there from the beginning: The Weatherfords, Ben (who was fantastic!) and the Melody Boys (featuring my friend, Scott!). They finished with a we'll-carry-on type song (sorry, I can't remember the title!). The Talleys took the lead, and for the final choruses, they were joined by the younger generation of gospel singers, like The Booth Brothers, Karen Peck and New River, Kim and Dean Hopper, Hope's Call, and some others (it was all dark and they were only holding candles, so I couldn't pick out everyone.)

Next came one of the best sets of the night: Mark Lowrey. Seriously! He was joined by the quartet, Lordsong, who were fantastic. Just before Mark came out, they played a vintage video of him singing on the Gospel Jubilee when he was 14. So talented already, and he looked almost exactly the same as he does now. Mark was in great voice tonight, but more than that, he was in great spirit. He commented how thrilled he was to be on that stage without "Gaither" to get in his way. He also said my absolute-most-favourite comment of the night: "He'd (Jesus) rather be around authentic sinners than fake saints any day." I may not be quoting that quite exactly, but that's basically it, and I love it! Some people were a little uncomfortable with the comment, but I gave a big old witness when he said it!

Next came Ivan Parker, and it was a treat to finally hear him sing "Midnight Cry" live. The Florida Boys were great, and had musical-comedian Tim Lovelace up for a song. The Kingdom Heirs sang a great song, "The Rock's Between the Hard Place and You". Great hook! Greater Vision was wonderful, but the highlight was Gerald Wolfe singing "O Holy Night" as a solo. As we all know, I love Christmas music (although there's been a little too much of it here for me this week. I'm still in summer mode!), and I'm really picky about soloists taking on "O Holy Night". Well, Gerald was just incredible! Really, truly. I closed my eyes, and his voice was just fantastic. Great pitch, great tone, excellent phrasing, and a great spirit!

Gold City was wonderful, and I particularly loved it when they got around the piano and did a convention song. The night ended with Triumphant. I'd heard about this quartet, but again, I'd never seen them live. I missed a bit of their set due to a phone call, but they were just so good with strong harmonies and great songs.

The show ended at midnight, which seemed good to me, til I got the phone call about the midnight breakfast buffet over at the Embassy Inn. I joined up with the crowd, and we ate and laughed til we closed the place. So good, and so necessary - just having a great time and enjoying ourselves.

One more day. It's going to be a long one, because I need to get up early to pack. I don't quite know how I'll blog tomorrow. I've been writing at night, but I need to get up at 6:00AM to drive back to Nashville for our Bluebird auditions at 10:30. Crazy! But I will blog at some point, maybe Sunday, so please check back Sunday to see how it all plays out...

NQC - Day 4

Before coming here, I'd here about the late night stuff, but I thought they were kidding. Nope! I don't think I've made it to bed before 3am yet this week.

Today was fantastic, and long! I started by attending the Bluegrass Showcase, and I arrived just in time to see Primitive Quartet. When I saw them last night, I wasn't completely impressed, but I was today. I don't know if they were more relaxed or what, but they were really great, and the audience was clearly moved by their music. Throughout the showcase, they were also giving away the Front Porch Fellowship Awards, which are chosen by the fans, so that was neat. Set Apart was another group that was great. Tim Surrett was joined by Karen Peck and New River for a few songs, accompanied only by guitar and mandolin. They did a song written by Karen called "Daddy's Home", written just a few months after the death of her father. It was so emotion and moving - There were few dry eyes in the house. Janet Paschal made an appearance with Balsam Range, singing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Her voice was beautifully suited to the haunting, acoustic arrangement. The showcase ended with a blast when Earl Scruggs paid a surprise visit. The crowd went nuts! When he started the opening notes of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", the audience rose to their feet so quickly, you would have thought he was playing the national anthem!

Next, at 2:00, came the widely anticipated Bloggers' Roundtable. I can't tell you how many people asked about this, and hoped it would be open to the public. We had a few official guests in the room, but the bloggers were: Paul Jackson, Daniel J. Mount, Aaron Swain, Adam Edwards, Chuck Peters, Doug Harrison (averyfineline.com), Daniel Britt, Kyle Boering, Lottie Squires, Sue C. Smith, Joel Lindsey, David Murray, and me. Doug, the organizer, had sent us all the question, "What role should blogging play in the SG industry?" It's really too broad a question for such a short amount of time, but I thought some interesting things came up.

We were such a diverse group - artists, songwriters, radio djs, music critics, and general commentators - that when you put us all together, you actually get a near-complete view of the industry. We discussed how our blogs can get a much broader scope of info and opinions than you could ever get in an industry magazine. Is it appropriate to discuss an artist's personal life in your blog? Where do we draw that line between personal and professional information? There was some talk of what constitutes libel, and several people shared stories of threatening phone calls from lawyers. We also discussed the standard of music in the SG industry, and how blogs may help to raise that standard. All in all, it was a great 90 minutes, and I think the discussion could have gone on much longer.

I got out of the Roundtable just in time to see Tara sing in the Regional Artist Showcase. She was fantastic! Next, I decided to wander the booths and try to chat with people I know. I eventually hooked up with Tara and we decided to eat dinner in the food court, while we watched the Singing News Fan Awards. It would have been nice to see this in person, especially since I made a point to vote, but things were just too busy up til then, and it was nice to sit down for a meal. We sat with Brian from JOYFM and Phil Hughes from the Kingsmen. Great conversion, and great biscuits! (We had these crazy fried biscuits with cheese in them. I'm reminded of Gerald's line, "They deep-fry the air down here!")

We went over to see the last part of the ceremony, including the award for best group, awarded to The Booth Brothers. There's a little buzz because a 'trio' won Group of the Year at the 'Quartet' convention. Funny, huh? We went back to the exhibit hall at 8:30 for a Stamps-Baxter event at Ben's booth. All students and faculty attending NQC were invited to visit and be in a group photo.

(By the way, check out http://www.gospelmusicupdate.com/photos.shtm to see photos from the week. New photos are added each night.)

I spent the next few hours just chatting with Stamps-Baxter people, telling them about my upcoming CD, finding out about their lives. I finally headed over to Freedom Hall about 11:30, which still gave me over an hour's worth of show.

By the way, remember I wrote about the awesome vintage clips they've been showing throughout the shows? Well, last night, they showed Vestal Goodman - before she was either an alto or a Goodman! It was just fantastic! Tonight, I caught vintage Inspirations singing the now-Hopper hit "Shoutin' Time in Heaven". So great!

Legacy Five was performing when I arrived, and they were fantastic. Again, another new-to-me group. Greater Vision followed with a great set, setting the stage for an awesome and powerful performance from Mark Trammell Trio. Such a smooth and classy group. They started with an intimate song sung around the piano. Very beautiful. They used that great song, "Who Am I?" to transition with the Perry's, who nearly took the roof of the place with their performance. Libby Stuffle sings from the depths of her soul, and I just love that. They finished with a song by my friend, Joel Lindsey (and Wayne Haun), "I Wish I Could've Been There". (2005 Stamps-Baxter alumni will remember this song from our time with Mike Speck.) Loved it!

Great day. So tired I can barely see what I'm writing. Can't believe this week is almost done!

NQC - Day 3

My goal tonight is be in bed at a reasonable time!

Today was really wonderful! It started with the Vintage Quartet Showcase. Of all the afternoon showcases, this definitely had the best turnout. It was standing room only! And you could see why - The line-up included quartets singing classic songs, with just piano accompaniment. I was a little late arriving (due to last night's lateness!), but I arrived in time to catch the Kingdom Heirs, who I later learned are the 'house quartet' at Dollywood. They also sang on tonight's main stage, and their powerful voices were a real treat. The Dove Brothers' harmonies made me think of dark chocolate - so rich and warm. Gold City couldn't make it due to illness, so Tribute Quartet filled in. This is a young group, but they have that classic sound, with a killer pianist who treated us to a solo rendition of "Goodbye, World, Goodbye". But my favourites were The Florida Boys. They got a standing ovation with every song, and not because of who they are, but because of how they sang. They were awesome! The soloists, including 79-year-old Les Beasley, were all terrific in voice and delivery. The harmonies were smooth and well-balanced, and the entire performance was relaxed and fun. They also performed tonight, and the good stuff just continued on.

In addition to the 12-hours-a-day of NQC sanctioned music, many record and management companies use this week to hold their own showcases in the hotels closest to the Expo Center. This afternoon, I attended one of these showcases to see Tara Jackson sing. Sponsored by Southern Spin Entertainment, and hosted by SGM Radio's Rob Patz, this showcase was a mix of trios, quartets, duos and soloists. The showcases are free, but they get a smaller audience because they are off site. Still, it was a great show with some solid talent. Sunday Edition is a family trio which, ironically enough, I actually saw 2 summers ago on my first trip to Nashville, when I attended the Fan Fair at River of Life Church. They sounded great today. They are managed by Tara and Kyle's company, so after the showcase, we were joined by singer-songwriter Jonathon White, and we all went to dinner together ... in Indiana! It's just on the other side of the Ohio River, but it was still funny to see those "Welcome to Indiana" signs.

Back to the showcase - Each act did 2 songs, and Tara totally nailed her's. I'd heard her recordings before, but it's always more satisfying to hear someone live. I'd heard of the group HisSong, but I'd never heard their music before. Wow! Incredible voices and great songs. It was a small audience in a hotel meeting room, but they made it into church. Just awesome! The final act was the (new) Imperials. They've gone back into the song vaults and chosen classic Imperials songs for their new album. It's getting a lot of buzz, and you can see why. The songs are great, and their delivery is terrific. Each voice is interesting and strong on its own, but then they have great blend too.

I decided to watch the entire 6-hour concert tonight. Jeff and Sherry Easter kicked things off, and they were great. They gave Charlotte Ritchie the stage for a song from her solo project, and she was fantastic. Such a clear and beautiful voice! Valor had to cancel for some reason, so we were treated to a solo number by Roy Webb. Such talent! The Hoppers performed next, and they were just awesome. They have a new song called "Yahweh" which follows Christ from birth to resurrection. It's a really neat melody, and a well executed song idea.

Did I write about the Hopper Express on Monday? This is brilliant - It's a very short walk from the exhibit hall to Freedom Hall, but some of the senior guests find the walk a little difficult. So, the Hoppers are running the Hopper Express. Each night, before the concert, you can get a ride in one of four golf carts, driven by the Hoppers, from hall to hall. Brilliant! Not only do fans get to meet the band, but they're filling a need too. I've heard that Claude Hopper is a great businessman, and this just proves it.

There were a few more new-for-me acts tonight. The Primitives are a 6-piece bluegrass group that I'd heard great things about, and their sound was a nice addition to the program. I was also looking forward to Gold City, and they didn't disappoint. They finished with a song called "Preach the Word", accompanied by a video celebrating people who dedicate their lives to spreading the Gospel. After Dad's retirement this year, this song hit very close to home!

I also got to see Brian Free and Assurance. I'd seen their Dove Awards performance, but this was a very different setting. These guys are huge, and you can see why. Amazing vocals and really great song choices. They are also great performers, managing to cover the whole stage and engage all sides of the in-the-round audience.

The Dixie Echoes were featured on the cover of Singing News this year, but again, I'd never heard their music before. They do traditional SG, and tonight they were accompanied only by piano and electric bass (and even that was just a song or 2). Here's the other cool thing - Instead of each singer holding his own mic, they just had 2 mics on stands. They would move around in different configurations, such as 2 singers per mic, or having a soloist on 1 mic and the other 3 singers on the other mic, or sometimes even having all 4 singers gathered around the 1 mic. They were so tight, yet so relaxed, and it was all very entertaining. The mics on stands also allowed them to clap, or hold a hymnal, or play the bass. They ended with Albert Brumley's "If We Never Meet Again", and it was great.

The Booth Brothers followed with a strong set. After singing "His Grace is Sufficient", they dropped the track and did a near acapella version of the last verse and chorus. (Roy would just add a little on the piano here and there.) It was such a treat to just hear those smooth, smooth harmonies without the blurring effect of the track.

We ended the night with the Whisnants (again, new-for-me) and the Greenes. As the show got near the end, a lot of the tour groups started to leave, and I felt just terrible for the artists. I mean, they left in droves! Within the last hour of the show, the audience dropped by half. And they missed some great singing! Most of the shows I've seen this week have ended big, but they went for something different tonight. They ended with worship. Both groups got up together and started a gentle hymn medley, reminding us that Jesus is the best friend we will ever have. They gave a bit of testimony, lead us in prayer, and then invited us to sing "Through It All". Such an intimate and powerful way to end the night. All week long, I'm hearing artists talking about putting God first. Tonight, the Whisnants and the Greenes did just that, and I'm convinced that lives were changed because of it.

Must get some rest tonight. Tomorrow: Blogger's Roundtable!

NQC - Day 2

Again, adjusting the time on this blog as it is wickedly late! Tara and I drove back to the hotel together tonight. She came to my room to use the internet, and we were soon joined by her husband, Kyle, and friend, Aaron Crisler (who I actually met because of this blog!). Before long, we had an internet-cafe-chatting-fellowshipping party going on! It was great, but it makes this time of writing very late indeed!

Today feels like it was three days long, and I mean that in the best kind of way.

I really wanted to see some of the afternoon showcases today, since I missed them all yesterday. The early part of the afternoon was the Artist Spotlight Showcase, hosted by singers and songwriters, Mark Bishop and Phil Cross. Because they are writers, there was a lot of respect given to performers of original songs, which I really liked. They were both great hosts, very funny and natural.

A couple of the groups really stood out for me. Driven is a male quartet with strong vocals and a dynamic stage presence. The Schaffers entered the stage and immediately set a tone of worship. They did a great SG arrangement of the praise and worship song, "Amazing Love". It was really beautiful. And we were also treated to Canada's Double Portion. I don't know where they're based, but this family group travels both countries, singing with their 8 children! Their sound was great, and they played their own instruments too. Paula Stefanovich, who wrote the Hoppers' "Jerusalem", performed 2 songs and just about brought the house down. She was excellent!

We were also treated to a preview of Thursday's "Bluegrass Pickin' Jamboree" by Tim Lovelace and Zane King. They launched into a 2-man jam session, with Tim on harmonica, Zane on steel guitar, and both taking turns on the piano. It was awesome, and in the past year, I've totally fallen in love with the sound of steel guitar! I need to find a way to incorporate it into my album...

At 3:00, I joined Tara for an invitation-only event - a Southern Gospel Music Guild (SGMG) Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony. Joe Moscheo was an Imperial back in the day when they sang with Elvis. He's dedicated his life to the SG industry, and all the heavy-hitters turned out to honour him today. It was a lovely event, with genuine speeches, and a real spirit of generosity in the air. But it was also just amazing to look around the room and see the assembled crowd: the president of GMA, the president of Daywind, all the heads of the NQC, top industry agents and managers, and legendary singers and musicians like Les Beasley, Claude Hopper, and Ben Speer. It was humbling and inspiring, all in one spin.

Oh, and they had chocolate-covered strawberries too! I'd like to request them for my next award ceremony, please!

Tara's husband was away today, so I spent a good part of the afternoon helping her at her booth. I'm learning so much just by meeting artists and other industry people. It's great to see how things work, and how I can best prepare myself to take this next step into the industry.

At 5:00, I attended the Regional Artist Showcase to hear my friend, Wess Adams, sing. A little Stamps-Baxter crowd gathered at the back of the room to cheer him on! He sounded great, and it was a wonderful showcase. The regional showcases focus on people who are developing a name in their local area, so help draw in a crowd, they also have featured guest artists. The King's Heralds (who sang that great acapella number last night) and the Booth Brothers sang today, and both were excellent.

Supper was a whole experience in and of itself! Tara and I visited the food-court, where they had huge screens and a live-feed of the main stage concert. We sat with Timi and Ken Barnes of Best Southern Gospel internet radio, and Ginger and Jonathon Bond of the group, Young Harmony. It was all very cool and fun, til Jonathon asked if we'd tried the deep-fried Snickers bars. Yes, my friends, you read that right: deep-fried Snickers bars.

I had not tried this treat, but I am always up for a chocolate adventure. Some people at the table seemed more apprehensive. Jonathon took up the challenge, and came back with a round of bars for the table. The bar is put on a stick, like a corn dog, then wrapped in funnel-cake batter, deep-fried, and rolled in icing sugar. The bar melts, the nuts stay crunchy, and the nougat-stuff just gets gooey good. It's awesome! And dangerous! I may have to indulge again before the week is out. I know Dad and Gerald would love them, so maybe I'll have one for Dad, one for Gerald...

I finally got to start looking at some of the booths tonight. There are a lot of artists, ranging from Gaither favourites to local indie groups and soloists. I got to say a quick hello to several Stamps-Baxter friends, like Daryl Williams, and the Stutzmans (who are offering free massages at their booth!). There are also booths from management companies, radio stations, bus sellers, booking agencies, and Christian book stores. Lots of things to buy, but also lots of things to learn about the industry.

Oh, and I forgot to mention this last night, but in the main show, the Booth Brothers were accompanied by Roy Webb, formerly of Signature Sound. I saw Roy's booth tonight, and it seems that he's starting a solo minstry. He's so talented, and I think he'll do very well.

At 8:30, I ran over to Freedom Hall to catch the Melody Boys in their main stage performance. If you'll remember from this year's singing school, my friend, Scott Baker, now sings with this group. (Scott is my "I've Just Seen Jesus" duet partner.) The group did something different by ditching the tracks for tonight, and just performing with piano accompaniment. Given the overblown backing tracks of some groups, this was a welcome and effective choice. The blend was great, and the group managed the in-the-round stage very nicely. And, of course, it was just so amazing to see a friend on the main stage of NQC!

I didn't get to see a lot of the show tonight, but what I saw was great. The Reggie Sadler Family consists of a mom, a daughter, and a crazy-excited dad. Their sound was fantastic, and their presentation was so spirit-filled and fun. I also saw the McKameys. Again, a group I'd read about and only ever seen on TV. They are an NQC favourite, and the crowd just went wild for them.

I also saw the Greenes, who were simply amazing! They sang a new song, "God is Singing Over Me". The song itself is awesome, and they really pulled it out on the vocals. Some SG acts will coast through the song, and then put everything into a big, high ending. It's sort of cheating to try and get a good audience reaction. The Greenes don't need to cheat. They were commited from the first note, and it just built into a vocally challenging and emotionally satisfying climax. I was so impressed!

After a while, I headed back to Tara and the booth, were we ran into Ken and Timi (from the Snicker bar incident). They were doing 'liners' for their radio station. Liners are when you're listening to the radio and you hear, "Hi y'all! I'm Allison Lynn and you're listening to 91.1 Jazz FM". They've been playing Tara's music, so they got her to do one, and then Tara said they should get me to do one too. I gently reminded her of my as-of-yet-unrecorded album, and they said, "Record it now, and then send us the CD when it's ready". So tonight, I did my first bit of radio promotion for my CD! We all had fun with it, and it got a little silly, but it was all still amazingly cool to be doing this kind of stuff. This CD gets more real by the day.

We wrapped up the night with a little more booth-scouting, meeting people, and just winding down. Of course, then we came back here and got all wound up again. But there's a lot I want to do tomorrow, but it's 3:14 AM as I'm finishing this post. Probably time to wind down again...

NQC - Day 1

I'm here! I'm in Louisville, Kentucky, for the National Quartet Convention! Whoo-hoo! It is everything I though it would be and even more than I thought it would be!

(I first need to note that I'll be adjusting the "post time" on all my blogs this week. The night's activities don't end til midnight, and marking a blog as 1:00AM will mess up the dates. These are going to be late nights! Thankfully, most events don't start till noon.)

My drive up was pretty good. There was a lot of drizzle, and some nasty bits of rain, but nothing like yesterday's storms, so I'm glad I waited. My hotel is clean, safe and cheap, which is all I ask.

After a little time to rest from my drive, I drove over to the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center. I was given a parking pass by my friend, Wess Adams, so after parking, I entered the building. Okay, I'm about to confess it: I started geeking out! I was so excited! I couldn't believe I was finally at NQC! I saw booths set up through one door and heard people singing through another. I saw women with big hair, and, every once in a while, I'd see 2 or 3 men walking together wearing matching suits. Welcome to the land of Southern Gospel!

My invitation to Thursday's Bloggers' Roundtable also includes media credentials, so my first stop was the media room. My pass is quite snazzy, and gives me full access to all events. The only proviso is that I don't have a reserved seat for concerts. But the ushers are quick to point out empty seats, and if the owner arrives, you can just find another seat.

I picked up a program, which is full of colour ads from artists and record labels, and also has a little history of NQC. As I mentioned earlier, this is their 50th anniversary, so there are special events throughout the week.

I can't say I did a lot of organized stuff this afternoon - I was just in awe of being here! I visited Wess at his booth, which is sweetly set up to look like a rustic cabin. Right away, I started to run into people I know from Stamps-Baxter. I think this week will be an unofficial reunion. Then I found my friend Tara Jackson (who I met off Shoutlife) at her booth. We're actually neighbours at the hotel, so that's very cool.

Everywhere I looked in the exhibit hall, I could see people I know or people I admire or people I've read about but never met in person. I was just in awe of it all!

Each night, there are mainstage concerts in Freedom Hall, starting around 6pm and going til midnight. That's right, you thought Gaither concerts were long. 6-hour concerts each night! And there are other showcases running for another 6 hours in the afternoon. That's 12 hours of non-stop Southern Gospel music each day! I don't even have words to describe it. I will say, however, that this does lead to my one disappointment of NQC - I won't actually be able to do EVERYthing! I was hoping I could, but some things overlap, and at some point, I'll need to eat or go to the bathroom!

The goal of the evening concerts are to expose each audience to as many performers at possible. Tonight, the roster had 17 acts. The evenings contain only quartets, trios, and mixed groups, and people do anywhere from 1-4 songs. Ivan Parker is the only solo performance all week. Soloists seem to be listed for the afternoon showcases.

4 times thoughout the night, they showed vintage, 1-song videos of classic SG groups from their very early days. We saw black and white footage of the Cathedrals, the Statesmen, the Happy Goodmans, and the Speer Family. It was awesome! Because I didn't grow up with this music, I don't have that first-, or even secondhand, knowledge of the history. I've read a little, but I never saw any of these performers as I was growing. Watching a young Jake Hess or Glen Payne, well, let's just say, it's easy to see what all the fuss was about!

Unless you're a Gaither artist doing the Gaither tours, most SG artists rarely come to Canada, and almost never come to Toronto. Part of my excitment in coming here was to see all the groups I've seen on TV or read about in Singing News. Tonight, I saw 10 of those groups!

I had high expectations for the Perrys, the Talleys, and Greater Vision. They were all excellent, mixing good songs with great stage presence. The Talleys sang a wonderful new song called "The Broken Ones", which I really appreciated. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver provided the bluegrass touch for the night, and they were fantastic. The Torchmen are actually a group from Canada. (I'd been on their website when I was hiring artists for Gospel Vespers.) They were wonderful, and I think I'll introduce myself tomorrow.

There was a lot of acapella singing, which was such a blessing! The King's Heralds only did one song, acapella, and it was fantastic! I wish we'd had more of them. According to their ad in the program, the group as been in existance for 80 years, making it the oldest continuous group in North America.

Several of the groups did acapella numbers, and it was always beautiful. It was a reminder that, even though we love this music for the message, the harmony is what makes it special.

Part way through the night, I was taken aback. I looked around Freedom Hall, and it suddenly struck me, "I"m at NQC. I've seen all this on TV, and now, I'm actually here!". It was awesome!

They ended tonight's show big with triple trios. First were the Talleys, as I mentioned before. When they got to their last song, the next group, Karen Peck and New River (whom I love!!), jumped up on stage and joined in on the final chorus. The Talleys introduced them, and left the stage. When Karen Peck reached their last song, the Booth Brothers came up on stage to make the same transition. At their last song, all three groups ended up on stage to finish with "I'm Feeling Mighty Fine Again". It was great way to end the concert, and such a solid combination of groups!

Right now, it's late, and I'm exhausted. The last few mornings have been early, and today was long and exciting. I've spent a little time going through my program, making sure I mark all my friend's booths, and the events I really want to see.

I've wanted to come here for so long, and now I'm actually getting the opportunity. I just feel so excited to be here! Can't wait til tomorrow!

Redeemer, and Not-Yet-NQC

No, I'm not at NQC yet! A million things conspired against me today, including rain storms, so I decided to stay home tonight and drive to Louisville in the morning. We all know how I feel about mornings, but the afternoon showcases start just after noon, and I want to see and hear as much as possible.

But I was up very early this morning (6AM!) to join the praise team at Church of the Redeemer. Last time, I sang a some lead and some harmony, but today, I also got to do a solo! Jenna had a nice team made up today of keys, organ, guitar, electric bass, and me on lead vocals. The rest of the team did harmonies, and we had some really lovely musical moments.

Redeemer rarely does an anthem or 'special', so solos usually happen during the offertory. I sang "Yahweh, I know you are here", based on today's psalm. Everything was very intimate, with a simple accompaniment, and it all went really well. I had to leave right after the service (in my failed attempt to get to Louisville today), but I still got some very generous feedback, so that was satisfying.

I continue to love the music at Redeemer! The mix of organ and praise team, hymns and choruses, joyful praise and contemplative moments all add up to a wonderful worship experience.

Off to bed... I'm in the car bright and early tomorrow!

All Mac-ed out for NQC

Whoo-hoo! I'm writing this on my brand new MacBook! I've never owned a new computer before, so this is pretty exciting for me. I decided to go Mac because it seems to be the creative choice, and so far, I love it!

I also needed a computer to bring to NQC. The National Quartet Convention starts Sunday night with a concert, and then gets into full swing Monday, Sept 10 and finishes Saturday the 15th with a celebration of the Florida Boys. This group is retiring after 60 years in music ministry. Amazing!

I've been dying to go to NQC for years, and I really don't know what to expect, but I think it will be even better than I think it will be!

I'm in a busy few days now as I get ready to go. I have several reasons for going: #1. See lots of great artists, including many that I never would see in Toronto. #2. See lots of friends. #3. Research how the showcases and booths work for next year. I plan on being there in 2008 with my new CD! And #4. Participate in the Bloggers' Roundtable.

The what? I've been invited to participate in a roundtable to discuss blogging and the Southern Gospel industry! It's the first time NQC has ever had such a thing, and I'm just honoured to be part of it. The power of blogging continues to amaze me!

And other cool thing - They've put out a press release about it too! Here t'is:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SG NEWS

FIRST EVER NQC BLOGGERS' ROUNDTABLE
THIS YEAR IN LOUISVILLE
For this year's National Quartet Convention,.. the NQC Board of Directors has announced plans to host the first Southern Gospel Bloggers' Roundtable. (blogger: person who publishes a weblog on the internet)

A press release says the action comes as organizers recognize: "..the diversity of voices that are represented at this annual event." The press information says those taking part in the discussion,.. will be individuals who have created and/or contribute to internet weblogs dedicated to Southern Gospel Music.

“When we were presented with this opportunity,” NQC Executive Vice President Clarke Beasley explains, “we felt that it was a very innovative idea that represented the advancements Southern Gospel Music is making.”

According to Beasley and coordinators of the roundtable, the individuals who
have been invited to be a part of the discussion are a diverse group, and include writers, singers, songwriters, publicists, radio personnel and journalists within and beyond the SG industry.

Our reporter has learned that those participating most likely will include at least these:

Sue Smith - www.writeaboutjesus.com
David Bruce Murray - www.musicscribe.com
Daniel Britt - www.joyfm.org
Allison Lynn - www.allisonlynn.com/
Daniel Mount - www.southerngospelblog.com
Chris Unthank - www.southernspin.com
Paul Jackson - Prophets Qt
Lottie Squires - www.wckb780.com
Douglas Harrison - www.averyfineline.com
Chuck Peters - www.southerngospelreporter.com

(This is not the official roster from NQC.. and is not intended to be a complete list of persons who may participate.)

The roundtable discussion will focus on the role blogs should play in Southern Gospel Music. Organizers of the event hope the NQC Bloggers' Roundtable shows the way a community of mostly young writers interested in Southern Gospel has taken shape online and that those writers are interested in continuing the conversation off-line too.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival

I was invited by a friend tonight to join her for a little Shakespeare. I'd clipped the ad out of the paper weeks ago, planning to attend a show when the heat died down a little, so tonight's invitation was well received.

This is the 20th year for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and it runs in Centennial Park (the same park that houses the Parthenon). The whole production is similar to Toronto's "Dream in High Park", but much smaller in scale. Smaller theatre and shorter run, but actually a little more ambitious in that they do 2 different shows. Tonight was "Two Gentlemen of Verona".

The set was beautiful, simply painted to look like the outside of a village courtyard, with 2 levels to provide the requisite balconies. I've never read Two Gentlemen, but I have to assume they made cuts because the whole thing ran in 2 hours, plus intermission. They used a lot of clown and commedia elements, which was interesting, and mostly effective. The costumes were great, and the physical comedy was charming. But it was Crab, the black Labrador retriever, (Launce's companion) who stole every scene he was in!

Mostly for me, though, it was just a great overall experience. I love live theatre, especially outdoors. The element of the unexpected rises through the non-existent roof when performing outdoors. There was the guy who started up his Harley just feet from the back of the theatre, and the helicopter that flew overhead during the romantic climax of the show. There was the dog who freaked out when he saw actors enter through the audience, and the girl on her cell phone in the row behind me. "Yah, I'm at the Shakespeare thing...Yah, I'll call you back...!" Ladies and gentlemen, the Bard in the yard!

To rewind a little, I came home from church today completely inspired to write! I spent a long time doing a much needed rewrite of "Sure As The Sun". It's much better now, but I'm going to get Gerald's opinion tomorrow. I finished the Song U course Commercial Song Forms, which was excellent, and I continued to poke through Jason Blume's classic songwriting book, "Six Steps to Songwriting Success". He has a lyric checklist that's really great!

Tonight, just before writing this, I wrote a quick draft of a new song. I'm going to ask Gerald if he wants to co-write this one with me. It's very personal, and tells the story of some people who are close to me, so I don't want to reveal the title yet. But I will say, it's probably my most intimate story yet.

Such a great, creative day!

Where did August go???

This is just the tiniest little mid-week check-in to say, "Where did August go???" I had so many plans for this summer, and I can't believe the official part of summer is almost over. This is Labour Day Weekend! If we were still in Newfoundland, we'd be packing up the car with fishing rods and Oreos for one more hurrah at the cabin. (Wow, that would be so great!!!)

I've been laying low this week, but still plugging away at things. I have one more month left on my free Song U membership, so I'm taking a class a day right now. I may still continue it after my free membership, but we'll see. This week, I did "Intro to Christian Songwriting" (annoyingly basic), and I started "Commercial Song Forms", which seems to be a prerequisite for all the other courses. I'm also continuing their set of courses on recording an indie CD.

I've also spent some time looking into professional theatre here in Nashville. I'm still looking for paying performance opportunities, so I thought I'd look to the stage. There aren't many paying companies that I could find, but I'm sending my info to all of them. Prayers, please!

Gerald and I called today to get auditions for the Bluebird! We had to call in on 3 phones for over an hour before we got through. We only know they're on Sunday, Sept 16 - the day after NQC! They're going to send us the rest of the info in the mail. Apparently, it's very rare to get through on your first shot, but we're both used to the audition process, and we know that you always do more auditions than you get. (poor English, but you know what I mean)

And, for the first time, I'm ahead of schedule in my Bible-in-a-year readings! I'm in Isaiah and Gallatians. Whoo-hoo!

I have less than 2 weeks til NQC, and a month and a half til we record the tracks for the CD. I also want to go to Write About Jesus in October. Basically, the next 2 months need to be a time of discipline and creativity. I need to allow lots of time for writing and singing and just letting my imagination fly, and I need discipline to make sure everything happens in time for NQC, the recording, and WAJ! And then Christmas is right around the corner...

Next step on the CD...

I stayed up so late last night, finishing my Song U course on pre-production. I wanted to be ready for today...

This afternoon, Gerald and I drove out to meet with Aaron (my CD producer). Today was set to be a big meeting: schedule and song selection. Both of these topics are so important to me. I need a sense of the schedule so I can get an overall feel for how this process is going to work. And the songs are the key to everything! I need great songs that I will love to sing for the next year or 2, and that people will want to buy and bring into their homes. The songs are also the medium for my message, so lyrics are critical.

I'd been sending Aaron songs for weeks, and I brought in a few new ones today. I really want a mix of classic Southern, our own songs, originals by other writers, and a hymn or 2. We listened to a bunch of stuff, and I think we've finally chosen the ten. There's still a few I'm dickering over, but it's mostly solid. Of our stuff, I'm doing:

- Abide With Me.
- Wedding at Cana
- Real Big Fan (more swingy than Gerald does it)
- Do You Want to be My Neighbour in Gloryland
- Fear Knocked, Faith Answered

I'm going to wait to make sure I get the right permissions before announcing my other songs. But it's really important that every song fits into the concept of the album. Remember: I want it rooted in Southern Gospel, with jazz and big band influences. But here's the catch: Big bands equal big budgets. There is no way I can afford a 21-piece band with horns and strings.

And here's where a creative producer comes in. Aaron suggested something called "Hollywood Western Swing". Well, Hollywood and Swing sounded great, but "Western" really freaked me out. Then he started to explain the instrumentation: clarinet, fiddle, accordion, upright bass, guitars, piano. Think Django and Stephane Grappelli. Think Paris cafe, European jazz...

Wait a minute! This is gospel meets cabaret! Whoo-hoo! Now that's a sound I can get behind!

It's not what I heard initially, but it just makes so much sense, fusing the sounds I love with the message I want to tell. And I don't think Aaron even knew of my love for all things Weill and such. Don't tell me God isn't in this mix!

After working on the sounds and the songs, we moved on to the schedule. To be completely honest, all of this is moving much slower than I'd like, but that's also because I'd like it all done yesterday. Not that I'm not enjoying the process. I really am, and I'm looking forward to everything yet to come. I'm just so anxious to see the final product and start performing with my own tracks.

We're going to do the basic tracks the first week of October. That day, we'll have piano, drums, bass, and 2 guitar players. I'll be there to sing a scratch vocal. (This is a vocal we can throw away - It's really just a guide for the musicians.) Aaron will have all the charts done up in the Nashville Number System, and we'll do all ten songs in one day!

After that, I'll take a rough copy home to start practicing with. Aaron will do overdubs of whatever extra instruments are needed on the songs, like clarinet, organ, whatever. I'll have three days, later in October, to do my vocals. After that, we'll add the background vocals. Then it's mixing, mastering, and manufacturing.

Sometime in the next few months, I'll also have my photos done, so I can bring them to the graphics designer. That stuff will be done when the CD is being mastered.

If all goes well, I'd really like to have product ready to bring home for Christmas. But I'm also not pressuring myself. I've heard tonnes of stories about people wanting to record in 6 months and it takes a year. If it's later, I'll be fine with that. (Well, not really 'fine', but I'll cope!)

Mostly, I'm just so excited about all of this! I think the sound will be great. I'm loving the songs I've chosen. I'm so happy to have Gerald by my side in all of this. And I'm just so excited to have this kind of opportunity! I always thought I was destined to go to New York or LA. I never thought I'd be in Nashville making a CD. Mysterious ways...

3rd Sunday Songwriter Party

We've been having a great time with Mom and Dad! We're doing a bit of touristy stuff, but we're also trying to show them our everyday lives here. So today, we thought we'd take them off the beaten path, and show them a real songwriter's event here in Nashville.

Once a month, Doak Turner hosts a party for songwriters. He provides the chicken and sweet tea; everyone else brings a side dish and a guitar. After digging into the food, the guitars come out and the songs begin. There's always a huge crowd, so the music happens all over the house. There'll be a group in the living room, a group in the study, a group in the basement, and today, several groups outside. Every possible space in Doak's house is filled with songwriters!

Mom and Dad also got a great taste of Southern hospitality today. They were welcomed with open arms, as were we on our first visit. This isn't the kind of thing they would go to on their own, but I think they enjoyed seeing a different, non-touristy side of the city.

We didn't get to play a lot today, but Gerald played his new song "Angels in the Dust", which I love. I hooked up with someone who may have a Southern Gospel song for me to consider for the album. Gerald found 2 potential co-writers. I ran into a friend from Shoutlife. And we have a place to stay if we ever tour Australia. Not a bad afternoon's work!

Lynn and my Kin

Mom and Dad are here in Nashville!!! Whoo-hoo!!! I am soooo excited!!!

Not only is this their first visit to Music City, it's also their first chance to see our new lives here in Nashville. They arrived late last night, and it's so awesome to have them here. It's natural and surreal, all at the same time!

We really kicked it off big by going to the Opry tonight. We knew they'd want to go some time, but when I saw the ad in the paper, I knew tonight was the night. Tonight's opening act was the one and only Loretta Lynn!

Loretta Lynn is a study in stage craft. She doesn't dance, shimmy, or do any kind of comedy routine. She just walks out, holds the mic, and sings. And that's all she needs to do.

When some members of the Opry perform, their backup bands can look a little rough. Not Miss Loretta's. Her group came out, coolly dressed in co-ordinating, but not matching, outfits. The music was tight and vibrant. The band wore black with little touches of red, and out walked Miss Loretta in her bright red ball gown. The whole thing was slick without seeming forced.

She did 4 songs (a lot for the Opry stage!) including the gospel song "Where No On Stands Alone" and, of course, "Coal Miner's Daughter". (How could anyone hear that and not think of those poor trapped miners and their families?) But it was her presence that just blew me away. To be that confident in yourself and your message, and to put that much trust in the power of your song, and to be at that age and still making relevant music - it was all just inspiring!

Dante and the Redeemer

This morning, I sat in with the music team at Church of the Redeemer for the first time.

I've still been visiting other churches here in Nashville, but over the last few months, most Sundays find me in the pews (actually, we just got chairs) of Redeemer. I loved the music from my first visit - a mix of hymns and praise choruses. They have an organist who leads most of the hymns and liturgical music, and a 5 member ensemble that leads the choruses and communion music. Sometimes, the organ plays with the group, and the mix is lovely. And, at the risk of sounding like an old woman, I also like the music because it's not too loud! So many of the churches here have these huge rock bands. I know that works for some people, but not me. I love hearing the person next to me singing, and you can't do that when the band is too loud. (Yes, I love hearing the person next to me, even if they can't sing!)

The music director, Jenna, and the organist are there all the time, but the rest of the group is made up of roster musicians. Today, our ensemble was keyboard, guitar, electric bass, flute, and me on vocals. 2 other people in the group sang too, so I did a mix of lead and harmony. We hit 3 part harmony on some of the songs, which was gorgeous!

We all arrived at 8am for our one and only rehearsal. I was a little nervous, but what else is new! I had visions of an hour of panicked sight-reading and last minute arranging, but I was completely wrong. Things were very peaceful and calm. Jenna led us in a very well paced and focused rehearsal. It was great to hear the sounds blending together so smoothly. I took the lead vocals on the communion songs, including the gorgeous "What Wondrous Love Is This". We did 2 services - 9 and 10:45 - with a short break in between.

Overall, I so happy with the whole morning! I really just wanted to give my best and contribute whatever the team needed. I think I sang well, and I had a great time getting to know everybody. I miss feeling so connected to a church home and music team, so there was a lot of comfort in the whole experience for me.

The rest of the day was filled with simple pleasures - rolling around on the rug, napping, biting - We got a new puppy!!!!

Friday night, we drove 30 minutes to Goodlettesville to check out puppies from an ad in the paper. Gerald fell in love with a little white pomchi, and yesterday morning, we were back in Goodlettesville, cash in hand.

His name is Dante. I think he's a pound and a half; Gerald thinks two. He's all white, with short hair, and his eyes are actually a dark grey-green. Sebastian is not impressed, but we're praying for a doggy-friendship to blossom.

So the rest of the day was spent on simple pleasures - eating when you're hungry, napping when you need to, kissing with abandon, and finding joy in the discovery of the world!

Corner Music Faith-based Songwriter Night

(I think this is my longest blog title ever!)

Tonight was the Corner Music Faith-based Songwriter Night, organized by our friends Scott and Tara Oliver.

Usually, songwriter nights feature 10 or more performers, each doing 2-3 songs. If you're a performer, then you know that can get a little frustrating after a while. You just get up on stage and get comfortable, and suddenly, you're done! Tara and Scott limited the number of performers tonight, which gave everyone more songs. Not only is this good for us the performers, but it's also good for us, the audience, cause you get a real performance and not just a sample.

Tonight's line-up consisted of three acts other than us. All Shoutlifers, so that was pretty cool! Jonathon Aaron Porter is a young singer-songwriter with a great sound. He plays in a worship band at church, but he's also working on his solo album. Shelley Jennings is multi-CD, very talented singer-songwriter. Her voice is so smooth, and she supports it with gentle piano accompaniment. For one song, she was joined by her husband on harmonies, and that was gorgeous.

Gerald and I did 6 songs between us. We thought about doing some of the newer songs, but with Stamps-Baxter taking up so much time last week, and therefore limiting our rehearsal time, we decided to stick with some of our (well-rehearsed) favourites. I sang harmonies on "Never Wait Until Tomorrow" and "My Child is Dancing with God", and that got tremendous feedback. Several people complimented our blend, and how much the harmonies lifted the music. I started adding harmonies to Gerald's songs in just the last few months, so it's very encouraging to get such a positive response.

Tara and Scott ended the night with some of their songs. "Selfish Me" talks about getting the selfish parts of ourselves out of the way so we can be closer to God. Wow, could I give a witness on that one! They were brave enough to do a brand new song too, which was great. Scott has great grooves on the guitar, and Tara's voice just floats over the top of it. Fabulous!

It was a really strong night, and we were so happy to be a part of it. After the show, we all chatted about the irony of Nashville - It's the centre of the Christian music industry, yet there's so few paying performance opportunities here that most Christian artists end up touring outside the city.

On another note, I am now fully recovered from my stint at Stamps-Baxter. What a great school this year! I still need to do some follow-up emails, but at least I'm caught up on my sleep! Yesterday, I got back to my Song U classes, finishing my course on Power Rhymes, and continuing my course on CD pre-production. I think I'll start Commercial Song Forms next.

I've also been invited to join the Church of the Redeemer praise team this Sunday. They have a roster of musicians, and this will be my first time joining in. Very excited!

Stamps-Baxter - Day 10

Day 10 - the final day. It comes and goes far too quickly.

Today was crazy busy, but I knew that going in and went into it prepared to do anything that needed doing. I arrived a 7am for a staff meeting. (I'm just convinced that all the Speers must be morning people.) We had a bit of time for feedback on the past 2 weeks, but for me the best part was just getting to visit with some of these awesome people in a quiet and relaxed environment. Everyone was a little tired and probably looking forward to the weekend, but we all shared stories and laughed a lot and just got to know each other a little more. This is also the meeting where they choose the scholarship winners, but that's a faculty decision, so I left before then.

And I'm glad I did because I finally got to sit in on devotions for the first time this school. Each morning, they've been having a member of the faculty perform a song. This morning it was Teri's turn, and she decided to pull up her Momma, Miss Mary Tom, with no warning, to sing a duet with her. It really says something about the artistry of the performers when a completely unrehearsed song can still be so beautiful and moving. Connie Norhtam has been leading devotions each morning, starting with a story and ending with a prayer. It was great to hear her speak again. Her warm, funny presence really sets a good tone for the day.

There was so much stuff to do today to wrap things up and prepare for tonight's show. We spent lots of time answering questions and helping people purchase those CDs they've been mulling over all week. I was doing some photocopying in the back hallway, when I heard a familiar strain coming from inside one of the theory classes. They were singing O Canada! I popped my head inside, and heard the entire class trying to sight-read my national anthem. I was just tickled! That class had one of our Canadian students in it, and they were learning it as a surprise for her! So cool!

Our final group singing session became a quick rehearsal for tonight's program. At lunchtime, I was chatting with a longtime student about the wonders of group singing. I really don't think there's anything else like it. Her choir director back home couldn't understand why coming to Stamps-Baxter every year is so important to her. She answered him, "Imagine sitting in a room and singing harmony with two hundred and thirty five of your closest friends, all of whom just love singing for the Lord." He took a moment to imagine it, and finally understood. I wish I could explain it better. I know I can give a sense of the magic of that room, but all I can really give is surface impressions. There is truly no finer experience.

The afternoon was just busy, busy, busy. Theory classes were cancelled to allow rehearsal time for tonight's soloists and groups, and Allison's class was still on so she could get through everyone on her list. But we were so busy I didn't get to any of it. The school CDs came in today, so getting those organized was a big deal. Then there was no one to pick up the school photos, so I ran out of to get that. And, again, another big deal to distribute them. There were room keys to organize and product to organize, and just a million little things to do, but they all lead to the highlight of them all....the closing program!

The closing program is a huge deal. Each year, the show features 9 of the best songs from our group singing sessions, conducted by our 3 conductors. And then we have the soloists and groups, as chosen by audition. The show is taped and DVDs are available for sale. These DVDs go all across the country as students share their Stamps-Baxter experience with friends and family. This makes those DVDs are great advertisement for the school and, because of that, they want the talent on the program to be impeccable. It's big deal to be a part of this program, and tonight's performers lived up to that honour.

Some of the performers, like Miles, Ben, and Michelle, were also on last Saturday's program. There were 2 awesome groups, including one that performed with a jazz trio fronted by theory teacher extraordinaire, Jack Clark (I was in Jack's class my first year). The star of the show was little Hannah, who wowed everyone with her poise and gorgeous piano playing.

This afternoon, we had a unique experience at the school. I wasn't there, but here's what happened: Ben came into the auditorium with 3 white Stamps-Baxter hats, autographed by Ben, Mary Tom, and Rosa Nell. He auctioned them off to raise money for the scholarship fund, starting the bid at $20 a hat. Well, the bidding just took off, and by the end of it, 3 people had agreed to pay $300 each per hat. O-mi-word! That's $900, and that's almost one and a half scholarships. Well, tonight, they had found one more hat, and it too was signed. This time, they started the bidding at $300. It was slow at first, but once it took off, we were all blown away. In the end, a first-time student bought the hat for one thousand dollars! It was all so emotional. I met this woman and her husband at registration, and I've been able to get to know them over the past 2 weeks. Earlier today, I heard them sing in Allison's class (the one performance I got to see all day.) They are not polished, professional singers, but their hearts were strong and clear. After the song, they told me a little bit of how they met and how they found the school. They were supposed to attend last year and had to cancel for medical reasons, so they were so thankful to be at the school this year. Well, to see this lady's hand jump into the bidding, and then end it all with such an amazing bid was so so incredible. She told me after that it's just a small gift back to the school for giving them so much. (I'm crying again as I proofread this paragraph.) Just so awesome!

The whole concert was filled with great moments, like the group singing, and the spontaneous performance of Allison with the Jack Clark jazz trio. Near the end, Ben walked out and said, "I told them we weren't going to do it, but now, we're going to do it." Puzzled looks everywhere. Out came Aunt Faye and Miss Mary Tom. The track began for "Rain", and the place just went up! They were wonderful! I would never want to have to follow that!

Near the end of the show, they gave out the scholarships. Most of the school's scholarships are based on financial need, but there are 2 based on talent and dedication to the craft. The first, the Anthony Burger award, went to none other than our little Hannah! I just went nuts. I was so proud of her. (I got to know her when I was in Teri's class.) Next, they awarded the Brock Speer scholarship. Our winner this year was Kenny O'Neil, a humble and generous man who has been a real blessing to the school this year. Earlier this week, I wrote about a performance opportunity where a track broke and someone just jumped up and offered to accompany the singer on the piano. That someone was Kenny, and since that night, I have seen him accompany several students, always without show, and always with a true servent's heart.

It's been 2 years now since I've won the Brock Speer award. My life has changed dramatically, and so much of it is rooted in that moment when Faye Speer said my name. I never could have imagined my life in this place - living in Nashville, singing gospel music, and working with people I first saw on TV. But God had a plan for me, and He let me know it at this school. All week, I've been wondering, "I wonder how many lives will change this week? I wonder how many people will hear their answer from God at this school?" I may never know the answer, but what a blessing to know that God can still speak to us and point us in the right direction for our lives.

The aftermath of the show was emotional and wonderful. Exchanging hugs and email addresses and promises to meet again next year. The staff decided to go to a restaurant to relax and celebrate, and when we got there, half the school had showed up for the same reason. Everywhere you looked, tables were overflowing with excited Stamps-Baxter students. It felt like we were in small town, and everyone had gone to the local malt shop after the sock hop. All very cool. All very wonderful.

I think the hardest part comes now that the school is over. We've made contacts, but now we have to follow-up. We've been surrounded by 235 people in group singing, but now it's just a back-up track. We've been in an environment where gospel music is encouraged, and now we may have to go into venues where it's not even welcomed. But we will not go home empty, for our pallettes have been filled, and we are prepared to enter the world painting glorious pictures of love and hope.

(But personally, I'm taking a day off first! Tomorrow is all about sleep and pancakes!)

Stamps-Baxter - Day 9

Day 9! I can't believe we're so close to the end. I've had the chance to read some other people's thoughts on the school on some other blogs and websites. It doesn't seem to matter if you're a 'regular', or if you attended one school ten years ago. There is something so special, so magical about the Stamps-Baxter experience that it elicits near poetry in its remembrances. There's the big stuff, like meeting Bill Gaither or getting chosen for the closing program. But it's those small beautiful moments that seem to float up to the memory first, like hearing Tracey play a cool piano lick during group singing, or finally learning Do from Mi. I love watching all the newcomers this year. I can see them falling in love with the school just like I did that first year, amazed that such a place exists, and wondering why they couldn't have found it ten years ago.

The morning started out on a bittersweet note for me - my final lesson with Mr. Glenn. We did an exercise he calls his "Amazing Grace rap". It's not technically a rap because it's sung, but it's a great exercise none the less. You sing the first verse of Amazing Grace all on one note and all in one breath. You then move up the scale, doing the same on each note. It's great for loosening up the singing apparatus and getting your tone out of the back of your throat. I've been working on Jack Clark's song, "It's Unbelievable", and we took a final look at it today. With just these few lessons, I can already feel a difference in the song.

Later this afternoon, a student was asking Mr Glenn some questions about the voice, such as what is the difference between head voice and chest voice. I was nearby, so I became the sample student and we gave a brief voice demonstration in the middle of the product area. It is such an honour to work with him! I will definitely be back on his list for next year.

At lunchtime, we had a group picture taken of all Mr Glenn's students. My friends, Darl and Nancy Morgan, are the school photographers this year. (Last year, on the Saturday after school, I went to a concert at River of Life church, and I went there with the Morgans.) They have been at school every day with their cameras, taking pictures of students, concerts, classes, teachers, and even the student body photo. If you want to see the pictures, feel free to visit www.stampsbaxter.shutterfly.com. There's a nifty one of me with my guitar outside, and I think there's one of me and Gerald too. (I haven't been on it since last weekend, and they're adding new stuff every day.)

Oh, I also wanted to mention the spontaneous singing. I know I mentioned it when we took the group photo, but I don't think I've heard so much spontaneous singing before. On any break in activity, it is not uncommon to hear someone just break out in a hymn or familiar chorus. And suddenly, a small crowd will start to add harmonies. It's so wonderful! I was working the product table today when one of our younger students came along singing "I've Got That Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in my Heart". Well, I know that from camp, so we had our own little singalong right there at the product table. Remember on the TV show "Fame", when they'd break out in musical sequences in the hallways of the school? Well, it's like that, without the dancing.

I got to sit in on Allison's class again this afternoon. It was a jagged class because of issues with the sound system, but it was still time well spent. Allison has a real knack for watching a performer and picking out those few specific things that can be tweaked to bring the performing up to a higher level. She also offers lots of postive encouragement and a safe environment. I think that's why so many people are willing to take risks and expose their hearts in her class. During today's class, we also had a guest performance by Teri Reid, joined by her brother Tim and friend, Chris Beverley. Teri told a little bit of the Speer's recording history, and of their early performances in TV. Then the trio sang a rocking traditional gospel song that used to be sung by another family group back in the early Speer days. Teri is such a rip-em-up singer, and the song was great!

Bu the best times of today all happened in group singing. We did a little rehearsal for tomorrow, but it was pretty much all sight-singing of new songs. Sooo cool! We did a few ballads, but mostly lively uptempos. I continue to struggle with my shape-notes, but I think that stands true for most people at the school! And that's no insult to anyone. Those cryptic little shapes just go by too quickly!

In the morning's session, Mr Glenn finished a song, and then cued Tracey to begin "Farther Along" (not a song we're singing tomorrow). We all sang a verse and a chorus and it was lovely, but then from the back, we heard that sweet voice we all love. When Miss Mary Tom got to the chorus, Ben and Miss Rosa Nell joined in on harmonies. So gorgeous! They've been singing this way their whole lives, and when they sing together, it just seems as honest and natural as breathing.

In the evening session, we were rehearsing a song for tomorrow called "Move Away to Gloryland". Well, as soon as the last note hit, our conductor, Charles Towler, just broke out into other convention song about Heaven. I didn't know it, but everyone else did and I quickly picked up the chorus. Well, that started a whole spirit-filled singalong. We moved from song to song to song - nothing from the songbooks, just songs that most people knew from memory, or could at least pick up pretty easily. We ended with several full-out, sing-em-high choruses of "What a Day That Will Be". It was just incredible. Maybe this happens in some people's churches all the time, but I've never experienced it anywhere but here at the school. That spontaneous, spirit-filled, Heaven-ready singing! Awesome!

We didn't have a concert tonight as it was the final night for closing program auditions. About 75 soloists and groups tried out, and they narrowed it down to two dozen. Tonight, they had to sing their entire song with full accompaniment. I would not want to be the judge on this one. There is so much talent, and how do you choose between the seasoned professional and the little girl who is just starting in sing on her own?

Tomorrow will start early for me. Staff must be there at 7:00 - Yes, in the AM! I also know tomorrow will be filled with taking photos and sharing email addreses and trying to squeeze every last moment out of this experience. We need all the memories we can get to last us til next year!

Stamps-Baxter - Day 8

Another late one! I'm just going on the fact that I know I can sleep Saturday!

I spent a good part of the morning in the parking lot. Not literally! The "parking lot" is a binder we're using where we store all the feedback, issues, and suggestions to work on for next year's school. As always, there are things that can be improved, and I've also suggested a few new elective classes. It's great to see the enthusiasm for this school. We've already had several people offer to volunteer in different ways for next year's school.

The latter part of the morning involved a great session of group singing. The focus was on singing new songs, not for performance sake, but just to try them out. I love sight reading, so this was great fun for me. I even got the shapes real good on one song! (say that with a strong Southern accent and it totally works!)

After lunch, I went back in to Miss Teri's class to do some more work with her young'uns. They're such a creative group that I thought we could try some songwriting. Some of them are already writing their own songs, so I got them in pairs so the 'experienced' writers could inspire the newbies. First, we took the lyric for "Jesus Loves Me" and studied the basic structure of the song. I then asked them to pick a subject, and write a verse and chorus to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me". I know they can make up tunes, but I thought this might encourage them to write with rhythm and form. It was awesome! At the end of 30 minutes, we had one full song, one almost-done song, and 2 half songs. I was so proud of them!

I finally got to spend a bit more time in Allison's performance class. She and Mike Allen spent a fair bit of time talking about the proper way to handle yourself in different church situations. Stuff like how to handle long line-ups of talkative people at your product table when you're dropping tired, and how to arrange your song set and your patter for different churches and venues. Great stuff. Then we heard some great performances. You can see already how people are taking her classes to heart and coming in with well-rehearsed songs. And then there are some people who are stepping outside their comfort zones and sharing their testimonies and trying solos for the first time. So inspiring to see their honesty and their open hearts!

Right after class I ran home to get Gerald so we could have another songwriting session with Daryl Williams. We booked an hour so we could play him a bunch of songs, but we ended up talking a fair bit about PROs and CCLI - all the technical stuff I still can't get my head around. Gerald did play "Real Big Fan" and, since Daryl wasn't there on Saturday, we did "My Child is Dancing with God". Daryl loved both of them, and we all made plans to keep in touch after the school ends. Yes, we are getting close to that time...

Our class ran late, but I had to run over to the auditorium to see one of my favourite performers: Gordon Mote! I love Gordon! I know I said that about Buddy Greene too, but it's all true. I'm such a Gordon fan. I've had the chance to get to know him and his manager, Bob, over the past year. Actually, I first met them at their Stamps-Baxter appearance last year. Last year, many people still hadn't heard of Gordon, and I spent the entire week before the concert hyping him up. And, of course, he only exceeded expectations. Tonight, Gordon did some of his classics, like "Gospel Ship", but he also did a lot of material off his new album. This man is prolific! He's only been in full-time ministry for a few years, but in that time he's put out 6 CDs. And they're all incredible! I haven't listened to the actual CD yet, but the songs sounded great tonight. Very soulful, of course!

After the concert, we entered into the world of auditions again, and we ran until 11:00. Crazy long days! There were some great performances tonight. I think every child in the school tried out as a soloist or in a group, and that's excellent. One of my favourite groups was the Hackett ensemble - my friend Karen, her husband Steve, and their 7 children. They sang in harmony, and it was incredible!

Loooong day. So ready for some sleep, but I'm not ready for the weekend yet. If I'm being completely honest, I really don't want this school to end yet! It's just going by far too quickly!

Stamps-Baxter - Day 7

Again, far too late and far too tired. My new goal is to get to bed before 1am tomorrow night.

This morning started with one of the biggest activities of the week - Recording the school CD. We all gather in our group singing formation in the auditorium, with several mics on stands, and record the songs we've been learning over the past week. But here's my little confession: Because I haven't always been able to go to group singing, there were actually a few songs I hadn't sung yet! Luckily, we would run each song, or at least a verse and chorus, before recording it. Between that and my sight-reading skills, I was able to hold my own. But on the other stuff, it was all fun! There's a great song called "I'm Gonna Keep On Keepin' On" and it's the hit of the school. It's got a great groove, and it's one of those melodies that just sticks in your head. We ended the morning early on that song, so everyone felt pretty good about the whole thing.

After lunch, I had another voice lesson with Mr. Glenn. Each lesson is half an hour, but this one only felt like a few minutes. We worked on an exercise that incorporated the 5 vowels and octave slides to work through the transitions in the voice, and to develop ease and flexibility. So good! I can't believe we only have one lesson left!

Next, I had a great blessing given to me by Allison Durham Speer. She and I sat for almost an hour discussing the recording process. She records solo CDs, similar to how my CD will be set up, and she gave me loads on info on what to expect and how to prepare. I'm really excited about recording, but I'm still a little nervous too. It's a fair bit of money (although small by some artist's standards) and I just want to be the best steward of my resources. I also want to make sure the music is top notch, and that my message is clear and relevant. Today was an great gift, and it answered questions I didn't even know I had.

The rest of the afternoon was a little dull for me. Just photocopying and selling bottles of water to thirsty singers. But, as always, there were great times to just chat to people, or peek in a room and hear great voices blending in harmony. I never tire of the talent in this school!

Allison's performance class has taken on a quality of the Ed Sullivan Show. You never know who's going to drop by to sit in the audience and watch the show! This afternoon, it was Naomi Sego, who has had a long and significant career in gospel music. (She's also in some of the Gaither videos.) Ms Sego was there to watch Allison teach, and at the end of the class, Ben persuaded her to get up and do a song. This is why artists must always carry their tracks with them! She sang one song, and was great! So much energy, and a real commitment for the message.

Suppertime actually allowed a little rest, which was needed with the crazy night ahead. After supper, we had another session of group singing. The CD is done, so now we're singing for fun, and to prepare for the Friday night closing program. But I was busy during this time helping our guest artist prepare for tonight's concert. And that artist was...

Buddy Greene! I am such a huge Buddy Greene fan! I missed his performance at Cafe Forte a few months ago, but I haven't stopped talking about his Stamps-Baxter show from last year. Buddy sings, writes, and plays guitar and harmonica. His music is soulful and rootsy and gospel to the core. He has a great performance energy - enthusiastic and passionate, yet cool and laid back. He does some great arrangements of hymns, and we had some beautiful singalong moments. He sang one of my favourite songs of his, "Man Against Man", which essentially says that when we go against each other, we go against God. It's beautiful and powerful. Allison got up and joined him in a song, which was partially improvised, but very cool. He made a joke about doing harmonica classes at the school next year, but they got some very genuine interest in it after the show, so maybe next year's classes will involve a harmonica workshop!

A little after 9pm, we started our first night of auditions for the Friday night closing program. This show is big! They want great acts that, as a group, will give an overall representation of the school. They video the show, and the pressure is large! Last year, we all did a 90 second audition of our song, using a track or live accompaniment, on the Thursday night. They've decided to try something new this year, and tonight was night one of three audition nights. Tonight and tomorrow are the first round of auditions. (With over 70 people auditioning, they had to stretch it over 2 nights.) In this round, you or your group can do a 90 second acapella version of your song. On Thursday night, a select number of people will be asked to audition again, this time using their full accompaniment. It's going to be a time-consuming process, but I think it's going to give the faculty who judge the auditions, a better sense of each act's overall sound. I know this year, they're choosing mostly groups with only a few soloists. Tonight's auditioners were mostly soloists with only a few groups, so it's going to be an interesting process to watch...

Stamps-Baxter - Day 6

I have slightly changed the time on this entry so that it still reads Monday, because technically, it's Tuesday. I got home at 10pm, but I've just spent the last 2 and a half hours working on a demo for the song we're going to pitch. Yes, we did record yesterday on my day off, but due to technical difficulties, we had to re-record tonight. It's now 12:30 am, and I'm dropping tired. This entry will probably be short and full of typos, so please read with a forgiving heart!

Mondays are traditionally a slow wind-up into the week, but not at Stamps-Baxter. At 9am this morning, we were treated to a surprise concert by the Easters! It's the first time I've seen them at the school since I started going, although their daughter, Morgan, has been attending all that time (not that the two should be mutually exclusive...) It was a great surprise for everyone, and a terrific way to start the day. Their blend is just wonderful, and it was nice to see them without the massive Gaither stage surrounding them. Just great harmonies and happy people. We got the stories behind the songs, a few jokes, and a nice duet between Sherri and Morgan. It's also nice to see a SG group that writes some of their own material. The song "She Loved"... amazing!

This surprise concert shifted the order of the day a little. Most of this morning's theory classes were lost to the concert, and we didn't have a concert tonight. The rest of the morning was just busy for me. After the weekend, there was lots of admin and organizing stuff to be done, so group singing was not an option for me.

Teri asked me to join her theory class again this afternoon, so we continued to work on "Welcome to Bethlehem". They're learning it quickly, which is really satisfying for me. It's a really creative group, so I think, if I get to go in again, we may try a little songwriting, or maybe just another song, but with more challenging parts. We'll see. Too tired to think about it right now.

I had another songwriting class with Daryl this afternoon. I brought in a new lyric - my first praise and worship song, "Sure as the Sun". It still needs work, but I knew that going in. It was a great class because the feedback I got was specific. He's also encouraging me to pinpoint the problems in my songs, instead of just a generalized "This doesn't sound right...". Tomorrow, Gerald and I will be having another joint lesson. Very excited!

Speaking of excited, I've been getting lots of great feedback about Saturday night. People loved watching me and Gerald together, and I had several people comment on "Abide With Me". After the show, I wondered if I should have done more classic material, but today's comments confirmed that we made the right choice. Yay!

I thought the break after dinner might bring a little quiet time, but little did I know I would be invited on an adventure. Kaitlyn and Rebecca, the amazing animal rescuers, have found a mother cat and her 2 little kittens in the woods behind their dorm. We wandered out to see them and bring them some milk and snacks. I'm completely allergic to cats, so I couldn't touch them, and we all know I'm a dog person anyways, but these kittens were sooo cute! They had a neat, dark-grey spotted colouring, and they would bounce and play in the tall grass. So adorable! Kaitlyn and Rebecca have taken full responsibility for the strays, and as the evening went on, I overheard them trying to find homes for the kittens. May we always have such generous hearts!

Group singing took on a new dimension tonight as the CD recording is tomorrow morning. As always, it comes before anyone is ready for it. We'll start bright and early at 9am, and with any luck, we'll be done by lunchtime.

I thought I might get home early tonight because there was no concert, but no such luck. They're doing the auditions for Friday's closing program over the next 3 nights, so tonight was the last for people to sing at performance opportunity. Yes, it went very long, but it was really awesome. There were children doing piano solos, and teenagers in fully arranged trios. We even had a Minnie Pearl impersonator, complete with her own original tribute song to the late Ms. Pearl. There were contemporary versions of hymns, and soulful renditions of classics. What a line-up of talent! It will be interesting to see the auditions over the next few nights...

That's it! I'm done! The morning comes far too early for me. And we have a CD to make tomorrow...

Saturday Night Alive!

A few months ago, Wess and Susan Adams asked me to perform in a Stamps-Baxter alumni concert called "Saturday Night Alive". The original plan was to drive 2 hours east of Nashville and perform the concert in Walling, but as I've written about recently, Ben Speer got involved, and the show moved to Nashville and grew in scope.

Well, tonight was the night! And what a night it was!

We all gathered in the beautiful sanctuary of the First Church of the Nazarene in east Nashville. Huge church! I thought the sanctuary was a great size, til I was told that this was the smaller, older sanctuary, and that somewhere else in the building was the 'real' sanctuary!

Wess acted as emcee for the evening, and he was terrific. He was friendly and natural, and kept the energy flowing. Almost all the performers were current students of the school. Wess himself did a few songs, which was great. The opening act was a quartet called Harmony Sound. They formed a few years ago at the school, and here's the amazing part: They all live in different states, and only meet a few times a year to sing and record, yet they sound like they sing together every week. What blend!

Next, we had the soloists. Miles Pike has such a range that he could sing all 4 parts in a quartet. Jordan James is a young man with a bass voice beyond his years. Michelle Darling is a charming soprano who actually contacted me through my blog before attending school last year. Ben Waites is 'confined' to his wheelchair only physically, as he is a master performer who can reach the back row with his smile. His version of "My Name is Lazarus" became an absolute show-shopper when Harmony Sound spontaneously jumped on stage for the final chorus. Awesome!

Ben, Jordan, Miles, and Ben's grandfather joined together for a quartet, and we had a couple of great performances from pianist Cody Mcvey, who might just be the next Anthony Burger. But the climax of the show went to the Speers. Ben sang a beautiful ballad, and then brought up Miss Mary Tom and her son Tim for some trio stuff. It was Gerald's first time hearing them, and like all of us, he was impressed. I just love it when Miss Mary Tom sings. There's no sweeter sound!

I had space for 3 songs, and since most people were doing covers, I decided to do all originals. I started with "Abide With Me". I thought this would be a good choice since it was inspired by the Buddy Greene concert from last year's school. Gerald then joined me for "The Point of the Song", which was inspired by my first visit to the school (or rather, the aftermath of that visit). In the second set, Gerald took the lead and sang his song "My Child is Dancing With God" with me on harmonies. We got huge response to this song after the show from several of the parents in the audience.

An offering was taken to support the school's scholarship program, and we raised enough to provide almost 2 full scholarships. Ben told us a little of the history of the school and the scholarship program. For the finale, we all gathered on stage for a group song, "What a Meeting in the Air".

All in all, what a fantastic and inspiring night! You look at the Speers and all they've given gospel music, and then you see all this bright young talent and you can't help but think, "It's going to be okay". With all the doom and gloom of the record industry, and the decline of internet radio, and churches contracting fewer concerts, it's easy to think that the Southern Gospel industry may get lost in the mess of it all. But a night like tonight reminds us that singers still want to sing, writers still want to write, and audiences still want to hear the sounds of the Gospel in song.

Stamps-Baxter - Day 5

Today was far and above the best day all week! The morning started in a busy, but not hectic, state. The end of the week brought lots of organizing and 'housework' for the staff. But the real excitement started part-way through the theory session, when I was invited to teach a class! No, I didn't teach theory. Teri Reid invited me to her children's class to teach her students a song. I brought in "Welcome to Bethlehem", which I thought would be a good, fun choice. After singing the song once for them, I passed out the lyric sheets, and we had a brief lesson on song structure. Then we started to sing, and they were great! They learned it so quickly, and by the end we were even working on a little echo part. It was so satisfying! Not only did I get to teach, but I also got to hear my song sung by their gorgeous young voices! Awesome!

I went back to do more busy stuff, and then ran off for another voice lesson with Mr. Glenn. My first year here, I fell in love with a beautiful song by Jack Clark called "It's Unbelievable". We did it in group singing, but I really heard it as a solo ballad in the style of an aria from the old Victorian operettas. So, I brought in a copy to work on it in my lesson. It felt awesome to sing it! I'm going to continue working on it next week.

When lunchtime came, I jumped in the car to run home and bring Gerald back to the school for the afternoon. As soon as I got back to school, I joined in a planning meeting for tomorrow's concert. This thing has turned huge! Allison Durham Speer lead the meeting to organize the set list. There's going to be 2 quartets, 8 alumni soloists, possibly 2 or 3 guest soloists, 2 piano accompanists, and a special appearance by the Speers. We've each been asked to do 3 songs. I chose my 3, but then when they found out Gerald would be there to accompany me, they asked if he'd like to do one of his songs too. Yes, please! Very excited!

Next, Gerald and I ran off to Wakefield building for the real reason that Gerald came to school today: a joint songwriting lesson with Daryl. I wanted to bring in some of my co-writes, and it just made for sense for Gerald to be there too. We started with "The Point of the Song". He really liked it, and only had one small suggestion, which we immediately changed. It's so much easier to sing now! Hopefully, I'll be able to add that change into tomorrow's program. We also played our brand new song, "Fear Knocked, Faith Answered". This song has barely seen the light of day yet, so we were expecting a lot of feedback. But we couldn't have been more wrong! He actually thinks it's pitch ready, and even made a pitching suggestion! Whoo-hoo! And yes, I have followed up on that suggestion already!

By this time, Allison was starting her performance training class, so we sat in to audit. It was a great session, and I know Gerald really appreciated it too. Lots of great advice about being a performer, while also maintaining your authentic purpose of ministry.

Gerald stayed for supper, and then I drove him back home and got myself back to the school in time for the evening's group singing session. I can't believe we'll be recording by Tuesday! Things are sounding good, but I always wish we had more prep time.

Tonight was the traditonal Friday night faculty concert. The past 2 years, they had a Homecoming-style set-up, but this year, it was more concert style. Wess (the organizer of tomorrow's concert) opened with a few songs, followed by Heath, a theory and percussion teacher. Heath did 2 of his own songs, with his own back-up tracks. The songs were great, especially the ballad that prays that people will recognize Christ in us. One of the highlights came from a solo by Miss Mary Tom, with Ben on piano, and Aunt Faye and Ben on harmonies. Next was Allison, and she did 3 songs from her latest album. Before the last song, she mentioned that her voice was tired from all the teaching, but that she still wanted to sing out for us. She ended with "I'm Bound for that City", and she just ripped it out. It was incredible. They always say you should leave a piece of you on the stage, but Allison just poured her heart, soul, and everything inside her onto the stage! So inspiring!

Ben came on to do a few solos, and then called out Allison and another theory teacher, Sean, to do a Speer classic, 'Didn't it Rain". First off, it's a short song, but it's a killer song! Ben does all the work, singing verse after verse of high-speed patter, but Mary Tom steals the whole song when she just shouts out "Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day!" (If you've heard the song, you know what I mean.) They did that song about 3 times, maybe more, before they finally closed the show with a few announcements and a prayer.

After the show, we were slammed with people wanting CDs of the teachers, and just doing all the things that need doing before the weekend. I missed performance opportunity, and I was too tired to stick around for the jam session. But still, I'm smiling! What a day!

Stamps-Baxter - Day 4

Well, the best part of my day really didn't start til four o'clock this afternoon. The morning was quiet, but my eye was still really bothering me, and even good things like group singing were difficult. The doctor at the school referred me to a specialist, so after lunch I had my first American medical treatment. And you know what that means - I had to bring my visa card! I know that's how they do things down here, but I still can't wrap my head around it. The doctor's office should be a source of relief, not a source of stress. The doctor, though, was awesome. He confirmed my original diagnosis, gave me a stronger medication, and I finally got to head back to school.

Which brings us up to four o'clock.

I arrived back in time to attend a great seminar on radio promotion. With the new CD planned for this year, I just thought this was a great opportunity for me. Rhonda Thompson does radio promo for all sorts of artists, including indie, non-label, artists like me. She talked about how radio works, how to build relationships with the radio stations, and how a promo person can help you with the process. I took lots of notes, which will be very useful in the New Year.

After a lovely suppertime of visiting with people, we all headed back in for a great group singing session. We were singing a new song about the blood of Jesus, and the Spirit started to move. When we reached the end of the song, the conductor broke out in the chorus of "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power". Well, that was it! We all stood up and blasted out that chorus. And once wasn't enough. Three times we sang it, full voiced, in four part harmony. At the end, we all broke out in applause. And then the Spirit moved again and we belted out one more chorus with a big ending. Awesome! Where else do you get a moment like that? Just so awesome!

After the singing had settled a bit, we all headed outside to retake the school photo. (There were some problems with the first version.) As they were setting us all up in the right formation for the shot, the crowd couldn't help but continue to sing. Randomly, spontaneously, choruses of "I'll Fly Away", "This Little Light", and "Lean On Me" would rise and fall from different groups within the crowd. I love it here. People sing as naturally as they breathe. It's like being in a musical, without the choreography.

Tonight's concert was an incredible blessing: The Melody Boys. They are a legendary quartet, but what made it really special was their new tenor, Scott Baker. You may remember Scott as my "I've Just Seen Jesus" duet partner from last year! Well, not long after the close of school, the Melody Boys were looking for a new tenor, and Scott got the job. In the past year, he's toured the country, recorded a quartet CD, and they're just putting the finishing touches on a new Christmas CD.

This was my first time seeing the group. Their music is very traditional Southern Gospel - four part male harmony, accompanied by piano, with all old songs, like convention songs. They did a lot of songs with very little patter, and the show moved really well. Ben came out just before the end to do a short interview with the founder of the group, Gerald Williams. Gerald has been singing professionally for almost 50 years, and he had some great memories about the old gospel radio shows. Some of those shows aired live at 5:30 in the morning! Clearly, I would not have made it in the business back then.

It was great to hear Scott's tenor voice ringing above the harmony, and the whole group has a clear, vibrant sound. After the show, I helped out at their product table, which was a real blessing. It lead to lots of visiting and chatting. I just love gospel music people. There's almost an expected familiarity with them. "Oh, you like Southern Gospel? We're clearly friends already!". I know that made sound really corny to some people, but I find it more and more, and I like it more and more.

After the visiting, I wandered over to the bluegrass jam session. This is held every night, usually til a very late hour, outside, under the stars. All are welcome. I sang along on several songs, and we were treated to a beautiful duet by 2 of our younger students. The group had to move in as the wind and rain picked up, and that's when I finally left, so to avoid driving in bad weather.

I know I've sounded like I'm complaining a lot about my eye this week, but it's really caused me a fair amount of pain and discomfort. I think my visit to the doctor took a lot of that stress away. This afternoon and tonight were amazing, and they reminded me of the truly awesome beauty of this singing school. I can't wait til tomorrow!