SGN Music Awards

Tonight I attended the SGN Music Awards at River of Life church in Smyrna. This set of awards is organized and sponsored by the Unthanks, who run www.SoGospelNews.com. This afternoon, a friend who couldn't attend said, "I hope they get a few people out for the event." Talk about being off the mark...

I arrived an hour early to help pass out programs. At 30 minutes before show-time, we ran out of programs. At 20 minutes, we were running out of seats. Chris and Amy Unthank became emergency crowd control, banning saved seats and finding single empty seats to match up with the crowd gathering in the lobby. In the end, every seat was filled, and the lobby crowd stood for the whole show.

The nominees for these awards are chosen by the staff of SoGospel, and then voted on by the public. Besides the standard "Favourite Group" awards, they take it a step further and do a few industry related awards like "Engineer" and "Producer". And actually, this is really cool: The "Songwriter" and "Producer" categories are broken up into "Artist" and "Professional" divisions. So often, it's the performing songwriters who win public-voted awards, so it's nice to see full-time staff writers get some formal recognition.

The show opened with the Freemans, and they had great energy for kicking things off. Some of the performers from the Harmony Honors were on stage again tonight. Tribute Quartet and Mike and Kelly Bowling returned with the same song, and Three Bridges sang a different song, "Step Back on the Rock" (minus the stage leap - much more dangerous in this location!). The King's Heralds have been in ministry for over 80 years, but tonight they were up for Breakthrough Artist of the year! I loved what they did at NQC last year, and they were fantastic tonight.

Gordon Mote had one of the best performances of the night with "Somebody Who Can", with the Isaacs on background vocals. So cool! The Imperials were total rock stars with their version of an older song called "Water Grave". I've never heard the original, but I loved this song! Karen Peck and New River were awesome, as usual. Karen Peck really understands stage presence. So many artists try to fill every empty bar of music with some kind of Gospel shout-out: "Aren't-you-glad-Jesus-came-down-and-died-and-saved-you-from-death?" Really, who's going to say no to that? Karen's not afraid to simply hold her ground, sit in the music, and communicate the message. Love her!

Gold City sang their awesome song "Preach the Word". This song always shakes me up. You know, the exact week Dad retired from 43 years of ministry, I got the call saying my Visa was approved, allowing me to take my ministry to Nashville. I don't think that was a coincidence. I would never compare my ministry to Dad's, but I can't help but feel that God was in that timing.

HisSong ended the night on a crazy high note with "Joy in my Soul". Overall, this was such a great night! It was well organized and smoothly run, and when your main problem is not finding enough seats for the throngs of people walking through your door, well, who can complain.

My suggestion? Next year - the Ryman!

SGMG Harmony Honors

Last year this time, I was writing about the Southern Gospel GMA Week showcase. This year, instead of a traditional showcase, they decided to use the night to host the 4th annual SGMG Harmony Honors. The awards were described as being "objective" in that there is no balloting or nomination process. Instead, the awards are given to artists who, over the past year, have won a number of industry awards and/or have had top sales of product and digital downloads. Other than the top ten songs of the year, there were no real categories that I could see.

In the Southern Gospel realm, this was definitely a star-studded night. I sat up front in the industry section, and many major artists were there. Some received awards, some performed and some were just cheering on friends. Doyle Lawson gave one of my favourite acceptance speeches of the night. I guess he receives some criticism for playing both secular and gospel bluegrass music. He pointed out something that I've always stated: If you sing a gospel song in a secular environment, that might be the only Gospel some people ever hear. He said this is how God called him to minister, and until God tells him otherwise, this is what he's going to do. Amen!

In his speech, choral genius Lari Goss remarked that Southern Gospel is so unique because it's lots of fun, yet it deals with serious theological themes like the cross and the blood. It's sometimes hard to define Southern Gospel to people who've never heard it, so I think I'll be adding this point to the description from now on.

But the best part of the night was, of course, the live performances. The show opened strongly with Jeff and Sheri Easter, now with their daughter Morgan filling Charlotte Ritchie's position. Tribute Quartet came next, and they were fantastic. Great song and great stage presence. Austins Bridge definitely fits into that "progressive Southern" category. They're just crazy talented and great stage performers. Actually, one of the things I really appreciated about tonight was that all kinds of Southern were presented, and not just the quartets (not that there's anything wrong with a great quartet!). The Crabb Family and Lillie Knauls both did traditional gospel, and the Isaacs did their own unique blend of bluegrass and Southern. They are just so great live!

Mike and Kelly Bowling and Brian Free and Assurance provided lots of big singing and great harmony. Three Bridges win the award for Most Physical Performance of the night as the lead singer took a flying leap off the stage to shake hands with audience members. I just love them! Gordon Mote sang the beautiful "Wake Up Dancing", which was intimate and moving. The show ended with Karen Peck and New River singing "Last Night", which is definitely one of my favourite songs of last year. So good!

After the show I got the chat to visit with a bunch of friends. You know, at last year's showcase, I think I saw two people I knew. Tonight, I didn't even get a chance to speak to everyone I knew. That just feels to wonderful to me. This has been a great week. I'm really looking forward to a day off when I can sit with all the things I've learned, email all the people I've met, download all the songs I've heard...maybe that's not really a day off?

GMA Recovery Day

I dragged myself to work this morning on 5 hours sleep. Why am I still up tonight?

Not much to say tonight, only that the new ideas from GMA are spinning around in my head. I'm going to attend the Southern Gospel showcase tomorrow night, so I'm still involved a bit, but to be honest, I'm just ready to work.

Several times this weekend, I heard the words "making music is blue collar work". I get this, and I know I'm a hard worker, I think this weekend is inspiring me to focus my approach to that work even tighter and tighter. I've felt myself on this path for a few weeks now, and this weekend seems to have been an inspiration and a confirmation, all at once.

Don't know if this makes sense to anyone else right now. Maybe it's still too new in my head. I guess right now, I just feel things shifting in me creatively and in my focus, and that's all very cool and exciting. Can't wait to see where it leads me...

GMA Indie Impact - Day 2

Amazing day! Completely exhausted! This morning started at 8am (8ish for some of us), and I didn't get home til 1 am. (I've adjusted the time on this post to keep the date accurate.) Loooong day, but gooood!

The morning started with a chapel service for all GMA registrants. The music was lead by Travis Cottrell - fabulous band, and he has a great voice. Beth Moore gave the message, and she was awesome. I really only knew her by reputation, but it was clear she had many fans in the audience. She spoke about Jacob and the angel, and related that to times in our life when we need to "wrestle with God". Such a great way to start the day!

Next was the opening of the exhibit hall. An hour and a half later, I'm dragging around a bag of free stuff. Good times...

I almost skipped the next session because of its uber-cheesy title: "How to build relationships during GMA Week that will last". I only went because I had friends in there (maybe I could have rationalized that as 'relationship building'?), but seriously, it was fantastic. The opening part on how to network at industry events was fine, but then we broke up into groups of ten. We had to introduce ourselves, and give our email address to everyone in the group. Well, we had amazing people in our group - the woman who works at X-Box who's feeling a call to ministry, the woman from Nigeria who wants to bring CCM to her country, and the "Mom-ager" - a mother managing the career of her daughter.

Next we had the Networking Roundtables. This was great last year, so I was pretty excited about it. Basically, it's a room full of tables and each table has an industry professional in fields like radio, management, booking, etc. You rotate through the tables in 15 minute sets. I didn't get as much out of it this year, but I did sit at Tom Jackson's table for a while, and that was amazing.

Last year, I skipped the Live Showcase so I could watch the Walk of Fame inductions, so this year I decided to attend the showcase. Everyone puts their name in a hat, and over the course of 2 hours they pull names out and those people get to sing. I put my name in, but it didn't get drawn. That was cool though cause a few friends got to perform, including Virginia Hill, who was on the Indie Fest line-up with me and Gerald last summer. Everyone was good, and some people were extraordinary.

Oh, and I also met up with some great Shoutlife people today! I love putting real faces to the cyber faces! Some of us had summer together on the patio of Panera. Nothing says "spring" like sitting on a patio!

From Panera, we rolled down the hill and into the Ryman for Sunday Evening Worship. It was lead by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, and Israel Houghton and New Breed. At two hours of solid music, it was a bit lengthy for the end of a long day, but soooo incredible! I'm such a fan of Mandisa's, and I'm now a brand new fan of New Breed. Such an amazing mix of praise and rhythm and just cool, cool music!

And then, finally, my favourite part of GMA Week: The Songwriter Showcase. Hosted by Bart Millard (Mercy Me) and Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), the two hour line-up featured over a dozen stunning performances. Each song is performed by the songwriter, which is sometimes the artist, sometimes not. Where the worship service felt a little long for me, the Songwriter Showcase could have gone til morning and I still would be in my seat. It was just incredible. Each song is performed simply and acoustically, so you have rock bands going unplugged, and some songs simply performed with piano or guitar. Joel Lindsey and Sue Smith performed their Hoppers cut, "He Erased It" with piano and 2 part harmony - beautiful. Leeland did their Dove nominated "Tears of the Saints". I'd never heard this song before (I think most people over 25 hadn't either), but it was truly moving. You could feel something shifting in the room as this 'kid' sang about saving the lost of this world. Really incredible.

Another favourite moment for me was Toby Mac singing his hip-hop song "Made to Love" in an acoustic arrangement. I love this song, but to hear it performed with just 2 voices, guitar, and a guy on beat box was really cool. Mark Hall ended the night with "East to the West", which I just love.

Today was my last full day at GMA Week, so after exchanging email addresses and cell phone numbers, I finally got in my car to go home. I walked in the door at 1 am. I'm wired and exhausted and nowhere near ready to sleep. I can't believe I have to work tomorrow morning...

GMA Indie Impact - Day 1

I don't know why I'm still up! It was an early and a long day, and tomorrow will be even earlier and longer, but I really need to write a little before turning in for the night.

So, today was Day 1 of my GMA Week experience. As I wrote earlier, I have been blessed with a scholarship to attend the weekend workshop called Indie Impact. The goal of these workshops is to help the indie artist, and I think they did a fairly good job of that today.

The morning started bright and early with music by husband and wife duo, The Dentes. Actually, they reminded me a little of me and Gerald. I really liked their melodies, but the sound was not good, so I couldn't hear any of their lyrics. The husband is a fantastic guitar player (lots of tapping and cool stuff), so that was awesome.

They were followed by amazing guest speaker Nate Larkin. The core of his speech was how having a false persona can keep you from God. He had this terrific metaphor about how sometimes we act like dogs - faithful, loyal, obedient - but then that cat side of us comes out - wild, independent, wandering. He build the metaphor in a detailed way to illustrate the different ways we relate to God. Really great speaker!

Next we had the only panel of the day to discuss "How big is your 'Why'?". It was all about purpose and your calling, but frankly, I'm pretty clear on that stuff, and nothing really new was said for me.

But what followed next was fantastic. Tom Jackson is a world-renowned performance coach. His speciality is developing a live show that will engage your audience and leave them changed. He didn't do any hands on work today, but he did lay out the basics of his theories, which was incredible. Took lots of notes!

At lunch, I ran into fellow Canadians Ali Matthews and Rick Francis. They're both very cool and super-talented, so that was all good.

After lunch, we started with a booking seminar with Tara Leigh Cobble. You may not have heard of Tara, but in her first year as an indie artist, she played over 200 shows. For those who are wondering, that's incredible! She is a booking machine, and she broke down her techniques and strategies into very doable pieces. She is just an absolute work horse, and reminded us that making music is 'blue collar work' - You have be prepared to work hard and get your hands dirty. Very inspiring!

Next was a workshop on using the internet. I was excited about this one, but it ended up being a thinly-veiled commercial for a company who provides internet services for artists. The one good thing was they discussed creative ways to connect with fans, so that was useful. They mentioned several times that we should all be blogging. One step ahead of you there...

We had a workshop labeled "Multiple Streams of Revenue" which sounded great and was. In addition to discussing the multiple streams, Vince Wilcox also gave a great and simple overview on money management for artists. Money is so rarely discussed in a healthy and practical way in ministry circles, so I think this was just great for everybody.

We ended the day with a short worship session with Alli Rogers. Great voice, and I think we all needed to sing a bit at that point.

At the end of the day, I met up with Tara Jackson to tell her about the workshops, go over my new bio, and to get her new CD! Yay, Tara!

Tomorrow morning starts again at 8 am... or, you know ... 8ish...

Allison Durham Speer interview day...

It's getting late and I really need to stop working if I want to get any sleep. I've been shut down lately due to allergies. I forgot how horrible they were! I had a long list of goals for last week, and the only thing I accomplished was singing in church on Sunday (which went very well). I finally got in a good work mode today, so despite the late hour, it's kind of hard to stop!

Before I forget, please check out my latest SGM Radio article, Ben Speer and the Elvis Sessions. (I can't believe I didn't post this earlier!) It was such a pleasure to tell this story!

I met with Allison Durham Speer today to interview her for next month's article. We had lunch at the fabulous, tucked away Caesar's - home style Italian food, delicious! After lunch, we chatted about her family, her constant dedication to improving her craft, and her new project, The Elijah Conference. That article will be up May 1. I promise I'll post a link sooner than mid-May!

Despite the allergy-ridden week, a few great things have happened. I've received some great feedback on Real Big Fan, including a few amazing quotes for my web site. I've also started revamping my entire press kit, including a brand new bio.

And here's the really exciting thing: I hadn't planned on attending GMA Week this year, but yesterday, I was offered a scholarship to attend Indie Impact. This is the first 2 days of GMA, focusing on the needs of the indie artist. It includes seminars, 2 worship services featuring amazing speakers and musicians, and the Songwriters Showcase (the highlight of last year's GMA Week). Even though I hadn't planned on attending, I'm really crazy excited about going. I really need something like this right now. I'll be blogging all weekend, so feel free to join in on the festivities.

Dottie Rambo at NSAI!

What a night! NSAI's Christian Writers Night is always great, but tonight, it was truly incredible: Dottie Rambo was the guest speaker!

I've been a fan of Dottie's for years. Her lyrics and melodies are inspiring and beautiful, and should be assigned homework for every Gospel songwriter. I've sung many of her songs, and "Sheltered In the Arms of God" has been particularly important for me. Monika and I have sung it together many times, and in my time of grieving, it carried me through many hard moments.

I'd never seen Dottie live, though I've heard and seen her many times on TV and CDs. I also have cassette tapes of her songwriting classes, so I've heard some of her personal stories. In person, she is very, very tiny. She wore a leather suit and full, fabulous make-up. And for those with an interest: She plays a Martin.

Guest speaker nights are organized with a one-hour interview, followed by a Q&A. We heard a lot about her childhood, including a wonderful description of her first discovery of her songwriting talents. First song at 8, touring at 12, and a publishing deal in her early twenties - what a life! She has now written over 2500 songs! It's no wonder Fanny Crosby is her hero. Who else is that prolific?

The guest speaker is always invited to play a few songs, so Dottie picked up her guitar and asked if there were any requests. Everyone else hesitated, so I called out "Sheltered in the Arms of God". She took a deep breath. Just seven months before his passing, Porter Wagoner and she recorded this song for her latest album (yes, she's still recording!). As she told the story, her voice choked up, and it became clear to me that this song has blessed the writer as much as its listeners. As she played the first verse, she forgot a few of the chords. But she was wonderful as she laughed at herself and said, "Hey Songwriters, do it this way!" She then invited us to sing along on the chorus, which was just incredible! Some people sang parts. Most of us choked back tears. What a blessing!

She had wonderful stories about the amazing people who have recorded her songs, like Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley. Apparently, Elvis was scheduled to record an entire album of her songs, but it was near the end, and his failing health prevented him from completing the project. Can you imagine Elvis doing "I Go to the Rock"? Such a loss...

Oh, and another interesting story: She wasn't allowed to record "I Go to the Rock" for four years after she wrote it! Other people could record it, but her record label wouldn't allow her to record it because it was "too rock and roll". Funny, huh?

She wrapped up the interview by leading the whole group in sing "If That Isn't Love". Wonderful!

After the formal interview, the floor was opened for questions. What I love about Dottie, besides her incredible talent, is her complete humility, and her awesome sense of humour. She doesn't take herself too seriously, and she loves a good practical joke (who knew?). She often spoke about her love of music, God, and people. She answered questions generously and with a loving spirit.

She recognizes her fame, but at the same time said, "The Lord is the star. You'd be a fool to try to outshine Him."

What an incredible, incredible night! I was talking to my aunt in Newfoundland today and telling her a little of my recent experiences. She remarked on all the amazing opportunities we're getting here in Nashville, and how we never would have had most of these experiences had we not taken the leap of faith to move here. I think tonight is the perfect example of such an experience!

I'm going to release my first single!

Yes indeed, it's a big weekend for radio around here!

First, a little Tin Pan South update: I was under the weather a few days last week, so we missed two nights of concerts. Friday we went to see "The Hit Men" - Jeffrey Steele, Bob DiPiero, Tony Mullins and my favourite, Craig Wiseman. We saw them last year and loved them, but this year's show was so poorly organized, it just wasn't enjoyable. We actually left partway through. Some stuff came up Saturday, and with the bad taste of Friday still in our mouths, we just blew off Saturday's shows. With the exception of Tuesday's outstanding show, it was a pretty disappointing week.

But of course, Friday I heard my song, which got me uber-excited, and now I'm ready to announce the next exciting thing in our lives: I'm going to release my first single!!!

I've never done this before, and I'm quickly realizing I know nothing about radio! Luckily, I'm surrounded by some gifted and trustworthy advisers. There are still lots of details to work out, so I don't want to say too much yet, but suffice to say, tune in to your radios May 1st!

Over the next month, I'll be doing a play-by-play of how this whole thing is going to come together, so check back often and join me on my learning curve.

Inspired by Tuesday's show and the excitement of my new challenge, here's the song in my head this weekend:

I'm diving in
I'm going deep
In over my head I wanna be
Caught in the rush
Lost in the flow
In over my head I wanna go
The river's deep
The river's wide
The river's water is alive
So sink or swim
I'm diving in

(by Steven Curtis Chapman)

I'm on the radio right now!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm at work by myself, so I'm listening to SGM Radio online, and they're playing my song!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just listening, and it's all good music, and suddenly I'm hearing the clarinet and intro to DO YOU WANNA BE MY NEIGHBOUR IN GLORYLAND!!!!!

I am totally freaking out right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tin Pan South - GMA Night

We're all set for a busy week of concerts. Tin Pan South is a nightly celebration of the songwriter and the song. We've bought passes, so we're planning on seeing one or two shows per night til Saturday.

As soon as I got the program, I knew I would have to see tonight's show at the Rutledge. GMA partnered with NSAI to present a night of Christian songwriters featuring Stephen Curtis Chapman, Billy Gaines, Ashley Cleveland, Geoff Moore, and Matthew West. In short - amazing!

Obviously, I'm well acquainted with Stephen Curtis Chapman's music. He was an excellent host, and as he and Geoff are co-writers, he often joined in on his songs too. He played his new hit, "Cinderella", which celebrates the father-daughter relationship - something that means a lot to me. He also sang his classic "I Will Be There" which I sang years ago at my cousin's wedding. Listening to it tonight, sitting next to Gerald, the whole song just took on a deeper meaning.

Geoff More has an incredible voice and great songs. My favourite was "Erase", inspired by a trip to Rwanda. It's basically a plea to erase the differences between us and Jesus so that we may see and hear and love like Him. Beautiful!

Billy Gaines has a soulful voice and a great message. His songs showed a great sense of rhythm and pocket and improvisation.

It was funny about Matthew West. I'd heard his name many times, but I didn't really how many of his songs I know and love. I found myself singing along with him all night. He debuted a incredible song about his wife's journey to God that had the whole place singing along. Gerald said he's a little like a Christian Jason Mraz. Very cool!

And Ashley Cleveland - so amazing! That huge soulful voice and great stage presence and that cool pink guitar and just rocking praise. She had this great song about prodigals called "Little Black Sheep", and every time she sang it was engaging and cool.

There was so much to love about tonight. Every song was unique and strong - not a weak one in the bunch. And every singer had great vocals and strong communication skills.

I wish critics of Christian music were there tonight. If you think Christian music is wimpy, listen to Ashley Cleveland. If you think Christian music is geeky, listen to Matthew West. And if you think people go into Christian music because they can't make it in 'real' music, well, just listen to any of them!

WAJ - Better late than never!

Yes, Write About Jesus was Saturday and it's now Tuesday, but I really haven't been on my computer all weekend. Mom and Dad left very early yesterday morning (we were all at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast at 6 am!), and I really just wanted to spend every minute with them. We didn't do a whole lot of 'activities' last week - just spending time together and chatting and going for walks and eating great food. They arrived safely home last night, and grateful prayers were raised.

I'm having my first quiet morning in weeks, and Dante is thrilled. He keeps bringing me chewed up balls and socks and other such treasures. It rained all last night, and the colours outside are cool and saturated. The air is soft and the birds are discussing the blessings of sunshine. And so, I get some quiet time to write.

Write About Jesus was an incredible day! Sue Smith does something wonderful with her workshops - she puts everyone on the same level. There is no separation of 'teacher' and 'student', or 'professional' and 'amateur'. Everyone is accessible; everyone's talent is respected. And because of that, you feel empowered and encouraged to share and learn.

This was my second workshop, so it was a bit of a reunion for me as well. Besides other WAJ people, I also met some Shoutlife and Song U folks.

My first workshop was Crafting Great Lyrics with Tony Wood, who wrote the lyric for "Shepherd of the Hills". The class was great, and after, I made a point of introducing myself. I was thrilled to hear that he was happy with my recording of "Shepherd". He said, "You were the right home for that song." How awesome is that?

Next I did Song Painting with Joel Lindsey. I'd heard great things about this class from several people, and I was not disappointed. He basically talks about using the words and notes to reflect the emotion of the song. The whole class was awesome, with detailed examples and exercises to do at home.

The class I was most excited about was Joel and Sue's Writing Musicals. It was only an hour, but I think it really could have gone on for half a day at least. There was so much information! The class was really well organized and very inspiring.

After lunch, Gerald and I hooked up and sat in on some song critiques. It's one thing to sit in on a great lecture, but it's another to watch these writers break down a song and make suggestions on improving it. The WAJ clinicians always have an eye to the market - "Where could we place this song?", "Who might record this song?" They're always open to saying, "So-and-so is looking for this kind of song right now. You should send it to...". WAJ is a great chance to get connected to the actual publishing and recording community, and I think we all appreciate that.

Our final workshop for the day was the Publisher Panel with Joel, Holly Zabka, and Rick Shelton. This was a great chance to look at the business of songwriting through the perspective of those pitching and selling the songs. Joel publishes, but as a writer, Holly is his publisher, so it was really helpful to see that writer-publisher relationship and learn more about that too.

They had 2 concerts planned for the evening, but we wanted to get in as much family time as possible, so we left early. This week is NSAI's Tin Pan South, so we'll be getting more than our fair share of concerts in the next few days!

WAJ Tomorrow

For the uninitiated, WAJ stands for Write About Jesus. WAJ is usually an awesome three day Christian songwriting workshop held in Missouri each October, but tomorrow, they're holding their first ever one day Nashville workshop. Gerald and I are both going - so excited!

I've spent the week studying the schedule and choosing my classes. At each of the seven one-hour sessions, you will be able to choose between taking a lecture or attending an open critique. There are 4-5 lectures per hour, so there's going to be lots of choice. Some of the topics are broad, like melody, lyrics, or structure, and some focus in on specific genres like Southern Gospel or country. There are also a few classes on demos and the business of songwriting.

I'm planning to attend three critiques, but I think Gerald will probably focus on this. We've spent tonight culling his 100 songs down to 20 songs and then again down to 8. We have demos, lyric sheets, and everything else you need for a good critique.

There's going to be a lecture on writing musicals, so I'll be front row for that one. Sooo looking forward to tomorrow!!!

Garage Band

Mom and Dad are here! They've come for a week, and I couldn't be more excited!

On a practical musical note, I've finally learned how to use Garage Band! I needed a demo for a co-write I did this winter. My co-writer sent me a piano track, and a friend was supposed to help me do the vocal, but things fell through at the last minute. So last night, after everyone was in bed, I stayed up til 3 in the morning learning how to use Garage Band. Every other writer in the country is able to use it, so I figured it mustn't be that hard to work it out myself. I did a test last night, and then recorded the vocal today. I'm not very techno-savvy, so I'm very proud of myself!

Write About Jesus is this Saturday, so Gerald and I want to have lots of demos ready for the critiquing sessions. Other than that, this whole week is all about family!

Good Friday...

Today was my first encounter with the traditional Anglican three hour service.

Growing up in Newfoundland, our church always had a three hour service. But, as children, Mom figured we'd never last through the whole thing. We'd attend the morning service designed for families, and in the afternoon, we'd dye Easter eggs and eat homemade macaroni and cheese. That's my memory of the three hour service, and it's a good one!

I arrived at Redeemer this morning at 11am for a rehearsal with the praise team. There were only three of us (oddly symbolic of the three hours). By noon, there were very few people in the sanctuary, and no mad rush of cars in the parking lot. On Palm Sunday, Thomas told people they were not obligated to stay for the full three hours; they could come late, leave early, or just drop by for an hour. Some people did that, but a few minutes after the service started, a decent crowd gathered and stayed for the whole time. We were all in it together.

We worshiped for three hours, from noon to 3pm, to symbolize the time Jesus hung on the cross. The theme of the service was the seven last words of Jesus. Thomas opened and closed the service, but the bulk of things were lead by various staff members. For each word, a staff member would read the Bible passage containing that word, then give their own ten minute meditation/homily/interpretation of that word. We would pray, sing a musical reflection, and then there was a long period of silence before the next word.

And let me tell you, there was a lot of silence! At first, it was a little uncomfortable. What do you do? What to think about? But after a while, you settle into contemplative worship, and the whole thing becomes quite wonderful. I thought back to the quiet day I spent at the monastery a few years ago. We live in such loud and busy times. It's good sometimes to just be still and know that He is God...

Happy Palm Sunday!

I've been a bit of a lazy blogger lately. Not because things aren't happening, but I guess because it's all little stuff, day by day. Also, I'm writing the Gospel Thoughts blog with Dad, and that's probably eating up some of my blogging energy.

First off, Happy Palm Sunday! I am so excited about this week. Holy Week is totally my favourite time in the church, possibly even more than Christmas. I love all the different services, and the theatrical part of me loves the way we tell one amazing story, day-by-day, over the course of a whole week.

I sang both services this morning at Redeemer. I brought "Go To Dark Gethsemane" to our music director, and she loved it so much she asked me to do it today and Good Friday. We just used keyboard, and the effect was simple and lovely. It went really well at both services, and the feedback was tremendous. I love that song, so the whole thing was just a joy.

And here's some updates from the last week:

- I now have 1100 CDs in my living room! The final manufacturing round was done, and we are now overflowing with boxes. Luckily, I bought a huge armoire on Friday, so things should look fairly civilized soon.

- I'm in the Gaither Homecoming Magazine! A few month's ago, Ben was interviewed for the magazine, and Rebekah and I, as school staff, sat in on the interview. I was asked about my experience at the school, and she included my story in a paragraph! Very excited! I need to find out where I can get a copy. Oh, and they spelled my name wrong. I was highly insulted, til I noticed they spelled Allison Durham Speer's name wrong too. At that point, I just figured I was in good company!

- My next SGM Radio.com article is due this week, so last week, I interviewed Ben about his experience singing with Elvis. Yes, the Elvis! What a fascinating story! I'll post a link when it's up.

- Tried setting up a SNOCAP store for digital downloads, but they take way too much per song. Going to cancel it and try something else.

- I finished reading the Bible! Yes, I know I was on a Bible-in-a-year program, but got a little behind, and I kept putting off those final few chapters. But the goal was never about timing, just to read the whole thing, cover to cover. I'm so pleased to have done it! It was incredibly inspiring, both artistically and spiritually. I'd read and studied many of the books and major stories, but this gave me a more holistic view of the whole book. I highly recommend this exercise!

- And finally, now that the manufacturing is complete, I'm finishing all my paperwork for my mechanical licenses. (Basically, that's what allows me to record someone else's songs, and how those songwriters get paid by me.) I've heard lots of people say they only want to record public domain songs because it's "so hard" to get licenses. It's not hard - it's just work. Glad to have it all wrapped up.

That's it for now. Very busy week ahead. Church every night, and lots more promo stuff to work on...

Christian DIVAs Weekend! - Gateway of Hope

We were up early today to drive out to Lebanon (pronounced LEH-beh-nin) to finally perform with the Christian DIVAs.

I was able to book us for a morning service at Gateway of Hope Christian Center. Gerald and I sang in their Christmas concert, and I felt the DIVAs would be a great fit for their community.

We were actually doing the entire service, which was a fairly new experience for me. I've lead music for a whole service before, but that's always been guided by a pastor, and it's usually been liturgical.

The pastor and praise team did open things up with a few songs and prayer, and then handed the service over to us. We opened with a praise song, where we sang our fabulous 3-part harmony and got everyone on their feet and clapping.

Leah and Beth have called their tour the "Road to Recovery Tour". The core of our service today involved 2 songs from each of us, with a 5-10 minute testimony on the theme of 'recovery'. I chose to speak about losing Steve, and my anger with God, and how letting God back into my life started my recovery from grief. It's been a while since I've spoken about it publicly. In Toronto, almost everyone who knows me knows my story. Here, it's something I tell people as I get to know them. You never want to introduce yourself to someone with the line, "Hi, let me tell you how I was crushed by suicide", and yet, I really think people don't know me until they know about that part of me.

I opened with "Do You Wanna Be My Neighbour in Gloryland", and people smiled and laughed and clapped along. It felt awesome! Next came my testimony. I was really nervous, but Gerald had reminded me just to tell the story and be honest, and that's what I did. After the service, I was blessed when several people told me how much my testimony meant to them, so for that, it was all worth it.

After my testimony, I sang "Abide With Me" as a song of comfort, and I think that really worked. As a trio, we ended our portion of the service with a praise and worship set. Again, we were able to sing in harmony, which was a wonderful blessing. I felt like I was in a girl band!

The pastor ended the service with a time of prayer (he used some of my "Neighbour" lyrics as the transition! whoo-hoo), and an incredibly joyful dismissal. That church has such a great sense of community, and it was an honour to join them today.

And happy day, we were there on Cookout Sunday! After the service, we were treated to hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads, brownies, cookies... all good stuff!

All in all, I'm so happy I was a part of this DIVAs weekend. Musically, spiritually, and in relationships, I am just feeling so full and satisfied. Praise God!

Christian DIVAs Weekend! - Gig Canceled!

Well, the snow came! It actually didn't come until later in the evening, but the owner of tonight's venue figured we wouldn't get an audience with the 'storm warning', so he canceled the show. Here's how the day played out...

After posting my blog this morning, I headed out to Gallatin to pick up my CDs and tracks. As soon as I got them, I popped the tracks in the CD player. They sound amazing! It's incredible to hear these songs, especially the ones I wrote, all set up like this. It was really lovely to listen the background vocals on their own, and to really listen to the track and imagine what it will be like to sing with them this weekend! So excited!

While listening, I drove over to the hotel to finally meet the DIVAs! I joined the group last summer, and I've spoken to Leah on the phone a few times, but basically, I've only ever communicated with Leah and Beth via email. How awesome to meet them in person! There were little moments when it was almost surreal - to know some one's personality and their voice for months, and then you finally see them in front of you - it's all kind of wild.

Leah and Beth have been touring together for a few weeks, so I knew they'd already have an established routine and chemistry. I also knew that this would present a challenge for me to enter into their dynamic, not destroying the balance, but offering my gifts as would be best for the shows.

Luckily, we were all open to the process, and things fit together so beautifully! We learned about the cancellation this afternoon, so we focused on rehearsing for Sunday. We'll each do 2 solo songs plus our testimony. We'll have a group opening song, and we'll end with a worship set, with Beth on guitar. Leah has been singing a lower harmony, which leaves the upper harmony open for me. 3-part girl harmony - Love it!!

Since our night was free, we grabbed Gerald and Leah's husband, Jan, and all went to dinner at Maggiano's. We'd never been there before, but it reminded me of Papa Leoni's in Toronto (how much do I miss that place!). We ate tonnes of pasta and gorgeous desserts, and we laughed like old friends.

It's actually 1:19am as I write this, and the snow is still coming down. It's far from a 'storm', but it's definitely a legitimate snowfall. Oh, and on the way home, we had thunder and lightening - in the snow! Crazy!

Christian DIVAs Weekend! - Morning of...

I wanted to write a quick entry last night, but I was completely shut down by a terrific headache. It was horrible! I couldn't do a thing all night, and I went to bed at 10 o'clock! (Very unusual!)

So, here's what's on the go:

- This weekend is our Christian DIVAs weekend in Nashville! Whoo-hoo! Leah and Beth are here already, staying in a hotel. We're going to meet and rehearse this afternoon, and our first gig is tonight. (Assuming it doesn't get canceled on account of the "terrible" snow storm coming our way!)

- Running out to AHA Productions today to pick up 100 CDs and my mastered tracks. So excited! Can't believe I moved 150 CDs already, and I haven't even performed any songs from it yet. The big run of 1000 won't be ready til next week, which is why I needed the short run for this weekend.

- My latest SGM Article is now up! I did an interview with Charlotte Ritchie, and so far, the feedback has been very positive. And ... they put it as this month's "SGM Feature"! You can check it out here.

- Gerald and I have signed up for the Write About Jesus workshop in Nashville this month. Should be very awesome!

- I took a Song U course this week on "Releasing Your Record". Very informative, and gave me lots of great ideas for marketing Real Big Fan.

That's it! I'll post something again tonight after our gig. Now, off to stretch, warm up, and enjoy the wonders of the day!

Celtic Woman

I call her "International Amy". My friend, Amy Rivard, has literally sung and danced her way around the world. She's currently touring with the show, Celtic Woman, and gave me tickets for tonight's show in Nashville.

I had some idea what to expect, in that it was a vocal show, all female lead singers, with lots of stage flash. I don't think it was as Celtic as I thought it would be. They did a number of contemporary songs, including popera favourites like "You Raise Me Up". The percussion team was truly amazing - almost a show all by themselves. The main vocal quartet did do a really beautiful 4-part acapella version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Very still in places, with some unexpected harmonies. Really lovely.

I met Amy years ago through our church choir, and she sang in one (maybe 2?) of my Gospel concerts in Toronto. She truly enjoys life, and it was so awesome to see her tonight. I always feel inspired after seeing Amy!

In other news: I got 2 requests from DJs last week for Real Big Fan, so that's pretty cool. I used my GMA membership to vote on the Dove Awards today - also pretty cool. Oh, and I'm currently a Featured Product on House of Jubal- hopefully a very cool thing that will lead to some sales!

Tomorrow, I'm helping Gerald record some demos for a possible gig. Should probably think about getting some sleep soon...

Working on the dream...

I finally got to see Aaron today and put "Real Big Fan" in his hands! Obviously, he's heard it, but we haven't been able to hook up since we got back from Christmas. It was great to get his reaction on the graphics, and get his thoughts on where to go from here.

And a few bits of news:

- "Real Big Fan" is a Featured Product on HouseOfJubal.com! You can check it out here.

- I finished my article on Charlotte Ritchie for SGMRadio.com. It should be posted the first of March. I'll post a link when it's up.

- Three of the Christian DIVAs will be gathering in Nashville in March. I've just booked a church for us on the Sunday morning in Lebanon (Gerald and I did their Christmas concert in early December). We'll be doing the whole service, so it's going to be cool.

- I'm having a run of 1000 CDs manufactured. As soon as I get them, I'm going to start sending them out for reviews and radio play.

Working on the dream, one step at a time...

Writing, talking, taking it step by step...

Happy Valentine's Day! We don't do a whole lot for V-Day, as we put our big celebrations into our anniversary. However, today is also Sebastian's birthday, so that needs a little celebration!

My day started with a long-distance co-write. Kara and I are continuing to work on our Song U co-write that we started in December. After our last draft, Kara submitted the song for a critique. The feedback was very good, with a few suggestions. So today, we tweaked the lyric and made some final decisions on the song. I think it's pretty much done, which is very exciting!

Next step: Kara is going to record an instrumental track at her house and email it to me. Then, I'll record a vocal here at our place, and when that's done, we should have a good little demo. I'd like to bring it to Write About Jesus in March and see what reaction we get there.

This afternoon, I started work on my next article for SGMRadio.com. I decided I wanted to write about Charlotte Ritchie moving into solo ministry, so last week at the Gaither concert, I asked her manager for an introduction. I was hoping we could do a phone interview, but I couldn't find the right equipment to record the call. So today, I called Charlotte to re-introduce myself and chat a bit. I've emailed her 7 questions, and should get her response tomorrow. I'll have lots of time this weekend for writing the article. Well, in between NBA All Star coverage...

The rest of the day was filled with small steps necessary for achieving the bigger goals. I'm still waiting for a few cheques from Christmas, so I followed up on them. I'm getting 1000 CDs manufactured, so I connected my graphics designer with the manufacturer, and got all the required paperwork.

I also posted my House of Jubal link on my Shoutlife page. What is "House of Jubal" you say? House of Jubal is a CD store for indie CDs. It's very similar to CDBaby.com, but it's all Christian music.

Here's my page: REAL BIG FAN

I have lots of plans for getting my CD online: a Snocap store, a Paypal button on my site, CD Baby, and itunes, to name a few. It's all so much work, but I have to remember that the big goals happen by small consistent steps.

Breakout Artist Interview

A few weeks ago, I got the awesome news that Rob Patz, host of radio's "Southern Styles Show", wanted to make me the "Breakout Artist" of the month. The show is carried on 100 stations across the US and Canada. The feature involves playing a song from the CD, plus an interview. I sent Rob my CD so he could take a listen, and we did the interview over the phone today.

The whole thing was very cool! We did 8 questions. I think 6 will be on the show, and 2 will be featured on their website. Rob loves the CD, which is just awesome. He actually thought a well known writer wrote "Do You Wanna Be My Neighbour in Gloryland", so I took that as high praise.

We talked about all sorts of things in the interview - making the CD, my experience at Stamps-Baxter, how I came to learn about Southern Gospel, who inspired me to start singing, and growing up a PK (pastor's kid). We also did a Christmas moment. You know at Christmastime when they have artists talk about their favourite Christmas memory? Well, he asked me my favourite thing to eat at Christmas. My answer was "ginger snaps", which gave me the chance to talk about my family a little.

I was really nervous before the interview, but I felt very confident once we started. Rob thought I sounded very comfortable and asked if I'd done a lot of radio. The answer is "no", but I think all my improv training helps in moments like that.

The interview will either play the end of this month, or early March. I'll post more info when I know! So excited!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Today marks our second wedding anniversary! We decided to do something special, so we just got back from...

Memphis! It was our first visit, and we just loved it! We stayed at the Heartbreak Hotel - the perfect mix of music history with a hint of kitsch. We spent yesterday afternoon at Sun Records. We heard amazing stories that never make the TV documentaries. And we stood right in the Sun studio. The air changes when you walk through those doors. Music and history and life have steeped into the floors and the tiles and the dust in the corners. I held the mic that Elvis and Johnny and Jerry Lee sang into. It was truly amazing.

Last night, we hit Beale Street. It was fairly quiet (I think this is their off-season) but it was still ringing with the sound of the blues. They had all the traffic blocked off, so you could wander in safety. The bars all had open doors and windows, so the music mingled in the street. We saw a great band at an outdoor stage, and people were dancing and grooving on park benches. We wandered into A. Schwab's, the oldest general store in the South. It was like Honest Ed's, but even older, with a strange but charming time-warp appeal.

This morning, we went to Graceland, which we've learned is properly pronounced GRACE-lind. There's a fine line to be walked in Memphis - We wanted to learn about the history and touch the energy that started it all, but we didn't want to be tourists. We wanted to be inspired, but not by buying key-chains and ashtrays. So, we stood across the street from Graceland, and remembered the talent of the man, and the generosity of a son who wanted a great house for his Momma. As I looked at those famous gates and that long stone wall, I couldn't help but remember film footage of mourners lining the streets, leaving flowers and tears for the man that inspired them. We'll probably tour Graceland some time in the future, but for today, just being there was enough.

We had lunch at a Memphis institution, Corky's - without a doubt the best BBQ we have ever tasted. We thought about visiting another music museum, but what we really wanted was to feel inspired by the musical energy of the town. So we sat in a cafe, pulled out a note pad, and did some Memphis dreamin'. We talked about how we were doing with our 2008 goals. We made plans for the month and for the week. And we talked about how we could each help the other with our individual goals.

In our wedding ceremony, we both wrote vows that stated our commitment to each other, not just as people, but also as artists. I vowed to "always choose the dream over the comfortable". For some people, making a "to do list" might be a weird way to spend their anniversary, but for us, it was the perfect way to celebrate our partnership and love for one another.

I'm entering the week feeling strong and inspired, and that's always a good thing.

On a quick side note, I want to applaud the Grammies for having such a great presentation of Gospel music. In those 5 minutes, the Gospel was preached to millions of people around the world. In a city ruled by money, power, and the gods of fame, the name of Jesus was lifted up and praised and blessed. Amen to that!

Booking 101 Dinner

We spent time with Tara and Kyle Jackson today, to pick their brains about the ins and outs of booking in the Southern Gospel world. They were a good match for teaching - Tara could speak from the artist point of view, and Kyle from the management side. Like us, they are on the newer side of the industry, so they're hungry to sing and minister. They're neither jaded nor naive. They still care about reaching people, and they know that a bus may eventually be a necessity, but it is never the goal.

We talked a lot about practical things, like travel fees, love offerings, contracts, and festivals. We talked about press kits and bios and websites. Allison Durham Speer always teaches that you enter a church as a servant - Besides serving God and the Gospel, you are there to serve that specific church and their ministry. So one of our biggest topics today was maintaining an authentic and sincere approach to ministry.

At one point, I tentatively suggested that, when Tara releases her CD, perhaps we could do a joint concert? Well, that lead into a huge discussion, and we are now looking at touring together over the next year, including a possible trip to Newfoundland!

Gerald and I left with brains chock-full of information, but mostly, we left inspired and excited about all the opportunities before us.

My SGM Radio article!

My SGM Radio article is up! Check it out here.

So excited! I didn't know it would be a feature. They included all the photos I sent, and I just think the whole thing looks great!

Soooo excited!!!!!!!

(Our Booking 101 dinner has been postponed, so I'll write about that tomorrow.)

Sooooo excited!!!!!!

Exciting Days!

So, as a quick catch up: The last 2 days have been very busy with working stuff. I finally got everything booked for Music on the Hill and all the grant info submitted - yay! I dropped my CD off at NSAI for Sheree, the membership coordinator who has been incredibly supportive. And I've been chatting with a Canadian singer-songwriter about how to get an O1 Visa.

I spent a good part of the day working on a new song. Actually, it's only really "new" in that it's not finished yet. I started it last summer. I'm really struggling with it, but I'm so confident in the idea and the chorus that I still think it's worth working on (dangling preposition, I know!) It's my first praise and worship song, and even though I've had a few people look at it, I think I need to get a praise writer to take a look and give me their thoughts.

But here's the exciting stuff: I don't know if I mentioned this before, but a few months ago, I was asked to write an article for SGMRadio.com about my experience with the Stamps-Baxter School. Well, they liked it so much that they've asked me to become a monthly contributor! Sooo excited! I still need to find out some details, but Tara writes every month, and she gets thousands of hits each time. I'll post a link when the first article comes out.

And speaking of Tara, we had a very exciting phone call yesterday. SGMRadio.com is going to feature me as a "Breakout Artist", and they also want me to submit my CD for review. Again, I still don't have all the details on the Breakout Artist thing, but I know it involves an interview, and radio play for my CD. Sooo excited!

Tomorrow, we're going out with Tara and Kyle for our Booking 101 dinner. Toronto and the surrounding area is so dense that you really don't need to travel far to find dates. We rarely drove more than an hour to a gig, and we worked different places all the time. Here in Nashville, and especially in SG, touring is the norm, and things are done very differently than they are in Toronto. So tomorrow night, we're going to pick those JMA brains to figure out how to book and tour and all that other cool stuff!

Feeling very positive and excited! Already making headway into my 2008 Goals and Resolutions! Yay!

ps - Can you figure out who just learned how to add links to her blog? Cool, wha?

Back to the Bridge

I was back at the Bridge Ministry again tonight. Thunder storms were in the forecast, so the volunteer turnout was much smaller than last time.

I was put to work tonight, singing with the praise team. I didn't know most of the songs, but praise songs are meant to be singable, so it was pretty easy to pick them up as we went along. After the music, we had the message from a preacher who is also on the city's Homeless Commission (I think I have that right?). He spoke on Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." He was great in speaking to the homeless about how this passage applies to them; how even in this time of difficulty and brokenness, God still has a plan, and is watching over each of them.

To be honest, it was a message I needed to hear too. As we enter 2008, we are facing some financial challenges. The limits of our visa are making it very hard to support ourselves. Don't get me wrong - We are incredibly thankful for our visa! But it's difficult to support a family on one income, especially while also paying for studio time, demos, songwriting workshops, etc. I know God brought us here to Nashville, and I know He didn't bring us here to abandon us. And again, I don't want to sound ungrateful for the opportunities we're being given. It's just difficult. If things don't change soon, it may limit our time here, and I hate that thought. It's also difficult, and a little embarrassing, to admit that we're having financial difficulties. (When I started this blog, I promised myself I'd always be honest in it. Some days, that's easier said than done. Right now, I'm trying to decide if I should delete this whole entry!) We're far from bankrupt, and when I see the people I saw tonight, I know we're very blessed indeed. We're not seeking riches, just stability. It would take so much pressure off my head.

In light of those thoughts ... Positive blessings of the day:

- Today was a day off, and it was too rainy to go outside, so Gerald, the puppies, and I got to spend some much needed family time together.

- I'm putting my CDs up for sale on HouseOfJubal.com. Today, I got all the info loaded on the site, and I've mailed them product, so it should be up and running very soon.

- I had great conversations with my parents and my father-in-law.

- I learned about DPD licenses, which are required to sell songs digitally.

- Kara and I got feedback on "Diamond Horizon", the song we wrote over the phone. The feedback was very positive, and suggested that, after a few tweaks, we should demo and pitch it.

- I am 99% finished booking and collecting grant info for Music on the Hill.

- I'm working Gordon Mote's table next week at a Homecoming concert.

- Tara may have a possible booking for me.

When people attend the Bridge, they receive a meal and clothes, and if they stay til the end, they are entered into a drawing to win a large item, like a bike or tent. But the focus of the night is the worship service. There's lots of inspiring music, a short but Biblical message, an altar call, and prayer. They feed the body, but it is also a reminder that, more than anything, we need to feed the soul. Instead of dieting to starve ourselves, we need to stuff ourselves full with music, love, and Jesus!

Getting things done...

It's been a mixed kind of weekend - My first real quiet days in ages, while also trying to catch up on a backlog of administrative stuff.

I'm sending out copies of Real Big Fan to all our songwriters, as well as to some people who've been very supportive of me since coming to Nashville. Still have a few more addresses to collect, but I got most of that done.

I've been asked to write an article about the Stamps-Baxter School for sgmradio.com. It was due today, so this weekend was about getting the opinions of the 'trusted few' and making all those final tweaks. I think it might be out next month?

I'm still on as Artistic Director of Music on the Hill, the lunchtime concert series at St. John's York Mills Church. Our grant application is due a month earlier than expected, so I'm having to rush things a little. I have 18 concerts to book. Most of them are in place, but it's always finicky having to balance the different shows, and then collecting all the info needed for the grant application. I love doing this; it just requires a lot of work.

The Christian DIVAs are taking on a group project: a compilation CD. We each gave in 2 songs, and we're each paying a little for mastering and manufacturing. It's the first time the group has done anything like this, and I'm so happy my new songs were done in time to be included.

This week, I have a few large goals (including finishing the Music on the Hill booking):
- I need to set up Real Big Fan for online sales.
- Gerald and I need to have a meeting so we can decide how we're going to approach booking.
- I need to set up the large run of 1000 CDs.

I also want to start sending out press releases about the new CD. I've compiled a list of Southern Gospel news websites, so now I'll just need to work on the content of the actual release. I've been studying different articles, etc, for several months, and I have some people I can go to for advice.

The other thing I need to start working on is finding some creative time! In the last few months, every second of creativity went into the CD (as it should!). But now, I want to make time for writing and painting and all that good stuff that will 'fill the well'. I want to take Song U courses and visit the Frist and paint the living room. Very excited about all of it!

Steve Seskin, in concert.

Gerald is doing a workshop this weekend with country songwriter, Steve Seskin. I think this is going to be great for him. Gerald is too advanced for most workshops. He doesn't need to hear the basics of rhyme schemes and song structures. He needs mentoring. This weekend will be a small group, and, on Monday, he'll have a one-on-one with Steve Seskin himself. Awesome!

Tonight, Steve did a solo show at Douglas Corner, a small club just south of downtown. (At least, I think that's where it is. I'm still trying to navigate this city!) You usually only see rounds in songwriter clubs, so this was a real treat. He did 2 60-minute sets, with nothing but a guitar. He took requests from the audience, and told the story behind each song.

There were 2 things that I loved about tonight:

#1. The songs were very positive, very encouraging. He has this one song called "Use Mine" - A little boy wants a bike; the Dad can't afford it so he gives his bike to his son saying "Use mine"; later, the Dad is ill and has no strength, so the son says, "Use mine". Oh! Just broke my heart. And other great song was about how everyone has mountains to climb, but some people's mountains "are steeper than mine". And then were was "Don't Laugh at Me", which has become an anti-bullying anthem. Loved it!

And #2. Every time Steve sang a song, he just opened his heart to the audience. He sang like his life depended on it - passionate, immediate, generous. He doesn't have a perfect voice, but he was just so authentic you couldn't help but listen to the stories he sang.

Tonight was great! We've made a New Year's Resolution to go out and hear live music at least once a week. We were doing it for a while, but then I started working and making the CD, so staying in at night became a better option.

Now that our first year has flown by, I am more conscious than ever of our very short visa. "Green cards" is also on that list of Resolutions. Start praying for us!

Catching Up, and the Bridge Ministry

Yes, we're back in Nashville! I have a bit of back-blogging to do. I had this great intention of writing every day of the 12 days of Christmas. Then, on January 2nd, we lost our internet! Dad and Gerald spent hours and hours trying to fix it, but it didn't get restored til after we got back to Nashville. (I'm sure those points aren't related.) I came home to over 325 emails in my inbox. Needless to say, it's taking me a while to catch up.

Since getting back, I'm back to working for Ben. We're gearing up for the 20th anniversary year of the Stamps-Baxter School, and it's going to be a great.

This afternoon, Kara and I finished our long distance, Song U co-write. We still want to do a bit of tweaking on the song, but we finished enough of a draft to submit to the site. If we posted our song by today, we won 25 points. Those points are collected, and can eventually be turned in for free song evaluations.

My friend, Tara, listened to my CD today. I was sort of freaking out - this was the first time a SG peer has listened to it. She loved it! I was very excited! She really loves the mix of jazz with Southern Gospel, so that was all very satisfying.

Gerald and I are planning on sitting down soon and making up our New Year's goals and resolutions. I really don't want to rush this process. There's a lot for us to do in 2008. Now that we're one year into our visa, I'm becoming aware that our time is very limited. We're still interested in green cards, so that may be a goal for the year. I'm also looking at making resolutions around spending more time and energy on outreach and charity work, and that lead to tonight's activity...

Tonight, I visited the Bridge Ministry. Tara, is very involved in it, and I've been interested in visiting for a while. Every Tuesday night, a group of people gather under a downtown bridge to minister to Nashville's homeless. They serve a hot meal, give out clothing, and lead an informal, but spirit-filled, worship service.

Tonight was close to freezing, but there was still a crowd of people, both on the giving and receiving end of things. In some ways, it was what I expected - great people doing great work. And in other ways, it was all a little surreal. Volunteers set up chairs, lights and a sound system. Professional singers give their gifts of song. A crowd forms an orderly line to accept a hot meal, and then receive food for the soul. The whole thing is like the warm, generous oasis, pitched against the chilling backdrop of a concrete bridge and freezing temperatures.

Two things really jumped out at me tonight: One: Candy Christmas (the Gaither artist who founded the Bridge) welcomed the crowd by saying, "I love you. If no one has said it to you today, let me be the first. I love you." Isn't this something most of us take for granted? I am never very far away from someone who is willing to tell me they love me. But there were people gathered tonight who probably only hear "I love you" on Tuesday nights. Such a simple thing, but it's like breath to our souls.

And two: Tonight was freezing, but I got to go home to a warm house with happy puppies and extra blankets for my bed. For some of these people, the Bridge was probably the warmest part of their night.

I know I'm not saying anything profound or new. But I think we lose perspective. It's one thing to see homeless people on TV, or to give them a nod as a political issue. It's another thing to look into some one's eyes, and realize that you are looking into the eyes of another child of God.

Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!
(Hebrews 13:1-2, The Message)

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 7

HAPPY 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all started the year on a quiet note. There are now 6 of us in the house, and 2 of us are healthy. Colds, stomach bugs, coughing, sneezing ... you name it, someone has it. So the day was somewhat lazy and very, very soft.

The afternoon was spent watching "Flags of Our Fathers" - fantastic, but disturbing. Meals took hours, as we'd sit around the table taking in long courses and even longer conversations. There were many cups of tea, and a few cat naps as well.

I spent an hour working on my Song U co-write. I'm finding it a bit of a struggle, but given the strangeness of writing with someone you've never met in person, I guess that's kind of normal. We're scheduled for our next phone call tomorrow, so I'm hoping that goes okay.

Last New Year's Eve, we all wrote predictions for 2007. Tonight, we opened the sealed envelopes and read them aloud. Most were very silly, but a few were interesting. For my "outlandish" sports prediction, I said Steve Nash would win his third MVP award, and this year, he was second in the running. Dad predicted he would start working as a writer and photographer, and that came true. Gerald predicted his first Nashville cut, and he received 2 indie cuts last year. I predicted Mom would win Longo's Most Valuable Customer... no word on that one yet.

But Dad and I both predicted that, in 2007, I would record my first Nashville CD, and that indeed came true!

I think all the family, and most of our close friends (at least here in Canada) have heard the CD, and their reviews are very positive. Yes, they are biased. But after a while, you learn to decipher "That sounds like my daughter/niece/cousin singing" from "I'm going to play this on my next road trip". Gerald and I are so excited about how things turned out, and it's great to hear that excitement from other people now too.

I haven't written any resolutions yet for 2008. I have lots of goals in mind, but I need a few quiet moments to really set things down. We've been so lucky to have worked so much in the last month, but with the exception of the odd day off, I really feel like I haven't had much of a break yet. There's been no feeling of 'vacation'. Maybe a-week-in-Mexico should be on that list of resolutions?

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 6

We're in pre-party mode, so I'm writing a little earlier tonight. And it's going to be a quiet party, because...

One of the main concerns with Gerald's illness last night was his voice. Not only do we have lots of social engagements over the next week, but we were booked for an hour-long New Year's Eve concert this afternoon. Well, as soon as we woke up this morning, we knew we were in trouble. Gerald had no voice! He could whisper and speak softly, but there were no beautiful tenor notes to be found. We'd worked out the entire program so that we could share the solos and do lots of songs with harmony. And now, most of that had to be scrapped!

I grabbed our song list, and tried to figure out which of Gerald's songs I could sing by myself. Then, I found a website that has free Christmas sheet music, including guitar chords, so I printed off a bunch of songs that we both knew. Finally, I planned long segues that could fill in any extra time.

After a very quick rehearsal, we loaded up the car and took off for Mississauga. We arrived and started in good time, but the day continued to be a comedy of errors. Our favourite was the assistant program director who, fifteen minutes into the show, arrived with a dead mic attached to a ghetto blaster. The audience made it very clear that they could hear me just fine, yet she insisted on doing a nearly-ten minute sound check with this contraption. In the end, it was a no-sound check, and I just used my theatre training to project to the room.

Given our last minute reprogramming, we both felt the show went well. We ended with "Auld Lang Syne", and it was great. People held hands and sang with huge voices and hearts. But then, the highlight of the day: The program director announced that one of the residents wanted to sing. This old, old black man stood up and sang "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus". It was awesome. His voice was low and rich and filled with a lifetime. When he was finished with the song, he prayed over the group. It was so powerful and wonderful. We spoke to him after and thanked him for his song and his prayer. On the way out to the car, Gerald and I turned to each other, and almost in the same breath said, "It was worth it all just to be there for that".

So tonight, my sicky husband and I are sticking close to home. Mom and Dad will host a small party, including my aunt and uncle from Newfoundland. So to all:

Take a cab if you need one!

Don't make resolutions you know you can't keep!

and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 5

We started the morning as the music leaders for St. John's West. This church was one of the first to welcome me and my music when I decided to go "all-Gospel, all-the-time", and they are always the first to invite us to visit whenever we return home. We haven't been there since last spring, so it was a real homecoming today - lots of hugs, lots of hellos, lots of how's-it-goings.

It's always my job to choose the music for these Sundays. I usually try to choose songs that fit in closely with the Bible readings and the preaching, but today, we mostly just sang great Christmas carols and hymns. We did "Coventry Carol" for the Gospel processional (today is the Slaying of the Innocents), and Gerald lead us on the djembe. We also used djembe for "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime", and people played along on the shakers and drums I'd put in the pews. Our anthem was our duet version of "My Heart is the Manger", which is quickly becoming our signature Christmas song.

We did have a postlude planned, but there was so much chatting and visiting to be done, that the music had to take a rest. People were very interested in our life in Nashville and new CD, and it was great to hear about the church's recent pageant and other community efforts.

We had very little turnaround time for our afternoon service. Billings Court Manor is a seniors residence with a vibrant Christian community. Their weekly non-denominational service brings out 50-70 people, including residents and families. They had a volunteer to play piano for the hymns, so we were brought in for special music. We had several duets planned, but by midday, Gerald's throat started to give out on him, so we did some last minute switching around.

We did "Welcome to Bethlehem", with dueling guitars and me on vocals. Gerald played djembe and I sang "Twas in the Moon", and we did the duet of "My Heart is the Manger", with Gerald relying heavily on the mic for his solo verse.

The whole service was light and wonderful. Staff members read the lessons, and the entire congregation sang out on the hymns. After the final prayer, tea and sweets encouraged chatting and fellowship.

But my fellow was looking worse for wear. We've been surrounded by Christmas colds, and now Gerald seems to be getting his. We had plans to go out tonight, but we had to cancel them. The whole night became about warm blankets and cups of tea.

It's been snowing just the tiniest and prettiest bit tonight. Just before coming to write, I looked out the front window. This house faces directly onto a cross-street. The entire neighbourhood is quiet and white. No cars have driven through the fresh snow, so even the street is a perfect sheet of white. I can't imagine Christmas any other way. I'm starting to feel the urge to go back to Nashville, but I'm so glad we were here for all this.

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 4

It's actually just past midnight, and I must be off to bed soon. Tomorrow will come very early and will, in all likelihood, run very late.

Today was, as promised, all about music and family. My aunt and uncle are visiting from Newfoundland - their first Christmas visit ever to Toronto! They're staying at my cousin and family's house for now, and then spending New Year's here. Today, we drove out to have lunch with them, my cousins, and the four awesome children.

It was just so good and so grounding and so full of joy! There's nothing better than kids at Christmas. We chatted and laughed and the time flew by far too quickly.

Tonight, Gerald and I rehearsed for our upcoming gigs. Tomorrow, we have a morning service in Toronto and an afternoon one in Burlington. The morning is a big commitment as we are the entire music team for the prelude, hymns, postlude, and all liturgical music. We've chosen lots of carols, with a few originals for special music.

Monday is a totally different gig - a concert of jazz, popular, and Christmas standards. We'll do some of the Christmas music we've been performing lately, but we also had to add in some other music, so tonight was all about choosing songs, building a program, and laying down quick arrangements. I'm happy with our selections, so it should all be good.

But first, sleep!

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 3

Today felt like a bit of a nothing day. I ran errands and tried to get stuff done, but it never really felt like I was accomplishing much. My car was seizing a bit on the highway last weekend, so I took into Canadian Tire this morning. Four hours and $200 later, we still don't know what's wrong with it, but it "should be okay now".

The rest of the day progressed in a similar, though less expensive, fashion. We tried rehearsing, but there were too many distractions. We were supposed to go to a party, and a stomach ache prevented it. We wanted to take the dogs for a walk, but torrential rains kept us inside. See what I mean? Just couldn't get a thing accomplished!

So after that kind of day, the best thing to do is curl up and watch a movie, and our choice was "The Nativity Story". We hadn't seen it yet, so this was, obviously, a great time for viewing. I get a little tired of low budget Christian films where characters wear bathrobes and have bad English accents. Happily, this was no such project!

What I really loved was the the way it showed the hardships of living in Year 0000. No detail is spared. From the abusive tax collectors to the roadside crucifixions, we see a vivid portrait of a world that desperately needed a Saviour. The acting was outstanding, the visuals were striking, and even in a community so different from anything you'd find in North America, the relationships were still endearing and identifiable.

Tomorrow is all about music and family. After the oddness of today, I'm looking forward to it.

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 2

Today, we have been continuing to celebrate the gift of relaxation. The weather outside was frightful, but the fire and Christmas cookies were so delightful!

Actually, I did a fair bit of work today in preparation for the weekend. On Sunday, we have 2 church services at 2 different churches, and Monday afternoon, we're doing a New Year's Eve concert at a seniors centre. Gerald and I are in good shape for each, but we still need to do final rehearsals, final song choices, and after our beautiful days of relaxation, it's a little tough to wrap our heads around performing again this weekend.

This afternoon, I had a brand new experience: My first long-distance co-write! I can't remember if I mentioned this earlier, but I'm participating in a 'challenge' from Song U, where they pair you up with another writer from a different part of the country, or even the world, and you have to write a song together. The tricky part, of course, is that you must write over the phone, on the computer, whatever - just not face to face.

I'd seen Kara's profile on the Song U website, so I was happy when we were paired up. We both have free long distance plans, and I have slower internet right now, so we decided to meet over the phone. We chatted briefly last week, and scheduled our first real writing session for today.

At 1pm, my phone rang, and we started to chat. But to back it up a bit, before 1pm, I was getting nervous. I've done very little co-writing, and to be honest, it's mostly been with Gerald. I was nervous about doing it over the phone with someone I never get to see in person, because I'm a big fan of body language, and without seeing her, how could I tell her honest reactions to my ideas? Also, what if I couldn't think of any ideas? Or what if I got controlling? Or what if I froze? Arg!

I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, asking for peace and openness, and picked up the phone.

We spent the first large chunk of time just getting to know each other, chatting about families and Christmas and music and such. We completely clicked. We could have talked for hours! Eventually, we got comfortable enough to share our ideas, and we decided to work with Kara's hook.

We brainstormed about the hook - What caused the original image? What did you think of when you found the hook? What do I think of when I hear it? What excites us about this idea?

Next, we started to get practical with it - What is the main focus of the song? What do we want the chorus to say? What about the verses? Do we need a bridge? What about a prechorus?

Before long, we were ready to get off the phone and start writing on our own for a bit. In a very short time, we had chosen an idea, a structure, and a musical vibe. We knew the main theme of the song, and we'd determined the number of lines per section. We broke up the writing - Kara verse 1, me verse 2 - and scheduled our next phone session.

Obviously, nothing is written in stone (pardon the pun!). We may change the structure, the vibe, whatever. We're each going to write "our" pieces over the next few days, and start emailing them back and forth with our own suggestions. And as every writer knows, the song will probably step forward with thoughts and suggestions of its own.

But I'm excited by this challenge, and proud of myself for taking it on. Now, my goal is to have fun, be open to the process, and, hopefully, complete a great song!

The 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 1

Why "The 12 Blogs of Christmas"? Probably from my love of all things Christmas, and probably from my frustration with our media-and-mall-based Christmas celebrations.

For those who follow the church calendar, you know that December 25 is not the end of the Christmas season - it's just the beginning. What follows are the infamous "12 Days". They end on January 6 with Epiphany, a.k.a. the arrival of the 3 wise guys. In British traditions, this is also a time of visiting friends, sharing time with family, burning yule logs, and other festive merriments.

So, I'm going to write every day for the next 12 days, sometimes to talk about what I'm up to, and sometimes, just for the festive merriment of it all!

Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations were all just fantastic! Christmas Eve afternoon, Gerald and I did our last Victorian Carolling gig of the season. It was a mini-concert in a seniors home. The crowd wasn't as boisterous as some, but you could tell they had a deep appreciation for the music, and we felt very embraced by them.

At 6:15pm, we arrived back at St. John's Weston to prepare for the first of our 2 Christmas Eve services. Both services were the same, which meant we only had to practice one set of songs, but with the carolling gig, it still made for a long day of singing.

The first service was packed to capacity. I opened things with "O Holy Night", verses one and three, accompanied by piano. I felt very good about it, and was surprised by the spontaneous round of applause. The entire service just flowed from there with great congregational singing and lots of positive energy. Dad preached a marvelous sermon about finding meaning in the physical symbols of Christmas. As the final part of the message, Gerald and I sang "My Heart is the Manger". Gerald wrote this song after hearing Dad's Christmas sermon last year, so it was only fitting to do it this year. We worked it up into a duet, and I think it went really well.

The church was full of candles. Not only did they have 3 white tapers in tall candelabras on the end of each pew, but they also had sconces, also with 3 white tapers, lining the walls of the sanctuary. More candles decorated the choir stalls and the altar area. The Christmas tree was lit with white mini-lights. The creche was light with a small spotlight. Near the end of the service, each person in attendance was given a taper, they turned out all the lights, and we sang 'Silent Night'. Stunning!

In between services, we had a little rest, and got to chat with some of the choir members. At 10 o'clock, we did it all over again. The crowd was much smaller this time, but I think the whole service was actually better - Perhaps because it was our second time out, or perhaps because we were actually getting closer to the day, maybe even the actual minute, that God came to Earth.

(Yes, I know academics believe Jesus was born in the spring, but I'm having a Christmas moment here, people!)

Christmas Day was wonderful! We gathered with friends and family, some who had travelled from as far as New Brunswick to be here. We ate incredible food, shared hearty laughs, and gave generous hugs.

And today, Boxing Day, has been a self-appointed day of rest and relaxation. No shopping. No noise. Just quiet chats, hours of reading, and opening each and every box of chocolates we got for Christmas!

Christmas Carol Service

It's actually much later than the time clock will show on this post. It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted, and tomorrow is even longer... but this morning was just wonderful, and I really want to have a record of it, so here goes...

We all know Dad is retired, but those of us who know him well knew that he wouldn't actually stop working. For the last few months, he has been working an interim position at a small church in Weston (West Toronto). They've been without permanent clergy for some time now, and they've all just fallen in love with Dad and his creative approach to ministry. Once we knew he'd be there for Christmas, we asked if we could sing, and we were booked for their Christmas Carol Service, and both Christmas Eve services.

The music was chosen weeks ago, so I felt very prepared, but this morning nearly stressed me out completely. First, we were late leaving the house. Then, we had horrific rain, which made it a very tense, and extra long, highway drive. We didn't arrive at the church until 30 minutes before the worship time, and in that time, we had to find our places, tune the guitar, practice with the organist, do a sound check ourselves, and get ourselves ready and presentable. And, of course, because it was our first visit, we had to meet everybody too. It was just way too much in way too little time. Finally, I sat in the pew, and said a quick prayer for God to give me peace, and to take control of the music... and the service began.

St. John's Weston is a truly beautiful little church. It could be in a movie, it's just so pretty. The congregation is small but vibrant. Dad had told us how they had welcomed him, and we felt that this morning. It wasn't just that people were friendly - They had a genuine interest in who we were and what we were all about. We just loved being there!

The service was the traditional Christmas Carol Service of readings, hymns, and special music. We opened with "Once in Royal David's City" and I did the acapella-verse-one solo, followed by the choral procession. My first full solo was "Soon and Very Soon". I was a little nervous going in to this one, party due to the craziness of the morning, and partly because I had very little (read: "almost no") rehearsal with the organist. But it actually went really well. I repeated the first verse at the end, and asked the congregation to sing along. It was great! They all sang and clapped, and the whole thing just made me feel very comfortable and confident.

Next, I did "The Joseph Carol", and the congregation sang on the chorus. Gerald and I did "The Stable Bare" with him on guitar, me on vocals, and our last song was "Sing Me a Song", with Gerald on djembe. The rest of the music was choral selections and congregational carols. Each song was in response to a specific Bible reading, and the whole service just flowed beautifully.

At the end of the service, one of the parishioners led the dismissal, and this is what she said:

"Our worship has ended. Our service has just begun.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord."

I just love this! I had goosebumps when she said it!

We stayed for the coffee hour, and I think every person in the congregation stayed too. What a great group of people. We did lots of chatting, and even found a few Gaither fans! This was also our first public opportunity to sell the new CD, and it was very successful. This just thrilled us, especially given the smaller size of the congregation, because it meant that people were really excited by what we did in the service.

Tomorrow, I've booked a carolling gig for us in the afternoon (sort of regretting that now, but I'm sure it will be great). Then we'll do 2 services in the evening. The music load is a little lighter, but it's still going to be a long day with lots of singing. Must get some sleep so I can enjoy it all.

But speaking of "enjoying", we've just been loving our time home! Here are a few Christmas traditions and cool Canadian things we've done so far:

- Shopping at Canadian Tire - the best store ever!
- Experiencing a true winter storm.
- Swiss Chalet quarter-chicken-dark-with-fries.
- The $1 breakfast at IKEA. (no IKEA in Tennessee!)
- Victorian Christmas Carolling, especially our night at Centennial Gardens.
- Making Christmas cookies with Mom, using Nana's recipes.
- Watching Dante, our Nashville puppy, fall in love with snow.
- Mom's homemade Tourtiere.
- Trying to figure out how to seat 14 people for Christmas dinner in the new house.

Just loving every minute of it! Now... must sleep!

Snow Day!

Today was supposed to be a very busy day - a church service in the morning, and a 2 hour carolling gig in the afternoon, both in different parts of town (which in Toronto means - very far apart!).

But none of it happened, because we had a Snow Day!

Yesterday, they started warning people that the snow was a'coming, and you were best to cancel your plans and stay at home. They were predicting the snowiest snow storm in sixty years, and they were right.

The service was cancelled on Saturday, and I got a call early today postponing the carolling, which meant - Snow Day!

A completely free to day to read and rest and play! And it was awesome!

There is nothing like a snow storm. It brings out dual Canadian pleasures - We love to cuddle by the fire and drink eggnog, but there's also nothing like bundling up and getting outside in the snow. I felt very happy that I'd left my winter coat here last year, and very frustrated that I'd left my lovely pink snow boots back in Nashville last week.

Today was the kind of weather where practicality wins out over vanity. The longest coat, the thickest gloves, the heaviest, most waterproof boots you can find. In this weather, Warm is beautiful. As you shovel the snow, your legs get cold and your back gets sweaty. Your finely coiffed hair sticks to your face, and your nose drips unceremoniously. Your cheeks tingle, and your back starts to ache.

But the beauty of the day is unsurpassed. Everything is clean - the air, the snow, the street. And it's somehow warmer than you thought it would be. The world is quiet, and peace seems closer than ever. Unexpected delights fill your day - like seeing a community of birds gather for warmth in the hedge, or watching the puppies playing together in the snow. Snow drifts provide sculpture, and the sunlight makes the whole thing sparkle.

On our third time clearing the driveway, I turned to Mom and said, "I'm so glad we were here for this." She just smiled and said, "I know you are!".

Nothing beats a snow day!

THE CDs ARE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it! I have them! I have the CDs!!!

I was told I'd have them by Friday, maybe Thursday. But this afternoon, I checked my email, and there was a quick note saying my CDs were ready. It was rush hour, but Gerald and I jumped in the car anyways. The ride took twice as long as normal, and we were running late, so we used our Nashville cell phone to call the office to tell them we were on our way and please don't go home yet! (I don't even want to know how much that call cost!) But we arrived and the CDs were there, and now, I have them at home with me.

I can't even tell you how exciting and overwhelming it has been. We, the family, had already planned a dinner out to tonight so we could celebrate my birthday together, and it was well-planned, because we were all in the mood to celebrate.

As soon as we got home, I gave the first CD to Mom and Dad, and we put it on. I'm so happy with it! It's even better than I had originally dreamed!

We pulled out the hundred life goals list, and a red pen. In 2000, I saw a show on goal setting that inspired me to write a list of 100 Life Goals. Each year since then, I choose 2 or 3 goals to accomplish each year. As each goal is reached, we make a little ceremony around signing the list. I check it off with a red pen and record the date, and we all have a little cheer. Tonight, I checked off, "Record a solo CD". This is the 21st goal I've accomplished on this list! Awesome!!!

And yes, gentle reader, I did record another CD before this one. And yes, it was a solo CD. But it was different. When I recorded, "It Is Well With My Soul", Gospel music was more of a serious artistic hobby than a life pursuit. I always intended this particular goal to reflect the time when I would record a true "artist" CD, with music that reflected me and all my passions and all the things I want to say with my art and my life. Does this CD say all the things I ever want to say? Not at all. (I can't fit it all on one CD!) But it definitely shows what I want my life to be about - I want people to get excited about Jesus. I want them to feel God's all-encompassing love and grace. And I want people to know that faith is always the best choice.

I know that this CD only opens the doors to more work: bookings, radio promo, product tables, and website revamps. But tonight, I am only celebrating and praising! This is such a great accomplishment for me and my family (yes, my family - there's no way I could have done this alone), and I am full of praise to God for calling and trusting me with His amazing work!

CDs and Carolling

I don't think we've stopped since we arrived - literally!

Friday was supposed to be our day of rest and recovery, but we actually had to spend part of the day preparing for the weekend - We were kicking off the season with three Victorian Christmas Carolling gigs. Saturday started with a quartet at a senior's home. We had no rehearsal time, and we didn't know all the singers in the group, so it was a little scary going in. Upon arriving, we found out we were part of their open house, and it ended up being a mini-concert. Moments of fright, but mostly okay. Saturday night was much more relaxed. Just me and Gerald doing background music during the cocktail hour of a small office party. Very calm, great people, fun gig.

Sunday was one of my favourite gigs all year - Centennial Gardens in Etobicoke. I think this is our third year there, maybe our fourth? We were in the conservatories, singing amongst the tropical plants, fountains, and Christmas flower displays, while families sipped cider, munched cookies, and waited for their turn on the sleigh rides. Just gorgeous, and the people were incredible. We did an entire set of children's requests. Jingle Bells, anyone?

Monday, today, was graphics day. Last night, I proof-read and double-proof-read every word of text to go into the insert and tray card of my CD. I agonized over my final choice of photos, and made sure I had everyone's opinions - twice. This afternoon, Dad and I went out to Canclone, a small, family-run company. They did my first CD, and they've done work for many of my friends, and I just love them. We sat with the graphic designer for almost two hours, fiddling with fonts and making everything look fantastic. I had originally planned to get the whole manufacturing job done here, but it's just not practical. So, I'm getting a short run of 150, so I'll have CDs for our Christmas gigs, and then I'll get the rest done in Nashville. I'll have the master and the graphics done already, so it will all be pretty simple.

Finally, we finished the graphics, signed the appropriate paperwork, and I had to let go of my baby. For months now, I have nurtured and caressed every part of this project, and now, it's time to let it go off to the plant and go through that final step of manufacturing. I feel a little nervous, because I still need to see the discs and touch them and listen to them to make sure it's all correct and good. But mostly, I feel an incredible relief. It's almost done, and that final step is out of my hands. I've made a CD, and by Friday, I'll be able to look at in my hand. I'm starting to feel so calm. The work is almost done. I can't believe we've come this far...

Safe in Canada!

We're safe. We're home. We're all in one piece, including the car.



(I'm not faking the time on this one!)

Gateway of Hope

Happy New Year!

For those who may not celebrate the church year, this is the first Sunday in Advent, which is the start of the church year. Christmas is getting closer all the time!

I've changed the time on this posting so it still fits Dec 2. My nights have been getting later and later as I try to get everything done before heading home this week. I've finally chosen my photos, and tonight, Gerald and I confirmed the song order. I'm continuing to book new gigs for Toronto, as well as working out details of the gigs we have.

The songs go in to be mastered tomorrow. We'll receive a disc on Monday or Tuesday and, hopefully, it will be perfect and we can submit it and have it ready-to-go on Wednesday.

We have gigs booked for this weekend, so we really need to drive Thursday. Oh, and I am working this week too. Crazy!

And in the midst of all that, we decided to do a concert tonight. My friend, Janelle, from the Christian Women of Entertainment group, asked if we would sing at her church for a Christmas concert tonight. Each year, they do a concert to support single mothers and widows within their community. How could we resist that?

Gateway of Hope is a small, friendly, contemporary church in Lebanon, TN. (Pronounced LEH-beh-nin, with a drawl.) The concert was well laid out, with a mix of performers. Each person did one or 2 songs, and they were interspersed with very short verses from the Biblical Christmas stories.

We had chosen my song, "Welcome to Bethlehem" and Gerald's song, "My Heart is the Manger".

Well, literally 5 minutes before we're supposed to go on stage, Gerald turns to me and says, "I can't remember the lyrics to my song. We have to do something else." I just about fell off my chair. Oh, and we weren't in a green room somewhere. We were in the middle of the audience, while Janelle was singing "O, Holy Night".

He said, "I think I can do 'Hallelujah, I Remember'." Um, you mean that song I've never sung? I just looked at him and begged him to remember the lyrics. I don't quite know how I thought that would work, but I was in a panic. Finally, I said, "Let's just get through my song, and then see what happens."

So we get up and do "Welcome to Bethlehem", and it's awesome! I sang and we both played guitar. We sounded great, people clapped along, and the response was wonderful. I looked at Gerald, praying that he'd remembered the song.

Nope. He starts explaining to the audience that he's having a forgetful moment, that he would like to do a different song. Ironically called, "Hallelujah, I Remember". They had a great laugh over that one.

Now, I've heard this song a few times, and when Monika was here, they started working out harmonies, but I haven't actually ever sung the song myself. Talk about trial by fire! He started the song, and I grabbed the mic and started groovin' along. I figured even if no notes came out, at least I'd look involved.

When the chorus came, I started singing, and somehow it all started to come out okay. I improvised a bit throughout the song, and got all the tight chorus harmonies. And we ended together, which is always the most important part.

We got back to our seats and I was shaking! I whispered to Gerald, "That was great, but let's never do it again!".

I'm so glad God is in control so I don't have to be!