NYC - Day 2

Another long and awesome day in NYC!

The 2 musical highlights:

Rudy's Music store in Time Square is a tiny two stories packed with awesome guitars. Gerald played a Froggy Bottom (love them!) and a Lowden - combined list price: just over $20,000.00 USD. No, we did not shop there.

Million Dollar Quartet is a musical based on the one night Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash jammed and recorded at Sun Records. The cast is incredible, and if you love this music and this particular slice of history, it's a must see.



Tomorrow, more theatre, and hopefully, not too many thunderstorms...

NYC - Day 1

The Day in Two Acts:


ACT ONE

Arrive in NYC!

Strand Bookstore.

Vintage store.

Street meat.

Max Brenner's Willy Wonka-esque chocolate experience.

Guitar store.

Mac store.

Ipad.

Iphone 4.

Face Time!

Walking ... Gawking ... Walking ... Gawking ...

Check in.

Rest.

(wandering the stacks of Strand)

ACT TWO

Our rest was disturbed by a phone call. Our meeting was moved from tomorrow to tonight!

I don't want to talk about it too much, but let me just say that the meeting went really, really well. We walked in well prepared, and I really think we represented ourselves well. We left our music, and he's asked us to contact him tomorrow.

So, even though the meeting caught us by surprise, it also meant that it was done, so we could fully enjoy tonight.

Ever since our accident last year, I've had a heightened sensitivity to risky driving. Let's just say that the New York cab drivers are pushing my sensitivity to a whole new level.

We arrived at the Birdland just in time to order snacks and settle in for an amazing show with Charlie Haden and his Quartet West - tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist Alan Broadbent and drummer Rodney Green. The music was rich and interesting and dynamic. Haden is 72, and his vibrant stage presence is a testament to living a creative life.



After the show, we walked past the theatres and through Time Square.

People keep saying, "We want Dundas Square (in Toronto) to be like Time Square."

You know what, I don't think we do.

At the risk of sounding overly pious - as much as I loved the energy of Time Square, I also had to recognize that I was standing in a sea of advertising, and maybe a Temple of Consumerism isn't the best we have to offer?

Anyways - off my soapbox! New York is amazing, and so far, I love it!

Mark your calendar...

Gerald and I are going to host another Music in the Garden concert on Sunday, September 26.

I'll be posting details over the next few weeks, but I wanted you to know the date asap.

Mark your calendars, and let's pray for good weather!

Book Review: "The Voice - New Testament"

I first discovered The Voice project when I heard Chris Seay speak at Unite in Worship a few years ago. His desire to unite the voices of poets, songwriters, artists, and theologians to "rediscover the story of the Bible" sparked my creative interest.

The Voice has taken on several Bible books, and this year, they're coming out with their unique version of the New Testament.

Reading The Voice is different than reading other versions of the Bible. The "translation" is written in regular text. Extra words or phrases that give more information are written in italics. Boxed sections elaborate on certain topics. It sounds choppy, but the different sections flow to create a lively and dramatic reading of the Bible.

I started with Matthew 1, the dreaded "begats," and I've never enjoyed them more. Seriously! I could see the characters and their connections in a new way that was exciting and dynamic.

I wouldn't recommend this for your academic study or if you're trying to read several chapters a day (the extra text makes it a longer read), but if you're looking for something that will spark your personal Bible study, you may want to check out The Voice.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Que & Pew & the Studio Too...

This is very much a day-after post...

Yesterday and last night were amazing and exhausting, and just the kind of day musicians like to have.

There was the planning and organizing and pulling of charts and trying to find my tambourine and all the while humming and trilling and otherwise vocalizing...

Then in the afternoon, I brought Gerald to a studio in the Beaches where he was booked in to record some worktapes for next week's meeting in New York. We want to leave behind a CD that's simple but great. A generous friend lent us his studio, rounded up his bass player and engineer, and Gerald was set to record 4 songs.

Meanwhile, I rushed home to meet with Deanna (my AWARE buddy) to rehearse for tonight's Que & Pew. Because Deanna was a last minute sub for Gerald, I had to choose songs that we had done together, and that our mixed evening congregation would know.

We did a quick run of songs like "Shine, Jesus, Shine" and an uptempo version of "Fairest Lord Jesus." After enjoying the BBQ and fellowship, Deanna and I lead music for an awesome and summery service. Our youth leader and deacon-in-training (DIT?), Stephen Monk, has been leading the services, and they are the perfect cap for the end of the day.

But it wasn't the end of the day!

After a quick check on the puppies ("Yay! You're home... Don't leave again!!!! Arg!!), I headed downtown again to join Gerald. By the time I got there, the guitar tracks were done and the bass player was adding his part. Monika came, and we sat in her car as we worked out 3-part harmonies on "Me and Patsy Cline."

As the clock hit midnight, the guitar, bass, and lead vocals were finished. The bass player left, and Moni and I moved into the tiny studio to record our parts. There was no booth, so Gerald, Moni, the engineer, and I were all in one tiny hot room. Being in one cozy space, with no partitions between us, gave it a communal, we're-here-to-do-something-good-together feeling.

Moni and faced each other, sang what we'd practiced, and changed a few notes to adjust to what Gerald had just recorded. Because we've been singing together so long, our blend and phrasing felt natural and easy.

By 1:00, we were finished. Everyone felt that wonderfully satisfied kind of tired. We were grateful for the 24-hour drive-through and comfortable pajamas.

Today, we took the morning off. We have another crazy afternoon and evening ahead of us, but you know, I wouldn't have it any other way...

Big Opportunity!!!

The last few days have been a whirlwind.

Last week would have been a great week by any standard - great rehearsals, great performances, great teaching - but then Thursday night happened...

Thursday night, we found out that a writer had given Gerald's name to the head of a record label in New York City.

By yesterday afternoon, plans were in place for us to record song demos this week and fly to NYC next week to pitch songs to this label.

O-MI-WORD!!!

*deep-breath*

This particular label has a wide range of artists covering the genres of Country, Pop, R&B, Rock, and Gospel. For a multi-faceted writer like Gerald, this meeting could open a lot of doors.

Since the label represents Gospel, they've also asked to hear my music.

So, this week, we're in the studio. Gerald will record 6 of his original songs, and I'll sing harmonies. Next week, we'll fly to NYC, meet with this gentleman, play some songs live, and leave the demos and a copy of "Real Big Fan."

If you're the praying kind, please throw one out for us this week...

Please pray for us as we prepare for and travel to this meeting.
Please pray that we represent ourselves well.
Please pray that we get extra work to cover the financial aspect of the trip.

Thank you!!!!

Off to look for discount Broadway tickets...

Que & Pew - Week 1

One of my favourite traditions at St. John's York Mills has always been Que & Pew.

Each Wednesday in July and August, people are invited to gather outside the church at 6:00pm for a BBQ of hamburgers and hot dogs. You're asked to bring either a side dish, dessert, or small cash donation to cover costs.

At 7:00pm, we hold a short, casual worship service (the "Pew", if you will). Each week, the message is delivered by a different member of the congregation. Early on, we focused on telling the stories of different Bible characters and historical church leaders. This summer, we'll be focusing on the parables. Each presenter is invited to use their creativity in giving the message, so you often get a fresh perspective on a well known story.

This week and next, Gerald and I are leading the music. Because you get such a wide range of people at Que & Pew, we wanted to offer a good range of music. We started with contemporary favourites like "Holy is the Lord" and "God of Wonders," and used the classic "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" as our opening song. We closed with our version of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and that got everyone singing!

Great fun evening! If you're in the Yonge & 401/York Mills area, come join us next week!

(You can visit my Calender for more details.)

The Non-Stamps-Baxter Blog

As I write, hundreds of Southern Gospel students and teachers are gathering in Murfreesboro, TN, for the annual Stamps-Baxter School of Music, and for the first time since 2005 -

I'm not with them.

I first attended the school after hearing Ben Speer talk about it during a Gaither concert. I didn't even know that something like a 'Gospel singing school' could exist (which probably proves that I'm not Southern after all.)

It was because of that first school that I started this blog.

It was during that first school that I received my calling into full-time music ministry.

It was because of that first school that I had a job when I moved to Nashville 2 years later.

And it was at that first school that I became part of a community of friends and musicians who are still friends and colleagues now.

And for the first time since 2005, I'm not with them.

Ugh.

I'd be lying if I said my heart wasn't breaking a little this weekend.

But I'm trying to find strength in God's plan and this particular twist.

There's a reason why I'm here and not there for these 2 weeks.

Maybe that will be revealed to me in this time, maybe not - God's funny that way.

But I do know that I'm glad I'm missing my friends and the school, because it just proves that they are all dear to me, and dear friends are a rare find.

If you wish to wander through my July posts from 2005-2009, you can read about my experiences as both a student and a staff member at the school.

My wonderful friend and theory teacher, Shawn Degenhart, will be blogging about his experience this year. You can read about his adventures here.

Please keep the students and staff of Stamps-Baxter in your prayers over the next few weeks. It's a busy time, but I, for one, can tell you:

It can change your life.

Needles in my Neck

Today, I stepped outside my comfort zone. A big, wide, wobbly step.

On an almost daily basis, I'm still experiencing pain and stiffness in my neck from our car accident. (Yes, the accident from May 3rd, 2009!)

I've been in ongoing treatment since last summer, and today we tried something new:

Acupuncture.

Now, the word gives the heeby-jeebies to the average soul. What makes me above-average (or below-average, depending on your perspective) is that for all my childhood and a few years of my adult life, I suffered from a phobia of needles, and more specifically, blood tests.

"Oh yes," you're thinking, "I don't like needles either."

No, I said "phobia," from the Greek for "morbid fear." Imagine a 90-pound, shy little girl who needed two male orderlies, an extra nurse, and her Mom to hold her down so they could take a blood test.

Pho-bi-a!

Things got so bad that I finally went in for desensitization therapy. In just three sessions, I received a blood test. No orderlies, no extra nurse, no Mom - just me.

Victory!

So, even though the phobia is gone, I don't particularly rejoice at the thought of a plethora of needles sticking into me at one time.

As we've already noted, no one likes needles.

So today, I had my physiotherapist explain and re-explain and demonstrate the process. It would happen on the back of my neck and shoulders, and I wanted to know what was happening so there would be no surprises.

I got into position, and even though I was doing okay, I started to feel nervous.


I prayed and took deep breaths.

I reminded myself that people experience this all the time and no one has ever exploded like a popped balloon.

I imagined my back as a beach and the needles were palm trees being planted in the sand.


After a few minutes, I found myself lying on the table with ten needles in my back.

Ten!

The physiotherapist left me for 5 minutes so the needles could do their work. I kept breathing and visualizing.

But one palm tree wouldn't stay still. The muscle was gripping and twitching.

When the physiotherapist returned, she could see the tense needle. She asked if I was okay or if I could handle another 5 minutes.

"Will 5 minutes be more effective?" I asked.

"Yes, but we don't want you to be uncomfortable if you don't need to be," she replied.

Uncomfortable??? I've been uncomfortable since May of 2009!!!


And with that, my Warrior Spirit kicked in.


"I'll be fine for the 5 minutes, " I calmly replied, breathing deeply and imagining sunshine and a gentle breeze on the beach.

Within a few minutes, the needles were gently removed. I felt a little tired (one of the expected side effects), but mostly, I felt powerful!

I had stepped way outside my comfort zone, and taken on a challenge that will only benefit me in the long run.


I was reminded of two simple truths I've learned time and time again:


#1. The more you step outside your comfort zone, the larger your comfort zone becomes.

#2. You're never alone when you step outside your comfort zone -
God is already there, awaiting your arrival.


Next challenge: Giving blood!

Farewell to the Choirgirlz

When I was Artistic Director for the Music on the Hill concert series, I always loved finding new musical groups. If they could combine great music with great personalities, even better!

One such find was The Choirgirlz - a trio of singers who met in the Mendelssohn Choir, were inspired to sing a few bluegrass tunes, and went to on record 3 CDs and sing in numerous festivals and concert series. The 'girlz' made a name for themselves with amazing harmonies, great arrangements, and original songs with a quirky sense of humour.

Tonight, The Choirgirlz ended their musical journey in the gorgeous Plein Air Salon - a backyard venue complete with waterfall, wooden pavilion, and an outdoor art gallery. The ladies charmed the supportive audience with their most requested songs and the stories behind them.

Tonight was a reminder of how precious it is to sing with your friends - the harmonies are tighter, the smiles are broader, the creativity is brighter.

Thanks for the music, girlz! You will be missed...

Photos posted...

I've just posted the rest of the photos from our weekend with Sally Barris.

You can see them in the Gallery of my site.

The Moonshine Cafe

Our weekend with Sally had a glorious finale tonight at the Moonshine Cafe in Oakville!



The Moonshine is casual, quirky, and just overall wonderful. It's like singing in an awesome, relaxed living room. Tonight, we took the stage for a Nashville-style round.

Sally opened with "Little Voice" and played a great selection of folk and country influenced songs. Gerald covered everything from rocking party songs to his always beautiful 9-11 song, "Angels in the Dust." I emceed and did my Gospel thing, including "Brighter, Happy Day," which got a few laughs.

It was great to do the round tonight - we've really had a lot of fun with Sally over the past week. We've kept busy and had a lot of fun, so tonight, we just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company on the stage.

The crowd included two 8-year-old musicians - one who plays guitar and one who plays drums. They both write their own songs. Amazing!

It's been such a successful and wonderful week! Gerald and I have a few things coming up on Canada Day, and then we're taking a few days off. I'll post photos from the weekend on my site soon, and we might have some more things coming up at the Moonshine in the winter - I'll post more info as things unfold... there's always a new challenge waiting to begin...

Music in the Garden with Sally Barris!

After weeks of prepping and planning and praying, we held our first Music in the Garden backyard concert today! Sally Barris arrived on Wednesday, and we've kept her busy with songwriting students, singing at church, and shopping in Kensington Market.

This afternoon, we started prepping for the backyard concert under serious threat of rain. We decided to be brave and set up outside. Then the rain started, so we moved it all inside. Then the rain stopped and the sun came out, so we pulled everything outside again.


A wonderful group of music lovers dragged their lawn chairs into our backyard, filled their plates with cookies and fresh fruit, and sat back for a great afternoon of music. Gerald and I opened with a short set of our own songs, including Gerald's "Saturday Morning" and my new song, "I Wanna Make Some Noise."

After a quick break to refill glasses of lemonade, Sally took the stage. Her gentle presence and great songs quickly won over the audience. The sun shone, and the whole afternoon was just lovely.

More lemonade, CD sales, and lots of great feedback followed the concert. People were thrilled with the venue and with the whole experience. Gerald and I have talked about doing more backyard concerts in the fall, so we'll talk about that in our postmortem.

And just as we were cleaning up, the rains came fast and furious. God is good!

Gerald, Sally, and I are singing at the Moonshine Cafe in Oakville on Monday night.
Join us if you're in the area!

Praying for Strangers...

Last night, Gerald, Sally, and I were on our way home from an evening of Thai food, when a young girl sat opposite us on the subway car. She couldn't have been any more than twenty - gorgeous, curvy, tanned, bleached hair, too much make-up, not enough coverage - but it was the shoes that gave her away. Not many professions require 5-inch bright red stilettos. Her awkward gait suggested a walker, not a dancer.

It was hard not to look at her - she was really striking - but what really caught me were her eyes. They held a quiet kind of sadness.

Every once in a while, our eyes would meet for just a second. I tried to smile, but she would quickly, without attitude, look away.

The other thing that struck me was the 50-ish tattooed man that found a seat opposite her - the perfect position to gaze upon her.

When we switched trains, she sat in our car again, and again, he found a seat next to her.

I had this strong desire to speak to her. I didn't know what to say, but I felt like I wanted to say something...

"Be safe."

"Do you need someone to talk to?"

"If you need a ride home tonight, give me a call."

I wanted to speak to her, but I didn't get that knot-in-my-stomach urge to say something. When I asked, "What do I do?", the answer came in one word:

"Pray."

So, I prayed.

Silently, with no showiness, I started to pray for her. I prayed over and over and over. I kind of couldn't stop. I prayed that she'll find friends and family to support her. I prayed that she'll discover God's love for her. I prayed for healing and wholeness of being. And again and again, I prayed for her safety.

She won't be aware of my prayer, but I trust that God heard me, and that He'll do the work that needs doing. I don't know how, but I know my prayers will make a difference.

I'm not saying this because I think my prayers are so great - I'm saying this because God has promised to hear and respond to our prayers - always.

So it got me thinking -

What if we prayed for the strangers
we encounter each day?

The guy who cut you off on the 401, the telemarketer who called during dinner, the neighbour with the dog who poops on your lawn - what if we prayed for them? What if we asked for their protection, for healing in their lives, for their salvation?

Imagine a world where everyone is walking through their day, covered in prayer...

I wonder how this could change us, our communities, our world...

Picture yourself here....

... lounging in a lawn chair, sipping lemonade, enjoying the beautiful songs of Grammy Nominated songwriter, Sally Barris....

Only a few more days til our backyard concert! Sally has arrived in the country and will arrive at our house in just a few minutes. I've been cleaning, gardening, and just getting everything ready for days now. So excited!

We'll set up the sound equipment on the slate patio (where I'm standing with the camera) and the area in the photo is where the audience will sit. We'll also have a table with lemonade, cookies, and CDs.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the info. Comment or email me with any questions. Hope you can join us!

Sunday, June 27, 2010
MUSIC IN THE GARDEN:
an intimate backyard concert with SALLY BARRIS
Also featuring your hosts & opening act,
ALLISON LYNN & GERALD FLEMMING

Comer House
11 Don. Ridge Dr, North York
3:00pm - Rain or Shine!

TICKETS: $20.00

Near Yonge & 401, and York Mills subway
Free street parking available.
BYO lawn chair
FREE cookies & lemonade will be served.
Please feel free to bring your own snacks & beverages.

Sing in Peace, Maureen...

Today, Canada has lost a musical icon.

Maureen Forrester's rich contralto voice and beautiful stage presence endured her to audiences for generations.

I remember watching her from the stage one night. I was singing in the Opera in Concert Chorus - she was our superstar guest artist. Every word she sang had intention and clarity. I remember feeling overwhelmed by her combination of awesome talent and genuine humility.

In 2002, I, along with the cast of "Most Happy Fella," had the privilege of singing for Ms. Forrester in a tribute concert. I was so nervous, so honoured, to sing for this amazing lady. So gracious, so elegant.

Today, heaven's choirs sound just that much better...

Thank you for the inspiration....

Dreams are Resilient...

Dream messages have been coming to me all day.

This afternoon, I was a judge in the Senior Star talent competition. We watched a dozen seniors sing and play in an attempt to win the trophy and move on to the next level of competition.

Some had been making music their whole lives.

Some had finally found time to do it in their retirement.

I spoke with one lady who only had the courage to follow her musical dream after receiving her cancer diagnosis.

It reminded me of SARK's statement that:

"Dreams are resilient - they will wait for you!"

A well-timed thought, indeed, because this evening, I spent an hour listening to SARK in another cool teleclass. In the class, we focused on doing a few active things each week towards pursuing our dreams.

She reminded us that dreams are meant to be a part of our daily lives, and not pushed into a corner like an old and unwanted piece of furniture.

I'm feeling very inspired tonight...

Music in the Garden with Sally Barris

This is what I've been working on all day.
Mark your calendars and join us for this intimate and unique music event!

MUSIC IN THE GARDEN
with Sally Barris
Grammy Nominated Songwriter

With your hosts & opening act, Allison Lynn & Gerald Flemming

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010
3:00 pm - Rain or Shine!
Comer House
11 Don Ridge Dr., North York

TICKETS: $20.00

Near Yonge & 401, and York Mills subway
Free street parking available.
BYO lawn chair
FREE cookies & lemonade will be served.
Please feel free to bring your own snacks & beverages.

Comment or email me with any questions!
Allison@AllisonLynn.com

Turn, Turn, Turn...

This month, I've written my final article for SoGospelNews.com. You can read it here.

As much as I love the site, I've decided I really need to reshape my focus and prune away a few activities.

I think I explain it well in the article. Hope you like it, and of course, if you keep reading this blog, you'll know where all the redirection is heading....

Please Don't Jump

So yesterday I went on one of my favourite blogs, Post Secret.

People write their secrets on postcards and mail them in. The secrets get posted on the blog and get made into books. They reveal deep, beautiful, and sometimes disturbing pieces of our humanity.

Yesterday's offering contained a secret that was completely frightening.
On the postcard, the person wrote:

I have lived in San Francisco since I was young.
I am illegal.
I am not wanted here.
I don't belong anywhere.
This summer I plan to jump off the Golden Gate.

My stomach dropped when I read this. I flashed back to the night I got the phone call about Steve - how I wished he had told someone his plans, how I wished he'd revealed how dark it had gotten, how I wished we could have known what was coming so someone, anyone could have stepped in...

I'm not alone my reaction. People around the world have immediately sprung into action. Some have sent emails through the Post Secret blog. Tens of thousands have joined a facebook page to send notes of love and encouragement to this anonymous friend.

I pray that this secret-writer will see the notes, will call for help, will change his or her mind.

But my heart still hurts because I know there are countless others feeling that lonely, countless others who are trying to decide if today will be the day they end it all.

To anyone who is feeling this way, please let me say this:


Don't! Please don't!

You are not alone.

You are loved by people in your life, even if you don't feel it at this moment.

You are loved by God, even if you don't feel it in this moment.

There is a better day coming, if you don't feel it in this moment.


If you're feeling overwhelmed today, please call someone for help.

1-800-273-TALK (8255)
U.S. and Canada
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Please feel free to share this post with anyone who may need an extra hand today.

Another St. John's Double Header!

Gerald and I continue on our quest to sing at every St. John's church in Ontario.

(Just kidding, but it does feel that way!)

This morning we sang at the beautiful St. John's church in Rockwood. Dad is doing an interim there, and it worked out that the one Sunday we had available was the one Sunday that their organist had to take off!

We started with a few originals, and then led the congregation in "How Great Thou Art." When you have a smaller crowd, the fear is always that they'll be shy and not sing, but let me tell you, these people SAANG! (say "saang" with a Southern accent for full effect.) It was awesome!

We led all the hymns, and did some originals and signature pieces throughout the service. It was just a wonderful service, and so great to hear Dad preach.

After a short turn-around time, we made our way over to St. John's York Mills for the Gathering service. Drew had asked us to kick it up a notch this week, and we were up for the challenge. Our team included us, Brian on drums, and Monika and Derwyn on vocals.

I'm not bragging, but I have to say, tonight felt great! There was a flow to the songs, and the energy was all very positive. We had some great harmonies happening, and they all kind of built and flowed very naturally. Gerald's guitar grooves kept the energy moving, and Brian's rhythms lifted us in all the right places.

We also featured a song Gerald wrote last year with Sue Smith called "My Soul is Spoken For." It fit in well with the theme, and at the end, we added a repeating refrain so the audience could join us.

We really felt like a team tonight. Awesome.

I've said this before, but it's so true:

Church is always pretty good, but some times, it's just really good!

Today, it was really good!

Tin Pan North - Hugh's Room

I'm writing this the morning after as things went late the night before.

Last night, I attended the closing night of Tin Pan North at the always awesome Hugh's Room. After such a busy week, it was great to just sit back and enjoy the great rounds.


The first round featured country artist Codie Prevost, singer-songwriter Madeline Slate, and Nashville whriter Steve Leslie.

Gerald has been working with Steve for at least year, so he was first on my list to bring up for the festival. Steve is a killer writer and an awesome guitar player. He'll have the whole audience laughing, and then break their hearts with a song like "Full-time Sinner, Some-time Saint" (a personal favourite).

Steve had my favourite line of the night: "We songwriters don't owe the truth a thing."

Codie is a great performer, and Madeline was the discovery of the night with her rooted and passionate songs.


The second round featured ASCAP VP Ralph Murphy, country artist Patricia Conroy, Nashville writer Tim Johnson, and Canadian writer Dean McTaggart.

There was a ton of mutual respect in this round, and lots of comradeship, which made the whole thing very entertaining. Great stories mixed with amazing songs for a round that ended far too quickly.

The rest of the night was peppered reports from the week's shows and cool conversations with creative people of all disciplines.

Tin Pan North is a huge undertaking, and it's been a long week. I didn't book a service for us this morning (we're playing for the Gathering service at St. John's tonight), and I'm so glad I didn't! We're exhausted today, and thankful for a few hours of down time.

Of course, tomorrow I'll need to get my car towed, but that's another story...

Tin Pan North Gospel Show

Tonight was the first ever Tin Pan North Gospel Show! Whoo-hoo!

The show was sponsored and supported by the Tin Pan North festival, but most of the organizing fell to Gerald and me. We pulled together volunteers, did some advertising, and secured a great line-up of songwriters.

We gathered at the church around 6:30 with NSAI songwriters Paul Grady and Tom McInerny and headliner Ali Matthews and her guitar player, Rick Francis.

Two of the committee members provided a sound system for us (yay!), but at the last minute, we lost our volunteer sound person (not yay).

So Gerald and Tom started working on the sound system, trying to make it all work, when Rick showed up and announced that he owns a studio and running sound is second nature to him (cue the Hallelujah Chorus!). Rick set the whole thing up, ran our sound check, and then continued to tweak and run sound the entire show, while also playing guitar for Ali. (final chord: Hal-leeeee-luu-jaaaaaaahhhhh!)

The show began, and it was awesome! We had a total of 6 people on stage, and did 4 songs each in a Nashville round style. Paul's songs were calming and folky, and Tom's songs had a dramatic twist. He also made use of the church's grand piano, adding another cool element to the show.

Gerald did a wide range of songs, including his 9-11 song "Angels in the Dust" and his original rocking version of "Real Big Fan" (as opposed to my jazzy version.) Most of my songs were written in the past year, like "Living Manna," "Brighter Happy Day," and the brand new song I debuted last night, "I Wanna Make Some Noise."

Ali and Rick were amazing together! Ali has a beautiful voice and gorgeous songs. Rick would add guitar solos, and at one point he used his pedal to loop a guitar riff and play a solo over it. If you've never seen a guitar player do this before, it's very cool and he basically ended up playing a duet with himself.

For the inaugural Gospel Show, I was very pleased with the results. The crowd was very appreciative, the players were great, and the energy in the room was wonderful! Tonight, we're exhausted, but it was so worth the effort.

Mark your calendars for next year!

Tin Pan North - Trane

After months of planning, Tin Pan North has begun!

The official start was the London show last night, and tonight we kicked it off in Toronto. Gerald and I played the early round at Trane, a neat little jazz club in the Annex. Karl Widmeyer was the third NSAI member, and Katherine Wheatley was our headliner.

Sometimes, a round can be a tedious thing, but not tonight. Karl has a great voice and cool songs, and Katherine is just awesome - wonderful songs and a gracious stage presence.

The room was mostly full, so that felt good as well.

One show down, one to go. Come join us for the Gospel Show tomorrow night!

It's coming soon......

Just a reminder that our Tin Pan North Gospel Show is this Friday!

If you're anywhere close to the GTA, come join us for this awesome night of Christian songwriting!

A Double St. John's Sunday

It amazes me the number of churches we sing at that are named after St. John. We currently have 3, and we've just added a fourth.

Today, we hit 2 of them.

In the morning, we sang at St. John's West in High Park. The request had come in for a service full of old Gospel hymns, so we sang "In the Garden," "Just a Closer Walk," and our own version of "How Great Thou Art." St. John's has been our friend for a long time, and it's always good to go back for a visit.

In the evening, Gerald and I were on board to lead the music for the Gathering service. Our focus was songs of comfort and encouragement, so we asked a member of the congregation to open the service with Matthew 6:25-34. We wanted to build a bit of a team for the service, so our friends Derwyn and Deanna joined us on vocals, which meant lots of great harmonies. Deanna did a solo of "All Who are Thirsty," and we were able to build the harmony from one-part to two-part and ended with 3 parts. Awesome!

There's always a little apprehension when you bring new musicians together for a performance that only has one quick rehearsal, so we went back to basics - listen, sing with sensitivity, and rely on your strengths.

In the best moments, working with other people makes you better...

Better because you bring your best to the table...
Better because you learn to offer and receive grace...
Better because you discover your own strengths and weaknesses...

It can take us outside our comfort zones, but if we can make great music, and learn a little more about ourselves, it's always worth it.

Lessons from Backwoods Barbie & the Gambler

Friday's Oprah guest was the one and only Dolly Parton. She was funny and charming and just so Dolly.

She told an amazing story about the time Elvis wanted to record "I Will Always Love You." She was over-the-moon excited, until Colonel Parker told her that Elvis wouldn't record the song unless Dolly gave them half her publishing. It had already been a hit for her, and she had decided to hold onto that song and leave it to her family.

Imagine what an amazing recording Elvis would have done of that song! We would still be downloading it today, debating its status as a 'classic.' Dolly admitted to crying for days after losing the cut, but her "no" meant that she got to keep her song. Years later, when Whitney Houston recreated "I Will Always Love You," Dolly got to celebrate full ownership of this awesome song.

Sometimes a "No" leads to a bigger "Yes."

As Dolly was singing, she brought out her friend, Kenny Rogers, for a surprise duet. When Oprah asked the secret to their great creative relationship, Kenny said something that all artists should take note of.

He said that every performer has 3 versions of themselves. There's the person the audience sees, there's the person we portray ourselves as, and there's the real us.

He said that if you really want success in the music industry, those 3 people need to be very similar. The closer those 3 people match up, the better it all seems to work.

I guess it all goes back to that word we love to throw around so much: Authentic.

Something to think about on a Friday afternoon...

Jazzy Sunday

We decided to step outside the box a little tonight and start incorporating a little jazz into the Gathering (evening service). Gerald worked up 2 great arrangements of "Be Thou My Vision" and "People Get Ready." We met before the service for a quick rehearsal with Monique on piano and Brian on drums.

We ran the songs a few times, and then played on all the songs for the service. Drew preached on 'conversion', basing his discussion on Paul's conversion in Acts. It lead to an inspiring and challenging discussion.

After the final song, we ran our 2 jazz songs. By that time, the vibe was just right, and the songs were musical and spiritual. After the second song, one of our friends in the congregation told us how much she loves our rendition of "Give Me Jesus," so we offered to play it for her. We've never done it with drums before, but it all just flowed and felt fantastic.

There are times when the music, the message, and the worship all swirl together to take us to the next level, and it felt like we were touching on that tonight. And trust me, there's no ego in my saying that - when things get to that level, it has very little to do with us.

Choir... Jazz... Gonna be a Good Sunday!

We had a terrific rehearsal tonight! Gerald and I are going to join the Gathering service Sunday evening to sing a bit of Gospel jazz, so we ran through those songs this afternoon, and then brought them to Monique tonight. She's going to add a little piano, Brian will add a little drums... it's going to be good!

But first, the morning service will host St. Stephen's Youth Choir as our special guests. The school-aged children were part of our Advent celebrations, and it's awesome to have them back with us again. The children will join us for 2 songs, they'll do the offertory on their own, and one young girl is singing a solo. After tonight's rehearsal, we shared subs, social time, and a few good knock-knock jokes. Really looking forward to Sunday...

New project in the works...

I love a new project! It's like Christmas and Easter and Birthday Week all rolled into one!

Every week, Gerald and I have our Weekly Creative Meeting. That may sound like the weirdest thing ever to some people, but I assure you that it is one of the greatest things we do together. In that time, we postmortem past opportunities and dream up new ones. We make plans and celebrate our progress.

Yesterday's meeting was a kicker, and it's got us on a new project that's occupying a surprisingly large part of my brain. I'm not quite ready to lay it out here yet, but I promise I'll do that soon.

In the meantime, we're pulling together details for our upcoming performances at Tin Pan North, including our awesome Gospel Show, and also working on some cool church stuff.

I also had a great chat today with Sally Barris, who will be coming up for a weekend tour in June.

All the details for Tin Pan and Sally can be found on the Calendar of my site. More details coming soon!!!

Seriously - it's like Christmas and Halloween and Canada Day and Valentine's, all in one!

Radio Interview airing Saturday!

I started my day with a radio interview! I chatted with Jim McLachlin of UCB Canada about my new site, "Hymns in the Key of Grace," and the Tin Pan North Gospel Show.

(On a cool side note, I first met Jim when he interviewed me and Tara Jackson at NQC in 2008.)

I just found out that today's interview will air tomorrow night!

Here's the info, if you'd like to listen in:

Saturday, May 8,
some time between 7:00-8:00pm

UCB Canada 89.3 FM

It will also air online at http://ucbchathamkent.com/

Photos from AWARE Weekend

After taking a bit of much needed quiet time this week, I've finally posted my photos from the AWARE conference this past weekend!

You can find them either on the Gallery page of my Site or on my Facebook page.

One year ago today...

... Gerald and I survived our car accident.

I don't have much to say about it tonight, other than this: I am so incredibly grateful for my family, our friends, and God's faithfulness.

Carpe diem, everybody.

AWARE Conference - Day 3

When I think back over the last 3 days, all I can say is, “Amazing.”

Deanna and decided to have some quiet time this morning. We rehearsed by the lake, and after brunch, spent some quiet time in the chapel. We wanted to be well prepared - musically and spiritually - for this afternoon’s Communion service.

The service started outside with a parade around the chapel. Ladies carried flags and banners, I played the djembe, and we all sang, “We Are Marching.” The sun was shining, the air was clear, and the whole thing was glorious!

The Communion service was a wonderful way to end the weekend. The ladies sang and praised in all the songs, the prayers were beautiful, and the sharing of the peace could have gone on for hours.

After lots of hugs and long goodbyes, Deanna and I left for Toronto. I made it home in time for a quick clean-up and then went to hear Gerald sing a little Elvis in the church’s annual Musicfest concert. He was a hit, and it was great to just sit back and be in the audience after such a busy weekend.

AWARE Conference - Day 2

Today was a long and wonderful day with the women of AWARE. We started bright and early with a few solos as the women were entering the chapel, which lead into a joyful time of worship. These women really came here to sing! When they see a song come up on the screen that they love, we get a collective gasp of surprise, followed by joyful and boisterous singing.

This weekend has been crazy busy, so Deanna and I took a little time this morning to sit by the lake with our tea. Lovely.

Gospel artists often debate (ie: argue) about “preparation” vs “following the Spirit.” Well, today was an example of how good preparation can allow you to follow the Spirit. When I was packing my music on Friday, I decided to throw in a few charts for some of the Gospel hymns I like to sing: “Just as I am,” “He Touched Me,” “Jesus is Lord of All,” and so on. This afternoon, we gathered in the chapel for the much anticipated Taize service. We moved our instruments to the floor so we could sit on chairs and be closer to the people, the candles, and the small altar. We did a quick sound check, and as we were waiting for the service to begin, the organizers informed us that, following the service, there would be a short time of annointing. Did we have a few gentle songs we could sing during that time, perhaps something like “Just as I am”?

Why yes, yes we do.

The service was wonderful. We sang about 8 Taize choruses, and in between each one, different women would either read scripture or say a prayer. There was a gentle stillness about the whole thing. After the service proper, I took the guitar and played my collection of hymns. A few people gently sang along. I needed one more, so I played my own song, “I Call Out Your Name.”

The times in between services and worship sessions has been filled with chatting, laughing, deep breaths by the lake, and lots and lots of food! What is it about church folks and eating???

Our evening worship was awesome! They sang and danced and waved flags and it was beautiful! I wish I’d had my camera up on stage with me to take a picture of it, but a photo couldn’t have captured the beauty of the faces and the voices. After our session, Melanie spoke again and then did a short concert of her songs.

We’re all very tired tonight, but it’s a satisfied tired.

AWARE Conference - Day 1

I’m writing this from Elim Lodge in Peterborough. On our drive up here, Deanna and I went from skyscrapers to country fields. We’re staying in a great little cabin that’s just a few feet from the water. We have plans for tea by the lake tomorrow afternoon.

We’re here in the middle of the woods with over a hundred Anglican women who are ready to sing, socialize, and get spiritual. Deanna and I opened tonight’s session with a vibrant time of worship. We did songs like “Days of Elijah,” “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” and “Majesty.” They loved all the songs, and sang and danced with gusto!

The theme of the weekend is Transformation, based on Romans 12:1-2. The speaker, Melanie Hart, is also a singer-songwriter, and she ended tonight’s session with testimony and a powerful song about forgiveness and restoration.

We ended the night with snacks and fellowship. The response to the music was fantastic, and we’re getting to know some great women. Looking forward to tomorrow...

Getting ready for AWARE

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll head out to Peterborough with my friend, Deanna, for the AWARE women's conference. Over the course of the weekend, we'll lead 4 worship sessions, a Taize service, a Communion service, a musical parade into the Communion service, and 3 pre-worship sessions featuring our own songs.

We've been planning and practicing for a few months now. Even though Deanna and I have been friends for a few years, it's always a new experience when you start working together. I think we've developed a good dynamic, and I'm excited to bring the music to an audience.

I'll be blogging over the weekend, but I don't know if I'll have access to internet, so check back next week for AWARE updates.

Oh, and yesterday while I was caught in traffic, I wrote a new song! I didn't write at all over the winter, and now, it's like spring thaw - ideas and melodies are just flowing. Of course, being in traffic, I had no way to write it down, so I sang the song 30-something times so I wouldn't forget it. Must have worked cause I woke up singing it this morning!

I just want to bang on the drum all day...

One week today, Deanna and I will be heading off to Peterborough for the AWARE conference - us and a hundred Anglican women, singing and having a great time. Preparation has been a bit 'hurry-up-and-wait', but I feel we're in a good place now.

Today, we ran almost all the songs for the weekend - 4 worship sessions, 1 Communion service, and 1 Taize service. Deanna will be leading on guitar, we're both singing, and I'm the Percussion Queen, playing shakers, tambourine, and djembe.

One of the things the ladies have asked for is a 'parade' into the Communion service. Basically, we're going to gather outside 30 minutes before the service, and sing the African song "We are Marching" as the ladies process to the chapel. I'll be playing my djembe to lead us, and I'm hoping lots of spontaneous clapping, harmony, and dancing erupts.

Must bring comfortable shoes!

Gaithers in Hamilton

I wanted to write last night, but we got home so late, there was only time for tea and pajamas!

Last night, Dad and I worked Gordon Mote's product table at the Gaither show in Hamilton. We drove out a few hours before the show, just in time to have pie (I've never seen a Swiss Chalet line-up literally trailing down the street!) and pay too much for parking.

I met Gordon and his manager, Bob, at Stamps-Baxter a few years ago, and it's always great to see them - good, cool people. Working the table was fun, and there's no one friendlier and happier than Gaither fans at a show.

It's been a few years since I've seen a Gaither show, and I have to say - we had a great time. Our seats were prime - 3rd row, almost center - so we could really see the music happening. There were some amazing acoustic sets with Buddy Greene, Gordon Mote and the Isaacs, sometimes with all of them playing together. Really - amazing!

The show contained some lovely vocal performances by Karen Peck, Charlotte Ritchie, and Gene MacDonald. There was also an wonderful moment with Lynda Randle. I know she has a great voice, but I've never really understood the extreme devotion of her fans. Well, partway through "Sparrow", she noticed someone in the front row to the right of us. I couldn't see the person, but he or she must have doing sign language. Lynda noticed, and every time she turned to that side of the audience she looked directly at that person and signed the lyric of the song. She didn't do it any other time or in any other direction. It was so obvious that she was reaching out to a specific person, that other people in the audience started looking around to see who she was looking at. It was a beautiful moment of an artist in a venue of thousands reaching out and connecting with one person. Extreme devotion explained.

Tonight was also my first time seeing the new GVB. Michael English is still out, so Reggie Smith filled in! I know Reggie through Stamps-Baxter, and he sang on 'Real Big Fan', so it was so cool to see him! The group sounded great, but loud. The only complaints of the night were the volume and the cold (I think the ice is still down in the stadium).

Oh, one more lovely moment - during the 'homecoming' part of the show, Bill pulled a chair to the front of the stage, sat down, and sang a song by himself. His voice cracked and warbled and did everything else a 'good' voice shouldn't do, and yet it was one of the most moving parts of the show. Why? Because he communicated the message of the song. Beautiful!

So overall - good music, good show, good pie!

Double Rehearsal Night

Tonight, I did a 2 hour rehearsal with the Praise Team, and 30 minutes later, another 2 hour rehearsal with the Chorale (I'm subbing in for the alto again.)

Both rehearsals were great, but I just have to brag on our Praise Team rehearsal. We have Brian joining us on drums for the next few weeks, and it just lifts everything! We were rocking and grooving and doing all the things that make rehearsals awesome - creating, arranging, and really making music.

I love what I do!!!

SARK and the Dream Boogie

Yes, an odd sounding blog title, but not if you know SARK.

Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy is a vibrant, inspirational creativity teacher. She's an artist and writer, and all her books are published written in her own handwriting and accented by her bright watercolours. Most men, and probably some women, would probably find her flaky, but I love her free spirit and carpe diem approach to life.

Tonight, I attended a free tele-class with SARK! "Dream Boogie" is an 8-week course designed to put your dreams into action. I used the time to focus on our plans for a music company, and came away very excited and encouraged!

The technology was the coolest thing - at 9pm, we all called a phone number and were able to hear SARK & her assistant, Trisha, lead the first part of the class. This new technology was incredible because it actually allowed us to interact as if in a live lecture. Throughout the class, SARK would lead polls. We would punch a number on the phone for our response, and within seconds, all the results would be tallied.

Then, we broke up into small groups. Yes, on the phone. At the sound of the tone, I was suddenly on the line with 3 other ladies. We had 15 minutes to share our dreams and encourage one another. At the end of the small group time, Trisha switched the line again so we were back in the lecture setting. At the end, Trisha removed the mute button on our mics so we could all (several hundred of us?) could sing Happy Birthday to SARK. It's a little hard to describe, but very, very cool!

Life is too short...

Last week, a young man from our church passed away. He was young, kind, and healthy, and shockingly killed by hidden heart disease. A few days later, a Stamps-Baxter friend passed away. He was older, and had dedicated his life to singing Gospel music and loving his family.

I've been avoiding my blog.

Somehow, telling you about a great rehearsal, or the fact that I'm subbing in for the Chorale lead, or my new site seemed unimportant, trivial.

Saturday morning, I attended the young man's funeral. As I sat in the pew, I grieved for both men. I grieved yet again for my own Steve. I cried and ached for the people around me and in the States who are hurting so much.

I felt helpless - what can I offer my friends who are in so much pain?

And a few answers came to mind:

I can sing.

I can pray.

I can offer a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, the few lessons I've learned from my own experiences of grief.

And I can learn.

I can learn from the best of these men - to be generous and loving to my family - to live each day to the fullest - to make music with my friends - to live my life with honour, respect, holiness.

Such basic lessons, but in the day-to-day dealings of traffic and bills and taxes and issues, we forget.

Life is fragile and short.

So, live joyfully - love abundantly - sing boldly - and never miss a chance to walk in the rain, smile at a baby, dance to your favourite song, or indulge in fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies...

Hair we go again...

A year and a half ago, I had a very dramatic hair cut. I grew my hair an extra 9 inches and donated the cut ponytail to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths - a program that creates free wigs for cancer patients who lose their hair in chemotherapy.

After much debate, and a hair consultation from my cousin, Laurel (whose salon runs an annual hair donation day) I've decided to grow and donate my hair again.

It's long now, but over the next few months, I'll wash it, condition it, and care for it as it grows another 5 inches.

By mid-summer, it'll be driving me nuts, but it's all worth it.

It takes 6 donations to create one wig, so my donation isn't enough. If you have long hair, or you know someone who may be interested in donating their hair, you can find more information at Beautiful Lengths. The program runs in both the USA and in Canada.

Easter at St. John's York Mills

Alleluia - He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed - Alleluia!

If you went to church this morning, there's a good chance you heard and said this ancient Easter greeting. I love Easter, because Easter is when it all comes together. Without Easter, Jesus is simply a great man or a great prophet. But with Easter, Jesus is Lord, Saviour, Messiah, Prophecy Fulfilled!

Our morning started with an early rise. This was the Sunday we added 2 vocalists, a percussionist, and all new sound equipment. Gerald and I went over to the church last night to set up the equipment, and it made a huge difference for this morning! We all met at 8am so we could have a full hour's rehearsal before we had to head into the church for sound check.

The church was full (as most churches are on Easter) and it felt amazing to hear all those voices, see all those happy faces, and see the crowd of children gathering up front for the children's focus. Our music was a good mix of hymns and praise songs. Having the extra voices and percussion helped lift everything to a new level.

After the service, Gerald and I went home to our backyard, felt the sunshine on our faces, and breathed a sigh of relief. Holy Week is awesome, but it was a lot of work. 4 services, 3 rehearsals, 2 churches, and 1 new sound system - and I decided to launch my new site this week. Crazy busy, but wonderful, uplifting, and profoundly moving.

Tomorrow, we'll rest, relax, and gear up for the next phase!

Happy Easter!

Allison's April Articles

This month, I'm blessed to have 2 of my own articles online, and a mention in someone else's article.

My SoGospel News article talks about the new site, the free song download, and an interesting piece of family trivia. You can read that article here.

My SGM Radio article discusses a ministry lesson I received while shopping for magazines. You can read this article here.

Awesome songwriter-musician, Andrew Donaldson, mentions "Hymns in the Key of Grace" in a recent article about contemporary hymn writers. You can read his article here.

Always nice to have something to read on a Saturday afternoon...

The new site is up!!!!

I'm soooo excited right now!!!!

The all new AllisonLynn.com is live!!!

I'll write more about it tomorrow, but please head over for a visit when you can.

For April, we're offering a FREE song download! To get your free download of "At the Cross," please visit the Store.

And just in case you couldn't tell - I am sooooo excited!!!!

Good Friday at All Saints

We gathered this morning in the quiet of the All Saints sanctuary to prepare for our Good Friday worship. The normally chatty community allowed the silence of the space to calm them. These are people who carry heavy burdens - coming to the cross and laying those burdens down is vital.

The service opened with prayer and scripture readings, punctuated with moments of silence. The clergy and community read the Passion from the Gospel of John, and I followed it with an acapella rendition of "Were You There." More silence, and a long section of prayer. A wooden cross was brought up through the congregation, and we read prayers in a meditation on the cross. After a hymn and a final prayer, Gerald and I sang "The Good Tree." More silence.

Solemn, holy, and moving - a beautiful way to celebrate and honour Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday

Holy Week is always crazy for church people, and today was the busiest of them all. For Easter Sunday, we're having 3 new people join the team - 2 vocalists and 1 percussionist. On top of that, we have all new sound equipment to accommodate the new members, and today, we had our one and only rehearsal to try and pull it all together.

After 2 hours of learning new tech, new songs, and new parts, we had a short break before this evening's Maundy Thursday service. Today is the day we celebrate the Last Supper and the institution of Holy Communion. A little internet research earlier this week revealed that "Maundy" comes from "Mandatum novum" or "new commandment," referencing John 13:34, when Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

If you've never been to a Maundy Thursday service before, it can be very powerful. Our service tonight included music, communion, prayer, and foot washing. The foot washing is always amazing and personal. The music was moving - including Gerald's song, "The Good Tree" - and the prayers were meaningful. At the end of the service, the altar area is stripped to prepare for Good Friday. We exited the church in darkness and in silence.

Holy Week is busy, but I guess the challenge is to be deliberate in taking and cherishing these moments of silence and stillness.

Lessons from a Magazine Store

We spent yesterday afternoon enjoying the sunshine in one of our favourite parts of Toronto - the Annex. For the uninitiated, the Annex is cool, vibrant, and artsy. It's the home of the Fringe theatre festival, Tafelmusick Baroque Orchestra, and rock mecca, Lee's Palace. And on any day, you can wander through countless bookstores, cafes, and tea shops to find interesting people and stimulating conversations.

One of our favourite stops is the magazine store near Bathurst. We usually stick to the music section, but yesterday, I looked to see if they had any Christian magazines - ideally, something related to Christian music. I found my titles hidden in the Literary section, and thus the lesson began.

Of the 14 titles that could be considered 'religious' or 'spiritual', only 3 contained any sort of Christian association. One was evangelical, one Catholic, and one was on sacred history, Christian and otherwise.

Now, I make no judgement on the lack of Christian content in this store. Obviously, the store owner is doing what any wise business person should do - choosing products that reflect the purchasing needs of their clientele.

But as a Christian musician working in Toronto, it does provide some insight into the community and its demographics.

Is there a need for the Gospel in the Annex? Of course - we all need the Gospel.

But the insight provided by the magazines allowed me to contemplate the following questions:

- How would the Gospel be received in this part of town?
- Would people object to the message? Be offended? Be intrigued? Not care?
- Could I use my creativity to present the Gospel in this community?
- How can I be a witness to Christ in a way that won't be seen as preachy or Bible- thumper-ish?
- Many of the other magazines in the store speak to a community that is intelligent, well-read, well-informed. How do I share the Gospel in a way that will not be seen as condescending, insulting, or cliche?

I don't have answers to these questions right now, but I do think it raises questions for all us in music ministry. If we are truly called to take the Gospel outside the walls of the church, first we need to learn about our community, and then we need to learn how we can share the Gospel in a way that will not be taken as manipulative or judgmental.

I'm not saying we change the message, but sometimes, we must be creative and open in the method.

The challenge begins...

Palm Sunday

It's times like this that I'm sooo Anglican!

Today, we kicked off Holy Week - my favourite week of the year. It's that week when we really feel like we're walking with Jesus - into Jerusalem, through the trial, at the cross, and finally, the wonder of Easter morning!

Our Palm Sunday service started outside with a few songs lead by djembe, tambourine, and shakers. Inside the church, we were joined by the handbells for the hymns. The highlight of the service was a dramatized reading of the Passion, punctuated by a few short songs. One of the songs we did was the spiritual, "Calvary." Gerald and I actually recorded this song on my first EP, "It is Well with my Soul." We used to sing it all the time, but we haven't sung it for years! It was awesome to jump in again and rediscover the song.

Because this is such a crazy week, we decided to have an extra rehearsal today, which lead to a long, but good, afternoon. With so much 'church stuff' going on this week, I really wanted to attend the service tonight. I just needed that quiet time to sit in the pew and prepare my head and heart for this week. I needed it for my own personal spiritual journey, but also to prepare myself for leading worship throughout the week.

I feel ready. Well, as ready as anyone can ever feel...

Book Review: "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" by John Maxwell

I've mentioned several times how much I love "Talent is Never Enough" by John Maxwell. When I saw he had a new book coming out, I knew I wanted it, and then I was super excited to find out I could get a copy for review!

"Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" speaks to the problem many of us feel on Facebook and other online social communities. Everyone is shouting out information, but ultimately, if you don't connect with someone, who cares?

As Christian musicians, we can sing loud, send out tweets, and stick Jesus fish on our car, but if we don't connect with people, are they really going to hear our message?

John did an interesting experiment with this book. He actually posted pieces of the book online while he was writing it, and invited people to send them his feedback. Not only did he quote individual stories throughout the book, but he literally thanked every person by name in the back of the book. Don't you think all those people feel a connection to the book? Brilliant!

The book is written to help people with connecting on 3 levels: one-on-one, small groups, and in front of an audience. Obviously, I'm reading this through the eyes of a performing musician and worship leader. I feel like this book continues the work I started with the Elijah Conference a few years ago. How do I go from simply performing to actually connecting with the audience and offering something of value to them?

John starts with the principles through which we can connect with others, and taking a "it's more skill than talent" approach, leads us through the steps we can follow to help increase our ability to connect with people in both grand and intimate situations. Each chapter has a great summary and application exercises. I would recommend this book to anyone in leadership, but especially to those of us in ministry. Our message is so important, and if all we're doing is shouting at people, they may miss the message altogether.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

On Eagle's Wings

This afternoon, I sang at the funeral of a friend's husband. Years ago when I walked through my own time of grief, this friend counseled me and inspired me to lean on my faith. To be able to be there now in her time of grief was a true blessing, and one more reason why it's good to be home.

I sang "On Eagle's Wings" - a song of hope and encouragement. It's a song I love to sing, but more and more, the singing has become the secondary goal. As I prepared for today, I thought about the lessons I've been learning from John Maxwell's "Everyone Communicates - Few Connect." As much as I want to sing beautifully, my main goal today was to truly connect with those gathered in the church - to give them this message of hope and encouragement - to let them know that, wherever they are in their faith, wherever they are in their grief, that God is with them, caring for them, loving them.

After all, we can always use a little extra hope.

I hope they felt it.

St. John's Double Header

As I mentioned a few days ago, Gerald and I were handling all the music today at St. John's. We decided to get to the church as early as we could so we could have a nice relaxing start to the service. As we were doing our sound check, I thought, "Isn't it funny that no one is setting up the screen?" Well, tech issues were in the air. The slides (which thankfully, I didn't have to prepare) were not working. The slides cover all the songs and all the prayers.

In moments like this, I'm so thankful that Gerald and I have a lot of theatre and improv experience - craziness just doesn't throw us. Instead of using the opening songs as a sing-along, we invited people to use them as songs of reflection. Our opening hymn wasn't in our current hymnal, so we made a last second switch to "Seek Ye First". We haven't done that song for at least a year, but it had the chords in the hymnal, so it was an easy choice. The offertory, "Amazing Love," was a trickier piece as it's also not in the hymnal. So, I fed the lyrics to the congregation, line by line. I invited those who know it to sing loud and help us lead, and wonderfully, it worked!

Communion became songs of reflection, and thankfully our last song, "How Great Thou Art," was in the hymnal. The response from the congregation was very positive, to both the music and our leadership. I think people respond well in an "we're all in this together" atmosphere.

This evening, we had Monika join us for the Gathering service. We opened with "Holy is the Lord," "Open the Eyes of my Heart," and "Worthy is the Lamb" (Hillsong). It was so beautiful to have Moni's harmonies with us! It always amazes me how we can choose songs, the clergy chooses the sermon, and God somehow ties it all together. By the time we closed with "They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love," we had all been blessed by a message of relationship and transformation.

I like the evening service. It's casual and challenging, and people always bring good treats to snack on!

I first met Tinker...

... in the same way most Stamps-Baxter students met Tinker - as a school greeter in the Nashville airport. His gentle manner and Southern charm welcomed and encouraged all of us as we found ourselves in the sometimes overwhelming atmosphere of shape-notes and convention singing.

When I started to work for the school, I learned that Tinker had a true servant's heart. No job was too small, too trivial, too menial. He was a silent worker, there when you needed him. And he never missed a chance to tell a good story or enjoy a good laugh.

But here's my favourite story about Tinker: My first year at Stamps-Baxter, the school held a bluegrass festival. Students were invited to join the band to sing or play a favourite song. Shaking in my sandals, I stepped up on stage with a copy of my own song, "I Call Out Your Name." I was thrilled to sing the song with a real band of real musicians. But the highlight came when I sat down in the audience. Tinker leaned over and asked if he could have a copy of my song. I was humbled and honoured that someone would like my song enough to take it home with him.

I don't know if he ever sang the song again, but that little bit of encouragement stayed with me.

This weekend, we lost Tinker. We lost an encourager, a gentle soul, a true servant.

Heaven gained a great bass singer.

We'll miss you, my friend.

"Making music with my friends..."

Only the Gaither fans in the crowd will recognize today's post title as a quote and not a cliche.

This week, Monique is in Ottawa enjoying Beaver Tails, so Gerald and I are in charge of musical leadership for 2 services this Sunday. Since we've been knocked out by colds over the past few weeks, I've spent the better part of this week planning all the music.

We're going to have a great Communion service in the morning with a healthy mix of hymns and praise songs. For the evening service, Monika is going to join us on vocals. She came over tonight for tea and rehearsal. We're doing lots of harmony over Gerald's guitar grooves - really looking forward to it!

Now that we're coming out from under our flu-ish cloud, it's nice to be getting stuff done. My new site is close to complete, and I've also signed up for a trial on Sonicbids to help with bookings. We still have an opening for Good Friday, if you need special music at your church that day.

Oh, and I'm reading "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" by John Maxwell. I got it through Thomas Nelson's book review program, and I just found that it's not going to be publicly released til the end of the month. I have it before anyone else! I am so in the loop! I don't know what that loop is, but I'm in it!

Out from Under my Cold!

Last weekend, I got knocked out by a terrible cold. I still sang both services Sunday morning, but spent the rest of the day and following few days sleeping, coughing, and trying not to be too cranky.

I'm still tired and coughing, but I finally felt productive today! Here are a few cool things:

- My new site is coming along wonderfully! Can't wait to launch in a week or so.

- My new SoGospelNews article is up. "Do You Have a Maintenance or Mission Ministry?" You can read the whole thing here.

- I was recently interviewed for SGM Radio, and you can read that interview here.

- Things have come together for the Tin Pan North Christian Songwriter Night! We've booked St. John's York Mills for our venue, and all our writers are in place. Now, to sell tickets!

- Monique is away March 21, so I've been choosing music for Gerald and I to play. We're doing both services, so it'll be a fun and busy day!

And if you're in or near Toronto, here's something to think about: Our praise team will be playing our Maundy Thursday service next month, which means we're free on Good Friday. If your church is within reasonable driving distance of Toronto and you'd like special music for your Good Friday service, please leave me a comment with your contact info, or contact me via Facebook.

Spring Sally Sites

This afternoon was so sunny and warm that I actually spent an hour outside gardening! Okay, I pulled the dead plants out of the snow and put them in the composter, but still - gardening!

I've had a wonderfully productive day of booking and catching up on my long To Do list. The highlights:

- Things are moving forward on the Tin Pan North Christian Songwriter Night (Friday, May 28, 7:00pm). The venue and artists are almost confirmed!

- The last weekend of June, our awesome Grammy nominated friend Sally Barris is coming up for a weekend of gigs and hanging out. We've already booked her for church on Sunday, June 27 and the Moonshine Cafe on Monday, June 28. I'll have more details in my newsletter and on my...

- New website! I'm getting a new website! We'll be launching it some time this month! Can't wait!

Lots of good stuff happening! Feels like spring to me!

Sing, Sing, Sing

Morning: Last baby music class of the session. Over 30 toddlers plus parents. I felt like a baby rock star.

Afternoon: Gerald and I rehearsed the songs for Sunday. Adding extra harmonies where we can.

Early Evening: Gerald, Monique, and I rehearsed the songs for Sunday. Lots of new songs for Lent.

Evening: I rehearsed with the Chorale for Sunday. Anthems and Mozart. Lots and lots of sight reading.

Night: Tired. Hungry. Happy to be making a living doing something I love!

Still waiting for my day off...

Gerald and I have decided that, with weekends being so busy, Monday is going to be our day off. I think we can definitely say we took the morning off, but not the rest of the day!

Deanna and I spent the afternoon working on our retreat music. We're still waiting for a format for the weekend, so that's slowing us down a little. But we do have the songs for the taize service, so we rehearsed those today. We'll lead the songs on guitar, and I think we'll use djembe on a few as well. Even though we're just singing in 2 parts, we've worked out upper and lower harmonies on most songs. Taize songs are usually sung with 6-8 repetitions, so we'll do a few rounds in unison, then a few with me on lower harmony, and then I'll jump back on lead so Deanna can end the song with a few rounds with a higher harmony. I think it'll add a nice dimension to the music.

I've been asked to sub in again with the Chorale at church this week. That means double rehearsals on Thursday, and double services on Sunday. Next Monday will definitely need to be a full day off!