Painting Cars and Goober.

Today was filled with two truly unique events.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BCC Easter Video

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tea and Jam and Shoutlife

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More CWE!

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

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

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

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

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

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

NSAI One-on-one...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watching and learning...

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

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

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

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

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

Asked back...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Allison & Wess & Allison.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cafe Forte

One of the fabulous performers at the CWE showcase on Friday was Elayna Boynton. After staring at her, I realized that we had actually met 2 years ago at 'Write About Jesus' in Missouri! Anyhoo, we got to talking and she told me about her gig tonight, so I went to check it out.

Cafe Forte is a weekly event held in a cafe in the Music Row area. Each Monday, they feature 2 music acts. The music is a variety of styles, but always Christian, or Christian-based. Between the acts, they have a time of fellowship where strangers are encouraged to become friends, and bonds are built within the music community.

Elayna has great songs and a fantastic voice (even when she's fighting laryngitis!), and the second act, Chris Eddy and his band, just rocked, so the music was great.

But it was also wonderful to meet other Christians in a low-pressure, supportive environment. I met the organizers of the event and passed on my demo (prayers lifted!), and even met a woman that may end up being a co-writer! Oh, and I saw people I know! 2 of them! I'm starting to realize that living in Nashville is going to be a lot like living in St. John's - Every time you go out, you must be prepared to run into someone you know. (No more running around town in pjs with no make-up!)

I have another way this place is like Newfoundland: Guess what they say about the weather?

"If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes."

Omiword! We grew up saying that!

Final thought: For the last few years, I've been hearing Christian writers talk about doing gigs in 'coffee houses'. In Toronto, no one sings in a cafe, and on the rare moments they do, it's certainly not Christian music. But down here, the cafe is a valued venue for Christian artists. It allows a space that is smoke and alcohol free, where a Christian organizer can set up a regular or special event. It allows Christian music to move outside the walls of the church and into the "real" world. And it allows the musicians to sing songs that may be Christian or Christian-inspired, but that wouldn't necessarily be sung in a worship service.

Also, a lot of churches here actually have, for lack of a better word, cafe ministries. Some have a fully working cafe in their lobby that is open before and after Sunday morning services for fellowship time. Others actually meet in a room in a church, school, etc, where they set up a cafe and they hold worship in that environment - sitting at tables, singing praise songs, listening to the message, discussing ideas.

It's a little strange to see people walking into the church with their lattes in their hands, but if it's making people more comfortable walking through the doors of the church, I can't really argue with that. After all, God calls us to "come just as you are"...

Calvary Baptist Church

This morning was my first chance to minister to a church here in Nashville!

A few weeks ago, at an NSAI meeting, I met the music minister of Calvary Baptist Church. We got to talking, and he invited me to come and sing at the church some Sunday. So this morning, Gerald and I packed up the guitars and went to church...

We were asked to open the service, so we did "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" with dueling guitars (me on rhythm, Gerald on lead). For our solo pieces, we wanted to do songs of comfort, so Gerald did "Do You Trust the Wings God Gave You?" and I did "Abide With Me". All the songs were really well received.

It was a wonderful service. Everyone was very friendly, even before they knew that we were there for the music, and a lot of people came up to us after the service with very kind comments. The message was great too: The pastor preached on the story from Luke when the paralyzed man couldn't get in to see Jesus, so his friends lowered him down through the roof. But his message wasn't about the sick man or the miracle of healing. Instead, he took the theme of "caregivers", and focused on the friends who cared enough to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus. It was a great perspective to take on the story, and he branched out to talk about the importance of caregivers, and how Jesus is the ultimate caregiver.

This morning felt like the start of something very good. Actually, with the CWE performance on Friday, this whole weekend has felt like the start of something good. I've been trying to find my specific place in this city for a few weeks now. I know I have a long way to go, but tonight, I feel like I have my feet on the right path.

Oh, and we've been asked back to Calvary Baptist for another service! Can't get much better than that!

Christian Women of Entertainment.

Tonight was my first official Nashville gig! Whoo-hoo!

(It didn't pay, but that's pretty typical for a first Nashville gig!)

Christian Women of Entertainment (CWE) is a newly formed group in Nashville. The goal is to provide opportunities for performance and fellowship to, well, Christian women who entertain!

Tonight's showcase was held at the Curb Cafe on the campus of Belmont University. (If I ever decide to go back to school, Belmont would be my first choice. Awesome music program!) There were 6 performers, each doing 3 of her own songs.

The talent was really impressive! Some great songs and really interesting voices. It was great to see the range of songs presented too.

I opened with "Infinitely More", which was a little plagued by nerves. But I settled in and felt happy with my performances of "The Wedding at Cana" and "Abide With Me".

During my patter, I talked about our move here and how I'm on an artist visa. After my set, one gentleman called out, "Thank God for visas!" Made me smile...

Actually, a lot made me smile after the show. I met some really great people, and I'm going to hook up with some of them again. I got some wonderful feedback, and I've been invited to sing in a church. I realized I'd met one of the girls at Write About Jesus, and I'm going to see her perform again on Monday. And, I think I'm going to be able to perform in another CWE showcase in the spring!

Since arriving in Nashville, I've realized that every songwriter event has 2 women and 10 men. Tonight, it was nice to hear other women who are not only creating music, but who are giving it up to God.

Bluebird Magic...

Tonight we headed over to the Bluebird for a show. Our friend, Marc-Alan Barnette, was performing a show with his band, Volcano of Soul. As it was the Bluebird, it was all original songs. They reminded me of The Commitments, and the ladies had some awesome harmonies.

You always hear stories of going to the Bluebird for a show, and a songwriting legend shows up. Well, tonight was one of those nights...

Halfway through the show, Marc-Alan pulled up this gentleman named Billy Edd Wheeler. Don't worry if you don't know his name - I didn't either. But as soon as he started to sing, I knew his songs.

First, he sang "Coward of the County", which, funnily enough, is one of the songs we chose for our singalong during our 13 hour drive down here.

Then, he sang his song, "Jackson". Yes, the Carter-Cash classic! He sang it with one of the girls in the band, doing his own impression of the Man in Black.

It was such an awesome moment! Pure gold!

And what an inspiration! Imagine writing a song, and the moment you sing it, everyone in the room starts to sing along...

Catching up...

I can't believe I haven't blogged for so long! For a while, I guess it felt like very little was happening. Our days just felt like hours and hours of dull moving stuff - unpacking boxes, taking trips to the recycling depot, trying to get the last of the paperwork done. But now a lot has happened, and a lot more is happening in the next few days, so it's time to start writing some of it down.

First, I have my social security card. Yay! Yes, very dull for the rest of America, but very big for me because it means I can finally work here. It also means we can do things like set up a bank account. Our lives as aliens can officially begin! And that's great because...

I got my first paying gig! It came about because of a conversation at the NSAI Christian songwriters meeting. This Sunday, I'll be singing at Calvary Baptist Church. It's not huge pay or even a huge gig, but it means a lot to me. This is exactly what I came here to do: Sing God's word, in different churches, and making a living doing it. Nervous, but excited!

I've also been able to book a few gigs in Toronto for this spring. It will be like a mini tour! (Last week was very exciting with bookings coming in every day!)

I've recently spent time setting up a page on Shoutlife. This is like myspace, but it's all Christians. So far, it's been really great for me. I've met gospel singers in Nashville who've given me info about places to sing and how the large festivals work. I'm also getting some opportunities for airplay, and maybe even some gigs in the future. Feel free to visit: http://shoutlife.com/allisonlynn

This past Sunday, I decided to continue my quest for a home church. I attended Crosspoint Community Church. I'd heard it mentioned by someone, so I thought I'd check it out. The music was really good - praise and worship, but not overly loud and in your face. The preaching was awesome! The people were happy, but not friendly; no one made an effort to talk to me. I filled out a visitor's card, but it's late on Wednesday night, and so far, no one has contacted me. Not a good sign...

Gerald spent the last 3 days at an NSAI songcamp - all day workshops, song critiques, and networking. He just loved it! On Monday, I joined him to watch the faculty concert. It was at the Douglas Corner Cafe, which is a highly renowned songwriting venue. There's not a bad seat in the place. The show was phenomenal! Every song was well-crafted and interesting,and some were very emotional. Such a great night of music!

Last week, the NSAI meeting was a pro-teacher night. Gerald and I weren't able to attend, so we watched it on webcast. It recommended that each and every day, you do one thing to further your songwriting career. It doesn't need to be a huge thing, but just doing one small thing will keep your momentum up, and will encourage you to move further along your career path. And, of course, work begets work, so one thing usually turns into 2 or 3 things. Gerald and I have now started a Sunday night meeting of our own. (We meet on the couch and Sebastian chairs the meeting.) We set out what our one thing will be for each day of that week. We try to find things we can do together, or things we can help each other with. Some things are obvious, like writing or practicing or booking gigs. Other things are less obvious but equally important: building bookcases to house my music books, putting new strings on the guitar, reading a book on songwriting. Many years ago, I got in the habit of doing one thing each day for my artistic career. Now I don't even think about it. But adding one thing specifically for songwriting is new, and I'm already finding it inspiring.

Tonight I decided to go to an Ash Wednesday service at Church of the Redeemer. I really enjoyed their service a few weeks ago, and I'm interested in their Wednesday night Lenten program. The service tonight was wonderful. Very calm and soothing, yet still infused with joy. I also had a very special moment - I saw someone I know! For weeks, I've been visiting churches where I don't know a soul. After having a home church for 17 years, it's very strange to go to church and not know anyone. Seeing a friendly face was such a blessing! This just gives me one more reason to go back...

Finally, I have to say this lovely thing. After church, I came home to the nicest surprise: Gerald set up my writing room for me! I painted it last week and put up the bookcases, but it was still full of boxes and quite unusable. So tonight, while I was at church, Gerald unpacked my essentials and cleared out the unnecessary boxes. It's all ready for me to use in the morning. I'm so excited to get in there and get started! Husband of the Year!

I Am Waiting Here For You...

It's gotten very late, but I really want to write about tonight. After all, I've been waiting for months to attend my first...

NSAI Christian Workshop!

NSAI does a weekly meeting on Thursdays, but the first Tuesday of each month is the Christian writers workshop. I wanted to attend this summer when I was here for Stamps-Baxter, but it was cancelled. Then, I thought I'd get to attend in December when we were here, but again, cancelled! So, tonight was the night.

I really didn't know what to bring. My new favourite song is "Abide With Me", but it didn't seem right to get critiqued on a lyric that's mostly not mine. So, I chose an older song, "I am Waiting Here for You". I've had it critiqued before, but I really wanted another opinion. I think the song is really close to being ready, but I just didn't know how to tweak it into that final state.

The whole meeting was awesome! There weren't a lot of people (compared to the regular nights) and they only listened to half the song, so there was lots of time for feedback. The critiquers also gave lots of great thoughts on writing worship songs, becoming "armchair theologians", and how writing Christian music is a different responsibility than writing other kinds of music. All the feedback was honest, but very encouraging.

The feedback on my song was very positive. They especially liked the concept and the music. They had a few suggestions for tweaking the lyric, so I'll probably revisit a few lines. Overall, I was really happy with the experience.

After the meeting, another songwriter came over to tell me how much he liked my song. We got to talking. He leads music at his church, and today, he visited 4 of his parishioners who are terminally ill. He said he wished he'd had my song to play for those people. So I gave him a copy of it. I just hope it brings them some peace at this time. I have such a special place in my heart for those dealing with death and grief. It honoured me that he'd want to bring my music into that environment.

I'm so inspired to write after tonight! There were so many good songs... I want to have new songs to share each month!

The Redeemer and The Crabbs

Interesting title, I know, but it sums up my day nicely.

This morning, I continued my hunt for a new home church. I visited The Church of the Redeemer, an Anglican parish not too far from our place. Before Christmas, I did a Google search of "Anglican Nashville". I got a number of hits, but this is the one that caught my eye. Most of the others were very proud of their "traditional" Anglican roots, offering services using a hundred-year-old prayer book. I know that suites lots of people - it's just not what I'm looking for.

Church of the Redeemer is actually only a few years old. They describe themselves as "evangelical" Anglicans, so I was expecting something non-traditional. The service was similar to something you'd experience at St. John's West Toronto, or the 9:15 St. John's York Mills service.

It was Holy Communion, and it used contemporary language similar to the BAS. The music was lead by a praise band, and the songs were a mix of hymns, praise choruses, and taize - realllllly good! The preaching was vibrant, and the whole service was very relaxed and joyful.

They have an interesting policy: "After the service, the first person we speak to is someone we don't know." And they really do it! I met about half a dozen people and had a few nice chats about the church and what they do. I really had a good time there. I felt very comfortable, very at home. I'll probably go back soon for another visit...

This afternoon held an awesome treat: I saw the Crabb Family in concert! I've been a fan of this group for a while, but, like so many Southern Gospel groups, they never make their way to Toronto. Actually, you'd probably call this group "Progressive" Southern Gospel, meaning they mix contemporary sounds, and songs from other Christian genres, into their music.

They had a wicked band of 4 members, and then 4 of the family members were on hand to sing and play instruments. They did a lot of songs off their "Blur the Lines" album, which I just love. Jason opened with his very soulful rendition of "Shout to the Lord". Actually, I don't think Jason can sing anything that's not soulful!

Terah, Adam, and Aaron all got turns to shine on lead, and their harmonies were just wonderful! They did some building, with one person singing harmony, then adding another person, and so on, and then they did a lot of just power-wall 4-part stuff. Everything was very tight and very smooth - the work of a lifetime of singing together!

They ended with "Redeemer" - another favourite of mine! After the show, they were all out in the lobby, so I got to meet everyone and say Hi. I would have bought CDs, but I think I have everything by now.

Like any great show, I walked away a little exhausted, but also completely inspired.

Inspired to make music... inspired to write songs... inspired to use it all for the glory of God!

Home at last!

We're here! We're finally back in our Nashville home!

It's too easy to say, "It's been a busy week". The real truth comes when we say, "It's been a busy year!". In the last 12 months, we've handled our wedding, Dad's retirement, selling our house, Mom and Dad buying their house, applying for my work visa, moving us to Nashville, moving Mom and Dad to their house... and somewhere in between, we had to make a living, and spend quality time together as newlyweds!

But there's no place we'd rather be than right here, right now.

We left Toronto early Monday morning. Gerald and Sebastian and I were in my car, and 2 friends drove a rented truck carrying all our earthly belongings. The truck took a bit of time at the border (3 hours!), so we didn't start the bulk of the drive until almost 5pm. Gerald and I decided to plow right thru without breaks. And thanks to great music, lively conversation, and chocolate-covered espresso beans, we pulled into the driveway safely and cheerfully just after 2:30am. The truck had to drive slower, so the guys got here around 3:30am.

The guys stayed for a few vacation days, then headed back on Thursday. Gerald and I are now in a house stacked high with unpacked boxes, and we couldn't be happier. We've decided to take a few days just to rest and relax and spend time in each other's company. Next week, we'll attack unpacking, getting new Tennessee plates for my car, blah, blah, blah.... We just need a little break from paperwork!

But before I sign off, I just have to tell this story from today:

It's been bright and mild all week, but this morning, we awoke to a gorgeous virgin snow on the ground. Pure white. Just a few inches. Exactly what you'd love to find Christmas morning. Sun shining. No ice on the roads. Kids sliding and having snowball fights.

What? Kids on a Friday morning?

Yes, they closed the schools! It was so mild that you didn't need to clean your car cause the snow was melting right off it. Not one flake fell from the sky all day. But those tough Nashvillians were at the Walgreens stocking up on 'supplies', businesses were closed 'due to weather', and the children were home from school.

Where's Robert Ripley when you need him?

God Makes a Great Man...

I'm exhausted from all that this weekend has entailed, but it wouldn't be right not to drop a few words on the events of the last few days.

This weekend, my Dad, Rev. Hollis Hiscock, retired from almost 43 years of full-time ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Dad has worked in various capacities, but the bulk of his career has been as a Rector, which is the 'head priest' of an individual parish. He has worked in Newfoundland and Ontario. He has edited a provincial church paper, and he has taught at the high-school and university levels.

For most of that time, he has had the love and never-ending support of my mom, Helen.

He has visited the sick, counseled the troubled, held the hand of the dying. He has lead regular Sunday services, and national church events. He has chaired countless meetings and committees. And yet, he has never missed a birthday, or a choir concert, or a chance to just chat.

We've all known this weekend was coming for a year now, but the last few days have been more a daze than anything else. We're all ready for it - it just doesn't quite feel real.

On Saturday, the church held a huge dinner that welcomed so many people, they had to have 2 seatings. After the meal, we all made our way up to the church for stories, entertainment, and tributes. Several people sang, including an Elvis medley dedicated to Mom. Gerald and I did a set of songs written for Mom and Dad. We did "One Sure Step" that we wrote for the 40th anniversary of Dad's ordination. I did "All Because of You", a song I wrote for Mom. And we finished with Gerald's new song, a tribute to Dad and his ministry, "God Makes a Great Man".

Sunday morning, we had a Holy Communion service at 10am, featuring hymns and prayers from all the different books Dad has used in his ministry. We were blessed with performances by the Drama Group, the Handbell Choir, and all 3 vocal choirs. Dad chose all the music, including asking the Youth Choir to sing my song, "Marching in the Light of God". He asked Gerald and me to sing "Here I Am Lord". This song has been of great significance to Dad in his ministry. We did up our own arrangement with Gerald doing fingerstyle guitar, me on lead vocals, and Monika and Leo on harmonies.

The church was packed, which was great, but I couldn't get over the range of people who came. People from all the different services. People who don't come to church regularly. People who were old, young, and everything in between. People who have moved away, but who came back to celebrate this day with Mom and Dad.

I wish I had something profound to say today. I just feel so overwhelmed by it all, and the pressure to say something great is stunting my thoughts. So, all I'll say is this:

My grandfather, Dad's dad, used to say, "Leave a place better than the way you found it".

Dad, I think you're leaving the church better than the way you found it.

For that, and a thousand other things...I'm so proud of you!

NSAI Round in Toronto

Tonight was a first for me - I did my first round concert!

For the un-Nashvilled in the crowd, a "round" is a concert when four songwriters sit on stools and play their songs. They start at one end of the group, each playing one song at a time, and round and round they go.

This kind of concert is the norm in Nashville, but very rare here in Toronto. However, our NSAI group has started holding a monthly round, and tonight, I was one of the featured writers!

I was on stage with Laura Ranieri (NSAI-TO co-chair), Jeff Davies (great picker), and Asetha Power (gorgeous voice and a Newfoundlander!). We each did 4 songs each.

I will admit up front that I was wickedly nervous before the show started. It was my very first round, so that brought on a few nerves. And also, it was all my own stuff, which is always a little scarier for me. But the biggest thing: I was doing Christian music in a bar. Who knew how people would react? My greatest fear was that my songs would become the "bathroom break" of the show.

Before the show, I just prayed, asking for the reminder that my music doesn't need to please anyone else in that room. I just wanted to lift my songs up to God, and let Him take care of the rest.

Once the music started, I relaxed and had a great time listening to everyone's songs. I opened with "Infinitely More", and followed with "I Call Out Your Name", with audience improvised harmonies. Next, I did my Christian-drinking-song, "The Wedding at Cana". The choir did this song at our wedding, but it's had a small re-write this year, and it's now good to do as a solo. This one got many smiles and a few giggles.

I ended with the 'premiere' of my "Abide With Me". This song actually got the strongest reaction, inspiring many compliments. I had several people say that their favourite hymn was "Abide With Me", and they just loved what I did with it. (Basically, I've retained part of the original lyric, but created all new melody, chords, and structure.)

Gerald very generously allowed me to borrow his new Taylor T5 for the night, so I definitely had the prettiest guitar on stage. There were many compliments on the guitar itself, but one of the highlights of the evening was the compliment I got on my guitar playing! A gentleman told me he loved the style of picking I did on "Abide With Me". Yes...an actual compliment, not on my voice, but on my playing!!! I got some wonderful comments on my voice and on the songs, but this guitar comment was something special.

In the end, I'm really pleased with tonight. I got to spend time with talented people. I performed beyond my own expectations. And I was able to touch a few people with my songs.

I must slip off to bed soon. Tomorrow is a great day of change for our family...

VISA APPROVED!!!!!!!

I'm pretty sure I'm in shock right now:

I just got the call today...My American work visa has been approved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than my university degree, I've never worked so hard on anything in my whole entire life!

I started working on it just after the wedding last year, and now, almost 10 months later, it is not only finished but approved!

This is just crazy awesome good! There's still a bit more paper work to do, so we're probably here for a week or 2, but that's not the point...

The point is that I can now work in the States for the next 3 years! I can sing or write or create shows or sell CDs and people will actually be able to pay me and it's all good!

Shock! I will be able to to write about this with more sense later... Right now, I'm just....thrilled!!!!!

Whooooooooooooooo-hooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All Saints Epiphany

When I found out I had this Sunday free, I contacted Jeannie to see if she'd like me to sing at All Saints Church. After she said "Yes", I decided to ask Gerald and Monika if they would join me. It's pretty impossible to get the 3 of us together for any kind of gig. But God was working with us, and this morning was something special.

We decided we could still do Christmas music since this was Epiphany Sunday, so the next step was finding stuff that would incorporate the 3 of us. I chose "Welcome to Bethlehem" as our first special song, since it's uptempo and fun and allows us to play dueling guitars.

During communion, we kept it simple. I played, while Moni and I sang "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly" and "The Stable Bare" in harmony. Always sooo good to sing with Monika!

This past week, Gerald wrote a stunning new song, "My Heart is the Manger". It was inspired by Dad's Christmas sermon, when he talked about preparing your heart to receive the Christ child at Christmas. Moni and I worked for hours on harmonies, and we presented this at the end of the service. I looove this song!

"Welcome to Bethlehem" was a huge hit, especially with the children in the congregation. So after the service, Jeannie asked if we'd sing it again so people could dance. So we played, and people of all ages started to get up and dance. (Things you can do when you have no pews!) It was awesome and joyous and totally wonderful!

It was Moni and Gerald's first visit to All Saints, and I was curious as to how they would react to it. The consensus was that a lack of financial weight has given the church, and it's people, space to discover a spiritual purity. I am always so blessed by my visits there, and I'm so happy that it affected my friends in the same way too.

I highly recommend a visit...