How to Make the Most of an Empty Week

When we had to cancel our trip to Nashville, we had 2 choices. We could spend the now-empty time watching television and constantly updating our facebook status with quotes from Oprah and Larry King. Or, we could make it an incredibly productive and creative time.

Obviously, we chose option #2. (If I'd chosen option 1, this would be a horrible blog post!)

So, here's how my non-Nashville days have been looking:

- Each morning, I start my day with 2-3 hours of creative time. This is my time to sing, write, and study. Currently, I'm working through John C. Maxwell's "Talent is Never Enough." I read each chapter taking notes, writing down my favourite quotes, and working on the application questions. Amazing book!

- I've just started a BSF Bible study of John. Intro class last week; first real class tomorrow. Very excited!

- I'm becoming a booking machine! When we moved home 3 and a half months early, that meant we had 3 and a half empty months on the calender. In the past week, I've confirmed a number of bookings. We're now booked for almost every Sunday morning from now til Christmas, and we're starting to book into 2010! We're also starting to book lots of concerts and Christmas parties. Of course, we still have space for more...

- I'm continuing to have pain from my neck, so I'm also continuing to have chiropractic care - 3 adjustments a week plus massage. Not really complaining about the massage part....

- The Christian DIVA event is coming up next week. Next week!! Must start memorizing my part of the 'drama'.

- I wrote my October SoGospelNews article about being a Christian DIVA. Should go online soon.

So with all that work, and the extra family duties around Mom's surgery, things have been pretty busy, but not too busy to celebrate the good stuff:

- Mom is recovering amazingly well from her knee replacement! Today, she graduated from a walker to a cane! Whoo-hoo!

- On Sunday, Dad celebrated 45 years of ordained ministry, and we're all the better for it.

- Yesterday, Mom and Dad celebrated 41 years of wedded bliss. Amazing and inspiring!

If it sounds like I'm just bragging on my family, that's all good. After our accident, Gerald and I wanted nothing more than to get home to be around our families, and this is what it's all about - being here to care for Mom through her surgery, lifting some of the burden off Dad as he takes care of the household stuff, celebrating the great moments with Greek food and cake from IKEA, and spending the quiet moments watching Autumn drift into Ontario. We are blessed, indeed!

Tough Decisions...

I can't believe I've gone this long without blogging. I just had a friend write to see if I'm okay.

I am okay, but it's been a trying week. There's been lots of good stuff - last Sunday, we sang at St. John's West Toronto, and we're now back on their regular roster. I have a new date booked for November (I'm awaiting confirmation before it goes on my calender.) I've been reading a few great books that are filling me with new ideas and inspiration - "Talent is Never Enough" by John C. Maxwell and "11" by Leonard Sweet.

On Monday, Mom had a very successful full knee replacement surgery. She was in the hospital four days, and will be in recovery for several months. At times like this, we're really glad we moved home early.

But here's the tough decision of the week: After much tedious discussion and weighing of facts, Gerald and I have decided to cancel our trip to Nashville this week. It's no secret that our recent car accident has given us many challenges, the worst of which are financial and physical. When we looked at things from a practical point of view, there was just no way we could take this kind of trip right now.

We're sad about having to make this choice... I'm going to miss studying with Allison at the Elijah Conference. We're going to miss our NSAI training day. We're going to miss Songposium, seeing friends, and attending church at Redeemer on Sunday.

...but we also feel some peace as we know this is the smart decision. Normally, Gerald and I would make the take-the-big-risk-and-it'll-all-work-out decision. It's hard making the 'mature' decision, but we have big plans for the next year, and we don't want to add to our challenges by driving ourselves deeper into debt or prolonging our physical recovery.

And now that we've made this very mature decision, we're going to wear our pajamas all day, dance in the rain, eat cupcakes, and enjoy every second we have with our friends and family. Carpe diem. Accept the good. Count your blessings. And live large, my friends. Live large.

The Week in Review

Writing on a lazy Saturday afternoon from a sunny backyard in Southern Ontario. The puppy is wandering the garden looking for bugs, my plate of homemade cookies is now empty, and I don't have to be any where at any time. Life is good.

Last Sunday, Gerald and I returned to St. George's in Guelph for Dad's last Sunday as their interim minister. It was awesome to hear such amazing tributes to my Dad - not surprising, but still awesome. Gerald and I sang "On Eagle's Wings" during the sermon, and we debuted my new song, "Living Manna, Living Bread," just after communion. Both went really well, and they got a great response. After the service, a lot of the feedback was about the new song, so that just tickled me! We're going to do it again next week in Toronto, and Jenna has already asked if they can do it at Redeemer in Nashville.

I've started the process of signing up for CCLI. It's one of those things I've been meaning to do for a while, but never got around to it. Now that we have some flexibility in our time, I'm trying to lock down some of that stuff.

I've also started chiropractic treatment for my neck. I've had near-constant pain since the accident, and I really can't handle a lifetime of this. Must say - the adjustment was not nearly as "comfortable" as the doctor described - the cracking freaked me out and the Biofreeze made me smell like a cough drop - but I've seen the treatment help a lot of friends and family members, so I'm trusting in that.

Yesterday, I did an online cowrite. Perry and I did a first draft of "Streets of Gold" for a Song U challenge, but we knew it could be better. We met yesterday in a Song U online writing room. We could talk to each other through our mics, and we could also type ideas for us both to see. There was a whiteboard where you could type, post photos, and a bunch of other stuff I couldn't figure out. In the end, we completely rewrote the lyric. We have a bit of a break before we can meet again, so in the meantime, we'll see if the original melody will still work with the new lyric.

As I recently wrote in my article, "Lessons from a Symphony", Gerald and I have been in a time of deliberate rest. We're making the most of each day by enjoying good food, long walks, and the company of family and friends. On Tuesday, we'll get back to a more regular schedule of writing, singing, booking... but til then, it's company tonight, Ribfest tomorrow, and a Happy Labour Day to all!

More good news!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet!

So, a few months ago, Gerald and I met with NSAI's workshop director and membership coordinator to discuss ways we might be able to partner with them in Ontario. Toronto actually has a very active and well respected chapter, and we were members of that group before we even moved to Nashville. But we wanted to bring a few more ideas to the table...

In the States, there are a few Christian songwriting chapters, so we pitched the idea of starting a new Christian chapter in Toronto. Christian songwriters have specific needs that aren't always met in a regular songwriting group. We need to be able to discuss matters of theology, and songs like hymns and praise and worship have different structures than traditional pop or country songs.

Last week, we sent in our application packages, and within hours, we received approval! We're about to start a new NSAI Christian songwriting chapter in Toronto!!! Whoo-hoo!

I'm crazy excited about this! There are so many Christian musicians in Toronto - writing songs for choirs, artists, congregations, or their own ministry - but there are few ways to connect these writers. I'm envisioning a group that will encompass all genres and all denominations. Not only will we not be in conflict with the other Toronto chapter, but I definitely see ways that we might be able to work together. And here's the other thing: we could easily start a songwriting group in our living room, but by partnering with NSAI, we can provide our members with all the benefits of NSAI, including webcasts, online critiques, and a direct line to the Nashville industry.

Yes, I'm also a little nervous. This is a volunteer position for us, and it's going to take a lot of work, but I'm so excited about the chance to build a community of songwriters writing great songs for the church!

We have a coordinator training day in September. As only God's timing would have it, that day is during the trip we'd already planned to Nashville. I'll be sharing lots more details about the group over the next few months! And if you know any Christian songwriters in Southern Ontario, send them my way...

New songs & midnight worship

Last night, we were so lucky to have our first Nashville visitor in Ontario! Jenna dropped by for a night on her way through town. We enjoyed several hours on the back deck, filling ourselves with good food and great conversation.

Earlier this week, I finished a new communion song, "Living Manna, Living Bread." I hadn't played it for anyone yet, but I really wanted Jenna to hear it. (I was planning on sending her an mp3, but this worked out even better.) So after everyone went to bed, we sat at the piano with a lyric sheet, and played my song. Jenna loved it and added her beautiful piano accompaniment and harmonies, and we sang it over and over and over. It was a blessed and wonderful way to end the evening.

She asked me to please send her the mp3 and lyrics so they can do it at Redeemer some Sunday. Joy!

This morning, her friend Susan Hookong-Taylor dropped by. Susan is also a Christian singer-songwriter, and has a great song that was part of World Youth Day in 2002. After we all indulged in oatmeal and fresh Ontario berries, we had a lovely exchange of songs, passing the guitar around in true Nashville style.

It was an awesome time, but it also reminded me that I am now far from friends who've been so close to me for the last few years. Tonight, I'm feeling very grateful for facebook, email, and free long distance...

Gerald's Big News

Yes, this is a belated post, but I am in relaxation mode!

Soooo, as you know, the week before we moved from Nashville, Gerald and I had our career meetings with NSAI. At Gerald's meeting, not only did they freak out about Gerald's songs, but they arranged for him to meet with a publisher on Music Row. I blogged a little at Edgehill while sipping a latte and nervously waiting for him to call.

Well, he got in the car and said, "It couldn't have gone better". They loved his songs, and offered him a publishing deal!!! Yes, literally 3 days before we moved out of the country, Gerald gets offered a publishing deal!

The details are still to be worked out. They want to hear all the songs he's written since moving to Nashville (all 150), and then they'll demo the songs they want to publish. We don't know if that will mean a bunch of single song contracts or a staff writer position, but either way it's fantastic, and we're super, super excited about it all.

And here's where it gets even better: Since we made our decision to move, I was afraid something big would happen where we'd be told "We won't work with you unless you stay" or "We won't work with you over the border." Well, this company was founded by a Canadian, many of their artists are Canadian, and a third of their writers live in Canada. Not only will Gerald's songs be pitched in the States and in Canada (good for Canadian Content regulations), but they have no problem with him working long distance. He can send songs via the internet and mail, and he'll make regular trips to Nashville, which we'd planned already. We couldn't have planned this any better!

So, what next? We need to record worktapes of Gerald's songs. A worktape is basically a rough guitar/vocal version of the song. It needs to show the lyric, melody and chords clearly so the people doing the demo can hear the song and write the charts. We spent Sunday and Monday at Monika and Brent's studio in Stouffville, recording songs and catching up. Within the next day or 2, we'll get the songs back from them, we'll send them to Nashville, and the process will begin! Whoo-hoo!!!

Home

Well, it's been almost a week, so I suppose it's time to write something. I've been on my computer this week, but I've been deliberately avoiding anything that could be considered a To Do item.

Last Monday, Gerald and his Dad left our house at 5:40am with the moving truck. They had a smooth drive, a quick visit at the border, and were able to arrive at Mom and Dad's house and relax the rest of the evening. Mom and Dad and I got up at various times, but we were all up by 6-ish. We spent the next 3 hours packing the car, returning keys, and doing a final cleaning on the house (stipulated by our lease). We left just after 9am, and the long, long drive began. We hit a lot of traffic and construction, and we had one 30 minute stop while we waited out a severe thunderstorm just north of Cincinnati. But the dogs were well behaved and we listened to good music, so even though it was a crazy long day, we survived it in good spirits.

So since then, we've been mostly on deliberate rest. My friend Cindy described it best - it's like the rest in between the movements of a symphony. You need that quiet space to reflect on the last movement and prepare for the next.

Still kind of feels like a vacation and not a move, though. I'm sure it'll sink in soon.

Today, however, is not a day of rest! More blogging tonight...

(or tomorrow, if things run late!)

Twas the night before moving...

and all through the house,
the furniture was gone,
and everyone was really, really tired!

Long day! Gerald and I were on the praise team this morning, so we were all up at 6:00 am. Mom and Dad came to the second service, which was awesome. For the psalm this morning, we did Jenna's and my new setting of Psalm 116. Everyone sang out on the chorus, and it seemed to have been really well received. During the service, Thomas and the congregation prayed for us, and after, the praise team held a lunch for us. Awesome and emotional morning.

Then the packing began. Because we're going over the border, each item going into the truck had to be itemized. As the organizing person in our marriage, I was assigned the task of creating the list, which freed me from the hours and hours of heavy lifting endured by our friends and family.

To celebrate the end of the day, and the end of this chapter, we all went to our favourite, Jim and Nick's, for BBQ and fun. Now, I'm sitting in my almost empty living room. The beds are packed, so we're sleeping on air beds - oddly reminiscent of our first month here, before we had moved down our furniture.

Tomorrow, we'll be up bright and early. (Well, early - don't know if I'll be very bright.) Gerald and his Dad are driving the moving truck. Mom, Dad, the puppies, and I will be in the car. If you're the praying kind, please pray for safe travels, a fast border crossing, and a happy road trip for all.

The Storm Before the Calm

So we've been here almost 3 years, and all of a sudden, everything is happening!

NSAI allows you to have 2 one-on-one career meetings each year. Since we're moving, Gerald and I each had both meetings this week. Yes, that's 4 meetings in the middle of Crazy Packing Week. Each meeting was incredible! Lot of encouragement and excitement about our music! We both walked away with a To Do list, including several phone calls and meetings that need to be attended to before the end of the week. Crazy!!

As I'm writing, I'm sitting in Edgehill Cafe (the same place where I did my single release party a few years ago), and the head of Big Machine Records just walked in. Gerald is up the street meeting and pitching songs to a label head. Tomorrow, he has a cowrite with an Emmy nominated songwriter and a mentoring session with a lyric specialist. I'm trying to set up meetings and workshops for our short trip back in September.

Oh, and on Sunday, Jenna and I are leading the congregation in the Psalm we wrote last week.

We're crazy excited about the move and our new plans for Toronto, but we both agree, there are things about Nashville that just can't happen anywhere else. This week is full of them!

Cowrite with Jenna

Ages and ages ago, Jenna and I threw around the idea of cowriting together. We both agreed it sounded like a great idea, but life being crazy, it never actually happened.

Then a few weeks ago, I was reading some psalms in my music room. When I got to Psalm 116, a chorus melody jumped off the page at me. I grabbed my laptop and wrote and recorded everything I heard. (Funny bit: In the middle of transcribing, Gerald came in the room to talk to me. I gave him a big "Shhhh!!! Writing!!!" and he happily left me alone. That's why it's good to marry a musician!)

The chorus came out easily, and I had a sense of the verses, but I knew it needed something else - someone else really. I sent what I had to Jenna, and asked her if she'd be interested in cowriting the song.

This morning, we met at Redeemer to write. Even though Jenna and I are great friends, writing can be a whole other experience. Before entering the church, I prayed that whatever we wrote would honour God, and that I would be open and creative in the writing process.

Well, simply put, things couldn't have gone better! Jenna showed me her ideas for the verses. We tweaked melodies and lyrics, and within 30 minutes, we had a song! The result is a pretty, responsorial psalm that can be sung in a church service. It's written to be sung with a soloist on the verses, and choir/congregation on the chorus. We did a rough demo on garageband, and spent the rest of the time chatting and catching up.

So happy with this experience! I know it's not always this easy, but when it is, it's gooood!

Last day working for Ben Speer!

Today closed a chapter for me. It was my last day working for Ben Speer Music and Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music.

Although I did some volunteer work at the school in 2007, I didn't officially start in my position until that fall. I was originally hired to simply answer the phones and reply to emails, but through my work with the School Administrator, Kay Honour, I was able to work on several larger projects that helped bring the school to a new level of organization and effectiveness.

I've met a lot of amazing people at the school, including staff, faculty, students, and guest artists. I've had the chance to teach Audition Technique, Performance Training, and Songwriting for Young Students. I've performed at faculty nights and scholarship concerts.

Gerald and I have big plans for Breaking Light Music in Ontario, and through the school, I've learned a lot of administrative skills that will only benefit our future plans.

My grandfather and father have always said, "You should leave a place better than the way you found it."

With that in mind, I can turn the page on this chapter, proud of the job I've done, and loving facebook for hooking me up with all my Stamps-Baxter friends.

Hymn vocals done!

Done! Finally done!

This morning, I met Teri Reid and Allison Speer to do BGVs for "Just a Closer Walk." The track is really fun, so I wanted something lively and joyful on the vocals. Allison and Teri did some rhythmic harmonies first, which were kind of a homage to the Speer Family version of the song. Then, Allison did some call-and-response harmonies, which also sound cool. I think we'll end up using all of them at different points, so each chorus has a unique sound.

This means all the vocals are now done! Allison and Brian are about to go on vacation, so mixing and mastering will continue in August, and manufacturing in September.

Yay!

More hymn vocals!

Much, much better day in the studio! When I woke up this morning, I only had the normal amount of stiffness in my neck. After a little stretching, I felt pretty good, so I was able to do a great vocal warm-up, and then off to the studio.

As I wrote yesterday, I was very concerned about getting everything done today, but professionals that we are, everything went very smoothly!

First, Allison recorded her part for our duet on "In the Garden." She's doing the second verse, and some beautiful harmonies on the choruses. I'm so excited about how this one is shaping up. Again, everything is very simple in the instrumentation, but that's actually allowing us to be detailed with the vocal parts. Everything is going to be very beautiful and musical.

Next, I did my vocals for "Just as I am." Yesterday, this song shut me down, but not today. I had the vocal pretty much done in half an hour. Everything felt emotionally connected, and with a pain-free neck, my tone and breath support all fell into place. Yay!

Tara showed up just after one, and she did background vocals on three songs: "I Surrender All," "Sweet Hour of Prayer," and "Take My Life." So pretty! Her voice blended beautifully with mine, and her harmonies will allow those choruses to really lift.

All in all, a great day in the studio! Just one more BGV to record tomorrow, and then all the vocals are done!

Tonight, I got into full-fledged moving mode. Between the school and the CD, I really haven't had the chance to focus on the actually packing. I now have 22 boxes filled and one bag of useless stuff thrown out. I've arranged for our furniture to be donated to FAM (our sister church in East Nashville), and our friends are taking our bookshelves. A week and a half to go - the countdown begins!!!

Hymn Vocals - In the Garden

Sometime during the night, nine-and-a-half pound Dante pushed me to the edge of the bed and my head slipped off my pillow. The result: pain. Lots and lots of pain in my recently injured neck. I stretched and breathed and even took painkillers, but the pain affected the whole day.

My goal for the day was to record my vocals for the remaining songs on my hymns project. We started with "In the Garden", one of my favourites. (Isn't it everyone's favourite?) I'm actually super excited about this one - not only is it a great song, but we're turning it into a duet with me and Allison Speer! Today, I recorded my verses, and tomorrow, she'll do her part. I think it will highlight our strengths, and it's a song written about a woman's experience meeting Jesus, so it seems like a natural choice for a girl duet.

The vocals went well, but by the time we got to "Just as I am", I was feeling awful. The pain had returned. The right side of my neck was tight and aching. I did two takes and Gerald asked if I was okay. I really didn't want to admit anything was wrong, but he could hear it in my voice. I rested a bit and took another painkiller, but there was no point. My voice just wasn't at its best. I was probably aware of the pain too, which affected my focus and energy.

In the end, we decided to finish my vocals tomorrow. That puts a lot on the plate for tomorrow: my vocals, Allison's vocals, and Tara Jackson is coming in the afternoon to do BGVs (background vocals) for 5 songs. I'm already frustrated that this project is so behind schedule. For the most part, I'm dealing with the frustration, but today really got to me. Tonight, I'm taking deep breaths, resting my voice, drinking tea, and preparing for a good night's sleep.

Stamps-Baxter - The Day After Day 10

The last day of Stamps-Baxter 2009 was my last day of Stamps-Baxter for a while. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if I'll make it back next year, or even the year after that. It's too far a drive just to drop by for a few days. We'll be visiting Nashville twice a year, but those trips will probably be in March and September to line up with other industry events. I've also heard there's a quartet convention in Alberta each July. Don't know if that would be good for me or not? I guess we'll just take it one summer at a time.

That said, Friday was a bit emotional for me. Yes, there were lots of practical things to do, like collect room keys and send final thank you notes, but my main focus was just connecting with the people I care about. I chatted and visited and had my photo taken a hundred times. I hugged and shared stories, and, in truly valued moments, I had friends tell me how much they'll miss having me as part of the school.

There was an office triumph too: the new school website is up and running! It's been several months in the making, but Friday morning, the site was launched, and our first student registered online for 2010. The site looks great, but more importantly, it's going to reduce office work by half! Why didn't we come up with this a year ago?

Closing Program began at 6:30, and it was stunning. Truly, truly stunning. I've been bragging about the group singing all week, and it surpassed its reputation. They changed the format a bit this year. The show opened with about 30 minutes of the choir, then all the auditioned acts performed, and then 30 more minutes with the choir to close it out. We were able to get the entire group onstage on risers, and they looked terrific. I'm pretty finicky about choirs, but this really sounded good. From a technical point of view, the cut-offs were clean, the dynamics were clear, and the blend was great.

But from a spiritual point of view - wow! There were songs where the entire room was smiling, and songs where singers and audience alike were wiping away the tears. At one point, Ben, Mary Tom, Rosa Nell, and Faye Speer all sang together. I don't think I've seen that in my 5 years of singing school. Just before the penultimate song, we heard an old recording coming through the sound system. It was Dad Speer, giving his testimony at NQC after 50 years in Gospel music. As his passionate voice faded out, and Tracey began to play "I am His and He is Mine." There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Backstage, there were more hugs, more photos, more "find me on Facebook!" After we cleaned up, the staff went out for food and laughs and stories. This is the stuff I'll miss...

Stamps-Baxter - Day 9

No Day 9 for me. I woke up feeling tired and awful. I went to massage therapy which helped in some ways, but as the accident trauma was 'released', it made me feel dizzy and weak and sick to my stomach. All totally normal, but still hard to deal with.

At that point, a 60-minute commute and 8-hour work day just seemed like a bad idea. I spent the rest of the day reading, sleeping, and letting my husband take care of me.

Can't believe tomorrow is the last day for Stamps-Baxter 2009. I don't know if I'll be back next year. It'll really depend on how our summer shapes up. I'm going in early tomorrow. I don't want to miss a minute of it.

Stamps-Baxter - Day 8

Short post on a long day:

- Breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Love their apple butter!

- Spent the morning working on the car accident lawsuit. Should be finished with the property settlement soon.

- Good time in Allison's class. Only a few days left, so she's forcing everyone to step up their game.

- Auditions have been handled differently this year. They're going really well, and I'm not part of it. Both things make me very happy.

- Tara Jackson visited campus tonight. Good fun!

- Gerald worked with Sue Smith again tonight. Good session!

- Went to Steak and Shake with Tara and Brandon for late night snacks. Good times!

Stamps-Baxter - Day 7

I'm sure I'm saying this every night, but today was a long, long day. I had several errands and one appointment this morning, long before I ever made it on campus. Gerald is working with Sue Smith this week, so he came out with me as well.

Tonight was the first ever Stamps-Baxter Comedy Night. Students were invited to tell a joke or impersonate a Gospel music legend. We were worried that the students might not want to get involved, so this afternoon, I did a promo bit to tell people about the show. I took a blond wig and sprayed it black. I wore black pants and a flashy shirt. And while Allison Durham Speer was teaching vocal technique, I walked out on stage singing her signature vocal exercise into the mic.

Yes, I was Allison Durham Speer.

The crowd went nuts, and Allison just laughed and laughed. I did a few "Allison" moves, and then did a little chat up about the show. It was all very fun, and I'm pretty sure it's going to end up on YouTube soon.

The rest of the day was spent planning Comedy Night. Brandon Andrews was my co-host, and truly, he did most of the organizing (bless his heart!) We had a good number of students sign up, and when the show started, the hall was packed. To open, Brandon and I each did a song. I sang "Neighbor" and I think it went well. We then brought out the students who wanted to tell a joke. Well, partway through, Ben shows up backstage. I said, "Are you here to kick us off the stage?" and he said, "No, I'm here to tell a joke." Love it! So Ben joined in the fun, and his one line joke got one of the biggest laughs of the night.

After the musical impressions, Gerald and I did a few songs. We started with "Just a Closer Walk", and invited the crowd to sing along. Then we did "A Church Song Broke Me Down", which was great fun. Next came the big surprise of the evening. I held an envelope in my hand and said that it was time to announce the big Stamps-Baxter award, and this year's winner was ... (drumroll) ... Kay Honour! Kay is our amazing school administrator who volunteers year round for the school. Not only is she passionate about the school, and generous with her incredible business skills, she does all this work from Quesnel, BC! We crowned her with a tiara, pink feather boa, a bouquet of flowers, and a 'gold and ruby' scepter made by Allison Durham Speer. Kay is not a spotlight type of person, but we really wanted to say thank you for all the work she does. Very satisfying moment indeed.

Stamps-Baxter - Day 6

I know it's only Monday, but I'm exhausted. Last night was a late one, and I have to admit - the commute to and from Murfreesboro is stressing me out. Gerald has been working on setting up the move, which is now only 3 weeks away! Yes, that's 3 weeks today. My word! There's so much to do, and as much as I love the school, it's stressful to be away from the house 10 or more hours a day.

Today was CD recording day at Stamps-Baxter. I wasn't in the hall during the recording, but they seemed to be very deliberate about the process. Group singing has been amazing this year, so I think it's going to be a terrific CD.

Tomorrow night, Brandon Andrews and I are hosting the Comedy Night, so we spent some time working on that today. Students are invited to tell a joke, impersonate a Gospel legend, or do a celebrity lip-sync. We'll mix in a bit of music, and it should be a pretty good night. This will be the first time we've done this kind of event, so I hope it goes well.

Tonight's concert was Stephen Hill, who is always awesome. So soulful and fun. He sounded fantastic, and the students just loved him.

Must sleep. Tomorrow's a long day!

Gerald rocks the Bluebird!

(Posting a day later - very, very, very late night!)

What an amazing night! This is Gerald's 4th Bluebird appearance, and they keep getting better and better. There was such a huge crowd tonight that lots of people never even made it in the front door!

Gerald was 8th on the program, so the crowd was warmed up by the time he got on stage. We opened with "All Her Flowers are Wild", and I say 'we' because I joined him on harmonies. It went well, and the crowd really liked it. I left the stage to return to my sweet potato fries (love 'em!) and Gerald did "Modern Day Outlaw" and "The Last Payphone in the World." He sounded fantastic and the crowd really loved him.

On Sunday nights, they feature 10 new writers and finish the night with a short set by a hit writer. Tonight, in an awesome turn of events, the hit writer was Gerald's mentor and co-writer, Steve Leslie. When the host introduced Gerald, he was able to say that he writes with tonight's hit writer, which totally raised Gerald's street cred. Steve was fantastic, and totally upstaged when he brought out his 8-year-old son to play harmonica and sing a duet with him.

After the show, things got even better. Gerald got lots of great feedback, and several people wanted to write with him. We got to hang out with Steve and some other friends, and we stayed so late we closed the place.

Such an awesome night. So Nashville - so good!