In the continuing trend of new things, I've just sent out my first press release! I've sent it to 16 different websites and online magazines.
Here 'tis:
ALLISON LYNN FEATURED ON "MAKE IT OR BREAK IT"
NASHVILLE, TN (Press Release) – May 26, 2008 - Allison Lynn's upcoming single, "Shepherd of the Hills," is the current song featured on Solid Gospel's "Make It or Break It". "Shepherd of the Hills" is the first radio release from Allison's debut CD, Real Big Fan. Produced by Aaron Minick, Real Big Fan mixes Southern Gospel with the sounds of big band, jazz, and western swing.
Written by Joel Lindsey and Tony Wood, "Shepherd of the Hills" is a soothing ballad that evokes images from the 23rd Psalm. "I love the message of this song: No matter how far or how often we may wander, the great Shepherd will always travel to the darkest places to find us and bring us home," says Allison Lynn. "The first time I heard this song, I knew I had to record it. I would have sung this song ten years ago, and I pray I'll still be blessed to sing it ten years from now."
Known for her blog, "Adventures of a Starving Artist", Allison Lynn is a Canadian artist who recently moved her ministry south to Nashville, Tennessee. Allison received her call into full-time ministry while attending Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music in 2005.
"Shepherd of the Hills" will be featured on "Make It or Break It" until May 31. To vote "Make It", please visit www.SolidGospel.com
For more information about Allison Lynn and Real Big Fan, please visit www.AllisonLynn.com
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Jackson Ridge Homecoming
Today, Gerald and I drove out to Rockvale, about an hour from our place, to sing at Jackson Ridge Community Church. They were having a Homecoming, and I was one of the 'groups' on the bill.
The church is way out in the country, and the setting is beautiful - clear fields broken by clusters of trees. This congregation has only been there for a few months, but the church itself was built in the 1880's. The pews were handmade and they're gorgeous. No ornamentation, but built from thick rough planks of wood, smoothed over time by generations of worshipers.
The congregation gathered after their morning service for 'dinner on the grounds'. Most people actually tried to escape the heat by sitting inside, but it was a gorgeous day, so we ate under a tent. The whole thing reminded me of being at a church in Botwood - everybody knew each other, and there was enough food to feed twice as many people for two days.
At 2pm, we all filed into the church for the 'singing' part of the homecoming. There were 3 of us on the program - Encounter (a trio managed by JMA), me, and Forever Changed (a 6-person local group). We each did 2 sets - a 25 minute and a 15 minute. I mostly did songs from Real Big Fan, but Gerald also accompanied me on 2 songs. I think the shift in dynamic really worked well.
This was my first 'homecoming' performance, so I really didn't know what to expect. The congregation seemed to like the traditional songs, and I was worried that my music might not be well received. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The songs got rave reviews, and the biggest hit of the day - "Real Big Fan"! We had people coming up to the product table asking for it, and one gentleman felt so connected to the song he even shared part of his testimony with us.
It was a long afternoon, but a great one. Musically, I think the day was a success for everyone. Gerald and I felt that we got to connect with a lot of different people in the congregation, and that was wonderful. I knew I was in with kids when they invited me over to see the frog they'd found.
Partway through the program, I felt this wonderful feeling and thought, "This is what it's going to be - just singing and meeting people and trying to spread the message." I just feel so blessed that doors are opening for me, and I continue to pray for the courage to keep stepping through those doors...
The church is way out in the country, and the setting is beautiful - clear fields broken by clusters of trees. This congregation has only been there for a few months, but the church itself was built in the 1880's. The pews were handmade and they're gorgeous. No ornamentation, but built from thick rough planks of wood, smoothed over time by generations of worshipers.
The congregation gathered after their morning service for 'dinner on the grounds'. Most people actually tried to escape the heat by sitting inside, but it was a gorgeous day, so we ate under a tent. The whole thing reminded me of being at a church in Botwood - everybody knew each other, and there was enough food to feed twice as many people for two days.
At 2pm, we all filed into the church for the 'singing' part of the homecoming. There were 3 of us on the program - Encounter (a trio managed by JMA), me, and Forever Changed (a 6-person local group). We each did 2 sets - a 25 minute and a 15 minute. I mostly did songs from Real Big Fan, but Gerald also accompanied me on 2 songs. I think the shift in dynamic really worked well.
This was my first 'homecoming' performance, so I really didn't know what to expect. The congregation seemed to like the traditional songs, and I was worried that my music might not be well received. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The songs got rave reviews, and the biggest hit of the day - "Real Big Fan"! We had people coming up to the product table asking for it, and one gentleman felt so connected to the song he even shared part of his testimony with us.
It was a long afternoon, but a great one. Musically, I think the day was a success for everyone. Gerald and I felt that we got to connect with a lot of different people in the congregation, and that was wonderful. I knew I was in with kids when they invited me over to see the frog they'd found.
Partway through the program, I felt this wonderful feeling and thought, "This is what it's going to be - just singing and meeting people and trying to spread the message." I just feel so blessed that doors are opening for me, and I continue to pray for the courage to keep stepping through those doors...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Crave Bookstore and Cafe
First let me preface with this: I have been suffering with allergies all week. Not just a little sneezing, not just a little sniffling - suffering! I forgot how rough this was last year. I'm taking Reactine every day and I've started using a neti pot, but it's still pretty rough. I wouldn't normally make public complaints about this, but this is a big singing weekend for me, and any singer will tell you the dangers of allergies. Not only does it feel terrible, but sometimes you just don't know what kind of sound might come out!
Tonight, Gerald and I drove out to Lebanon for a songwriter night at Crave Bookstore and Cafe. Crave is a true treasure - a gorgeous store and a beautiful cafe. If we lived in the area, I would probably spend too much time and too much money there.
They've been holding their monthly songwriter nights in the cafe, but tonight, they decided to hold the event outside. Well, this is when you should refer back to paragraph #1. They have a nice quiet space in the parking lot behind the building. There's lots of room for tables and chairs, and a partial brick wall looks like it was built as a backdrop. The staff pulled out some sound equipment, and the set up was terrific.
I, however, did not feel terrific.
I was just so uncomfortable! Sniffing, sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat - I had it all. I just prayed, "God, please just let this stop long enough for me to sing tonight."
The show opened with a few bands, then a duo, and then us. Gerald did 3 songs - "Real Big Fan", "A Prayer Will Find You", and ... arg! I forgot the third! See how out of it I am tonight?
Next I stepped up and Gerald accompanied me on "Fear Knocked, Faith Answered". We wrote this last summer, but this was our first time doing it in public. I followed with "Wedding" and "Abide".
And at the risk of bragging - I did well! I left the stage area, got back to our table, and starting sneezing - non-stop! It was terrible!
We sat in the air-conditioning for a bit, enjoying some of the lovely Crave fare, and then politely dismissed ourselves. There was no way I could step outside again.
Who knew I would leave a city with bad air warnings and so much summer pollution you lose the top of the CN Tower, only to have my allergies get worse? Arg!!!
Lots of singing to do tomorrow. Praying tonight...
Tonight, Gerald and I drove out to Lebanon for a songwriter night at Crave Bookstore and Cafe. Crave is a true treasure - a gorgeous store and a beautiful cafe. If we lived in the area, I would probably spend too much time and too much money there.
They've been holding their monthly songwriter nights in the cafe, but tonight, they decided to hold the event outside. Well, this is when you should refer back to paragraph #1. They have a nice quiet space in the parking lot behind the building. There's lots of room for tables and chairs, and a partial brick wall looks like it was built as a backdrop. The staff pulled out some sound equipment, and the set up was terrific.
I, however, did not feel terrific.
I was just so uncomfortable! Sniffing, sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat - I had it all. I just prayed, "God, please just let this stop long enough for me to sing tonight."
The show opened with a few bands, then a duo, and then us. Gerald did 3 songs - "Real Big Fan", "A Prayer Will Find You", and ... arg! I forgot the third! See how out of it I am tonight?
Next I stepped up and Gerald accompanied me on "Fear Knocked, Faith Answered". We wrote this last summer, but this was our first time doing it in public. I followed with "Wedding" and "Abide".
And at the risk of bragging - I did well! I left the stage area, got back to our table, and starting sneezing - non-stop! It was terrible!
We sat in the air-conditioning for a bit, enjoying some of the lovely Crave fare, and then politely dismissed ourselves. There was no way I could step outside again.
Who knew I would leave a city with bad air warnings and so much summer pollution you lose the top of the CN Tower, only to have my allergies get worse? Arg!!!
Lots of singing to do tomorrow. Praying tonight...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
CD Review, and upcoming Single Release Party!!
Long day - we were up at 4am to drive our friend, Deanna, to the airport. But sooo much good stuff going on:
REAL BIG FAN has just received a review by David Bruce Murray. You can read the whole thing here.
We're out in Lebanon tomorrow for a songwriter night at Crave Bookstore and Cafe, and I'm singing a homecoming event on Sunday.
Gerald is getting ready for his Bluebird gig on Sunday, June 8, and I'll be singing back-up for him.
Then the next night, Monday, June 9, I'll be hosting my Single Release Party at Edgehill Cafe. So excited about this! It will celebrate the release of "Shepherd of the Hills". The party starts at 7pm, and admission is free! I'll sing some songs from the CD, and Tara and Gerald will perform too. I'm hoping a few more people will sing, but no official announcements yet...
And now next week (May 26-31) is Make It or Break It!
"Shepherd of the Hills" will be featured on this Solid Gospel show. People can listen to the song online and vote to Make It or Break It. If I get enough positive votes, it'll get added to Solid Gospel's regular rotation. Here's the link to vote MAKE IT.
Must practice a little, write a draft of a press release, and finally go to bed. Seriously - 4am! What are 'morning people' thinking???
REAL BIG FAN has just received a review by David Bruce Murray. You can read the whole thing here.
We're out in Lebanon tomorrow for a songwriter night at Crave Bookstore and Cafe, and I'm singing a homecoming event on Sunday.
Gerald is getting ready for his Bluebird gig on Sunday, June 8, and I'll be singing back-up for him.
Then the next night, Monday, June 9, I'll be hosting my Single Release Party at Edgehill Cafe. So excited about this! It will celebrate the release of "Shepherd of the Hills". The party starts at 7pm, and admission is free! I'll sing some songs from the CD, and Tara and Gerald will perform too. I'm hoping a few more people will sing, but no official announcements yet...
And now next week (May 26-31) is Make It or Break It!
"Shepherd of the Hills" will be featured on this Solid Gospel show. People can listen to the song online and vote to Make It or Break It. If I get enough positive votes, it'll get added to Solid Gospel's regular rotation. Here's the link to vote MAKE IT.
Must practice a little, write a draft of a press release, and finally go to bed. Seriously - 4am! What are 'morning people' thinking???
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Cinderella lost...
I was just on my way to bed when I saw the tragic news about Steven Curtis Chapman's little girl. I'm just heartsick for them.
Please keep this family in your prayers...
Please keep this family in your prayers...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Dottie Rambo's Home-Going Celebration
I had set tonight aside to write my SGM Radio.com tribute article on Dottie Rambo, but I'm so flooded with images from today's funeral that I'm having trouble getting my head around the article. Most of today was great, but some of it was disturbing as well.
First, The Basics: We arrived at Christ Church in Nashville at 12:30 for a 1:00 service. This was my first visit, and this place is huge!! We parked way up on the hill, and the shuttle bus came to pick us up. He said people had been arriving since 11:00 that morning. Inside, the results were obvious. The ginormous sanctuary was packed to the gills. They have a huge choir loft, and just before the service, each and every seat was filled by a singer - truly a 'who's who' of Gospel music.
And that's what brings us to ...
The Ugly Stuff: We knew going in to the service that the music would be spectacular, and we also knew that despite the gravity of the day, there would be people in the audience just there to see the 'big show'. For example, Andre Crouch was one of the people in the congregation. Now, if I ever meet Andre Crouch, I'll probably geek out and I will totally want a picture. But I wouldn't ask for a photo at a funeral! Well, apparently, not everyone has that standard. That's right, just before the service, a fan approached Mr. Crouch, sat in the seat next to him, and asked someone to take a photo of them together. At a funeral!
And my other favourite was the woman in front of us. She was clearly a fan, and I think it's great that fans would want to show up at the funeral to show their respect. However, is it really respect when you also sneak your camcorder into the service? First she pulls out these huge black binoculars so she can check out the people in the choir. (There were large screens around the church, so everyone could see everything.). Then she pulls out a camcorder and starts recording her favourite parts of the service. Unbelievable! We joked about it after, wondering where the video will show up first: YouTube or Ebay?
But all that aside, there was definitely...
The Good Stuff: I have never experienced a more joyful funeral than I did today. I've attended more funerals than most people - many as a singer, and far too many as a friend. Most of the funerals I've attended have focused on comforting the grieving and celebrating a life lived. (I'm struggling with the right way to say this, because I don't think one way is better than the other) Today's service focused on a celebration, not just of Dottie's life lived, but of the new life she is living today. It was a joyful expression of salvation, God's grace, and life everlasting given to us by Jesus. There was applause, singing, and shouts of praise.
Some of my favourite moments:
- We opened with prayer for those hurt in the accident that were unable to attend the funeral - a wonderful and generous way to start things off.
- Barbara Mandrell spoke about Dottie's gracious and generous approach to people; how she shunned praise, and always turned the attention towards other people.
- The "Choir of the Artists" was directed by Bill Gaither, and it really was great. They had a band to supplement the tracks, and performed 2 full sets of songs. Soloists would take verses with the choir on the choruses, and on most songs, there were several reprises of the chorus. (Did I mention the service was almost 3 hours long?) In all, 17 of Miss Dottie's songs were performed. What a legacy!
- Ben sang the solo on "Sheltered in the Arms of God". We all know what that song means to me, and this was the most emotional part of the service for me.
- The Voices of Lee sang "He Looked Beyond my Fault" - amazing!!!!
- "I Go to the Rock" had at least 4 full reprises on a double chorus, and another reprise at the end of the service. Truly, I have never attended a funeral where people where standing, clapping, swaying, and cheering. In some moments I didn't quite know what to think of it all, but I also found it to be incredibly wonderful too.
- The Isaacs sang "Mamma's Teaching Angels How to Sing" - stunning!!!
- A bishop read messages from Lily Tomlin, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and said there have been letters from all levels of government. The president sent a flag which was flown over the White House on Mother's Day.
- Lulu Roman sang "I Will Glory in the Cross". Lulu, Dottie, and Naomi Sego had been touring together as The Golden Girls of Gospel. Lulu sounded wonderful - her voice was strong, and her performance was a genuine gift to her friend.
- The Crabb Family sang "I've Never Been This Homesick Before". Again, more standing, clapping, swaying...
- Gloria Gaither gave a short speech where she tied together many of Dottie's own lyrics to celebrate her arrival in Heaven. Wonderful! (of course!)
- Sandi Patty gave us the finale with "We Shall Behold Him". It was gorgeous and powerful, and a fitting way to end the service.
As the family, choir, and pastors filed out, the pianist started to improvise, and ended up playing "I Go to the Rock". The choir and congregation, as if on cue, started to sing along again. It really was pretty amazing for me. Not just for the incredible display of talent, not just for the important guests and the impressive accolades - It amazed me that even in grief, the focus of this service was "joy". Joy for a life lived, joy for a legacy of music, and joy that, one day, we will all sing these same songs, gazing on the face of our Lord.
First, The Basics: We arrived at Christ Church in Nashville at 12:30 for a 1:00 service. This was my first visit, and this place is huge!! We parked way up on the hill, and the shuttle bus came to pick us up. He said people had been arriving since 11:00 that morning. Inside, the results were obvious. The ginormous sanctuary was packed to the gills. They have a huge choir loft, and just before the service, each and every seat was filled by a singer - truly a 'who's who' of Gospel music.
And that's what brings us to ...
The Ugly Stuff: We knew going in to the service that the music would be spectacular, and we also knew that despite the gravity of the day, there would be people in the audience just there to see the 'big show'. For example, Andre Crouch was one of the people in the congregation. Now, if I ever meet Andre Crouch, I'll probably geek out and I will totally want a picture. But I wouldn't ask for a photo at a funeral! Well, apparently, not everyone has that standard. That's right, just before the service, a fan approached Mr. Crouch, sat in the seat next to him, and asked someone to take a photo of them together. At a funeral!
And my other favourite was the woman in front of us. She was clearly a fan, and I think it's great that fans would want to show up at the funeral to show their respect. However, is it really respect when you also sneak your camcorder into the service? First she pulls out these huge black binoculars so she can check out the people in the choir. (There were large screens around the church, so everyone could see everything.). Then she pulls out a camcorder and starts recording her favourite parts of the service. Unbelievable! We joked about it after, wondering where the video will show up first: YouTube or Ebay?
But all that aside, there was definitely...
The Good Stuff: I have never experienced a more joyful funeral than I did today. I've attended more funerals than most people - many as a singer, and far too many as a friend. Most of the funerals I've attended have focused on comforting the grieving and celebrating a life lived. (I'm struggling with the right way to say this, because I don't think one way is better than the other) Today's service focused on a celebration, not just of Dottie's life lived, but of the new life she is living today. It was a joyful expression of salvation, God's grace, and life everlasting given to us by Jesus. There was applause, singing, and shouts of praise.
Some of my favourite moments:
- We opened with prayer for those hurt in the accident that were unable to attend the funeral - a wonderful and generous way to start things off.
- Barbara Mandrell spoke about Dottie's gracious and generous approach to people; how she shunned praise, and always turned the attention towards other people.
- The "Choir of the Artists" was directed by Bill Gaither, and it really was great. They had a band to supplement the tracks, and performed 2 full sets of songs. Soloists would take verses with the choir on the choruses, and on most songs, there were several reprises of the chorus. (Did I mention the service was almost 3 hours long?) In all, 17 of Miss Dottie's songs were performed. What a legacy!
- Ben sang the solo on "Sheltered in the Arms of God". We all know what that song means to me, and this was the most emotional part of the service for me.
- The Voices of Lee sang "He Looked Beyond my Fault" - amazing!!!!
- "I Go to the Rock" had at least 4 full reprises on a double chorus, and another reprise at the end of the service. Truly, I have never attended a funeral where people where standing, clapping, swaying, and cheering. In some moments I didn't quite know what to think of it all, but I also found it to be incredibly wonderful too.
- The Isaacs sang "Mamma's Teaching Angels How to Sing" - stunning!!!
- A bishop read messages from Lily Tomlin, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and said there have been letters from all levels of government. The president sent a flag which was flown over the White House on Mother's Day.
- Lulu Roman sang "I Will Glory in the Cross". Lulu, Dottie, and Naomi Sego had been touring together as The Golden Girls of Gospel. Lulu sounded wonderful - her voice was strong, and her performance was a genuine gift to her friend.
- The Crabb Family sang "I've Never Been This Homesick Before". Again, more standing, clapping, swaying...
- Gloria Gaither gave a short speech where she tied together many of Dottie's own lyrics to celebrate her arrival in Heaven. Wonderful! (of course!)
- Sandi Patty gave us the finale with "We Shall Behold Him". It was gorgeous and powerful, and a fitting way to end the service.
As the family, choir, and pastors filed out, the pianist started to improvise, and ended up playing "I Go to the Rock". The choir and congregation, as if on cue, started to sing along again. It really was pretty amazing for me. Not just for the incredible display of talent, not just for the important guests and the impressive accolades - It amazed me that even in grief, the focus of this service was "joy". Joy for a life lived, joy for a legacy of music, and joy that, one day, we will all sing these same songs, gazing on the face of our Lord.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Summer's here! - Time to sing!
The pool is open! Summer is here!!! Yay!
This morning I attended GracePointe church in Brentwood. This fairly new church started in a living room, and now meets in an elementary school gym. Only in Nashville, you say? They're in the midst of a building campaign to build a brand new church, but I must tell, it's interesting to attend a service in a school gym. Every Saturday, volunteers come to the school to set up chairs, tables for coffee, etc. And each Sunday, they tear it all down again. The artwork and school posters in the hallways remind you of the importance of children in the church, and even of the "faith of a child" passage. The gym reminded me of the old hymn:
The church is wherever God's people are praising,
singing God's presence for joy on this day
The church is wherever disciples of Jesus
remember his story and walk in his way.
(Carol Rose Ikeler, 1959)
The band was incredible, and the preaching was great too. They're doing a series called "Losing Jesus - Confessions of a Scared Christian". Today's message was about growing through those times when you are struggling with your faith. The next few weeks sound like they're going to be pretty great too, so I may check out their podcasts.
I'm hoping I can attend another morning and maybe sing a song. I'm doing a homecoming concert next Sunday (yay!), and the following Sunday, I'm going to sing at the church where Tara sang last night. Saturday, Gerald and I are singing at a Christian cafe in Lebanon, and June 9 is my Single Release Party. (more details tba... but mark your calendar for that night!)
Right now, I'm just trying to get places where I can sing my songs. I'm like the Sower and the Seed. I'm just going to sow that message wherever I get the chance...
This morning I attended GracePointe church in Brentwood. This fairly new church started in a living room, and now meets in an elementary school gym. Only in Nashville, you say? They're in the midst of a building campaign to build a brand new church, but I must tell, it's interesting to attend a service in a school gym. Every Saturday, volunteers come to the school to set up chairs, tables for coffee, etc. And each Sunday, they tear it all down again. The artwork and school posters in the hallways remind you of the importance of children in the church, and even of the "faith of a child" passage. The gym reminded me of the old hymn:
The church is wherever God's people are praising,
singing God's presence for joy on this day
The church is wherever disciples of Jesus
remember his story and walk in his way.
(Carol Rose Ikeler, 1959)
The band was incredible, and the preaching was great too. They're doing a series called "Losing Jesus - Confessions of a Scared Christian". Today's message was about growing through those times when you are struggling with your faith. The next few weeks sound like they're going to be pretty great too, so I may check out their podcasts.
I'm hoping I can attend another morning and maybe sing a song. I'm doing a homecoming concert next Sunday (yay!), and the following Sunday, I'm going to sing at the church where Tara sang last night. Saturday, Gerald and I are singing at a Christian cafe in Lebanon, and June 9 is my Single Release Party. (more details tba... but mark your calendar for that night!)
Right now, I'm just trying to get places where I can sing my songs. I'm like the Sower and the Seed. I'm just going to sow that message wherever I get the chance...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Under the Bridge
I finally got back to the Bridge tonight. It's been ages since I've been able to participate. Tuesdays seem to be a crazy day for me!
It was nice to be there with good weather, and there were tonnes of people there! Lots of participants, and an huge number of volunteers. One of the cool things about the Bridge is the special guests who drop by from various ministries. Tonight's preacher was from a group called Oasis, who also brought their children's dance team, P.E.A.K. - Putting Everything Ahead of the King. It was a dozen children, ages nine to early teens, and they were awesome. They had been taught fairly long and complicated routines, and it was great to see them stepping up to the challenge.
The other guest was Joyce Martin. I've heard her with her family (The Martins), but she's also a fantastic soloist. I was glad to meet her and tell her I'd recorded "Shepherd of the Hills". She sang the original demo, so I spent many hours with 'Joyce' learning that beautiful melody. She told me she'd actually recorded the demo about three years ago. This made me smile - It was like the song was waiting for me!
I also thought this was an inspiring songwriting story - Sometimes it takes a long time for a song to get cut, even a great song!
At the end of tonight's service, the preacher did an altar call. About 20 people stepped forward to give their lives to Jesus. After that he did a general call for those needing prayer, and another 20 or so people came forward. What an incredible thing to witness!
Needs are being met, lives are being changed, and the Gospel is being lived out ... under the bridge.
It was nice to be there with good weather, and there were tonnes of people there! Lots of participants, and an huge number of volunteers. One of the cool things about the Bridge is the special guests who drop by from various ministries. Tonight's preacher was from a group called Oasis, who also brought their children's dance team, P.E.A.K. - Putting Everything Ahead of the King. It was a dozen children, ages nine to early teens, and they were awesome. They had been taught fairly long and complicated routines, and it was great to see them stepping up to the challenge.
The other guest was Joyce Martin. I've heard her with her family (The Martins), but she's also a fantastic soloist. I was glad to meet her and tell her I'd recorded "Shepherd of the Hills". She sang the original demo, so I spent many hours with 'Joyce' learning that beautiful melody. She told me she'd actually recorded the demo about three years ago. This made me smile - It was like the song was waiting for me!
I also thought this was an inspiring songwriting story - Sometimes it takes a long time for a song to get cut, even a great song!
At the end of tonight's service, the preacher did an altar call. About 20 people stepped forward to give their lives to Jesus. After that he did a general call for those needing prayer, and another 20 or so people came forward. What an incredible thing to witness!
Needs are being met, lives are being changed, and the Gospel is being lived out ... under the bridge.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The DIVA comp is here!
The DIVA comps arrived today!
A few months ago, one of the DIVAs suggested we all put together a few songs and make a compilation CD. Nine of us got in on the project and submitted 2 songs each. Leah had everything remastered and put together the packaging, and they finally arrived today.
I'm sooo excited about this! I've never been part of a compilation before and it's so cool to see my name on the same CD as these talented ladies. The packaging is simple but beautiful - It's a glossy white cardboard sleeve with the DIVAs logo on the front and a song list on the back. Inside, there's a larger logo with all our photos, and a break down of our "DIVA" name, complete with scripture references.
I'll be adding the CD to my product table, probably with it's own price, and then a special 2-for deal with "Real Big Fan".
I know this CD will do great things for the DIVAs, but more importantly, it will help spread the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and entertaining. Sooo excited!
A few months ago, one of the DIVAs suggested we all put together a few songs and make a compilation CD. Nine of us got in on the project and submitted 2 songs each. Leah had everything remastered and put together the packaging, and they finally arrived today.
I'm sooo excited about this! I've never been part of a compilation before and it's so cool to see my name on the same CD as these talented ladies. The packaging is simple but beautiful - It's a glossy white cardboard sleeve with the DIVAs logo on the front and a song list on the back. Inside, there's a larger logo with all our photos, and a break down of our "DIVA" name, complete with scripture references.
I'll be adding the CD to my product table, probably with it's own price, and then a special 2-for deal with "Real Big Fan".
I know this CD will do great things for the DIVAs, but more importantly, it will help spread the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and entertaining. Sooo excited!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Dottie Rambo
I hardly even know what to say. I didn't see the news til this evening, long after most people had experienced the first shock. I'm still at a loss for words.
I didn't grow up with Gospel music, but Dottie Rambo's songs have become an important part of my singing, my writing, and my life.
I lead the congregation in "I Go to the Rock" in a Gospel Vespers service at St. John's York Mills. Our choir sang "Behold the Lamb" countless times, usually during communion. When Joel Lindsey pitched "Shepherd of the Hills" to me, he said, "This was my attempt to write a Dottie Rambo song". I knew I'd love it before I heard a note. I have heard students of all levels sing "He Looked Beyond My Fault" at singing school, and I'm always amazed at the power of a new lyric to transform a classic melody.
But the song that has changed my life the most is "Sheltered in the Arms of God". I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. Monika and I sang it in church services and concerts. It was the first song that made me go, "Written by Dottie Rambo - I need to learn more about her." And when we lost Steve, there was no other song that made sense. The choir sang it at his service. I cried through every note, feeling the overwhelming pain of my loss, but knowing that Steve was at peace, and that he was truly sheltered in God's loving embrace.
A few weeks ago, I was blessed to meet Dottie Rambo and hear her speak at NSAI. She spoke about songwriting, and I got to request a song. Lead by Miss Dottie, we all sang "Sheltered" in ragged four part harmony. I've had a lot of special experiences here in Nashville, but that will forever be one of the best.
We'll miss you, Miss Dottie.
So let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise,
They won't worry me for I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God;
He walks with me and naught of Earth can harm me,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.
I didn't grow up with Gospel music, but Dottie Rambo's songs have become an important part of my singing, my writing, and my life.
I lead the congregation in "I Go to the Rock" in a Gospel Vespers service at St. John's York Mills. Our choir sang "Behold the Lamb" countless times, usually during communion. When Joel Lindsey pitched "Shepherd of the Hills" to me, he said, "This was my attempt to write a Dottie Rambo song". I knew I'd love it before I heard a note. I have heard students of all levels sing "He Looked Beyond My Fault" at singing school, and I'm always amazed at the power of a new lyric to transform a classic melody.
But the song that has changed my life the most is "Sheltered in the Arms of God". I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. Monika and I sang it in church services and concerts. It was the first song that made me go, "Written by Dottie Rambo - I need to learn more about her." And when we lost Steve, there was no other song that made sense. The choir sang it at his service. I cried through every note, feeling the overwhelming pain of my loss, but knowing that Steve was at peace, and that he was truly sheltered in God's loving embrace.
A few weeks ago, I was blessed to meet Dottie Rambo and hear her speak at NSAI. She spoke about songwriting, and I got to request a song. Lead by Miss Dottie, we all sang "Sheltered" in ragged four part harmony. I've had a lot of special experiences here in Nashville, but that will forever be one of the best.
We'll miss you, Miss Dottie.
So let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise,
They won't worry me for I'm sheltered safe within the arms of God;
He walks with me and naught of Earth can harm me,
Sheltered safe within the arms of God.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
NSAI Pitch to Publisher
Tonight's NSAI meeting was the infamous Pitch to Publisher - a night when nervous songwriters risk it all by exposing their musical babies to the discerning ears of an industry mogul. Christian pitch night is always much more tame than country pitch night, when things can get really crazy.
Rick Shelton of Daywind was tonight's publisher. Rick is great at doing these kind of events, and was pretty clear about what he looks for in a song. Most times that he would pass on a song, he would still give some kind of feedback. Since I didn't start this blog in screaming joy, you can probably guess he passed on our songs, but we got some positive feedback and encouragement, so that's always valuable.
It's also a reminder that this is part of the drill. Play your songs every chance you get. Show up whenever you can and put your best song forward. Have great, good, or at least decent demos of all your songs so you can take advantage of situations like this.
More and more I'm reminded of my favourite GMA Week phrase:
Making music is blue collar work.
Get up in the morning, roll up your sleeves, and do what needs doing...
Rick Shelton of Daywind was tonight's publisher. Rick is great at doing these kind of events, and was pretty clear about what he looks for in a song. Most times that he would pass on a song, he would still give some kind of feedback. Since I didn't start this blog in screaming joy, you can probably guess he passed on our songs, but we got some positive feedback and encouragement, so that's always valuable.
It's also a reminder that this is part of the drill. Play your songs every chance you get. Show up whenever you can and put your best song forward. Have great, good, or at least decent demos of all your songs so you can take advantage of situations like this.
More and more I'm reminded of my favourite GMA Week phrase:
Making music is blue collar work.
Get up in the morning, roll up your sleeves, and do what needs doing...
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Tara Jackson CD Release Concert
You know you're good friends with someone when you brave tornado warnings to attend their CD release concert.
But we were not the only people who braved the weather tonight to support Tara and her new CD. The concert was held at The Resting Place - a church that meets in the storage warehouse for the Bridge Ministry. And yes, it's actually in a corner of the huge open warehouse. They have chairs and a stage and the whole set up, and if you just turn your head a little, you can look at all the food and supplies just waiting to be distributed to the homeless of Nashville. Fascinating set-up!
Candy Christmas hosted the concert, but all the focus was on Tara and her new songs. I've listened to the album several times now, and I was even there for the recording of "God's Got a Word", so I was excited to hear the songs live. I am such a fan of Tara's voice. She has that large belting Southern Gospel sound that I love so much, but then she can also do soft intimate tones as well. She does this one floaty thing that I love. I can't really describe it, but she does it on songs like "Redeemer" and "In Christ Alone" (my favourite track on the album).
The whole night was fantastic! Brittany Galloway, Scharlene Galloway, and Chris Unthank sang back up on a few songs, which was a great dynamic. Candy and Kyle gave short but effective speeches. And the whole audience stuck around after for cake and CD purchasing.
Yay, Tara! So proud of you!
But we were not the only people who braved the weather tonight to support Tara and her new CD. The concert was held at The Resting Place - a church that meets in the storage warehouse for the Bridge Ministry. And yes, it's actually in a corner of the huge open warehouse. They have chairs and a stage and the whole set up, and if you just turn your head a little, you can look at all the food and supplies just waiting to be distributed to the homeless of Nashville. Fascinating set-up!
Candy Christmas hosted the concert, but all the focus was on Tara and her new songs. I've listened to the album several times now, and I was even there for the recording of "God's Got a Word", so I was excited to hear the songs live. I am such a fan of Tara's voice. She has that large belting Southern Gospel sound that I love so much, but then she can also do soft intimate tones as well. She does this one floaty thing that I love. I can't really describe it, but she does it on songs like "Redeemer" and "In Christ Alone" (my favourite track on the album).
The whole night was fantastic! Brittany Galloway, Scharlene Galloway, and Chris Unthank sang back up on a few songs, which was a great dynamic. Candy and Kyle gave short but effective speeches. And the whole audience stuck around after for cake and CD purchasing.
Yay, Tara! So proud of you!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Allison Durham Speer and My First Review!
It's the first of the month, which means my latest SGM Radio article is now online. A few weeks ago, Allison Durham Speer and I met at a little Italian restaurant and chatted for hours about ministry, communication, and the Elijah Conference. You can read the whole interview here. (Actually, not the whole interview. When I actually transcribed our conversation, it was over seven pages long. Edit, edit, edit!)
And... I got my first review of Real Big Fan! It's on the same site, but you can also find it here.
It's weird to have a review. I've been part of theatre shows that were reviewed, and I was sometimes mentioned, but I've never had my own solo effort reviewed. I'm happy that's it's a positive review, and I'm grateful for the opportunity, but overall, I don't really know what to think. Weeeird!
Life note: Gerald and I took Dante to the vet today for a check up. We also had Sebastian with us, and as the lobby was quiet and the weather was good, we were all in pretty good moods. The only other person there was a large, burly man. This is a man who works hard for a living. He uses his body for a tool - maybe building things, maybe driving large vehicles. He was standing by the counter, holding a tiny dachshund, wrapped up in a towel. Dante, of course, wanted to say Hi, but the dog really looked sick, so we held Dante close to us. A woman came out and took the dog into the other room. This man, this strong rough man, started to cry. Not cry - weep. He leaned over the counter for support. He grabbed his shirt to wipe the tears from his face. After he left, the receptionist confirmed the worst. The dog had Parvo - treatable, but expensive to treat. He was being put down this afternoon.
I don't know why I'm writing about this. It has nothing to do with Southern Gospel or anything 'professional'. All I know is I can't stop thinking about that man. He's been in my prayers all day, and I'm holding my own dogs a little tighter tonight.
And... I got my first review of Real Big Fan! It's on the same site, but you can also find it here.
It's weird to have a review. I've been part of theatre shows that were reviewed, and I was sometimes mentioned, but I've never had my own solo effort reviewed. I'm happy that's it's a positive review, and I'm grateful for the opportunity, but overall, I don't really know what to think. Weeeird!
Life note: Gerald and I took Dante to the vet today for a check up. We also had Sebastian with us, and as the lobby was quiet and the weather was good, we were all in pretty good moods. The only other person there was a large, burly man. This is a man who works hard for a living. He uses his body for a tool - maybe building things, maybe driving large vehicles. He was standing by the counter, holding a tiny dachshund, wrapped up in a towel. Dante, of course, wanted to say Hi, but the dog really looked sick, so we held Dante close to us. A woman came out and took the dog into the other room. This man, this strong rough man, started to cry. Not cry - weep. He leaned over the counter for support. He grabbed his shirt to wipe the tears from his face. After he left, the receptionist confirmed the worst. The dog had Parvo - treatable, but expensive to treat. He was being put down this afternoon.
I don't know why I'm writing about this. It has nothing to do with Southern Gospel or anything 'professional'. All I know is I can't stop thinking about that man. He's been in my prayers all day, and I'm holding my own dogs a little tighter tonight.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
SGN Music Awards
Tonight I attended the SGN Music Awards at River of Life church in Smyrna. This set of awards is organized and sponsored by the Unthanks, who run www.SoGospelNews.com. This afternoon, a friend who couldn't attend said, "I hope they get a few people out for the event." Talk about being off the mark...
I arrived an hour early to help pass out programs. At 30 minutes before show-time, we ran out of programs. At 20 minutes, we were running out of seats. Chris and Amy Unthank became emergency crowd control, banning saved seats and finding single empty seats to match up with the crowd gathering in the lobby. In the end, every seat was filled, and the lobby crowd stood for the whole show.
The nominees for these awards are chosen by the staff of SoGospel, and then voted on by the public. Besides the standard "Favourite Group" awards, they take it a step further and do a few industry related awards like "Engineer" and "Producer". And actually, this is really cool: The "Songwriter" and "Producer" categories are broken up into "Artist" and "Professional" divisions. So often, it's the performing songwriters who win public-voted awards, so it's nice to see full-time staff writers get some formal recognition.
The show opened with the Freemans, and they had great energy for kicking things off. Some of the performers from the Harmony Honors were on stage again tonight. Tribute Quartet and Mike and Kelly Bowling returned with the same song, and Three Bridges sang a different song, "Step Back on the Rock" (minus the stage leap - much more dangerous in this location!). The King's Heralds have been in ministry for over 80 years, but tonight they were up for Breakthrough Artist of the year! I loved what they did at NQC last year, and they were fantastic tonight.
Gordon Mote had one of the best performances of the night with "Somebody Who Can", with the Isaacs on background vocals. So cool! The Imperials were total rock stars with their version of an older song called "Water Grave". I've never heard the original, but I loved this song! Karen Peck and New River were awesome, as usual. Karen Peck really understands stage presence. So many artists try to fill every empty bar of music with some kind of Gospel shout-out: "Aren't-you-glad-Jesus-came-down-and-died-and-saved-you-from-death?" Really, who's going to say no to that? Karen's not afraid to simply hold her ground, sit in the music, and communicate the message. Love her!
Gold City sang their awesome song "Preach the Word". This song always shakes me up. You know, the exact week Dad retired from 43 years of ministry, I got the call saying my Visa was approved, allowing me to take my ministry to Nashville. I don't think that was a coincidence. I would never compare my ministry to Dad's, but I can't help but feel that God was in that timing.
HisSong ended the night on a crazy high note with "Joy in my Soul". Overall, this was such a great night! It was well organized and smoothly run, and when your main problem is not finding enough seats for the throngs of people walking through your door, well, who can complain.
My suggestion? Next year - the Ryman!
I arrived an hour early to help pass out programs. At 30 minutes before show-time, we ran out of programs. At 20 minutes, we were running out of seats. Chris and Amy Unthank became emergency crowd control, banning saved seats and finding single empty seats to match up with the crowd gathering in the lobby. In the end, every seat was filled, and the lobby crowd stood for the whole show.
The nominees for these awards are chosen by the staff of SoGospel, and then voted on by the public. Besides the standard "Favourite Group" awards, they take it a step further and do a few industry related awards like "Engineer" and "Producer". And actually, this is really cool: The "Songwriter" and "Producer" categories are broken up into "Artist" and "Professional" divisions. So often, it's the performing songwriters who win public-voted awards, so it's nice to see full-time staff writers get some formal recognition.
The show opened with the Freemans, and they had great energy for kicking things off. Some of the performers from the Harmony Honors were on stage again tonight. Tribute Quartet and Mike and Kelly Bowling returned with the same song, and Three Bridges sang a different song, "Step Back on the Rock" (minus the stage leap - much more dangerous in this location!). The King's Heralds have been in ministry for over 80 years, but tonight they were up for Breakthrough Artist of the year! I loved what they did at NQC last year, and they were fantastic tonight.
Gordon Mote had one of the best performances of the night with "Somebody Who Can", with the Isaacs on background vocals. So cool! The Imperials were total rock stars with their version of an older song called "Water Grave". I've never heard the original, but I loved this song! Karen Peck and New River were awesome, as usual. Karen Peck really understands stage presence. So many artists try to fill every empty bar of music with some kind of Gospel shout-out: "Aren't-you-glad-Jesus-came-down-and-died-and-saved-you-from-death?" Really, who's going to say no to that? Karen's not afraid to simply hold her ground, sit in the music, and communicate the message. Love her!
Gold City sang their awesome song "Preach the Word". This song always shakes me up. You know, the exact week Dad retired from 43 years of ministry, I got the call saying my Visa was approved, allowing me to take my ministry to Nashville. I don't think that was a coincidence. I would never compare my ministry to Dad's, but I can't help but feel that God was in that timing.
HisSong ended the night on a crazy high note with "Joy in my Soul". Overall, this was such a great night! It was well organized and smoothly run, and when your main problem is not finding enough seats for the throngs of people walking through your door, well, who can complain.
My suggestion? Next year - the Ryman!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
SGMG Harmony Honors
Last year this time, I was writing about the Southern Gospel GMA Week showcase. This year, instead of a traditional showcase, they decided to use the night to host the 4th annual SGMG Harmony Honors. The awards were described as being "objective" in that there is no balloting or nomination process. Instead, the awards are given to artists who, over the past year, have won a number of industry awards and/or have had top sales of product and digital downloads. Other than the top ten songs of the year, there were no real categories that I could see.
In the Southern Gospel realm, this was definitely a star-studded night. I sat up front in the industry section, and many major artists were there. Some received awards, some performed and some were just cheering on friends. Doyle Lawson gave one of my favourite acceptance speeches of the night. I guess he receives some criticism for playing both secular and gospel bluegrass music. He pointed out something that I've always stated: If you sing a gospel song in a secular environment, that might be the only Gospel some people ever hear. He said this is how God called him to minister, and until God tells him otherwise, this is what he's going to do. Amen!
In his speech, choral genius Lari Goss remarked that Southern Gospel is so unique because it's lots of fun, yet it deals with serious theological themes like the cross and the blood. It's sometimes hard to define Southern Gospel to people who've never heard it, so I think I'll be adding this point to the description from now on.
But the best part of the night was, of course, the live performances. The show opened strongly with Jeff and Sheri Easter, now with their daughter Morgan filling Charlotte Ritchie's position. Tribute Quartet came next, and they were fantastic. Great song and great stage presence. Austins Bridge definitely fits into that "progressive Southern" category. They're just crazy talented and great stage performers. Actually, one of the things I really appreciated about tonight was that all kinds of Southern were presented, and not just the quartets (not that there's anything wrong with a great quartet!). The Crabb Family and Lillie Knauls both did traditional gospel, and the Isaacs did their own unique blend of bluegrass and Southern. They are just so great live!
Mike and Kelly Bowling and Brian Free and Assurance provided lots of big singing and great harmony. Three Bridges win the award for Most Physical Performance of the night as the lead singer took a flying leap off the stage to shake hands with audience members. I just love them! Gordon Mote sang the beautiful "Wake Up Dancing", which was intimate and moving. The show ended with Karen Peck and New River singing "Last Night", which is definitely one of my favourite songs of last year. So good!
After the show I got the chat to visit with a bunch of friends. You know, at last year's showcase, I think I saw two people I knew. Tonight, I didn't even get a chance to speak to everyone I knew. That just feels to wonderful to me. This has been a great week. I'm really looking forward to a day off when I can sit with all the things I've learned, email all the people I've met, download all the songs I've heard...maybe that's not really a day off?
In the Southern Gospel realm, this was definitely a star-studded night. I sat up front in the industry section, and many major artists were there. Some received awards, some performed and some were just cheering on friends. Doyle Lawson gave one of my favourite acceptance speeches of the night. I guess he receives some criticism for playing both secular and gospel bluegrass music. He pointed out something that I've always stated: If you sing a gospel song in a secular environment, that might be the only Gospel some people ever hear. He said this is how God called him to minister, and until God tells him otherwise, this is what he's going to do. Amen!
In his speech, choral genius Lari Goss remarked that Southern Gospel is so unique because it's lots of fun, yet it deals with serious theological themes like the cross and the blood. It's sometimes hard to define Southern Gospel to people who've never heard it, so I think I'll be adding this point to the description from now on.
But the best part of the night was, of course, the live performances. The show opened strongly with Jeff and Sheri Easter, now with their daughter Morgan filling Charlotte Ritchie's position. Tribute Quartet came next, and they were fantastic. Great song and great stage presence. Austins Bridge definitely fits into that "progressive Southern" category. They're just crazy talented and great stage performers. Actually, one of the things I really appreciated about tonight was that all kinds of Southern were presented, and not just the quartets (not that there's anything wrong with a great quartet!). The Crabb Family and Lillie Knauls both did traditional gospel, and the Isaacs did their own unique blend of bluegrass and Southern. They are just so great live!
Mike and Kelly Bowling and Brian Free and Assurance provided lots of big singing and great harmony. Three Bridges win the award for Most Physical Performance of the night as the lead singer took a flying leap off the stage to shake hands with audience members. I just love them! Gordon Mote sang the beautiful "Wake Up Dancing", which was intimate and moving. The show ended with Karen Peck and New River singing "Last Night", which is definitely one of my favourite songs of last year. So good!
After the show I got the chat to visit with a bunch of friends. You know, at last year's showcase, I think I saw two people I knew. Tonight, I didn't even get a chance to speak to everyone I knew. That just feels to wonderful to me. This has been a great week. I'm really looking forward to a day off when I can sit with all the things I've learned, email all the people I've met, download all the songs I've heard...maybe that's not really a day off?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
GMA Recovery Day
I dragged myself to work this morning on 5 hours sleep. Why am I still up tonight?
Not much to say tonight, only that the new ideas from GMA are spinning around in my head. I'm going to attend the Southern Gospel showcase tomorrow night, so I'm still involved a bit, but to be honest, I'm just ready to work.
Several times this weekend, I heard the words "making music is blue collar work". I get this, and I know I'm a hard worker, I think this weekend is inspiring me to focus my approach to that work even tighter and tighter. I've felt myself on this path for a few weeks now, and this weekend seems to have been an inspiration and a confirmation, all at once.
Don't know if this makes sense to anyone else right now. Maybe it's still too new in my head. I guess right now, I just feel things shifting in me creatively and in my focus, and that's all very cool and exciting. Can't wait to see where it leads me...
Not much to say tonight, only that the new ideas from GMA are spinning around in my head. I'm going to attend the Southern Gospel showcase tomorrow night, so I'm still involved a bit, but to be honest, I'm just ready to work.
Several times this weekend, I heard the words "making music is blue collar work". I get this, and I know I'm a hard worker, I think this weekend is inspiring me to focus my approach to that work even tighter and tighter. I've felt myself on this path for a few weeks now, and this weekend seems to have been an inspiration and a confirmation, all at once.
Don't know if this makes sense to anyone else right now. Maybe it's still too new in my head. I guess right now, I just feel things shifting in me creatively and in my focus, and that's all very cool and exciting. Can't wait to see where it leads me...
Monday, April 21, 2008
GMA Indie Impact - Day 2
Amazing day! Completely exhausted! This morning started at 8am (8ish for some of us), and I didn't get home til 1 am. (I've adjusted the time on this post to keep the date accurate.) Loooong day, but gooood!
The morning started with a chapel service for all GMA registrants. The music was lead by Travis Cottrell - fabulous band, and he has a great voice. Beth Moore gave the message, and she was awesome. I really only knew her by reputation, but it was clear she had many fans in the audience. She spoke about Jacob and the angel, and related that to times in our life when we need to "wrestle with God". Such a great way to start the day!
Next was the opening of the exhibit hall. An hour and a half later, I'm dragging around a bag of free stuff. Good times...
I almost skipped the next session because of its uber-cheesy title: "How to build relationships during GMA Week that will last". I only went because I had friends in there (maybe I could have rationalized that as 'relationship building'?), but seriously, it was fantastic. The opening part on how to network at industry events was fine, but then we broke up into groups of ten. We had to introduce ourselves, and give our email address to everyone in the group. Well, we had amazing people in our group - the woman who works at X-Box who's feeling a call to ministry, the woman from Nigeria who wants to bring CCM to her country, and the "Mom-ager" - a mother managing the career of her daughter.
Next we had the Networking Roundtables. This was great last year, so I was pretty excited about it. Basically, it's a room full of tables and each table has an industry professional in fields like radio, management, booking, etc. You rotate through the tables in 15 minute sets. I didn't get as much out of it this year, but I did sit at Tom Jackson's table for a while, and that was amazing.
Last year, I skipped the Live Showcase so I could watch the Walk of Fame inductions, so this year I decided to attend the showcase. Everyone puts their name in a hat, and over the course of 2 hours they pull names out and those people get to sing. I put my name in, but it didn't get drawn. That was cool though cause a few friends got to perform, including Virginia Hill, who was on the Indie Fest line-up with me and Gerald last summer. Everyone was good, and some people were extraordinary.
Oh, and I also met up with some great Shoutlife people today! I love putting real faces to the cyber faces! Some of us had summer together on the patio of Panera. Nothing says "spring" like sitting on a patio!
From Panera, we rolled down the hill and into the Ryman for Sunday Evening Worship. It was lead by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, and Israel Houghton and New Breed. At two hours of solid music, it was a bit lengthy for the end of a long day, but soooo incredible! I'm such a fan of Mandisa's, and I'm now a brand new fan of New Breed. Such an amazing mix of praise and rhythm and just cool, cool music!
And then, finally, my favourite part of GMA Week: The Songwriter Showcase. Hosted by Bart Millard (Mercy Me) and Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), the two hour line-up featured over a dozen stunning performances. Each song is performed by the songwriter, which is sometimes the artist, sometimes not. Where the worship service felt a little long for me, the Songwriter Showcase could have gone til morning and I still would be in my seat. It was just incredible. Each song is performed simply and acoustically, so you have rock bands going unplugged, and some songs simply performed with piano or guitar. Joel Lindsey and Sue Smith performed their Hoppers cut, "He Erased It" with piano and 2 part harmony - beautiful. Leeland did their Dove nominated "Tears of the Saints". I'd never heard this song before (I think most people over 25 hadn't either), but it was truly moving. You could feel something shifting in the room as this 'kid' sang about saving the lost of this world. Really incredible.
Another favourite moment for me was Toby Mac singing his hip-hop song "Made to Love" in an acoustic arrangement. I love this song, but to hear it performed with just 2 voices, guitar, and a guy on beat box was really cool. Mark Hall ended the night with "East to the West", which I just love.
Today was my last full day at GMA Week, so after exchanging email addresses and cell phone numbers, I finally got in my car to go home. I walked in the door at 1 am. I'm wired and exhausted and nowhere near ready to sleep. I can't believe I have to work tomorrow morning...
The morning started with a chapel service for all GMA registrants. The music was lead by Travis Cottrell - fabulous band, and he has a great voice. Beth Moore gave the message, and she was awesome. I really only knew her by reputation, but it was clear she had many fans in the audience. She spoke about Jacob and the angel, and related that to times in our life when we need to "wrestle with God". Such a great way to start the day!
Next was the opening of the exhibit hall. An hour and a half later, I'm dragging around a bag of free stuff. Good times...
I almost skipped the next session because of its uber-cheesy title: "How to build relationships during GMA Week that will last". I only went because I had friends in there (maybe I could have rationalized that as 'relationship building'?), but seriously, it was fantastic. The opening part on how to network at industry events was fine, but then we broke up into groups of ten. We had to introduce ourselves, and give our email address to everyone in the group. Well, we had amazing people in our group - the woman who works at X-Box who's feeling a call to ministry, the woman from Nigeria who wants to bring CCM to her country, and the "Mom-ager" - a mother managing the career of her daughter.
Next we had the Networking Roundtables. This was great last year, so I was pretty excited about it. Basically, it's a room full of tables and each table has an industry professional in fields like radio, management, booking, etc. You rotate through the tables in 15 minute sets. I didn't get as much out of it this year, but I did sit at Tom Jackson's table for a while, and that was amazing.
Last year, I skipped the Live Showcase so I could watch the Walk of Fame inductions, so this year I decided to attend the showcase. Everyone puts their name in a hat, and over the course of 2 hours they pull names out and those people get to sing. I put my name in, but it didn't get drawn. That was cool though cause a few friends got to perform, including Virginia Hill, who was on the Indie Fest line-up with me and Gerald last summer. Everyone was good, and some people were extraordinary.
Oh, and I also met up with some great Shoutlife people today! I love putting real faces to the cyber faces! Some of us had summer together on the patio of Panera. Nothing says "spring" like sitting on a patio!
From Panera, we rolled down the hill and into the Ryman for Sunday Evening Worship. It was lead by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, and Israel Houghton and New Breed. At two hours of solid music, it was a bit lengthy for the end of a long day, but soooo incredible! I'm such a fan of Mandisa's, and I'm now a brand new fan of New Breed. Such an amazing mix of praise and rhythm and just cool, cool music!
And then, finally, my favourite part of GMA Week: The Songwriter Showcase. Hosted by Bart Millard (Mercy Me) and Mark Hall (Casting Crowns), the two hour line-up featured over a dozen stunning performances. Each song is performed by the songwriter, which is sometimes the artist, sometimes not. Where the worship service felt a little long for me, the Songwriter Showcase could have gone til morning and I still would be in my seat. It was just incredible. Each song is performed simply and acoustically, so you have rock bands going unplugged, and some songs simply performed with piano or guitar. Joel Lindsey and Sue Smith performed their Hoppers cut, "He Erased It" with piano and 2 part harmony - beautiful. Leeland did their Dove nominated "Tears of the Saints". I'd never heard this song before (I think most people over 25 hadn't either), but it was truly moving. You could feel something shifting in the room as this 'kid' sang about saving the lost of this world. Really incredible.
Another favourite moment for me was Toby Mac singing his hip-hop song "Made to Love" in an acoustic arrangement. I love this song, but to hear it performed with just 2 voices, guitar, and a guy on beat box was really cool. Mark Hall ended the night with "East to the West", which I just love.
Today was my last full day at GMA Week, so after exchanging email addresses and cell phone numbers, I finally got in my car to go home. I walked in the door at 1 am. I'm wired and exhausted and nowhere near ready to sleep. I can't believe I have to work tomorrow morning...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
GMA Indie Impact - Day 1
I don't know why I'm still up! It was an early and a long day, and tomorrow will be even earlier and longer, but I really need to write a little before turning in for the night.
So, today was Day 1 of my GMA Week experience. As I wrote earlier, I have been blessed with a scholarship to attend the weekend workshop called Indie Impact. The goal of these workshops is to help the indie artist, and I think they did a fairly good job of that today.
The morning started bright and early with music by husband and wife duo, The Dentes. Actually, they reminded me a little of me and Gerald. I really liked their melodies, but the sound was not good, so I couldn't hear any of their lyrics. The husband is a fantastic guitar player (lots of tapping and cool stuff), so that was awesome.
They were followed by amazing guest speaker Nate Larkin. The core of his speech was how having a false persona can keep you from God. He had this terrific metaphor about how sometimes we act like dogs - faithful, loyal, obedient - but then that cat side of us comes out - wild, independent, wandering. He build the metaphor in a detailed way to illustrate the different ways we relate to God. Really great speaker!
Next we had the only panel of the day to discuss "How big is your 'Why'?". It was all about purpose and your calling, but frankly, I'm pretty clear on that stuff, and nothing really new was said for me.
But what followed next was fantastic. Tom Jackson is a world-renowned performance coach. His speciality is developing a live show that will engage your audience and leave them changed. He didn't do any hands on work today, but he did lay out the basics of his theories, which was incredible. Took lots of notes!
At lunch, I ran into fellow Canadians Ali Matthews and Rick Francis. They're both very cool and super-talented, so that was all good.
After lunch, we started with a booking seminar with Tara Leigh Cobble. You may not have heard of Tara, but in her first year as an indie artist, she played over 200 shows. For those who are wondering, that's incredible! She is a booking machine, and she broke down her techniques and strategies into very doable pieces. She is just an absolute work horse, and reminded us that making music is 'blue collar work' - You have be prepared to work hard and get your hands dirty. Very inspiring!
Next was a workshop on using the internet. I was excited about this one, but it ended up being a thinly-veiled commercial for a company who provides internet services for artists. The one good thing was they discussed creative ways to connect with fans, so that was useful. They mentioned several times that we should all be blogging. One step ahead of you there...
We had a workshop labeled "Multiple Streams of Revenue" which sounded great and was. In addition to discussing the multiple streams, Vince Wilcox also gave a great and simple overview on money management for artists. Money is so rarely discussed in a healthy and practical way in ministry circles, so I think this was just great for everybody.
We ended the day with a short worship session with Alli Rogers. Great voice, and I think we all needed to sing a bit at that point.
At the end of the day, I met up with Tara Jackson to tell her about the workshops, go over my new bio, and to get her new CD! Yay, Tara!
Tomorrow morning starts again at 8 am... or, you know ... 8ish...
So, today was Day 1 of my GMA Week experience. As I wrote earlier, I have been blessed with a scholarship to attend the weekend workshop called Indie Impact. The goal of these workshops is to help the indie artist, and I think they did a fairly good job of that today.
The morning started bright and early with music by husband and wife duo, The Dentes. Actually, they reminded me a little of me and Gerald. I really liked their melodies, but the sound was not good, so I couldn't hear any of their lyrics. The husband is a fantastic guitar player (lots of tapping and cool stuff), so that was awesome.
They were followed by amazing guest speaker Nate Larkin. The core of his speech was how having a false persona can keep you from God. He had this terrific metaphor about how sometimes we act like dogs - faithful, loyal, obedient - but then that cat side of us comes out - wild, independent, wandering. He build the metaphor in a detailed way to illustrate the different ways we relate to God. Really great speaker!
Next we had the only panel of the day to discuss "How big is your 'Why'?". It was all about purpose and your calling, but frankly, I'm pretty clear on that stuff, and nothing really new was said for me.
But what followed next was fantastic. Tom Jackson is a world-renowned performance coach. His speciality is developing a live show that will engage your audience and leave them changed. He didn't do any hands on work today, but he did lay out the basics of his theories, which was incredible. Took lots of notes!
At lunch, I ran into fellow Canadians Ali Matthews and Rick Francis. They're both very cool and super-talented, so that was all good.
After lunch, we started with a booking seminar with Tara Leigh Cobble. You may not have heard of Tara, but in her first year as an indie artist, she played over 200 shows. For those who are wondering, that's incredible! She is a booking machine, and she broke down her techniques and strategies into very doable pieces. She is just an absolute work horse, and reminded us that making music is 'blue collar work' - You have be prepared to work hard and get your hands dirty. Very inspiring!
Next was a workshop on using the internet. I was excited about this one, but it ended up being a thinly-veiled commercial for a company who provides internet services for artists. The one good thing was they discussed creative ways to connect with fans, so that was useful. They mentioned several times that we should all be blogging. One step ahead of you there...
We had a workshop labeled "Multiple Streams of Revenue" which sounded great and was. In addition to discussing the multiple streams, Vince Wilcox also gave a great and simple overview on money management for artists. Money is so rarely discussed in a healthy and practical way in ministry circles, so I think this was just great for everybody.
We ended the day with a short worship session with Alli Rogers. Great voice, and I think we all needed to sing a bit at that point.
At the end of the day, I met up with Tara Jackson to tell her about the workshops, go over my new bio, and to get her new CD! Yay, Tara!
Tomorrow morning starts again at 8 am... or, you know ... 8ish...
Friday, April 18, 2008
Allison Durham Speer interview day...
It's getting late and I really need to stop working if I want to get any sleep. I've been shut down lately due to allergies. I forgot how horrible they were! I had a long list of goals for last week, and the only thing I accomplished was singing in church on Sunday (which went very well). I finally got in a good work mode today, so despite the late hour, it's kind of hard to stop!
Before I forget, please check out my latest SGM Radio article, Ben Speer and the Elvis Sessions. (I can't believe I didn't post this earlier!) It was such a pleasure to tell this story!
I met with Allison Durham Speer today to interview her for next month's article. We had lunch at the fabulous, tucked away Caesar's - home style Italian food, delicious! After lunch, we chatted about her family, her constant dedication to improving her craft, and her new project, The Elijah Conference. That article will be up May 1. I promise I'll post a link sooner than mid-May!
Despite the allergy-ridden week, a few great things have happened. I've received some great feedback on Real Big Fan, including a few amazing quotes for my web site. I've also started revamping my entire press kit, including a brand new bio.
And here's the really exciting thing: I hadn't planned on attending GMA Week this year, but yesterday, I was offered a scholarship to attend Indie Impact. This is the first 2 days of GMA, focusing on the needs of the indie artist. It includes seminars, 2 worship services featuring amazing speakers and musicians, and the Songwriters Showcase (the highlight of last year's GMA Week). Even though I hadn't planned on attending, I'm really crazy excited about going. I really need something like this right now. I'll be blogging all weekend, so feel free to join in on the festivities.
Before I forget, please check out my latest SGM Radio article, Ben Speer and the Elvis Sessions. (I can't believe I didn't post this earlier!) It was such a pleasure to tell this story!
I met with Allison Durham Speer today to interview her for next month's article. We had lunch at the fabulous, tucked away Caesar's - home style Italian food, delicious! After lunch, we chatted about her family, her constant dedication to improving her craft, and her new project, The Elijah Conference. That article will be up May 1. I promise I'll post a link sooner than mid-May!
Despite the allergy-ridden week, a few great things have happened. I've received some great feedback on Real Big Fan, including a few amazing quotes for my web site. I've also started revamping my entire press kit, including a brand new bio.
And here's the really exciting thing: I hadn't planned on attending GMA Week this year, but yesterday, I was offered a scholarship to attend Indie Impact. This is the first 2 days of GMA, focusing on the needs of the indie artist. It includes seminars, 2 worship services featuring amazing speakers and musicians, and the Songwriters Showcase (the highlight of last year's GMA Week). Even though I hadn't planned on attending, I'm really crazy excited about going. I really need something like this right now. I'll be blogging all weekend, so feel free to join in on the festivities.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Dottie Rambo at NSAI!
What a night! NSAI's Christian Writers Night is always great, but tonight, it was truly incredible: Dottie Rambo was the guest speaker!
I've been a fan of Dottie's for years. Her lyrics and melodies are inspiring and beautiful, and should be assigned homework for every Gospel songwriter. I've sung many of her songs, and "Sheltered In the Arms of God" has been particularly important for me. Monika and I have sung it together many times, and in my time of grieving, it carried me through many hard moments.
I'd never seen Dottie live, though I've heard and seen her many times on TV and CDs. I also have cassette tapes of her songwriting classes, so I've heard some of her personal stories. In person, she is very, very tiny. She wore a leather suit and full, fabulous make-up. And for those with an interest: She plays a Martin.
Guest speaker nights are organized with a one-hour interview, followed by a Q&A. We heard a lot about her childhood, including a wonderful description of her first discovery of her songwriting talents. First song at 8, touring at 12, and a publishing deal in her early twenties - what a life! She has now written over 2500 songs! It's no wonder Fanny Crosby is her hero. Who else is that prolific?
The guest speaker is always invited to play a few songs, so Dottie picked up her guitar and asked if there were any requests. Everyone else hesitated, so I called out "Sheltered in the Arms of God". She took a deep breath. Just seven months before his passing, Porter Wagoner and she recorded this song for her latest album (yes, she's still recording!). As she told the story, her voice choked up, and it became clear to me that this song has blessed the writer as much as its listeners. As she played the first verse, she forgot a few of the chords. But she was wonderful as she laughed at herself and said, "Hey Songwriters, do it this way!" She then invited us to sing along on the chorus, which was just incredible! Some people sang parts. Most of us choked back tears. What a blessing!
She had wonderful stories about the amazing people who have recorded her songs, like Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley. Apparently, Elvis was scheduled to record an entire album of her songs, but it was near the end, and his failing health prevented him from completing the project. Can you imagine Elvis doing "I Go to the Rock"? Such a loss...
Oh, and another interesting story: She wasn't allowed to record "I Go to the Rock" for four years after she wrote it! Other people could record it, but her record label wouldn't allow her to record it because it was "too rock and roll". Funny, huh?
She wrapped up the interview by leading the whole group in sing "If That Isn't Love". Wonderful!
After the formal interview, the floor was opened for questions. What I love about Dottie, besides her incredible talent, is her complete humility, and her awesome sense of humour. She doesn't take herself too seriously, and she loves a good practical joke (who knew?). She often spoke about her love of music, God, and people. She answered questions generously and with a loving spirit.
She recognizes her fame, but at the same time said, "The Lord is the star. You'd be a fool to try to outshine Him."
What an incredible, incredible night! I was talking to my aunt in Newfoundland today and telling her a little of my recent experiences. She remarked on all the amazing opportunities we're getting here in Nashville, and how we never would have had most of these experiences had we not taken the leap of faith to move here. I think tonight is the perfect example of such an experience!
I've been a fan of Dottie's for years. Her lyrics and melodies are inspiring and beautiful, and should be assigned homework for every Gospel songwriter. I've sung many of her songs, and "Sheltered In the Arms of God" has been particularly important for me. Monika and I have sung it together many times, and in my time of grieving, it carried me through many hard moments.
I'd never seen Dottie live, though I've heard and seen her many times on TV and CDs. I also have cassette tapes of her songwriting classes, so I've heard some of her personal stories. In person, she is very, very tiny. She wore a leather suit and full, fabulous make-up. And for those with an interest: She plays a Martin.
Guest speaker nights are organized with a one-hour interview, followed by a Q&A. We heard a lot about her childhood, including a wonderful description of her first discovery of her songwriting talents. First song at 8, touring at 12, and a publishing deal in her early twenties - what a life! She has now written over 2500 songs! It's no wonder Fanny Crosby is her hero. Who else is that prolific?
The guest speaker is always invited to play a few songs, so Dottie picked up her guitar and asked if there were any requests. Everyone else hesitated, so I called out "Sheltered in the Arms of God". She took a deep breath. Just seven months before his passing, Porter Wagoner and she recorded this song for her latest album (yes, she's still recording!). As she told the story, her voice choked up, and it became clear to me that this song has blessed the writer as much as its listeners. As she played the first verse, she forgot a few of the chords. But she was wonderful as she laughed at herself and said, "Hey Songwriters, do it this way!" She then invited us to sing along on the chorus, which was just incredible! Some people sang parts. Most of us choked back tears. What a blessing!
She had wonderful stories about the amazing people who have recorded her songs, like Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley. Apparently, Elvis was scheduled to record an entire album of her songs, but it was near the end, and his failing health prevented him from completing the project. Can you imagine Elvis doing "I Go to the Rock"? Such a loss...
Oh, and another interesting story: She wasn't allowed to record "I Go to the Rock" for four years after she wrote it! Other people could record it, but her record label wouldn't allow her to record it because it was "too rock and roll". Funny, huh?
She wrapped up the interview by leading the whole group in sing "If That Isn't Love". Wonderful!
After the formal interview, the floor was opened for questions. What I love about Dottie, besides her incredible talent, is her complete humility, and her awesome sense of humour. She doesn't take herself too seriously, and she loves a good practical joke (who knew?). She often spoke about her love of music, God, and people. She answered questions generously and with a loving spirit.
She recognizes her fame, but at the same time said, "The Lord is the star. You'd be a fool to try to outshine Him."
What an incredible, incredible night! I was talking to my aunt in Newfoundland today and telling her a little of my recent experiences. She remarked on all the amazing opportunities we're getting here in Nashville, and how we never would have had most of these experiences had we not taken the leap of faith to move here. I think tonight is the perfect example of such an experience!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)