Jazz Piece

This is the result of playing around with some jazz chords.  Enjoy!

The Wise Pass On

This is another song with my brother-in-law.

Come Back to Me

Family vacations are wonderful occasions.  When the kids take naps, my brother-in-law, Matt, and I often sit back and play music.  Matt has been playing the harmonica for a while now and we had a great time.  "Come Back to Me" is a song I wrote when my wife and our kids were gone for a week.  I couldn't sleep at all and so I wrote a song in the middle of the night.  I hope you enjoy it.

July Art Hop and June's Review

The July ArtHop is already around the corner and I have signed up to play again.  It will be at Carnegie's on Oregon Street in downtown Redding.  It begins at 6:00 p.m. and continues until 9:00 p.m. If you are interested it would be great to see you there.

I have already posted about the June ArtHop, but I could resist posting a bit more.  Jamie Solorio  has a wonderful blog about the ArtHop each month in which she documents what goes on with amazing photographs.  She has an amazing picture of Davy and Dale sharing the microphone as they deliver their joyous blue grass.  Unfortunately, she thought it was me.  I got credit for their music.  Bearing in mind the content of the article about me in the Record Searchlight it is an understandable mistake (the picture of me even looks a bit like Davy).  I sent an e-mail to clear things up.  On the other hand maybe I should just just learn how to play blue grass and call it good!

Eddy's Restaurant Performance

I played at Eddy's Restaurant on the second Saturday of June.  Friends of mine from Oak Run came and played some blue grass, too.  We had a great time and best of all the owner asked us to come back and play.  He made the comment that we needed more microphones.  As you can see there was only one.  It worked fine for me, but when there were two vocalists sharing it you couldn't hear anyone.  That can be fixed.  We're planning on it in July.

Performance!

Well, I have few songs that I have written over the past two years and somehow I got it into my head that I should find a venue to perform them.  There is a local event in Redding, Ca. each month called the Art Hop.  I got in touch with the coordinator and now I am signed up to play Eddy's Gastro Pub on Market St. from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 11th.  Adam, the coordinator even put an article in the local paper!  I am excited and, of course, nervous.  We saw "The King's Speech" last night and I thought, "What if that happens when I try to sing?"

I have about 8 or 9 songs.  Fortunately, I have about a week to practice them.  I tend to write a song and then go on to the next pretty quickly.  As a result they aren't always "down pat."  Now it's time to get them down.

If your in Redding it would be great to see you there.  Eddy's is known for great food.  The proprietor's name is actually Tom.  I read somewhere that his dog is "Eddy."  So, come have some great food, listen to music, and see art from a popular local painter.

Babies

Well, my wife gave birth to our son two days ago and all went very well.  Such an amazing wonder to see God's display of creativity in such a small package.  We had to drive 50 minutes to the hospital and by the time we arrived my wife was ready to push our son out.  Saying that we made it in the nick of time would be an understatement.  That drive was one of the most tense I have ever made.  However, all went well, our son is healthy and we are blissfully sleep deprived.  For others this same scenario isn't always a resolution of fears and anxiety.  It is only the beginning.

Today I found another blog with a link to three songs by Matt Hammitt, the lead singer of Sanctus Real.  His son Bowen needed two major heart surgeries shortly after birth.  He just had his third in March.  In response to the experience Matt wrote three songs from his troubled heart.  They are general enough that anyone can relate to the fear and anxiety in his lyrics, and be inspired by his resolve to let go and trust God.  Click on the links below to listen to his songs.  Depending on who you are you made need a box of tissue.

Prayers for Bowen

 links to the songs:

Holding You 
Let Go 
Trust 

The Majesty of You

This a  new song I started on Monday.  It is a bit rough right now, but it'll get there.

David Potter

 

Yes, another bandcamp find.  Actually, I found David Potter several months ago and never put anything up about him.  "Man of Sorrows Glorious King " is a series of classic hymns that have been reworked.  They are really well done!  Some are the original melodies, while others have been altered.  Potter puts a fresh musical take on the these theologically rich songs.

Willy and the Poor Boys

 

Do you all remember Beck and his song "Loser?"  It was a mix of white boy rap (very possibly intoxicated or high) and singing with acoustic guitar, drums and bass.  It was incredibly popular when I was in high school.  While searching bandcamp I found "Willy and the Poor Boys" and their record "Undragoned ."  It is almost a direct copy of Beck's sound. Nearly every song sounds like "Loser."  This aspect does lessen the pleasure of listening to it, but never the less it is fun to see someone paying "homage" to a song so well liked in my teenage years.

Sojourn

Sojourn is a group that describes itself as writers of "New songs for modern missional worship, rich in Christian teaching and contextualized in modern culture. Contemporary hymns, psalms, songs of lament and praise written by members of the Louisville, KY-based Sojourn Community."  They have seven albums that they have available on bandcamp's website and each is excellent in craftsmanship and messages (If you click on the image below you will go to their website).

Overflow Draft 2

So, today I had a thought about recording vocals.  The goal is to have a dead sound (not referring to the singer but the room).  I took some bi-fold doors left over from building our house and formed a circle with them and draped blankets inside of it.  Although not a perfect "dead" space, it did improve the sound of the vocals.  Because of the size requirements for these videos the audio quality isn't very good.  That will make what you hear be of poorer quality.  Even on my computer the song does still sound like someone recorded it in his office, basement or bedroom, but it is getting better!

Overflow Draft 1

Well, I have spent the day working on recording.  There are still a few things that I need to do but it is pretty close.  Vocal quality is still not the way I want it.  I need to record in a room with fewer hard surfaces.  Julie also said that the verses should be more staccato.  I think she is right.  The tele sounds great!  I am very pleased with that.  I also recorded myself on the piano and ukulele for the first on this song.  Fun.

Overflow

I finished the song "Overflow" recently.  In the next few days I hope to record it.  I need to make sure I have the whole thing mapped out, lay down the rhythm section, add instruments and finally record vocals.

Having the "tele" finished will be great for this song.  I have been working through different tones on my Vox Valvetronix amp to find the right setting.  I think I will also throw in a little ukulele on this song since it is starting to have a little bit of a Jack Johnson feel to it.

"This is My Overflow" music

This is the music to the song that I used for the title of this blog.  Hopefully you enjoy it!

"The Measure of Your Grace" is ever changing

This past Sunday I recorded more vocals, redoing the melody in places and adding a high harmony.  Then on Tuesday night I was playing it for my wife and decided to place the capo back one fret changing it from A# to A.  It was much easier to sing and eliminated the strain on the higher notes.  So, I may go back and record the whole thing a half step lower now.  It keeps getting better all around.  Hopefully, this makes the vocals more pleasing.

Bandcamp and Russ Mohr

As I have mentioned before, Bandcamp is a great site for discovering people who are exceptionally talented (and some who aren't).  Most of these people are independent and offer their music for download or the purchase of a cd.

Today I found Russ Mohr.  He is from Greenville Illonois where he is a worship director for City Church.  He and his wife adopted a child this Spring, and to help pay for that wonderful blessing he is selling his EP called "Hymns and Spiritual Songs. "  I highly recommend it!  Several songs are original and others are arrangements of classic hymns.  Who could imagine that a rolling snare and double-bass drum rhythm on the classic hymn "My Jesus" could sound so good?  "What a Friend in Jesus" begins with an effect that sounds like you are listening over a telephone connection.  It gets your attention.  The only song I didn't like was "My Jesus (Reprise)."  It ends the EP and is done differently from the first "My Jesus."  It sounds like the recording went above 0db because it distorts slightly and his voice begins to hurt your ears.  I am not sure why it does that.  My recordings probably do that all the time.  Other than that it is cleverly done and for a good cause.  Take a look.

The Measure of Your Grace Draft 1

I talked about recording this song in relation to its tricky 6/8 time signature.  I have it close to liking it.  The vocals (I had a cold) and electric guitars (goofing around) need to be redone.  There is also a spot where the drum track is off (editing mistake).  However, this is getting better.  Through it I have learned quite a bit.

Luke Parker: Home

I search through the website called bandcamp while I grade papers.  Tonight I discovered Luke Parker and his EP called "home."  If there is anyone out there who reads this, do yourself a favor and look him up.  His songs are wonderful.  He writes mellow worship songs that stir your heart toward your creator.  I was blessed by his lyrics and voice.  I hope you are, too.

Perseverance

Do you ever feel like you can't get on the right track with a song?  I wrote several lines for "Overflow" which I  can't decide whether to make the verse or the chorus.  I also am having trouble finding the right chords for the melody.  I can hear what I want in my head, but when I get my guitar out and play, the melody changes.  I'll keep working on it.  I really like what I have right now even though it seems to be a hard process.  Some songs seem to write themselves in a course of 5 minutes, others seems to take 5 weeks.  Perseverance!