Christian Musician Magazine - Mar/Apr 2016

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

Doyle Dykes Itinerant Country Gentleman

Product Review Eventide Mixing Link Mic Pre with FX Loop

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Shure QLX-D.........$107200 disengaged. fader to control authentic-lookin instruments to are excellent, fader to about the cabinets, the master volume and handsmaster volume cost-effective alternatives to traditional More info on pg. 63 Set thewireless wooden As you go, adjust wireless systems. that matches free convenience. instrument overall level.

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CONTENTS My Generation I came across a Bible verse that jumped off the page when I read it. Perhaps I have simply over looked it in the past or read through it and not drilled down to its devotional depth before.

It is in the book of Acts (13:36) and Paul is giving a historical overview of King David’s life when he says, “David served his generation by the purpose of God.” I believe we need to honor our elders and not only be a role model for the youth in our lives, but mentor them along the way too. But where I personally believe I might have the greatest impact in my lifetime is with the folks of my own generation.

I am one man among a large population (albeit an aging one) of “baby boomers”. We were part of the social revolution of the 60’s and 70’s, and even more specifically where the roots of what I still am involved in, in one way or the other, in my day-to-day life’s work… the music renaissance that emerged during the baby boomer awakening.

That musical influence is still reverberating in pop music on the radio today, in the worship music services in churches across the country (who have a lot of baby boomers playing the music on the platform and sitting in the pews), and the musical heroes of my generation who are still having an influence on what guitars, amps, and even effect pedals we are selling today… some 50 years later.

Vocationally, in our three magazines, my two guitars shows, and our CMS training conferences, the largest demographic I interact with is still… you guessed it – baby boomers!

My devotional spotlight I turn on myself is to ask this question, “How is Bruce serving his generation by the purpose of God? How do I pursue that lofty goal and bring it into my daily walk on this spinning globe we find ourselves on? How do I live it so intentionally that one day my wife Judy could place on my tombstone, ‘He served his generation by the purpose of God,’ and feel good about writing that?”

That is my devotional thought for myself, and just maybe it might resonate with you… especially if you are one of “my generation”.

In His Grip, Bruce & Judy

Features 8 Product Review

by Jack Mao Eventide Mixing Link Mic Pre with FX Loop 10 Bassic Communication

by Norm Stockton Fun Bass Grooves (Part 8)

35 Special Feature

by Dr. Ken Steorts Public Relations 36 The Indie Mechanics

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr Am I Good Enough?

12 Guitar Workshop

by John Standefer The ‘Accent’ Guitar

38 Taking the Stage

by Tom Jackson Misdirection and Upstaging: Mistakes you can Avoid

14 Drumming Dynamics

by David Owens Warm Ups

40 Guitar From A 2 Z

by Roger Zimish Playing Well With Others

16 Vocal Coach’s Corner

by Roger Beale A Sure-Fire Recipe for a Short Career

42 Good For the Soul

by Bryan Duncan Got Game?

18 The Groove of Grace

by Rick Cua Love Will Be The Weapon

44 CODA

by Bob Bennett What’s Next For Me?

26 Selective Hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin Holly Ann Audrey Assad Lacey Sturm Sandra McCracken John Tibbs 30 Product Review

by Mitch Bohannon Gruv Gear Club Bag 32 NAMM Report: “5 Cool Things I Saw”

Interview

Doyle Dykes photos by Holli Brown / Madame Brown Photography

20 Doyle Dykes: Itinerant Country Gentleman

by Alison Richter

4227 S. Meridian, Suite C PMB #275, Puyallup Washington 98373

Adolph Agency Direct Line: 253.445.1973 Fax: 888.391.4440 Email: bruce@christianmusician.com Website: www.christianmusician.com Editor & President: Bruce Adolph VP/Office Manager: Judy Adolph, judy@christianmusician.com Customer Service: Brian Felix, brianfelix@christianmusician.com, 888.391.4440 x.1 Street Team: Mike Adolph, Jesse Hill & Winston Design & Layout: Matt Kees Director of Advertising: Steve Sattler, steve@creativesalesresource.com 626-836-3106 ©2016 Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

MAR/APR 2016

7

PRODUCT REVIEW

by jack mao

Eventide Mixing Link Mic Pre with FX Loop Eventide’s aptly named Mixing Link brings together a studio quality mic pre-amp coupled with enough in’s and out’s to place it squarely in the “why didn’t anyone think of this before” category. Eventide as a company is famous for its world-class effects processors, but has also done a great job in migrating their technology into other form factors with The Mixing Link helping to extend their product usage in a device suitable for on stage or as a recording tool. The cool thing about the Mixing Link is it pushes the concept of how many practical things you can do in a small form factor – very cool!

You can, for example, use the Mixing Link as a hotel practice amp or as an A/B box to switch between two instruments; as a compact mic pre for studio recording, or to connect multiple input sources to an amp or pair of headphones. You can even connect a microphone to your favorite stomp box or use it as an amp switcher!

The Mixing Link can be powered by it’s own 48-volt powered supply or the included 9-volt external power supply. I personally would like to see an internal 9-volt battery, as the Missing Link is a perfect tool for field recording applications.

On the side of the unit and from left to right following the power supply is found a ground lift, a DI line out, and a balanced Neutrix line input – continuing on the right side of the

unit is a high/low gain input, a ¼” FX out, and a 1/8th inch auxiliary input for connecting to your iPad or other line audio source. On the left side of the unit is an FX return, a ¼” unbalanced output to your guitar amplifier and a 1/8th inch headphone out.

The top of the unit features a standard stomp box style toggle switch (The FX loop toggle is a true bypass) and just above that is a is momentary/latch toggle and a dry FX/FX toggle - this allows for a variety of line recording connections and in general makes the Mixing Link a real problem solver for recording guitarists as you can dial in a wet or dry signal into two channels of your Digital Audio Workstation. You can also set up the Mixing Link (as noted above) between your guitar amps and dial in your FX loop wet or dry accordingly.

The Mixing Link makes a great add-on for guitar players using boutique or vintage amps, as many of them don’t have on-board reverb or effect loops.

There is also a level control for the selected input headphone and amp level, FX level,

and input gain for the mic pre. The rotary switches are professional quality detented rotary potentiometers (which I like) and add to the overall professional build quality of the device.

With these great guitar oriented features one might think the Mixing Link’s mic pre would have been an afterthought, but it’s not – it is professional quality and has enough dynamic range that would allow connection of most all types of microphones (including ribbon mics). The flexible routing makes it suitable for live, studio, or stage recording applications.

The Mixing Link works great with Eventide’s H9 Stomp box too… the combination of the two devices adding lots of flexibility and some “sum-of-the-whole” applications.

And yes, the Mixing Link is a great device for Christian musicians, whether indie artists or facilitating worship, as it’s perfect for both singer/songwriter or lecture applications, portable house of worship applications, etc.

Its solid construction makes it road worthy and will stand up to continual stage use night after night.

The Mixing Link is priced at $299. See www. eventide.com for more information.

8

MAR/APR 2016

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

BASSIC COMMUNICATION

by norm stockton

Fun Bass Grooves (Part 8) Welcome back to the final installment of this series exploring some of the fun groove approaches I encountered during my years traveling with Lincoln Brewster. As I mentioned at the outset, each of the bass lines we’ve covered employed a musical concept that can be readily adapted to your own groove ideas.

played this line in unison for much of the song, which always makes things big and mean!

The phrasing involves slides, slurs, and a very in-your-face kind of vibrato. It’s what I refer to as “The Abe” (after renowned bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr.) and is accomplished by fretting the note lightly while employing a very wide, exaggerated vibrato that crosses over the fret. In bars 1-3, it essentially trills between D and D# (the minor 3rd and major 3rd), which is a funk idiom for those of you who recall our study of musical genres! In bar 4, the E vibrato on beat 2 similarly crosses over the 7th fret to include F natural (the #4 or b5—also a funk idiom, right?).

Today we’ll be looking at one of my favorite LB grooves, the main motif for the funk/ gospel/rock tune, “Give Him Praise” from the Today Is The Day CD (Integrity). Lincoln shared vocal duties with the amazing Israel Houghton on this instrumental soundcheck jam that ended up becoming an actual song! :^) Please note that the 16th notes in the written example are shuffled.

Some other considerations would include the use of space in the line afforded by variations in note duration. Had the entire line been played legato, it would have had a big detrimental impact on the funkiness of the part.

In terms of approach, this bass line (similar to the example we covered last issue) is another good example of a riff-oriented approach. The overall song treatment was somewhat messy and impolite. Linc and I

Additionally, the line is almost exclusively based on B minor pentatonic, with the exception of that wonderful F natural at the end of bar 2! That “flat 5” (yes, theory fans, the scale could be B minor blues) really creates some tension and definitely keeps things from sounding too straight or happy. One of the key elements of compelling music is often the effective use of tension and resolution.

A last point is that this line could have been played lower on the neck, employing lots of open strings. However, playing it around the 7th fret allowed so many more options in terms of phrasing—-plus the added tonal girth of playing the line on heavier strings.

Compare for yourself and see if you agree that the part sounds much beefier when played in the same register but higher on the neck.

I’ve had such a great time working through this series with you. Please let it serve as inspiration for your own grooves!

Happy woodshedding!

Blessings- Norm

Bassic Communication Fun Bass Grooves (Part 8)

(Video bass tutorials for this and many of Lincoln Brewster’s other tunes are available at Lincoln Brewster ArtOfGroove.com) "Today Is The Day" CD (Integrity Music)

Verse Groove from "Give Him Praise" (Shuffle)

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Norm Stockton is a bassist/ clinician/solo artist based in Orange County, CA. Following his long tenure as bassist with Lincoln Brewster, Norm has been focused on equipping bassists around the world through his instructional site (www.ArtOfGroove.com), as well as performing or recording with several Grammy winning artists. His book, The Worship Bass Book, is published by Hal Leonard. Also visit Norm at www. normstockton.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GUITAR WORKSHOP

by john standefer

The ‘Accent’ Guitar In many worship band situations there is a vocal leader who accompanies himself (or herself) with a guitar. This person’s main job is leading the congregation in singing, meaning that generally their guitar playing is limited to simple strumming and basic chords.

You, however, might be the ‘other’ guitarist on stage. If you just strum what the leader is strumming, it’s a waste of a second guitar. If you play a bunch of hot licks, you’ll detract from worship. So what do you do? There are many answers to this, but here’s one good place to start. Every song has a sort of ‘pulse

rhythm’ to it. Find the accented beats to that rhythm and then only play on accents. And while you’re at it, deepen the chords a bit by using fuller chord substitutes. In ‘How Great Is Your Love’, the pulse beat is a 2-measure phrase that goes: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 . Pluck the chords in line 1 below only on beats 1 & 4 of the first measure of every pair of measures (letting them ring). At the end of the line the C2 lasts for 3 beats, then the D7sus4 comes in on beat 4 and lasts through the following measure.

‘How Great Is Your Love’

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Get the idea? Now continue on and see how much drive this part adds to the song when combined with the 1st guitar part.

Check out John’s 5-DVD set ‘Praise Guitar Lessons’ at the ‘store’ page at www.johnstandefer.com. You get 52 video lessons similar to these CM articles, but you can see and hear the lessons! Includes charts. Also consider private lessons with John via Skype!

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DRUMMING DYNAMICS

by david owens

WARM UPS Lately I am making it a habit to always warm up my students (and myself) at the beginning of every lesson or practice session.

Spending some time warming up should always be a part of your practice routine. It is just like stretching before exercising. It is a good way to stay healthy and prevent injury, because it gets the blood flowing and prepares your hands, arms, and fingers for a good drumming workout. In addition, warming up properly will help you articulate more precisely on your instrument. Here are a few exercises I have been using with students for warm ups.

is there to remind you to ALWAYS tap your feet to the metronome –and yes, ALWAYS use a metronome. Start with slow tempos, and once you have the patterns and stickings figured out, gradually speed them up. You can create your own foot patterns as well, but first start by tapping both feet on quarter notes.

In the first pattern I use a combination of triplets and sixteenth notes. Make sure the triplets do not turn into a combination of an eighth note and two sixteenth notes; keep the triplets evenly spaced. This is a challenge for some of my students.

The last example naturally alternates the sticking for the repeat. Make sure to work your weak hand as much, if not more, than your strong hand. There are enough sticking combinations here to keep you busy, but you can always create your own. I will let you come up with more sticking ideas for the last one.

It is very important to play all the notes the same volume no matter what sticking you are using. You can experiment with putting accents on different notes, but be sure to make those accents the same volume regardless of which hand is playing them.

In all these patterns I use different stickings to change things up. You will also notice the quarter note foot patterns at the bottom. It 3

So warm up well and practice hard.

Blessings, David David freelances in and around Los Angeles and is currently playing for Franklin Graham events worldwide. He has played with Fernando Ortega, Sara Groves, Bebo Norman, Tommy Walker, Lincoln Brewster, Thomas Dolby, The Righteous Brothers and Peter White as well as spending 2 plus years playing The Lion King at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. He is also an adjunct professor at Biola and Hope International Universities. His home church is Plymouth Congregational in Whittier, CA. Feel free to contact him at DavidOwensDrums.com.

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I think a good amount of warm up time is an essential part of any practice routine and should always be a part of your preparation to play a drum set. Pounding on things with sticks is fun, but it can be abusive to our bodies and we need our bodies to stay in good shape to play well.

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VOCAL COACH’S CORNER

by roger beale

A SURE-FIRE RECIPE FOR A SHORT CAREER There are many ways a singer can damage their voice. They are usually so busy trying to move their careers forward that they do not stop to consider vocal health. This article is going to expose singers to several ways that they can hurt themselves. Some of these they might have not even thought of. Take a look at these “backward” vocal health situations. It may save your career!

1. Don’t ever warm up before you sing.

This applies to both singers and speakers.

Make warming up the voice one of the first things you do in the morning.

2. Do not practice or study singing technique.

If you are having vocal health problems you need to see a qualified teacher frequently. This applies to all vocal performers, not just classical singers.

3. Use your speaking voice incorrectly.

Avoid loud talking, cheering, or yelling. You are a professional voice user; act like it.

4. Burn the candle at both ends.

When people wear themselves out the body cannot balance, repair, or replenish properly.

Tired singers are too tired to enjoy their own performance. It has become work, not music.

5. Avoid exercise at all cost!

Singing is a physical activity that requires

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a high degree of muscle coordination. It is a given that a performing singer must be in good health. Also, consider respiratory health and your endurance levels.

6. Sing the wrong type of music or perform in the wrong style.

This is something I run into all the time in the teaching studio. The singer wants to sing in a style or with a sound that the voice cannot physically produce. For instance, a high school singer cast as Maria (a soprano) in West Side Story, really should be singing Ado Annie’s part in Oklahoma (not a soprano).

The body can only do what God allows, no more.

7. Sing in a loud stage environment.

Drums are loud. Electric basses are loud.

Shredding guitars are loud. Towards the end of the show they are even louder. The singer ALWAYS loses! If you sing with a band you must own a pair of custom fitted in-ear monitors. This will go a long way towards protecting your voice.

8. Talk in loud places.

Restaurants are loud. Parties are loud. Cars are loud. Airplanes are loud. Rehearsals are really, really loud. Be ye aware, and be quiet.

9. Sing or practice your song while the band is learning the song.

If the band is messing up notes and

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rhythms, how is a singer going to sing properly? Singing over a non-rehearsed band is not smart and is a recipe for vocal disaster.

10. Sing too loud in a Praise and Worship chorus. Choirs are loud too.

Always make sure that you can hear the people on either side of you. The audience/ congregation will appreciate it also, because you will be in tune better. In tune singing . . . a wonderful concept.

Need we say more?

Now Go Sing Well!

Roger Beale has been writing the Vocal Coach’s Corner for over sixteen years. He is one of the nation’s foremost vocal coaches. He presently works with professional singers in all areas of musical performance.

His teaching and coaching facility, The Voice House, is involved in the management and care of the professional voice.

Many of his students have won prestigious vocal competitions and scholarships. In addition, he has worked with Grammy and Dove award winners and nominees. He also offers vocal clinics and seminars, as well as assistance in recording sessions. Roger is an adjunct professor in the Fine Arts Department at Point University, website: www.point.edu. Roger can be contacted at: The Voice House, 1029 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 276, Peachtree City, GA 30269, (404) 822-5097, e-mail: rbeale251@gmail.com.

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THE GROOVE OF GRACE

by rick cua

Love Will Be The Weapon I have not seen anything melt away anger, frustration, wrong assumptions, and misunderstandings like love. Love does something nothing else can. It seeps into to our innermost being and says everything will work out, I am loved, God’s got it. We are encouraged in 1 Peter 4:8 to love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. Whenever we see a long term or even lifetime friendship, it developed because love was involved. Love was at the forefront speaking loudly in the midst of two people getting to know each other.

Love not only shows itself in ongoing relationships, but also in one-off encounters.

I remember being at a rental car counter, 3rd in line, as I witnessed 2 people in front of me get so angry with the woman behind the counter because something, beyond her control, didn’t work out the way they had hoped. The woman did everything she could to remain calm and professional but was visibly shaken. When it was my turn, her greeting was stern, cool, and reflected her anticipation that I was going to be one more rude, unkind customer just like the last two. God was already working in me and I was just the opposite. I showed kindness, told her what an amazing job she did in dealing with the angry men and before long we were showing each other pictures of our kids! I got an upgrade, by the way, which was totally not my motive, but another good thing that comes forth when we love God and others.

Mark 12:28b-31 speaks to the importance of love with the most authority. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no command-

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ment greater than these.”

Do you ever notice, during times of confrontation, coming away from the verbal exchange feeling discouraged? I would guess more times than not this was when you entered in to the conversation trying to win the argument rather than prayerfully listening for God’s solution and wrapping every word in love. On the contrary, when you use love to diffuse anger and anxiety, no matter the outcome, you can leave in peace knowing you did what God wanted you to do. Many times reconciliation comes, but when it doesn’t you can know that God was pleased with your part and you can trust Him with the rest.

There is a difference between defending a Godly position with authority and resolve and letting harsh words in your conversation position you as a know it all and maybe even a bully. Believe me, a soapbox defense can quickly turn bad if you are not filled up with God’s love in perfect balance with His truth. The unfortunate thing in these cases is the very people who need to hear what you are saying will tune out because of the lack of love in your delivery. This happens all the time, and that lost opportunity may not come around again.

Love is the main ingredient in earning the right to say the hard stuff to people who are a bit out of balance. How do I know this... because I have been out of balance many times and the people I trust, who I know love me, have gently set me straight. Oh, make no mistake, there have been raised voices and strong words at times, but the love that was evident was always the delivery vehicle that allowed me to receive the good instruction and not run from it.

Sometimes we may only have one chance to pass along words of encouragement or correction to someone. Usually, if we are listening, the Holy Spirit makes it evident

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if someone needs to hear something from God through us. Personally, I can move quickly on words of encouragement. After all, who doesn’t want to hear those? It’s the words of correction that truly take more discernment and thought.

Possibly you have found yourself the mediator in an uncomfortable situation. This is another example of needing to let God’s love marinate in your heart, intermingled with your discernment for the right solution in an emotional stand-off. In this and every conundrum that you find yourself, be prayed up, always bring peace, and above all create an atmosphere of love that is so strong it’s impossible to miss. Anglican clergyman, Hugh Richard Lawrie said, “Love is the only weapon we need.” Books, songs, quotes . . .people have been ascribing to this incredible truth since it was first written.

My prayer for us all is that we come to the Lord each day and in every circumstance, asking Him to fill us with His love. I pray we take every opportunity in our lives, whether part of our daily routine or something out of the blue, to let our great love for God and others shine through. Fill us with wonder, Lord, as we pour ourselves out to You and those You put in our path.

Not just a musical artist, Rick knows the business of music as well. Besides being a music publisher, artist manager and booking agent, he founded and ran his own record label, UCA Records, in the 1990s which led to a position for five and 1⁄2 years as Vice President, Creative/ Copyright Development at EMI CMG in Nashville. There he managed a large songwriter roster and exponentially grew revenue through film and TV licensing, song promotion and print music development. He is currently on staff as the minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation at Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN.

Doyle Dykes Itinerant Country Gentleman

by Alison Richter

Last year marked yet another milestone for Doyle Dykes: his 50th year playing guitar.

“Growing up, I played because I wanted to,” he says. “I never thought I’d be doing this for the rest of my life.”

that with words. To be a good example, the when you’re in front of people. I would say, “God, help me to be able to get out what I guitar is the leading part of that for me.” feel about a song through my fingers on these

Although he explores all genres, Dykes six strings.” Through that, I’ve had some incalls himself “a country guitar player. I can spired moments. play classical and rock, but it all comes out As Harlan Howard said, “Three chords and Throughout the course of that life, Dykes country. As a solo guitar player, you have to the truth.” has traveled the world and brought so much find what works with your style.”

That’s true. That’s really true. I’ve heard songwriters talk about a song for five or ten to so many. He touches hearts and souls with When did you begin to understand how minutes to explain what it’s about before they his music, but also with his words. That, he to play for the song? sing it. A good songwriter told me one time, says, is his purpose and calling, and it’s Sometimes you embellish a song with “If you have to do that, I don’t think the song something much bigger than getting onstage. chords, licks, and riffs. Because I was raised is all that good.” I never thought of that be“God chooses you to be what you are,” he around piano players and orchestration-type fore, but in a greater measure that’s probably says. “I think there’s a reason behind my things, for me it goes a little bit beyond what the truth. you normally hear on guitar. My brother is a playing that is more than music. I capture great piano player and organist. He asked me, You’ve been playing guitar for 50 years. people’s attention sometimes, but it’s not al- “How in the world can you go out there in Does it sometimes feel the same today as ways what I say. It’s just trying to be a good front of all those people with only six strings it did when you were 11 years old? example for people to enjoy their lives, play at any given time? On a piano I have 88 keys. My life revolved around the church. That’s their music, share their gifts, love their fami- How do you do it with only six strings?” I all I ever knew. I had a personal experience showed him Middle C and I said, “You only with God when I was 11. I said, “God, give lies, and know that there is a God out there. have one of these. I have five on a guitar.” He me a job to do, and I’ll always tell people If I can accomplish some of that and try to said, “Wow, I never thought of it that way.” about you.” I’m not saying something hit me make life a better place — there’s so much I said, “Well, neither have I, really. Now let’s in the head before I went out of the church, bad stuff you hear in the world, you want to go eat and forget all that!” You can’t limit or that something said, “You’re going to be a lift people’s spirits and you don’t have to do yourself to thinking, I only have six strings, guitar player.” It was a gentle persuasion very

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timeline of your career?

There are definitely touchstones in my life.

I remember when I wouldn’t see any change from one year to the next, and I continued doing what I was doing. Sometimes it’s frustrating because you want to see more happen.

You have things that seem to be setbacks in your life, and you wonder what’s going on there, then suddenly you see something else come out of that. I heard Joel Osteen say that setbacks are actually setups for something better, and I thought, That could be true.

It’s the way you look at it. You can’t treat anything like a setback, and there’s no time ever wasted. There’s time I took away from the guitar. I started a church and I was a pastor. I still played and recorded, and I wrote commercials for companies, but I was nowhere near where I am now. Every experience in life leads you to the next.

shortly after that to play the guitar. My parents had tried everything to get me to play an instrument. The guitar clicked and I knew that was what I was supposed to do.

I’m looking at a guitar right now in my studio that I played in a barbershop when I was 14. I used to admire that guitar so much.

Harvey Simmons was the barber, and you could get a haircut and then he’d give you a guitar lesson. He was a great guitar player and he taught in the store, usually after hours. I was already playing by the time I met him. He’d say, “Doyle, play me some of that 22

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Chet Atkins stuff,” and he’d let me play his old Gretsches. He had a couple of orange ones, and I now own both of those. He gave them to me before he died a couple of years ago, and as I look at his guitar and pick it up, I still feel the way Chet Atkins did when he said, “After playing for 60 years, I figured I could turn the guitar around and play something left-handed, but I couldn’t play hardly anything at all. The guitar wins again.” It always wins. I think there’s more in a guitar than anyone could ever, ever get out of it.

What do you see when you look at the

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I was approached by Moody Publishers in Chicago to write a book, and I thought, All those years I wrote for Acoustic Magazine [U.K.] helped me to be able to do this. It took me a while, but I wrote The Lights of Marfa, and it tells a lot about my experiences, some of those things that are unexplainable events. These lights in Texas appear in the desert floor and no one knows what it is or where they come from. They haven’t yet been able to totally explain it, but they have theories. Some things in life are hard to explain, and you just have to go with it. I never would have been able to tell a story had I not been a pastor, and even though it’s not always related to anything like that in a message, most of mine are about life and what’s important, whether it’s family, music, encouraging people to play, or God, or whatever it might be. I don’t think I could have been an effective pastor or speaker had I not been with Grandpa Jones. I learned things from him — how to tell a story, how to work with an audience, how to be yourself. It’s amazing that later on he and Roy Clark told me that they learned how to tell jokes and stories and how to relate to an audience from a guy named Smitty Smith. He is known to me as ‘Uncle Doyle’... my mother’s brother and my namesake. It’s funny how life takes you around full circle, and you don’t even know it for years.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a musician and how did you overcome them?

Nerves were one thing. The only way to get over that is to get out and play in front of people, and do things that stretch you, because you’ll never get over it unless you do.

Continued on page 24

“Doyle Dykes” continued from page 22

People often ask me how they can get to the next level. I tell them to go out and play for people. You must get out of your box. You have to get out of your guitar room or your bedroom or your living room. I’m always looking for new ways to do that. I also read or quote to myself Phillipians 4:13 from the Amplified Bible. It is such a tremendous Word that I’ve also shared with a number of famous musicians.

You say, “get out and play for people,” in order to grow and get to the next level, but so many musicians are sending files and making records by themselves at home.

A lot of my friends in Nashville, some of the greatest players, never leave their homes much anymore. They send files all over the world. The way they got there was in the studio, of course, but it really is a new day. I think it all depends on the project and on what a person needs. One night I was in a restaurant with Phil Driscoll and he said, “I don’t know sometimes if God ever intended for music to be recorded like we have it today. It loses the effectiveness. We need it, and people listen to it, but the most effec-

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tive music is when you’re there playing it and you’re in the moment.” When David went in to play for Saul, he’d said at one point, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” So I figured they must have had somebody in there who couldn’t play very good! I think rehearsing and practice is the way we learn. I heard Phil say it wasn’t how great David was as a musician, it was the spirit behind it, and the moment, and what Saul felt. What was happening right there in front of him as David was playing was a powerful thing. We have lost so much of that.

in cycles. I’ll work on a record, try it out on an audience and see their reaction, then I’ll go back and listen to some of my old stuff and think, I haven’t played that in a long time. It all depends on the audience. I’m pretty much the same everywhere. I’ll do songs at the Cavern Club or the Iridium, and I might do close to the same thing in a church on Sunday morning. But you need to learn to read the audience because there are some things you don’t do. They might be too conservative, or too this, or they might not relate to it.

With such a wealth of material, how do you put together your set list?

I met Jim Olson years ago at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival and I just loved his spirit. I was there for Kirk Sand, and Kirk said, “You’ve got to meet Jim Olson. He’s the nicest guy on the planet.” You can’t out-nice Kirk Sand, but he was right, Jim is a sweetheart of a guy. He and I hit it off back then, but I was just getting with Taylor, and I got so high profile with Taylor that I didn’t play much of anything else for years. Jim said, “One day I’d love to build you a guitar.”

You have anchor songs, certain songs that you’ve got to do. I love listening to James Taylor. He’ll talk about his songs and where they came from, and he says, “I never knew back then that I’d be playing this every day for the rest of my life … and of course, I enjoy it.” If you went to see him and you didn’t hear “You’ve Got A Friend” or “Carolina In My Mind,” you’d get aggravated; but then again, you want to hear the new stuff too.

So that’s kind of where I’m coming from.

I’m always working on new songs, and I go

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What led to your relationship with Olson Guitars?

I was doing a fundraiser for Jeff Shreve, a friend of mine who is a pastor for a large church, First Baptist of Texarkana. He was

raising funds for his outreach ministry and orders every week because he simply cannot BaND asked if THe I would play. The event was held keep up with the demand. Even Bob Tayat the mansion of a Christian trial lawyer in lor says he could not build a guitar and sell Houston that this pastor grew up with. He it anywhere near the amount that some of By took Tom Lane me to see his guitars and he had three Jim Olson’s guitars bring. With Robert GoOlsons. He said, “Would you like to play din, I am helping to create something simione?” I said, “You must know Phil Keaggy,” lar that more people can enjoy around the because he had one just like Phil’s. He said, world. The guitar industry is a rather small “Phil is one of my best friends.” I called Phil community and I can still call on people like the years I’ve“Ilearned thatoftalent moment notJim unlike NeoKirk in the movie the nextOver day and I said, met one yourand Bob Taylor, Olson, Sand, andThe Ren passion alone do not guarantee success Matrix when he saw the grid for the first buddies.” Phil said, “Doyle, you should play Ferguson for advice and input if need be. or a bright future. A common denominator time and realized it wasn’t reality that an Olson.

Why don’t you come over to the These guys understand that you reap what among many of the most successful people he’d been living in all his life. We only house in andany play mine?” did thatofthe nextand you how theywe gotcome to betowho they field is theI amount focus findsow. trueThat’s freedom when peace week, and that’s how I called Jim and not changed.

I will say dedication givenit started. to their passion.

Some are, with thethey facthave that God is not holding us totoo and heofsaid, “I’mgifted not really orders, have neverofheard harsh the most peopletaking I’ve known do a that the I standards men,a or evenword our spoken own and I don’t need anybody to well, represent me, against Godin, which a blessing number of things really yet struggle design,Robert but to His standard of is holiness and in to be love focused enough make any righteousness; notexcited performance but I would for you to have one of one my of this industry aswhich well. are I am about a them really paynot off.asking Sometimes being able long or works based in the Godin. least! He is anxious guitars.”

I said, “I’m you for a job. relationship with to pursue many options can keep us from to help, give grace, show compassion, I’m asking you if you have anything availthere characteristics that one that may stand the greatest chance of Are support, andcertain to love us—this reality. able.” He said, “I have some wood, and I make a guitar or amp right isfortheyou? making room for us.

The beauty in loving God and trusting always wanted to see what it sounded like, will lives drawisit that out of Guitars Here’s key guitars.” verse! Prov.

2:5up“Aand plan The him guitar with our Heyou. does far so I built threeaspec I went in the heart of a man is like deep water, more that we could ever imagine and will inspire you, and when I picked up that I fell in love with all three of them. They but a man of understanding draws it out.” Olson, it’s always better me. thanOne whatofwethecan do I it inspired things were incredible. I settled on one, bought it, Creative people aren’t typically short on noticed ourselves.

He’s are verynoaware is there voids of in our the deepest neck. Evand flew back with it. He said, “If you want passion, but more often they lack the ery passions, talents, and desires.

He longs to note is clear, every note is the same, and a cutaway, let’s do another onetofor you.” discipline and wisdom draw it Iout. fulfill and bless, but He does know best. it has such a voice to it.

There’s clarity to that said, “That would great.”

I own twotheir That’s what Godly wisdom is - His best!

Sadly, somebedo, only Now to focus it on guitar incredible ownOlsons. ambition, void of the knowledge and guitar.

But it’sKirk not Sand what isallone of of us the ask greatest for or even builders; he can build any kind of guitar and hope that they are created for more than want. The first prayer we really should Tell us about your new guitar relation- is well known for the acoustic-electric nylons just themselves. But the principle is still pray is to desire His wisdom—the wisdom ship? true regardless, because it’s wisdom that that builds. Then He said, “Everyone fromheheaven. choose to live by agrees that frommade God.anThe encouraging wisdom and uphold it asthe themost standard.

I haveoriginated just recently agreement to that the Olson is probably perfectthingGodin is thatGuitars, it can be done!

There as this may sound to musicians anddid represent which I am veryis a lyCrazy designed guitar.”

I asked Jim, “How andRobert God isGodin not against our efforts creative only way hit “I excitedway, about. is brilliant and to you come people, up with it’s thatthedesign?”

He to said, draw out the plans in our hearts. the mark we are made for and to be very fine man. His innovative approach in think it was divinely inspired. I really do.atI’m peace while doing it. But it won’t happen Honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished guitar making has created some wonderful not an engineer or a physicist to know how by osmosis, it requires action and choice much as I might havemy were I more things soundsnear thatasI think really express music work. It just worked.” It’s amazing. disciplined. live into guilt shame on our part. and I feel would beI don’t a blessing theand church once askedpassion Rupert isNeve, over it, I’m just extremely aware that it’s I Focusing not who just designed being with worship leaders as well. We are now the great boards that the Beatles andwe Led been true in my life not just creatively, but dedicated to an art or talent. First, working together on a more high-end acousand all those rockwe groups used,theand also relationally. So I’ve had to really work Zeppelin should decide on who believe tic guitar line that rival anything elseand any at being morewill focused, committed, source we don’t it I genreis.ofIf music that’sreally been believe recorded, available on the market. disciplined. I’ve learned the hard way that said, has “Even an origin, we’rewhen moreyou likely yourthen preamp, puttothe

Focusing Passion

don’twith always Godingood is a opportunities family company lots equal of success, and may rob me of heart, and I’m a ‘heart guy’. One of mysomething good else vitally important. Everything comes pastor friends, Darrell Owens, recently said at a cost—you give up something to get to me,another “Go where are celebrated, thing! you The Lord is gracious tonot let us tolerated.”

There is a lot of and love choose what we want,heart but every choice and appreciation in this relationship onWisdom both has a consequence and price. sides. Itoam verygood excited to promote people make choices is a treasure worth acquiring! who celebrate our God given gifts and strive

be indriven passion do any mic it, justbyopens it up.alone Howand did you come and everything we want with it—we are up with that?” He looked at me — he didn’t totally free to choose to do it our way. But know who I was or anything about my life if we believe it comes from and belongs —God, and he said, divinely son. then we “It arewas to be guidedinspired, by a very That’s all I can say.” different compass: one that points to Him first and desires to please It’s really Some things I think are Him. that way, and I aboutthat what happens with talent think Olson has something verywhen special it’s invested wisely and flourishes through to it. There’s a spiritual side to that guitar. I surrendering it back to the Creator. That’s to help others to achieve their highest potenHere’s the good news, James 1:5 says: connected withwant it right on. It’s a beautifocus we to have andjust pursue. tial. Robert Godin has two sons, Simon and “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him fultheinstrument.

I have some old guitars. I’m Patrick,ask who he alsowho named brand looking at a Gibson J-160E, like John Lenof God, givesatoguitar all generously Nashville, TN is home for andrare without reproach, given after. It’s to see a familyand whoit will has be dedinon played.

I’ve got couple of Gretsch Tom Lane though he isainvolved to him.” I ask for it regularly!

We to don’t cated themselves to bringing excellence in ministry and and musica around the White Falcons ’58 Gretsch.

I love all need to live in condemnation for what we world. As a singer, songwriter this industry. kinds of guitars.

They’re all special and they don’t get done or can’t do, but to learn and guitar player, Tom has As farfrom as my Olsons . . .

I have never even all sound great, but that Olson is very close mistakes and bad choices so as been teamed with many worship seen a to guitar James makes. me. It’s very similar feeling to what not like repeat them.

Eventually it started toleaders andaartists.

He continues to record his I ownwhen work, Ilead and writes regularly making more sense to me and I had a have playworship, my signature Taylor.

I de-

James is turning down requests for guitar

42

for various worship publications worldwide.

Continued on page 28

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SELECTIVE HEARING Light and Bloom Holly Ann Deeper Well Records

Inheritance Audrey Assad Independent

Last year, Liz Vice demonstrated that some of the best spiritual music doesn’t have to come from established channels of gospel and CCM talent. Portland, Oregon’s Christian alternative singer-songwriter Holly Ann Winchell (aka Holly Ann) is another pleasant discovery in this same vein.

Released last month on Deeper Well Records, her Light and Bloom is a great big introspective thank you letter to God. The album’s praise songs are atmospheric and minimal, Holly Ann’s voice beguiling and poignant. Although her publicity cites Mazzy Star as an inspiration—and I certainly hear that in the lonely, empty spaces that frame the songs—Holly Ann is likely to stimulate comparisons to Tori Amos and Kate Bush, especially when she blue yodels into her high register. I also hear strains of The Cocteau Twins and Jane Siberry, as well as Riki Michele, point being that Holly Ann doesn’t sound like anything on Christian radio these days. The lyrics evoke the delightful subtleties of vernacular poetry that have evaded gospel music in its current quest for repetitive stanzas. On “Carry You,” Holly Ann likens God’s salvation to a moving river that “takes you out so you can’t see anymore the things that you left behind.” The message of “First Love,” as well as the album’s focus on the faith struggle, is captured in one of its most prominent lines: “Your perfect love has transformed me, but I keep trying to stay the same.” She expresses a similar sentiment in “River’s End:” “I only call you when I’m losing / I only need you when I’m high and dry.” “Better Than Gold” contains everything that’s right about Light and Bloom: supportive but not overpowering music, Holly Ann’s liquid vocals, and another beautiful and memorable lyric to describe her relationship with God: “Where do I start and where do you begin?”

If God wasn’t already in love with Holly Ann, He would be after hearing Light and Bloom.

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Hymn records are a dime a dozen these days.

In a saturated market, artists often feel the need to reinvent these classic prayers, but Audrey Assad does not cave to that temptation. She manages to retain enduring melodies and texts, but present them anew. I appreciate her willingness to record some lesser known songs that I grew up singing which had rarely received professional attention previously. Sandra McCracken has long been the gold-standard of reviving hymn arrangements, but Assad has definitely given her some serious competition on Inheritance. As you would expect from previous albums, Audrey’s voice is the star of the album. Her unprocessed vocal soars on top of the massive soundstage of reverb soaked drums, synths, and backing vocals. She retains the strings from Fortunate Fall, and her signature intimate piano arrangements also make an appearance (“Deep Deep Love”, “It Is Well”, “Abide with Me”, and “Softly and Tenderly”), but most of the album focuses on grand arrangements. It has the feel of a movie score, beguilingly cinematic, carrying the listener on a journey. Assad and co-producer, Daniel James deserve high praise for pulling off this balance. This album is solid all the way through. The recurring drum pattern ties everything together and makes this more of a comprehensive whole than a collection of unrelated songs. Assad contributes two original songs, “New Every Morning”, and “Even unto Death”, which are worthy additions to this collection of enduring classics. I foresee myself returning to this album for years to come.

Life Screams Lacey Sturm Followspot Records Lacey Sturm left Flyleaf in 2012 after spending a decade in the band. Her tenure with the group included three studio albums, all which topped the Christian album chart and also landed in the Billboard 200 album chart. Over the past few years Sturm has lent

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by shawn mclaughlin her talents to We As Human’s hit single “Take The Bullets Away”, wrote her autobiography The Reason and has done motivational speaking across the country. Now, Sturm has returned with her debut solo album, Life Screams. Her collaborators on the record include her husband, guitarist Josh Sturm, along with Skillet’s Korey Cooper and Grammy Award winning writer/producer David Hodges (Evanescence). The album kicks off with the first single “Impossible.” It’s hard rock in the Flyleaf vein with heavy guitars, a catchy chorus, and Sturm’s instantly recognizable vocal style. The track immediately climbed into the Top 5 of the iTunes rock songs chart. Another anthemic song on the album that should become a live favorite is the track “I’m Not Laughing.” In addition to larger than life rockers, Sturm also delivers more intimate and personal songs on Life Screams, most notably the title track. It ebbs and flows from quiet introspection to full power ballad mode and back again. “Faith” is another dynamic song with a powerful message. Though touching on many emotions, Life Screams’ message is a positive one. One of the reasons Sturm was inspired to write the album was an absence of positive themes in mainstream radio. Says Sturm, “When I was growing up, it was good to have somebody that could relate with the darkness that I was going through, but at the same time if it just left me there, it actually was destructive in my life.” The album has a cover song, with Sturm tackling the Police hit “Roxanne.”

The original has a reggae flavor, but Sturm’s version is an all-out rocker with the tempo slowed down. She puts her own spin on it, including screams that Sting could never dream of doing. The album wraps up on a subdued note with the earnest “Run to You.” With Life Screams, Sturm will satisfy Flyleaf fans with plenty of memorable, melodic hard rock, but her new band also helps expand and explore different musical paths.

Psalms Sandra McCracken Independent Nashville singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken —more accurately described as a singer-hymnist—is breathing new life into traditional church music. On

Psalms, her latest in a string of solo albums going back fifteen years, McCracken demonstrates that the austere melodies and lyrics that served as the soundtrack to Sunday mornings for centuries are just as relevant today. On record, McCracken sounds like the artistic sister of the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers who holed up in her room listening to Laura Nyro when they were digging the drive tempo selections of the Canton Spirituals and Dixie Hummingbirds. McCracken’s voice has power in the middle and fragility at the edges, both of which evoke the essential humanness of church music: we sing with strength to overcome our hurt and worry. In toto, Psalms sounds like a late night jam session in the basement of a church, where McCracken and her band of musicians have uncovered dusty copies of the Sacred Harp, Southern Harmony, and other nineteenth century songbooks, and are putting their own touch to the selections.

This is not surprising: McCracken is part of Indelible Grace, a mass movement that aims to reintroduce the power of the hymn to today’s church. Most of the songs on the album are based on specific psalms. Some selections float slowly, like a morning mist, while others, such as “Sweet Comfort” and “Flourishing,” prod their Foursquare lyrics with a steady folk rhythm. The opening track, “All Ye Refugees,” works as both religious and contemporary metaphor. It is hard not to think of what is happening in Syria, and the unendurable antiimmigrant rhetoric infesting the current political conversation, when hearing McCracken sing with open heart: “Welcome home, gather round, all ye refugees, come in.” See, hymns are relevant today. Sandra McCracken’s Psalms reawakens their sound and forgotten fury. To quote one famous common meter selection, the hymns used to “drive the doubt of dark away,” and still do.

Known for his powerhouse vocals that demand attention, John also has the ability to quietly and tenderly communicate a message on the most personal level. Dead Man Walking transitions effortlessly between rootsy Americana rock and inventive, engaging worship with a pop sensibility. Through it all, the lyrics remain honest and authentic. The first half of Dead Man Walking is about as stripped-down musically as it gets for Christian music these days without going full on acoustic, which suits the album incredibly well and remains true to John’s musical style. The album is introduced with four quick, optimistic tracks: “Silver In Stone,” “Abraham,” “Burn,” and “Anchor,” maintaining a strong heartland sound combined with biblically-inspired praise. The title track, “Dead Man Walking”, feels like a modernized take on swinging southern-gospel music, making it incredibly unique to the album.

With profound yet simple lyrics and a unique musical style, John Tibbs’ first studio album is worth a listen-- and a second listen-- and many more. This promising debut will likely not be the last we hear from him.

Shawn McLaughlin is a hard-working, dedicated, tireless worshipper of Christ.

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The second half of the project takes on a

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Dead Man Walking John Tibbs Fair Trade Services John Tibbs is a gifted singer and songwriter who may have flown under your radar, but not the radar of the music critics or the millions of users on music discovery website NoiseTrade.

John has been writing and recording music since high school, recently serving as the modern worship leader at Madison Park Church of God in Anderson, Indiana. He’s also been honing his craft on the road, logging thousands of miles as he traveled the country to share his earthy, organic music with a bit of a kick.

life of its own. While it attempts to stays in line with the style of the first five songs, the last five tracks are reminiscent of a standard worship night (a little more pop, some quick and some slow) with a southern twist. John makes this his own with powerful and wellwritten lyrics in songs such as “Everything I Need”: “I will tell the mountain to be cast into the sea / I will see You in the ocean’s roar and know Your perfect peace / As I cry out from the desert, living waters rise in me / No, I will not fear / You are everything I need.”

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“Doyle Dykes” continued from page 25

signed the model we had there, but I think James has come up with something that supersedes anything I’ve had before. As far as amps are concerned, a tube amp brings life and warmth to the room like nothing else. I use Rivera acoustic tube amps and also own some vintage Fenders. Chet Atkins recommended Paul Rivera’s amps to me years ago.

He and I came up with the all tube acoustic amp called the Sedona.

You are recording another album. How far along are you?

I started a couple of years ago. I went through the prototype Guilds and my Guild signature model, and I recorded on those.

Then I went back and redid some things on the Olson. I kept some of the things on the Guild and I also started on some things on the 12-string that people want to hear. I probably won’t put everything on the record.

Then I switched gears and made a collection of songs that I love from all my records before Bridging The Gap, which I wrote all the

songs on. I went back before that and I think there were 51 or 52 songs that I had written.

I didn’t know that I had written that many songs. I took them off all those records, left the covers off, called it Quintessential Guitar Collection, and it ended up being two volumes, two CD’s in each volume, that we remastered. There’s a song called “The Lights of Marfa” that I wrote for my book; it was never on a CD, and I put that on there. There’s a song I wrote for Bob Taylor’s book, called “Bob’s Guitar Lesson.” It was an interesting little song and I asked him if I could put it on my CD. He said, “Of course.” Bob and I are still very close friends.

I am working on a new album, and I ended up switching gears even on that. I found some recordings of me with Merle Travis, and I asked his family if I could put some of that on there. It was just a jam session that Grandpa Jones recorded of Merle and me at his house in 1976 and he gave me the tape, so I’m thinking of using that. I recorded around my uncle, Doyle Smith, who I

mentioned I was named after. He came to my house with his old 1939 D45 Martin and sang a couple of songs, and my dad recorded him. He played harmonica like no one I ever heard. He worked in the music business many years ago and should have been on the Opry, but a lot of things got in his way.

Anyway, I wanted people to hear him, so I’m putting that on there. He did a great rendition of “Little Red Wagon,” so I recorded around him, put a band around what my dad recorded, my brother played on it, and my grandkids and my daughter sang, so we went a totally different direction.

I am redoing an album called Songs of Faith and Freedom and adding some of the songs that were on the prior album that I talked about that were covers. Some of those were hymns, so I’m taking those that were recorded way back and I re-recorded a couple of them on the Olson and I’m putting them on this. I’m also working on a new worship album.

What are some of the recording techniques you use on your guitars?

I go direct with the pickup right into the board. From there I go into two amplifiers and I split the signal with a TC Electronic Chorus that’s turned off. I learned that from Eric Johnson. We use two mics on each amp, sort of off the axis, and you make sure they’re not phase-canceling. The engineers are so good at that. I’m deaf in one ear, so they have to catch a lot of stuff because I can’t hear it. I can tell stereo, and I know when it sounds good to me. Every time I work with an engineer, midway through it’s, “I finally get what you’re doing, what you’re going for here,” because it is different with the tube amps. You end up with this huge sound and they go, “Wow,” because it’s different, and that’s a great compliment from those guys. I work a lot with David Huff (David and the Giants) and Kelly Donnelly (Eric Johnson).

You worked with legends like Chet Atkins and Grandpa Jones. Do you worry that some of those artists may be forgotten by younger generations?

In my shows I do talk about Chet and Merle Travis and where I come from. Even if it’s not a clinic, I talk about them. I talk about a lot of things like that, like who my influences were. You’d be surprised at how many young players there are that play Chet’s style and Merle Travis’s style at the Chet Atkins [Appreciation Society] show. There are Continued on page 31

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MAR/APR 2016

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by mitch bohannon

GRUV GEAR CLUB BAG Travelers, Gear-hounds, and Weekend Warriors…I know we have much in common… starting with G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). But, what do we do with all of our gear? And how do we carry the gear we actually want to use to the gig?

Though I have always loved collecting gear, I’ve never really found the right gear to store and carry my gear! I’ve gone through a few tool bags from the local hardware store. Really, I thought they made sense. $30 bought me a sturdy bag and I was able to tote around cables, pedals, tools, accessories, and other odds-n-ends back and forth to church or wherever I was playing. However, I often found that my cables would get knotted together and/or damaged. Little parts would get buried and “lost.” The side pockets were perfect for screwdrivers and pliers (go figure!

That’s what they were designed for), but that’s about it. I never used all those little pockets.

Everything just piled up in the middle of the bag and there was absolutely no way I would drop my computer in there!

At NAMM last month, as I was walking my “rounds,” I passed by the Gruv Gear booth.

The display showed the Club Bag and in that moment, I saw the error of my ways. I was quickly envisioning my pile of gear neatly tucked and organized within. As soon as I could, I found Jay Baldemor, owner and designer of Gruv Gear. Come to find out, he, too, is a believer in Christ! We visited about his bags a bit and arranged for me to try the Club Bag out.

The bag arrived yesterday including two different sizes of the Gruvgear, Bento boxes, and a Sliiv Tech Sleeve fitted for my laptop.

As I dove in…each piece, each section, each opening, I was thinking…”it has that, too?”

Now, before you go and check these out online, I’ll do my best to give you some highlights.

This Club Bag was obviously made for traveling. Seriously, I flew about 10 times last year and this bag would have been SO helpful! As a backpack, it’s super padded and comfortable. Rugged, and has a substantial feel about it. The backpack space that is traditionally designed for books is separated into three adjustable shelves. The top shelf is accessed through the appropriately named “glove

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MAR/APR 2016

box” with a zippered opening on the top section of the bag. I placed my extra cables, earphones, and items that I need quick access to inside. The lower two shelves are accessed through dual (both sides) zippered “locker doors,” each with cargo pockets on them.

Pedals, my Roots-box stomp-box, and my direct boxes easily fit inside. The Bento boxes are perfect for my capos, tools, strings, polish, phone cables, and easily lost items. They fit nicely into any area and I love how they have a transparent front. I can see directly what I have inside. For years, I had used microphone bags for little things. But, they all look the same and I would often open three or four of them before finding what I was looking for.

Great design here!

The Sliiv Tech Sleeve is fantastic just by itself; however, it was designed to work perfectly with the Club Bag. In the back section of the backpack, there is a full opening for my laptop, tablet, and there’s even still enough room for folders, mags, and/or paperwork. This section is equipped with Gruv Gear’s exclusive ScanFlyTM tethered laptop system. These two Velcro straps connect directly to two concealed tabs on the laptop Sliiv Tech Sleeve.

These hold the laptop secure and make it really easy to remove, yet remain connected to the bag when going through airport security.

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Speaking of airport security, if you fly, you know how awkward it is to carry your ticket and various ID’s to be available at a moment’s notice. Well, there’s a hidden pocket for that as well and it’s right on the front of the backpack. There is even a zipper on the bottom that, when open, allows your suitcase’s telescoping handle to pass through! Don’t get me wrong, this bag is airport-friendly, but is not reserved only for the flying musician.

This will be a welcome companion between my home and the church and I will feel much more organized! The website, www.gruvgear. com has an array of photos where you can see all that I’ve described and more.

The Gruv Gear Club Bag has a few color options that retail starting at $150. The optional Bento bags have four different sizes and start at $20 each. The awesome Sliiv Tech Sleeve for laptops or tablets range from $30-$35 and have their own optional shoulder strap (I’m ordering one of those BTW!).

Mitch developed the Kyser Short Cut Capo – an alternate tuning device used by many worship leaders today. He is a worship leader in Louisiana and a regular contributor to Worship Musician and Christian Musician Magazine and has been a part of CMS since 2004. Mitch and his wife, Noelle, have 3 awesome kids!

“Doyle Dykes” Continued on page 28

great new players coming along and they put Chet’s style into what they’re doing. Tommy Emmanuel does a lot to keep this music alive, and Steve Wariner does too. I think as long as we play and young people hear it, they get influenced. Look at Steve Howe.

He’s a great guitar player. I had people tell me after a show in England, “Oh, I noticed you were doing some of that Steve Howe stuff.” It was straight-up Merle Travis, but they didn’t know it. So although they may not hear the names, they’re hearing that music and it’s going to live on. I know it will.

Is there a chance that you might record or do some dates with Steve Wariner?

I’d sure love to do that. He’s one of my favorite people. I met him a long time ago.

I was with Grandpa Jones, and I knew the first time I heard Steve that he was star material. Shortly after, they were grooming him to be that. He’s underrated. He should already be in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. He plays so brilliantly, and then he starts singing and I almost cry. In fact, his singing eclipsed his guitar playing with the general public, and a lot of them don’t know what a great player he is. What a renaissance guy!

It’s just like Phil Driscoll talking about David’s playing. If we believe in God, then we believe it’s the same Holy Spirit that touched Saul when David played, and then you have to know that there is a certain touch that comes to certain people. Some of them don’t realize it. Some of them haven’t been as fortunate as me in some ways to know what it is. I’m not saying I know it all. I don’t.

But, at the same time, I believe it comes from something that’s beyond us. I think a lot of players, if they knew, would appreciate it more. A lot of them have such a gift, such an anointing, and they don’t realize where it comes from. Some of the most gifted people — you felt such a peace and tranquil spirit and something inside when they played, but they never got a handle on it. They never got a handle on life, and they died prematurely with drugs or alcohol. I think they never realized what they had. God helped me to realize it in the sense that I know where it comes from. I was playing at NAMM a couple of years ago and there was a rock group waiting to sign autographs at the Fender booth. One of them was weeping. I walked over and these guys said, “Hey dude, you made our bass player cry.” I said, “No, I didn’t.” They said, “Yeah, you did.” He said, “I’ve never

felt anything like that before.” I said, “That goes beyond me. The one that gave us this gift is the one that touched you like that.”

You often speak about your first mentor, Barry Lackey, and how he was willing to teach a 14-year-old boy some guitar techniques. Is that why you teach, hold seminars, play at NAMM, and do workshops?

Is it to give to others the way he gave to you?

One of the oldest laws in the Bible is that you reap what you sow. I’m offering free guitar lessons on my website now, which is something I saw James Taylor do. James also had his first number one album last year.

You reap what you sow. Some of my friends would say, “You’re giving away a lot of infor-

mation that people would pay a whole lot of money to hear.” If I show these ideas, I’ll get new ideas. If I show how I did this, or explain something on the guitar that they want to learn, I’m going to learn something, because it’s a never-ending thing. Anybody that teaches something on guitar — they haven’t learned it all yet. The Bible says, “Sing unto the Lord a new song and play skillfully with a loud noise.” Of course, I guess it helps to have a good amp to do that! But the part about the new song tells me that there will always be new songs, there will always be new ideas.

It was huge to me to be inducted into the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame in

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NAMM REPORT: “5 COOL THINGS I SAW”

by bruce adolph, mitch bohannon, eric dahl, michael hodge, paul maina, michael daleo, nick daleo

This was my 36th NAMM Show I believe (I am starting to lose track…) but it was my oldest son Drew’s first one to attend. This large international trade show for the music gear industry hit new highs this year at Anaheim, CA’s sprawling convention center.

Over 101,000 attendees and 1,725 exhibit booths. We had our booth there promoting all three of our print magazines and also our Tacoma Guitar Festival. We placed a vintage 1965 Gibson Melody Maker in the booth and a Riggio Custom Guitar telecaster style guitar as well to help attract folks over to hang in the exhibit booth so we could tell them about our magazines… it worked! We had a lot of folks stop by and this year’s convention was the best yet for what we were trying to accomplish there. As customary, since I cannot (even in four full days of convention floor efforts) literally cover everything that is new at the show, I asked several of our writers and friends to tell us the “5 Cool Things” they saw at NAMM. I’ll start out with my “5” and then the rest can chime in.

Bruce Adolph 1. Rayco Lectrophonic Resonator: Rayco is well known for their acoustic resonators but this electric ones is just plain cool!

It has an electric pick-up and one for the biscuit part of the resonantor. Think, “The Jetson’s meet Surf ” Price $2,750.00 rayco.ca 2. C.F. Martin D-222 Acoustic: Wow, what a well made acoustic celebration of Martin’s 100 years of building Dreadnought guitar style bodies. Check out the review I wrote in Collectible Guitar magazine’s Mar/Apr 2016 issue on this one… only 100 will be made.

Price $4,999.00 martinguitar.com 32

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3. Dobrato: OK, adding a Bigsby to an acoustic resonator instrument is interesting but adding your patented B-Blender on top of the Bigsby is a stroke of genius! The B-Blender works very similar to a B-Bender you might see on a Telecaster sometimes (but this one is manipulated by the whammy bar and not the guitar strap). Totally cool! $2,400.00 www.castlecreekguitars.com 4. Eastman ER-4 Thinline Electric: Semi-hollow carved solid spruce top electric with mahogany back and sides. Single mounted Kent Armstrong pick-up and ebony fingerboard round out the features on this sunburst beauty.

Retail $2,350.00 eastmanguitars.com 5. Yamaha Revstar Electrics: OK the motorcycle in their display booth did pull me into the booth but I wanted to see this new electric guitar line inspired by their motorcycle legacy anyway. The guitars just look so cool.

Well-done Yamaha! A new and versatile electric guitar line is born.

Retail ranges from $629.00-$1,549.00 usa.yamaha.com

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Mitch Bohannon 1. GruvGear Club Bag (Retail: $150+) I actually got one of these after NAMM and it’s a fantastic gear organizer that’s ready to FLY! gruvgear.com 2. Cradle Cube from MusicNomad (Retail $20) Looks to be a great tech tool to be ready on the fly to operate on our precious guitars. www.musicnomadcare.com

3. McPherson Guitars new Kevin Michael Sable (MSRP $3400) I’ve been so impressed with the travel size Kevin Michael. This new full-size is every bit a McPherson in rich volume, tone, and playability. kevinmichaelguitars.com 4. Mayson Guitars (no dealer in the US yet, but something to watch for) I was really impressed with the look and feel of these guitars. You can find them online. Prices range in the Artist Series from $949$1649. www.maysonguitars.eu

5.

Speaker stands from IsoAcoustics (Retail $90+) So many times I have needed a little “nudge” to raise

my speakers… no more hymn books with these! isoacoustics.com Eric Dahl 1. C.F. Martin new Fishman Aura VT inner body electronics and DC18E, DC-28E, DC35E. Classic Martin body styles but with the added benefit of a cutaway and the new VTS electronics! Starting Street price $3,059 www.martinguitar.com 2. Danelectro Resonator. Take a classic Danelectro body shape, add a resonator cone in the middle of it and a lipstick pickup. Pure blues magic! $599 street danelectro.com 3. MXR Reverb pedal. 6 built in Reverb selections with a jack for an expression pedal.

Decay, Tone and Mix controls, studio reverb sounds at your feet. $199.99 street www.jimdunlop.com 4. Fret King John Jorgensen signature guitar.

Nice traditional “Tele” styling but with the vibe of a Gretsch. Plays and sounds incredible. US price $1,159 fret-king.com

5. Zoom Arq - Aero Rhythm track instrument. 538 sounds, 400 presets, drum machine, synthesizer, looper and sequencer all in one plus a wireless Bluetooth linked ring controller (that lights up and looks other worldly). It’s like the game Simon on steroids but cooler. Pre-order street price $599.99 zoom-na.com

Michael Hodge

5. Alpine Music Safe Pro Earplugs. This is Alpine’s first year at NAMM. We all need earplugs if were not using In-Ears. I use them any time I go to the movies, live concerts, or take a flight. What I like about these is that they come with 3 different filters and a nice carrying case. They sell for $34.95 on line. www.alpinehearingprotection.com

1. Roland El Cajon.

This is a well-built Hybrid wood Cajon with a twist. There are 30 builtin electronic kits, that can be played and layered with the natural sounds of the Cajon. Each kit has 2 independent sounds, triggered at the head and edge of the front. List price is $504.98, $399.00 street. www.rolandus.com 2. Music Man James Valentine Signature Guitar. We all love Maroon 5. This is a really cool guitar. It has an Ash body and a roasted Maple neck with stainless steel frets, two pick-ups (1 humbucker / 1 single coil), a 3-way custom wired lever switch and a coil tap. Comes in 4 color combinations. Suggested retail $2,099.00 www.music-man.com

Paul Maina 1. Aerodrums - Virtual reality drums.

The full set retails worldwide for $199, £129 and €175, and includes unlimited, lifetime customer service.

aerodrums.com

3. Slap Stick N-100 Pro. The Slap Stick is a revolutionary instrument. Think of it as a space age, hammer-on instrument played to create unique, melodic rhythms and bass-lines. You got to check this thing out. I want one! The price is $249 + $19 S&H in the USA slaperoo.com

2. American Rock Room. Rock and roll furniture. Very cool stuff… Furniture that you can play your guitar through!

The Bark-A-Lounge” (sofa chair) 36” x 36” x 25” Starts at $3,500 W/ 12” Speaker Only - $4,250 W/ Head and 12” Speaker. The Americano (coffee table Combo Amp) - 24” x 48” x 20” Starts at $2,250 w/ fully functional amplifier. americanrockroom.com

4. Orbit Instrument Cable. We all know cables are an important piece of the signal flow from the guitar or bass to the pedalboard/amp. I heard the difference right away. These are a little more expensive, but IMO worth it. They feature Oxygen-Free Copper conductors and DNA Helix conductor geometry.

A ten-foot cable sells for $75.00. store. wireworldcable.com

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3. Fender “Exploded View” guitars - 2 legendary Fender guitars in their “exploded” form under glass at the front of the Fender booth. Interesting to see all the components that way - Not for Sale.

Demonstration purposes only.

3. JHS: SeeSaw Volume Pedal. Slated for release in early spring, The JHS Pedals “See-Saw” is an end-all stereo/mono volume pedal, preamp, direct box, tuner and effects host in a pedal board friendly package. $249 www.jhspedals.com

Nick Daleo 4. Having to literally side step Graham Nash so I didn’t run into him! Priceless!

5. TaylorSense - Health monitoring system for your guitar complete with an app for your smartphone. Will be available in Q2 of 2016 and cost $79.99. www. taylorguitars.com

1. Line 6 Fire Hawk 1500. The Firehawk family combines world-class tone with intuitive tone control and is a powerful 1500-watt stage amp for guitarists who want to perform with great live sound at any volume. Firehawk FX is a versatile multi-effects processor that delivers amazing tone in the studio or on stage.

Both offer an exceptional combination of tone, control, and power—so you can unleash your creativity and deliver you best performance. Street Price: $999.99; List Price: $1,399.99 line6.com

the menu adds up to the utmost in versatility and performance. Prism rotation and indexing hits your perfect position every time while a removable gobo door makes replacing gobos easy, without requiring any extra tools. Street Price: $779.00; List Price: $999.00 marqlighting.com 4. Fender American Elite Stratocaster Electric Guitar: The American Elite Stratocaster is a progressive guitar.

Featured on all American Elite instruments, the new 4th generation Noiseless pickups are only available in this series, and represent a quantum leap in pickup design. Combining vintage-style sound with effectively noise-free performance, these are the pinnacle of Fender’s noiseless pickup designs, offering pristine cleans and fat, overdriven tones that scream. Street Price: $1799.00; List Price: $1900.00 fender.com

Michael Daleo 1. iConnectivity: iConnectAudio 4+.

The perfect digital interface for keyboardists and MD’s - Plug everything into one interface – your computers and iOS devices, highres audio, MIDI, USB, 5-pin MIDI, mics, instruments, speakers, headphones... the iConnectAUDIO4+ integrates it all seamlessly. $299 iconnectivity.com/iConnectAUDIO4plus 2. Synthogy: Ivory II VR. Synthogy is releasing a dedicated portable high performance piano platform which comes installed with a choice of Synthogy’s famous Ivory II piano packages. $1,500 www.kvraudio.com 34

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2. Line 6 Relay G10 Wireless System.

Playing guitar should be simple. Just plug-in and go… it works just like a guitar cable. You get incredible sound quality, rock-solid performance, and the freedom of digital wireless Street Price: $179.00; List Price: $249.00 line6.com 3. MARQ Lighting Gesture Spot 400: Motorized focus and zoom via DMX or directly from

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5. Electro-Harmonix Cock Fight Talking Wah Pedal. The Cock Fight lets you achieve that cool cocked wah sound without the wah pedal.

Tune in the tone you want, and add the built-in distortion for more grind and growl, or switch to the Talking Wah mode for a stuck voice-box sound. If you plug in an expression pedal, you can sweep the Cock Fight for jaw dropping wah and the tone you want, with or without distortion! Street Price: $112.00; List Price: $148.00 www.ehx.com

SPECIAL FEATURE

by dr. ken steorts

Public Relations “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” - GK Chesterton Being a musician is a hard business. Because, if you want to do it full time with your life, it is exactly that - a business. Taxes, sales, performances, planning, strategy . . .Public relations. A lot of things that musician personalities don’t typically love doing. Items from the left brain or extroverted good times. Lists of duties and bullet points. Ugh! This month I want to encourage musicians that something that is worth doing with your life often has a start in your inability to do it well. Everything takes practice. This is no different than learning to play music. Hour after hour, losing track of time, working on the small things. Sometimes you just need encouragement to get started on it.

Last issue, I presented a case for community for artists - relationships that bring out the best (and worst) in us as people - and that we thrive as artists and musicians when we are in community with one another, working through our stuff. In this issue, I want to discuss public relations.

PR. That’s right, PR. Often thought of as press releases, marketing strategies, sales pitches, and necessary evils, I want to redefine public relations as the inner community turned outward. If you are established in a truly Christian artistic community and your relationships are solid and beneficial around you, you can begin to truly express and develop your ability to relate to audiences, the press, management, music business, and even the public, who doesn’t know your music in a secure and mature way - from the inside out.

Think of it as Public Relationship.

And think of it often! Your grounding in the closest relationships within your church, your family, and your social circle should be significant if you are working as a musician or worship leader as your primary income monthly. In this context, you can share who you really are and work through issues of personality and art. You can be challenged in your daily walk, first as a person, then as an artist. Any artist, especially a public person performing, must first develop a team of people who can speak directly to the artist about the mission, vision, perception, focus, direction, and expression of the art or the musician, touch on the spiritual basis of real life issues, and speak to and encourage the great things and diminish the lesser things in your life. Less of you, more of Him. Then, you have a strong basis to bring your message and ministry. Think of it like this: grounding and community, then bringing your message to the world.

So I leave you with three tips you’ve heard before for getting community in to your life, and it won’t be easy.

First, attend church regularly with your family. No one knows more about your spiritual walk than your family. Attend church with your roommates, or whomever is your family, and discuss the message and worship and vision of the church, both local and global. Being involved in something bigger than yourself should be a prerequisite for asking others to be a part of your thing.

Second, study the Word of God in the Bible and the stories of God in his Church and its history. Knowing God intimately will bring about strength and courage in molding your story and message to others. You don’t

have to go to seminary or be involved in a specific class, just read daily and ask for help from those who have a deep understanding and who seem, to you, to be moving in a direction that honors God with their lives and testimony.

Third, be ready to very uncomfortable. Every step towards community will be a chance to meet and interact with people different from you and will be a challenge to your desire for safety and comfort. Even in the small groups in your own church, there will be people with different ideas about how to follow Jesus, what to do with children and family, and thoughts about what life should look like as a Christian. Community will never become easy, but practice can make it fun.

Musicians are often reticent to join groups or listen to others or ask for help or admit defeat. On the other hand, we can be easily depressed, emotionally ready, and creatively vulnerable. Why not immerse yourself in community and give your gifts to one another and be changed in the presence of God the Holy Spirit and your fellow church members, the body of Christ? Through this vulnerability and formation, God can begin to create an amazing story ready for true PR, public relationships, that are healthy, vibrant, and yes, sell better.

Dr. Ken Steorts Founder and President of Visible Music College and Madison Line Records.

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INDIE MECHANICS

by keith mohr & sue ross-mohr

Am I good enough?

We allow the above question to attach itself to so many areas of our lives. It travels through the mind of every young person entering into the world of sports. Actors ask this of themselves with each role presented to them. First-time parents have this wonder floating through their brain months before their child enters this world. It is a phrase that is voiced both out loud and inside from an early age. That healthy competition that begins in our youth sparks the flames of self-doubt as we enter into our teens, and those flames are fanned into adulthood.

Am I good enough? It is a subjective question. Many times asked and answered solely based on one’s feelings or comparison to others. This question is reflected in the eyes of contestants during our Nashville Rising Star songwriter open-mic competition. As rounds continue and each songwriter listens to others share their songs, what they thought was a great song they had crafted, they now question.

For many Christian creatives, they find this to be a daily and ongoing struggle. They state and truly feel that they have been called

by God to use their talents for His glory. The words, though, find themselves precariously perched upon a double-edged sword. Doubt heavily weighs upon them, their creativity wanes, and they put it on a shelf awaiting the dust to settle.

Am I good enough? Every human has voiced this at some time in his or her life.

It seems to come with the role of being human. The words that are being penned in this article are not directed to the person that has a momentary thought. It is the second thought and the third thought and those that are without end that will incapacitate vision and cripple mission. A Christian who writes and performs to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to give the world hope through their

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music and to bring joy to an audience, must learn how to become the master of that thought.

Am I good enough? I sought God’s Word for the answers.

Isaiah 43:4 – “Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Psalm 138:8 – “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

Isaiah 49:16 – “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

fine the word good, quantify the word enough and finally determine the word what.

You may be thinking, at this juncture, about the individuals who truly cannot carry a tune or write a lyric worth reading. This article is not challenging those facts. Training and education are a necessity in every field. Striving to always grow better in your gifts is a given.

Everyone is called to different avenues with their gifts. Talent is something that will be recognized and brought to the forefront.

Some are given large platforms in which to help change the hearts of man through music. Others are called to their local church to lead worship in their congregation. Many will use music to just reach that one, with a guitar and a song that came from their heart.

Knowing that you are good enough is a first step in honoring what God has called you to do. Made good by our Father in heaven, sheds a whole new light.

Creatively His, Keith and Sue Mohr Keith and Sue Mohr MOHR CREATIVE GROUP www.mohrcreativegroup.com

Psalm 139:13-14 – “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

It seems to us that God thinks you are good enough. As a matter of fact, we believe He puts a strike through the word enough.

The real question when one ponders ‘am I good enough?’ should not be determining the amount of goodness in one’s heart or art. The question we should ask ourselves is, ‘good enough for what?’ First we must de-

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

Keith Mohr and Sue Ross-Mohr of “The Mohr Creative Group” have years of experience serving independent Christian artists, musicians and songwriters. Keith founded www.indieheaven.com in 2002, the leading portal for Christian independent music. Sue Ross-Mohr founded www.theinnervizion. com in 2003, a creative promotions /marketing/ consulting service to individuals and companies worldwide. Also check out www.indiemechanics.com for more helpful info!

TAKING THE STAGE

by tom jackson

Misdirection and Upstaging: Mistakes you can Avoid

Avoidable mistakes are usually done out of ignorance. Or they come from not being prepared correctly.

When you are supporting someone onstage, the general rule is that your depth onstage should be at least a few steps behind that person. You should slightly turn your body their way, and show interest in what they are doing.

Because if you think it’s interesting, so will that percentage of the audience that’s connected with you! If your depth onstage is even with or in front of the person you’re trying to support, you are upstaging them.

You are telling the audience “look at me, not

These are 2 that are definitely avoidable: • Misdirection — drawing the attention of the audience away from what they should be paying attention to; and • Upstaging — diverting attention from someone else to yourself.

Misdirection is actually one of the tools of the trade for magicians. They’re going to pull a rabbit out of a hat, saw a person in half, or make someone disappear. They know if they cause a diversion at a critical time the audience will look away for a split second (without even realizing it) and with a sleight of hand, they can do the trick.

Even if you know it’s going to happen, you can’t help it. I’ve seen magicians and thought to myself, “don’t look away, don’t look away, don’t look away,” — and inevitably I look away.

I don’t even realize it’s happened! That’s the beauty of misdirection.

The ugly part of misdirection is when you, as an artist, are trying to communicate a lyric, a vocal line, a solo, and someone onstage is misdirecting or upstaging you (usually without knowing it). It takes away from the impact of what you’re trying to communicate.

One of the most important things we can do onstage is direct the audience’s attention to what is important. And misdirection will take away from that.

For example, maybe you’ve seen a show where the lead singer has finished his part, the guitar player steps up for a solo, and the spotlight operator still has the light on the singer. So the singer starts to point his finger at the guitar player, trying to direct the spotlight operator to point the light in the right direction. And what

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are we paying attention to? The awesome solo?

No! It could be the best solo on the planet, but people won’t know it because of the misdirection caused by the spotlight operator.

If you are onstage with a group, a band, a duo, a trio, you may not have lights, but essentially you are a spotlight operator. You can direct the audience’s attention to what is important onstage at the time.

Look at it this way — you’re a mirror. If you are communicating 1 on 1 and working your zones, there is a percentage of the audience that will emotionally connect with you for various reasons. The way you look, the instrument you play, who they perceive you to be; and the truth is, you don’t want them watching you the whole night. You want them to focus on the things that are important.

One of the ways those who are connected with you will focus on what’s important, is if you direct their attention by supporting the main focus during that song. Generally speaking, when someone is talking onstage, pay attention to them. When someone is singing lead, lead your people to them. Solos happening? Give the impression that the soloist is awesome and no one could play that solo as well as they can. It’s called support!

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them!”

And remember, the song is the script. What should the audience be paying attention to?

You want them to focus on the things that are important in the show. Musically, the time for a drum, guitar, or bass solo isn’t while the singer is singing the verse. That would be musical misdirection. Usually you would bring the dynamics down, play fewer notes, and establish a groove during the verse so that the lyrics and melody can be showcased.

There are definitely songs or parts in a song when everyone needs to be going off musically or jamming. But it’s not when someone is trying to communicate a great lyric around a melody. The other stuff would get in the way.

The same thing holds true visually. If the song is chaotic, it should look chaotic onstage.

But chaos is not good when you want the audience to focus on the lyrics, a solo, a story being told, etc.

I need to address the hokey-ness factor here.

We’ve all seen groups do this in unison where it looks cheesy, canned, and the hokey meter is pegged! I’m not talking about that. In your own way, using your personality, learn how to

support others who are onstage with you.

“Doyle Dykes” Continued on page 31

Here are some more examples: The guitar player is doing an awesome solo on the edge of the stage, and the bass player and singer are in the audience high-fiving people. That’s misdirection and upstaging.

Kentucky. It was one of the greatest feelings and greatest honors to be with kindred spirits. When I left that night, the first person I called was Barry. He is driving a truck now for a living and he still plays. I told him, “I wouldn’t be here tonight if it hadn’t been for you coming to our house and doing that for me, and I’ll always be eternally grateful to you.” I learned to play things I never thought I could play, because of him.

The front person is telling a story to set up a song, and the bass player and drummer are behind him whispering to each other. That’s misdirection.

The vocalist and keyboardist are singing a really sweet harmony, and the bass player is standing on the edge of the stage trying to get the audience to clap with him. Misdirection and upstaging.

Even if you are onstage by yourself, you can misdirect your audience. If you want them to pay attention to the lyric and you’re preoccupied with your instrument . . .that is misdirecting.

If you want them to pay attention to the lyric and you’re going off vocally, they’ll pay attention to your voice, not the lyric. If you are a singer/songwriter doing a musical interlude on your guitar, and you stand directly behind the microphone, it’s misdirection. A part of the audience will not pay attention to what you’re doing musically, because they are waiting for you to sing. If you take just a 1⁄2 step or a step to the side to play that interlude, it will have a greater impact.

As a performer, you need to understand not just musical dynamics, but also visual dynamics, so the audience knows what to pay attention to. And you need to be aware of each other onstage and support each other. That way you and your audience will get the full impact of your songs.

Recently I played at a convention in Texas for thousands of people, and the next day I played at another little church where most of the people were bikers. One guy told me, “A year ago I was robbing houses and stealing copper out of buildings, I was on drugs, I’ve been in jail.” The other guy said, “I was in the penitentiary and I’m out now because God cleaned up my life. One of my friends drove by the church this morning and I saw that he was high. He tried to sell me a gun.

Man, I can’t believe he came to my church wanting to sell me a gun!” And I’m thinking, Where in the world am I? Oh my Lord, this is like a movie! I played for those people and had one of the most meaningful and blessed services I’ve had in a long time. I left there knowing this was not about me. I was just at the right place at the right time. It comes back to you, and it goes all the way back to Genesis. Not the group Genesis, although I like the group too!

Every time you played in the Taylor room at winter NAMM, it was packed.

The line started at least an hour in advance, and the room would start to fill during the set before yours, because everyone wanted the best possible seat or place to stand. Were you aware of what was going on?

Taylor is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it hadn’t been for them in a lot of ways, because not a whole lot of people knew about me at all. In the short time I was with Fender, I got a chance to meet a lot of guys and talk with them personally, like Don Felder and Eddie Van Halen. We were on a panel and we were asked, “How did you start playing guitar?” Of course I told them that I was raised in church. I wasn’t trying to play like Jimi Hendrix. I was trying to play like Merle Travis. It’s all who we are. All things work together for those that love the Lord and that are called according to His purpose.

That’s all it is and all it was. Taylor Guitars supported my ministry around the world for almost twenty years! Where it goes from here, I don’t know. But that’s the exciting part. It’s amazing how things come to pass.

It’s usually a confirmation of what God has already told you, or how He has spoken to your heart. God opened doors through Taylor and the NAMM shows, and it all worked together. A lot of times God prepares us and we don’t know why. Sometimes He gives us indications that He’s still there. God knows what we need. He prepares our hearts.

— Alison Richter

Text excerpted from Tom Jackson’s Live Music Method Book, p. 202-205 See more www.onstagesuccess.com Photo courtesy Eric Gamboa Tom is uniquely talented and skilled at transforming an artist’s live show into a magical experience for the audience; helping artists at every level create a live show that is engaging and memorable, teaching them to exceed their audiences’ expectations and to create fans for life. Tom has taught indie and major artists of every genre. He has worked with Taylor Swift, Le Crae, Home Free, The Tenors, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, Francesca Battistelli, Jars of Clay, & many more. Tom also teaches at colleges, conferences, and events worldwide. www.onstagesuccess.com/about/tom-jackson/ Follow Tom: Twitter: @onstagesuccess facebook.com/onstagesuccess

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GUITAR: A2Z

by roger zimish

Playing Well With Others One of the best ways to improve your playing is to play with other musicians, especially ones that are better than you. You’d be surprised the conversations you can have without using words by letting your instruments do the talking. So how do you play well with others? First, by listening and getting a feel for what the other person is saying, or in this case, playing. If it’s a jam, the one leading the conversation will usually tell you what song and/or “key” you are playing in. When

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the groove (tempo) is set and the band starts playing, your conversation has begun. Any good listener will know when to answer, step back into a rhythm, throw some fills in, or take a lead when it’s time. Here are some ideas you can try when you get together to jam in the basement, garage, or open mic night while playing with other guitarists.

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rhythm he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing,” playing rhythm is way cool. When you have two guitars playing rhythm, it can get a little crowded if you are playing the same parts. Try other chord inversions on the neck. If one guitarist is playing open chords while the bass player is carrying the root notes, try playing bar chords or comping parts of the chords higher on the neck. See EXP. #1 A & B for chord voicings. Listen to the other guy and complement his parts like Eric Clapton did with Duane Allman in Derek and the Dominos, or how Tom Petty and Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers work parts together.

When it comes time to take solos, don’t play over top of the other guy. Lay down a solid and tasteful rhythm and he’ll do the same for you. Exp. #2 A & B, here is part of an I IV V blues progression with dominant 7 chords and then using 7th and 9 chords.

Don’t forget to let the sax and harmonica players have a solo. When it’s your turn to take a solo go for it, make it cry and sing by ripping into some tasty blues licks out of the blues and pentatonic scales.

Coda: Listening to the musicians you are playing with will make you a better player and you will learn to fit into the music. Remember, it’s not what you can play to show off, but when you play. Sometimes you might not play at all, or just a one or two note solo like the great BB King, and a good time will be had by all. Next time we will talk about building your solos. God Bless.

Roger Zimish uses “TrueTone” effects, is a freelance guitarist, indie artist, clinician, and Jesus guy based in Hendersonville Tn. Contact Roger: Email rogerzimish@yahoo.com, like Roger Zimish Guitarist on facebook.

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9/28/15 2:13 PM

GOOD FOR THE SOUL Got Game?

I was listening to an interview by a wellaccomplished NFL Football player, talking about sacrifice and achievement. It’s hard to argue with a man who’s just signed a 100 million dollar contract to play a game!

to find those with the most genetically correct fit for the needs. From there, the game has ‘stats’ for everything ever done. It becomes a simple matter of comparing yourself to those who have come before you.

Granted, public heroes can be an inspiring example of a bigger picture. But, as a follower of Jesus, and called to commitment myself, I am annoyed with the anecdotes given by many of those who are most visibly successful, talking about their work ethic.

But if my goal is to “walk in the light as He is in the light”, the first thing I notice is that it doesn’t come with a spotlight! I have a limited understanding of my Creator. I just know that life is His game! And I know that Jesus asks me to follow Him, not follow those who follow Him. Still, I have a desire to know what my ‘stats’ are! How do I compare with the rest of God’s ‘team’?

Natural gifts play in to the equation in this scenario. But in following in obedience to God, there are no interview segments after a victory.

The National Football League had 129 Million people watching the Super Bowl this year. And for the players, the definitions of success are clearly defined in the rules of the game. It’s easy to see what needs to be accomplished and the sacrifice it will take to make it. But what is ignored in talking about YOUR talent and YOUR effort is that the cream of the crop of players have been strained through the process of elimination

For that matter, how do I know when I’m winning? There is no scoreboard in the spiritual ‘game’, and no real ‘stats’ either. Maybe that’s why we look at the numbers for attendance or sales figures to gauge how we are doing. Maybe we start a religion ‘league’ where we can tell who the big players are by the size of their hat or the stripes on their robe.

I know there are endorsements available in the spiritual ‘game’ too, like when other believers see that you seem to be around when the miracles are happening. But in my experience with knowing God, I haven’t found His plans to be terribly sensational. At least from the outside looking in. His voice doesn’t come over the loud speakers.

There is no ‘color commentary’ either. Although I have had God show me a replay of what I’ve done wrong on many occasions.

One thing I have noticed about God’s team: He likes to choose rookies! Maybe they are just easier to coach, but at least they are in the game. Spiritually, I feel like I’m on the sidelines most of the time. My prayers look like Hail Mary passes. I fumble a lot. I’m not sure if anyone’s blocking for me and I can’t find an opening in the line when I have the ball. And I’m having trouble recognizing the opposition. Nobody is wearing team colors.

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by bryan duncan Nevertheless, I still see examples of my faith in football. One of the most encouraging bits of advice I ever got came from a football player. Speaking of faith and persistence, he told me a story about a game he was in. He ran his pass patterns all day, and the quarterback never threw the ball to him.

And he was taking a beating for the effort.

There were better receivers he said, and he wondered what all his physical training was worth. “I played hard but I felt like I was just going through the motions,” he told me.

“We were trailing in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. It was fourth down and goal to go.”

The defense was covering the key players tightly. Anticipating, based on who had the biggest stats. But on the last play of the game, he caught the only ball thrown to him on that day for a touchdown and the victory. “Funny thing,” he said, “Nobody remembered that I didn’t get the ball for the whole game.”

Faith might be like that. We train for the long season. We show up ready. We practice our skills. We even run our patterns. And we definitely take our beatings. Maybe we’re watching the clock, looking for someplace we can check the score. And we watch others get the big interview, the endorsements, and the pats on the back. But I always liked what one musician friend said to me once, “You’re never more than one song away from a whole new career.”

I love being on God’s ‘team’. I can thrive without a genetic predisposition! It’s a league where “Rookies Rule”. He can take anyone out of the stands and win with them. He overturns bad calls. He gives me unlimited ‘challenge flags’. And there’s no scoreboard because the outcome has already been decided. All He asks of me is to play like an MVP. May we all keep our hearts and minds in the game.

Bryan Duncan/ Singer / Songwriter/ author / Publisher. Radio Show host for RadioRehab.com Inducted into the Christian music Hall of Fame in 2007. 40 years, 22 albums, Dove and Grammy awarded. www.bryanduncan.com

by bob bennett

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ME? We’ve all heard the old camp sing-along “Home on the Range” even if it’s not quite our cup-of-song these days. Yet if some rich, eccentric, benevolent cowboy music enthusiast walked up and offered a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill to sing the first verse, most of us could probably sing enough of it to walk away with the C-note in hand.

Now I know that most of us are far removed from the idyllic life of the cowhand that the song all but promises. (A quick aside: The first version of the preceding sentence read “idyllic life of the cowboy or cowgirl”, but being both the fearful correspondent and terminal smart-aleck that I am, I Googled “gender neutral cowboy”. That led to the proper 21st century inclusive term “cowhand” and so it is. [Stops, thinks] But wait a minute. Doesn’t the specific use of “cow” and “hand” discriminate against other perfectly good livestock and body parts? Perhaps this is a subject for another thrilling column, eh?)

Anyway, whatever land Dr. Brewster Higley may have had in mind when he wrote the line “where seldom is heard a discouraging word”, it would have to be Mars or some other distant destination I don’t have the frequent flyer miles for.

Whether discouragement comes from the outside (as it does occasionally) or from my self-contained, own-worst-enemy private island compound (I only wish it were “occasionally”), it’s never fun to be on the down side of things.

Recently I met with a filmmaker friend.

In the course of our lunch conversation, I asked him how he dealt with discour-

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agement and that nagging recurrent feeling that we’re just getting it wrong somehow. He told me about his beginnings in film school and mentioned a classmate who had done rather well for himself very early on. Major films, major directors, a fireplace mantle ready and waiting for awards that are surely on their way soon. To his credit, he had neither false piety or obvious envy in telling some of the details of his friend. His set-up was in service to his observation that he tries not to spend too much time worrying about good things others have done. He remarked that he doesn’t have to worry about making “Casablanca” because that thing is already done. The famous films his friend has worked on are similarly done. The upshot being that there is no need to compete with others in the conventional way that we might first think about it.

His focus is to worry about and give time and effort to the things that would not get done if HE didn’t do them. In the cold light of typing out these words and reading them on my screen, it seems pretty simple and pretty obvious. Well, duh! But it’s a point of view that has really got me thinking lately in ways that seem more realistic and productive than I’m used to.

If you’re like me, you might almost immediately begin to knee-jerk-worry about how Me-Centric this sounds. I’m prone to this kind of hand-wringing because I came of age in the Me Decade of the ’70’s. My generation started in earnest with songs like “Get Together” where “everybody is your brother”. But after not too much time had passed, we

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pretty much perfected the art of clueless or couldn’t-care-less self-aggrandizement. Only we Baby Boomers could’ve created a world where the song “I’ve Never Been to Me” could have huge and apparently worldwide pop-culture traction.

But, of course, that’s not what my lunchtime friend was saying and that’s not what I mean here. In a half-joking, half-serious manner, I sometimes remark that I have a modest but very exclusive job. My job is to write, sing, and record Bob Bennett Songs. Lord knows, it’s not a get rich quick scheme but it’s really something that only I can do.

Granted, there are people who are eminently more qualified in many ways to be me but it can’t happen and, for goodness sakes, who would want that? (In the interest of full disclosure, Bruce Carroll does a pretty good vocal impression of me, so I admit there’s that.)

As I know I’ve mentioned in past columns, I have a fascination with the push-and-pull of balancing my life in the Faith between an attendant call for humility and the parallel necessity that I somehow “put myself out there in public” to do the job.

But to ask myself the question of “What’s next?” in the light of “What can I do and what needs to be done where I truly am the right man for the job?”, I believe some of these matters are guided by practicalities that might not be considered “spiritual” enough for some.

For instance, I’m decidedly not gifted in things like street evangelism.

I remember hearing once that Charles

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Spurgeon wrote or remarked that if you didn’t have a somewhat loud voice that projected well, then you probably weren’t called to public preaching. As a then-young and inexperienced guy, at first I was taken aback a little until I really thought about it. In the mid-19th century microphones were non-existent or, much later, pretty rare. So, this made perfect sense. It’s not an unreasonable thing to look at your skill set and work outward from there.

in a season of “What comes next?”

ness”:

I’ll close with two direct lifts from the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer that mean a great deal to me.

If these scattered remarks didn’t quite do the trick to encourage you, perhaps these tried and true prayers will. As always, thanks for reading.

Even though I’ve always assumed that music would be my primary lifetime means of communication, I reluctantly try to make room in my heart and mind for the possibility that one day I could be mostly-guitarless. Nothing’s etched in stone for any one of us.

O GOD, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light riseth up in darkness for the godly; Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O MOST loving Father, who willest us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of thee, and to cast all our care on thee, who carest for us; Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which thou hast manifested unto us in thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

So in writing this month, I wanted to share that significant take-away from my friend: “What won’t get done if I don’t do it?” Perhaps you are, as I am, firmly

In a section titled Additional Prayers, this appears under the heading “For Guidance”:

And this appears under “For Trustful-

Bob Bennett lives with the Lovely Mrs. Bennett, his beloved Mother-in-Law and a Mini-Australian Shepherd named Kirby in Costa Mesa, CA. When not singing on the weekends, he attends St. Matthew’s Church in Newport Beach. Although the Church uses the 1928 Book of Common Prayer for most public services and private prayer, he will likely not get any extra credit or extra pastries on Sunday as a result of citing it here. You can contact him at bob@bob-bennett. com. As always with his columns, your mileage may vary.

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