Christian Musician Magazine - May/Jun 2015

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

Tree63

the return Selective Hearing * Josh Garrels * Future of Forestry * Riki Michele * Jon Guerra * The Vespers * George Sabolick

20th

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Artist Interview Riki Michele

MAY/JUN 2015 Volume 20, Issue 3 05

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Interview with BOB WEIL: Turning 20: Two Friends in a Parallel Business Universe

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Tedd T. Nashville-based Tedd T. (Mutemath, Newsboys, David Crowder Band) is not the type of producer who’s content to sit behind the console all day. He prefers collaborating with and inspiring artists with new approaches and fresh perspectives to music making. Tedd tells us about his process and what it’s like working on the road with For King & Country:

What is it like to record, literally, on the road?

The great thing about recording on the bus is that every day you wake up in a different city. Plus, you also have access to whatever rooms and venues you find. On the bus, I record with an Apollo DUO and a laptop with a solid-state drive. Mainly, what you’re trying to do is to capture inspiration. The DUO is so compact and does such a great job; it’s fantastic. We’d sit out there on the bus and use a little Akai controller keyboard. And, even confined to two octaves on the keyboard, it’s actually cool because it makes you work really hard on what it is that you’re playing. Plus, when you’re on the road, you’re more in the mindset of creating something great, with less of the pressure you might feel when you go to a big, fancy studio and you know you have to “nail it.”

Today, we’re setting up in a church to record. They have a fantastic old upright and an old M3/Leslie. I wondered if it would work, and sure enough, we got it fired up.

Even with a broken key, it sounded great. The church has a soundproofed room for newborns, so we’re setting up in there. That’s a nice surprise. We moved the upright and the M3 in there, and the church has some nice mics they’ve been gracious enough to let us use. So much of the adventure happens when you walk into a new scenario where there are things that inspire art.

Do you have a “go-to” mic you’re currently using?

The main one is the SM7B. It’s very focused. We also used a Peluso tube mic.

Tell us about the software you use.

I record everything in Logic. I use a lot of soft synths in Logic. I start with the presets and do a lot of modifying to get the sounds we’re looking for. I’ve got a lot of Logic-based sounds that we used for the record. I use Absynth a lot; I think it sounds really interesting. It’s great for creating textures and backgrounds. I also use Native Instruments Ultimate, and I love the iZotope stuff.

And I think Auto-Tune 7 is fantastic.

KING

&

H o n e s t y, F a i t h , a n d F a m i l y The name is also the mission statement: “It’s an old English battle cry, as they went to fight for what they believed and to stand for something greater than themselves,” says For King & Country’s Joel Smallbone.

“For us, doing music for people and for God is one of the main underlying themes of the band.” And the Nashville-based group, fronted by Joel and his brother Luke, takes their mission statement seriously. By turns exultant, introspective, atmospheric, and immediate, For King & Country’s uplifting music is also incredibly honest and authentic. The brothers spent their youth in Australia and cut their musical teeth in the U.S., eventually backing up their sister, Rebecca St. James, on tour. By 2007, they were making musical waves of their own, and by 2013, they had released two well-received albums and received a Dove Award. The band has played hundreds of shows since then — and they’re not slowing down. Their latest, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., features their strongest material yet. During a stop on the band’s fall 2014 tour, Joel spoke with us about the importance of family, respect in relationships, recording on the bus, and the always-present role of faith in the band’s music.

How did you and Luke get interested in music?

Music chose us, I think, more than we chose music. We grew up in a very musical family. Our dad, who is our manager now, was a concert promoter in Australia.

He brought over a lot of artists in the ’80s, including Amy Grant. One of my earliest memories in Sydney was looking at vinyl records by my favorite bands or going to shows and plugging my ears. I was a t-shirt model at four years old, standing onstage with the shirt draping all the way to the floor. I remember there were always bands and musicians coming through the house. It was also on one of those tours that things didn’t go as well as projected, and my dad lost a quarter of a million dollars — which ultimately led to us having to sell the house to pay the debt. For years, he’d felt a prompting to move to the U.S., and he found some work over here in the music industry in Nashville.

Your move to the States was tumultuous.

It was after we got there that he actually lost his job.

So, it was to that point about a month in, and we were

stuck living in a furniture-less house without a car. And he was just trying to find any kind of semblance of work he could. We really knit together during that time. As a family, we raked leaves, we mowed lawns, cleaned houses along with our oldest sister, Rebecca. We really worked as a team.

I remember well: we’d sit in a circle in the living room, and we would just pray. We had nowhere to turn other than upward. We saw pretty miraculous things happen.

The first Thanksgiving we were here, we found out about a family who invited pretty much anyone who wanted to join to Thanksgiving dinner. At the end of the night, the father of the house walked up to my mum and said, “I feel like God is prompting me to give you the keys to our minivan.” Also, someone anonymously paid for our little sister to be born in a hospital. The list goes on — just amazing examples of people giving and serving.

Do you recall particular musical influences?

For Luke, growing up, bands like Switchfoot were very influential. Classic U2 was a big influence on me. I went to a few U2 shows during their 360 tour, and they segued from “Amazing Grace” into “Where the Streets Have No Name.” I was just sitting there flabbergasted at how much of a worship service it felt like, you know? There are other layers of influences too; Luke is a pretty avid reader, and we’ve both been major C. S. Lewis fans since we were kids, so hopefully some of that has rubbed off lyrically. I also love theatrical and cinematic scores.

When did you and Luke begin playing live?

Our oldest sister began traveling as a musician. Dad needed cheap labor, so he put us brothers to work as the crew: lighting, sound, background vocals. That was when Luke and I really began to see the impact of music. It was toward the end of Rebecca’s career that we started kind of leaning in on our own. We ended up writing over a hundred songs and began doing showcases for labels — and got shut down more times than I want to count.

Then, fast-forward to 2009, a gentleman by the name of Mark Bright, who’s primarily a country producer and runs a publishing company, took over our label.

COUNTRY Mark produced Carrie Underwood and Reba McEntire and a lot of country icons. He was a real champion for us and signed us, and we recorded some material under his leadership.

How do you approach instrumentation?

Neither of us is classically trained. Luke grew up very rhythmic, and I’d say I grew up more melodic. I’d have a laptop and a little keyboard for the demos we’d cook up. I’d like to say I could “play” everything without playing anything. And now, live, Luke and I don’t do any of the heavy lifting, instrumentally. Luke may play some percussion, and I might play a bit on the harmonium or on a few various drums or tubular bells onstage. But it’s all a very ancillary thing that lets us focus on the vocals and the melodies and the message.

Tell us about your recording process.

We actually have a producer [Tedd T.] out on the road with us right now. We worked with him very closely on several songs on our last album. It’s very collaborative — in sort of a “cyber” way. He and I have a studio setup in the back of the tour bus, with a laptop MIDI controller and a microphone. We’ll build a very rough skeleton of the song and send an MP3 out to the band. Then, they will, respectively, set up their own laptops and will kind of layer in other sounds. Sometimes, we’ll even go into the venue prior to the show and mic up an instrument to get a track.

So, you’re assembling both demos and the final product at the same time?

Yes. In our opinion, your ears don’t lie. Technical perfection does not match the beauty of a really heartfelt piece. I think basically all the vocals on “Run Wild” were sung on the bus. It’s not a pristine, clean kind of thing, but what we went for was “heart over art.” If it feels right, go. Being so busy and being on tour allowed us to discover this recording process.

What about the centrality of faith in your songwriting?

I find that it’s hard to separate the song — regardless of its theme — from our faith. We might be writing about someone who is going through a hard time. In fact, Luke was very ill last year. We wrote a couple of songs walking through, almost in journal form, his illness. Inside the song, you can see the spiritual ramifications.

And on a song like “Shoulders” from the new album, it’s almost a prayer. Almost a psalm, if you will. Or on “Fix My Eyes,” the lead single, that song was very much built around wanting to be

a good human being and contributing to society, but above all of those things, we want to fix our eyes on Heaven and maintain that focus. Because keeping that focus holds us in good stead — in not making it about ourselves.

Family is such a strong element of the band.

I honestly feel that, without my wife and Luke’s wife, Courtney and their son [and they very recently had a second son], the strength of the group would be dramatically decreased. You get a balance and a purpose.

The heartbeat of For King & Country is family. I’ve mentioned that our dad manages us. Daniel, my oldest brother, does a lot of the lighting and design. Brother Ben does any video work that we do.

Mom is out on the road with us right now as well. But even beyond the blood family, the guys onstage with us and the label... there’s a big sense of family.

You’ve mentioned the importance of respect and honor in relationships.

Our parents have been married for almost 40 years, and we’re a really strongly knit family. And borne out of that was the idea of saying to young ladies — and also to men, but especially to girls — don’t let anyone disrespect you in a relationship. Don’t ever settle for second best. Know what you’re worth; know that you matter. We say to guys that, hey, it’s time to step up. Chivalry is alive and well. You might think that we’d get people who scoff, but the response has been one of overwhelming positivity.

Your producers (Tedd T., Seth Mosley, and Matt Hales) are very collaborative with you in the recording process.

I can’t speak more highly of them. One of the things in the creative process that I find most stifling is a “we can’t” attitude — versus a “we can” or a “let’s try.” And these guys are so willing to think outside the box... I hesitate to say even that, because I almost think they don’t acknowledge the box. Their approach is music is music; let’s have fun and be creative.

CALL UR O F R YO

For King & Country’s latest album, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., is available now.

To find out more, go to forKingandCountry.com!

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What is next for you and the band?

After this tour, we’ll do something we’ve never done as a band, which is to take off about a month. Then, we’ll be on an arena tour early in 2015. We will be contributing a song to an upcoming television series, and there’s talk about working on music for a film that’s shooting this year. We’re also thinking about a Christmas EP, and there will be another tour in the fall of 2015.

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Given this approach to recording, how do you manage to get such a cohesive sound?

I attribute a lot of that to the guys knowing what they want the music to become. They have a lot of musical input on the parts, and they know what they like. They’re very aware of what’s “them,” and they’re mindful of what’s going on track-wise and arrangement-wise.

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J U LY 9 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 • N A S H V I L L E , T E N N E S S E E • M U S I C C I T Y C E N T E R

CONTENTS The Changing Face of Facebook I have a lot of Facebook pages… no, not for several different false identities. I have several Facebook pages for our different magazines and events. It is funny because I don’t frequent them all like I should. I am simply too busy trying to run the businesses that the Facebook pages are about. But I do have several of them.

When I do go to Facebook I usually start out in the “feed” and it sure seems to be a microcosm of life itself. You have one friend celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary and another friend burying his father. As I write this Sound Check it is the one-year anniversary of my own mother’s passing (she was this magazine’s biggest fan – mostly because she was my biggest fan – sure miss you Mom!).

So in the few minutes I have to spare to “read the feed”, I rejoice with those rejoicing and I mourn with those who mourn. I laugh at some silly thing someone posted and I cry out for justice when I read about some giant injustice.

You get this whole gamut of emotions all condensed into a few moments of scrolling through the feed. Sometimes I catch myself staying too long and then hurriedly move on to the six Facebook pages we have and try to monitor each one and see what is going on and what needs to be done to let people know I am indeed still alive and kicking - even though it has been a while since I posted something.

But as a business guy Facebook has lost some of its luster for me. They have switched to more of an “advertising revenue” model, so now if your posts have any key words in them that allude to something being promoted or for sale the algorithms search them out and severely limit the reach of your post. Why? Well, because they want you to pay for a “boost”. Now the boosts are not that expensive, but I do pine for the days when you could post something business related and you would reach literally hundreds and hundreds of folks all for free!

I know Facebook is worth a very large amount of money, but if they keep clamping down too hard on commerce then that just may birth another social media company that isn’t as restrictive. Ebay has recently raised the percentage that they take and I have seen a lot of people selling guitars move to a format that is more of a vertical niche for their product (check out Reverb.com if you are a guitar person). I can’t blame Facebook for wanting to sell more boost/ads. Our magazines are ad driven… I get that. It is always a tricky balance of editorial and advertising.

I am bringing up this point for you however, just in case you have noticed that when you are trying to talk about your new record or your upcoming concert and you are scratching you head wondering why, let’s say out of 700 Facebook friends only 37 people saw you post… well, that just may be the reason. It is the changing face of Facebook.

In His Grip, Bruce & Judy

Features 8 Product Review

by Michael Hodge Revoice Pro 3

36 The Indie Mechanics

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr Count the Costs

10 Bassic Communication

by Norm Stockton Fun Bass Grooves (Part 3)

41 Guitar From A 2 Z

by Roger Zimish String Skipping (Continued)

12 Guitar Workshop

by John Standefer Not Just For Guitarists

42 Good For the Soul

by Bryan Duncan Andraé Crouch and Cultural Crossover

14 Drumming Dynamics

by David Owens Blessed Are The Flexible 16 Vocal Coach’s Corner

by Roger Beale Laryngeal Position: Let It Go!

44 CODA

by Bob Bennett That Secular Music Store

18 The Groove of Grace

by Rick Cua Crossing Over 25 Selective Hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin Josh Garrels Future of Forestry Riki Michele Jon Guerra The Vespers George Sabolick 32 Taking the Stage

by Tom Jackson Misconceptions About Humility 34 Product Review

by Jack Mao Sennheiser ClipMic Digital

InterviewS

20 Tree63: The Return

by Bruce Adolph Intro by Matt Kees 28 Bob Weil: Turning 20: Two Friends in a Parallel Business Universe

by Bruce Adolph 38 Riki Michele: Pushing The Envelope

by Shawn McLaughlin

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 ©2015 Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by michael hodge

REVOICE PRO 3 Last year, I reviewed a cool plug-in called VocALign. For years, it’s been the go to plug-in for producers and engineers to align vocals and in the film industry for dialog replacement. I’m excited this month to review VocALign’s big brother Revoice Pro 3, the new second-generation voice editing software from Synchro Arts. At the heart of this program is what ‘s called the APT (Audio Performance Transfer). This transfers the individual aspects of an original vocal performance (phrasing/tuning etc.) to other vocal tracks.

BACKGROUND: I love vocals and harmonies of all kinds. In modern production, there is often multiple layered vocal parts that need to be tackled. Therefore, there is a ton of editing to do. It can be painstaking, and very time consuming. For me, when I’m editing lead vocals, using a program like Melodyne or Auto Tune, I have to transfer the track, then edit and record the results onto another track in real time.

If you are doing a lot of BGV vocals for example: transferring in 16 tracks could possibly take 3 to 4 minutes each and 3 or 4 more to record back into the DAW. That’s more than 2 hours just transferring and doesn’t include actual tuning and editing. In my traditional workflow, I would first comp and tune the lead vocal. Next I would take all the BGV’s… tune them, then individually, chop them up and line them up to the original. One song can take all afternoon, and when your doing lots of songs we’re talking days of editing. Revoice Pro 3 can automate many of these time eaters in a few quick steps with stellar results.

Whether you are editing vocals for a new CD, making stems for playing live or editing spoken word, it can double, or tighten and now tune multiple tracks at once - automatically. This can save countless hours. If you’re making a live music DVD, Revoice Pro can take your re-recorded vocal performances and perfectly align them with the original, syncing them with the video. Syncing re-recorded dialog to picture is Synchro Art’s specialty. Let’s dive in.

OUT OF THE BOX:

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Of course that means download now when it comes to most software.

Revoice Pro requires an iLok account and dongle. If you don’t have one you can buy it online at iLok.com, Amazon.com or most music stores. They usually cost between $39.00$49.00. I recommend also getting the iLok insurance available on the iLok website. If it breaks or you lose it, it’s too late to get it insured! When you create your Synchro Arts account and download Revoice Pro 3, there will be a license automatically put into your iLok account. At around 60 MB, Revoice Pro 3 downloaded in less than a minute. Next, go to your Ilok License Manager on your computer and sign in to transfer the license to the physical ilok. Sounds like a pain, but most of you know enough about computers so no worries.

IN USE: Revoice 3 works with Cubase, Nuendo, Logic Pro, Studio 1 and possibly more. For this review I’m using Pro Tools 11 Native on a Mac Pro Retina laptop with an older OSX 10.85.

Revoice Pro 3 is a standalone program that lives on your dock. Inside your DAW however, is a great little plug-in called LINK that opens in Pro Tools Audio Suite. In other DAWS, It opens like a regular plug-in. LINK conveniently “links” your DAW to Revoice Pro. There are simple directions written right on the LINK window. For an example, to edit a lead vocal double, you open Revoice and cre-

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

ate three new tracks. One for the original, one for the double, and one for the new aligned double. Next on the Edit screen, simply select the audio clip you wish to edit, and click on the LINK’s Capture button. This sends the audio immediately to the Revoice program where it is ready for editing. Going back to the Edit window you can then select and capture the double track that you want to “align” with the original. Once captured, it’s easy to edit Tuning, Timing and Volume on the original track that will now be your finished guide track.

There is a Preference window where you determine how tight you want the new double to be in regards to Timing, Pitch and Intonation.

Hit the Space Bar, and Revoice Pro creates a new edited double in seconds on the open track. From there, you are a couple clicks away from spotting the new edited track back in place. Presto! Your Doubles are tuned & tightened. With Revoice Pro 3 you can load in the whole song or work with a one Verse or Chorus at a time. One of the great new features is that you can do multiple tracks at a time with one command. For a test I had a chorus with three-part harmony and eight tracks on each part. I captured the original and tuned it, then added the other seven tracks. Then I decided how tight I wanted them to be, and hit the space bar. At once they all were super tight and tuned. This was really impressive! A couple more clicks and they spotted back to their original location.

Continued on page 45.

BASSIC COMMUNICATION

by norm stockton

Fun Bass Grooves (Part 3) I hope you’ve been enjoying our exploration of some of the bass parts that found their way onto Lincoln Brewster’s CDs or live concerts during the six years we steadily worked together. It’s been a blast rediscovering some of these fun lines. Each of the grooves we are evaluating involves a concept or aspect of musical interest that I’m confident can be easily assimilated into your own bass vocabulary.

to that wonderful b7th. The root note (B) is pedaled through most of the line. Work to keep the 16th notes as even as possible.

Those of you who are familiar with the song know that the 16th-note bass figure is a big contributor to the forward momentum and drive of the intro section. This sort of line works when the tune is arranged around it, but you’d want to exercise discretion before injecting a bass part like this into a “normal” song. :^)

Today, we’ll look at the intro vamp from Linc’s version of the Hillsong United classic, “Salvation Is Here” on his Today Is The Day project (Integrity).

The phrasing of the line (including the slides and rests) helps convey the rock energy and “wild abandon” vibe of the tune.

Be as impolite as possible with your phrasing of this sort of bass part! I love how the rests say as much (if not more) than the notes.

It should be noted that the original version already features a fantastic and very fun bass line. All of us in the band were big fans of the Hillsong United version, so the LB version was intended to be a respectful tipping of the hat while also injecting a bit of ourselves into it.

One of the things I always dug about the original version is the unexpected b7 later in the phrase. This deviation from diatonic harmony gives a nice bit of attitude and we definitely wanted to maintain it. The bass line in the LB version walks up through the 3rd, 4th and 5th before giving a full quarter note value

As I mentioned earlier in this series, some of the bass lines we explore will be relatively simple and subtle, while others will be a bit more…assertive. :^) I encourage you to develop a broad vocabulary so you’ll be equipped to appropriately serve every tune you encounter, whether with few notes or many!

Happy woodshedding!

Blessings, Norm (A note-for-note video bass tutorial for this and many other Lincoln Brewster tunes is available at ArtOfGroove.com)

Bassic Communication Fun Bass Grooves (Part 3) Intro Vamp from "Salvation Is Here"

Joel Houston / Arr. Lincoln Brewster "Today Is The Day" CD (Integrity Music)

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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 freelancing (including tour dates with Bobby Kimball, original lead singer of Toto, and Bill Champlin from Chicago). Look for his book, The Worship Bass Book, published by Hal Leonard. Also visit Norm at www.normstockton. com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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GUITAR WORKSHOP

by john standefer

Not Just For Guitarists Here’s a little story I wrote as a blog for a childrens book company for home schoolers that I helped start decades ago (http://www. historythroughmusic.com). I’ll follow it up here with a few additional comments about music in the home.

My main instrument in the early days was mandolin, then violin, then guitar (and I’ve played quite a few more since then). I settled

Photo by: The Joelsons

“I was born in 1950 into a family of farmers who helped settle West Texas. Just about everybody in the family played the fiddle or guitar or mandolin - or at least sang. Most of us didn’t have TVs yet, and the elders still remembered when radio was a new thing, so homemade music was our entertainment. It wasn’t like it is today when just listening to music is considered entertainment. What we did was to play it ourselves. A typical get together would be to have dinner at my Uncle

Walter’s or somewhere, ending up with some good old Texas watermelon from the patch and likely a seed spitting contest. Then we’d pull the instruments out of the closet where they were hung on nails with strings (few of them had cases). We’d all wander out to the back porch, tune up a little and play ‘Ragtime Annie’ and ‘Soldiers Joy’. We’d likely sing ‘Farther Along’ or ‘When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder’. Heck, we might pick and saw for two or three hours, ending up by passing a bible around where everyone would read a verse before we closed in prayer and headed for home.

Play it. Love it.

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in on guitar because it was the one instrument that was the most like a whole orchestra. Since those early days I’ve learned a lot more about the specifics of music, but I wouldn’t trade all of it put together for the ear-playing, experimenting and fun we had together back then. It was a lot of what kept the family knit tightly together - and it wasn’t a passive form of entertainment or an electronic imitation of life like what is so prevalent today. There’s a lot said about ‘necessity’ being the mother of invention and all, but maybe there isn’t enough commentary on how important and fulfilling it is to actually become inventors in such activities as back porch music…”

So here’s my point. And it should be especially considered by Christian parents.

We all need to find ways to not only keep in touch with our children, but be involved in their lives. We need things in common that bond us together. We need to make memories for them that they will carry all through their lives. We know that music is an incredible medium for expression - and many of us realize the tremendous benefits it has in the overall educational life experience. But, instead of just renting a horn and enrolling your kids in band at school, why not do it with them? You’re a Christian and a musician, right (you’re reading Christian Musician)? Why not share music with your kids in a more meaningful way? Teach them.

Help them grow. Play music together. Work out things you can perform as a family – at church or anywhere. Get in on the great experience of making music together as a family. I’d venture to say that it might be the best investment you’ll ever make... JS 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!

DRUMMING DYNAMICS

by david owens

Blessed Are The Flexible I don’t remember who said it, but an old band mate of mine once remarked, “Blessed are the flexible.” It has stuck with me ever since and I’m sure it was pivotal in influencing my motto of “be over prepared and then go with the flow.”

A few weeks ago I went to play a midweek service at a church I had worked for only a couple of times before. I got there early as it was a long drive and I didn’t want to be late if there were traffic issues (traffic is one of the down sides of living in beautiful Southern California). I always bring my own snare and cymbals and I had set up everything and was settling in when another drummer walked in.

We both looked at each other and I though to myself, “I sure hope I didn’t mess up.”

As it turns out, the church had accidentally double booked the drum chair.

So what to do now? Two drummers and only one drum set, with both of us having driven a long ways to get there. The other drummer and I had actually met the year before doing Easter services for Harvest Christian Fellowship. I knew he was a great player so I offered to play shakers and tambourine (I always keep a few percussion toys in my stick bag). I asked if the church had congas or something of the sort and they brought out a cajon.

After talking it over, the other drummer asked me to play kit while he chose to play cajon. For those of you who are not familiar with a cajon, it is a “box” you sit on and play with your hands. It sort of imitates a drum set with a lower sound similar to a bass drum as well as the higher sound of a snare drum.

As we started to rehearse, I realized that he was playing the drum set parts on the cajon.

We were basically playing the same thing.

Hearing this, I adjusted my style to avoid

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what he was playing and play percussion or sounds he could not play on the cajon. I started picking up shakers or a tambourine and playing a lot of cymbal stuff. If I used snare drum or bass drum, it was minimal.

I did my best to work around what he was playing.

This was the first time I had attempted something like this and it really made me think out of the box. I soon realized everything I had thought I would play needed to be thrown out the window. I attempted to improvise my parts around what I was hearing the other drummer play. The “go with the flow” part of my motto really came into play. The preparation I had done was mostly meaningless other than the fact that it familiarized me with the songs.

Toward the end of the rehearsal the sound guy came up and told me that when I played cymbals or percussion, it really complimented the cajon, creating a great sound in the house. He also told me he was doing his best to make the cajon sound like an actual bass drum and snare drum. One of the things I always do is talk to the sound team. They are there to make you sound your best, so do yourself a favor and acknowledge the hard work they’re putting in as well!

His comments made me try even harder to come up with anything different than what the cajon was doing. When we played the worship set I think we all appreciated the unique way it sounded and I know that I very much enjoyed the worship.

This was a perfect example of being prepared for a rehearsal, but having to go with the flow. The ability to adapt to any situation is paramount to being successful. It does not matter what you’re expecting walking into a situation. What matters is how you respond

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and adjust as you go along. We all have gifts and being able to bend and adapt our gifts to what the Lord throws your way is what life is about. I have learned that there is one thing we can be absolutely sure of… and that is that we can be absolutely sure of nothing.

And, oftentimes, it is in unexpected situations that the Lord’s work and will is most clearly seen. After all, it is His plan and not ours that should be followed.

On a completely unrelated note, in every issue I will try to provide you all with a link that inspires me (and hopefully you as well).

This time around I want to recommend a pianist I really enjoy listening to. Do a quick search for Tigran Hamasyan’s song, “What the Waves Brought.” I have had the pleasure of seeing Tigran live a couple times and he is extremely talented. About seven minutes into this particular piano solo he cuts in with a vocal drum solo. The metric modulation stuff he is doing is crazy cool. Maybe some day I’ll find the time to transcribe it. I hope you find this link as entertaining as I do.

Blessings, David Owens

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.

VOCAL COACH’S CORNER

by roger beale

LARYNGEAL POSITION: LET IT GO! Whenever you get a group of singers together and they start talking shop the subject of laryngeal position always seems to come up. A typical conversation might go like this: “Do you use a low position?” “Do you use a level position?” “Do you use a higher position?” “You do?” “Well you know that high position is from Satan himself, don’t you?”

People who sing and particularly singers who have had “some training” have very strong opinions on the position of the larynx. This is really funny as well as sad.

All of these opinions are probably based on a lack of knowledge and old wives tales.

The larynx and its function are not normally discussed in polite society. Then why would this subject be a cause for so much angst among singers? I guess one must always be defensive if you are afraid of the truth. Let’s take a moment to look at the function of the larynx and see if we can uncover some hidden truths.

The primary purpose of the larynx is to function as a valve mechanism to keep food and other debris from entering the lungs and respiratory system. Speaking and singing are secondary functions but they do use the same muscles. The original function or primary purpose is that of a valve. If a singer uses it in a manner that is counter to its function, an unnecessary muscle tension is introduced and possible damage may be the result.

When the larynx functions as a valve the vocal folds and epiglottis close tightly to protect a person’s airway. This action keeps the air in the lungs during the process of lifting, child bearing or other strenuous activity.

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This creates a downward movement of the larynx, which is the opposite of the singing function.

the Ten Commandments. Since lowering the larynx or “throat lowering” is not one of the commandments I wouldn’t recommend it.

During the action of swallowing the larynx can move up and down as much as 30mm.

This means that not only are the soft pallet and throat used, the trachea is also stretched both up and down. This explains why it hurts when you have a sore throat. In other words it moves a lot and hurts.

If a singer will free his mind of thought regarding the position of the larynx, good things can happen to your singing. When you learn to “let it go” and let the larynx do what it does naturally the body can then create a better sound. That is the basic purpose of a voice lesson; to create a better sound.

Once again, to not worry about laryngeal position allows the vocal production to become healthy and that increases the enjoyment of the singer. The audience may enjoy it too.

One may ask at this point, how does this information help me as a singer? The answer is… If you learn to sing in an efficient manner then the excess airflow is not allowed to escape and the stress on the larynx is greatly reduced. The positive result is your singing output is greatly increased. This is a big deal.

The best advice one could receive for learning how to sing easier as you sing higher is to allow the voice to make adjustments gradually. Let the larynx “do its thing” as you sing throughout your whole range. Calling attention to the height of your larynx is both counterproductive and totally unnecessary.

Don’t have a conscious thought of lowering the larynx when you sing. Just relax and let it be its own flexible self. What a relief that will be.

When singing, one doesn’t have time to be aware of laryngeal position. You have other things to do such as breathing, correct pitch, vocal tone, diction, stage movement, microphone technique, and in-ear monitors. The list could go on. Why would I want to add another thought to the mix? Yes, thinking about laryngeal position is totally counterproductive. But many voice teachers and choral directors insist on it like this is one of

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Now go sing well!

Roger Beale has been writing the Vocal Coach’s Corner for over fifteen 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 (formerly Atlanta Christian College), 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: voicehouse@mindspring.com.

Chris Tomlin and Collings Guitars

Chris Tomlin and his 1999 Collings OM 42 SB

Serious Guitars | www.CollingsGuitars.com | (1) -

THE GROOVE OF GRACE

by rick cua

Crossing Over When I was in grade school everybody wanted to be a Safety Patrol. You would be the trusted one to make sure it was safe for the other students to cross the street. We had bright white cloth belts to wear that went around our waist and also crossed over our chests where we pinned our big silver badge like a Sheriff. Other than getting to clean the chalkboard erasers on the special vacuum cleaner device, that was louder that a jet taking off... the beginning of my tinnitus I’m sure, that was my first recollection of being singled out and having some kind of authority. If we were chosen we had to learn a special way to roll up the belt as well. Because of the extra piece of strap that crossed our chest, and being 9 years old, getting that thing properly rolled up was like figuring out the Rubik’s cube.

When I think of crossing over I think of things like crossing the Atlantic to Europe or going from the US to Canada.... gospel music to pop music, earth to heaven, one side of the street to the other. This means something totally different depending on who you’re talking to, and in one way or another, we ultimately want to know if it’s safe.

In most instances crossing over infers something good. It infers a move forward or a move up, something new taking you deeper into your future… or to the next destination in your daily journey. Crossing over also requires some decisions before you take that first big step. Even the simple things require thought, a plan and some action. You don’t even cross the street without knowing where you are, where you are going and why you are going there.

Sometimes we think of our transition from earth to heaven as the big one... well, it is!

This is our promised reward... the completion of a life well lived and God’s free gift to all who believe. This comes to us through the

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great sacrifice Jesus made to reconcile us to the Father. 2 Corinthians 5:4 says, “While we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life”. So, we travel from life to life cradled in the arms of Christ, how beautiful. We also read in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived - the things God has prepared for those who love him.’” Crossing over into that is truly the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.

While crossing over can mean a lot of things to each one of us here’s where it all starts for me; the point where you let go of all doubt and walk fully into God’s arms.

That point where you are either for Him or against Him. It’s the moment you realize that if you continue to hide your faith you are one silent moment away from being ashamed of the One who made you and designed your now and your future. Mark 8:38 says, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him, the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” That scripture and realization changed everything for me.

That was the turning point when I crossed over and never looked back.

For myself, and many others I suppose, hanging on to some guilty pleasure was familiar territory. Your guilt was like a dial on a thermostat... the longer you kept your sin alive the hotter the temperature rose. You might release a few vices one by one but that “one thing” would stick around like an unwanted houseguest and set you back time and time again. Proverbs 26:11 says it best, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools re-

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peat their folly.”

Although there is a physical element to our mess it’s really a spiritual battle. An addict’s body craves its drug of choice but the mind always makes the final decision to engage.

Ephesians 6:12 says it this way, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” It’s a war of the mind.

For each of us comes the time when we have had enough; when we’re finally done disappointing God by saying yes to only part of Him. One foot in and one foot out... lukewarm the scriptures say. I’m not a perfect man, far from it actually but I have made my choice. I have crossed over, put both feet on the God side. Given all of myself to the one who gave all of Himself for me.

So how about you? Is it your time, is it the day you are finally sick of the guilt meter having the loudest voice in your life? Have you realized at last that a life well lived starts now? Pack your bag, take the good stuff and leave the junk behind. Cross over and never look back!

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.

Tree63 the return

In the late 90’s, I remember hearing soaring guitars on a song called 1*0*1 from their self-titled record “Tree63”... I don’t remember if I heard it on a late night Christian radio program set aside for the kind of music that might have been too ‘hard’ for daytime listening, or if a friend shared it with me... but I know I didn’t hear it on YouTube or download it from iTunes or stream it on Spotify (they didn’t exist yet!). Regardless, I was hooked and I wanted to hear more.

I went to the local Christian bookstore (remember those?) and found the CD (remember those?) and played that recording non-stop. Songs like “Treasure” and “Joy” and “Look What You’ve Done” made their way into our Youth Worship hour on Sunday morning as well as our Sunday PM service (the rock’n’roll service). As a worship leader back in those days, I was heavily influenced by U2 (which worship leader wasn’t?), and bands like Tree63, Delirious? and SONICFLOOd created a palate of songs in a style that spoke to my heart and 20

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resonated with others my age.

When we started the Christian Musician Summit conference in 2003, Tree63 was always on the top of my list as a band to try to book for the event, but they were always on tour... it never panned out. Then, when they broke up in the mid-2000’s, I was bummed, as were thousands of other worship leaders in their mid-30’s. I feared that I missed the opportunity and they’d never play at CMS. I first met Daniel at one of our CMS conferences in Northern California while he was

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interview by Bruce Adolph intro by Matt Kees studio photos by SueAnn Shiah live photos by Sam Vert

playing bass for Brenton Brown. We hit it off (if you know Daniel, it’s hard not to love such a fun and friendly guy). We continued to stay in touch throughout the years at our events as he performed and taught clinics.

Then in 2014, he shared with me that Tree was going to do a little reunion event in South Africa. I found my opportunity... I asked if we could try to get the guys out to play and teach at our CMS Northwest 2014 event in Issaquah, WA. We connected the dots and made it work! I was so grateful... a band I’d wanted to play at CMS for over 10 years finally hit the stage and they nailed it (live photos in this article are from that event, taken by Sam Vert). It was their first performance in the U.S. since 2007.

Shortly after that November performance, I was honored to be a part of the Kickstarter to get their new record off the ground, and I can’t wait for the finished product... and the stickers, T-shirt and other goodies I get for backing the project.

Daniel CM: Tree63 was a successful band for years before you stopped. What have you each been doing since disbanding, and how did the decision to reunite the band come about for each of you?

John Ellis: I moved back to South Africa to take what I thought would be a short sabbatical, which ended up being seven years! In that time, I released two solo albums and an EP, produced quite a few other South African artists, and lectured various subjects including English and Politics at various tertiary institutions in my hometown of Durban.

In 2013 I had the idea of doing some shows with Darryl and Daniel in South Africa as a way of formally acknowledging Tree63’s legacy. I meant it to be a bit of closure, but instead it started a whole new chapter, and here we are in 2015 with our first new album since 2007’s “Sunday”.

Darryl Swart: In 2009 I moved to Calgary, Canada and started running a recording studio and indie label called Red Tree Records.

Recording takes up most of my time. I also play for a few other bands, The Wisers, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, Friday Night Satellites, Willie Mack, and The Josh Wilson Band. When I’m not doing music, I assist my wife in her photography company and help my 4 year old daughter sell her paintings to raise money for charity (www. cosetteart.com). I also act as a spotter for my 1-year-old son, who seems to be trying to forge a career as a daredevil.

Last year John contacted me about doing a

Darryl

John

small reunion tour in South Africa. There’s a festival there that was celebrating its 25th anniversary and wanted a few bands from the past to come play. We were honoured to be asked, and so got together for what I thought would be our last 3 shows ever as Tree63. But the chemistry was immediate and so after a few Skype sessions, emails, and phone calls, we decided to make another record and see what happens.

Daniel Ornellas: When the band split up I continued to live in Nashville, but had already actually started playing and touring with Brenton Brown, an old friend from Cape Town. I recorded with him, and the two guys in Brenton’s band and myself eventually called ourselves the Worship Republic. When Brenton recently took a break we made a hymns record of our own and continue to play events in the US. Being in Nashville gave me the chance to play with a lot of great musicians. I have been blessed to play bass for a number of shows with Matt Maher, One Sonic Society, Gungor, Tim Hughes, Paul Baloche, Tenth Avenue North, Brandon Heath, Sarah Macintosh and others. Besides the touring, I have been producing lots of independent records. I started a school with Phillip Larue called CMI Academy, which is online training for independent artists, so it has forwarded me the opportunity of mentoring young artists which really feels like it is the thing most in my wheelhouse. Besides being a husband to my wife Sam and raising my two sweet minions I also just recently joined up with the guys from

WorshipArtistry.com to be the bass instructor, so that’s super fun.

CM: What does it feel like to be back in the studio again? How was the writing process this time around?

John: It was an absolute privilege to be back in the studio all together, making Tree63 music as a band again. This time around we all threw production, arranging, and song-writing ideas around, so it was a far more democratic process than in the past.

With no record label or external producer, we had an opportunity to make the most true-to-life Tree63 record yet.

Darryl: It feels great for me to be back in the saddle with these boys. It’s like riding a bike, although now the bike has more gears, goes faster, is stronger, and more comfortable. It still gets the occasional flat tire but we can change it quicker now too. The writing process was a lot more collaborative on this album than ever before. We went into the studio without a lot of songs, John had a lot of ideas and we made songs out of them as a band. John is still the commander and chief when it comes to lyrics and melody but Dan and I were able to contribute too. We also did this record independently with no outside producer and so we all contributed a lot more with tracking, editing, and mixing.

Daniel: The studio has become a big part of my life living here in Nashville, so it was very comfortable being in there. The process was very different from what I’ve done with other artists or bands in the last few years

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because we really started from scratch. The only thing that was set in stone was that we wanted to create a record that felt like the best version of Tree63 that we could make. Something that felt like the original feeling that Tree63 brought, but what that would feel like in 2015. Being more involved in the songwriting process was something very special for me personally.

I love writing songs and John was gracious to allow us to have input on songs that, in my mind, were already awesome sketches.

a lot busier.

Daniel: I think there are good and bad things as far as how the new landscape is.

It is true that it is easier to get stuff out, but there is also so much more media noise out there to penetrate. It seems like every person has a foghorn because of Facebook, Instagram and blogging, so it’s not easy to get people’s attention. We feel like we have something that is pretty special, and sharing it is not just a straightforward process.

Competing with buzz feeds and cat videos to bring a record we sweated over and crafted meticulously can be disheartening, but I hope as it releases that the music will make a way for itself. The fact that we get to do interviews like this one means someone is interested in hearing what we have to share, so it gives me hope.

The sheer energy that is created when this band plays together is enormous. It was really exciting to see us manage to capture that on tape and, with the help of Shane Wilson’s mixes, to make what we put down come alive.

CM: Things have changed quite a bit since Tree63’s old days. The big record companies are gone and social media has drastically changed the landscape for musicians. What is it like now for Tree63 as you plan to get the word out about your new music, and how do you find those old fans who welcome your return?

there with Tree63 have been ecstatic about the news of a new Tree63 album, and that’s extremely gratifying after so long.

John: All the tried and tested ways of doing things are gone, and everyone putting records out is in this mad scramble for the attention of the public. No clearly successful method has been found yet, and it’s all as much of a guessing game as it ever was, even more so. The Internet is the great leveler. All a band or an artist can do is make the best possible record and hope that it speaks to someone. The ‘old fans’ that have hung in

Darryl: Like the recording and writing process, we’re all a lot more involved with social media and planning. As a result we each have a lot more on our plates than before. Social media is a great platform to reach out to people and find old and new fans. We have a database that keeps growing, and we’re only a click away from reaching our fans through newsletter updates and Facebook, etc. It makes being independent a lot easier, albeit

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CM: Could each of you give us the run down on your on-stage and studio gear?

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John: I have always liked to keep things as simple as possible, although that’s not how I started. Over the years, running from gig to gig, you tend to simplify your onstage requirements. I’m at the point now where if everything broke down mid-gig (which it frequently does!), I could plug my Tele straight into one amp, no pedals, and deliver. Having said that, a few pedals are always nice, aren’t they? I like good old-fashioned Boss pedals, and my new Electro-Harmonix Epitome does a lot for such a small box. TC Electronics also make great mini-pedals, such as the Ditto, which take up very little board space.

Darryl: Live, I’ve fallen in love with DW

drums. I play a Collectors Series, 24 kick, 13-16-18 toms and 14/5 Edge Snare. I play Zildjian cymbals exclusively both live and in studio. I use 17” hi-hats ( a Medium A crash on top and Z3 on the bottom ), 20” crashes, both K Custom and a 21” K Hybrid Ride. I also use a 20” Oriental Trash as my 3rd crash and occasionally a 10” or 12” splash. They’re the best cymbals and I have played them since I started playing drums.

I’ve tried others over the years, but Zildjian has always sounded the best and I’ll never change. My kit of choice in the studio is vintage Ludwigs. Normally I play a 4 piece, 2213-16 and sometimes add my DW 18 floor tom if the song calls for it. In the studio I like to use ribbon mics on the kit for overheads and rooms, 57s on everything else except kick which is typically an AKG D112 and a Yamaha Sub Kick and occasionally a FET 47 or similar. Live, I leave mic choices up to the sound engineer. We are blessed to be able to work with some of the best live guys around and I have total faith in what their choices are.

and pre amp gain.

I pretty much use the same setup in studio except that I add an Empirical Labs Eli mic pre amp and compressor unit to lay down bass tracks.

CM: What is the ministry focus of the new Tree 63?

John: To continue to sing loudly about Christ, especially to those whose experience of Church has disappointed them. The hopeless are not always those who don’t know Christ; very often they’re also those who found Christ and then their experience of Christianity destroyed their hope. The good news is that God has so much more to offer us than anything we’ve yet experienced.

Darryl: For me, it’s about the journey.

Sharing life’s up and downs through music

Daniel: I play a great relic bass made by Bluesman Vintage here in Spring Hill, TN and use D’addario strings on that bass and the D’addario XL flat wounds on my Harmony hollow body bass. For cables, I love new the new Planet Waves American Stage cables, and I use a Sans Amp and Big Muff pedal for drive 24

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and encouraging people that it’s okay to have questions and know that God has abundant grace and wants what’s best for us all. No matter what storm you’re facing, land is in sight. There’s also a lot of joy and hope in the songs and I hope people feel that when they listen.

Daniel: What makes Tree63 unique from all the other ministry stuff I am involved in is that it really speaks of the struggle as much as the victory when living in a world where things are not always straightforward.

It is possibly the reason that we never really dominated CCM radio. If we look at the Psalms, there are ones that seem super dark and questioning, but for some reason it seems that only David was allowed to do that. I love that these new songs speak to the disenfranchised and least of these. I love that they speak about the storm and not just the calm that will certainly come after. I love that there is 100% hope and 100% grace and mercy for us who are still sinners that are daily saved by that grace and not by anything of our own doing.

I hope that the church-goers at large would listen and be set free by these songs of freedom, and I also believe that people that are seeking could be drawn into this amazing mystery of seeking the only One who can bring us true joy and peace.

SELECTIVE HEARING Home Josh Garrels Independent www.noisetrade.com After the expansive and grand ambition of his last album, the fabulous Love & War & the Sea In Between, Josh Garrels decided to scale it down a bit with Home, a soulful, subtle exploration of the themes of God, family, and the search for belonging. The album opening “Born Again” is a languid, lushly orchestrated number that starts the album off on a note of tension as Garrels sings, “running scared in between what I hate and what I need,” and that, “the savior and enemy are both trying to take my soul.” This is certainly in keeping with his reputation as an Pages Future of Forestry Independent. iTunes, Amazon.com “This album is really different than other Future of Forestry albums. I didn’t want to spoil it by releasing a few hints or songs ahead of time, so I thought springing a surprise album release would be appropriate. I wanted the listeners to have immediate access to the music and to be moved as much as I was in the season of writing it.” – Eric Owyoung (Writer and Producer for FOF)

Push Riki Michele Self released iTunes, Amazon.com Riki Michele has made her masterpiece with Push. After 4 past releases (3 original and one Christmas) her 5th pushes her into the territory of some of her idols: names like Kate Bush, Jane Siberry, and Imogen Heap, whereas her first two records (1989’s Big, Big Town, which is an all-time favorite of mine, and 1993’s One Moment, Please) are full of the type of pop-funk that wouldn’t be out of place on the records of her former

by shawn mclaughlin

introspective chronicler of the human condition, but isn’t a very upbeat opening salvo for an album so hotly anticipated. The soul vibe proceeds throughout Home as Garrels very wisely contrasts rich, acoustic instrumentation with electronic accents, most provocatively in the dense, “Leviathan”, which features changing time signatures and an alluring synthesizer hook. “Colors” continues the introspection as the confessional lyric is beautifully supported by a lite-soul groove replete with muted trumpets and stark orchestration and Garrels’ lithe falsetto vocals.

Things heat up a bit with “Arrow”; a song of betrayal (perhaps from oneself) that employs some dirty guitar tones, a blues-rock vibe, and Garrels’ (Robert) Plant-like vocal. “Morning Light” most recalls Home’s predecessor with a gentle folk-country meets hip-hop vocal

groove, increasingly dense arrangement, and witty verbal repartee. The prayerful “Always Be” meshes beguiling guitar work with a myriad of samples and beats, while “Home at Last” breaks out the banjos, trumpets, and a clarinet for a slightly parlor-jazz feel. “At the Table” is a lovely song of homecoming, which, after an albums worth of songs of restless wandering, almost seems like a perfect encapsulation of the prodigal son story.

Finally, “Benediction” can be construed as a song of encouragement to Garrels’ children or to the entire family of God. While Home definitely lacks the breadth of his preceding album, Garrels is careful to craft songs that hang together conceptually and achieve in their subtlety as much depth as any work he has ever constructed.

Surprise was an understatement. The new album, Pages, from Future of Forestry (The band name is an obscure C.S. Lewis reference) came as bit of a shock, but not in a negative sense. Pages carries a significantly different tone from the previous FoF releases. Gone is the space rock and diverse mix of instrumentation found on previous albums as Eric Owyoung ushers in a more folk oriented focus. A gentle intertwining of voices (Owyoung with the wonderful Alina Kamilcho) are found on the majority of songs (“Hold My Hand”, “Cross the Oceans”). Subtle instrumentation finds occasional forays into the roots of FoF’s indie rock (“By the Water”, “Seasons”). Lyri-

cal yearnings for companionship and love (“You’re Mine”, “Learn to Love”, “Cross the Oceans”) finds its place on Pages. Even a twanging guitar can be found on “How to Fly”, adding a country music flavor. The greatest surprise found on Pages has to be the Future of Forestry cover of Cyndi Lauper’s 1984 hit, “Time After Time”. Beautifully structured and recorded, the song bears a retelling from a talented song crafter such as Owyoung. While the debut album, Twilight, will always, for many, remain at the top of the list of FoF releases, Pages is a terrific and welcome addition as it illuminates the subtle talents of this criminally underappreciated band.

band, Adam Again. Accompanied by several members of the Southern California Christian Alternative scene, Michele hadn’t completely found her voice as an artist and was not writing much material at that point. Her next record was a step in the direction of self-discovery. 2002’s Surround Me was produced by Julian Kindred and featured a very chill version of electronic dance and funk.

Michele started having kids right after the release of that album, and the time just didn’t seem right to work on music. Weathering some particularly treacherous waters in her life during that time, she used those experiences, as well as the joys of her family life, to inform the message of Push. This album

sees Michele writing or co-writing the bulk of the material and really coming into her own as a musical and lyrical voice. Speaking of voices, she has one that is, well, a marvel.

It is soft, supple, and ethereal yet innately soulful and full of depth. That can describe the music on Push as well. It was fortuitous that she partnered with Margaret Becker to produce the record, as Becker seems to have brought something out in Michele that had been heretofore latent. The music on Push is lovely. Soulful, gentle, ethereal, and full of inventive vocal arrangements that almost act as part of the instrumental tapestry. Particularly great moments on the disc include-the stunning, soaring melody of “The Sweet-

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ness” - the exotic background vocals of Elif Sen Sonmezturk and Mehtap Ve Metin Uyanik on “What Would You Say” about what could be a co-dependent relationship - the exquisitely subtle guitar accents of Stephen Leiweke on “Here Comes the Big One”, the restrained but authentic funkiness of the rhythm section, Rob “Stone” Cureton (bass) and Jerry Roe (drums) on the title track, and “I Feel Soul” and Becker’s terrific BG vocal arrangement on the same tune - and the mid Little Songs Jon Guerra Provident Music Little Songs is Jon Guerra’s first solo album, but he is far from an unknown quantity in the world of Christian music. He is a worship leader with Vertical Church Band, and before that he was a commercial jingle writer for companies like Comcast and Chase Bank. He has toured with Crowder and Matt Maher and opened for the band “fun.”. I was really impressed by this guy from the get go. His voice is captivating, sounding like a unique blend of Owl City and Phil Wickham. His sound is very diverse, ranging from the most minimalist acoustic guitar-driven tracks to full on pop numbers and the full range in between. He manages to pull off both fun and introspective tunes with great authenticity, and has put together a record that takes you along for a ride that never gets stale.

song resonator guitar break on “Hey Mama Hey” a wonderful song that explores that time in life when a parent or caregiver suddenly becomes the person in need of care.

The over-riding theme of the album is one of self discovery, the immediacy of the moment, the overwhelming mystery of things unseen and, that when life seems unbearable, it is wise to push through and catalog the moments of growth you’ve experienced through the trial. Thankfully, the immediacy

of the music keeps the occasional heavy concepts from dominating the record. Push, then, signals the maturation of one who, already having achieved heights a lot of working musicians only hope to, has deepened her craft and discovered who she is as an artist and, more importantly, as a human being.

In some ways 26 years in the making, Push is WELL worth the wait.

lyrics seem a bit “surfacey”. It’s only in this light that the album nearly veers toward typical CCM fare. It’s not comprehensive – “Every Little Song” is quite the opposite. But there are points in the record where lyrics seem a little over-simplified or even a little

shallow (see “Stained Glass” and “Rolling, Rolling, Rolling”). None of those thoughts should dissuade you, though. This is a solid record from a great artist who will be interesting to follow over the coming years.

The album opens with “Every Little Song”, a song that bleeds humility in realizing that even the writer’s best is just a small thing in the grand scheme. Many will be struck by the choice of opening the album in such a simple way. The album builds from there.

“Nothing Better” is quirky, pop fun all the way around. What’s great about it is that it feels more mainstream pop than the typical CCM sound. (The difference is subtle, but noticeable and important). Perhaps the strongest cut on the record is “I Will Follow”, a song previously recorded with Vertical Band. The production is simple and the melody is catchy. In fact, “catchy”, may be the best overall description of both the album and the artist. Seeing him perform, he seems like genuinely nice, fun guy. His music seems at once familiar, yet fresh. There’s not a lot of ego in his music and it quickly become lodged in your head to the point that it “never ends, never ends, no-o.” If there is a complaint, it’s a minor one. Some of the 26

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Sisters and Brothers The Vespers Independent / iTunes, Amazon.com The title of Sisters and Brothers, the third album from Nashville band The Vespers, sums up the composition of the group - two sisters and two brothers - as well as the album’s most overriding theme, the strength of human connections. The quartet write and record anthemic Americana songs that thump and shine in equal measure, a cinematic sound that, on this album, approaches that of Delta Rae, but stays rootsier. Smooth, big vocal harmonies from Callie and Phoebe Cryar buff up the first two songs, “Break the Cycle” and “We Win.” The first starts with a slow intro that gradually speeds up, a brave choice to start, and the second can’t help bringing to mind Queen’s “We Are the Champions”. The theme is a little heavy-handed, but the glorious sound makes it a winner nonetheless. Mud seeps in on the elThe Hymns: Yesterday, Today and Forever Solo Guitar Meditations George Sabolick Amazon.com This collection is inspired by the songs George Sabolick’s mother used to sing to him when he was growing up. He says, “The meaning of these songs branded my soul with

emental, banjo-heavy “New Kids,” one of the album’s best tracks, and on the slow, insistent, despairing “Out West”, where a delicate mandolin merges with crunching guitars and pounding piano as the lead vocals slide from a roar to a whisper. “Not Enough”, too, boasts grunge-like volume contrasts as it goes negative with lyrics. The title track returns to a densely but tastefully orchestrated pop sound to convey the album’s central message, “Gotta take care of each other”.

“Signs” employs a vivacious dance beat as it nods back to the New Wave era, and “You Leave Me” is a fun little nugget with an early R&B/dance beat. The softer songs include the lullaby-like “The Curtain”, which masks a hint of menace under a beautiful melody and softly finger-picked guitar - I can’t make out all the lyrics, but something sad and not-so-sweet seems to be going on. The lovely “Please” is

a desperate but hopeful plea for help from a brother, or brother-in-spirit. It rises to a big creamy finish that floats on a keyboard/synth track that sounds almost like a mellotron. And the gentle “Cynical Soul” uses airy vocals and gentle banjo-picking to support biting lyrics: “Blah blah blah blah, we’re always talking/ God help us all to do a little more walking.”

The Vespers take their own advice and walk a wide terrain of styles, but glued together by the country-pop vocals the variety isn’t startling; instead, it keeps things interesting and surprising through the 12 songs. The album closes with its most beautiful song, “Thirst No More”. “How sweet the merciful song you sing/Wave after wave washing over me. Your love is like an ocean, bottomless.” Imagery of baptism and being saved point directly to their gospel heritage, but also to the immeasurable depth of God’s grace. Something we all can take refuge in.

how great is the grace and love of God.” The production of the disc is quite simple: Just George and his six string Martin guitar.

These renditions are true to the title. You will find no lightning quick runs, hammerons, or impossibly dexterous solos. Instead, what Sabolick offers here are heartfelt, reverent readings intended to be used as meditations. Mostly hymns and a few modern worship songs (“Here I Am to Worship”, “Blessed

Be Your Name”, “Via Dolorosa”, “Shout to the Lord”) This collection serves its purpose well, ushering the listener into a time of peace and reflection.

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

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Turning 20:

Two Friends in a Parallel Business Universe

by Bruce Adolph

Bob Weil and I have had a good friendship and respect for each other for two decades now. We may only see each other once or twice a year at industry events or talk on the phone every 6 months, but we always pick right up where we left off. As CM turns 20 years old oddly enough Bob’s company Visual Sound turns 20 as well. He is now poised for a major transition and we wanted you, our readers, to be up to speed with it.

Bruce: Bob, you and I go way back. Tell our readers how we first met and how inadvertently I play into the birth of your first invention?

Bob: Back in January 1988, my wife and I moved to Torrance, CA, and I was delight28

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ed to learn that there was a Christian guitar shop right down the street, called The Carpenter Music Store. It was run by some “hippy” dude named Bruce. [laughs] On one of my early visits, I needed a volume pedal, so you ordered an Ernie Ball for me and gave me a good deal on it, too.

As a Larry Carlton fan, I learned to use that volume pedal a lot for both swells and basic volume control. However, after a while it started to drive me a bit crazy.

The volume taper was way too abrupt for me (like 0, 0, 1... 10!), making it impossible to have precise volume control, and it started

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to get scratchy sounding after only about six months. Then the string that rotates the

pot broke and replacing it was a nightmare.

I looked at that pedal and thought, “There’s got to be a better volume pedal than this!”

So I went looking everywhere for a volume pedal with a 0-10 reference scale and was shocked to find that nobody had ever made one.

Being young and naïve, I thought I would just design my own volume pedal from scratch to solve all the problems with the Ernie Ball. Unfortunately, although I had a college degree, it was in Business Administration, not any kind of engineering.

I didn’t know anything about designing a product! And of course, this was way before the Internet, so you couldn’t just look up a YouTube video on how to build anything. I actually went to libraries and started reading books on electronics and mechanical design, and started making really lame prototypes. But over a period of years, I learned enough to make some real working prototypes that actually looked pretty good, with a 0-10 LED scale and everything. In hindsight, it’s a lot more difficult to design a volume pedal with an LED scale than it is to design an overdrive pedal. In January 1995, I brought 20 of the first Visual Volume pedals to the NAMM show and started showing them to some of the professional musicians there, including Phil Keaggy, who graciously used one at the LR Baggs booth the whole show.

magazines, seminars, concerts, etc. And you haven’t aged a day!

What I found out pretty quickly in 1995-96 is that not everyone uses a volume pedal, so it wasn’t a very good product to start a business with. We sold a fair number of them considering what it was, but it was a brutal first few years. I ended up experimenting with other kinds of circuits, but nothing really jumped off the shelves until I came up with the first Jekyll & Hyde pedal later in ’97.

Unfortunately, even a hot new product could not get my wife and me out of the hole we had gotten into financially by 1998.

Although the first 100 Jekyll & Hyde pedals were made by me and my wife on our kitchen table, by 1998 we had started making the Visual Volume and the Jekyll & Hyde at a small factory in Taiwan. By mid-1998, we couldn’t afford to even purchase the minimum order of Jekyll & Hyde pedals from Taiwan. We would have had to sell a certain

number of them in advance in order to pay for the minimum order, but nobody pays you for products that you haven’t even made yet.

By August 1998, we were out of options financially and had to declare Chapter 13 bankruptcy... something we really didn’t want to do, but it was either that or my family and I would be on the street. With Visual Sound dead at this point, I had decided to go out and get a “real job”. I had a wife and two kids to support, after all. However, two weeks after the bankruptcy, I got a fax from a German distributor who wanted to order a bunch of Jekyll & Hyde’s. I tried to tell him that we didn’t have the money to make them, but he insisted on sending us the money in advance! So, I called our distributor in England and told him the situation, and he offered to pay us in advance for a big order too, since they already had been selling a lot of Jekyll & Hyde pedals before I stopped the business. I didn’t tell him this, but his prepaid

Bruce: Now 20 years later both your company and my magazine have reached the 20th Anniversary milestone. I know how the Lord has been faithful to us the last 20 years… tell us some of the ways you have seen Him move in your company?

Bob: First of all, congratulations Bruce! For those in your audience who don’t know, you’re one of the hardest working guys I know and yet you get it all done with an amazing amount of grace. You’ve done so much for Christian musicians over the years, with your CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

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order, plus the prepaid order from Germany, provided exactly the money we needed to order a batch of Jekyll & Hyde pedals from the little factory in Taiwan… to the penny!

After that phone call, I looked up to Heaven and said, “God, I don’t know why you want me to do this business, but obviously you do, so let’s try this again!” You know, when we hit rock bottom, God is always there to pick us back up. Ever since that day, things slowly but surely picked up and eventually surpassed anything I would have imagined.

Bruce: You have always had a slew of Christian musicians using your pedals.

Can you give us a partial list?

Bob: You’d have to look at the artist page of our website for a bigger list, but off the top of my head, I can think of Phil Keaggy, Casting Crowns, Sanctus Real, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Audio A, Hillsong United, and lots more.

Bruce: At this 20th year mark you are changing the name of your company.

Tell us why and how that came about?

Bob: Yes, well, I thought about calling it Brucetone because of how it all started [laughs], but we landed on Truetone instead. The Visual Sound name was derived from the first product I invented, Visual Volume, as you might have guessed. While Visual Volume was the cornerstone of the company back then, it became a secondary product over the past 20-years. Now, we are best known for our effects pedals, including

Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66 and H2O. In addition, our 1 SPOT power supplies and accessories have become the industry standard.

Our company motto has always been Real Tone for Real People, which underscores our approach to making reliable, high-quality products, at a fair price. With that in mind, I really think that our new name, Truetone, clearly states our vision in one word.

Several years ago we began this process by acquiring the trademark for “Truetone” and even created a pedal by that name, the Truetone Clean Boost, in 2008. We also were able to secure Truetone.com and other related URL’s, clearing the way for us to do the name change. Besides its great fit, the name also has a rich history, going back to the 1920’s with vacuum tubes and the old tube radios. We actually have a 1946 Truetone console radio in our showroom at the office.

I love the history of the name as well as how Truetone ties into the ethos and vision of Visual Sound.

The first Truetone branded products will be the new V3 version of the flagship Jekyll & Hyde pedal, along with two new 1 SPOT Pro power supplies. These will be the first Truetone products to appear in stores and on stages around the world. As with any change, there will be a time of transition as existing Visual Sound products are re-branded Truetone, and products with both names may be found on store shelves in the interim.

Regardless, the same exemplary level of support and customer service that made Visual

Sound famous will continue with Truetone.

Bruce: I have my favorite products that you make. Out of all the ones you have in the line-up what are your favorite products that you make?

Bob: I still love the Jekyll & Hyde, especially the new V3 version which should be in stores shortly after this interview is published. Actually, the Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66, and H2O, which were our first three effects pedals, are still my favorites. And the latest V3 Series versions are seriously the best. We keep learning over the years and whatever improvements we learn along the way go into the new versions. The 1 SPOT is also one of my favorite products, just because it’s so simple and helps so many musicians with the basic need of powering pedals.

Bruce: Being able to get the right components to put inside of your pedals has always been important to you. Explain to us your build philosophy for your products…

Bob: Like I said before, when we learn how to make something better, we incorporate that into the products. That usually adds cost, by the way, so the MBA way of “cheaper is better” really doesn’t work for me. I designed the Forever Footswitch which is now used in our V3 Series pedals. It’s designed to last for 10 million hits which is about 5,000 times longer than the average, unreliable “true bypass” switch. Any other components that need to be reliable, get specified on our parts list as “do not substitute”.

We don’t use buzz-words in an attempt wow musicians who don’t know about electronic components, we just put good stuff in there and let the tones do the talking.

Bruce: The effects pedal market has gotten very crowded lately and boutique pedals are very popular. In my mind, you truly were one of the first boutique pedal builders out there to reach and maintain a high level of success. Where do you see Truetone heading in the future?

Bob: Well, I’m excited about the new 1 SPOT Pro power supplies that are coming out soon. They’re the first brick-style pedalboard power supplies to use 1 SPOT technology, but with completely isolated outputs.

We actually had to invent them from scratch.

They’re totally quiet and can power just about anything on a pedalboard. Pedals will always be a part of Truetone going forward, just as they’ve been a part of Visual Sound all along. Beyond that, only God knows, but I’m really OK with that!

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TAKING THE STAGE

by tom jackson

Misconceptions About Humility Before the world was formed, God ordained you to be on that stage (or platform).

Do you believe that?

If you don’t, you probably shouldn’t be up there. If you do, what does that look like as a Christian musician on the stage?

I remember the first time I watched Christian bands performing — they kept pointing to the sky after every song. It took me a while to figure it out. At first I thought it was rude. People were acknowledging and appreciating what they had to say and the talent with which they said it. Then I realized they were being “humble.”

But it felt weird to me! I’d always been taught that when someone gives you a gift (applause) you receive it — humbly — but you receive it.

What is Humility Anyway?

I wrestled with this thing called humility.

Because, of course, as Christians we want to be humble. I get that. So does that mean if I’m a Christian and have the gift of cooking, and I invite someone for dinner, and they say, “This is awesome — you’re an amazing cook!” Do I have to point to the sky and say, “It’s all God!”?

Honestly, I felt like these bands were displaying false humility. Pointing to the sky, not acknowledging the appreciation of an audience, just an “aw, shucks” attitude… that’s not humility.

Real humility is accepting the role God has called you to.

Take a minute and read the first couple

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chapters of Ephesians. Paul talks about how God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,” and how we’ve “been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works ALL things according to the counsel of His will,” and how we are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Walk with Authority Because we’ve been predestined, we walk with authority! And that authority comes from the humility of accepting the role we’ve been called to.

So if you’re the lead singer in a band, or the guitar player, or whatever your role is onstage, are you accepting that role and walking in it?

Let me give you an example. If I’m Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, and I’m in a game where we are 6 points behind with a minute to go, what is the role I’m in and what plays should I call to try and win the game? Of course — I need to pass the ball down the field to try and win the game! I don’t wrestle with thoughts of, “I’m a Christian… if I throw a long pass and we score a touchdown, someone will think I’m showing off… besides the press will interview me afterward, and someone may get the wrong impression… I’d better just be ‘humble’ and hand the ball off to the runningback.”

Or maybe a better example is when Jesus was asked, “tell us clearly, are you the Messiah.” He didn’t say, “Well, there’s 3 of us that

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kind of share that…” That would have been false humility. He said, “Yes, it’s as you say.”

Here is the paradox: true humility gives you power and authority!

And that’s true both onstage and in everyday life. And unlike Jesus, who got crucified for his humility, the worst we’ll suffer as performers is criticism. Someone might write a bad review, or a friend might say, “Who do you think you are? It’s OK for Bono, Natalie Grant, or LeCrae — but who do you think YOU are!”

Let me tell you who you are. You are a child of God who has been given a gift, who has been called to walk in humility before Him, with authority onstage, and who has been asked to bring life to people by creating freedom in the room so the Spirit of God can move! And if you’re onstage bound up with worry about what people are thinking about you, it will never happen to the degree that is possible.

Tom Jackson has been called to inspire, equip, and train artists in the art of communicating with an audience from stage. He is author of the book Tom Jackson’s Live Music Method and the All Roads Lead to the Stage DVD series. Tom has worked with 100’s of artists in every genre, including major artists like Taylor Swift, Francesca Battistelli, LeCrae, Jars of Clay, The Band Perry, and more.

To read more about how you can be fully equipped to a greater emotional connection with your audience, to attain more fans & better merch sales, and feel a deeper satisfaction in fulfilling your purpose onstage, go to www.OnstageSuccess.com.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by jack mao

Sennheiser ClipMic Digital Just announced at National Association of Broadcasters convention (NAB) In Las Vegas Sennheiser’s new ClipMic Digital is a miniaturized digital clip-on microphone designed primarily as a Lavalier Microphone to record interviews or spoken word. The Microphone was developed in collaboration with Apogee Electronics who designed the 24 bit/96 kHz A/D Converter.

The ClipMic Digital is designed to connect with current and some legacy Apple IOS devices (Connection to iPhone, iPad or iPod is via an Apple Lighting connector).

The box contains the ClipMic digital microphone, clip, metal wind screen, carrying pouch and Quick start guide. Overall this is pretty amazing piece of technology - looking back a few year the possibility of having this good of a digital microphone drilled down to this small of a package (let alone at the $199 MSRP price point its being offered at) would have been unheard of.

You can adjust your recording input either via Apogee’s new MetaRecorder App or the

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great - setup was a no brainer – just plug the Microphone in, set your input level and hit record.

Appogee Maestro App both of which are available as free downloads from the Apple App store. Both App’s unlock when the ClipMic Digital is plugged in. The MetaRecorder App generates standard Wave files and allows you to adjust input level, latency, and transport control. It’s dead simple to operate and gets the job done. The Microphone also works with any IOS Core Audio compatible recording App which you may want to investigate of you plan to use ClipMic Digital more for instrument recording. I tested the Microphone both with spoken word and also clipped it onto my acoustic guitar - in both cases the quality of recording though the MetaRecorder App into my iPad Air was

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So what does this mean for Pastors, Worship Leaders or Church musicians? Used as a clip on Lavalier microphone, Sennheiser’s ClipMic Digital can be great tool to capture sermon’s interview’s etc. – pretty much any spoken word application you can think of. ClipMic Digital can also be used in certain capacities to capture high quality Acoustic instrument performances and it’s a great tool for capturing song ideas - just use a little out of the box thinking (so to speak) and you’ve got yourself a high quality, flexible recording tool for a bargain price. The ClipMic digital will be available early June. Contact your local retailer or Sennheiser http://en-us.sennheiser. com/ for more information.

©2015 SANTA CRUZ GUITAR COMPANY

A True Custom Shop Santa Cruz Guitar Company

INDIE MECHANICS

by keith mohr & sue ross-mohr

Count The Costs So, you want to be a CCM artist? Awesome! There is nothing more gratifying than creating and performing music and seeing people’s lives changed. It’s great to aspire to inspire, but you better get ready to perspire! Ask anyone who has a music ministry and they will tell you it is hard work. 99% of the time you are working to create material, brand, market and secure engagements.

It’s only that 1% of the time that you are on stage. But what a glorious 1% it is to those artists who love what they do.

Since 1997, we have worked with literally thousands of emerging artists in their music mission, founding and operating Indieheaven.com. Most of the artists we come in contact with are hobbyists who enjoy getting out there every so often to crank up the band, or share a song. Nothing wrong with that!

Some are serious artists who are doing it full time. We appreciate the efforts of each and every artist, but we have the utmost respect for those who are full-timers. We realize that it is incredibly hard to get to that point and sustain a full time music ministry, especially these days!

In the old days, the cost of doing business in your ministry was far less expensive, with the exception of creating quality music. The cost of living goes up exponentially year by year, but technology has moved some things into the “more possible” corner. Today, any savvy musician with chops (or not) and a few technical skills can produce great sounding music with a computer and some recording software. Compare that to years ago when the album and those 10+ songs were important. Today is the day of the single. With the likes of YouTube, GodTube and Vimeo, your single can make just as much impact as the entire album did years ago. Viral is no longer a sickness, it is your friend. The cost to make this happen is minimal on the financial end.

Another avenue that has entered the indie court with flourish is promotion and marketing. Again, technology has enabled a way for each and every artist to connect with their 36

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audience night or day. Enabling the artist that may have not been able to afford a publicist. Now you can scour the internet for a press release template, plug it in to any of the free marketing services, hook up a blog, text, tweet, vine, facebook and the list goes on. Connecting with your audience has been and continues to be vital. There is truly no excuse financially for lack of marketing. The cost here is time and consistency. On the flip side, preparing your marketing without a plan or just throwing up any old thing can hurt you in the long run. The cost of doing research and building your brand with excellence can pay off with great rewards. Trust us, your audience will notice.

Our professional focus has always been on the indie artist, so we get to listen firsthand to their needs and wants. One of the obstacles that indie artists have reiterated to us time and time again has been the ‘ministry fee’. Getting others to kick in to support the cost. This has been a thorn in the hearts of many an artist. Times, though, they are a changing! And it’s about time. We see those that have the confidence and feel that there is value in what they offer and request a fee for their time and expenses, are experiencing an increase in the number of events that they are playing. In the past, many churches and organizations have felt that since Christian artists sing about the Lord, that their music should be free ministry. We are definitely seeing a sweet turn in this aspect. We feel that it is a generation thing. We have always been of the mind that free isn’t always free. There is a cost that comes to both the artist and the venue. When something is free, people don’t place value in it. When something is free, the cost to the artist can be the difference between sticking with the ministry or not being able to do it. The difference that is occurring hasn’t come out of just anywhere, though.

The artists themselves are getting advice, coaching and putting together plans of action. They are educating the promoter. Joining forces with them to help them put on a great event. The cost of preparation and gaining wisdom is truly paying off. This fact

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has impacted how and where indie artists are playing. From home concerts, to churches, to corporate events and more. Here is what one young artist told us about his experience with asking for a fee.

“When I started asking for a fee, I noticed how things began to change, for the better. I was taken more seriously. There was a faster step in their actions when preparing for the event. More people were showing up at each concert. I was amazed. I was also able to hire better musicians to accompany me. That changed the entire dynamic of my performance. I spoke with a consultant that showed me how to offer three versions of my show. I went in with a ‘business’ attitude for my ministry and I am getting 9 out of every 10 possible bookings. When I offered free before, ha, my numbers were much lower. How crazy is that! If folks can’t pay, I don’t necessarily say no, I come up with creative ways to help them make it happen. I’m connected with the promoter and he knows I care about his event. The cost that I’ve invested to learn how to do this has paid off time and time again. My checkbook and my new confidence shows it. ” John K. Many artists are realizing that the cost makes a difference when they don’t try to saturate the world, but concentrate on their world first. It is far less expensive to do your ministry local, instead of traveling far distances. It’s also the way an emerging artist can create a local base of fans and supporters. I see many artists who spend too much time on the internet trying to influence people on the other side of the world, all the while neglecting their own communities. Act local; think global. We are big proponents of impacting people who are in your immediate sphere of influence, who will in return share about you.

Do yourself a favor, make a list of what you think it will cost you to accomplish your music mission, and then multiply it by 10 and that will be the real cost. It’s not for the faint of wallet on the financial side. But if this is your passion and God has given you Continued on page 45.

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Riki Michele:

Pushing the Envelope.

by Shawn McLaughlin photos by Jimmy Abegg If you have trouble recognizing the name Riki Michele, well, you wouldn’t be alone. A part of the SoCal alternative music movement of the mid 80’s and 90’s as the back-up singer/main dancer for the legendary band, Adam Again, Michele maintained a low profile even in the midst of a fairly marginalized scene. That was not true in the context of that scene, however. Anyone who saw the band on stage came away impressed by the chanteuse’s ethereal-yet-funky vocal chops and her whirling dervish movements. She was able to release a couple of solo albums (Big Big Town and One Moment Please) that unveiled the first seeds of a very promising artistic vision. Both albums were collaborations with members of that same scene, as Adam Again leader, husband, Gene Eugene helmed the first album and Terry Scott Tay38

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lor of Daniel Amos produced the second.

Steve Hindalong of The Choir and Mike Roe of the 77’s contributed lyrics and guitar parts as well.

By the mid 90’s, with her life undergoing some enormous changes, she moved to Nashville, following the defection of many of her musical compadrés. While in Nashville, she underwent her fair share of trials, including the tragic death of Eugene. Better times followed as she started finding opportunities to flex her musical muscle while also meeting the love of her life, Dave Palmer, a label A&R man and marketing whiz who was living in Music City. In 2002, Michele released her 3rd solo record, Surround Me. This new effort showed an expansion of her artistic palette as she wrote or co-wrote the

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bulk of the material and started emphasizing an interest in chill and electro-funk. Life and family then intervened as Michele and Palmer started a family and music took a backseat for about a decade. Out of a fairly dark time a few years ago, came the impetus for Michele to, once again, flex her creative muscle.

Providence put her together with Christian music veteran, Margaret Becker and, through a successful Kickstarter campaign, they have created the crown jewel of Riki Michele’s career, so far. Push was released April 7th and is a beautiful microcosm of where Riki Michele has been and where she is heading. I got to converse with Riki and Margaret about the process of making Push and the circumstance that helped fuel the material on the record.

Christian Musician: Surround Me was released in 2002. Explain some of the circumstances behind why you haven’t made any new music until now.

Riki Michele: That’s a good question. I wonder myself at times how so much time went by so quickly. Right after I did Surround Me, I put a band together consisting of drummer Jerry Roe, bass player Robbie “Stone” Cureton, Jamie Tyson, and Paul Nicholson. We played together for about a year and then I got pregnant with my first little human, Sydney. We played a few gigs while I was preg... that was fun, until I couldn’t really move, which I think was around my 7th month. We gig’ed around for about another year after the baby was born, and then I decided to take some time to just breathe and be a mom. During that time off I recorded a Christmas album, played out a little here and there, and got into pottery; and then came my second little human, Max. Between the two kids and pottery, I found myself pretty satisfied creatively. I sang a lot and stayed busy musically but had no desire to record.... yet. I’d say when they stared becoming manageable again around the ages of 4 and 7, I started getting the bug.

I’d talked with a few people here and there about recording but nothing too solid. But life, again, was taking hold. We had moved to San Diego from Nashville and a couple years later moved back again, and then suffered the loss of my sister, which brought us back to San Diego. Two moves and a death in the family in under a year really rocked my world. Once we were settled back in San Diego and near family again, I had the urge to write and that was the beginning of the landslide that led me to Push.

CM: You traveled to Nashville to make Push. Having lived there for a while, do you subscribe to the commonly held belief that you need to live in Nashville to maintain a career in the music industry? (specifically Christian music). What are some of the pluses and minuses of now living away from that industry hub?

RM: To tell you the truth, I’m not really a good one to ask about the Nashville Christian music industry. I was never really a part of it. My involvement with the Christian music industry took place so long ago and was a very outskirts, or fringe sort of a situation.

And it was from So Cal more than Nashville. I did, at one point, have a joint deal between Brainstorm and Word records, and shortly after that I did move to Nashville but never became a part of the Nashville music

industry scene. The main reason I moved there was because some of my So Cal buddies had move the year before. I knew a ton of people there and I was going through a very dark and painful period in my life and needed to have a change of scenery to put myself back together. I was hoping that because I was closer to Word that it would be good for that joint record I had with them, but that really didn’t end up being the case and that was the only deal I ever had with them. That was okay by me; I was having a beautiful time!

I moved there in ‘94 and I was only planning to stay for a short time. The reason I ended up staying for 16 years was solely due to the fact that I found the love of my life, my dreamboat, Dave Palmer. We built a community there, so it was because of him and that community that I stayed. All my musical endeavors after that were independent and not in an industry at all. However, a lot of my friends there are musicians and do belong to the music industry there. That would be my biggest association.

What brought me back there to record was all about that community. I had had a writing session with Margaret Becker while on a trip to see some friends last year and it really hit me while at her house that the way I felt there.... empowered, loved, nurtured, and with friends, was the way I wanted to record an album, so it made sense for me to do it there. And it truly did turn out to be that communal, loving, family affair that I’d hoped for. I could’ve recorded in San Diego, but I just didn’t have those deep connections with friends who also happen to be musicians that I did Nashville. Half of my heart lives in Nashville and half lives in So Cal. I love that we really have two homes. Did I answer your question? haha!

CM: Oh, gosh... you answered it even better than I could have anticipated.

Now, you mentioned Margaret Becker.

When you decided to approach her about helping with the record, did you envision her producing the whole thing, or were you just looking for someone to write with? How did the collaboration evolve?

RM: Oh I love this part! Like I mentioned before, I was coming to Nashville to visit a friend. One of my besties was having her 50th, so I was going there to surprise her.

But, due to the fact that it was planned very last minute, it was expensive so I needed to turn it into a work trip to make it worth it.

I put my feelers out to see who could write over the weekend and Margaret and Rick

Cua were the ones that called me back. It was very difficult for me to put myself out there like that, as I don’t have a whole lot of experience writing with people, especially professionals like Rick and Maggie. Maggie and I were friends but had never written together so, when I went to her house that day to write, I was EXTREMELY nervous.

She put me right at ease. We chatted a while and then jumped right into it and finished a lovely song together that I had started before I came to see her. I felt like we were a good team and I was super excited about the finished product. We were chatting before I left her house and I just asked her if she produced, and she said she did! I thought on it all the way home and a few days later called her and asked if she’d be my producer and she said, “Girl I’d be happy to!” At that point I started sending her music that I loved to help her get an idea of the direction I wanted to go. She caught on immediately. She listens to a lot of the same style of music I listen to so it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination for her to envision what I wanted to do. She sent me some stuff to listen to as well, and then we started to narrow down style, sounds, etc. We also started writing together via video-chat sessions. I’d sit at the Rhodes and she’d be on her guitar. I’d usually text her snippets of songs, then we’d Skype and I’d set her right on my Rhodes and we’d work it out together. Let me just brag on her a minute. She’s amazing. She’s is a musical wizard. She can write, produce, engineer, and coach. She is not proud and does not make you feel like she’s the one in charge. From day one she empowered me and nurtured me and made it very clear that her job was to serve my vision and tunes.

Whatever insecurities I showed up with, she quickly helped me dissolve with her amazing wisdom and guidance. She was the perfect person for this journey with me and I am ever so grateful for that little writing session that turned into something so wonderful.

CM: In the progression of your solo career, I have noticed that you have mainly collaborated with males who have a very strong musical identity. Gene Eugene, Terry Scott Taylor, Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty, Mike Roe, and Julian Kindred. Do you think that working with another woman, Margaret, brought out something different in your writing that may have remained dormant otherwise?

RM: All those people do have a very strong musical identity including Maggie. They’ve all inspired me and brought certain things out of me appropriate to what I was going

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through at the time I worked with them.

They’ve been with me through such major stages of my life. One thing that is drastically different between them and Maggie is really the time in between them.

I’ve grown up a lot, and have honed my skills more as an artist. I think with Maggie I was just ready; ready to finally really take charge and say exactly was on my heart and tell of my experiences.

Before now I was more willing to share control and let someone else lead out of lack of experience and wisdom.

But with each project I grew and became more independent. I’ve grown so much since working with all of them that, when it came time to go into the studio with Maggie, I felt more secure than I ever have in my musical career. That’s just maturity. I do believe that because Maggie is a female we do have a bond on that level that I obviously could not have with the guys.

That is very special to me.

CM: When you mentioned sitting at the Rhodes it brought me back to the sound of your first record, Big, Big Town, probably a desert island disc for me. Funk and soul are definitely strong influences in your music as well as the electronica that cropped up on Surround Me. How has your “sound” evolved since that time and what are some of the influences, musical or otherwise, in that evolution?

RM: I’ve always been a fan of funk and dance grooves since childhood. I wasn’t allowed to dance when I was a kid, so all my moves were discovered in my house, watching Soul Train. That was my intro to funk and I’m forever grateful to Don Cornelius and Soul Train for bringing me the music of my heart. I lied to my father, the preacher, and promised I wouldn’t dance just so I could go to the 8th Grade Graduation dance and the first thing I did when I arrived was enter a dance competition. I think I got second place to a couple of pop/lockers.

What I didn’t realize is that my dad showed up early to get me and saw the whole ending dance off. Busted! Thankfully our family has evolved since the olden days and, if 40

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my dad were bringing me up all over again, I think he would be happy to let me shake my groove thang.

Later, in my teens, meeting Gene was another huge eye opener musically. He introduced me to so much and got me completely hooked on Stevie Wonder. He also brought the Rhodes into our lives and it’s been close to my heart ever since. He introduced me to Kate Bush, and that was a life changer as well. Barry Hill, a good friend who used to hang with the Level Heads crowd, brought Jane Siberry into my life. Those artists combined were very inspirational in the beginnings for my writings and how I communicated what I wanted when I was working with Gene and Steve on Big Big Town.

To be honest the time around One Moment Please is kind of a blur. Those were my very dark days, but I remember being inspired by Annie Lennox, some Neneh Cherry, and Steely Dan. I wanted to capture a slicker, more crystal sound. My Nashville era was when I started getting turned on to some great chill and electronica music, and I knew that’s the direction I wanted to go in. That groove, combined with spacey, electronic sounds felt very real to who I was and the kind of music I wanted to make. When I met Julian, I was so happy to learn that he was, and probably still is, a chronic new music and vinyl collector. We took about a year to write and produce Surround Me and we did it starting with sitting on his apartment floor, day after day, listening to records and making notes.

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There have been so many great bands and so much great music in my life since then, but the biggest influence on me these last two years and probably the biggest impact on my writing for Push is a band/collaboration called 1 Giant Leap and a band called Zero 7. 1 Giant Leap is made up of two guys, Jamie Cato and Duncan Bridgeman, who recorded their music by traveling the world and layering songs with musicians from all over. Their records are a compilation of those songs and interviews with people covering the same themes from the songs. I love the grooves, the world music voices and instruments mixed with some programming, the deep themes and issues they cover from abuse to spirituality and all the flavors and layers when combining all of those ingredients. It touched me deeply and stuck with me throughout my writing process for Push.

Zero 7 hit me with simplicity and with lush sound, and sharing that with Maggie is how I described to her some of the sounds I wanted to incorporate into Push.

CM: I am a little knocked out because I have ALWAYS thought Kate Bush and Jane Siberry, very specifically, was a direction your music could naturally go.

Did you enjoy the Kickstarter process of making this record? It seems like a kind of fun, interactive way to go about creating...having your listenership as an active partner in the collaboration. Also, it gave you a chance to flex your pottery making muscles!

RM: Haha! Love both of those artists so much.

Ya know, I didn’t want to do the Kickstarter at first. I thought it would be embarrassing to ask people for money. But after seeing my friend’s bands do it and really connect with people, I had a change of heart. I have also contributed to a bunch of crowd funding campaigns myself and remembered how it made me feel to be a part of something I believe in. Once we launched it and Continued on page 44.

GUITAR: A2Z

by roger zimish

STRING SKIPPING (continued) Let’s continue with our series on “String Skipping” that we started in the last issue of CM. You should have gotten a good workout on the fretboard while running the last set of examples. Hopefully, you found ways to widen your vocabulary for soloing and improvisation. I have put together several more examples that show String Skipping over chords, as well as within chords, and two classic rock riffs that use String Skipping. Let’s dig in!

Example #1: Skips through an A minor pentatonic and E minor pentatonic scales over a Dm7 and Am7 chords. This one can get a little tricky with a position shift up the neck and then back. Use alternate picking “down-up”. Note that the chord changes opposite of the riff. This is a technique I picked up from fusion guitarist Frank Gambale. As

with all the exercises, start at a slow tempo until you get your fingers wrapped around it and then gradually increase your speed.

Example #4: This is a classic rock riff from the guitarist Slash, skipping over a D chord above the 12th fret.

Example #2: Here we are using the same two chords as in Exp. #1, but we are adding the rest of the notes in the A minor pentatonic and E minor pentatonic scales by skipping over a string, then back one string, and then moving up a position, then back again.

Continue to use alternate picking “downup”, and note that the chord changes opposite of the riff.

Example #5: Is a simple phrase that lets the notes ring out and sustain. Add some modulation delay to this one in the style of David Gilmore.

Example #3: Skipping within a chord.

Here we are grabbing three notes from within the chords, the Root, 5th and 10th. You can play the chord forms and pick out the notes at first, but don’t stop there. Be sure to play them as individual notes using the string skipping pattern.

Coda: I recommend using some type of looping pedal to record the backing chords for the exercises, and of course play them in other keys and positions around the neck.

My hope is that this inspires you to inspire others. God Bless!

Roger Zimish is a freelance guitarist / indie artist and clinician based in Hendersonville, TN. Contact Roger: Email rogerzimish@yahoo.com, like Roger Zimish Guitarist on facebook

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GOOD FOR THE SOUL

by bryan duncan

Andraé Crouch and Cultural Crossover

This year started with the passing of Andraé Crouch, one of the greatest songwriters of our time. I had the honor of playing on the same bill with him on numerous occasions across the world. In thinking back on his body of work, I can safely say he was one of the very few songwriters I’m aware of who truly cut across racial boundaries in Christian Music. And yes, there is a segregation line even in Christianity. It is probably not a racial bias as much as a cultural and musical preference. But again, Andraé was different. And I am jealous of the purity in his songs. His sole focus was on Jesus and a relationship with him. In fact he even said once, “I want people to feel jealous of the relationship that I have with Jesus.” It’s what I often refer to as a, “smell the cookies baking” kind of evangelism.

If anything, I might be jealous of the credibility of the Black Gospel Community. So many singers have made incredible crossovers into a bigger arena, earning the respect given to Black Gospel as a genre. By comparison, CCM is quite new, but I recall

many conversations with Andraé about his rare crossover popularity to the white Contemporary Christian audience. He told many stories of learning how to respond differently to another cultural preference. I recall one such story where he brought his whole group to a very conservative white church.

He opened with a hymn they all knew instead of his funkier songs. “You could see the relief in the pastor’s eyes,” he laughed.

“Jesus was the one thing we had in common,” he would say.

But he also spoke of unbelievable insensitivity and assumptions. Truly there was some racial misunderstanding of how he lived.

Comments made in ignorance, like assuming all Eskimos live in igloos. Even today, after Martin Luther King and Andraé Crouch, there are still pockets of mistrust on either cultural side.

I was tremendously honored and surprised to be invited to sing at Andraé’s memorial.

For three days before the event I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I knew that some of the best Gospel singers of all time would be there: Shirley Caesar, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and so many others. But knowing the incredible impact Andraé Crouch had among Christians of all cultures, and even nonChristians, I expected a more diverse audience at his memorial. Granted, it has been many years since his songs topped the charts. Songs like “Soon and Very Soon”, and “My tribute” (To God Be the Glory). We’ve narrowed our airplay lists since those days to include a single cultural identification. It’s almost like we’ve gone backwards in our outreach, and all for the sake of marketing.

There were only a handful of CCM artists who participated in Andraé’s memorial. Most were videotaped from Nashville, the

hub of White Christian Music. And even as I was introduced to the largely Black Gospel audience in attendance, very few knew of my music. I could feel the tension of ‘here comes another white guy’, until my first scream as I launched into my favorite Andraé Crouch song, “It’s Gonna Rain”. Again, this is more about a musical preference, but still there is an assumption of what someone is going to do based on racial stereotypes. And that is true of the Black Community as well.

Lets face it; some of the worst behavior on record comes from middle aged white men. A stranger would never know that I, as a middle aged white guy, find most of my musical heroes are black men. Andraé was one of them. Add to that Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, James Brown, and Sly Stone. In all my days as a musician I’ve never once thought about the black community as anything other than possessing great and unique gifts.

After leaving Andraé’s funeral, I couldn’t help but think about cultural crossover issues. For weeks it seemed to stifle my songwriting. Typecasting is actually used as a marketing tool. Segregation has a larger ally in our natural affiliations. That said, it points out how unique Andraé Crouch was in Christian Music. I don’t see that anymore, nor much of an attempt to do it. Maybe it was just a unique phenomenon and something that can’t be manufactured. As an artist, I have certainly felt every possible discount based on one preference or another.

Shelved by other biases as well: too Christian, too Secular, too Young, too Old. Racial tension is back in the spotlight in recent months. But again, as with all things controversial, I look back at what Andraé Crouch presented in his music: “Jesus is the answer for the world today.” In my own songwriting, I’ve tried to be more subtle, more clever, less intrusive, even more considerate of the less inclined to believe, perhaps those in the back row of my concerts.

And even there, it all might be based on a certain amount of my own abilities at typecasting. And in the same way, I’ve made attempts to overcorrect my convictions. I’ve Continued on page 44.

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“Riki Michele Interview” Continued from page 40

I could not have done it without Dave Palmer though, that’s for sure. He put the whole thing together and did an amazing job. And yes, my pottery muscles are very sore at this point. But I’m so excited to be able to share that part of my art life with people in my music life. I love it when the art worlds collide! I’m currently in the throws of bubble wrapping, note writing, and boxing up my pieces to go out tomorrow. It all makes me very happy.

CM: I would imagine that the cross country moves, your sister’s loss, as well as marital bliss and your growing family have all played a part in informing the conceptual direction of the new record.

Is there a central theme or idea you are trying to communicate with Push?

RM: When I realized that I was going to work towards making another record, which was about 2 years ago, I thought I had a good handful of concepts that I would wrap the album around... love, family, growth. Then, when life hit in big ways, those ideas and concepts changed a little and I just took the ride on the creative wave and wrote about what I was going through at the time. Those original concepts still existed, just in different ways. Each song has it’s own theme and message. I think the record paints the picture of my moving through pain, growing and asking questions, and my connection with others. The two moves and my sister’s passing brought a heavier introspection into my “Bryan Duncan” Continued from page 42

tried to be more worship oriented, more emphatic, more bold. And still I cannot duplicate Andraé’s relationship to Jesus or bring about what God clearly did with his talent.

All of us have been given certain gifts from God. And perhaps we will all suffer from a certain amount of “gift envy”. So here is where I resonate with my new favorite scripture: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, 44

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photo by Dave Palmer

I started interacting with folks, it was a blast. It was an exciting and completely humbling experience. I was really blown away by the generosity of people... most of whom I’ve never met face to face. I feel like I have a ton of new friends now and have an avenue to keep people updated and stay connected.

writing that may not have been there otherwise. And, although this may sound contradictory, those experiences also brought light to my writing as well. Having gone through the most painful ordeal in my life and then coming out the other side put a whole new lens on life for me. Every minute is so much more precious, real, sparkling. I’m sure it made a dent in the way I expressed myself through this record.

CM: It is interesting how often an artist’s best work is informed by trial and, often, pain. However, as you mention, it brought light to your writing. I assume it also brings maturity and an added ability to cope in your day to day. It’s funny how God works in that way.

RM: Yes, I agree.

CM: Push will likely be out by the time this issue is on the stands. Have you thought ahead very much about what you are going to do to support the project? Any plans to tour?

RM: Touring is tricky - so much cost, so few solid opportunities. That said, I will be putting together a band to play around San Diego and maybe more SoCal stuff. I’m getting to know some fantastic musicians here, and if I can find the right laptop/programkindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love” (Colossians 3:12-14) In the end, as believers, we don’t go where we choose but where God wills. I would hope that you and I will always be willing to see past our culture, see past our talent, and most of all see who we are singing and

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mer wizard to work with a guitarist or percussionist I think we can do some cool stuff a la Phantogram, or the band 21 Pilots that my daughter turned me on to. I’d love to get the band from the record together and do a show in Nashville, and that’s not an impossibility - we just need time.

Beyond that, we’ll obviously promote the record through digital media outlets, my website, and have CDs available direct and from online stores. I love doing these types of interviews and conversations and have some more lined up. We’re also working on trying to find someone to handle licensing for TV/film, etc. It’s crowded space, but I feel like we have some great material for that.

And because so much of this record was shaped by community, I want to continue that online and give voice to other artists and creators - not just music, but visual artists, writers, and others. I think that gathering a community, whether online or in person, is a sacred thing, and being able to bring people together to talk about inspiration, influences, experiences and the like can be a powerful thing. My work with ceramics is so special to me, and I want to incorporate that creative side of me in the promotion of the record it’s almost like one fuels the other!

playing to as the children that Jesus loves.

Red and Yellow, Black and White. As I recall, they’re all still precious in his sight.

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

“Revoice Pro 3 Review” Continued from page 8

INSTANT DOUBLES: Another new feature on Revoice Pro3 is the DOUBLER feature. If you want to double your lead vocal, there’s a setting to do just that.

It will create a mono or stereo Double. You can adjust all kinds of things like Randomness, Modulation, Formant, Vibrato and Pitch.

I tried this on a song I’m working on and it’s fantastic.

It sounds organic and very useable. Not having to spend a bunch of time to record and comp doubles made me feel a little guilty. I’ll get over it!

CONCLUSION: We all want our productions to be the best they can be. Revoice Pro 3 is a state of the art professional application that will take your production to new levels and save you tons of time. There was a learning curve for me, so I suggest watching all of the tutorials. Revoice Pro can go really deep, so you will appreciate the included presets. There is an interactive online manual for quick references that I found super helpful. Running an external program

“Indie Mechanics” Continued from page 36

the talent, the desire and the intestinal fortitude, by all means, run with it! For those who are smart and seek council from others who have been there and done that, they will learn to maximize their investment and see the most return on all ends. Do not be discouraged when things don’t happen as fast or the way you thought they would happen.

It is important to count the costs before striking out on a mission. Not just on the financial end, but how it will affect your family, your work, your physical and mental well being. Count the costs my friends.

Be informed. Have wisdom on your side by hiring a consultant. Build a plan. Weigh the costs. And of course, more than anything, pray! God provides for our needs if we are earnestly seeking Him and doing His will. Be sure to take the time to find out what His will is for your life. It is the most important investment you can make, because if you are pursuing a music ministry without the Lord’s blessing and endorsement, there will be a high cost to pay. Make sure you are not going after something that is based on blind ambition and vain conceit. We see this out there every now and then, and it breaks our heart because we know there will be struggles, trials, disillusionment, disappointment, bitterness, and eventually burn out coming down the road.

outside your DAW, takes some getting used to going back and forth. The LINK plug-in makes it pretty painless, and the time saved is totally worth it. I didn’t have any crashes and after figuring out the editing key commands, I got the hang of it in an hour or so.

If you make vocal stems for live use, this program will radically raise the bar on your productions. If you are doing record production you will love this thing! I can’t imagine doing vocal production without it.

Revoice Pro 3 sells for $599.00. There is also a nice discount for educational use. You can download a trial license for free, and there is a rent to own program as well. The price may seem high at first, but remember this is a real professional grade tool and will it pay for itself in man-hours quickly. There is nothing else on the market to really compare it to. Check it out.

For more information go to: http://www.synchroarts.com Michael Hodge is the music director and guitarist for Lakewood Church in Houston, TX

There are so many areas that we have not visited that can help with the financial, physical and emotional cost of doing ministry. We realize this is a discussion that warrants more paper, but we hope that we have spurred you to think and to remember that whatever the cost, seek God first and keep Him first in your music mission. Make service the keystone of your ministry. Work hard at it and pray hard for it, and do not settle for mediocrity. In everything you do, do it with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your ability.

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

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by bob bennett

THAT SECULAR MUSIC STORE Back in my late teens and early twenties, I worked in record stores. First, for a national outfit called The Wherehouse and then, ultimately, for a Southern California-based chain called Licorice Pizza (in that city of magic, city of lights, my hometown: Downey, CA). It was a classic 1970’s record store that was mostly music but it was also part “head shop”. There weren’t medicinal marijuana shops within easy reach, but there also weren’t any zoning laws about selling the paraphernalia. In the A.D. half of my work-life there, I had sometimes interesting challenges.

A customer would ask, “Hey, is this a good bong?” I’d feign ignorance and simply suggest that another employee would have more current hands-on knowledge than me. Bullet dodged.

I worked alongside my lifelong best friend Dan Rupple. Dan’s one of the co-founders of the seminal Christian comedy team Isaac Air Freight. When we both came to faith in early 1977, we still worked at the store. So we started ordering in Jesus Music albums. (The term “CCM” may have been coined, but it wasn’t yet common.) As it turns out, we had a better Jesus Music section than the Bible bookstore right down the street.

We stocked most of the bands/artist of the day: Mustard Seed Faith, Erick Nelson, Phil Keaggy, Second Chapter of Acts, Scott Wesley Brown, Children of the Day, Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Karen Lafferty, Randy Matthews, Keith Green, Daniel Amos, etc.

We pretty much stocked and sold them all.

We even played them in-store. The fact that I eventually got to be pals with many of these folks was an unexpected development that came much later.

The one thing we learned way back in those dark ages is that the same people who gathered up an armload of Jesus Music albums would also grab “Frampton Comes Alive” or “Hotel California” or “Selling England by the Pound” or “The Pretender”. Even though the “genre sections” were somewhat discreet, the stack of albums at the register usually was not.

Early on, I went through a period where I

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felt the need to “Christianize” my record collection and I got rid of tons of stuff. Tons of really great stuff. In retrospect, I suppose it was necessary… and then, after awhile, it wasn’t. I think there’s pretty wide latitude on this sort of stuff.

Some people are content and careful about orchestrating their lives (to the extent possible) so the “not-specifically-Christian” is kept to whatever minimum they can manage.

Others (and I fall into this category more or less) feel as though the “creative rain” falls on the just and unjust. So, although it’s not unimportant where an artist might be coming from in terms of their lives and belief (or lack of belief) systems, the primary litmus test should be the “artistic thing” itself. Of course, history is replete with scoundrels who really knew what they were doing in the artistry department. Although it can be quite messy at times, I think one of the graces of human existence is that “creativity” is in our very DNA and, much to the chagrin of our occasional “us versus them” leanings, it relentlessly operates whether it knows or cares that it’s imitative of the Ultimate and Sole Creator of All Things: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We have a tendency to think either/or, black or white, secular or sacred. And I would fully grant that there are times when these are necessary demarcations. But I must confess that I try to resist these characterizations at every turn unless they simply cannot be ignored. This is not because I want to be a cowering, path-of-least resistance guy (although I’m certainly capable of being that kind of squirrely). But more because I think it limits our ability to appreciate life as it really is. If we’re constantly dissatisfied with everything and everyone that differs from us, we’ll be deservedly marginalized and the poorer for it.

Many years ago, I was asked to take part in a Christian Arts Seminar in the Pacific Northwest. One of my seminars was always, “Is There Value in Secular Music?” I would simply walk into the classroom, announce the name of the class, answer “Yes”, and begin playing music. Invariably what would happen is that the audience, for the most part, would be greatly moved by what they had heard. And

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

I would point out, “In our ‘Christianized’ way of thinking, these are the other guys.

They’re batting for the other team, but the home-run balls keep sailing over the centerfield fence. They’re not believers. They’re secular. How do you explain that? What will you do with that?” Eventually what happens is we come to understand and appreciate that creativity and creative achievement is, often, no respecter of persons. And the monkey wrench that throws into our “separatism gone wrong” model is both threatening and liberating.

Presumably architects who build churches study other kinds of buildings, chefs prepare not-necessarily Christian food, most of us probably wear secular underwear (unless our wearing them somehow sanctifies them)… at a certain point, these distinctions just get silly.

Much like I’ve done just now.

And yet. Having said all this, it really is up to the individual. My “freedom” may be someone else’s temptation. My self-congratulatory maturity may be someone else’s nightmare.

My “discernment” may be someone else’s “backsliding”. A sense of balance and appreciation for nuance are hardly ever regrettable in considering these things.

Perhaps this is a battle that my boomer generation fought and, like veterans who still haven’t quite come home from the war, we can’t help but to continue in the struggle.

But I suspect that those who follow after me, for all the “hipness” and “almost too cool for Church-ness” that we express in different ways, we could all use a reminder that God’s gifts and givers are as wonderfully diverse as our fingerprints. May we enjoy and learn from as much of what He has enabled as we can.

Bob Bennett lives, works, and goofs off in Southern Californian. When he’s not on the road singing at another church, he’s at St. Matthew’s Church in Newport Beach, CA. The preceding opinions are not meant to take the place of your Spiritual Health Care Professional, but offered as One Man’s Opinion. Albeit, a man who occasionally gets to write for this magazine. Your mileage may vary.

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