Christian Musician Magazine - Nov/Dec 2015 by Worship Musician & Christian Musician Magazine

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

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

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CONTENTS WRAPPING UP 20 YEARS This issue wraps up our 20th Anniversary celebration. Yes, we have completed two decades of publishing Christian Musician magazine! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to me personally and to the mission of this magazine corporately. When I started out with a four page newsletter twenty years ago, if you had asked me how long I thought the magazine’s life span would be, I would have answered, “I’ll be satisfied if we can make it for ten years.” Well, we’ve gone ten years past my expectations; that is amazing! Just as amazing to me is that the last ten years, with the digital revolution and how that has impacted both music and the printed magazine, has been the most tumultuous for publications - not to mention a “roller coaster of emotion” economically in our country. And yet we are still standing. As a vertical niche magazine we have had to be scrappy and resourceful. We still need you, the reader, as subscribers; we still need our team of writers; we still need the advertisers that help make the whole thing work, and we still need the faithfulness of God to help us publish each and every issue! To kick off the 21st year we are going back to the iconic musician that helped launch our magazine… the man who graced the cover of our very first issue – Phil Keaggy.

Features 8 Product Review by Mitch Bohannon Glory Guitars: Advancing the Kingdom…One Instrument at a Time 10 Bassic Communication by Norm Stockton Fun Bass Grooves (Part 6) 12 Guitar Workshop by John Standefer Voice Leading & Internal Moving Lines 14 Drumming Dynamics by David Owens Flams and Your Feet 16 Vocal Coach’s Corner by Roger Beale The Quick and the Easy!

36 The Indie Mechanics by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr Move to Shake 38 Guitar From A 2 Z by Roger Zimish Chromatics 40 Product Review by Jack Mao Eventide Anthology X Bundle 42 Good For the Soul by Bryan Duncan What Do We Do With Less? 44 CODA by Bob Bennett The Overflow Room

18 The Groove of Grace by Rick Cua Don’t Forget Your ID 26 Selective Hearing by Shawn McLaughlin Stryper Andrew Peterson Cindy Morgan Sidewalk Prophets Carolyn Arends Scott Riggan 30 Feature Story by Keith Stancil Platform vs. Stage

cover & inset photo by Davide Di Padova

InterviewS

20 Remarkably Zoro by Bruce Adolph 32 Out of the Frying Pan and... Visible Music College founder, Ken Steorts talks with Stefan Konstantopoulos

So whether you have been a long time reader or someone who has just found us… join the community. Let’s see what more we can do to improve your skills and inspire your musicianship! Thank you for the love…

Bruce & Judy

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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.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

NOV/DEC 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW

by mitch bohannon

Glory Guitars: Advancing the Kingdom…One Instrument at a Time in the Twin Cities area for twelve years when he was prompted to follow God into a new ministry. Jim stepped out on faith, and within minutes of resigning, God spoke clearly to him that there was to be “no break in worship...” and that Jim was to use his luthier skills and his pastoral heart to launch into a new ministry. Jim’s mission statement for Glory Guitars is, “Providing quality, custom-built guitars, expert luthier service, and pastoral encouragement to the worship community…and beyond!” Through Glory Guitars, Jim performs onsite fretted instrument maintenance and repair for churches. What a fantastic service and ministry!

How can you not love a new guitar? Well, come to think of it, I have picked up some pretty terrible guitars and, not surprisingly, put them right back down. I guess over the years I have gotten better at what to look for before I pick them out...and up! With guitar preferences, we all have different likes and dislikes. I think the church is a great place to find variety, and I love trying out new options. Such a wide array of choices can be made for the church...quite different from genre specific venues. For instance, I spend a lot of time in Nashville where Tele’s are prevalent...and if you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band. When I first saw Glory Guitars online, simply the fact that they were obviously built with ministry in mind caught my attention. I contacted Jim Detloff to ask him about his guitars and ministry and found such a great story! Jim had been on Worship staff at a church 8

NOV/DEC 2015

Getting to know Jim, his values, and his attention to detail, I became quite anxious to try one of his creations on our platform for worship. I asked him to send me the Voice of Thunder. What a treat! The guitar arrived in a custom brown gigbag that feels quite substantial and with plenty of storage without being bulky. I was surprised to find a beautiful leather strap inside- twice as thick as most leather straps. Love it! In hand, the pure white Voice Of Thunder guitar is quite comfortable. I’m totally impressed with how Jim designed the neck, the balance, and overall feel of this guitar. And, as a lover of antiques, to me, the guitar is nicely and discretely distressed. Not overdone. I asked Jim about his choice to outsource the necks and bodies. He said that for the time being, he’s outsourced because of financial and space constraints with a new business. He has made unique, custom changes in geometry that allows each guitar to have increased accuracy in intonation as well as a string feel that is not nearly as “stiff ” feeling as many long scale instruments. For instance, he designed the neck to have a flatter, 10” radius for great feel and effortless bending, and the 6125 frets are a bit larger than vintage, but also smaller than the “bulky” jumbo frets found on many mass produced instruments. They just feel “right” under your fingers! Some specs: Body – Lightweight 2-piece

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alder. Neck – Hard rock maple with a dark rosewood fretboard. Nut – Hand-carved unbleached bone. PU – Bridge: custom P.A.F.-style wound to Jim’s specs. Neck: Seymour Duncan USA Custom Shop Firebird. Tuners – Vintage-style Gotoh. Bridge: Custom manufactured brushed stainless steel with compensated cold-rolled saddles. My friend and lead guitar player, Scott Waldrop, played the V.O.T. for worship and here are some of his impressions: 1) The bridge pickup is a surprise. You expect the PAF style PU to pack a punch, but when you roll the tone knob all the way up, some bright twang joins the party. Slightly rolled off, it delivers the drive you’d expect. 2) The neck pickup is a delight. It’s really clear and warm. Beautiful on swells and layered rhythms. 3) While I wouldn’t normally use the middle position, it works well for lead lines on this guitar. The fullness and clarity of the neck and the drive of the PAF make for a beautiful marriage. 4) Big sustain. Not sure if it’s the through body design or the cold rolled saddles, but it sure does ring! 5) The hand oiled neck feels like a broken in pair of boots. It’s just right in every way. Currently, Jim is building guitars based on demand. He is not building up a stock, nor is he selling through stores. So, it may take a little time for you to get yours, but that provides the opportunity to make some personal choices. And, be on the lookout for the first Glory Guitars Bass to show up in the near future. Every guitar is stamped on the inside with the Bible verse, Psalm 105:3,“Glory in His holy name. Let the hearts of those that seek the Lord rejoice.” The Voice of Thunder model (Job 37:5) that I reviewed sells for $1895. That’s a killer deal for a guitar of this quality! Mitch Bohannon developed the Short Cut Capo for Kyser and is a worship pastor in Louisiana. He and his beautiful wife, Noelle, have been married for 22 years and have three awesome kids! www. kysermusical.com

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Chris Tomlin and his 1999 Collings OM 42 SB

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BASSIC COMMUNICATION

by norm stockton

Fun Bass Grooves (Part 6) of effective arranging; notice how the two parts are offset? Had the vocal melody and the band hits been in the same measure, it would have dramatically cluttered up the arrangement.

Welcome back to the woodshed! In today’s installment, we’ll explore a deceptively simple bass figure that is actually quite challenging to play against the vocal phrase. Many of you are probably familiar with the Israel Houghton classic, “You Are Good” that was also featured on Lincoln Brewster’s All To You…Live project (Integrity).

However, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely smooth sailing! :^) A closer look reflects a 16th-note offset between the band hits and vocal melody on beat 3 of the first and third measures. Additionally, despite the vocal melody slurring to the downbeat of beat 4 in the third measure, the actual sung notes attack before and after the band hit on beat 4. These bits of syncopation definitely proved to be a “patting your head while rubbing your stomach” sort of thing, requiring lots of practice to ensure independence between what we played and what we sang.

The written example comes from the breakdown section where the vocal phrase repeats (“You are good, all the time…all the time, You are good…”). The basic phrasing of the melody is reflected on the bottom staff. The top staff shows the staccato line that the band plays in unison. A quick comparison shows a textbook example

Even if you aren’t regularly contributing vocals while playing, this is an exceptionally helpful exercise for your overall musicianship. I encourage you to regularly sing along to the song when you’re playing bass; the more independence you can bring to your playing, the better equipped you’ll be to play things that involve syncopation and counterpoint. When working through today’s example, take it slowly and internalize how the two rhythms interact, then work it up to speed with a metronome. Have a blast & see you next time! Blessings- Norm (Video bass tutorials for this and many of Lincoln Brewster’s tunes are available at ArtOfGroove. com)

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

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GUITAR WORKSHOP

by john standefer

Voice Leading & Internal Moving Lines Music is much more than just singing a song and strumming a handful of chords. Although it sometimes seems as if that’s about all there is to it (especially at church), digging a little deeper can sure make a difference. Using just the right chord inversions (voicings) in just the right order can create another layer to the music. The chords and bass lines themselves work up and down the scale creating a sort of melody of their own. Then, for an even more interesting effect, you can create another musical line internally by adding a single note counterpart to the whole thing. Now you have the movement

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of the melody against the movement of the chords and bass, and yet another internal moving line, which creates a beautiful complexity that is both interesting intellectually and enriching sonically. As an example, let’s look at the common chord to the chorus section of ‘My All In All’. Here are the typical chords: C G Am C F G C G C G Am C F G C C Here is the way I would play it. Notice the top and bottom notes of the chord progression often move in scale-like ways themselves. Then I’m also using suspended

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chords, which resolve in a way that creates that internal line. Play through this a few times to get the idea:

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

Flams and Your Feet In the last couple of articles I used roll strokes and paradiddles to write exercises for those rudiments in an “over the bar line” style. This time we will use flam rudiments in the same way.

Anytime you are practicing hand exercises I think your feet should at least be tapping downbeats with the metronome. The ability to have strong feet under strong hands that are independent from one another is one of the keys to sounding good on the drum set.

The flam rudiments below are first written in a traditional style. After that we take the traditional triplet flam rudiments and turn them into 8th or 16th note exercises, and the traditional 8th note flams into triplet exercises. I have put many different foot patterns under each exercise and you can mix and match them with the different rudiments. In the last exercise I put an 8th note foot pattern under triplets. Having your feet playing a 16th or 8th note feel and your hands playing triplets creates an even more difficult hand and foot independence. Flam Tap j œ

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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.

I hope you are challenged by these flams and that they inspire new ideas in your practicing and playing. But remember not to

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Once you get the hang of these, try playing them while placing the flams around your kit using the grace note on a snare and the strong note on a tom or visa versa. You will notice that two of the foot patterns are Latin in origin (a songo and a samba). Being able to play all sorts of flam, rollstroke, or paradiddle combinations over these foot patterns can make for fun soloing ideas.

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VOCAL COACH’S CORNER

by roger beale

THE QUICK AND THE EASY! Many times, after being introduced as a vocal coach, the singers I meet always seem to get around to asking for pointers on how to improve their voice in the quickest, easiest manner. And as we all know, people will always seek out the easiest way to do anything. But when it comes to improving a voice, there is no easy way to do it. It takes time to learn new habits, unlearn old habits, and develop new muscle coordination. It takes time, intelligent listening, and patience. With all this in mind, I always answer their question this way: eliminate your vocal tension. One of the best things a singer can do for his voice is to locate and identify unwanted and unnecessary tension in his singing mechanism. To find these areas, the singer will need to learn what excessive tension is and how to eliminate it. Let us now examine some problem areas for you, the singer, and see if we can improve your singing quickly and easily. That was the question, wasn’t it? One of the most noticeable problems is your appearance while performing. Many singers, while performing, are just not attractive. The audience sees jaws jutted forward, crooked mouths, tight jaws, strained necks, and even some facial ticks. It is not a pretty sight. To overcome this, singers need to utilize video to observe themselves in performance to discover what observable traits detract from their performance, both visually and aurally. Or they need to find someone who they trust to tell them the truth about their appearance. Some observable tensions would be a tight jaw, a wobbling jaw, tight shoulders, tightness in the neck, and tension in the mouth and lips. The list could go on and on. The singer, after either observing him or herself, or listening to someone else’s advice, must decide if what they see is detracting from their performance. It will become painfully obvious to many singers that the result of vocal tensions will be hoarseness, fatigue, bad sounds, and a general abuse of the voice. 16

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Let’s examine the first tension on the list: a tight jaw. To eliminate a tight jaw, one must be aware of a cause and effect relationship between the neck and the jaw. If you have noticed that your jaw is tight, that is the effect. The cause is the tension and tightening of the entire structure surrounding the larynx. To begin the release of this tension, adjust your posture. Stand up straight. You will be surprised how much this helps. Another thing to keep in mind is a tension in the jaw is always accompanied by a tension in the tongue and neck. Another way to eliminate it would be to try some simple exercises such as: - Singing a song in a comfortable range, while moving the jaw freely, back and forth. - While singing, move your chin side to side. Try these two drills, and then sing the song again while keeping in mind that same relaxed sensation you had while performing the drill. Another evidence of unnecessary tension is a wobbling jaw. Many singers today suffer from this malaise. Some singers seem to think that a jaw wobble is good vocal technique. It is not proper and is not necessary. Singers are usually aware of a wobbling jaw. They know it, are embarrassed by it, and want it eliminated. Once again, to eliminate it we must know what causes it. A jaw wobble is the result of a lack of muscle coordination and technique, and poor breath management. The first thing a singer must do is concentrate, not on his wobbling jaw, but on developing better vocal techniques in general. This includes your breathing techniques and posture. A specific drill to work on would be to hum a song while moving your lips and jaw side to side. This will allow for vocal production without involving a tension in your jaw. One other thing to mention is your general mental and emotional health. You need to find out if what is going on in your life is

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affecting your singing negatively. If you are presently struggling with life situations, pay close attention to the following story. I am working with a singer that is going through a difficult and frustrating time in their life. This is a full time singer who performs over 150 times a year. If this singer does not sing, no income comes in; no work, no food. The result of this frustration was a tension in the neck and shoulders, which caused a struggle and a discomfort in the middle voice between B4 and D5. After a doctor’s examination indicated no physical problems, we began working on physical exercises to loosen the neck and shoulder muscles. The tension was killing the voice and wasn’t doing much for the career either. I am happy to report that the singer is making very good progress. I hope this discussion of tension in the voice has been helpful to you. Please keep in mind that if you feel a tightness or a discomfort in the throat, you can rest assured that your vocal sound is bad. Remember, eliminating these unwanted tensions is the quickest way to vocal improvement. Now go sing well!

Roger Beale has been writing the Vocal Coach’s Corner for over sixteen years. He is one of the nation’s foremost vocal coaches. He presently works with professional singers in all areas of musical performance. His teaching and coaching facility, The Voice House, is involved in the management and care of the professional voice. Many of his students have won prestigious vocal competitions and scholarships. In addition, he has worked with Grammy and Dove award winners and nominees. He also offers vocal clinics and seminars, as well as assistance in recording sessions. Roger is an adjunct professor in the Fine Arts department at Point University (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: rbeale251@gmail.com.

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THE GROOVE OF GRACE

by rick cua

Don’t Forget Your ID In his best seller, Victory Over The Darkness, Dr. Neil Anderson presents this thought, “Does what you do define you or does who you are define you?” Think about that for a moment. As a young musician I was so proud to tell people “I am a bass player!” So much of my identity was wrapped up in those 5 words speaking of what I did rather than who I was. I am a bass player versus I am a child of God and I play the bass. There are many ways that a faulty belief system can mess you up, and here’s one of them. If you are having a bad day with anything you believe to be your identity other than Christ, your confidence can be shaken. When I am playing my bass for example there are times when I feel a bit off balance...not quite as fluid in my playing as I was the day before. However, if my identity is in Christ, the truth and power of that belief can never be changed, altered, or diminished. It’s always one hundred percent true. I can still have a bad day, but my identity doesn’t get questioned. I know who I am and that confidence helps me get up and over the challenges of life...even the ones that are caused by my own shortcomings. As a young musician I remember an event that was a devastating blow to my selfconfidence. I was 16 or 17 and getting more comfortable with my bass playing every day. Our band was doing very well and I felt celebrated a bit by the people that came to see us play. My talent was growing, and so was my ego. I was not yet a believer so I was very wrapped up in being a bass player. That was my calling card...who I was. It was then that I got a call to play bass with a big band that was hired to back up an international artist for a one-night event. “Wow,” I thought, “things are really starting to happen.” “Can you read music,” I was asked. “Sure!” was my answer. Well, I showed up for the rehearsal the afternoon

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of the show, took my seat on the bandstand, and then everything started to unravel. The music director walked in the room with the music. Lots of music. Many pages of music! He was a prickly fella, and I’m being kind. He curtly greeted us and passed out the book of charts for the night with the comment, “I don’t have a lot of time so let’s get this done quickly.” As I opened the book and thumbed through the charts I began to sweat. No . . .It was pure anxiety...possibly my first panic attack. I could read music a bit, but this was ridiculous...at least at my level of reading. There were so many notes of every kind on the page; sharps, flats, things written in Italian...yikes! I was having a hard time focusing. I was in real trouble. No 1-4-5, no boom boom boom, no Beatles! The worst night of my life was just about to begin. Clearly I couldn’t cut it. I stumbled through the charts making mistake after mistake. The guy was so mad at me he finally shouted, “Just use your ear!” Heck...I hardly knew what that meant let alone had an ear developed enough to use in that application. Fortunately many of the older musicians on the gig were friends of my dad and they stuck up for me. Well, they almost took the guy outside to adjust his attitude! This guy was hard, but, I accepted an opportunity that was over my head. This was totally on me, and an invaluable lesson unfortunately at the expense of others. My feelings quickly went from embarrassment to shame, and it took a long time to get over it. “What was I thinking? How could I let everyone down? I should have never said yes to this.” I was so shaken and didn’t have the Lord to lean on or remind me of who I was. My identity as a bass player, as a musician, crumbled under the weight of that single experience. There’s only one thing that can’t be shaken

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and that’s our identity in Christ. Knowing who we are in Him is the only foundation we can stand on that can’t be moved. If I had that unfortunate experience as a believer I would have known God’s truth and recovered much quicker. I would have still been embarrassed for my bad judgment and performance, but my security in Jesus would have been intact and my recovery would have been easier. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” We need knowledge to know who God says we are before we dive into life and let the world tell us who we are. It’s only in Christ that we find acceptance, security, and significance. No one can take that away from us. John 1:2 says, “You are a child of God.” In Ephesians 1:1 we read, “You are a saint.” Colossians 2:10 tells us, “You are a member of Christ’s body.” And in 1 Corinthians 12:27 we are reminded, “You are complete in Christ.” The list goes on and on, with so many more scriptures telling you who God says you are. Meditate on this, and though you may forget some things from time to time, never forget your ID. Don’t leave home without it! 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.

POINT-AND-SHOOT MIXING

With TouchMix you don’t need to be an experienced sound engineer to sound like one. In the hands of an experienced photographer, a modern DSLR camera can create stunning images in any number of shooting conditions. But see the presets for portraits, landscapes, close-ups and more? The camera is pre-programmed by experienced professionals so that anyone can get a quality image in just about any condition. Just point and shoot. The camera knows what it needs to do to give you a great shot. Same with TouchMix. It’s one of the most advanced digital mixers ever made, with features that rival consoles costing thousands more. But its real genius is how the Presets, Wizards and Simple Modes put all that power to work easily and seamlessly to deliver you an amazing mix that will have everyone convinced that you are a professional sound engineer. How? Just like the DSLR, our own team of pony-tailed professionals* put everything they learned over decades of mixing live sound into TouchMix so that whether you’re a pro or not, you’ll get NYLH[ YLZ\S[Z X\PJRS` LHZPS` HUK VU `V\Y ]LY` ÄYZ[ NPN 5V V[OLY TP_LY JHU THRL [OPZ JSHPT and that’s why we say that TouchMix is Simply Genius.

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R e m a r k a b ly

b y Br u c e A d o l p h I became friends with Zoro when we both were placed on the same team helping a drum magazine called “Stick It”. I was the ad salesman and Zoro was the editor. The magazine didn’t last long but our friendship has. Zoro is not only the kind of fervent friend who is ready to pray for you at a moments notice, but he is also an accomplished musician, author, speaker and educator. I tease him about being an over-achiever and a fashion icon... but that is what friends do :) Read on and see for yourself that this man with the unique name is really quite a remarkable person.

CM: Zoro, it’s been a while since we sat down and caught up with you. You always seem to have several plates spinning. Let’s start with how you met prophetic minister Kim Clement and then became one of two percussionists with him touring the world. How did that come about? Z: My dear friend, Nashville pastor Marty Layton, introduced me to Kim in 2009. Since then, Kim graciously invited me a number of times to appear on his global broadcast, “The Den.” This led to a deep friendship and bond between us. Last year, Kim wanted to expand his regular ensemble by adding percussion and horns. He asked if I would play percussion and help facilitate his musical vision.

beach photo shoot by Davide Di Padova

I was thrilled to work with him and recruited my longtime friend and master percussionist, Richie “Gajate” Garcia. Richie and I have worked together often over the years, and he’s taught me a lot about percussion. We are like brothers and like-minded in many ways; I knew we would gel instantly.

In addition to us, Kim has a great drummer, Sunil Isaac, and Kim’s son Jakob joins us on percussion too. Kim really enjoys percussion and frequently features us, which is an absolute blast as well as an honor. Worshipping with Kim is a beautifully anointed experience because he is the finest Christian man I have ever known. Besides being a multitalented individual with a powerful spiritual gift, he has an incredibly huge heart. CM: Kim’s ministry seems to be very spontaneous musically. How do you find the musical space to flow as a percussionist in that free-form scenario? Z: Playing jazz and fusion throughout my career prepared me for the improvisational nature of this environment. My best work as a musician, speaker, writer and teacher results from flowing with the Holy Spirit. Prior to any type of creative performance, I ask God how he would like to use me and then remain open to what that may look like. I yield myself as an instrument in the

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their limitless potential, and lead them to a life of intention, impact, and adventure. CM: How long have you been sharing these life principles? For the past 30 years, I’ve shared this truth in a myriad of settings. This includes magazine articles and books I’ve written and contributed to, television and media Zoro with Kim Clement on his global broadcast, “The Den.” appearances, speaking engagements, and oneLord’s hands and he plays me as he sees fit on-one conversations with countless for every situation. I simply follow where the spirit leads by using my ears and eyes, and individuals throughout my travels. by responding with my heart. The key is to remain malleable in the service of the king. CM: What gear are you playing now that inspires your best performance? Z: I’m still thrilled to be using the same gear I’ve always used – DW drums, Sabian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Latin Percussion, Vic Firth drum sticks, Audix microphones and SKB cases. My detailed setup can be found on my website — zorothedrummer. com, under the clinic tab/clinic rider. As a musician, nothing inspires me more than the instruments I play. I consider it a privilege to play the finest equipment in the world and be able to work closely with people who are innovative, passionate and supportive. It’s a luxury for which I am grateful. CM: I was totally inspired by your last book, The Big Gig: Big-Picture Thinking For Success, which sold very well and made quite an impact around the world. Now you have a new book, Soar. Tell us about your vision for it?

CM: You’ve had so many varied accomplishments in your life and were even honored at the White House for your influential mentoring work. Where do your visions come from and how have you gone about fulfilling them? All of my visions come as a gift from God and begin with a dream in my heart. I then respond in faith with courage, diligence, patience and perseverance until the visions come to fruition. I follow the strategic process I lay out in the Soar book. These disciplines have led to the fulfillment of every dream God has given me. God prewired each of us with limitless potential in regard to the gifts he deposited in us. The purpose of our lives is to discover them, develop them and impact others with them in a positive way. Mark Twain is quoted

as saying: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I totally agree. Most people have no idea why they’re here and have yet to discover God’s divine purpose for their lives. My intention is to be a conduit, an inspiration and information highway that bridges people to God and the divine destiny that awaits them. The dream God has for each of our lives will inevitably affect many other people. In essence, his dream for us is never entirely about us. It’s really about how the dream will impact his people for his glory. CM: Why do you think so many people are lost today and have yet to find true fulfillment? We all long for deep significance, meaning and purpose in our lives. This longing is only satisfied as we come into relationship with our heavenly father and begin to carry out his will for our lives. It’s a mistake to pursue happiness and the temporal trappings of this world, rather than God, truth and purpose. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” God made us to display us, and we’re meant to shine brightly in a dark place in the unique way we only we can. Therein lies the deep significance and meaning we all long for. CM: You’ve always maintained this burning desire to build, inspire and encourage people, especially young

Z: I’ve always had an evangelistic spirit, with a heart to lead people to Jesus and a desire to help them discover God’s unique purpose for their lives. My new book, Soar: 9 Proven Keys For Unlocking Your Limitless Potential, is a Biblically based life manual packed with an array of inspirational stories, anecdotes, scriptures, motivational quotes and relevant instruction on how to soar and live the life you were meant to. I share the practical wisdom God has taught me through nine life principles that will equip people with the keys to unlock Zoro ministering to young adults at the Thunder School in Nashville

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adults. Tell me about the mission of Zoro International Ministries (ZIM). Z: ZIM’s mission is to develop a rock-solid, Christ-centered foundation that will enable young adults to develop their full potential, fulfill their divine assignments on earth, and impact the world in Christ’s name as God intended. The life lessons God gave me to share are etched in practical simplicity and yield tangible results. These principles can be understood by anyone because they make sense. We tend to overcomplicate things in life. The beauty of God’s methods is that they’re easy to grasp. The Soar book is the next step in equipping young people with necessary tools to flourish in their calling. With the assistance of a team of experts working with me, the plan is to distribute Soar as a paperback and digitally as an e-book. We will then convert it into a fullfledged, multi-media curriculum that will be taught at schools, churches, home groups and other gathering places around the world. CM: Wow, that’s a rather ambitious undertaking and one I really believe is desperately needed. What’s it going to take to accomplish this? No one ever accomplishes visions of this magnitude alone. The Lord knits our hearts together with others who are drawn by his spirit to causes we feel mutually passionate about. He then aligns our efforts in a strategic way that allows each party to contribute their part of the equation. At this point in the process, I’m looking to partner with like-minded individuals,

Zoro speaking at an event for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

corporations, foundations and churches who have a heart for young adults and an earnest desire to invest in our world’s future. We need people who desperately want to see a cultural shift in our society back to serving, honoring and loving God. We need new partner friends who embrace the vision and are willing to do their part. My vision is huge. With God’s favor and direction and the help of those who feel led to support me in this mission, I am confident this dream will come to pass. My confidence, however, is not in me. It is in God who is with me, who called me according to his purposes and summoned me to this important work. Throughout history, God routinely used simple, unassuming and even unqualified people to perform great exploits in his name, simply because they said yes to him. I am a simple, yet very driven and hardworking man who said yes many years ago. My steps have been ordered by the Lord throughout my life in preparation for a time such as this. Like an Olympic athlete, he took me through the gauntlet and trained me with years of education, intense labor, testing, pruning and spiritual refinement. This was the cost of equipping me for the level of responsibility it would take to carry this heavy mantle.

Zoro with Governor Mike Huckabee after a performance on the Huckabee show

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I have worked to keep my heart soft before the Lord and remain willing do my part as

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I’ve always done. I trust God will do his part as he’s always done. Together I know we will be unstoppable! CM: Why is it so important for you to reach the young adults specifically? Young adults today are growing up in a complex and confusing world that has turned its back on God and lost its moral compass. There is a strong anti-Christ spirit growing in our world. And as a result, many young people are spiritually lost. They are in desperate search of an identity and purpose. They’re also the most neglected demographic in the church; they’re departing from the faith in record numbers. The young adults of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. Plain and simple. They are the future. It’s imperative we get a hold on their hearts now for God and his purposes. Otherwise, the world will quickly indoctrinate them into its counterfeit culture. This Godless theology opposed to Christ leads to a self-centered existence filled with vanity, emptiness, deceit and destruction. It’s a cleverly crafted lie that robs people of

God’s truth and their ultimate need for him. Albert Einstein said, “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” If Christians fail to rise up and draw the swords God gave them, they will inevitably surrender valuable territory to the enemy. This will pave the way to a Godless society filled with rebellion, anarchy and chaos. God has given us weapons he expects us to use. So we have no excuse for not engaging in the battle. Aside from my musical gifting, my spiritual gifts are that of a teacher, leader, encourager, motivator, speaker and writer. These are my weapons of warfare and the platforms from which I engage in the battle. They are my personal weapons of mass destruction against the powers of hell. For others, their weapon may be a spirit of compassion or perhaps an administrative skill. For some, it may be acts of service, connecting people or the ability to create wealth. Whatever platform, gift or resources you’ve been given, you must use them to serve God and build his people because that’s what they’re for.

One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is this: “There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” There is a lot at stake here, and the spoils of this war are the hearts, souls, minds and eternal destination of men and women throughout the world. I refuse to shrink back from this assignment. I stand firm and fully committed to the vision whose time has come. Right now is the crucial time to strike and fight for the future of God’s people! CM: For as long as I’ve known you Z, you’ve always had so much zeal, fire and passion for the Lord and the work he’s called you to. What drives you to keep moving forward in the face of adversity? We must remember that we all die the same. It is how we live that separates us from one another. You have the freedom to spend your life however you choose. But here’s the catch. You can only spend it once. I choose to remain driven by things that

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Continued on page 46.

NOV/DEC 2015

SELECTIVE HEARING Fallen

Stryper Frontier Records This is perhaps the type of heaviness that fans used to scream for back in the band’s pop metal days. “More Than A Man” and “The Reign” would get traction from these metalhead critics when To Hell With The Devil and In God We Trust were released, but these folks were never satisfied. Now they can gorge themselves on a lion’s share portion of Heaven and Hell era Sabbath riffage. The guitar tones, tempo, and grooves pummel and shake – like Piece of Mind to Powerslave Iron Maiden and the Long Live Rock and Roll era Rainbow. This is new for Stryper and it’s stinkin’ good.

The Burning Edge of Dawn Andrew Peterson Centricity Records

What does an artist known for his musical storytelling do when he’s exhausted his reserves and doesn’t know what his next story to tell will be? He starts with a melody. And to that melody, he adds a depth of exploration, of looking in and around his life for what’s happening right here, right now. Such was the beginning for singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson, as he stepped into the studio to record his latest record, The Burning Edge of Dawn. Armed with only one song to lead the way, Peterson and longtime friend and producer, Gabe Scott explored the world of melody and emerged with something to say in the long run and something listeners will definitely want to hear. While Peterson has always drawn from a well pretty close to Americana, this release seems to step even further in that direction. There’s a rugged, poetic acoustic vibe that flows throughout these tracks that captures thoughts of the heartland, both literally and figuratively. The album opens up on a typically strong note, with a thudding guitar line accented by bright keys and thoughtful acoustic guitar as Peterson sings of hope, sharing, “I’ve been waiting for some peace / To come raining down out of the heavens / On these war-torn fields / All creation is aching / For the 26

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Kudos to Stryper for seemingly feeling comfortable in their yellow and black skin. This is unapologetic metal and they sound natural, confident, and sport just the right amount of attitude. If you’re looking for the sound you love like “Calling on You” and “Free,” it’s just not here, but this is the next best thing. If you want ‘80s metal, “Love You Like I Do” will fit the bill perfectly. It’s got a big hook, the right amount of BGVs, like they were known for, and it’s bold like the best 80’s radio friendly hard rock. Turn this one up. If you’re craving for a Stryper ballad (and who isn’t?), you’ll get that in all its glory with “All Over Again,” which is lighter-in-the-air perfect without being too soft. Major props to the band for the brilliant cover of “After sons of God to be revealed / And I believe, I believe that the victory is sealed / The serpent struck, but it was crushed beneath his heel.” It’s a powerful opening salvo that sets the tone for the great listen that’s to come. “Every Star Is a Burning Flame” follows and showcases Peterson’s gift for writing word pictures, while “We Will Survive” draws on bright dulcimer tones and a transparent lyric that finds the artist pleading, “So tell me the story I still need to hear / Tell me we’re gonna make it out alive again / I need to know there’s nothing left to fear / There’s nothing left to hide / So look me in the eye / And say we will survive.” That plaintive cry leads succinctly into the embrace of “My One Safe Place,” a lyric of a love that touches the spiritual and is hauntingly beautiful. Rich fiddle fills and a rolling piano line color “The Rain Keeps Falling” as Peterson, drawing inspiration from a poem by Luci Shaw, unpacks a tale of doubt, pain, and frustration, seeking for a place of hope, with vocals from Ellie Holcomb providing a beautiful counterpoint before “Rejoice” reminds listeners to find hope in every circumstance, accented by buoyant dulcimer and inviting drumbeats. “I Want To Say I’m Sorry” is a humble cry for reconciliation between friends, longing to recover the innocence of the past. Chris Donegan’s slide guitar work providing an emotive push throughout, while “Be Kind to Yourself ” provides a heartfelt dose of father’s wisdom to Peterson’s daughter, Skye, with lyrics that

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by shawn mclaughlin Forever.” Those that know Black Sabbath know that this is a blatant “Christian song” that Geezer Butler wrote about the intelligence and reason it takes to follow and respect Christ. The worshipful theme behind album opener, “Yahweh” is book-ended by “King of Kings,” while the band suggests, in the middle part of the album, the process by which Lucifer fell from the heavens to wreak havoc on earth. All in all, while not always clearly following that thread, the band makes a genuinely face melting, yet still musically arresting metal album. They technically only disappeared for a decade and have been rocking hard for more years than they were ever dormant, but Stryper is back in a big way.

apply to us all. Standing as one of the album’s higher points among an album composed of multiple peaks, “The Power of a Great Affection” emerges with a resonant energy that pulses with earnest praise as Peterson resolves in the lyric, “So Father, I will give you thanks and praise / The Son has opened wide the gate of glory / He declared your mighty love and gave us grace / And I will tell his story, it is my story.” It’s a powerful revelation that expresses the beauty of a life with God, and few can sing it like Peterson can. That same passion carries over into the final track, “The Sower’s Song,” with music composed by longtime friend and collaborator Ben Shive, while Peterson penned the lyrics. Drawing from the pastoral truths displayed within the Gospels, Peterson finds the junction between our pain and His praise, seeking to resolve the two into a beautiful union as we learn to abide within the Savior. It’s a beautiful conclusion that only leaves you longing for more. With The Burning Edge of Dawn, Andrew Peterson continues to show himself to be one of the foremost singer/songwriters around. With stirring imagery that paints vivid pictures in the mind’s eye and the boldness to be honest and transparent within his songwriting, not shying away from the ugly parts of life, Peterson does more than craft a great album, but also shows us what a true Christ follower looks like.

Bows and Arrows Cindy Morgan Independent.

Some artist’s work just demands to be heard, and the songwriting of Cindy Morgan is definitely in that company. On her latest indie effort, Bows & Arrows, the artist continues to define herself as one of the top songwriters in the business today, crafting poetic, honest lyrics alongside compelling and engaging soundscapes. This time out she draws from an Americana palette of sounds, and that warm framework, along with some help from some good talented friends, helps to make this one of this year’s must listen albums. Morgan’s record feels like what might have occurred had The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams taken a different turn with her solo work, digging deep into rich southern roots with plaintive vocals and scintillating acoustic performances. Along to help the artist out are artist’s like acclaimed mandolin picker Sierra Hull and upright bassist Viktor Krauss, whose presence here gives the album an added lift. Things get off to a moody start on “Breaking Heart,” as tight mandolin fills anchor Morgan’s

edgy vocal delivery while energetic fiddle vibes keep things flowing. Singer-songwriter Gabe Dixon offers his assistance on “Can’t Help Yourself,” his tones a perfect match to Morgan’s, delivering a duet of no small proportions as longtime friend and artist Andrew Greer stops by to help on the banjo-driven “I Know You.” Rich strings and warm piano ground the title track, Morgan’s poignant lyrics cutting to the heart with their exploration of our children growing up and the bittersweet moments therein, while the haunting intro to “Wandering Child” delivers on its promise, the transparent track echoing with pain and emotion. “Unbroken” provides a quiet moment of reflection and thoughtfulness, the soundscape warm and inviting, while “Do You Know Jesus” plays out like a modern day “Just As I Am,” with guest vocals from Jonathan Kingham. Rustling with a mid tempo energy, “The Sound of a Train” has an old country vibe to it, swells of lap steel weeping across the shuffling beat before the stirring a cappella delivery of “I Want to Live” sweeps in with its stark passion. “In the Red” follows with an insistent beat that hammers home the gospel message to find the hope in the red letters, the tight groove growing ever more infectious, while “Bring Balloons” slows things down to a gentle wander. Morgan re-

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works one of her most requested classics, “How Could I Ask for More,” with help from Andrew Peterson, and the transition is a powerful one, the Americana textures a perfect fit to the familiar lyric, breathing new life into the song. With subtle, sparsely produced acoustic guitar, Morgan closes things out with the reprise, “I Want to Live Part 2,” the unpolished nature of the ending coda serving as the perfect bookend. The work of Cindy Morgan has always been such to encourage listeners to want to listen again and again, both for the beauty of the music and truth-telling of her voice, but also for the compelling stories and insights within her songwriting. Bows & Arrows builds upon that foundation and doesn’t waver, delivering a musical backdrop that is engaging throughout, while the artist’s rich stories will have listeners coming back again and again, peeling back the layers with each listen.

Something Different Sidewalk Prophets Word

Oftentimes album titles simply serve as a figurehead, just grabbing from

a song title to offer up something catchy and inviting. But for longtime act Sidewalk Prophets, the title of their latest record, Something Different, is a perfect description of what listeners will find inside. While maintaining the integrity of the band’s energetic sound and soulful compositions, this outing finds the outfit performing with a renewed sense of freedom, letting it all hang out on what may prove to be their most successful outing to date. One of the keys to the Prophets’ success this time out lies in nabbing Seth Mosley (For King & Country, Newsboys) to produce. Mosley helps the band to create a sonic palette far broader than any they’ve recorded with before, letting them explore a variety of textures while still staying true to themselves. Mosley also brought his keen songwriting skills to the party, adding his

name as co-writer on six tracks. Opener, “Prodigal” gets things off to a strong start, the radio-ready jam flowing with solid guitar riffs and lyrics drawn from the familiar bible story, while “If You Only Knew” openly wrestles with doubts while offering up hope, anchored by Justin Nace’s strong drum work which hammers home the message. The title track follows and is one of the true album highlights, the rich pop rock musical tapestry fun and playful while serving as the perfect foil to lead singer Dave Frey’s vocals, who shines brightly here. A gentle opening leads into “Everything in Awe,” another highlight to be found here, as the celebration of God’s creation as it points back to Him is honored with a crescendo of sound that delivers in spades, drawing goose

SHUBB CAPOS

After

bumps with its passionate delivery. That’s followed by the equally strong “To Live Is Christ,” the message of which draws simply from the scriptures and nails it home with bright piano and rousing guitars before seguing into the familial joy of “Sisters and Brothers,” which derives warmth from the added acoustic textures. “Impossible” returns the band to its rousing radio-ready sound, more heavy percussion aiding Frey’s vocals as “Come to the Table” serves as a gospel invitation, reminding listeners that we’re all frail and faulty, giving hope to all in Christ’s grace and goodness. Taking things in a different direction, “Ain’t Nobody (Till You’re Loved)” finds the group exploring a folk approach, with a country-flavored vibe and handclaps and group vocals dominating, while “I’d Rather Have You” showcases Frey growling through his upbeat lyrics against a high energy, pop-rock arrangement. “Go For It” is enjoyable pop, bright all the way around, and “Soldier On” builds a sense of encouragement with its restless guitar and distinctive drums. With the Sam Smith-flavored “Closer,” the band is joined by gospel music sensation Tamela Mann for a rousing conclusion, ending things on a soaring note. It’s a track that showcases Frey’s vocals once again and he makes a strong case for being one of the stronger vocalists in the Christian market, delivering pitch perfect lines with serious passion. Ever since their national debut in 2009, the Sidewalk Prophets have been getting better and better and fans have taken notice. With Something Different, the Prophets deliver on those promises and submit what is their best album to date, creatively exploring new ground while continuously mining their faith-rich world of songwriting to deliver songs that are honest, encouraging, and ultimately satisfying.

Just Getting Started: An Acoustic Reflection on 20 Years of Music Carolyn Arends Independent

years

still the best! info@shubb.com • www.shubb.com 707-843-4068

Just Getting Started: An Acoustic Reflection on 20 Years of Music is a landmark album in Arends’ richly storied career. Featuring 11 re-imagined makeovers of songs she has released, the album also features one brand new song, the title cut “Just Getting Started.” However, this is far from your typical retrospective compilation. Rather, the 11 re-makes were Continued on page 35.

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FEATURE

by keith stancil

PLATFORM VS. STAGE Do you feel called by God to be a musician? I often wonder if the word “called” is misused. We are all called to make Jesus famous with The Great Commission, but does God call us to play guitar or sing? I would offer the supposition that God calls us all for the same purpose of making him famous but he gives us varying platforms to use for that purpose. Instead of saying, “God called me to be an artist,” I think it makes more sense to say, “God called me to make him famous and he has given me specific skills and a platform to carry out the calling through music.” Platforms come in all shapes and sizes. A fast food drive-thru window, a corporate board room, a meal wagon serving the homeless, a major league sports field, or an arena concert for twenty thousand people can all serve the same purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus. The platform God gives us is our sphere of influence. We can use it to bring attention to Jesus or we can use it to bring attention to ourselves. There are three elements present in most successful platforms, Consistency, Influence, and Charisma.

Consistency - In order to maximize our platform, we must be believable. Are we the same person in life that we are when using our platform? If I’m leading worship on Sunday or performing a Christian concert on Saturday night but shacking up with my girlfriend the rest of the week, am I living a consistent life? A Christian’s life will show consistency if they truly have a desire for God, make him Lord of their life, and follow his instruction. Being believable is key to maximizing our platform. Influence - Do we recognize the sphere of influence God has allowed us to cultivate? Most people develop their sphere of influence in their twenty’s and thirty’s. Musicians often develop a sphere of influence earlier than the norm, as music powerfully draws people in. Recognizing our influence is vital to maximizing our platform. Charisma - This is probably the trickiest element. Most successful artists and musicians possess strong charisma. Charismatic people have huge influence and people easily follow their lead. Charisma can be used for good or evil. Two of the most dangerous people in the history of the world, Hitler and Stalin, were extremely charismatic. Music has super powerful influence and, when mixed with charisma, amazing work can be done towards making Jesus known. When those elements are used as God intends, one’s platform can be used in mighty ways to help build God’s kingdom. It’s quite easy though for musicians to become more focused on themselves. How cool they look, how well the audience responded, how big the production is, and how many fans they have can quickly transform a musician’s platform into a stage. When the platform becomes a stage, we have most likely stepped out of God’s purpose for our life. I recently ran across a great quote from C.S. Lewis. Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from the love of the thing he tells, to the love of telling till, down in Deep Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but

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only in what they say about him - C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce Obviously, musicians need to be excellent at their craft and interesting in order to draw people in for a listen, but there is an intentional art in striving for excellence while maintaining God’s purpose for our platform. How are you managing your platform? Are you more concerned about building “kingdom”, or is your emphasis on building “fandom?” Many artists pursuing careers in Christian music begin with Christ centered intentions, but the desire for sharing the gospel can quickly become skewed with just an ounce of success or admiration from others. Spending daily time in God’s word is crucial to maintaining a perspective on how we are using our platform. I encourage all Christians pursuing careers in entertainment to find a pastor or spiritual mentor to help hold them accountable as their musical sphere of influence grows. Let’s Make Jesus Famous! Keith Stancil Artist Manager & Author keithstancil.com Keith Stancil is the President/CEO of Artist Garden Entertainment, an artist management and marketing firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Keith served twenty years in various sales and marketing roles at Capitol/EMI, Warner/ Elektra/Atlantic and Word Entertainment. His most recent label years were served in the role of Vice President of General Markets/International/Digital for Word Entertainment. While personally overseeing sales of over fourteen million records, Keith worked on sales and marketing strategies for Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Tina Turner, Madonna, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, MercyMe, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Jaci Velasquez, Hillsong, Randy Travis, Point of Grace, Francesca Battistelli, the WOW Brand and many others. Keith and his wife, Diana, launched Artist Garden Entertainment in 2009. In addition to artist management, Keith serves as a marketing consultant on projects with various independent artists and record labels spanning contemporary Christian music and Christian hip-hop. In 2009, Keith founded TheMusicGardener.com blog about music industry trends, artist development, music marketing and new music.

Introducing The Brad Paisley Signature Model

“I’ve never picked up a Santa Cruz that wasn’t magical… I know if someone gets one of these they are getting exactly what I want them to have.” ~Brad Paisley

INTERVIEW

by stefan konstantopoulos

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND... As the founding guitarist and songwriter for Skillet, Ken Steorts sought to inspire listeners to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus. At a point when Skillet first began building momentum, Steorts’ passion for touching lives through music became a calling to equip future generations of music-mak-

ers for effective ministry and creative excellence. He established Visible Music College in Memphis and fifteen years later, his passion is more clearly focused and compelling than ever before. Ken Steorts talks with Stefan Konstantopoulos. Christian Musician: Where were you at in your music career when the vision for the college first came to you? Ken Steorts: Touring, writing, recording, successfully launching Skillet’s career and 4 years into working the road. Then one night, after a show in spring of 1998, I met some young guys backstage. Knowing what their future college choices would be like, I knew that Skillet would be fine with another guitar player. These young people needed discipleship and a professional college to go to. CM: Will you explain the story behind the name? KS: Visible Music College is named for the Dietrich Bonhoeffer concept of the church being the “visible community” in the world. Bonhoeffer wrote this in chapter six of The Cost of Discipleship. This college endeavors to be the salt and light of the church outside the walls of the church and to all people. Because we are privileged to work with all genres of music and people, we get to be “visible” every day with creative and serviceoriented community interaction. CM: Would you describe the transition from a full-time investment in Skillet to launching Visible? KS: Much less travel, and 20 hours a day planning and talking to people about teaching and recruiting students. It was a lot of hard work and focusing in on the program without a team in motion. Less attention as a stage guy and more background development and creativity poured into the design of the perfect music college. It was like launching a band all over again. This all be-

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gan in February of 2000 with a visit to England to observe a similar school startup, and then full-time work began in March. CM: What programs were offered the first year and what has been added since? KS: Focus on musicians, producers, and managers was always the plan. We did not have any Music Business students until year two. We added interns and next level leaders each year. We have always looked for ways to incorporate grads into our staff and leadership. Programs like Film and Ministry Praxis have come and gone. We are planning for future coursework and concentrations as we look into certificates and a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in Leadership. CM: What are some of the most significant developments and biggest surprises of the first fifteen years of Visible?

was seeing people get excited about a vision when you least expect it. CM: As Visible has grown, how have you grown with it? KS: I have become a better leader, a more comfortable and less frantic leader, and embraced my faith gift of entrepreneurship and vision for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purposes. CM: How do you see Visible growing in the next 5-10 years? KS: We are working our 2020x2020 plan, which will bring regional campuses to various cities in connection with local churches. Our goal is to highlight the need for local church-supported, modern-music-centric higher education. We seek to provide pur-

pose and professional programming for the music industry, missions, communities, and next-generation worship teams. We also want to offer music education for underserved kids. Alongside all of that, we will operate Madison Line Records: a label that produces incredible music from artists of character. CM: Would you talk about Madison Line Records? KS: Madison Line Records is the non-profit record label of the college. We work in the classroom and with the Music Business department to develop and promote new music. We sign new bands within the school, recent graduates, and community members Continued on page 35.

KS: Most significant was accreditation. This changed everything for us and made us stronger. To my surprise, the biggest difficulty was people not following through with their obligations and being so negative about things when there was so much Kingdom success all around them. Musicians need help being positive. Another big surprise CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

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“Selective Hearing” continued from page 28

lovingly voted on by her legion of fans. This means they are not necessarily her biggest hits or her radio singles. Rather, what you get here is a wide smorgasbord of tracks that range from her debut album for Reunion Records, “I Can Hear You”, in 1995 all the way to 2009’s “Love Was Here First.” Ardent fans are thus happy to know that some of her lesser known gems from her later works now lie side by side with some of her biggest charting hits such as “Seize the Day” and “Happy.” While many artists put out their best foot with their first couple of releases, Arends has saved the best for now. The title cut “Just Getting Started” is easily one of Arends’ best songs yet. With an infectious melody augmented by warm guitar tones, “Just Getting Started” is a stellar treatise of how eter-

Peace On Earth

Scott Riggan Spinning Plates Music With Peace On Earth, Scott Riggan offers up his second Christmas record and this one is definitely a keeper. Made in Nashville, the record features songs that are slightly left field of your normal traditional holiday fare. Lesser known hymns like “Once In Royal David’s City”, “Break Forth Oh Beauteous Heavenly Light” “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” combine with a couple of well chosen contemporary covers like Rich Mullin’s “Boy Like You, Man Like Me” and “Labor of Love” by Andrew Peterson, as well as one original, “Everything Changed”. Utilizing some of Music City’s finest musicians, Riggan and friends give the record a very organic, acoustic vibe as Rhodes

“Ken Steorts” continued from page 33

to record deals, tours, songwriting and artist development – all the elements of a progressing career in music. It keeps the school fresh and it enlivens the classroom. With six or more student workers and a professional staff of faculty and business folks, we promote the school, launch campaigns, book tours and sell music in every genre. It is all about Christians making great live, original music for church or mainstream. CM: Are you thinking about a campus in

nity affects how the way we live now. “Seize the Day” explains why Arends is such a darling in Christian music. Never one to just linger on platitudes, “Seize the Day” offers up a heartfelt narrative. From how a doctor leaves a 6-digit salary to serve as a missionary to how a girl abandons her fears in order to pursue her dreams of being an author, “Seize the Day” teaches us what it means to live out for God. Further, songs such as “Happy,” “Do We Dare,” and “In Between” not only thrive on Arends’ attention paid to details, but they often present truths that are unconventional, provoking, thoughtful, and deeply personal. Although this is not a congregational worship record per se, lots of worshipful moments abound. With copious examples garnered from the Gospels of how Jesus uses his hands to dispense His grace, we

can’t help but worship after hearing the string-laden “In Good Hands.” “Under the Gaze,” with its unusual chord progression, is another worship-inducing ballad that will get folks thanking God for his providence. While many acoustic folk-based albums can fall into some soporific moments, Arends is careful to mix up the tempo a little with the lilting “Something to Give.” Don’t miss “The Last Word;” here Arends is at her vocal best as she belts with an understated passion how Christ’s love will ultimately prevail in the last days. Fans who have faithfully followed Arends’ career will be delighted to walk down memory lane again with these gems performed with more nuance and a less cluttered backing than their previous incarnations. Newer converts will certainly be awed by the songs’ stark honesty and theological depth.

and Hammond keyboards, mandolin, piano, acoustic guitar, strings, and even banjo give the songs an enviable “breath-ability.” Riggan states that he was trying to make a Christmas record people could use to wind down from a stressful season...perhaps in front of a fire with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Riggan himself puts it so much better: “It’s Christmas! And the day has been crazy and funny and awkward and beautiful . . . and now, as the sun has set and the stars are coming out, you sit with a cup of cocoa and reflect on the day. You think about your loved ones. You consider what it means that, “God became flesh.” You ponder the mysteries of incarnation and toy assembly instructions. You practice stillness (ignoring the chaos of torn gift wrap strewn around the living room). You enjoy the momentary quiet (or, more accurately, relative quiet; video games are being played at dangerously loud levels in the next room). And you si-

lently count your blessings. Peace on earth, good will toward men.”

Nashville?

folks working in new ideas of music and artist communities. We believe we could add to the mix in Nashville. Never one to duplicate, we look for partners and hope to have some regular work going on there in 2016.

KS: We have avoided doing a Nashville campus, but we are working on several ideas in the area, as we are in multiple cities around the world. Nashville has plenty of music training, colleges, and churches. However, we believe we could seamlessly fit into the space of edgy worship training, indie label promotion, music production mentoring, and songwriting for bands and artists who are a bit unconventional in their approach. We love church-planting bands, missional communities, smaller churches, and young

The few familiar songs feature very unique arrangements. “The First Noel” sounds like a country “parlor” waltz and wouldn’t sound out of place on Bruce Cockburn’s classic Christmas album, while, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” has the feel of a bouncy acoustic jazz ballad. Surprisingly, the disparate elements create quite a cohesive whole. For anyone looking for a thoroughly engaging, but never conventional Christmas album that can be effective as both background music or a more interactive listening experience, Peace on Earth will absolutely fit the bill! Shawn McLaughlin is a hard-working, dedicated, tireless worshipper of Christ.

Please visit www.visible.edu for more information. Stefan Konstantopoulos is a writer and music aficionado in Nashville, Tennessee.

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NOV/DEC 2015

INDIE MECHANICS

by keith mohr & sue ross-mohr

Move to Shake We are going to let you in on a personal secret. Change is the rule of life. Nothing stays the same. These statements ring true in the personal and business part of our lives. Just as fashions change and then re-emerge, we have seen the same thing happen over and over again in the music scene. There was a time where our conferences filled to overflowing and we had to turn people away. Our dance cards were lined up to the brim and we had a waiting list. Just as the industrial revolution changed how ‘life’ was done, the ‘social revolution’ has changed how music is done. Yes, look around, it is a fact that people constantly need to add and subtract from what they do. Just follow the lives of successful musicians. Scroll down in your social feed. Change happens continuously. Our slogan with Indieheaven has always been, “Let’s be independent, together.” Artists have taken that message to heart and the majority of them are now truly independent. They followed what we had taught them, which, in turn, released the need of the über hand-holding that once was a huge part of what we did. We were paid on that ‘hand-holding’ and service-oriented system. The realization hit us right between the eyes. Our teachings were pointing right back at ourselves, and we needed to re-invent how we functioned. It was clear that without putting some change into action, we would turn into stale bread; or worse . . . covered with mold. That surely would not feed the multitudes. We knew that we needed to not only find a way to fill our baskets up, but our baskets possibly needed a bit of renovation too. Then it dawned on us. One day, while grumbling a bit to the Lord about how things were going in our entrepreneurial endeavors,

NOV/DEC 2015

He dropped this thought, “If you want to be known as a mover and shaker, you gotta move and shake.” The voice was pretty loud, and boomed like the vocal chords of an Italian mob boss. There was no denying what we had to do. This may seem about as deep as the shallow end of the baby pool, but there are many examples in the Bible where God instructed others to do the very same thing. Think about this: Jesus commanded Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water. Imagine if you will, Peter responding, “Oh Lord, my legs are so very tired, and you have no idea the kind of day I’ve had on this here boat. I’m going to just sit here and let the storm ride out.” Or, when the Lord told the dudes from the wedding party, “You want more wine, fetch me those jugs of water and I’ll make it so.” And the guys say back to Jesus, “Nah, that’s ok. We still have a bit of a buzz from the first couple of jugs. We’re cool.” I mean, really? The whining, the lack of passion, depression, anxiety, self-centeredness, and just plain lack of moving hit us humans daily. We can keep feeding these until we are over-bloated and disappear into entrepreneurial nothingness, or we can move and start shaking it all up. Maybe it’s time to question what’s going on with your loaf of bread. Are you sitting in un-change? Not able to dream anymore? Just getting ‘stale’ by the day. Are you finding yourself waiting for action to just appear? In many encounters reiterated in God’s word, He urged and invited us to be a collaborator in the miracles that He performed. Remember when Paul was in prison? The angel said, ‘get up’ and THEN the chains fell off. In essence, he said, move and shake it, Paul. Even the woman that had been ill for many

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years had to ‘touch’ the hem of his garment before she was healed. We could go on and on. Let’s suffice it to say that God believed in moving and shaking. And, He wanted our stories to be part of His-tory. Create a move and shake list. If time and money was not an option, what would take your music and artistry to the place where you believe God is sending you? Ok, now take out the time and money option part, and begin to move and shake. Just a step at first, then put some hip movement into it, let it move up to your shoulders and before you know it, you are ‘moving’. Creating momentum. Not able to listen to your old excuses, because the tune of the move and shake is overpowering those thoughts. This world was built on movers and shakers. This world changes because of movers and shakers. This world continues to grow due to movers and shakers. You are in good company. Ok, gotta go, we got some moving and shaking to do. 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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GUITAR: A2Z

by roger zimish

Chromatics After taking a break from our lessons last issue for my Summer NAMM reviews it’s time to continue with Chromatic scales and riffs. Over the past several lessons we went over “string skipping” patterns moving chromatically over the fret board. Lets pull that in now and look at using the Chromatic scale on a single string, over multiple strings, and adding a chromatic lines into standard riffs to make them inspiring and fun. The Chromatic scale is a sequence of all the notes in order from the starting note to the octave note, it’s that simple, a note on every fret. The single string scale is a lateral movement up the neck.

riffs and phrases between chords and soloing. #3 “A” is a bluesy lick over the A7 chord. “B” This will work over the A7 leading up chromatically to the D, the next chord in your progression. “C” is a country riff that works great with some chicken picking in E. “D” This is a standard blues turn around in E with a chromatic line descending on the D string while letting the A ring out on the 5th fret high E string. If using a pick use your ring finger on the A note, or just use your fingers for the whole riff.

Example #1, Start on the first fret of the B string, “C” and play each note on that string using groups of “4”. When all 4 notes have been played make a quick move up to the next set of notes. Do not slide your fingers, move your hand and make it clean so there are no gaps in your timing. Play this on all strings as well.

Example #2, Starts on the low E string 5th fret “A”. Play it in groups of 4 notes, and watch the movement shifting down 1 fret on each string except for the G and B strings. The high E string is a set of 5 notes to hit the octave. This Chromatic scale makes a great overall exercise. Play it at different starting notes on the low E string as well.

Coda: Using Chromatic lines can add a deeper dimension into your playing and break up the “box” patterns you may be stuck in. As another year comes to a close I pray you have found joy in your music and in the Lord, remember the reason for the season and to share His Love out in the world. Merry Christmas! Example #3, Here are several examples of some licks and a blues turn around incorporating notes from the chromatic scale. The point here is that you do not have to use all 12 notes of the scale, you can use it for passing notes and ways to link up other

NOV/DEC 2015

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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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PRODUCT REVIEW

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Eventide Anthology X Bundle nipressor®. From the H3000 you get Eventide’s Factory and Band Delays. For mixing and mastering you get Eventide’s UltraChannel, EQ65 Filter Set, EQ45 Parametric Equalizer, EChannel, and Precision Time Align. If all this isn’t enough you also get some next generation tools including UltraReverb, Quadravox, and Octavox.

Just as we were going to press with this issue Eventide announced the release of their Anthology X Bundle, a collection of Native plug-ins that were previously only available as part of Eventide’s previous flagship HD/TDM bundle, Anthology II. The new Anthology X Bundle of plug-ins have been completely re-worked and re-coded from the ground up to more closely emulate the sound of the original Eventide hardware. The Anthology X bundle supports native AAX, AU, and VST formats for Mac and PC. This means the software will work on pretty much any current DAW platform on the market. You’ll need a free iLok account to authorize the software, but no dongle is required.

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Anthology X includes the following plug-insins. From the Eventide Clockworks you get the H910 Harmonizer®, H910 Dual, H949, H949 Dual, Instant Phaser, Instant Flanger, and Om-

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hit records. It’s not overstating the point to say that for decades pretty much any professional studio in the world would have had one or more Eventide effects on their racks. Essentially you have enough tools here to track, mix, and master your next project start to finish. An Anthology X demo version can be downloaded from the website and is also available for purchase from Eventide dealers worldwide. Anthology X is available through November 30th at an introductory price of $699 (List price is $1195). Upgrades from Anthology II and individual Anthology plug-ins are also available –Check out the Eventide website for more information - eventideaudio.com

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GOOD FOR THE SOUL

by bryan duncan

What Do We Do With Less? In every champion’s life there is a fourth quarter, or a 15th round, or a ninth inning, where every fiber of their being has been taxed to the fullest. I love a song written by Paul Thorn, “Everybody Looks Good At The Starting Line”. I wish someone had prepared me for the valleys that come after the peaks. I spend most of my life trying to reach the “top” of my game. I didn’t take into account the literal meaning of “He must increase and I must decrease”. No matter how talented you are there will be a natural decline in your pursuits. There will come a time where we must redefine what we are doing and how we are doing it. “What’s My Motivation?”, “Where do I go from here?”, and my new favorite question, “How do we do more with less?” I never thought I would become one of the “foolish virgins” running out of oil waiting on the bridegroom. I never felt like I buried my talents in the ground either, but there was no mention in that other Bible story about the investment that didn’t quite double it’s earning.

At the peak of my career, I can vividly remember thinking that I would be doing this successfully for the rest of my life. I was ordering Cassettes by the way. They were selling faster than I could keep in stock. I could have never been more deceived. I was just a decade away from the total collapse of the music business as I knew it, when download theft and burning copies of CD music nearly wiped out everyone’s sales. I could not see far enough ahead of me to see that music would change dramatically. That my sound would be labeled ‘dated’, not unlike music of any particular decade. That all the rules in songwriting would change. I didn’t get that future generations would prefer music by people closer to their own age for no other reason than that’s who they would prefer to relate to. I also wasn’t prepared for that moment of disillusionment in faith that everyone I know has faced at some point. Or that low point in your enthusiasm for music in general that had you thinking more about quitting than playing. Most of my friends are still doing music, but playing to a fraction of their once huge audiences. It’s not just Christian audiences either. The biggest names I grew up with in music are headlining Indian Casinos, if they haven’t already been replaced by younger cover bands that sound better than they did. Here is where our sense of entitlement will be tortured until it is given up. Humility might come most often through humiliation. Trusting God comes with a significant sense of personal disillusionment. Even the Apostles were appalled that God did not set up his kingdom the way they thought. Psalm 75:6 tells me that “exaltation comes not from the east or the west.. Nor from the desert..” which is where I’m currently living. I used to love the quote. “Pursue your passion and the money will follow.” I quoted it most often after the money showed up. But let me just say now: passion

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is more faithful than money. And when money abandons you, passion will thrive even without the budget, because that’s where God’s gift to us really is. My new mantra is, “Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.” If it wasn’t for my lack of something I wouldn’t have known that it is creativity that is my God given passion. Words and Music are only part of the gift. What better way to be “Christlike” than to use our imagination like he did. To heal using clay or find a way to solve the lack of wine in that scenario. There is a “pursuit” in the way we want to see and hear things. And I have found a new joy in finding a re-purpose for relics. Art and music are readily defined as creating beauty within the limitations. And praise God for modulations. I follow Jesus because I like what he does with the impossibilities. Feeding five thousand with a happy meal. And look what he did with water! But let’s not forget that Jesus never healed in the same way because he just knew we would try to turn it into an industry! If you are not sure of where you are going with your talents, know that it is exactly where God wants you. When you serve God by serving someone on any level, they won’t be aware of whom else you might have helped. They probably won’t care either. But to them it is a single act that means something. There’s no way to keep score on that kind of faithfulness. A friend told me once, “If you could control every outcome, you would still not be happy; First of all, there would be no glorious surprises.” Looking at the attendance figures or the sales charts is the same thing Peter was doing, looking at the waves, as he was walking on water. Let us never forget who we are promoting and who is promoting us. We all have a loaf and maybe a fish. Let God always start there! 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

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NOV/DEC 2015

by bob bennett

THE OVERFLOW ROOM

With most technological advances comes a built-in trade-off. Something gained and something lost. Sometimes the loss isn’t apparent for a long time after the change takes hold. In the heat of the moment, the new season, and the gee-whiz of, “IT’S NEW!”, we’re often tone deaf to anything but the best-case scenario.

And, of course, every time we run headlong toward an innovation or change there are also the built-in naysayers. The horseand-buggy brigade who, literally, wants no truck with those newfangled horseless carriages. Sometimes it’s a reflexive, predictable version of “We’ve never done it that way before.” Other times, usually seen only in hindsight, someone really was sounding the right unheeded warning. (Whenever my thoughts carry me into this line of thinking, I can’t help but think of the most prescient book I’ve ever read about our culture: “Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business” (1985) by Neal Postman. Mr. Postman was a Prophet with a capital “P”. Here’s where I’m headed with this. Decades before we all had our heads bowed and eyes locked onto our digital devices, we had the technology in many churches to feed audio/ video in real time to other rooms outside the sanctuary. At larger churches, this usually meant that once the main room had filled up, folks could then head to an overflow room and watch the entire service on TV. Later on, as so many churches looked to the Lord for providing custom coffee beverages to worshippers (Jehovah-Java?), the screens started showing up in bookstore cafés. In this case, for whatever reason, congregants could check-in on or watch the entire service from almost anywhere other than the room where it was taking place. Let me hasten to add this this video capability has some clear and obvious advantages. Families with kids who might not be able to be in childcare that day, folks with medical needs that might require attention, the need for “ins-and-outs” that might bet44

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ter be accommodated, etc. I’m positive that you, Dear Reader, can probably come up with many more so I’ll leave you to it.

All of this eventually gave rise to where we are now. With some of the largest and most influential Churches in the country, there’s often a main campus (a “mothership” if you will) and then several affiliated satellite locations, usually in the same general region. In most cases, although there might be a live worship team and live announcements, even an actual prayer team available at the end, etc. ... the Teaching Pastor is often only seen on the big screen for 40 minutes or more. While I fully acknowledge that this is the 21st Century and a lot of this is inevitable, I still wonder about it. Although I don’t have the stats to back it up, I’ve heard speculation that the ubiquitous nature of concert clips on YouTube and elsewhere has changed the nature of how people attend concerts. If we can sample everything online and we’re already used to everything being mediated through a small or big screen anyway, it stands to reason that “events” don’t hold the same allure that they used to. Also relevant would be the fact that these days a dinner and concert for two might cost the equivalent of a family vacation at Disney World. As an aside about concerts, I always encourage young parents to get their children into an actual room where music is being played by real humans. If kids can feel the air moving in that room and experience the one-of-a-kind nature of a single you-werethere performance, they might learn to value that. And, God willing, they might want to emulate it. We’ve got to leave the franchise to somebody, no? Are we not hopeful for kids who might not be content to simply be YouTube stars but will be inspired to aspire to actual musicianship? What a concept! But I digress, as I often do. Part of what informs my yellow flag at “church via the overflow room” has to do with my own recent couple decades in a more traditional, liturgical church. For all of the perceived minuses

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that might relate to this form of community expression (it’s all by rote, it’s not as personal or individualistic, it’s not spontaneous, it’s archaic), one thing became pretty clear to me. “Liturgy” means “work of the people”. Sunday Services were originally called so because actual “service” was intended to be in play ... service to God and service to each other. A group participation throughout a service as opposed to a large percentage of time in silence focused one on person’s communication. Again, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not advocating one thing over another. Part of what led me to a more traditional congregation was not a refuge from verseby-verse teaching but the quality and effect of that teaching. Certainly my choice and temperament are likely to be different from many who read this. That’s fine. That’s the honor of writing for this magazine. I’ve often said that only God could take the biggest scandal of the Church (our chronic disunity) and turn it on its head to result in a divinely-sanctioned diversity (as in the Holy Spirit seems to show up in a lot of different situations). But hang with me a bit longer and hopefully it’ll be worth your time. In a more structured and formal liturgical setting, where the literal language and form of worship are agreed upon by all who are in the room, there is a sense that we are not only speaking for ourselves. We are also deliberately speaking as a community of faith, with one voice. This means that if there’s a Men’s Retreat on a weekend and lots of seats are empty, it’s not just a temporary curiosity that will revert to normal the next weekend. It means that those lives/voices are not there to worship that Sunday with us. It’s not that the service won’t work at all, but it will be noticeably different … with the emphasis on noticeably. I used to attend a small Anglican Church in Fountain Valley, CA. Every Sunday after services were completed, Fr. Stephen would slip into his office and make a list of all the people he noticed were missing that week. In the next couple days, he would then send out handwritten postcards that simply said,

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“Zoro” continued from page 25

have eternal value, and nothing is more valuable to God than the welfare of his children. Like any good parent, God desires to see all his children flourish and make use of their time, talent and treasure. If I can play a pivotal role in helping his children, then my life will have had significant purpose.

CM: Listening to you share your heart with such conviction gets me all fired up. I sure would love to see you fulfill the vision God gave you. How can people find out more details about your ministry and perhaps support your vision if they feel led? Z: They can visit zorominstries.org. Under the programs tab, they can download a detailed partner plan that lays out the plans and goals of the ministry. After reviewing it, they can pray and see if they feel led to support the work.

I’ve discovered there are really only two ways in which to live life. You either live a life of self or a life of service. We were created to serve and we will serve. It’s only a question of whom we’ll serve and what will be the object of our affections. Everything God created finds its identity in serving him. If you should choose to serve God and are willing to co-labor with Christ, you’ll be granted the divine privilege of partaking in meaningful and significant work laced with the fingerprints and glory of God. Now I ask you, what can possibly be a better use of your life than that? I’m here to serve God, my wife, children,

“Coda” continued from page 44

“We missed you this week. We hope you’ll be with us again soon. If you have any need of prayer or visitation, please call the Office.” In other words, it wasn’t really about attendance (“Hey, you missed it”). It really was more about “We noticed and you were missed”. I don’t mean to stir up trouble here, but I have to tell you that many churches afford the perfect opportunity to hide in plain sight. The sad thing for a lot of folks is that they really can go missing and it might go unnoticed. Of course the most insidious form of this is when you’re physically present and you’re still “missing”. And that missing quality can apply to both you and the folks you’re not really connecting with. But that’s a whole ‘nother column. This is NOT the fault of the Church completely. Most churches are doing the best they can under combat conditions … it’s insanely hard for the Church to push back against the fragmented and hidein-our-houses mentality that permeates our age. Sometimes small groups can counteract this congregational anonymity, sometimes not. So while I’d like to think I’m a practical man with no wish to broad-brush the literal good faith efforts of so many, I still have concerns. If one can “attend” a service in 46

NOV/DEC 2015

I can’t do this alone. I need all the help I can get because there’s a world out there full of young adults who need to experience God’s love and his purpose for their lives. It’s the only hope we have for our future. Zoro at the Miami Arena performing with Kim Clement to a sell out crowd

friends and fellow citizens of earth. I’m intent on doing the most good I can with the time I’m given. It’s really that simple for me.

an overflow room or bookstore with littleto-no difference than actually being in the room where it’s happening, I have to wonder if that needs prayerful review. If the entire service is “other room” and being there mostly means running into friends afterwards or getting that righteous cup of coffee, it begs the impolite question of the difference between actually going to the church or just staying home and watching the video on a web site at your convenience. And THAT is my point. Even for those shut-ins who can’t make it ... thank God for the ability to have church-on-a- screen available to them ... still, that screen should never take the place of a visit from a clergyman or congregant. There needs to be real, observable, touchable incarnation at work. So, what’s to be done? I’m not suggesting that we rip out the closed circuit wiring in every church. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Video Church on satellite campuses, pleasing me is NOT God’s chosen criteria for our conducting life and worship. But as a Christian Musician, I would encourage my Musical Brethren to make it a priority to be fully in the room yourself when playing or singing. Make it a priority to draw people into something more than just watching/ listening. Figure out ways to let them hear their own voices and the voices of others as they sing. Turn off the screens every once

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in a while and let the mind be the theater of engagement. I admit this is a bit of a scattershot missive, but let me leave you with a couple quotes worth reading through to the end for. Dr. Nicholas Perrin has written: “At its worst, Western Protestantism has functionally defaulted to a notion that views the Church as little more than a loose association ... the equivalence of Jesus’ Facebook Friends.” Recently I was having a discussion with a friend about our various styles of worship. In particular, we were whining about what I call the God Vegas strategy. Then he simply and succinctly quoted a friend of his (I’m sorry I don’t have the attribution) and I’ve been wrestling with it ever since: “What we win them with … is what we win them to.” Let’s not win them to the True Faith only to relegate them to the overflow room. Bob Bennett is a lifelong singersongwriter-guitarist who stores both himself and his stuff in a semi-secret bunker in Costa Mesa, CA. He attends St. Matthew’s Church in Newport Beach and wants you to know that his church is not responsible for any missteps in fact or judgment in the preceding article. As always, he writes about himself in the third person because he’s tried to pass off his bio info as being written by someone else, but it always seems lame and obvious to do that. Besides, who really trusts these things anyway?

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