Christian Musician Magazine - Mar/Apr 2014

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

The Relatable, Musical HOnesty Of

Francesca Battistelli

5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM

Guitar Review

The Bedell Earthsong Acoustic

Selective Hearing

MAR/APR 2014 Volume 19, Issue 2 03

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74470 95962

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US $5.95 Can $6.95

Switchfoot Jason Gray Paul Clark Ellie Holcomb City Harbor WHAT IS HIP? by Rick Cua

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STAY FAITHFUL IN THE SMALL THINGS by Bryan Duncan

F R N EW IS E SU E E!

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Sweetwater-exclusive interview: The Digital Age

Former David Crowder Band members talk with us about their new sound, their approach to recording and performing, and the gear they use to share their musical message.

Essential Guides for You and Your Volunteers

In-depth, down-to-earth articles help volunteers, pastors, and worship leaders understand the ins and outs of the latest in worship sound technology.

THE

DIGITAL AGE

In January of 2012, the David Crowder Band ended their 12-year run as one of the Christian music industry’s most successful groups. Former DCB guitarists Mark Waldrop and Jack Parker, drummer B-Wack, and bassist Mike D went on to start a new musical venture called The Digital Age. Their debut album, Evening : Morning, was released to rave reviews in 2013. Recently, Sweetwater’s Jeff Barnett caught up with Mark Waldrop.

Can you give us a little history and recap what has happened since the last David Crowder Band show?

For those who don’t know what the David Crowder Band was, we started as a little worship team from University Baptist Church (UBC) in Waco, TX, a church that David Crowder founded with Chris Seay in the mid-’90s. We toured for about 12 years. Then in 2010, David transitioned from Waco to Atlanta, and the rest of us really wanted to stay in Waco and stay involved with UBC. So The Digital Age is essentially that. We’re still involved with UBC, and we’re still writing the same genre of music: upbeat, programming-heavy “fun worship,” as we call it. The Digital Age has been a band for a little over two years, which is crazy to say because it still seems so new.

We released a live EP called Rehearsals in 2012. We were just rehearsing for church, tracked it, and released it as an EP. And in 2013, we put out a record called Evening : Morning and followed that with a fall tour.

Evening : Morning doesn’t sound like just another DCB album, though. Can you describe the sound of The Digital Age? When you’re in a band and have an established sound and way of doing things, then you start a new band, you get to pick and choose what you liked about what you’ve been doing. But you also have a really natural moment to question what you want to do differently. With The Digital Age, we’re still writing songs for the same congregation. UBC is about 70% college students, so we tend to sound like what college kids are listening to.

We keep a close pulse on that.

The Digital Age’s latest album, Evening : Morning,, is available now.

To find out more, go to thedigitalagemusic.com!

David led from an acoustic guitar, and he would be a hard person to replace. One of the very first things we all agreed on was that we shouldn’t attempt to replace him. I usually play an electric, so now I’m leading on electric, and that fundamentally changes the sound of things.

You mentioned your studio in Waco. What made you decide to open a studio?

When David moved to Atlanta, we effectively lost our recording and rehearsal space. We found this place in downtown Waco that was an old dirty boxing gym, and we built a studio in it. We spent three months renovating it. The boxing ring was where our control room is now. It was designed by B-Wack, and it’s been really great for us.

We’re very programming-heavy, and we use a lot of synths onstage. We’re multitasking a lot more, too. As for what we sound like, that changes from one song to the next. All of us listen to different genres of music, so, “What do we want this to sound like?” is a conversation we have with every song. We don’t like to be the same on every song and on every album, so the sound of The Digital Age from album 1 to album 2 could be completely different.

We practice and rehearse there, and we also have bands come in and we record them. It’s an extension of our ministry. It’s been great for us to be able to help new worship bands.

Walk me through your creative process in the studio.

We all have our own mini Pro Tools studios at home, and we track these ideas as they come. Sometimes they’re full songs, sometimes just pieces. When we each have a handful of ideas, we all get together in our studio. All of these ideas start coming together, and we start to figure out how we are playing things as a band. We’ll either sit around the computer and start programming it out or head into the tracking room and start recording live parts. We all write, but we realize not all of us have the same strengths. I think one of our collective strengths is that we keep a really loose attachment to our ideas, and we see that they are all just pieces to a larger puzzle.

You still lead worship at UBC? We’re still very involved at UBC. When we were in the construction phase on our studio, we took a break from leading and just went to church without leading worship for the first time in a decade. Those three months were amazing; it was something we took for granted, and we didn’t realize how important it was. Now, we’re one of several worship bands at UBC. Our goal is to play there around once a month, depending on our tour schedule.

What gear do you use in your studio?

We are running Pro Tools HDX in our main control room. We use a lot of API preamps and the PreSonus ADL600. We use an LA2A compressor and a lot of gear that B-Wack made himself. Our main vocal mic is the Blue Bottle — so much character and so easy to change sound. For guitars, we use a mix of Shure SM57, Sennheiser e906, and Royer R121 mics.

For bass, we use the Shure SM7B microphone. On drums, we mostly use the same Sennheiser Evolution series dynamic mics that we use live. We use a Yamaha SubKick on kick drum, and a Sennheiser MD421 on snare.

We’re really into soft synths. We use Native Instruments Komplete. We also use Native Instruments Maschine heavily for programming. We lean a lot on Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere for pads. We use Reason a lot for piano sounds and sequencing.

We also have a lot of vintage synths.

How do you translate an album like Evening : Morning to something that works live?

A lot of it is decisions made in production. We use a lot of loops live, but one of our rules is that we never put anything in the loops that can be played live — no vocals or guitar parts. That makes it more challenging in a live setting. So when we record, we have to be very intentional with things like guitar parts and not put anything on the record that we can’t re-create live.

What software do you use onstage?

Ableton Live. On Mike D’s keyboard rig, he runs Live and Reason. He has a slew of Korg Nanokeys in addition to an M-Audio MIDI controller, and some of the keys are assigned to things such as mutes and changing different values instead of triggering notes. We also run some vocals through Live for effects.

What kinds of technical challenges do you see worship leaders facing today?

For us, the coolest thing you can do is create your own loops. I think when a lot of people see something that is loop heavy, they think that it doesn’t fit into the way they do music. Or they think they can’t do the songs because they don’t have the technical know-how to pull it off. It’s possible to do it. You can get a copy of Ableton Live and a MIDI controller for next to nothing and make incredible sounds with it. It’s been really cool for us to travel around and see these churches start to learn and incorporate the technical stuff into the church services. We love it when churches take one of our songs, create their own loops for it, and make it their own.

blisskatherine.com

You guys have had a very long relationship with Sweetwater. Why is that?

Relationship says it all. We love that if we have questions about gear, we can call and ask. We love that if there is something that piques your interest, we’ll get a phone call to tell us about it. The prices are always competitive, and as far as customer service goes, it’s always great. If anything is ever wrong, it’s always taken care of quickly. We travel a lot. If something isn’t working, getting a replacement quickly and easily is really important. It’s great to be able to get things fixed or questions answered without hassle. We really love the personalized nature of what Sweetwater does. You’re always great about asking what we need the gear to do. Even with a band like us, it’s so good to have somebody showing us how the gear we use can help us be better at doing what we do.

Photos by: Bliss Katherine

You can find out more about The Digital Age at thedigitalagemusic.com.

!

Freelance live sound engineer

Daniel Ellis

FOH engineer for The Digital Age How long have you been working with The Digital Age? The first tour I did with them was as the David Crowder Band, during the Remedy Club tour in 2007.

I was with DCB for five years. Then, when they started The Digital Age, I mixed their very first show and I did their first tour, as well.

What gear do you use with them onstage?

We use mostly Sennheiser mics, on just about everything. Mostly the Evolution series. One thing I don’t think I’ve seen anybody else do is that we use a Sennheiser MD441 on B-Wack’s snare. It works great and gives us a fatter sound than other mics I’ve tried.

On vocals, Mark and Jack both use a TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch to add reverb and delay to their voices before they ever get to me. That’s cool; it makes my job easier.

At front of house, I run a Behringer X32. We use the S16 digital snake system, as well. That console is amazing. It’s so small and light — I can set it up by myself if I need to. When we started the tour, I was thinking, “There has got to be a reason this thing is so inexpensive, and I’m going to find out why.”

I still don’t know why. It’s a great console. I love it.

The guys use Sennheiser 300 series in-ear monitors, and they mix them themselves using Behringer’s X32-Q app for iPhone. That’s been amazing. It’s so much easier to not have to worry about doing FOH and monitors at the same time, and we don’t have to have a monitor engineer.

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Are there any unique challenges working with The Digital Age? Since they run all those effects on the stage, what I get is a wet vocal. When we started out, sometimes it was way too wet, and we didn’t really have enough clarity in the FOH mix in the vocals. So we had to work on getting those reverb levels down and make sure that they trusted me to add more reverb at the console if it was needed.

You and The Digital Age have been very loyal Sweetwater customers for years. Why is that?

Because of the relationship. Because of you! Seriously, it’s because of you. We don’t just call a 1-800 number and get some random guy; we get the same guy. And the candy. You send candy with everything we buy. I never share it.

From left to right: BWack, Mike D, Mark Waldrop, and Jack Parker

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Features NAMM Show Report issue… A Three-Cord Strand Long time readers of Christian Musician know that the NAMM show is a big event in the year’s cycle of my magazine publishing life. Not only do we give away our magazines in the publishing bins there at NAMM, but we also have an exhibit booth to help promote the magazines. We get the honor of “raising our flag”, so to speak, right there at one of the largest mainstream conventions in the country! Over 96,000 attendees came for the four-day event this year, and we were one of 1,533 exhibitors. It is a very large-scale event that fills up all of the surrounding Anaheim hotels. This year our hotel was over a mile away, but at least it was right across the street from Disneyland’s main entrance (a nice flashback for me to the days of my youth when my hard working single mother would scrape up enough money to take me and my older brother and sister there for our birthdays. Thanks Mom – you are the best!).

While Brian Felix (our trusty magazine Customer Service Manager) runs the booth each day, along with some of our friends who volunteer their time (thanks guys!), I walk the five cavernous exhibit halls with both scheduled and drop-in meetings regarding editorial and advertising. I tease people that I am like a shark there… if I stop moving I die. For four days straight I keep moving, trying to see as many guitar, amp, PA, bass, keyboards, drums, effect pedal, and software companies as I can. I am always looking for the newest gear that will be good for our readers to know about, and always alert for advertisers to introduce the magazines to. Not only do I look for new companies, but I also need to keep up with our current advertisers and look for ways to strengthen our relationship with them to help them reach their goals. If I can make them successful for hanging out with us, then we in turn … will be successful. There are two revenue streams that keep the magazines going – ads and subscribers. I need you and them to keep the lights on and the printing presses rolling.

On Thursday night we co-host our Night of Worship concert with the WATS folks (Worship Arts Technology Summits), but on the other nights I am usually so tired and my feet are so sore that I just want a good meal and to go back to my hotel room to put my feet up and plan for the next day.

The conversations that happen (even bumping into others that I know on the carpeted aisles on the way to another appointment) will help form the editorial coverage of which new instruments/products will be future product reviews. Some advertiser meetings help support the magazine for the year. There are many advertisers that want to reach our vertical niche market with their new goods, and some of them don’t even know it yet… I have to inform them on how active our readers are in making music with a higher purpose behind it.

On top of this activity we added an exciting new element in that our third publication debuted… our new mainstream magazine “Collectible Guitar – Then & Now” which focuses on both vintage and new boutique guitars, amps, and pedals. The new magazine was a huge hit! It has a quality presentation in both content and paper used. It has a terrific distribution model and very affordable ad rates. I was able to meet with several guitar related companies that just lit up when I showed them the merits of this new magazine. They understood it immediately. I believe that Collectible Guitar will help bring in more advertisers and subscribers for Christian Musician and Worship Musician and that the reverse is true as well… Collectible Guitar will benefit from our sister magazines lending advertising and subscription support. The whole

Continued on page 40.

8 Guitar Review

by Michael Hodge The Bedell Earthsong Acoustic 10 Bassic Communication

by Norm Stockton Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 6) 12 Guitar Workshop

by John Standefer Leading Tones & Chords (Part 3) 14 Drumming Dynamics

by David Owens Dotted Eights Across The Bar Line 16 Vocal Coach’s Corner

by Roger Beale The How vs. The What 18 Show Us Your Groove

by Rick Cua What is Hip?

CONTENTS 34 Making a Great Sounding Record: step two

by Matt Kees Consider the Arrangement 36 The Indie Mechanics

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr Where to Play that New Song?

38 Ask Joe

by Joe Riggio 41 Guitar From A 2 Z

by Roger Zimish Pentatonic Applications 42 Stay Faithful in the Small Things

by Bryan Duncan 46 Coda

by Alex MacDougall It’s a Small World After All

24 Selective Hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin Switchfoot Jason Gray Paul Clark Ellie Holcomb City Harbor 28

5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM

by Bruce Adolph, Nicholas Daleo, Michael Hodge & Joe Riggio

Interview

20 The Relatable, Musical Honesty Of Francesca Battistelli

by Aimee Herd

4227 S. Meridian, Suite C PMB #275, Puyallup Washington 98373 Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.655.5001 Email: bruce@christianmusician.com Website: www.christianmusician.com Editor & President: Bruce Adolph VP/Office Manager: Judy Adolph, judy@christianmusician.com Customer Service: Brian Felix, brian@christianmusician.com Street Team: Mike Adolph, Jesse Hill & Winston Design & Layout: Matt Kees Copyediting: Kevin Wilber Advertising Sales: bruce@christianmusician.com Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

MAR/APR 2014

7

GUITAR REVIEW

The Bedell Earthsong Acoustic

By Michael Hodge

You may or not be familiar with Bedell model, which refers to its size and shape. The Guitars. This is a company as unique as its fret job is impressive. I checked every possible (proud to be a hippie) owner Tom Bedell. note, and not a buzz to be found. The bone The company began 50 years ago, and Nut is compensated for intonation, and the has recently transformed itself by not only truss rod looks easily accessible.

handcrafting all their guitars here in the PLAYABILITY: USA, but also becoming a leader in wood The Earthsong has a little bit of the old Martin conservation. In 2014 they are introducing vibe that I love. The neck is round at the back nine new instruments. I was fortunate to get and feels like an old vintage guitar. Rounded my hands on the new Earth Song Orchestra necks add stability for tuning. model.

Being that it is an orchestra model, it’s SPECS: smaller and lighter than many acoustics in size This guitar is built using only woods native and easy to get around on. Acoustically, it is to America. It features Big leaf Maple back loud and fills a room, and has an even tonal and sides, an Eastern Hard Rock Maple neck, balance. It came set up nicely. The action is and a Walnut fret board and bridge. These low enough to make finger style easy and are paired with a salvaged Sitka Spruce top. yet just high enough where you can dig in The nut is 1-11/16”wide and, along with the strumming without buzzes. The sound of this saddle, is made of bone. The nitrocellulose guitar is what I would call “Retro Woodsy”. finish is a “Root Beer” sunburst design. An When strummed moderately hard the guitar understated trim surrounds the sound hole, doesn’t compress much at all. Each string rings and a dark tortoise binding outlines the body. evenly and the low end is defined and tight.

The guitar comes stock with Bedell antique I found the guitar records well and is perfect brass open gear tuners, and a built in K&K for a Beatlish strumming part with loads of DuoTone pickup system. character.

Lastly, the Earthsong comes with a deluxe hard-shell case.

ON A SIDE NOTE It’s so fitting that I picked up this Earthsong guitar at the Two Old Hippies Store in downtown Nashville. This eclectic boutique store is owned and operated by Tom’s wife Molly, and is a local favorite for finding great stage clothes, as well as Bedell, Breedlove, and Weber instruments.

OUT OF THE BOX Starting with the case, it’s sturdy with a brown velvet interior and has a cool retro looking hygrometer attached at the bottom underneath the headstock. Inside the typical hatch under the neck is all the paperwork detailing with the strings used, care info, and warranty, etc. I like that there’s a phone number for any questions a new owner might have. What a great idea.

The Earthsong is considered an Orchestra

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MAR/APR 2014

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

SUMMING IT UP The Earthsong actually sounds like it looks, earthy, retro, and tonally rich. The more time I spend with it the more I appreciate how enjoyable it is to play. The stock K&K Duotone pickup sounds quite good for live. If you want to invest in a high-end pickup system, the guitar is definitely worthy. Overall, it’s a wonderful guitar with attitude for live and recording. Being made from indigenous tone woods, the Earthsong is special as well. At the selling price of $1,490.00, this guitar is a great value for an all USA made handcrafted guitar.

For more info: www.bedellguitars.com

Michael Hodge is the music director and guitarist for Lakewood Church in Houston, TX

Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 6) Welcome back to our exploration of creative options for playing eighth-note rock bass lines under the I-VI-V-IV chord progression (modified to IV-I-V-VI for the sake of variety!) that is commonly found in current worship music.

If you’re just joining us, I encourage you to review the last few installments of Bassic Communication for further information and context for today’s example.

Here we go!

a melodic figure ascending through the root, 2nd, and major 3rd of E. The D# on the last eighth note is sort of a cool note for a variety of reasons: (1) it’s the major 7th relative to E2, which gives the overall line in this measure a nice melodic quality, (2) it is the major 3rd relative to the upcoming chord of B (or B2), which is the first inversion (B/D#, right?), (3) it anticipates that chord change by an eighth note, employing a rock idiom to give the line a bit of momentum and drive, and (4) it jumps to a higher register, which helps “sell” the melodic statement—and everyone’s happy provided that we get back down to the lower register and resume our bass responsibilities soon! :^)

Bar 1 kicks back in with the driving low root note that always sets a solid foundation for a rock groove. The movement to the 7th on the and of beat 3 is a familiar rock idiom by now (motion on upbeats), as is anticipating Today’s example is essentially a 4-bar phrase, the upcoming chord change to E on the last but with a variation in the 3rd bar. The first eighth note of the measure. time, as reflected in bar 3, it creates some nice Bar 2 incorporates motion on the upbeats by tension as it alternates between the major

Bassic Communication Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 6)                  7   5 5 5 5 5 4 5 A2

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The second time through, note the variation of the bass line in the 2nd ending (bar 5). It employs a slur up to the 4th of B to introduce a bit of tension, as well as a melodic response to the figure in bar 3.

By the way, the lines in both the 1st and 2nd endings could easily have been played lower on the fingerboard using the G string, but the comparatively lighter string loses some of the impact and thick rock tone. Experiment between the two and see if you agree.

As with many of our examples through this series, this bass line approach would probably be best incorporated later in the tune after the chord motion has been firmly established.

The part will likely be perceived as busy if played too early in the song.

Have fun & God bless…

C#-

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Bar 4 alternates between the root and b7th of C#. The B on the and of beat 4 is a walkdown to the root (A) of bar 1.

Don’t forget to record yourself playing these examples with a click and/or drum machine, ensuring that the time, feel and groove are happening!

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3rd and 2nd of B (again, note that the motion occurs on the upbeats). The last eighth note anticipates the upcoming chord change to C#-.

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     

(Adapted from curriculum at ArtOfGroove.com) Norm Stockton is a bassist/ clinician/solo artist based in Orange County, CA. Following his long tenure as bassist with Lincoln Brewster, Norm has been focused on equipping bassists around the world through his instructional site (www.ArtOfGroove.com), as well as freelancing (including tour dates with Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of TOTO). Look for his new book, The Worship Bass Book, just published by Hal Leonard. Also visit Norm at www.normstockton. com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Leading Tones & Chords (Part 3) In previous articles, we’ve discussed the Five – One chord progression (V – I), and the One – Four – Five chord progression (I – IV – V).

What’s the next most common progression?

It’s actually just a little swap of the Two chord for the Four chord, the Two – Five – One progression ( II – V – I). In the key of C, this is Dmin, G, and C. The reason the D chord is minor is because there are no sharps or flats in the key of C and a D Major chord would have an F# in it.

common progression, it isn’t all that interesting sounding without adding some color tones and working out voice leading and specific chord positions that move well from one to another. Check out the ideas below. You might try plugging these into a song that has a II – V – I turn-around in it.

Try ending these songs (and others) with some of the alternatives below. Next time we’ll talk about the ‘Harmonized Scale’ and chords that move up or down the scale in step-like fashion. Soon we’ll be able to take on a full complete song and explore so many chord options that the magazine wouldn’t In the hymn Holy, Holy Holy, the last words hold them all. At that point, I’ll rig up a page on my website where you can go to download and chords are: a couple of full pages of chord progressions Dm G7 C with cool voicings and movements... JS “Bless-ed Trin-i-ty”.

OK, so let’s look below at the II – V – I Check out John’s 5-DVD set ‘Praise progression: Dm – G – C. This progression is Or in Blowin’ In The Wind, the phrase ends; Guitar Lessons’ at the ‘store’ page commonly called a ‘turn-around’ because it’s at www.johnstandefer.com. You get Dm G7 C used regularly to end a section of a song in 52 video lessons similar to these such a way so as get back to the One chord “The Answer is Blowin’ In the Wind”.

CM articles, but you can see and for the next section. Although this is a very hear the lessons! Includes charts.

Also consider private lessons with John via Skype!

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Dotted Eights Across The Bar Line I thought this time around we would mess with hi hat patterns that can radically change up the feel of a groove. This dotted eighth figure (a dotted eighth is the same length as 3 sixteenth notes put together) should challenge your independence on the drum set, as well as your concept of phrasing.

metronome and try to avoid rushing. This I hope this gives you something to chew on dotted rhythm has a tendency to have a for a while and inspires you to come up with forward motion feeling and it is easy to get on your own variations. Enjoy your practice time! top of the click.

Blessings, David In letter E I made the whole exercise an eight bar phrase. There are four bars of the groove, and then the dotted pattern for four bars. David freelances in and Letter A is the basic dotted eighth rhythm This is an excellent way to practice feeling an around Los Angeles and is currently playing for Franklin just on the snare. Letter B is one bar of a very eight bar phrase.

Graham events worldwide. simple groove, and then in the second bar you Once you get comfortable with letter E He has played with Fernando start playing a dotted eighth rhythm on the hi it is time to change up the bass drum and Ortega, Sara Groves, Bebo hat. You will notice that that dotted rhythm snare pattern. There are obviously countless Norman, Tommy Walker, will go back to starting on ‘one’ after 3 bars, possibilities but I have decided to use a very Lincoln Brewster, Thomas but I want you to think in four bar phrases. basic half time groove for letter F. I am trying Dolby, The Righteous Brothers and Peter White Letter C is the same, but the dotted rhythm starts one sixteenth note later. Letter D starts two sixteenth notes later. Get comfortable playing these hi hat patterns, but make sure you are thinking in a four bar phrase. Use a

to keep things simple because the more notes you play on the bass drum and snare the harder it will get. In letter G all I did was add one more bass drum note and you can see how much more difficult it becomes.

as well as spending 2 plus years playing The Lion King at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. He is also an adjunct professor at Biola and Hope International Universities. His home church is Plymouth Congregational in Whittier, CA. Feel free to contact him at DavidOwensDrums.com.

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The How vs. The What A student recently arrived in my teaching studio. He was a member of an active Inhalation performing band. I asked him why he wanted • Develop an abdominal approach to to take lessons. He responded by telling me breathing, the recognized standard he tried voice lessons at one time but didn’t for voice study. think that he learned anything he needed. I • Get rid of difficult or labored asked him what he worked on with the other breathing. teacher. And he reached in to his bag and handed me the well-worn Twenty Four Songs Initiating Tone and Arias book and a Vaccai vocal exercise • Start your vocal tone in a calm, free book. Remember now, he was in a band, a manner without controlling the band! I don’t have to tell you why he quit breath with the throat. taking lessons.

• Do not begin your vocal tone with a hard attack, banging the vocal folds Those that are trained in philosophy of together, or tightening the throat. education know that if a teaching approach fails, it is the fault of the teacher. Teachers Breath Management must find a way to teach to the student’s • Create breath energy by using the needs and individual learning style. This muscles of the torso while singing. young man’s previous teacher unfortunately • Keep an open sensation in your did not do that. vocal tract.

Choice of song or vocal lesson book does Articulation not create good or bad technique. There is • Sing vowels without allowing the not a song out there that makes your vocal tongue to become rigid. technique better just by singing it. It is the • Keep the lips, tongue, and jaw loose how of singing, not the what of singing that when singing the words of your creates a better singer. song.

One must have a strong sense of what makes Sustained and Connected Singing a singer better. I have listed eight teaching • Maintain a ‘breath energy’ during items for you to ponder before you start phrases. your next rehearsal or attempt to teach your • Create an uninterrupted tone for all next student. These eight points should vowels and pitches. be foremost in your mind when striving to improve the vocal skills of the singers that Ear Training have been placed under your care. No songs • Develop an understanding of were injured during the making of this list. standard chord structures.

They are as follows.

• Learn to sing chromatic harmonies.

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Vocal Agility • Develop a coordinated range, low to high, with no tension-caused tonal changes.

• Learn to sing wide intervals accurately.

Improvisation • Develop improvisation skills that are required of your chosen style.

Go ye therefore and teach all these things.

Now go sing well!

Roger Beale has been writing the Vocal Coach’s Corner for fifteen years. He is one of the nation’s foremost vocal coaches.

He presently works with professional singers in all areas of musical performance. His teaching and coaching facility, The Voice House, is involved in the management and care of the professional voice. Many of his students have won prestigious vocal competitions and scholarships.

In addition, he has worked with Grammy and Dove award winners and nominees. He also offers vocal clinics and seminars, as well as assistance in recording sessions. Roger is an adjunct professor in the Fine Arts department at Point University (formerly Atlanta Christian College), website: www.point. edu. Roger can be contacted at: The Voice House, 1029 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 276, Peachtree City, GA 30269, (404) 822-5097, e-mail: voicehouse@ mindspring.com.

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What is Hip?

by Rick Cua

For many of us, “What Is Hip?” isn’t a question, but one of Tower Of Power’s greatest hit songs. Who could forget that incredible bass line Francis “Rocco” Prestia recorded? It was like a tommy gun riveting us to the wall of bass envy. It is possibly the most memorable 16th note staccato bass track of all time. For sure that song, and its memorable bass line, was Hip! The Word of God, biblical values, moral decency and the like are absolute, but much of everything else is subject to some kind of personal taste and interpretation. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and similarly the answer to, “What Is Hip?” can vary from person to person. Yes, we have our tribes and like-minded circles of friends, but the final thumbs-up on coolness is an individual choice.

‘Uniquely and wonderfully made’ quickly comes to mind when I think about the question posed in our title. Everyone is his or her own person designed by the original Creative: The Author and Dispatcher of everything that makes us who we are. Every nuance, like, dislike, and our opinion on beauty comes from the hand of God, starting at our creation and developing throughout our life experience. To be clear, I am not saying that likes and dislikes that don’t line up to Godliness come from Him. Think of Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

There are two important things to remember here. First we need to be thankful that God made us all with our own personal opinion.

Everything isn’t supposed to look the same to everybody. Things look as they do based upon our interpretation, not someone else’s.

Likes and dislikes aren’t different shades of grey, but the whole color palette! Our individual taste is a gift, and the outcome of everything working in our lives, such as

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our DNA, environment, the leanings of our unique friends, and an inner spiritual sense that God bestows on every believer who calls Him, “Lord.”

but it never seemed to. It was just his style, an individual fashion statement that he was comfortable with. Hip? Maybe. Maybe just to him, yet he owned it with no apology.

Next, we need to always remember that our opinion is OUR opinion. It may be the best for us, but certainly not for all. Ephesians 4:32a encourages us to “Be kind to one another, tender hearted...”. One characteristic of kindness is respecting the opinions of others and doing it sincerely. Not with a roll of the eyes or a smirk that suggests your opinion is better that theirs, but with a sincere, kind heart that realizes that another’s opinion is as good as yours. Actually, based on the subject matter and the experience of the one who delivers the opinion, maybe even better. But wait . . . can something that is just an opinion really be better? Not really, because it’s an opinion, not fact. It may be better to the person who has it, but totally off the wall to someone else.

Then, on the other hand, somebody - usually very well known - starts a trend, and being comfortable in their own skin they own it the same as the pants leg fella, but this time it takes off. Go figure. So what’s really important here? Be your own person. Latch on to things you like no matter what the popular opinion is. Be unique and mean it!

Hey...at the end of the day it’s all up to you. It’s about your own thoughts, ideas, and interpretations. From God to each of us comes discernment and the ability to gather our views, likes, and dislikes and resemble the things that move us and that we believe in. So, read it, watch it, listen to it, wear it, write it, play it, share it, ride it, drive it, love it! Celebrate your own unique Hipapalooza Looking back at some of my friends I can happening in and through you and passed easily recall the personality differences that along to those in your world. either caused them to hold on to every That killer song, that beautiful car, that lovely opinion of theirs like gospel, or hold on dress, that amazing movie, those beautiful loosely knowing that there were many valid people, that breathtaking landscape, that opinions on the subject. Another thing worth inspiring book, that observed or self-initiated mentioning is that fact that our title, “What Is act of kindness brings us back to this “...

Hip?”, is much more subjective than, “What Is whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever Fact?” is of good repute, if there is any excellence

Have you ever noticed that someone’s and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on hipness, if that’s even a word, is truly based on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Beauty is all their own opinion of what’s cool? Of course, around us . . . “What Is Hip?” You tell me. what one person thinks is cool, more often than not, started in someone else’s mind.

Not just a musical artist, Rick Then it, through their actions represented by knows the business of music dress, composition, or some other viewable as well. Besides being a music or listenable medium, was delivered to you. publisher, artist manager and booking agent, he founded That’s especially true when someone lives and ran his own record label, within the mainstream, like those of us who UCA Records, in the 1990s are dialed in to pop culture.

So how about those who live outside of the mainstream? I can remember an artist who walked around with one pants leg rolled up to his knee. Just one. He owned that style, believed in it, and wore it with confidence.

I kept waiting to see it catch on...even a bit,

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

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.

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The Relatable, Musical HOnesty Of

Francesca Battistelli

by Aimee Herd

From the moment she came onto the music scene, her songs have touched everyday people right where we live. That, coupled with a charismatic presence on stage and off, has quickly endeared “Franny” Battistelli to even those outside the realm of Christian music.

Read on for more about Francesca’s new recording, aptly named, “If We’re Honest.”

Aimee Herd: Francesca, a lot has changed in your life since your first record—now you’re a wife and mom of two children?

Francesca Battistelli: Yes, our son Eli is three-and-a-half and our daughter Audrey is one-and-a-half. We’re very busy!

AH: Yes you are! So was this new record more difficult to finish or easier, considering?

FB: It was easier.

We had just moved back to Nashville when we started this album; we had been living in Atlanta for the past three years. That took a lot of the pressure off, of having to go to Nashville and write and be creative for a week. Living in town made it feel more like a normal part of life. I got more time to just write, and figure out where I wanted to go with these songs—it was a really fun process.

We took a couple months off from touring so I could really focus on the record. I’m so excited about it, it’s my favorite one yet, I think it’s a really good one (laughs)...I hope.

It’s not finished yet.

AH: Before we get into the new record— If We’re Honest—can you give us a little background into how you got started as an artist; I know you come from a pretty musical family.

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FB: Sure. My parents are both retired musical theater folks. My mom was an actress, and my dad a trumpet player and a conductor. They met on a national tour; they did a lot of stuff in New York, On Broadway. Then they came to know the Lord, were married and had me a year later. They wanted to leave their family outside of that world, so they moved to New Jersey and started a new life. They kind of left [theater life] all behind, but musical theater is a part of my life, because it was a part of theirs.

They shared so much great music and art with me from the earliest times I can remember. It definitely had a huge impact on me, and even where I am now. I owe a lot to them.

excited for people to get to hear that on the new record. It’s definitely true in my life, and probably for most moms. It’s just a funny and honest way of putting it. Definitely, it’s one of my favorites on the record.

AH: As an artist/performer like you are—to

AH: I know at this point you’re still working on the record, but can you name a song yet that holds a special place as your favorite, or that just stands out for you?

AH: It reminds me of that commercial for orange juice where the person is hearing a preview of everything that’s going to come at them during the day, but they’re okay with it because they’re starting with orange juice— in “The Crazy Kicks In”, we’re okay when we begin with the Lord.

FB: (Laughs) That’s perfect, they should use that song in the commercial!

FB: The title track (“If We’re Honest”) is really my favorite. From the moment we wrote it, I knew it was going to be [my favorite]. I don’t know . . .there’s just something so real about it. I wrote it with some really good friends of mine. We started off just talking, probably for about an hour and a half, just catching up on life. I was sharing with them my desire to see Believers really be real with each other. We’ve all been in situations where we know there’s more going on in peoples’ lives [than they let on or admit], when they’re going through a struggle or whatever. I don’t think any of us want to feel isolated when we’re going have that background as a foundation, that’s through things. And the biggest lie is “don’t huge! tell anyone, they won’t understand and they won’t love you or believe you...”

FB: For sure.

AH: One of things I love about your But there’s so much freedom in being music—and it’s evident on the new record authentic and in being honest. It’s not that too—is that your songs are very relatable. I we have to throw our problems out there on think that’s why they resonate with people so Twitter for the world to see, but God has put much, and why they catch on so quickly. One people in each of our lives that He wants us of the songs on the new project that really to be able to rely on in community, and to be caught my ear in that way is “The Crazy Kicks real with—because there’s a lot of healing that can come from that. That song was a challenge In.” I can SO relate to that song. and an encouragement to be honest and not FB: (Laughs) Thank you, I can too. I’m

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theme song of 2009,’ because it was used on said, “I think I need to work with this guy!”

“The Biggest Loser” and “Jon and Kate Plus (Laughs) I haven’t left ever since, it’s just one 8”... It was so cool, because I heard some great of those relationships that has just grown stories, at my concerts; people who told me “I stronger. He’s an incredible talent and a wasn’t a Believer, I didn’t know who you were, wonderful guy, plus he’s hilarious to hang out AH: It really is, and that’s the song on the but I heard your song on TV and I looked it with. We have a good time in the studio and I record that really resonated with me most. up. Your music helped lead me to the Lord.” trust him that he’s gonna turn these songs into Even just the musical aspect alone, it grabs That is what it’s all about; I welcome those a finished piece. you. opportunities and love them, because you AH: Franny, I know you have a real heart FB: Well thank you. never know what ministry could happen. to reach out to non-Christians, or “preAH: You mentioned co-writing the song “If I think this [new] record has a little more Christians” with your music, are there some We’re Honest.” Were most of the songs on the potential for that. The song “Unusual” could songs on If We’re Honest that you’re hoping album co-written, or did you write most of be a good licensing song; I think “When the will touch people that way? them yourself?

Crazy Kicks In” really could be great that FB: Absolutely, that’s always a goal. There’s FB: Usually I do a little bit of both, but I co- way—who knows. Sometimes it’s the ones the song on this record called, “Unusual” that wrote on everything on this album. There you’d least expect.

I wrote with Ian. I hope it will inspire all sorts were just so many good songs that I got to AH: When you were recording this of people, but I wrote it with the kid in mind co-write on—so many good ones to choose project—and I guess at this point, you still who is on his way to high school...maybe he’s from. I love [doing both, writing alone and are—did you have any really special moments a Believer but he knows he’s walking onto a co-writing], but co-writing is just so much fun in the recording process where you felt “Oh mission field; that this song would sort of a because you get a fresh perspective. It’s a this is a real God moment”...can you point to ‘pep talk’ for them. “You do stand out, you ‘two brains are better than one’ kind of thing. anything like that? are unusual, and that’s a good thing, it’s a (Laughs) I just have a lot of fun with it, and I FB: Honestly, I think when we were beautiful thing. Let God use you and let God have people I’m so comfortable with and love recording “If We’re Honest” was one of those work in your life to be a light for Him.” to write with—it’s a fun exercise. special moments for me. The demo of that The song, in the way it’s written and AH: And when you are writing, are you song was just so good, and so perfectly done produced, is so fun. I think that it could even typically focusing first on the lyrics, or the that I was like “we’re never gonna beat this in be a ministry tool in itself, as it’s encouraging music, or both at the same time? the studio; I’m gonna be a wreck over this,” young Believers. So I think there are definitely FB: Every song’s a little different. “Free to Be because I wanted it to be perfect, and to have songs on this record that could reach across, and I can’t wait to start hearing those Me” from the first record, I literally wrote all at that same feeling. one time in about 30 minutes—which never We got in the studio that day and I said, testimonies, for sure. happens. But most of the time, if I’m writing “I’m not gonna put pressure on myself, I’m AH: You’ve got some exciting things coming by myself, I usually have a musical idea first— not competing with myself on the demo, it’ll up; you’ll be on “Good Morning America” sometimes I’ll have a lyric idea along with that. be okay...” I just remember a peace, like God next week, is that your first time?

When I’m co-writing, I tend to be a little bit was saying, “Chill out, it’s going to be okay.” I FB: It is! I’m excited and nervous (Laughs), of a chameleon...so whomever I’m writing remember really feeling like we got the right but it should be fun. with, say if they’re strong on lyrics, I’ll be more performance out of that song. It was a special AH: And then, you’ll be touring this spring music-heavy—and like that. I love that too; moment. with “The Bible: Son of God” tour, that’s pretty everyone’s a little bit different. It’s challenging Sometimes, it doesn’t happen that way, and special... yourself to grow. you kind of have ‘demo-love,’ and it’s like, FB: Yeah, I’m excited about that, it’s gonna AH: You’re a guitar player...just guitar, or “Oh, we’ve got to use this element from the be a very special experience for the artists demo... ” But that one [in the end] turned out piano too? and of course, the audience, just seeing clips even better, and FB: I play a little bit of piano. I’m more I’m so grateful for from the film and hearing comfortable on guitar, but I love to write on that, because it our songs sort of tell the piano because no one is watching me, which was very special story of Jesus—it’s gonna is fun. (Laughs) be great! for me.

AH: What kind of guitar do you play, are AH: This is not AH: Do you think you a ‘gear-head’ or not really? you’ll ever follow in your your first time parents’ footsteps at FB: Not really, but I do love my guitar. I play working with Ian some point, and do some Eskelin, right? an old Gibson J-45, I forget the year, I think it’s musical theater? a 1963. It’s beautiful, oh man, I love it!

FB: Ian has FB: I would love to; I did AH: On past albums, some of your songs been my longa good bit growing up in producer, have really crossed over into mainstream, and time Orlando, but I would love from back before even have been used in TV commercials. Was to do it again, it would be the first record. that surprising to you when that happened, amazing! Here’s hoping and looking at the new record; what songs do The first time we it’s in my future. you think might have a chance of doing that wrote “I’m Letting Go” and “My again?

Visit Francesca Battistelli’s Paper Heart” in official website at: FB: Yeah, it happened a lot on the first the same day and www.francescamusic.com record, and it was surprising, it was really I called up the guy cool. “It’s Your Life” was the song that got at my label and Ian Eskelin & Francesca the most attention. I called it the ‘reality TV put up a façade. That challenge is for me too, getting to sing it every night—it’s a good reminder. I love the song, it’s so beautiful and very personal.

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Nine Million Albums Sold Forty “Number One” Hits Four Grammy Awards Forty-Seven Dove Awards

Kawai keyboards are featured on Steven’s new recording, The Glorious Unfolding, available now.

Photo by Dale Manning for Idea Den

Steven Curtis Chapman K A W A I

Kawaius.com

A R T I S T

selective hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin

Fading West Switchfoot Atlantic I’m not going to belabor the point on this review. I am not very fond of the new Switchfoot album, Fading West. I am all for a band taking chances with their sound and attempting to grow.

Unfortunately, it sounds like our favorite surfing San Diegans are a little more intent on “growing” their audience this time around.

Featuring more Woah oh, oh (and other syllabic nonsense) gang vocal choruses on this one record than on the entire Switchfoot catalog up to this point, the band seems to have channeled the current popular band, fun., at least in its affinity for anthemic unison choruses. Vocalist Jon Foreman also seems too dependent on distorting his vocals with effects. It is cool on a song or two. Not on 8 or 9.

However, there are a couple of musical highlights on the album. The song “Say It Like You Mean It” is experimental, edgy, and full of distorted guitar and interesting keyboard patches. “BA55” percolates along on an undulating electronic groove and a scintillating bottom end. The last two cuts, “Saltwater Heart” and “Back to the Beginning Again” navigate the tricky road of commercial pop much more successfully than the front half of the record, combining frothy electronic dance beats with substantial lyrics.

The record’s two lead singles, “Love Alone is Worth the Fight” and “Who We Are” are a little calculated both in the sonic and literary departments. Message wise, they are very much in line with past Switchfoot “Youth group anthems” and seem somewhat trite in comparison.

One has to admire this band for wanting to “switch” things up a bit with this release.

There is nothing worse than a band becoming stagnant. It’s just that Fading West’s execution suffers in comparison to its ambition.

Love Will Have the Final Word Jason Gray Centricity Music Jason Gray is another artist who is attempting to marry his artistic 24

MAR/APR 2014

tendencies with more accessible music and, in his case, I can understand the desire. In a conversation with Derek Webb last fall, I asked how he was able to make a living with his art without supplementing his income with a “real” job. His answer was interesting.

The artist has to be able to do EVERYTHING in conjunction with his career. The actual recording, the promotion, the booking, the product fulfillment, running the website, and all aspects of touring. In essence, it is essential to be a multi-tasker. Jason Gray is not one of those guys. I promoted a show of his at my church and, along with being one of the nicest, most humble guys you’d ever want to meet, he definitely possesses an artistic focus.

The grunt work is better served being farmed out to experts in those fields. Unfortunately, that incurs considerably more cost, and Gray has a wife and 3 kids at home who depend on his income. Therefore, it is important to reach as many folks as he can. Thus, on his newest release, Love Will Have the Final Word, Gray also unleashes a handful of those pesky, anthemic, mono-syllabic, unison gang choruses that seem to be in virtually EVERY Christian Hits Radio song. Fortunately, these are paired with a laser-sharp conceptual focus that really accentuates the strengths in Gray’s emotional arsenal.

A stutterer since childhood, Gray often writes from a first-person perspective about shame and, more importantly, escaping the tyranny of self-pity through the love of One who sees us as He made us….in His image.

There are a few songs that are more in line with the “cheerleader” nature of the music in that they are from the perspective of encouragement and a reminder of God’s power over circumstance and abiding love for us. Specifically, the album opening, “Laugh Out Loud” and “With Every Act of Love”, which follows, as well as the title cut.

It speaks to my own, personal struggle with serious health issues right now that the songs on this record that speak to me come from a place of current pain and require a faith that God will, indeed, walk with us through our pain. “If You Want to Love Someone” was inspired by a quote from Keith Miller: “The way

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person’s soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack.” The track features a darker sonic hue than the previously mentioned cuts and features a co-write from the brilliant Andy Gullahorn, whose own selfless demonstration of love for Gray, at an especially trying time in his life, inspired the song “Not Right Now”, which speaks of the sentiments so many wellintentioned Christians offer to friends who are hurting, when sometimes it’s better just to be present. “Don’t tell me, when I’m grieving,” the singer declares, “that this happened for a reason.”

The second half of the record is definitely the more artistically challenging half, as arrangements get more varied (lots of neat touches like banjo, Mandolin married with occasionally cranky guitars and ethereal electronics) and the sonic environment a bit more aggressive. Love Will Have the Final Word triumphantly ends with “As I Am”, which uses the circumstance of Adam and Eve in the garden, right after eating the apple, and the shame they felt when they realized they were naked….vulnerable. But as with us, like Adam and Eve, when the instinct it to hide as a result of being ashamed of our actions, Jesus is out looking for us and calling our name. He doesn’t hide from us….we hide from him.

“You Love me as I am, not as I should be. With a love that conquers shame, Jesus you are saving me.”

Ultimately, Gray offers something for everyone here. There is encouragement, fun pop music, and some darker, more artistic moments for those so inclined. However, the intensely personal perspective and conceptual consistency of the project transcends those different elements, effectively communicating Gray’s heart in the process.

Down at the Whistle Stop Paul Clark www.paulclarkmusic.com Harkening back to the resonant, refined, acoustic approach of his early work, Christian music pioneer, Paul Clark, hardly sounds dated on his wonderful, new, long

player,Down at the Whistle Stop. Armed with a cadre of strong songs and a coterie of accomplished (some legendary) musician friends, Clark takes us on a journey through the life of a believer, looking back at the joys, tribulations, questions and, ultimately, the answer to those questions in the person of Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Clark displays the wisdom of one who realizes that true beauty is often in the path less taken and is often littered with the refinement brought on from less than beautiful circumstance.

The Title cut opens the album as Clark takes on the personage of a wizened traveler, even singing the song with a weathered, lived in voice, as he sets the stage for the travelogue about to unfold over the next 10 tracks. The cut reminds me of classic artists like Tom Petty, or for you older music buffs, Stephen Stills, with its warm, acoustic gait and stinging electric accents, played by the inimitable Phil Keaggy. The latter makes another appearance on the subsequent “Entertaining Angels, Unaware”, which borrows Mr. Keaggy’s affinity for a certain quartet of Liverpudlians in essaying a loping pop rocker that contains a middle section rife with orchestral nuance and

the type of descending, multi-layered vocals that could have been lifted from Magical Mystery Tour, and alerts the listener to be aware of the circumstance of those around them. “Without Love” is one of two tracks that prominently features the vocals of Charity Von (The Civil Wars-like “Hey Jesus” being the other) and merges rustic folk-rock musical landscapes with a typically strong melodic core as Clark muses about the emptiness of a life lived when not adhering to the principals of I Corinthians 13. The languorous groove and jazz influenced interplay of “Drive-In” is (ahem) driven by wonderful performances from guests Phil Madeira on guitar and Hammond Organ, unerring rhythmic integrity from rhythm section players Matt Pierson on bass and Dennis Holt on drums, and an unexpectedly delightful Flugelhorn solo from Stanton Kessler.

Continuing on a journey that encourages vulnerability and the eschewing of selfpreservation as a way towards the security of salvation, Clark continues his musical tour through Americana sonic canvases on the way to the pay-off of two beautiful songs that close the album on a note of comfort

and resolution with the elegiac, acoustic ballad, “The Touch of Your Hand on My Face”, featuring a stark but lovely string arrangement moved along by the sturdy strum of Baritone guitar and the forlorn echoes of accordion and harmonium. The fragile beauty of “After All….Love” is a perfect requiem to the passage of ones reliance on self into the arms of transforming love. “After all you can see, after all you can hear, after all you can touch, after all disappears, after every bloom, after every leaf falls down......After all, LOVE!” It is important to note just how great this record sounds as Clark recorded in Oceanway Studio in Nashville, using live players and analog equipment. Each note resonates with a wisdom earned by the musician’s enthusiasm to live life authentically and pepper his observations with the stuff of real life instead of spewing platitudes that play well in modern church culture but do little to further the conversation of belief and true faith. Down at the Whistle Stop is the best kind of record: one that honors the creative spark put in us by the Author of all things, yet asks as many questions as it attempts to answer. As an album fades, it is lovely to feel spiritually uplifted without

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feeling pandered to. Oh….one more thing.

The artwork on this project is unbelievably cool as Clark utilizes sepia tones and a selftimer to create a beautifully evocative image concept.

As Sure as the Sun Ellie Holcomb Full Heart Music A little background before talking about the terrific full-length debut album (after two EP’s)from Ellie Holcomb. Ellie is the husband of Alt-country/ rock bandleader Drew Holcomb from Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and, in fact, in addition to being his wife is also one of the neighbors. After taking a sabbatical from teaching Holcomb joined the band and added

a very cool vibe to the group’s established sound. Oh….and she happens to be the daughter of Christian music uber-producer, Brown Bannister, who agreed to co-produce As Sure as the Sun with the brilliant Ben Shive.

She raised the funds needed to make the album with her Kickstarter campaign, resulting in one of the most funded music projects to date. As expected, the record sounds like two million bucks, giving wings to Holcomb’s insightful, Scripture drenched songs. Indeed, even with the familiarity that scripture represents to the Christian listener, Holcomb manages to find lyrical twists and idioms that keep the sentiment both personal and applicable. “As Sure As the Sun”, “Marvelous Light,” “The Broken Beautiful,” “Night Song,” “Love Never Fails,” “Love Broke Through,” “The Valley”, and “I Want to Be Free” are all stand-

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MAR/APR 2014

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City Harbor City Harbor Sparrow Records.

Comprised of Molly Reed and Robby Earle, City Harbor offer up an effort that, while strictly adhering to the tenants of good, radio ready pop worship, adds just enough unique instrumental and melodic flair to help this 10 song debut rise above the fluffiness exhibited by many likeminded releases. Their lyrics speak about letting go of their troubles and giving it all to God, as well as praising God for his grace and mercy, all while encouraging other believers in their faith. Their lead single, “Come However You Are,” exemplifies catchy hooks with their message of giving all their burdens to God and encouraging listeners to come just as they are to Him. While there is nothing earth shattering here, at least Reed and Earle add enough indie rock flavor to rock the CHR boat just a bit, as piano and guitar are heavily featured throughout their music and the duo do a great job of harmonizing their voices and trading lead vocal duties during songs.

still the best!

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out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth and relatable themes that get deeper with each listen. Musically, the record runs the gamut from gentle piano based pop, to Country tinged folk rock and roots music with a strong contemporary feel, thanks to the even handed, yet creative production employed by Messrs Bannister and Shive. As Sure as the Sun features lyrics that are both insightful and ultimately hopeful. They point the listener to the Lord and help us see and feel how Scripture really does speak to our struggles. Indeed, this work is a refreshing change from the depressing mentality of so much popular and folk music nowadays.

Highly recommended, to say the least.

While everything on the project is heartfelt and relevant, the lyrics seldom rise above the trite and tried of the current CCM climate.

It will be interesting to follow City Harbor’s career to see if they can add some depth and experimentation on future projects. For now, City Harbor certainly does enough to gain the new act a solid following.

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

you could wait

but at $499, why not experience the Eastwood Classic 6 on earth?

www.eastwoodguitars.com

5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM In Proverbs it says that there is wisdom in many counselors… and with that in mind I asked some of our key volunteers at NAMM to not only help Brian Felix man our exhibit booth but to also contribute to our “5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM” story.

I’ll start first… you may just see several of the listed items end up on our product review pages either in this magazine or our two other sister mags (Worship Musician! and Collectible Guitar). Let’s see what impressed us the most…

Bruce Adolph

1

Line 6 AMPLIFi.

Imagine your amp being your Bluetooth speaker system, able to w o r k with your iPhone to call up any song you can think of and those tone patches load in instantly!

Take Clapton’s searing solo from “Layla” or Lincoln Brewster’s guitar patch from “Let the Praises Ring” and your amp dials them in. Rhythm parts, solos, any part of any song you can imagine. Oh yes, and if you tweak the AMPLIFi and develop a sound of your own or of a popular song you can share it with the “guitar community in the cloud”. This amp is a social media game changer. 75 Watts, 200 sounds, USB and 5 speakers all for just $559.00 retail ($399.00 MAP).

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Collings SJ model acouctic guitar. This is a small jumbo sized acoustic guitar with gorgeous maple back and sides and a spruce top.

Although the 16 inch lower bout is slightly wider than a dreadnought, and the sides almost as deep, the tight curve at the waist creates in a very different sound chamber.

Players looking for the bass and overall volume of a large guitar, but with lots of treble clarity and midrange crunch will like this one.

I can still hear the sound of that warm tone in my head. Even with all of the background noise of the NAMM Show convention floor, it’s sound rang through. $4,950.00

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T.C. Helicon’s Voice Live 3 T.C. keeps taking what they do best and pushing it further. This multi effect p e d a l sports vocal fx, guitar fx and multi fx processing with the kind of reverbs and delays that you long for. This unit offers a killer combination of musical tools to pull from for either solo or group performance. $1,099.00

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4

Lowden acoustic “Fan Fret” option. This is the first “fan fret” guitar I have ever played; the frets actually fan out. What benefit does this offer the guitarist?

Lowden says, “The main aim of the design is to increase bass depth through increasing the string length on the bass side, while at the same time achieving more “bell like” trebles by shortening the string length on the treble side”. This works well for drop tunings too. Oddly enough it wasn’t that hard for my fingers to adapt to. I forgot how light-weight and balanced a Lowden feels in your hands. $825.00 for the option. Lowden’s run $4,300.00 and up.

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Kevin Michael Carbon Fiber Guitars presented by McPherson.

You know how much I like carbon fiber guitars and this small body acoustic delivers the goods. A lot of tone is packed into this little guitar body! MSRP $2,400

CMS Northeast features 2 EVENING CONCERTS open to the public 7:00pm (doors at 6:30) ::: $10 General Admission Ticket p/Night

MAY 1-3, 2014

FRIDAY, MAY 2

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The Chapel at Crosspoint, Buffalo, NY A conference featuring practical training for the entire band, tech crew, leaders, songwriters, & indie artists... other clinicians and artists for the conference include...

The Neverclaim, Blues Counsel, Brenton Brown & the Worship Republic, Zoro, Adam Nitti, Dave Cleveland, Jerry Gillis and more...

with

PHIL KEAGGY

and Songwriters

in the Round

LESLIE SATCHER, DON POYTHRESS, IAN ESKELIN, BRENTON BROWN & BENJI COWART

SATURDAY, MAY 3

MATT MAHER

BENJI & JENNA COWART and CEILI RAIN

with

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with more being added throughoutFRIDAY, the year from MAY 1-3, 2014 MAY 2 each event and our archives...

SATURDAY, MAY 3 The Chapel at Crosspoint, Buffalo, NY DAVID CROWDER STU G

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TOM BROOKS MANDISA MEREDITH ANDREWS BOB BENNETT A conference featuring practical training with CHRISTY & NATHAN NOCKELS ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS with TOM HEMBY for the entire band, tech crew, leaders, and Songwriters in the Round BRENTON BROWN NORM STOCKTON JIM DANEKER songwriters, & indie artists...

GREGG BISSONETTE DANIEL ORNELLAS MURRAY LESLIE SATCHER, DONSCOTTY POYTHRESS, www.CMSstream.com STEVE TAYLOR BEN SHOWALTER RON BLOCK and other clinicians and artists for the conference include... IAN ESKELIN, BRENTON BROWN & BENJI COWART only $14.99 per month JASON INGRAM TIM CARSON and more...

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5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM Nicholas Daleo

musician.” The distinctive white guitar that Lee has played since 1975 continues to be 65 Amps “Whiskey” head. This new Charvel’s most requested signature model.

With its unmistakable So–Cal ash high gain bad boy body contours and lavender– from DM delivering hued Pearl White finish, the same super clean old school instrument players have long rock tones with clamored for becomes the first enough grit to go as instrument in the Jake E. Lee heavy as you want.

Signature series. $2831.00 MSRP $2,695.00

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Line 6’s StageSource speaker Flat Response system. Line 6 is really leading the charge at getting monster tones at any volume level with StageSource L2m, you’ve got a cutting edge, full range, flat response Michael Hodge guitar system that delivers consistent tone at any This years Winter NAMM was one of the best volume – from studio to yet. The big companies are slowly recovering rehearsal, to the gig. 1 x10 from the economic downturn. There was a 800 watt version $629.00 fresh excitement throughout the Anaheim Convention Center that spilled out into the neighboring Hilton and Marriott hotels. It was Sublime Guitar very hard to cut this years list to five! Here we Company (SGC). In the sometimes over go! saturated market of price point guitars, the tomcat line from SGC stands shoulder to Apollo Twin. Universal Audio has come shoulder with much more expensive guitars. out with the follow up to the highly acclaimed Starting at $599.00 Apollo series with the new Apollo Twin. This

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two input desktop unit has the same engine and converters as the original Apollo. It allows you to record at a stunning 24/192 kHz with UAD plug-ins in real time. It comes with high speed Thunderbolt connection, and is available with UAD-2 DSP processing. The SOLO is $699.00 MAP and the DUO is $899.00 MAP. They support AU, VST,RTAS and AAX . Boss OD1x Distortion pedal. The 64. For more information: www.uaudio.com.

Special edition BOSS overdrive pedal with next-generation sound, feel, and tonal response powered by MDP technology.

MSRP $243.50

5

Charvel Jake E. Lee Signature model: from his notable successes in the early ’80s to his acclaimed Groovy Baby Distortion Pedal. career with Red Dragon Cartel today, Jake E. Model: “Portion of Distortion”. The (P.O.D.) Lee remains an influential “musician’s is an all tube Guitar preamp stomp box that

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runs on a balanced 9volt power supply.

This unique pedal has no transistors and relies solely on vacuum tubes for killer tone.

The MSRP is $199.00 For more information: www.groovybabyaudio.co.uk

3

Remix Backpack. Namba Gear makes cool various sized ballistic nylon backpacks just for musicians. The Remix Backpack is specifically designed to carry a 15” Laptop, A DJ controller, Headphones, Mic’s, Cables and more.

They come in Five different c o l o r combinations and the MSRP is $149.00.

The external dimensions are 18” H x 14” W x 9.5” D. Visit www.nambagear.com for more information.

4

Waves Audio Scheps 73 is a faithful reproduction of a classic vintage NEVE 1073 Three band EQ. Developed by renown engineer Andrew Sheps, (Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Jay-Z), this EQ is famous for its beautiful saturation and harmonic distortion It also includes a rare1078 / 10kHz midrange band and has a unique MS (mid-side) matrix feature– which allows a different EQ to the mid and side stereo content.

The

Waves

Scheps

73

is

currently

Yo u r

local guitar shop

is a treasure

Within its walls are the instruments that made you passionate, and the people who understand your passion. They share your thrill of acquisition, and always welcome you to stop in and see what's new. You still stare into the window like a kid every time you pass by. Everyone should be lucky enough to have a local guitar shop, and we all need to frequent the stores that we want to keep in our towns. Music is personal, on every level. Take pride in knowing who built your guitar and who sold it to you. Treasure your local guitar shop.

Eddie’s Guitars: St. Louis, MO

Mandolin Brothers: Staten Island, NY

The Podium: Minneapolis, MN

Acoustic Music Org: Guilford, CT

Elderly Instruments: Lansing, MI

Maple Street Guitars: Atlanta, GA

Tobias Music: Downer’s Grove, IL

Acoustic Vibes: Tempe, AZ

Folkway Music: Ontario, Canada

Meadowood Music: Blandon, PA

Transpecos Guitars: Alpine, TX

Apple Music Row: Portland, OR

Fuller’s Vintage Guitar: Houston, TX

Northern Lights Music: Littleton, NH

West Chester Music: West Chester, PA

Artisan Guitars: Franklin, TN

Gryphon Stringed Instruments: Palo Alto, CA

Redwood Acoustics: Brookfield, WI

Westwood Music Center: Los Angeles, CA

Bailey Acoustic Shop: Plant City, FL

Guitar Resurrection: Austin, TX

Rhum Academy of Music: Kokomo, IN

Whitehouse of Music: Waukesha, WI

Bernunzio Uptown Music: Rochester, NY

Guitar Tex: San Antonio, TX

Riffs Acoustic Music: La Jolla, CA

Wick’s Guitar Shop: Keller, TX

Butch’s Guitar & Repair: San Luis Obispo, CA

Guitar Vista: Albuquerque, NM

Riffs Acoustic Music: Park City, UT

Willcutt Guitar Shoppe: Lexington, KY

Chicago Music Exchange: Chicago, IL

H.B. Woodsongs: Boulder, CO

Rudy’s Music Stop Soho: New York, NY

Craig’s Music: Weatherford, TX

Jerry’s Lefty Guitars: Sarasota, FL

Rudy’s Music Stop: New York, NY

Dave’s Guitar Shop: La Crosse, WI

L.A. Guitar Sales: West Hollywood, CA

Sound Pure: Durham, NC

Denver Folklore Center: Denver, CO

Lidgett Music: Council Bluffs, IA

Sylvan Music: Santa Cruz, CA

Down Home Guitars: Frankfort, IL

Madison Music: Madison, WI

The Music Emporium: Lexington, MA

For a list of our ‘local’ international shops, please visit the website.

©2014 SANTA CRUZ GUITAR COMPANY

A Sharp Music Company: Renton, WA

5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM available for Native $149 and SoundGrid $225 MSRP. Special introductory price for Native only: $99. Visit www.waves.com for more information.

4

Collings Guitars “Waterloo WL-14” Acoustic Guitar A high quality take on Gibson’s Kalamazoo flat tops. This ain’t your grandpa’s cheap guitar. $Price unannounced www. collingsguitars. com

5

One more thing that caught my attention was Boogie Juice. Boogie Juice is an all natural product designed to clean and maintain instrument fingerboards. It comes in a convenient sharpie-like device that fits easily in a guitar case. Made in NewZealand. Email boogiejuice@xtra.co.nz for more information.

2

Dog Days Vintage Guitar Straps

Truly unique straps made from reclaimed and vintage fabrics. Limited edition for real. from $54.95 www.dogdaysvintage.com

3

Joe Riggio

1

65amps “Whiskey” Amp Head

This is how you wished your old hot-rodded british amp sounded like, but never did. $2,695 www.65amps.com

Tayble “Cassette” Coffee Table

For the studio owner who has everything… except a coffee table. From $1,499 www.taybles.com

This one Looks familiar :)

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5

MXR “Uni-Vibe” pedal

The latest version of the classic psychedelic chorus, using FET technology for consistency. $129 www.jimdunlop.com

wire less. rock more.

TM

The incredible new Intellitouch FREEDOM ONE® is the first and only Digital Wireless Guitar System that doubles as a wireless pedal tuner. So there's a lot more rocking and a lot less wiring. $149.95 Retail.

NOW THAT’S REAL FREEDOM. ®

LEARN MORE AT INTELLITOUCH-USA.COM

© 2012 OnBoard Research Corp. Photo: Will von Bolton.

MAKING A GREAT SOUNDING RECORD. step two / consider the arrangement

you can add or tweak parts. I often tweak an arrangement after I’ve completed tracking all the instruments.

So, what is an arrangement? Originally, arrangements were understood to be an adaptation of a previously written composition. These days, a song arrangement can also be the original instrumentation and vocal arrangement that is created by a producer/artist to develop a song from its most basic form: lyric and melody.

As a creative type, I don’t always organize my thoughts clearly. So, if you’re organized, Step Two might be Step One, or if you’re like me Step Two could be Step Anywhere within all of the Steps… only because we have the luxury of using non-linear editing within our Arrangements determine the following in any Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). given song: For the purposes of this discussion on • Genre making a great sounding record, Step Two is “Consider the Arrangement”. Many believe • The theme, vibe, or feel it’s important to think about an arrangement • The instrumentation (instruments used) before you begin recording. This is true, and it is important to have a road map before you • Vocal parts begin. But at the same time, you don’t have • The various points within the song that to let yourself be limited by a pre-planned various instruments and voices will arrangement. As mentioned above, with the perform, and the specific parts they advent of DAWs, we are able to manipulate perform. arrangements very easily. We are not forced • The overall structure of the song (e.g. to live within the confines of multi-track tape, the introduction, transitions between which has a finite amount of space in which

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by Matt Kees

sections like verses and choruses, key changes/modulations, and endings).

• The creation of an instrumental hook.

This list is not exhaustive, but it gives us a good place to start.

Let’s start with genres. In some cases, genres determine the instrumentation for us. But these days, genres are crossing lines left and right, so you never know what instrument you might hear in a song. No longer do you hear mandolins or lap steels only in country songs. No longer are electronic drums and noises relegated to EDM (electronic dance music). My challenge here is this: be creative with genre, but be sure to understand your market.

Several things can create a theme, vibe, or feel: tempo, instruments used, dynamic levels, and timbre of the instruments and voices. Music is emotional, so the emotions of the song’s lyrics need to match the emotion of the song’s arrangement. There are no hard and fast rules, but certain things tend to make sense for us.

For example, ballads tend to be slower and Continued on page 44.

WHERE TO PLAY that NEW SONG?

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr The song is complete. You feel that it is a winner. You are comfortable singing it and now you want to share it with anyone who has a beating heart. You start with friends, family, and countrymen lending their ears, and then you look around for that next virgin audience.

The desire for people to hear your song and see what they think is what drives the creative entrepreneur. So, where to play next?

concertwindow.com). Play a live show right into your laptop and stream it. The feedback will be advantageous in your quest to see if the song that you have written really has any legs to stand or run. Sure, you might only have a few tune in at first, but anything beats a blank and you have to start somewhere!

These kinds of events can build a following, just like a live in-person event.

You know we always love to color outside the lines, so we researched unique places that other artists have played. Here is a list with some of our own suggestions below. Take your song and run with it.

4. House Concerts. We love this setting. With a thematic night planned, whether it is a Hallmark inspired event (Valentines day, Presidents Day, Grandparents Day, etc.) or a cause, a community fundraiser, or even a women’s bible study, setting up shop in a person’s home is a great way to take that song and light two candles with one flame. It is an intimate event, and usually generates sales of merchandise because of the connection between the artist and the audience. Sometimes smaller is better.

1. The Subway.

A live, captive audience who are on their way to somewhere, but usually have some chill moments to spare in between their wait and their ride. No need for speakers or fancy equipment, just you and your guitar. No need to put out an open guitar case for spare change, but it would be a great idea to have someone record it for your promotion and marketing social networking.

We’ve seen some incredible videos of spontaneous musical combustion that were magical. When you catch people off guard, and you are really good at what you do, they will catch the fire!

2. Songs On A Plane. Of course, you need to ask the flight attendants for permission, but why not. You’ll never do it if you never ask. Music has calmed the savage beast; why not help calm the passengers on a plane with your brand new song. This would probably be just you and your vocal chords, sporting acappella, but once again, you have a captive audience. Or, you may want to share a song with your row mate via your phone or iPod. This happened with us one time on a flight from Nashville to Baltimore. It turned into much more, as we shared with the artist about our open-mic contest we hold in Franklin, TN, called Puckett’s Rising Star (www. puckettsrisingstar.com) The artist came out to the event and actually won the grand prize, including $500 cash and a round with several hit songwriters! So you just never know what will happen!

5. Sound Cloud. (https://soundcloud. com) Make a sound cloud of your song and pass it on ‘anonymously”. Take the recording and post it, asking for feedback and reviews (warning: be prepared for all kinds of responses) This one is not for the faint of heart. You will, though, receive true responses. People won’t see your face, won’t know your name and will feel that they can be much more honest due to that cloaked setting.

6. Songwriters Open Mic. Take it to the people. Join up with other artists. Get off the computer and participate in an open mic. You will have an opportunity to look straight into the eyes of individuals who are looking forward to hearing new music and will look straight back into your eyes while listening. Where to find those events? Look online, Craigslist, newspaper, local music groups. If there isn’t one in your town, go to your local coffee shop and ask if you can hold one there. You be the host and play at it! If you are ever in Nashville, there is an excellent list of songwriter events on the Nashville Songwriters Association International website. (http://www.nashvillesongwriters.

3. An Online Concert. Set it up and com). And of course, our own Rising Star they will come. From Livestream (http:// songwriter open-mic contest has been very new.livestream.com) to Irocke (http://www. popular with sell-out crowds at most events. irocke.com) to Concert Window (http://www.

7. Church event. Yes, this may not 36

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CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

seem like a unique place to play, but offer to bring your one song to an event that is already in process. Not a whole concert, just one song. Bring your story, bring your song, and the only thing you ask in exchange is for the opportunity to interview willing participants with your smart phone to get reviews on how your song affected them. Will they or will they not hit ‘play again’ once they’ve heard it. Where can you find a church, check out Church Angel (http://www.churchangel.com) There is nothing like feedback from a live audience.

We can continue, but you get the message.

Search, create, attend, and bring it. If you take that song out to the public, it will give more credence to your songwriting than just sitting on it and waiting to write another one. You may find yourself in a rewrite, a co-write, or the storyline may change up a bit; the structure of the song may need to be tweaked, or it may be one of those one that people exclaim ‘play it again’. Either way, you will grow. It will change your whole way of thinking about the songwriting process. You will not hold on to each song as if it is the piéce de résistance. You will, though, be encouraged to write more, more often, and then turn it around again and play it out. With this workflow in place, you can utilize the same places over and over again. Doing is winning. So, play it again, Sam, we want to listen.

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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Ask Joe

by Joe Riggio

Q

What is the benefit to using coated strings? Are they worth the extra cost?

Coated strings are a recent addition to the many choices we have as guitar players.

They have only been around for about 20 years or so, and interestingly enough, were not even introduced by a string company. They were developed as a way to extend the life of a string by protecting the bare metal surface from corrosion caused by body oils and exposure to the elements. The process is effective in this, however there is a trade off. The coating causes a slight dampening effect of the otherwise brighter, uncoated string. So, a brand new set of coated strings will never sound quite as bright as a traditional set, but retain it’s own “new” sound for a longer period of time. To determine, whether or not this is for you, there are 2 decisions to be made:

A

1) Do I value the extended life enough to There are articles out here (I mean the Internet in general, not this page) that are accept the sonic compromise? presented in such a way that one might have 2) Is my playing style such that I am not every reason to believe that they are true and breaking expensive strings long before I’m coming from an experienced “expert”. Well, gaining the extended life I’m paying for? many of them simply are not, and are full of Some players actually prefer the sound AND untrue testimonies. the softer feel of coated strings, in which case My point is simply this: get to know real they may be right for you. people, with real history and experience With all of the opinions that you can trust to help sort out all the floating around the Internet, false information out here. There’s good how do I know what to info out here too, but I’m just saying that it’s believe? so invaluable to have someone who’s a little more concrete to bounce things off of...just a I’ve recently voiced my thought. opinion about this very subject lately on the “Gear Joe Riggio is a professional Talk” forum on Facebook. I’ll guitar repairman/technician repost the text here: and recording engineer,

Q A

based in Tacoma, WA.

I just wanted to share a general thought He owns and operates here: where many of us go to get answers to “Service Guitar Repair” and questions we might have.

“House Of Sound Recording Studio” He has a deep love Lately I’ve been reading articles online and knowledge of vintage guitars, as well as modern and about a subject in which I am an expert. The loves to share his passion with others. subject matter is completely irrelevant, so just He can be contacted at ServiceGuitarRepair@gmail.com website: www.ServiceGuitarRepair.com hear me out.

Wear It Well

MusiciansThreads.com 38

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Sound Check - Continued from page 7

indie artists... consider using a producer

convention had so many wonderful and fulfilling moments for me that there isn’t room here to contain it! The Lord has given me relationships with so many different individuals at so many equipment companies over the last 19 years that it is amazing to watch how He lined things up for our success – brick upon brick. Way cool!

You will hear about some of the new products that swept me off of my feet at the show, as well as our volunteer friends who joined me in our “5 Cool Things I Saw at NAMM” feature in this issue.

My thanks go out to you, our faithful readers. You are the ones that we do all this for. Please keep doing your part by reading and subscribing and we’ll keep up our part of the deal by working hard to bring you magazines that improve your skill and inspire your musicianship!

When we all work together it reminds me of the scripture “a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Thank you Lord for your goodness!

Lord Bless Ya! Bruce & Judy

“Matt is a very musical songwriter, producer, mixer and a very good friend of mine. I love hearing his work as he is one of the best in the business. I always look forward to working and making great music with Matt.” ~ Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, Toto, James

Taylor, Ray Charles, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Steve Lukather, Don Henly, Santana, Spinal Tap, Andy Summers...)

Pentatonic Applications We have gone over minor pentatonic scale positions and exercises in our last two meetings here in ‘Guitar from A 2 Z’. The most common use of the pentatonic minor scale is over a 1/4/5 blues or rock style progression.

Now, let’s bring this up a level by adding in the Dorian scale and the Major Pentatonic to the mix.

EXP. #1: G minor pentatonic to G Dorian.

To convert the five note G minor pentatonic to a seven note G Dorian modal scale, add a second and a sixth to the minor pentatonic, So the natural extensions for the G minor pentatonic are A: the major second, and E: the major sixth. So we have gone from the five note scale, G-Bb-C-D-F to a seven note scale, G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F. Of course, this will work within all minor pentatonic scales.

EXP. #2: Here is a four measure chord progression to play over, you can use a looper to record yourself, or get a friend to play it.

Start in the Gm pentatonic, then move to the Dorian over the third bar.

Now let’s look at the difference between the Minor and Major pentatonic scales. The minor is made up of the 1st, b3rd, 4th, 5th, and the b7th, whereas the Major Pentatonic is built on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and the 6th of the diatonic major scale. So, the scale is made up of major seconds and minor thirds along with no half steps (like the minor). You can look at it as a Major scale with no fourths and seventh scale steps.

Exp. #3: Here is a look at four fingerings for the Major Pentatonic scale with the root note on the low E and A strings. Pattern 1 and 2 are in A, pattern 3 and 4 are in D. All patterns are movable to other keys.

Coda: Some of these patterns may be familiar to you, but don’t rush them. Be sure you have distinction in your notes as you bring life to them. 1 Corinthians 14:7-9 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.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

MAR/APR 2014

41

Stay Faithful in the Small Things

by Bryan Duncan

We often think of God’s purpose for us in shallow ways. “What is he doing with me right now?” That’s usually how we assess our own significance. But God paints in broader strokes. His hands are bigger, and He has the advantage of an aerial view. Until now, I’ve never thought in terms of generations, but I’ve recently come to see that the story of the faithfulness of God in all things is one where our lives are but a chapter in a bigger story.

I got a message from a kid half my age the other day. “My dad was in a bluegrass band that opened for you, back when you were with Sweet Comfort Band,” he said. “We knew all of your songs,” he added, and then he went on to tell a bigger story: “My brother and I got into drugs and alcohol big time.” He told of his older brother, now in his thirties, losing his job and family as a result of addictions.

leave after a few weeks. Finally, exasperated, his dad sent him to Teen Challenge in North Carolina. It was as far from California as he could get, and the father figured it would be harder to escape recovery from there.

both play along. And in the background sat my father’s own children. He taught me to play the bass out of a simple need for the “volunteer” help. I would eventually sing too, when he was looking for some “special music” About a month into his time in recovery, for the service.

Teen Challenge sent the boy to work on a The truth is our stories are unfinished, maybe piece of land in the surrounding community. even over the course of our lifetime. And the It was hard work, clearing trees and the impact we long to see is often clouded from familiar kudzu that entangles the woods in the our view of life. Faithfulness, one day at a time, south. In his determination to push through comes with almost no immediate satisfaction. the familiar desire to escape once again, the And now, I think back in amazement about a addict began to sing. It was a song I’d written song an addict sang in my father’s backyard. nearly two decades ago. “I love you with my Even after it was recorded, it would be over life,” he sang, over and over as he hacked away a year and a half of relentless touring before at the thickets. anyone took notice of it in the first place. It The owner of the home where he was working was a surprise even to us, as we’d forgotten overheard him singing. “What song is that?” about the last song on side two of our second the man asked. “Oh you wouldn’t know it,” the effort.

Their father sent his brother to several rehabs kid replied. “Just a song by a guy my dad used over the years. And his brother would always to play music with back in California . . .Bryan Duncan is his name,” he said dismissively. And the man smiled and said, “Bryan is my oldest son!”

The best way to stay upbeat about our current circumstances is to let God show us a glimpse of the bigger picture. Upon hearing this man’s story, I found a change of attitude about struggling through the mundane work and repetition that comes with music and writing, and which often comes with side jobs My dad was a preacher of no acknowledgeable significance. in the local area who had The brother I spoke to has redeemed his often worked with Teen time in music as well, now leading worship Challenge through his and ministering to men who struggle with church. He invited the addictions. And his brother too, now kid to sit on the porch recovering from long-term mistakes, is doing as he began to unfold well, a step at a time. They live just ten minutes the story of his own life from me, and I was not aware of them for the and experience with last twenty years. Bottom line: even when the God of redemption, you are unaware, you matter! And every little going once again thing you do matters! Stay faithful in the “small through the pages of things”; you are not in a position to determine scripture. the significance of any detail of your life.

The interesting thing here is that my dad, too, sometimes didn’t feel like his ministry mattered. His church attendance was never more than a few hundred. He would preach and sing with my mom, and they would

42

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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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Continued from page 34.

instruments have dropped out.

softer. In a ballad, you won’t necessarily have the chords of the verses being chunked out by a loud, distorted rhythm guitar. While on the flip side, dance tunes tend to be faster and louder. If we stray from these general rules, we may run the risk of not connecting to the listener on an emotional level… and if we don’t connect with the listener, what’s the point, right?

Let’s talk a bit more about the wall-of-sound that I mentioned above. This wall of sound syndrome (WOSS for short) is quite common with bands in both live and recorded situations when they don’t have experience with arrangements. Many band members typically play every note all the time. To help alleviate WOSS, bands need a leader. In recording situations, this is the producer. This individual needs to have some history and experience with music theory. As for teaching/ coaching the band, they need to share that it’s okay, for example, for the guitar player to not play in verse one. It’s okay for the piano player to play two notes during the chorus and not use their left hand. It’s okay for the bass player to play whole notes up the octave during the bridge. It’s okay for the drummer to play a kick on 2 and 4 while a drum loop plays during verse 2. It’s okay for the backing vocals to not sing harmonies until the second chorus.

We can avoid WOSS by serving the song and not our personal need to play or sing every note all the time during a song. A producer or bandleader has the responsibility to save the listener’s ears by ending WOSS.

A good arrangement will take the listener on a journey. In most cases, songs that live at the same dynamic level throughout the song will do one of two things; either overwhelm us with constant intensity with its wall-ofsound, or bore us to death if it remains too mellow with no dynamic changes. There needs to be an ebb and flow, setup and release, give and take. The journey needs to lead us somewhere. For example, a verse could set us up for a release into the chorus.

This might happen with a dynamic increase, or perhaps discordant tension that is screaming for a resolution. Think outside of the box, like Hillsong… they introduced the modern worship music community to the ‘false’ build up. In some of their songs, instead of climaxing into their first chorus, they build up into a quiet chorus. It makes for a very powerful moment that forces us to focus on the lyric of the chorus, since virtually all of the

simple and it should be a no-brainer, but many times we tend to not think about dynamic changes unless we are coached to do so, or are mimicking another recording that we’re covering.

Producers of recorded songs also need to be aware of the song structure. If you are striving for radio friendly songs (even internet radio), keep intros, transitions, and solos to a minimum. The more time you spend away from the lyric, the less likely it will be radio friendly. These vocal-less moments should be focused on the hook or the riff whenever possible.

Speaking of hooks, instrumental hooks are not difficult to create, but sometimes they can be elusive. Maybe it’s a part of the chorus vocal melody, or perhaps a guitar lick that was played by accident. A good producer or musician can be very helpful in creating hooks, and then interweaving it/them throughout the song, creating a cohesive arrangement.

Matt Kees is the Lead Guitarist for The Elevators, Director of the Christian Musician Summit On the flip side, if all you have for a recording conferences and Owner/ is a piano and a vocal, both the piano and Producer at SmithBuilt Studio vocal should change dynamically between in Frederickson, WA. www.mattkees.com

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CODA I recently told a story to Bruce Adolph about my time in Richie Furay’s band. He was intrigued, and asked me to retell the story for Christian Musician Magazine readers. While watching Tom Hanks’, “Saving Mr. Banks”, I was reminded of that commitment.

So how in the world do these two things connect? It has to do with the surprises life, and in particular God, hold in store for us.

As a child of the 50s and 60s, Tom Hanks certainly grew up a Disney movie fan, and yet years later, was portraying Walt himself!

I’m sure Tom never imagined this particular twist would be brought into his life. Our lives hold incredible surprises, and we will all experience many unexpected twists and turns that we never anticipated.

Like Tom, I am a child of the 50s and 60s. My Southern California memories include playing “army” in the orange groves, cub scout meetings, the Dodgers moving from Brooklyn to LA, “duck and cover” Cold War drills, and news footage of the assassination of President John Kennedy. These all preceded the “British Invasion”, and the subsequent renaissance in music.

Part of that renaissance was the phenomenal impact of the Southern California band, Buffalo Springfield, now inductees to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

This was my favorite band during that time, and I was fortunate to see them many times.

Three of them, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, and Richie Furay, went on to profoundly influence songwriting and recorded music.

I was absolutely immersed in music, it consuming every waking moment of my life.

During these years, and before the era of backstage high security needs, bands were accessible to fans. Although a bit younger than these artists, I took full advantage of the situation, meeting and befriending many of them. One of these was Richie Furay. He was always kind to me, even inviting me to drop by his (and Nancy’s) home on Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

But then my life radically changed. I became a Christian at a Billy Graham Crusade. My 46

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IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

by Alex MacDougall

musical priorities diminished until they were of trust, and that’s not simply a semantic redirected in God’s timing for me. Richie’s choice. Believe me, it makes things much career moved on to the band Poco, and other easier. ventures.

I have experienced this dynamic often in my Several years later, I returned to my musical life. Many people I have heard at one time, passions, playing with and for many early or been impacted by, I later worked with in pioneers in contemporary Christian music. creative endeavors: Larry Norman; Charles During my second stint in The Way, I met the Colson (of Watergate fame); Charleton phenomenal steel guitarist and dobro player, Heston (the actor); Andrae Crouch; Bob Al Perkins, at church (Calvary Chapel Costa Bennett; Phil Keaggy; drummers Vinnie Mesa). Al loved our band, and produced Colaiuta, Jim Keltner and Alex Acuna; Gary The Way’s “Can It Be”, for an early Maranatha! Busey (the actor); and Jonathan Butler...all Music album. With an impressive background of them were surprise opportunities for me. in country rock and bluegrass music, Al was And the list goes on. at that time a member of The SHF Band I even had MY Disney surprise! Growing (Souther/Hillman/FURAY Band). We spoke of up when and where I did afforded me access Richie, and Al asked me if I would like to meet to Disneyland for only $3.00! Years later, Richie again. Remember, this was roughly I auditioned for and was hired as the park’s 8-9 years after I had known Richie during the “nighttime” drummer. What a thrill that was Springfield days. But things had changed for to now WORK for the place that had made him as well, because through Al’s influence, me happy as a child.

Richie had come to Christ.

I will leave you with one final surprise.

I’ve learned that even though the world During our grade school years, my brother may seem big and overwhelming to us, with and I, along with friends, went to Disneyland dreams that seem completely out of reach, for a day of fun. We separated into two the world is a very small place in God’s eyes. groups, my brother and his friend going into He moves things around, and shakes things the “Meet Mr. Lincoln” attraction on Main up. He will surprise you. He has consistently Street. I later found out just after the lights surprised me in my life. dimmed in the exhibit, a man came in and sat And he DID surprise me, bringing Richie down next to my brother. When the show Furay back into my life. Not long after meeting ended, the man asked my brother, “What did Richie again, he assembled a recording band you think, son?” It was Walt Disney!

(Tom Stipe, John Mehler, and Jay Truax), So expect the unexpected in your life and and went into the studio to record songs calling. Take it all step-by-step, submitting reflecting his newfound faith. Following basic it to God and trusting him for your future. tracking, I was asked to come in and put down Make savvy decisions based upon good percussion, which was followed by Richie information and prayer, and always shake asking me to tour with himself and the band. hands and smile, while building relationships.

What an incredible, unexpected, and surreal blessing to me. I was now in the position of It’s a small world, after all. creating WITH the person I was once a fan of. Alex is an Adjunct Professor Such a strange turn of events indeed! at Dallas Baptist University, I’ve since learned that there are two ways and currently serves as to approach being a Christian professional. Managing Director of Christ You can perceive your place in the workplace For The Nations Music. as a “calling”, or you can view it as a “career”. He has toured with many Placing it all on the altar of “calling” relegates artists, as well as recording your vocational direction to God. It’s a matter on and producing hundreds of projects.

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