Christian Musician Magazine - Nov/Dec 2014

Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent

friends are friends for how long?

Michael W. Smith & Amy Grant

Reviews * Santo ToneCaster 316 G-Series * TC-Helicon Play Acoustic or Play Electric?

NOV/DEC 2014 Volume 19, Issue 6 11

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74470 95962

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US $5.95 Can $6.95

Selective Hearing * Sanctus Real * Rhett Walker Band * Remedy Drive * U2 * Daniel Amos * Joseph Pfeiffer

Mark Kendall of Great White by Steven Douglas Losey

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10 NIFTY MUSICIAN GIFT IDEAS

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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.

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

CONTENTS 36 The Indie Mechanics

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr Who Cares?

Taking Time to Stop and Smell the Strats Along the Way…

8 Product Review

by Bruce Adolph Santo ToneCaster 316 G-Series

This time around the block publishing three magazines has been a whirlwind of activity. I knew at the start of the year that adding Collectible Guitar magazine to the schedule would create some interesting calendar scenarios with the way the three magazine’s print cycle falls and how some of our events that we produce or attend may overlap those dates. It has not been more pronounced than right now, as I have wrapped up Worship Musician (it is on the loading docks at the printer as I write this), Collectible Guitar has one more page to turn in today, then I will proof it at the printer tomorrow and Christian Musician magazine is calling for me to write and sell more ads for it, as it needs to be turned into the printer ASAP. Why so quickly? Well, to stay on schedule for you our readers and because we have the largest event of the year to produce next week… the Christian Musician Summit conference in Issaquah, WA. Yikes!

10 Bassic Communication

by Norm Stockton Play a Part

38 Product Review

by Eric Dahl TC-Helicon Play Acoustic or Play Electric?

12 Guitar Workshop

by John Standefer How Deep the Father’s Love

40 The Musician’s Doc

by Tim Jameson, D.C., M.Div Life and Gravity

14 Drumming Dynamics

by David Owens Ghosting

41 Guitar From A 2 Z

by Roger Zimish Triplets! 1 & A

16 Vocal Coach’s Corner

by Roger Beale Chips

42 Reflecting the Projector

by Bryan Duncan

We have been working really hard trying to keep the plates all spinning. I normally tend to work through most Saturdays and some of Sundays (although I don’t recommend that Sunday part), but this last Sunday I opted to watch the football game in the afternoon (Go Seahawks!) with Judy and all three sons (plus our fur-son Winston).

Sunday night rolled around, the kids had gone home and I was thinking if I should try to get some more work done or simply to rest.

The cover story of Collectible Guitar has a really wonderful piece of guitar history… a 1955 Fender Stratocaster in excellent shape on it.

The owner of that legendary guitar let me borrow it for the weekend and I was so busy I all but ignored it. It was 10:00pm on Sunday night and I remembered I had it. Pulling it out of the old guitar case you could literally smell “vintage guitar”. It was a wonderful sight to behold. I played for 30 minutes straight on it for Judy and I think it was the most inspiring time I have ever had playing an electric guitar sitting on the side of the bed… it wasn’t even plugged in! Judy was wearing her Fender sweatshirt that I had bought her years ago and I told her, “Isn’t this something that I was holding a Stratocaster that Leo Fender himself may of held, as they inspected the guitars before they shipped out to the retail stores in 1955?” The same Leo Fender whose logo was on her clothing. It was a total blessing to be able to play this old Strat that is actually one year older than I am.

A new melody came out of my playing time, set to a line from Luke 24:32 (the Road to Emmaus). Wow! I am so glad I took the time to stop and smell the vintage guitars along the way.

In His Grip!

Bruce & Judy

18 Show Us Your Groove

by Rick Cua The Dismantling Of John Doe 24 Selective Hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin Sanctus Real Rhett Walker Band Remedy Drive U2 Daniel Amos Joseph Pfeiffer 28 10 Nifty Musician Gift Ideas

by Eric Dahl

Interviews

20 Friends are Friends for How Long?

Michael W. Smith & Amy Grant

by Bruce Adolph

32 How Your Perspective Effects 34 Guitarist Mark Your Success (or Your Failure) Kendall of Great

by Tom Jackson White

by Steven Douglas Losey

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 Director of Advertising: Steve Sattler, steve@creativesalesresource.com 626-836-3106 Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

NOV/OCT 2014

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PRODUCT REVIEW

Santo ToneCaster 316 G-Series

By Bruce Adolph

I first met Chris Nunez from Santo Guitars at the Creation West Festival a few years back.

Chris is a veteran recording artist, songwriter and musician in his own right and has a background as a mechanical engineer with nine US patents and had just started his guitar company.

Nic Gonzalez from Salvador was playing the festival and his wife Jaci Velazquez was there as well. I had known Jaci for years as a concert promoter and I knew that Nic was a talented guitar player in his own right. Chris had one of his Santo guitars in our Great Gear GiveAway promotional drive that was being autographed by the artists at the festival and he had come specifically to meet Christian guitarists so he could introduce his guitars that he builds in Michigan to them.

Nic met Chris backstage while signing his guitar and they hit it off. Nic told him what he was looking for in a guitar for his live stage and recording plans and Chris set out to make Nic the guitar he was after. When you have a relationship with any builder where communication can flow it is so much better than

just walking into a store and selecting a guitar that was 1 of 150 that company made that day.

Fast forward a few years and now we can see where Chris is at a builder with this ToneCaster 316 G-Series Tele style electric guitar model. I like the model name ToneCaster (well played Chris) as it gives homage to the iconic Telecaster name with a new spin on it.

Santo means “holy” in Spanish.

This guitar is a fine blend of components… I like the one-piece southern USA swamp ash body with its natural hand rubbed oil clear gloss finish (that is what attracted me to this guitar in the first place). The second thing I liked about it was the 3 ply black oversized pickguard (again, good looking).

Chris likes to place quality parts in his guitars and this one is no exception with an upgraded neck-joint with hexdrive inserts and MIL-STD machine screws. The neck is a Mighty Mite 2902 Fender-licensed C-shape 9.5-12” compound radius made of maple with a maple fretboard (my personal favorite fretboard) and has a bone nut with dot inlays. The fretwork is nice and sports polished and edge rounded frets. The feel of the Grover rotomatic gold locking tuners made tuning easy and this neck has roller string trees.

The pick-ups are Vintage High Output (9-10 kohms) Humbucker pickups (humbuckers on a Tele style body shape are cool). The bridge position pick-up is the new GFS “Vintage Split” humbucker (a recreation of the classic Seth Lover designed Fender® pickup used on the Tele deluxe and Custom models of the late 60’s, except these are STANDARD humbucker sizethey fit in everything). They offer a warm vintage bottom and a pronounced upper mid like the originals. The output is

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faithful too so vintage fans will like them.

For hardware this ToneCaster has a thru-thebody gold 6-saddle hardtail bridge, a 3-way Les Paul style configuration pick-up selector switch and both volume and tone controls are gold metal.

This is where the overall components of this guitar meet… the pretty oiled swamp ash body, the maple neck, black pickguard and gold hardware all merge to make a fine looking instrument.

But swamp ash isn’t just for looks. It is for tone. The guitar rings nicely. The pick-up configuration is versatile and Fender licensed neck feels familiar and comfortable at the same time. The scale length is 25.5”, it has 22 frets and the nut width is 1.625”. The guitar weighs in between 7 and 8 pounds. The guitar comes with a Gator hardshell rectangular case. The fit and finish work looks good on this Santo and overall, for what you get in this instrument – quality parts, made in the USA and a “lower-than-you-might-expect-to-pay” price tag – this ToneCaster 316 guitar looks good, plays good – it’s a keeper! Well played Santo.

List Price $999.00 Street $699.00 www.santoguitarusa.com

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Play a Part I just returned from a 10-day clinic run through Toronto, Atlanta, Tampa and Albuquerque; big thanks to all who came to hang!

Over the course of the many clinics, one of the common topics I covered when discussing groove was the idea of playing a part.

The below was originally published 14 years ago (YIKES…time flies!). I’ve made a few updates but the relevance of the concept hasn’t diminished a bit.

Dig in and groove hard!

Although my initial desire to be a bassist was sparked by Paul McCartney’s playing on the Beatles’ classics, I essentially learned to play by emulating the playing of a certain progressive rock bassist who is famous for a riff-oriented, generally “busy” style of playing. Consequently, my playing for years was a series of guitar-like, unrelated and random (albeit harmonically & technically correct) snippets.

Although certain genres and musical contexts may lend themselves to this constant variation in the bass line (straightahead jazz or avantgarde music), the overwhelming majority of the music most of us find ourselves playing calls for a different musical approach.

It boils down to how people hear music. Let Try to come up with a one- or two-bar part me illustrate with an example I use in my clin- for each section of the tunes you play. Your ics. drummer will be elated to have a consistent I play several times through a chord pro- rhythmic figure with which to play, and you’ll gression comprising two bars of Am and two find that the overall arrangement of the tunes bars of G. In Version #1, I randomly noodle is enhanced. a variety of licks within that chord structure.

In Version #2, I play the bass line from the “A” section of The Police’s “Walking on the Moon.”

At the end, I challenge anyone to try to sing back to me, from memory, any portion of the bass line from Version #1. Invariably (and understandably), no one can remember the slightest thing about it, because it was simply a collection of random statements, with no discernible intent or direction. There’s simply nothing to sink your teeth into. Version #2, on the other hand, is an easily assimilated phrase that is instantly recognizable when the song returns to that bass figure after the “B” section.

I feel that application of this approach to my bass playing was one of the most important factors in my own musical development. I know you’ll find the same to be true for you.

Go for it!

Blessings- Norm

(Adapted from material in The Worship Bass Book from Hal Leonard Publishing)

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 PLAY A PART I encourage you to go back and analytically site (www.ArtOfGroove. com), as well as freelancing (including tour dates My older brother and musical mentor in the listen to some of your favorite music and see with Bobby Kimball, original lead singer of Toto, early years used to talk to me about estab- if you hear this concept employed (not only and Bill Champlin from Chicago). Look for his new lishing a motif, or “repetition with variation.” by the bass, but by the other instruments as book, The Worship Bass Book, published by Hal It took me many years before I truly under- well). I’m confident that you’ll find numerous Leonard. Also visit Norm at www.normstockton.com, examples. stood the importance of his point.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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My brother’s point was that most effective bass lines (and most effective music, in general) involve a specific figure, or motif, which is somewhat repetitive (to establish a foundation for the tune, as well as give the listener something to grasp), that progressively incorporates variations as the tune develops.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

Sunday, May 17, 2015 9:30am - 4:30pm The Tacoma Guitar Festival will feature over 150 exhibit style booths, guitar workshops led by industry experts, live performance music played by well-known guitarists, guitar personalities meet n’ greets and a festival atmosphere. Come to buy, trade or sell vintage, used and new guitars, amps, pedals, mandos, banjos, ukes, vinyl records, guitar accessories and more!

www.TacomaGuitarFestival.com Vendors, for more info, feel free to contact Bruce: 253-445-1973, bruceadolph@mac.com

How Deep the Father’s Love How Deep The Fathers Love It’s hard to believe it took a full year to write the 6-part series on harmony structure! It must be time to get back to a tune - a cool arrangement in TAB! Here’s a TAB that is full of jazzy harmonies added to an already great piece. Hope you enjoy it. Be sure to check out my website - and consider a few skype lessons! I’ve just completed work on an exciting new 4-session skype course too. Check it all out at www.johnstandefer.com!

- JS

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

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Chris Tomlin and Collings Guitars

Chris Tomlin and his 1999 Collings OM 42 SB

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

Ghosting This time around we are going to work on our ghosting. For those who do not know, ghost notes are the soft notes you play on the snare between the accented notes. I find the use of ghost notes to be one of the biggest faults of younger players. If these ghosted notes are not played accurately it makes a drummer sound sloppy.

ing motion. Once you master these do them all again with the high hat accenting off beats.

Make sure the ghost notes are subdivided evenly and fall right on the 16th note or 32nd note grid. That is the key to making grooves like these feel good. Record yourself and listen back. Sometimes it feels good when you are playing a groove but it may not sound so These exercises have a consistent foot and good when you listen back. snare pattern with the high hat accenting Be persistent and consistent with your pracdownbeats. The only thing that changes is the tice time. Always start with slow tempos beghosting patterns (notes with parenthesis) on fore you speed things up. the snare. Make sure to play rimshots on 2 & 4 on the snare. Accent the high hat on down- I hope this challenges you to “clean up” beats using the shank of the stick and tip of your ghost notes. the stick for softer upbeats using a small rock- Blessings, David

David freelances in and around Los Angeles and is currently playing for Franklin Graham events worldwide.

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

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believe

Chips Several years ago my wife and I were sitting outside in the July heat waiting for the July 4th fireworks to begin. We were in our lawn chairs amongst a big crowd excited about the impending, super-duper, fireworks show.

While waiting I thought I would have some conversation with my wife but every time I tried to speak my wife would say “What!”

She couldn’t hear me. There was a middleaged lady sitting next to us who was talking so loud and incessantly that nobody could have a conversation within a one-hundred foot radius of her. I also noticed some hoarseness, froginess, muscle weakness and some cracking when this lady bellowed forth. At this time I said to myself, “Self, this lady has some severe vocal damage.” Just then the lady starts gushing on, and then on, about her recent vocal surgery. This was told with a great amount of vocal flair and was not short on any details.

The rolling eyeballs near her confirmed my suspicions that the people she was with were not enjoying this constant chatter or the story of her vocal surgery. This lady had a major problem. It was constant, unabated, unnecessary, non-stop talking. It was both pitiful and sad. The surgery had no chance of success because the behavior that caused the vocal problem had not changed and probably would not ever change.

the student union choir, then joined the local church collegiate choir, and somehow got on the weekend public relations singing group.

She was in BIG voice trouble. The parents and the doctor decided that due to her non-stop talking issue, she needed to change her major.

That was the final decision. She couldn’t sing, so all those groups lost a performer and she finished with a business degree. Oh, by the way, her parents told me that she also talked in her sleep, a lot. No, I am not making this up.

At the present time, I am working with a singer who is in a professional quartet that sings all over the world, from Australia to Sweden and parts in between. The singer is recovering from some reflux issues and is doing well. The latest rehearsal of the group was done in Canada and her speech therapist was concerned about vocal overuse due to the length of the rehearsals. It was suggested that she schedule thirty-minute “vocal time-outs” during the three days of rehearsal. This was built into the schedule and was adhered to. It worked well. The voice held up with no problems. The other three singers joined in on the rest periods and they liked it so much that all future rehearsals will have “vocal time-outs” built into them. Smart group!

With these unfortunate stories in mind I would like to suggest that all singers create a budget plan for their vocal use. Be wise in your vocal spending to avoid costly and time consuming vocal difficulties. You only have so many vocal “chips” to spend in a day. If you spend more vocal “chips” than the day has hours you are headed for vocal difficulties.

Also, reckless use of your voice is to be avoided at all costs, such as yelling and screaming.

When the young lady arrived on campus This may seem obvious to all of us but this she obviously wanted to experience all the type of behavior ruins voices every day. music school had to offer, ALL OF IT! She was taking voice lessons, auditioned and be- Even being aware of overuse and abuse, came a member of their concert choir, joined many singers or professional voice users can At another time, I was teaching a student that had the same problem: non-stop talking. She received a scholarship to a very nice Christian University and was very excited about it. Her parents dropped her off at the school in August and I received a call shortly after Labor Day. The purpose of the call was to find a voice doctor.

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be surprised by physical issues they were not expecting. These could be gastrointestinal reflux, sinus infection, or even bronchitis. These can be medically dealt with and help avoid a vocal problem. However, vocal overuse is in your court. It is entirely up to you.

Consider these following suggestions and find out what works for you. 1. Choose your performance venues wisely. Some places are better than others for singing survival. 2.

Always be aware of your monitor issues. Purchase the best in- ear monitors you can. 3.

Major on the vocal majors. Ask yourself if the cost of saying something is worth the vocal effort to say it? 4. Always save your vocal “chips.” For the semi-pro weekend warrior, and the professional singer try this thought, “only sing when you are going to be paid.”

Just some thoughts to be aware of. 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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The Dismantling Of John Doe

by Rick Cua

Getting older is interesting. Changes that you never expected to happen start to bloom like bad weeds in a garden. Things you never thought much about become the topic of normal conversation. Do you remember when your older relatives mostly chatted about their medical procedures and whether their plumbing worked properly after their second cup of morning coffee? We didn’t really relate... until we related!

In our assembling through the years, especially the early ones, we bolt on many thoughts, habits and patterns that shape who we are. These character traits are the result of our DNA and even more, our experiences with life and those we walk through life with.

Good habits and bad ones that we have welcomed in, attach themselves to us. They cure and season over the years until they become us... who we are, how we think and act.

This is one topic that may not connect now, but tuck this chapter away, because you will totally identify one day down the road. As of this writing I am in my mid 60’s. It’s been a cake walk up until now. Eat well, exercise, avoid stress, count your blessings, etc. Now I can’t even squat down without wondering how am I going to get back up! Sometimes I shampoo twice because I forgot I did it the first time.

My active mind doesn’t allow me to focus on just one thing. My TPM (Thoughts Per Minute) number is out of control. I am an efficiency expert’s nightmare.

“This is just who I am”, “take it or leave it”, “if you don’t like it, don’t look” are just a few of the quips some of us may have used to justify our actions and defend our position. Modeling bad behavior got us there and pride keeps us there. If you ask me, it’s all just a front to keep us from taking the risk of letting peo- 2 Corinthians 5:20a says, “ We are therefore ple in and just being normal.

Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were The question I ask myself and would ask you making his appeal through us.” If we want to too is, “What is the foundation we are stand- make a deposit in the lives of others, effect ing on? What makes up who we are? Is it a culture as Christ’s ambassadors, we need to conglomeration of this and that? Things we clean house and replace bad thinking and learned here and there?” Just a random selec- habits with good ones. tion of bits of life or something that we have So I’ll leave you with two questions, “What really thought about based on the truth of are the learned behaviors in your life that who God says we are and guidelines that line need to be dismantled?” And, “What new up to His word. things have you learned that need to become

How about this... I am walking out of the house feeling my pockets for my cell phone only to realize that I am talking on it. Or, I am unpacking my suitcase one morning after returning from a trip and didn’t see my belt. I was sure I had left it in the hotel room. Until I realized, way later in the day, it was on my pants. Then, I was playing with my Grandkids when they grabbed onto my belt, one on the front and one on the back and started to swing between my legs. I thought I would just walk them around the house until they got tired but they brought me down in less than a minute like a wounded gazelle in the jungle. I couldn’t stop laughing but realized I was coming apart!

Although this human dismantling is something we will all face and is possibly the obvious expectation after reading the title, I was really thinking of focusing mostly on something totally different; a different dismantling.

One that makes you better and actually takes you up.. not down and out.

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adapt good thinking into your own functional day-to-day living.

There can be something very sweet about discovery when you totally relate to something and want to emulate that behavior.

It could be as simple as a businessman on a plane giving up his aisle seat for a middle seat so a family can sit together. Or, observing somebody encourage and build up someone who really needed it. Things as basic as that can be game changers in the lives of others.

When something thoughtful is done for people with entitlement issues their reaction may be muted but for most it’s a big deal… especially for the folks that haven’t been treated well earlier in life or even moments before.

Without question we do learn from others part of who you are?” This is something worth through our daily observation of life around thinking about... it can change everything. us. The things we let into our fabric, however, need to be filled with goodness and truth.

They need to be the things that will build “us Not just a musical artist, Rick and others up”, by our example.

It’s like a personal mission statement... everything you do should line up to those guiding words. “I exist to… “ “I will live my life by”, etc. Of course, life isn’t just a guideline driven journey. It’s a beautiful mix of absolutes formulated over time and spontaneous decisions decided upon in that unique moment. The key here is that your spontaneous decisions have to rest on some of the boundaries you have already set in place through your years of trial and error and hearing from God. As you continue to dismantle bad thinking you

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knows the business of music as well. Besides being a music publisher, artist manager and booking agent, he founded and ran his own record label, UCA Records, in the 1990s which led to a position for five and 1⁄2 years as Vice President, Creative/Copyright Development at EMI CMG in Nashville. There he managed a large songwriter roster and exponentially grew revenue through film and TV licensing, song promotion and print music development. He is currently on staff as the minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation at Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN.

friends are friends for how long?

Michael W. Smith & Amy Grant

by Bruce Adolph

Starting with the next issue of Christian Musician we enter into the 20th Anniversary celebration of this publication. That is a milestone that God truly deserves the praise and accolades for. He has sustained us through all kinds of various challenges throughout two decades. The Lord has been faithful to me so many times and this issue itself is another reminder of how He has taken care of me as the publisher and has brought aid my way when I needed it. THANK YOU LORD! Think of it… 20 years ago there wasn’t e-mail, websites or any kind of social media whatsoever. 20 years ago I had to use film stripped in for each article and ad in the magazine to prepare it for the printer.

hoped for a magazine that both signed artists and independents (back then an indie artist was basically a “local” artist) could openly talk about the music industry without reproach.

I didn’t even plan on advertising dollars to support the magazine coming from record labels because I naïvely didn’t think they would want to support a publication that really let their artist speak their minds – even about how unfair a system that the record business was.

Oddly enough, within the last decade most of the record companies and their practices have been very altered if not wiped out by the digital revolution. It was a good thing I targeted the equipment manufacturers to fund When I set out with the dream of what this the magazine through their advertising to this magazine would be, I wanted it to be a place small, but active, niche market. where we could talk with Christian musicians. I The two main personalities that really built

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the Contemporary Christian music genre itself are the people we are interviewing here for this pre launch of our 20th Anniversary year…

Amy Grant and her “friends are friends forever if the Lord is Lord of all” friend and one time keyboardist, Michael W. Smith. Both have graced our covers several times before, both have been wildly successful in their musical careers and both just happen to be the nicest people you may ever happen to meet.

As fate would have it (or as I would say… as the Lord has once again provided for this magazine) both of them were co-headlining a concert in my hometown at the Washington State Fairgrounds. Wow, a 15-minute drive and I am sitting down backstage with Amy and Smitty! Again, thank you Lord! Here is the conversation that followed…

Bruce: With the 20th Anniversary celebration of Christian Musician magazine I wanted to touch on a few spots where both of your music careers intersected with my own life and how your successes really opened up opportunities for the music store in Southern California I ran, and then later for our magazine’s success.

Amy, in 1985 I was general manager of a Christian music store that not only sold Christian records and cassettes but also musical instruments… between your Unguarded record and Yamaha’s DX7 keyboard we set new sales records that year. You had four different record covers for that album and you sold out the Los Angeles Forum (a very large venue) that night… what was that time like for you then?

Amy: It was fun. That show at the forum was the first time that any of the people from A&M Records came to a concert of mine and that was kind of a big door that swung open for me that night. They looked around and said, “Who are all these people?” I feel like we toured all the time. We had a great extended family feeling on the road. I always worked with amazing people and that made all the difference. And especially Mike Blanton (part of my management team), he was such a visionary musically. He was the one always pushing the envelope. I was willing to be detached from what the outcome would be, so when he said, “Let’s go try this!” I would say, “OK, I don’t care” (laughing) I felt like I was part of a spontaneous, spiritually alive, youthful, creative think tank. I was the girl in the front. (Turning towards Michael) I mean, you were there then, do you feel like it was the same way?

Michael: It was an experiment.

Amy: Yeah, everything experiment. (both laughing)

was

an

Michael: We kind of knew what we were doing and we kind of didn’t know what we were doing.

Amy: We all went to the same church then too, so there was a feeling of family.

Bruce: I was at the Meet n’ Greet at the Forum, it was amazing to me to see how you made everyone feel special in that setting, there must have been over one hundred people in that Meet N’ Greet. My oldest son Drew turned five years old that night and you made him feel so special. Where does that gift of hospitality come from in your family?

Amy: I don’t know. Maybe I’m just doing what comes naturally to me. I did find out that I have less peripheral vision than most people.

Bruce: Oh, maybe you don’t get distracted?

Amy: People keep saying that I make them feel like the only person in the room and then I had my periphery vision tested and it is fairly narrow. (everyone laughs) Bruce: That is funny.

Amy: Isn’t that funny? (chuckling) So, your limitations kind of shape how you react to people.

Bruce: Michael, in 1986 we did an in store appearance with you at the Carpenter Music store on you’re Big Picture record and Yamaha brought you to us in a long white limo because they wanted you to arrive well taken care of… which was kind of funny as we were a small music store. What was that timeframe like for you as an artist that was starting to have big success and recognition for what you were doing in the Christian market place?

Michael: Well, it was exciting to say the least. It has been exciting from day one.

It all started with her. (nodding his head towards Amy) Meeting her in 1982.

The Big Picture was what I felt to be the biggest experiment I have ever done.

Bruce: With your hair or with the record? (smiling) Michael: With the record. (laughing) Amy: Great hair!

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Michael: You could write a book about the of us have benefited form a relationship with hair, the things I did. (laughing again) But you them. know, some of the records weren’t that great Amy: Wow, that is fantastic! production wise but the stuff that was written and the approach we took on that album… I Bruce: Amy, how did come to work with Yamaha? worked with a guy in New York city.

Amy: Through Chris Gero in Nashville.

Amy: Who produced that?

I’m sure it was something pursued through Michael: John Potoker management as we had a pretty big band.

Amy: Ah yeah.

Bruce: And Yamaha provided everything Michael: It was a famous studio in New York. then… guitars, keyboards, drums, basses…

I felt like I was kind of blazing a trail. Not for Amy: Yes. anybody else but just for myself. It was very Bruce: Are there any other companies you much me… songs like Lamu, Rocketown… are an endorsee for?

Bruce: That was a great album.

Amy: I don’t know if I am really endorsing Michael: So, it was fun and we toured it and anything in that sense now. I mean, right now, had a blast.

I am playing McPherson guitars.

Bruce: That was the same Yamaha DX7 FM Bruce: Yes, we have had ads in our magazine technology sounds that had come out.

Michael: Yes, the DX7 and then the DX rackmounts from Yamaha had come out… eight modules in a row.

Amy: You know, I don’t know if that has to do with youth or even culturally, everything seemed rare. It was just a different time.

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Bruce: Amy, any others? I know you have a slew of guitars around the house with Vince (Gill) as your husband so you have some nice vintage stuff available.

Amy: Yes, Vince has a slew of guitars (smiling) Michael: He sure does.

Bruce: That is another thing I like about him. (laughing) Tell us about the first time you either attended or played at the Grammy Awards show… how did you feel? Who did you meet there that made you think, “Wow, I really am at the Grammies”?

Michael: Yes, I was shocked that I was even nominated and that I had won (which was for the second album). I remember I was up against Steve Taylor and I’m thinking… you know, I Want to Be A Clone, that record of Steve’s is going to win because that is cutting edge. And in fact, they did call my name.

Amy: I remember the first time I went. I think it was 1980. I didn’t win, but I was just in awe. I saw so many people whose music I love.

You know when you are new in a field, you are not secure enough to look at a crowd and say “we”. You kind of show up and go, “What am I doing here?” (laughing) That is what makes it a community… that it is everybody. And so I remember seeing Bonnie Raitt. I don’t remember seeing any of the performances until later. But I was also in school, I was in college, so I was trying to take it all in. But I had so much on my plate. I think I was tired all the time.

Michael: Yeah.

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Michael: So am I.

I met Celine Dion there and I just remember she was so nice. She knew who I was and was friendly towards us and that is when I thought, “I can’t believe I’m here”. In the early days we had more of those “wow” kind of moments. Not that you get used to it but it is different when you are there for the first time.

Amy: How great that Yamaha came on board.

I mean, partnerships just seemed to appear out of the woodwork then.

Everybody won in those relationships. That is how it really felt to me. I think it was a time in our lives where there was less going on and for us in the music culture - music really was a life-line.

Bruce: Speaking of the Yamaha relationship, I first got Michael set up with Korg keyboards as an endorsee and I know you have been with Yamaha a long time now. Yamaha in fact was the first advertiser that ever placed an ad with Christian Musician magazine and they have been my biggest advertiser still for 20 years now. It is neat to see how all three

with you playing your McPherson.

with husband Vince Gill

Bruce: That is an honest answer… (all of us laughing)

folks on TV during the try-outs, if it all went away, there are enough talented people. And the old, “big company” ocean liner would lead one to believe that there are only a few talented people! And the fact is, there are thousands of talented people. You just have to go on YouTube and go, “Who are those Michael: Are you talking about it just being a bands, who is that five year old? Oh my gosh! different day with streaming and everything? How did I get a record deal?” (laughing) Bruce: Yes, and it used to be big record But the business model… we are just kind of companies with big budgets and all of a letting the dust settle, and we ( jokingly) say that we who were introduced into this field, sudden it went away. where the luckiest of the lucky. We got to Michael: Yes, it went into a complete 180 travel on an ocean liner. And now, every body degree turn. I would say this, and I think is trying to get on a wave runner. (laughing) Amy would agree with me, I am so glad But we are now a lean mean fighting machine that we started out when we did. I think it and it feels like an honest days work… and is extremely difficult to start out now. I think that is a good thing! the record companies are trying to fix it, but I don’t think it can be fixed. I think there Bruce: The topic of the public is an is a new day. It is unfortunate because (and interesting one. I am sure you have fans even again I think I can speak for the both of us) where you go to church and at the local we have been blessed and we have sold a lot Kroger market where you shop. Then there of records, but this doesn’t just affect us, it are the just plain wackos out there. How do affects everybody. It affects the songwriters, you internalize all of this and go forward it affects the producers and I just still can’t get without letting it getting in the way of what in my head where someone can justify that all you are supposed to be about? music should be free. And I say that battling Michael: I think Amy has more wackos then I for the underdog, not necessarily battling for do (laughing). Well, I never debate with them myself. But I just don’t understand how we got because that would worsen the situation. there. We were late in the game as an industry People are going to express how they feel. I trying to fix what was coming and before you fortunately have very few people who stalk know it, it was too late. So now we are in a me. That has never been an issue. completely different world. Look at what U2 Bruce: Are their any fans at the grocery did recently giving away their new album to store asking for autographs while you try and millions of people. Part of that is brilliant but pick out your lettuce?

I am not sure it is good for the little guy and what does that do to the retailers? Those Michael: You know what, it is not an issue for are all big questions and I promise I don’t sit me. Most of the time people stop me because around and think about it every day. But I do know that we are living in a new day and I have surrounded myself with people who are big, big thinkers… who try to figure out how to take whatever this new model is (whether we like it or not) and try to use it for our good and in a positive way. We have figured some of that out, but not completely so. It is an interesting time.

Both of your careers have actually helped give rise to the Christian music industry and then over time now you have seen the digital age come in and drastically change the whole music industry itself. What has that seismic shift been like to watch from your vantage point?

Amy: Well, I think TV shows like The Voice and America’s Got Talent and American Idol (and there are so many knock-off shows) are great examples that there are talented people on every street. And the great thing about everyone having access to everyone is you see how much talent there is. Just from a creation stand point, music is just so important. I have always thought, if all the electricity went away and we were just stuck making music with the people in our neighborhood, there would still be music being made. Like even seeing

they think my Mom and Dad are amazing.

And that is another story, but you know, my Mom and Dad are very popular where I live. So I don’t mind. It’s not really a big deal in Nashville because we all shop at Whole Foods or wherever. It is like everybody is sort of used to it. At least that is my perception anyway. I love that I love what I do, and that I have been successful at it and I can still have a normal life. It is pretty extraordinary and I am grateful for that.

Amy: I have been pitched songs… I have had people sing to me in what would be called awkward situations. (laughing) Like in the canned tomato isle of the grocery store.

People will say to me, “Can I just sing something for you right now?” And I say back, “If you feel like it, just go right ahead”. It could be in the middle of an airport, anywhere. And to me it just makes life colorful. I think one thing that is amazing about having people feel attached to music, music that you have been a part of making, is when they walk up and they start a conversation with you… with their guard down. That doesn’t happen everywhere. So I was with a group of Moms chaperoning a choir trip to Los Angeles and we are in a hotel and the kids were in rehearsals all day long. I didn’t know these Mom’s really well, we just all had 6th graders. And so for the first time we are kind of hanging out in the hotel lobby together and women from another part of the country come over and start talking to me about some part of one of my songs.

The Moms who were with me said, “Hey, do you want us to kind of run interference for you?” And I said, “Why don’t we just widen Continued on page 30.

L to R: David Hamilton, Michael W. Smith & Robert Deaton – the three co-producers for Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas

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selective hearing

by Shawn McLaughlin

The Dream Sanctus Real Sparrow/Capitol Matt Hammit and crew (including two new members) certainly don’t stay musically stagnant on their newest release, THE DREAM, a further move away from the modern rock sound of their earliest work. Utilizing more electronic elements than ever before, the band judiciously intersperses these flourishes with warmer, acoustic tones to create a very listenable Christian pop/rock record. While they move closer and closer to a safe AC Radio format sound, they, thankfully, are creative enough with arrangements to NOT sound just like everything else on the airwaves.

Hammit, long considered one of the more candid songwriters in the genre, continues to harness his talents toward subject matter that is more palatable to an increasingly narrow demographic. Gone are real life songs that laid bare struggles in favor of encouraging bromides that explain how God is always there in the midst of trial and, indeed, every circumstance of life. The best of which is the cut, “33” a nostalgic tale of how the fervent prayers of a mother have been answered in the life of her son, who has kept growing in faith despite, and perhaps because of the struggles he has endured. Certainly a worthy message to transmit, if lacking the authenticity of real blood and guts circumstance that was so much of Sanctus Real’s stock and trade in the earlier days of their career.

Here’s To the Ones Rhett Walker Band Essential On the heels of their 2012 debut, COME TO THE RIVER. The Rhett Walker Band offers up HERE’S TO THE ONES, a rollicking take on southern based musical idioms that finds much in common with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Zac Brown band and early Third Day. Like the latter, Walker and crew occasionally venture into worship territory, lyrically, as in the disc’s first single, “Love Like Jesus” but they are just as likely to turn the lens inward as when Walker takes a look at his own brokenness in his life and marriage 24

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in the cuts “Someone Else’s Song” and Broken Man, both mature looks at how his fallen nature can lead to heartache. “Clone” opens up the action with a spoken word intro over a stomping bit of southern rock music (complete with a rhythmic chain and stomp box accompaniment), and a bit of pointed-yetrambling monologue about hypocritical believers before raucous guitars enter the scene.

“Clone” is a clever thematic update to Steve Taylor’s 1984 classic “I Want To Be A Clone,” and proves that some subjects will never really be outdated. It’s also a gutsy song to start an album off with in today’s CCM climate, and Walker and his band show their mettle in making such a bold statement right off the bat. “Here’s To The Ones” flips the script a bit and, in John Mellencamp style, celebrates the blue collar, small town folks that Walker grew up with, and still holds dear. This tune is reminiscent of songs that Big Tent Revival used to write 20 years ago, and though it’s a popular subject in country music, it doesn’t get much airtime in Christian music. HERE’S TO THE ONES is a rare treat in that both the music and the message sound equally authentic, and shows that Walker, in all his grittiness and imperfections, still has his focus in the right place.

Commodity Remedy Drive www.remedydrive.com The latest effort from Remedy Drive just might be the most ironic album of 2014. Indeed, at a time when softpop performers like Chris Tomlin all but rule the airwaves and the thought of any radiofriendly artist releasing praise-oriented material is nearly as sure a thing as the sun rising the next morning, who would have guessed that a rock band’s concept album about human trafficking would just so happen to be one of the best worship releases of the year to date?

In fairness, the sunshine pop of “Under the Starlight,” the terse textures of “Dear Life,” and the bracing, almost martial title cut aren’t likely to be confused with Matt Redman any time soon. And the superb, semi-progressive instrumental, “The Sides of the North,” has far more in common with late ‘70s one-peralbum offerings from, say, the Alan Parsons

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Project than it does with anything generated by the Hillsong label. That said, true worship music isn’t limited by musical genre or audience expectations. And even though the lyrics of songs like “Take Cover” (Come home, child/ Windblown, by trial) and “Love Is Our Weapon” (Riding on the wings of freedom/ I’ll take you to the east of Eden) are undeniably aimed at those exploited by the sex trade, their overriding sentiment applies equally well to anyone seeking intimacy, comfort and encouragement from the Divine - the absolute hallmark of that which is most truly worshipful.

Listeners who went in for the glossy pop/rock textures of the last two efforts will probably take a liking to the new project as well. But, while the bulk of Commodity sounds much like its predecessors on the surface, successive listens reveal just how unique - and superior the latest release is. This wasn’t an easy album to make. The band felt strongly enough about its subject to break ties with its record label and record it independently. Hearing the fruit of their undeniable passion, though, most fans would have to agree that the end results were well worth the risk.

Songs of Innocence U2 Interscope Records September 9th, 2014 and Apple’s iTunes subscribers (estimated to be about 500 million) found themselves with the new U2 album “Songs Of Innocence” whether they wanted it or not. The backlash was immediate and massive and Apple was forced to allow people to uninstall the album.

Over a month later, the album gets a physical release with new cover art, and on the deluxe edition, 3 new songs, and 8 acoustic or alternate versions. Unfortunately, the earlier snafu caused loads of people to condemn the album and U2 as desperate with hardly anyone discussing the music.

Fortunately for fans, the album is rather good, better than “No Line On The Horizon” and at least as good as albums like “All You Can’t Leave Behind” or “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”. While not a dramatic reinvention, this finds them mining their best bits from the past to very good effect. Supposedly their most personal and produced

mainly by Danger Mouse (one of my favorite producers), with additional production

by Flood, Ryan Tedder, Declan Gaffney, and Paul Epworth, it has synth and light Hip hop flourishes, similar to “Pop” or “Zooropa”.

After the ambient lull that was their previous album, we get rockers like the anthemic punk/glam rock-tinged “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)”, the gently jangling “Iris (Hold Me Close)” which builds and builds (about Bono’s mother who died when he was 14), the stomping “Volcano” with a chorale bridge (and Bono declaring “You and I are rock & roll” - should please fans of “Beautiful Day”), and “Raised By Wolves” (punctuated by explosive bursts, and lyrics touching on violence in Dublin in the 70s).

“Every Breaking Wave” is a gently pulsing song similar to “With Or Without You” but not as affecting. “California (There Is No End To Love)” has an intro that sounds like The Beach Boys harmonizing before breaking into a typical U2 rocker. The tender ballad “Song For Someone” finds Bono pleading “If there is a dark that we shouldn’t doubt, then there’s a light don’t let it go out”. “Cedarwood Road” features stuttering and sawing guitar work from The Edge, and pays homage to Bono’s childhood address - so far, so personal. The fuzzy groovy synth ballad “Sleep Like A Baby Tonight” (with a tortured Bono falsetto section) reminds me a bit of “Wake Up Dead Man” from “Pop”, the prettiness contrasting the dark lyrics - about a pedophile priest.

“This Is Where You Can Reach Me” is discotinged rock with a haunting feel. “The Troubles” is an atmospheric string-swept ballad with a pained Bono handling the verses, Lykke Li singing the chorus, and an uncanny resemblance to Duran Duran’s “Come Undone”.

The deluxe edition features the rocker “Lucifer’s Hands” ( just average, really), and the incredible “The Crystal Ballroom” (with a catchy singalong chorus, much better), acoustic versions of “Every Breaking Wave”, “California (There Is No End To Love)”, “Raised By Wolves”, “Song For Someone”, busker version of “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” (I can actually imagine someone doing this on the London Underground), and alternative versions of “The Troubles” (alternate vocals from Bono, and no Lykke Li), and “Sleep Like A Baby Tonight” (basically alternate vocals from Bono and more fuzziness from The Edge), and hidden at the end is the synth rocker “Invisible” - new to the album but actually released earlier in the year.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I bitious ‘Alarma Chronicles’ concept covered am very glad Songs of Innocence showed up four albums with 1983’s ‘Doppelganger’ beon my phone. ing the second volume. It was a metaphorical and lyrical exploration of the dual nature of Doppleganger Deluxe Edition man, struggling to escape the baseness of his Daniel Amos nature and stretch into the spiritual freedom Stunt/Born Twice given to him by God. Along the way Taylor’s songs take a shot at modern culture in a seDaniel Amos are the ries of snappy three-minute new wave songs band fronted by Terry that are satisfying both musically and lyrically.

Taylor who went from “Mall (All Over The World)” predicts the maan American West Coast nia for materialism, which seems to have capEagles style country rock tured the soul of western civilization whilst band and transformed themselves into an “Real Girls” examines the way that culture early ‘80s new wave rock band of great in- treats women. A particular favorite is “A New sight, lyricism and high concept. Taylor’s am- Car!” which takes a very effective pot shot at

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the prosperity teaching that had begun to get a grip on the Church in the early ‘80s and is tragically still being toted on Christian TV today. It utilizes a sample of a TV quiz show over an old school rock’n’roll rhythm and is, frankly, hilarious especially with the cutesy girly vocals chanting “be more specific”. Elsewhere Taylor’s satire is effectively used to highlight other issues that trouble the Church.

“Angels Tuck You In” is the song that probably most links this album to the material covered on the previous volume, ‘Alarma!’. It examines the superficial idea that when you become a Christian nothing bad will ever happen to you again. There are plenty of moments when the band goes full throttle musically on songs like “Memory Lane” and “Little Crosses” and Jerry Chamberlain’s guitar really does come to the fore. “Autographs For The Sick” is a fun avant garde song. There’s plenty more here to connect with the heart and soul. “I Didn’t Build It For Me” is a frantic soul searching song that examines the dual nature of motivation. A rich man donates the money to build a church building and then wrestles with the motivation involved. Meanwhile in the album’s final cut Terry Taylor takes the listener through a slide show of snapshots documenting the creating and selling of an album and again shows

the gap between the perceived reality of his public life and the private feelings he holds while it’s all going on. It’s a clever and touching conclusion. Artistically, Daniel Amos is one of the most creative Christian outfits to ever step into a recording studio. The fact that they never managed to create more than a small following is a travesty.

Lost Boys Joseph Pfeiffer Independent iTunes/Amazon MP3 Joseph Pfeifer is a singersongwriter and worship leader from the SoCal area. He’s been involved in his local music scene for over 10 years. In 2009, he released a full-length album and the title track, “Good Company,” was a 1st place winner of the International Songwriting Competition that year. Now, this EP, Lost Boys, is the follow up to that album and, while not drawing from his roots as a worship leader, instead we get a concept album on family and what it means to be a father and a husband.

The opening, “Lost Boys” is a laconic, country

influenced charmer with stunning guitar work, which imparts the idea of rising past circumstance in order to become an effective role model. “God, Country and Everything Else” is a loping Americana number that explores the priorities one needs to be an effective family leader as Pfeiffer opines “If I don’t take care of my soul, / I can’t take care of my own.” “You and Me” and “Lady Love” are songs of devotion and passion for a wife, confirming the idea that there are few things more powerful to kids than seeing how a father actively loves their mother. For those who have lamented the absence of good alt-country in the Christian market place, Lost Boys ably fills that bill, owing much to Ryan Adams vocally and in the strong Americana influenced musical beds that occupy the record.

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

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10 Nifty Musician Gift Ideas Here at Christian Musician we like to give you some ideas, from time to time, on gifts ideas for musicians for the holidays. This year I asked one of our new product reviewers, Eric Dahl, to take on the task. I first met Eric when I got word that he was covering one of our Worship Musician Presents… books we publish through Hal Leonard (we have 8 books in that series… not a bad gift idea there either eh?… wink, wink) on his weekly television segment “FOX 17 Rock & Review” on Nashville’s local FOX channel. How cool is that? Enjoy his ideas, maybe one of them will end up under your Christmas tree!

Guitar Doorbell What a great gift for the musician in your family to have a guitar strum ring-out every time they open the door to their music room and it’s only $139.95 with free shipping www.guitdoorbell.com

TailPeace Dsignz Spice up your guitars look with cool Cross guitar tail pieces by Tail Peace Dsignz, they replace existing guitar tail pieces with no alterations to the instrument and come in Gold, Raw Metal, Nickel, Chrome or Black finishes! msrp starts at $29.95 www.tailpeace.com

Reunion Blues RBX2E Double Electric Guitar Gig Bag Double up on your gift giving with Reunion Blues new RBX double gig bags, they come in bass or guitar configurations and are sure to bring twice as much cheer!

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Love One Woman – Many Guitars T-shirt What musician doesn’t need at least one more gig shirt in their closet for the holidays and gigs – help them state their devotion and guitar addiction with one t-shirt! $16 www.musiciansthreads.com

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The GoGo Pedal floor tuner by GoGo Tuners Help the musician in your family stay in tune with the GoGo chromatic tuner. It offers an easy to read giant LED display, true bypass switching and metal chasis painted bright orange so they can’t miss it on the floor!

MSRP $99 Street $69.99 www.gogotuners.com

Guitar Cables by Lava Cable Guitar cables are like guitar picks you can never have enough and you can never find one when you need, so why not buy one for your special musician this holiday season?

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Performance 2 Capo from G7th the Capo Company Every guitarist needs a capo for the holidays so they can play all of those Christmas songs in strange keys to match the choir. G7th just came out with Performance 2 capo this year and it’s available in gold, black or silver and available for standard 6 string or classical guitar models!

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Pro Guitar Slides by The Rock Slide What guitarist in the family doesn’t want to learn how to play slide or already does and needs a better quality slide to do it. The Rock Slide offers a huge variety of stocking stuffer ready slides from Polished Brass, Glass, Aged Brass and Ball Tip all designed with your musician in mind!

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Lacuna Acoustic Art Sound hole Inserts If the musician on your holiday list plays acoustic guitar consider something classy or custom from Lacuna Acoustic Art. Family owned and made in Nashville TN these sound hole inserts can go from simple to a logo or name and keep unwanted feedback out of your musicians mix!

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Guitar Picks by V-Picks V-Picks creates handmade picks that will fit every musicians style and taste and for the collector in your family they even offer Artist Signature picks from Phil Keaggy, Billy Gibbons, Roger Fisher, Johnny Hiland, Greg Martin and more! A V-picks Leather Pick Pouch or Keyring holder is a great way to deliver the gift also!

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driving down the freeway listening to a pop radio station and the song ‘A Place in this World’ came on and I pulled over and started to weep”. Stories like that. Wow, the power of music.

Bruce: You are both still each writing impactful music…

Smitty more in the worship vein and Amy in the singer/songwriter lane… do you see yourself continuing to write and tour for years to come?

Continued from page 23 the circle and just visit with everyone”. Then people would come up and usually they would tell some story (and I am so used to hearing people’s stories). “When my brother, this thing happened to him…” (and you know I hear a lot of stories about how my music was in there life). The hometown women came up to me and said that I was so lucky to be able to hear the coolest stories. And I said, “I am”. It is because their guards are down and so is mine.

That is the coolest thing.

Michael: You know, that is the coolest thing.

It happens more on the road, but people will come up and tell you – you saved my life. That song changed my life. That does not get old, and I don’t feel like I am being burdened at all. I think I need to hear it from time to time because I have forgotten… it is so refreshing you know? You can tell the person is speaking from the heart. They are not blowing smoke.

They say, “I am alive because of you, I was

Amy: I hope that I will do this until I die… in some context. It might not be selling tickets. I love what music does.

Bruce: Ending on a philosophical note, we are all trying to age gracefully these days and barring the rapture, none of us here on earth get out alive. What do you want to leave behind as a legacy?

Michael: If I could have it exactly the way I would want it, they could put on my tombstone, “He was a God fearing man, who loved his wife and kids well”.

Bruce: Good answer.

Amy: Yeah!

Bruce: Amy? Amy: I would want to leave a legacy… that I loved children.

Editor’s note: I was so grateful to spend this time with these two pillars of Christian music and to hear them tell some of their past, share their minds on some of the topics of the day and also speak from their hearts.

They have enriched my life professionally and Amy: Oh my goodness, you did three personally… and for that I truly do thank the records?

Lord! Lord bless you both Amy and Michael.

Michael: I did the Hymns record, then the Sovereign record and now I have a Christmas record coming out. I have all of these amazing artists on it, of which Amy is one of them with Vince, plus Bono and Carrie Underwood… so that is fun.

But I really do feel good. I don’t plan on stopping. I don’t know if 15 years from now I’ll still be running cross country though. (smiling) Michael: I am energized. I feel like the wind is at my back. (all of us laughing again) I am fired up. I did three records this year so I have lost my mind… but whatever. Ha!

Bruce: How about you Amy? with Carrie Underwood & co-producer Robert Deaton

with Lady Antebellum 30

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How Your Perspective Effects Your Success (or Your byFailure) Tom Jackson song. It’s something about truth being “out there.”

When it’s over, the lead singer mentions something about talking to you at the merch table after the show. You think to yourself, “what’s a merch table?” He holds up a CD. “Ahhh, he’s trying to sell me a CD!” His songs all sounded the same – why would you buy his CD? Looking out into your audience, it’s hard to know why they react the way they do — or why they don’t react at all!

The reason it’s hard to know is because you’re facing the wrong direction. You’re not sitting in the seats out front like they are. Perspective is everything.

And it’s not just the direction you’re facing. It’s the people, too. They aren’t musicians or singers.

They don’t understand the tones you’re using, the way you sing licks & trills, or the awesome chord changes you wrote.

Why does all this matter? Because experiencing your show from their perspective can mean the difference between long lasting success and a very short career (or no career at all!).

Today I want to look at a live show from the audience’s side of the stage.

Let’s Pretend You Know Nothing About Music Let’s say you’re just an average Joe or Joan who likes music, and you go to see performers at coffee houses, clubs, churches, concert halls, or arenas… wherever music is played.

You are in the audience one evening (about halfway back). Maybe you were dragged there by a friend, or you’ve gone to see an artist you really like and they have an opening act. The point is, there is someone onstage performing, and you don’t know them or their music.

They come out onstage and begin to play.

Because of the venue it’s hard to hear the lyrics, they don’t really look at the audience, they’re preoccupied with their vocal lines, their gear, they keep pointing at the ground and then put their thumbs up, and you’re trying to figure out what that means. Basically, they’re singing at you.

What if you were in that audience? How would it make you feel?

Who Are They Talking To? After the first song they mumble into the microphone, “Are you having a good time?” You think, “I don’t really know… they’ve only done one song.” But you feel manipulated into saying a half-

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They start another song, and you think, “not another one,” or “there’s more?!” In this song, the hearted “yeah…” energy rises to the highest point of the night. They They start the second song. And it’s more of the seem real serious and they jump and rock a little same. They’re still not looking at the audience, harder, but after a minute, it again sounds like the they’re messing with their equipment, and you get last 5 songs they played (other than the ballad). the feeling they’re trying to impress you in some You do see the guitar player has another different way. shiny guitar and the drummer has taken his shirt off.

The second song ends, and there is a long silence.

The singer goes to get a drink of water while the guitarist mumbles something into the mic that you can’t understand. A couple of the other players laugh, so it must have been an inside joke.

They finish the song with a big bang, and there is a smattering of applause – but those 20 people in the front start screaming, “more, more!” And you think to yourself, “no more, no more!” But sure enough they come back out and say “thanks, it’s The third song starts. You sense the band realizes been an awesome evening…” — and you think “for they need to do something onstage, so they start whom?” jumping around. The guitar player runs over to the And then you realize… it was awesome for bass player and they start rockin’ out together. But them… they got to be onstage. it doesn’t look natural. It looks really canned.

Perspective is Everything Right after that, the singer yells something into the This time they play a song you recognize having microphone and holds the mic out to the audience heard on the radio, and it’s easier to understand like he wants you to do something. But you’re not the words now. They actually do a good job with sure what to do. He yells a few more things in the the song. Quite honestly, you think this is the best mic and holds it out again, and about 20 people in song of the evening. Now, if they had that song on the front of the venue start yelling something back their CD, you might buy it! After it’s over, they say at him – but you don’t know what it is. “thanks” and walk off stage.

What if you were in that audience? How would it The intermission music kicks in. You make your make you feel? way to the back to head for the bathroom before Do You Really Want to Hear More? the act you really came to see comes on. You notice That song ends to a smattering of applause, and their sales table at the back, and see those same you notice a few people leaving. You wonder, are 20 people from the front rows. “Awesome,” “great they hungry, do they have to go to the bathroom, show” you hear. And you think to yourself, “what or do they want to go outside and talk until the show did they see?” artist they really came to see comes on?

The drummer puts his sticks together and yells 1-2-3-4 and they power into the next song. You see the guitar player has a new guitar on – but to be honest, you can’t really tell any difference in how they sound. And they proceed to jump around again like the last song, all the while the rhythm guitar player stands in one place looking at his shoes.

As the evening progresses, all the songs keep sounding pretty much the same. Until about 3 songs later, the lead singer says something about “bringing it down.” And for the first time in the night, you begin to pick up a few of the lyrics to this

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But then, their perspective was from the front row — and maybe they were friends of the band. You see, perspective is everything!

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Guitarist Mark Kendall of Great White

by Steven Douglas Losey

photos by Gunner Kal

Great White were huge rockstars in the eighties and early nineties. Songs like “Rock Me,” “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and the blues filled “House of Broken Love” brought the band fame, fortune and MTV play that was unprecedented for any rock band.

lends itself to a blues style, which is my passion.

SDL: How has your motivation changed through the years?

While their music was far from hair band material, they were still lumped in that category despite and people that played music from the heart. some of the coolest, bluesy, guitar riffs be- Great songwriting always took me to a good ing written at that time. place. I always leaned toward the blues side

of musical delivery. People like Carlos Santana made me want to make music my life. It was his passion that inspired me along with the likes of Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) later in life.

The fashion in the 80’s was long hair and the clothes for most of the bands were made by the same guy. I think an easy out for a jourThrough sex, drugs and rock and roll as nalist is to just call everyone a hair band and call it a day. We were and still are a blues rock well as alcoholism and then recovery, Kenband. If you would like to include hair with dall wasn’t another statistic. He’s played in that, fine!

The man responsible was guitarist Mark Kendall, donning his traditional hat and a Stratocaster, Kendall was responsible for some of the eighties coolest guitar riffs, leaning on the pentatonic scale and helping the band score big with songs that had huge guitars and meaty leads.

MK: My motivation, believe it or not, hasn’t changed. I am always trying to improve as a songwriter and come up with something cool and better than before. We can always get better you know? The reason we are still here is because we still allow ourselves to make new music.

This isn’t a job, it’s an adventure and that adventure is being creative. I never want to become an oldies band that just relies on playing their catalog live. I feel blessed that we have a history and a catalog, but I need to keep the “creative flow” going for it to be fun.

SDL: Through all these years, what has improved the most about your playing?

MK: My most improved area is my consistency live. I rarely have a bad live show. The reason for this is that I make that time on stage the most important part of what I do. When you do all the traveling it can be hard, so I have learned to make my time on stage count.

Great White on and off for over thirty-five SDL: How did you become such a good I don’t want to entertain people, I want to imyears now, helping to forge their reputapress them! blues player?

tion as a sterling live act.

Steven Douglas Losey: What are your strengths as a guitarist?

MK: My playing all stemmed from those guitar players I mentioned. The way I feel notes

Mark Kendall: Probably the feel for my note selection and expression. I was given the gift of a very good ear and inherited a good sense of feel in my playing from my grandpa and my dad.

SDL: I never considered Great White a hair band, how did you deal with those comparisons?

MK: First of all, my hair never wrote a song. (laughing) I was inspired at a young age by melody 34

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SDL: What brings you joy?

MK: Seeing joy in other people’s eyes. I love to see one of my sons or daughter having a great moment. I have learned a lot over the years, as far as the way I live my life, that brings me the most joy. Nothing brings me more joy than to see joy from others. I love helping struggling addicts/alcoholics, which is a daily thing for me. These are the things that matter.

SDL: How did you come to Christ?

MK: We used to go to church Continued on page 46.

Who Cares?

by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr

Let’s look at the recent ALS Cold Water Challenge and how it took the world by storm. A guy comes up with the idea, videos a few cold water challenges, contacts the media, the media spreads the word, the video goes viral, then others take up the Who Cares? challenge, and off to the races it goes.

What a tough question to ask yourself. I Last I heard over 100 million dollars mean, c’mon…everyone should care about has been raised, and billions of galwhat I am doing, right? Everyone loves me, lons of water wasted:) right? Everyone is sitting on the edge of their It was the fact that one person cared seats just waiting for my next juicy morsel of about raising money for ALS that information that will either save their careers, got the snowball rolling. It was like a or make them buy into what I am doing, right? match setting fire to a bone-dry pine Well… wrong. The bottom line is this, there forest. All it took was that one flame is so much information and content offered to to ignite the entire forest. us every single day that it is impossible for us Once people saw others on video to ingest it all. What we do ingest we rarely, doing the cold water challenge, herd truly care about, or want to investigate fur- mentality took over and everyone ther, and even less we ingest that we’ll share started videoing themselves and on our wall, twitter, pinterest, vine..etc. challenging others.

We are kidding ourselves if we think anyone Brilliant I tell you… just brilliant marketing! care, what you are doing about it and how outside of our immediate family and super This is what is called “cause marketing” and you can care and do something about it together. close friends care about what we are doing. this is the way you get people to care.

And the faster one realizes this truth, the fastWhen it comes right down to it, we must give er one can get over it and get on with it. people a reason to care. No one is going to Creatively His, So, how do you make people care about care more about you than you. So, take what what you are doing? you care about and tell others about why you Keith and Sue Mohr While posting promotional info on social networks, this question popped into my mind after realizing something very important for anyone who is a creative, driven entrepreneur such as myself.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

TC-Helicon Play Acoustic or Play Electric?

By Eric Dahl

Today it seems like as guitarist/vocalist we are expected to create more music with fewer people and less space to do it in and nowhere is this as prevalent as in the arena of Praise Teams and Christian related music.

If you have a stage to perform on during the performance or special music you are lucky, but many times we are relegated to a corner of the fellowship hall or a corner of the choir’s riser. TC-Helicon has developed some new pedals that are designed with us in mind and totally aimed at “Live” performances! Play Acoustic and Play Electric are two distinctly different pedals with similarities, especially on the vocal performance side. The Play Acoustic pedal is designed so that you can plug your favorite acoustic guitar and microphone into one pedal and it has separate outputs so that you can separate each part at the mixer for better sound control or use a stereo output.

It also includes a headphone out jack that can be used to monitor with in-ear monitors or headphones. Vocally the pedal gives you the ability to add harmonies, reverb, delay, doubling, modulation and even distortion to your voice. Guitar wise, TC-Helicon has packed in a feature called “BodyRez” allowing you to choose from different filters that reduce that thin Piezo sound that some plugged in acoustics deliver and give you more EQ control

to make your guitar sound more like it does when miced. Other effects, borrowed from TC Electronic their sister company, include the top selling TonePrint pedals “Hall of Fame Reverb,” and “Corona Chorus.” Besides providing a power supply for the pedal you also receive a USB cable so that you can down load free apps, firmware updates and VoiceSupport via your computer. If that weren’t enough it also has a built in vocal/guitar looper called VLOOP so that you can loop entire portions of your performance and jam with them! The control layout is very simple and self-explanatory and even I could operate it without opening the manual.

Play Electric is obviously set up very similar to Play Acoustic except it is in a silver metal case instead of a black one and TC-Helicon loaded in more guitar effects to better suit what an electric guitarist typically expects to use “Live.”

For the guitar we get the TC Electronic “Flashback Delay,” “Corona Chorus,” and the “Hall of Fame Reverb” all three of which are TonePrint capable. If you haven’t used TonePrint pedals before they allow you to download TonePrint signature sounds from your favorite artists on the TC Electronic website or through your Smart Phone and send them directly to the

pedal – for free. It’s a very cool feature and TC continues to add artist’s sounds to their roster. This pedal also features amp emulators that you are able to edit and tweak, adding EQ and drive to your tone. Achieve classic American amps or British bite just by dialing it up and Play Electric does provide a dedicated guitar output, input and thru, so that you can still send the signal to your favorite amplifier or PA. Vocally once again you get TC-Helicon studio quality effects in a stomp box instead of rack ( just as you would with the earlier discussed Play Acoustic model). The harmonies have a good human quality to them and the great part is the key the harmony is built on, is based on their “Auto Chord Detection” taken from the input of your guitar.

If you’re like me and you have used separate pedals to achieve vocal harmonies and separate pedals for your acoustic or electric guitar it’s nice just having one pedal that does it all and better. Plus you can still add other pedals into your guitar loop like a floor tuner. Play Acoustic msrp is $419 and the street price is 299.99, while Play Electric msrp is $524.99 and street price is 349.99. As always I recommend you try them out for yourself at your local music store or at least watch some review videos. New, fun and innovative music gear can be a great catalyst for creativity and your “live” performances… but in the end, it all comes down to the message we help convey!

Eric Dahl resides in Nashville TN with his wife and daughter.

He is the author of “B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her” and he does a weekly TV gear review show called the FOX 17 Rock and Review.

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THE MUSICIAN’S DOC

Life & Gravity

By Tim Jameson, D.C., M.Div

Why do I hurt doc? My response is, “Well, let me narrow it down to two main causes life and gravity.” A blank stare looks back at me, wondering what I’m talking about. Now that I have his undivided attention, I explain.

way it used to. This can happen at any age – even in children. Your health falters. You get sick more often. You have back pain. You feel run down. You get headaches. You have acid reflux. You have digestive disorders. You have muscle aches and pains. All of this can develop Life just from unhealed emotional traumas. In fact, in my clinical experience, emotional trauma is Have you ever noticed that life is chock full the top cause of spinal distortion, pain, and of challenges and struggles? We are saturated nervous system malfunction. with news of world strife. We face personal problems, death of family members and close Your body is talking to you, in fact in some friends. Disease impacts people we know and cases your body is SCREAMING at you to dislove. Our families undergo relational troubles. cover healing. Where is that healing found?

Some suffer through divorce, depression and It can come in many ways. Some times it’s simloneliness. We find ourselves in a major finan- ply a time of rest and restoration. For some cial crisis. I will stop there. Consider this: ev- it’s an intensive exercise routine. For some it ery time you face a serious emotional trauma comes from Christian counseling. For others (all of the above fall in the category of emo- it is deep times of prayer and meditation on tional trauma) it has an effect on your overall God’s Word. For others a body worker like nervous, structural, and hormonal systems. If a chiropractor or massage therapist is the anleft unchecked and unhealed over the years, swer. For some it involves serious nutritional chronic emotional stress will even distort your and dietary changes. In a majority of cases a posture. combination of all these factors is necessary Not everyone is affected by life stress the same way. Whereas one person can undergo a stress and respond in a very positive manner by growing in character, overcoming their obstacles, and maturing in faith, another person facing the same life stress can feel blocked, depressed, overwhelmed and discouraged and even become physically ill. Much of it has to do with our upbringing, our nurturing, and past “tapes” and our self-image along with our current level of wellness – or our degree of sickness. Even the strongest of us can break down some times in life when we endure a time of burnout and fatigue.

NOV/DEC 2014

Are you overweight? Since most of America is overweight, spinal health problems are rampant in our society. Carrying extra weight around shifts your center of gravity creating abnormal strain on the spine, discs, muscular systems, and internal organs. Gravity strikes again.

So what is the answer? It begins with being proactive. You must care for your spine and your posture like you care for your teeth.

Wellness-based chiropractic care, massage therapy, keeping an eye on your posture while performing, pursuing great nutrition, for complete healing. losing some weight if you need to and focusIf you have dealt with some major emotional ing on mental wellness can help you live life traumas in your life and still feel like you have to the fullest. not healed from them, then begin considering taking action and seeking help from your Life and gravity. They have the potential brothers and sisters in Christ who can help of leading to all types of health disorders in you whether it be through prayer, doctors, those who cannot adapt well. How are you counseling, or pastoral care. Don’t become an adapting? Do you need to ask for some help? island of self-suffering. The body of Christ is Be bold. Break through the fear. there to help you through, and Christ himself will help you heal. In some cases that miracu- Dr. Tim Jameson’s chiropractic lously comes as a gift of grace from your Cre- office is in Castro Valley, CA. He ator. For others, the Lord will use his servants is a worship pastor at Christ’s Community Church in Hayward, to help heal you. The first step is asking.

CA. He is the author of Repetitive

If you have not adapting well to a major life Gravity issue it can throw your body out of balance.

You enter a state of “dis-ease.” You have not There’s this constant that we can never entered a full blown disease state just yet – change – unless you visit the space station. It’s which might take years – but you have entered called gravity. Gravity pulls us to the earth. a time where your body just doesn’t work the Yes, that’s a good thing. But for those people

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who have postural problems due to many factors – injuries, traumas (physical and/or emotional), long term computer use, addicted cell phone users, gamers, MUSICIANS, just to name a few – that gravity factor will pull your body into very strange positions. And those aberrant positions usually create pain. Some people will actually develop a posture that exactly resembles the work they do or the instrument they play.

CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM

Strain Injuries and Reach for the Top: The Musician’s Guide to Health, Wealth, and Success. Visit his website www.jamesonchiro.com

Triplets! 1 & A for our Triplets. Example #1 looks simple, just one note, the idea here is to work on your rhythm, and the pulse of the triplets, ascending the first note of each triplet will help as you start this exercise. Start at a mid tempo and gradually pick up speed. Next you’ll see in Example #2 that again we are only using one string, the A string to play the minor pentatonic scale ascending up the neck while alternating with the open string. Remember to keep a good pulse going and continue with the alternate picking. Play this exercise on all the strings. In Example #3 we are playing the same notes as in Ex. #2 using the standard Pentatonic fingering starting at the 5th fret ascending up the scale one octave in interSome of the examples are similar to the ones vals. In Example #4 you will see the Am chord used in the past only now they are modified shape while ascending up then when you de-

Over the past several lessons we have gone over Pentatonic Scale exercises and applications, the Major and Minor Blues Scales, Descending Patterns in 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s along with some intervals and phrases. Your fret board hand should have gotten a good work out while you’re picking hand had some pretty solid alternate picking going on. Let’s concentrate on your picking hand for this lesson and work on alternate picking in Triplets. To help keep your rhythm smooth and consistent in a 4/4 time signature count each set of three notes (triplets) out like this, “one and a”, “two and a”, “three and a”, “four and a”, your picking pattern will follow “down, up, down” “up, down, up” etc.

scend down to the 3rd fret you will see the G chord shape. Be sure to practice these in other positions and keys around the neck.

Coda: As we come to the end of 2014, I want to encourage you to stay strong in your faith and to continue to worship and pray. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Jesus Christ. Thessalonians 5:16-18.

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

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NOV/OCT 2014

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Reflecting the Projector

by Bryan Duncan

I’ve never forgotten something Barry McGuire said years ago about being on tour and filling out an international customs form. “I was trying to answer the simple question of ‘Job Title.’ ‘Singer Songwriter Musician’ just didn’t seem to be enough for a real job description.”

The more he thought about what he does as a believer in Jesus the more he narrowed down his place in this world. Finally he wrote down one word: “Reflector.”

I’m sure he was invited into that little security room for further questioning. I know about crossing borders. And I know about describing what I do with my life to others. “Christian Artist” doesn’t accurately describe me very well either. “CCM” is mostly a marketing moniker. And to the outsider it just creates assumptions that I’m not comfortable with, as well.

“You must have a lot of faith,” a newscaster once said after introducing me as a Christian Artist. “Well, actually, NO.” was my instant response. “I just know where to go to find it.”

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It goes back to seeing ourselves in a deeper projected--but not always. It still depends on light. Job titles change to fit current trends. where the source is coming from.

But who we are at our core is what will keep A lot of the time I don’t feel like I’m doing us living for the right reasons. anything. And I’m definitely not very shiny A reflector doesn’t create any light. It simply alone, especially when I’m just taking out has to be set at the right angle. I, too, do not the trash or looking for peanut butter on the manufacture anything of myself. My music pickle aisle at the grocery store. You don’t see simply reflects what I have been given. I think I that in a lot of video clips of musicians. We all spend a too much time putting frames around change when the camera light comes on. So my mirror when I should be working more at why not walk in the light as He is in the light, keeping the glass clean. and live like our story will be the next stained glass chapter in the Bible?

Looking for validation from what we can bring may be the most detrimental pursuit in Working with music really becomes a matter our careers. “Don’t start believing your mar- of reflecting what is there already. What does keting hype,” my manager once told me. The the music make you feel? It’s reflecting at its truth is your success has only one Father, and core. What I love best about simply reflecting he often leads you into a darkness to get you the light is that I know it can even be more comfortable with that fact. beautiful through broken glass. It sends the light in more directions. Now, maybe for the Sure, it’s important to be a “doer” of the first time, I can see how the fragments of our word and not a “hearer” only. The trouble is, lives and the changing colors of our circuma lot of the time I’m doing before I’m hearing. stances produce a unique kaleidoscope of God’s grace through us.

God reminded me of the “first things first” scenario in another tour example. I feel more productive loading my suitcases into Bryan Duncan/ Singer / a car than standing in a secu- Songwriter/ author / rity line waiting on a plane. But Publisher. Radio Show host sometimes, in order to go the for RadioRehab.com distance, waiting is more impor- Inducted into the Christian music Hall of Fame in 2007. tant.

40 years, 22 albums, Dove One thing is for sure: as a re- and Grammy awarded. flector of the light of love, you www.bryanduncan.com don’t get to choose where the light goes or who sees it after it goes through you. It’s all about alignment. And yes, sometimes you get to see where the light is

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when I was 11 years old. I joined all the youth groups and we used to do biblical related plays, so I knew who He was. I have always had faith. Six years ago I made the decision I was going to change my life for real. I have been quitting drinking beer since 1991 with a few slips along the way. The reason those slips would happen is because I wasn’t changing my way of living, I was just not drinking beer. People like to put beer low on the food chain in the alcohol world, but it brought me pain, shame and guilt… and that’s no way to live. I decided to get closer to God and my spirituality and help others. This way of living has made me feel free from within. My relationship with my wife, family and band has never been better! November 2, 2014 marked six years of sobriety. Nothing makes me feel better than to help a brother who has lost his family from drinking and I have the opportunity to reach my hand out to him and help him get his family back… to help him start to live the right way. I have trust in my faith and I walk in the light.

SDL: The 80’s were sex, drugs, rock and roll, how did you fit into that?

MK: Of course, there was sex and some immaturity, but that was all a learning experience.

I’ve learned how to be right from being wrong so much.

SDL: Can you tell a story about how your faith has clashed with being a rockstar?

MK: I have never been into the rock star thing, so it’s never clashed with anything really. I don’t hide my faith from anyone, if that’s what you mean. Friends and fans alike seem to enjoy my faith related posts and actually seem quite inspired by it. So, I would just have to say, if anything, music and the Lord go together just fine.

Great White 2015

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