Improving Musicianship | Inspiring Talent
WINDOW ON THE LITTLE BLACK SHEEP
AN INTERVIEW WITH
ASHLEY CLEVELAND
Selective Hearing Daniel Amos Andy Gullahorn Derek Webb Ron Block Jars of Clay Sweet Comfort Band
Product Reviews Silvertone’s 1478 Eventide H9
SEP/OCT 2013 Volume 18, Issue 5 09
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How To Prepare for an Audition by David Owens
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The Language of Music by Tom Brooks
F R N EW IS E SU E E!
Finding the Right Music Gear for Your Church Just Got Easier!
Get the Newest FREE Issue of Worship Sound Pro — the Ultimate Music Gear Guide for Houses of Worship! Call Today for Your FREE Copy! The Best Technology for Worship
Worship Sound Pro features the latest and most essential music equipment and technology for today’s houses of worship.
Multitracks and the Modern Musical Message Find out how you can enhance your worship performances with professional-sounding accompaniment — and learn about the tools that make it happen.
Essential Guides for You and Your Volunteers In-depth, down-to-earth articles help volunteers, pastors, and worship leaders understand the ins and outs of the latest in worship sound technology. Go to Sweetwater.com/worship to learn more about MultiTracks!
Working with MultiTracks loops and tracks instantly gives your worship team a fuller, more professional sound. When you transition to working with clicks and loops, you need the right tools on the platform to make sure the team hears clearly and performs its best. Here are some essentials:
Live 9 This software puts you in command of your clicks, loops, and stems. It’s easy to use and has become very popular with worship groups.
MultiTracks and the
Modern Musical Message
MultiTracks.com gives worship teams the tools they need to bring professional-sounding accompaniment and loops to the platform.
When you open a MultiTracks file in your DAW, you can easily pick the parts you need.
Without question, more and more churches are supplementing their live sound with multiple-track accompaniment and loops for live worship performances. This concept’s growing popularity has led to a demand for great-sounding tracks and loops that are also easy to work with. We spoke with Phillip Edwards, founder of MultiTracks.com, and asked him about the transitions that churches are making to running tracks — and the gear they need to do so effectively. Sweetwater is proud to partner with MultiTracks.com to provide the potential for a fuller, more professional sound on the platform. Many worship leaders may have heard about running “clicks” or “tracks” in worship, but these names don’t always mean the same thing to everyone. Could you begin by describing the difference between an accompaniment track and a MultiTrack? Also, a click track and a loop? Absolutely. I’m just old enough to remember going to the Christian bookstore and seeing cassettes of accompaniment tracks with the lead vocal removed. MultiTracks are not that kind of “track.” That is an accompaniment track to be used without live musicians. MultiTracks are a collection of all the individual parts or “stems” from a recording. Our Original Master MultiTracks are the same thing that the original artists use on tour to add in parts from their own recordings to help them sound like their albums and to fill out their live sound. A click track is the actual click that functions as a metronome in a musician’s in-ear mix. A click helps the musician stay in time, both with the band and any track he or she may be playing along with. You can use the built-in click from any DAW, or a standalone click track that can be sent to the front of house and then back to your monitor mix. A loop is simply a recorded track that loops continuously. I think people sometimes generalize a loop as being any track that is played along with a band. But typically a loop should refer to a percussive or melodic phrase that you can repeat over and over as you play a section of a song. Do you ever hear of worship team members having a challenge transitioning to using a click track in their ears? I teach about this at a worship conference, and I’ve heard this so often that now I just ask those who are currently running a click track with a worship team to speak about the differences they’ve experienced in their team after they added the click. I can always count on the same story. Usually there is some initial resistance, but pretty soon everyone loves the benefits of playing in time, and they always want to use a click after that. Using a click track makes everyone play tighter, and the consistency definitely improves. You’ll be amazed at the feedback you receive! Also, pre-recorded vocal guide cues give the team count-ins, so transitions and song entrances are smoother and easier to navigate.
Worship Sound Pro 101 Guides
Since a click is involved, I’d assume it’s important for the team to use in-ear monitors. Yes. Using floor wedges at your church would be a barrier to running a click track or MultiTracks. There are many benefits to making the transition overall, which is why more churches every day are going with an in-ear setup. If you have a live drummer who has to turn up a floor monitor up loud enough to hear it over his drums, then everyone around him has to do the same. Suddenly, you have a
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Take a look at the instruments we’ve highlighted in this guide, including Yamaha’s MOTIF XF8, the affordable Korg SP280, and the piano-like Kurzweil PC3K8. You’ll also want to check out the Hammond XK-3c.
Keyboard
Picks
Workstations: Powerful Tools for the Worship Worship SoundLeader Pro 101 Guides
Choosing the Right
KEYBOARD Whether you’re looking for a simple instrument that just plays and sounds like a real acoustic piano, or you’re seeking a powerful centerpiece for all your worship team’s ambitions, there’s a digital piano that’s right for your church. To help you zero in on the perfect keyboard for your needs, let’s take a look at the different kinds of keyboards available, as well as the important factors you’ll want to consider when making your decision.
When Less Is More Many church pianists we work with often feel overwhelmed by the number of choices out there — and even more so by the number of knobs, buttons, and controls on keyboards. “All I need,” they tell us, “is an instrument that plays like an acoustic piano and has a fantastic natural piano sound.” If this sounds like you, you’ll want to select what’s called a stage piano — and ideally one with a full set of 88 weighted keys (also called weighted action). These keyboards actually mimic the response of a grand piano’s keybed, where the lowest keys require more force to strike, and the upper keys feel light and airy beneath your fingertips. To nail the sound of an acoustic piano, today’s top keyboard manufacturers have gone to great lengths to record some of the finest grand pianos in the world, putting these sounds right inside the instruments. Not only can you get the sound of a classic Steinway, but on many you can also push a single button to get the sound of a Bosendorfer, a Yamaha C7, or a character-filled upright. If you’re replacing an acoustic piano, you should consider the importance of aesthetics to your church. If you have more-traditional services or are seeking a really natural look up on the platform, then you may want to choose a more authentic-looking stage piano. We have options available with wooden cabinets, in a variety of finishes, so you can choose an instrument that matches the decor of your church.
FIVE Main Features to Consider As you take a look at the keyboards featured on the next few pages, these five factors will help you start narrowing down your decision:
1. Action
Do you want keys that are weighted to feel and play just like an acoustic piano’s? Or do you want keys that glide beneath your fingers so that you can easily play synth and organ parts?
2. Sounds
Do you primarily need an authentic acoustic piano sound, or would you like to have other sounds such as strings, synths, electric pianos, organs, and more?
3. Arranging/Recording Capabilities
Will you be composing songs with your keyboard? If so, you may want to have a built-in sequencer, onboard drum sounds, and a direct-to-computer connection.
4. Size and Portability
Choosing a 76-key keyboard instead of a full-size 88-key instrument can be a great way to cut down on weight while maintaining a first-class playing experience.
5. Appearance
How important is it that your church’s keyboard resemble an acoustic piano? Do you want an integrated stand, or would you prefer to use a more portable stage-style keyboard stand?
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While streamlined, piano-like instruments are ideal for a number of worship leaders and church pianists, many other houses of worship rely on keyboards for much more than just piano sounds. In fact, if you’re a piano-centric worship leader, you may very well be able to perform and produce your entire service with a single powerful instrument called a keyboard workstation. More than just keyboards with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of instrument sounds, these instruments often feature multitrack sequencers, so you can layer all the different instrument parts into a full orchestration. It’s very similar to working with audio editing and production software, only you’re not tethered to a computer — and you can easily play these backing tracks right from your keyboard during services. And even if you do have a complete worship band, you can use a workstation to add a few choice backing instruments to fill out your sound — perhaps a second trumpet part, a string section, or even an extra kick drum sound for more power.
If I’m a worship leader and I want to make my team comfortable working with MultiTracks and click tracks, what would you recommend? Great question. Though it’s not difficult, it does take time to transition your team. The first time you learned to drive a stick shift, it was really awkward because you were used to doing it a different way — then it became familiar and you wondered how you ever did without it. We have people on our worship team who were reluctant to use a click track because they weren’t used to having it in their ears. Give it some time, and you won’t even really hear it anymore — you become used to it. Now, using MultiTracks is a different story in my opinion. It makes the mix in your in-ears and the front of house sound amazing!
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A Balance of Features for Modern Worship
If you don’t need the all-out power of a workstation, but you’d still like a Roland RD-64 Asdrum worship and events become more diverse and tied into today’s culture, it’s handful of cutting-edge capabilities — maybe built-in patternsservices for Portability plus great rehearsals and a lighter sequencer for a quick songwriting sketch pad — there and inevitable that the music instruments performances involved become increasingly contemporary. $ 00 are a number of options that fall somewhere in between the two categories playing feel It’s just aswhich common platform as it is to see pianos, we’ve already mentioned. Instead of choosing an 88-key option, has the to see full-band setups onMorethe info on pg. 112 same number of keys as a full piano, you can select a 76-key — or smaller — organs, and choir ensembles. version. These instruments trade a slightly reduced range (many keyboardists never use the highest and lowest keys anyway) for lighter weight and a more can benefit from using a DI box — especially if your setup One very element of modern worship music portable form factor. You can still get fully weighted keys on attractive a 76-key piano, involves outboard effects and other gear (with balanced performance the guitar or you can choose a semi-weighted version that works well if youisperform a — a very portable, versatile instrument thatpiano. also happens to be Hammond relatively affordable XK-3c inputs) in addition to your amplifier, or requires extremely blend of classic and modern instrument sounds, rather than strictly long cable runs. Balancing the signal with a direct box (compared to that hulking pipe organ). Though worship Classic Hammond Increasing in popularity are keyboards that feature performers a built-in microphone sounds helps to keep the signal strong and helps to remove pesky have been using guitarsorgan as accompaniment for input. These are perfect for the performing worshipdecades, leader and for years have seen a boom in guitars electronic interference. There are DI boxes available to suit thegreat last few scaled-down youth services. The vocal microphone goes right through the every budget. as standout instruments. But how do you effectively keyboard’s output, so you’ll need to amplify only one signal. Better yet, into your gathering without turning the $ 00 integrate the guitar there are professional vocal effects built in, so you can refine theinto vocal Natural Sound, Even Plugged In proceedings a sound loud rock show? Read on. More info on pg. 107 without having to purchase an extra piece of gear. Taking “direct” to an entirely new level, some acoustic Going Direct guitar-centric pedals and even onboard preamps include Don’t Forget About Realistic Organ Sounds The dynamic, natural sound of an acoustic guitar is right up Korg Kronos X 61very specialized EQ curves and effects that give your The organ is still a very popular instrument for worship services. And while there with the piano when it comes to accompanying solo Great workstation, $ 00 most of the keyboards we carry feature a built-in organ sound, you can get artists or ensembles with one instrument. loadedUntil withrelatively free extras that organ-playing experience — complete with drawbars —though, by choosing a your acoustic live meant remaining More info on pg. 109 recently, playing dedicated instrument for the task. stationary in front of a microphone and fighting feedback theyou sound system. Have more questions? Our Sales Engineers are here from to help choose the The advent of onboard pickups acoustic players from this fate, allowing them to Sound best keyboard for your church’s goals. In fact, what freed you see in Worship plug right into an Give amp us or aPA system and, in many cases, Pro is just a small sampling of the many keyboards we have available. >> AVID $ 00 control the guitar’s volume and tone. One mostly unsung call today at (800) 222–4700. Eleven Rack More info on pg. 130 but very useful tool for amplifying an acoustic guitar is the DI, or direct box. InSP280 general plugged-in guitar a more natural sound. Fishman’s Aura Korg $line actually 00 includes stompboxes matched to specific body Outstanding terms, the purpose of a DIplayability, box is to sounds, and portability convert the signal coming from your styles. Simply plug your favorite dreadnought or jumbo or More info on pg. 114 instrument into a “balanced” signal classical into its corresponding pedal, and you get a very that’s compatible with the church’s good approximation of your guitar’s unplugged sound. Best sound system. Though many mixing of all, this “microphone-like” tone doesn’t come with the boards allow you to plug straight in, baggage of feedback! using a DI on the platform means the Though EQ curves and pre-programmed algorithms can signals coming from instruments and make a guitar sound great, today’s standalone modeling microphones are all consistent when and effects units allow you to coax an incredible array of they connect to the PA. Even if you’re sounds out of your acoustic or electric instrument. The an electric guitar or bass player, you number of effects that can be applied is simply staggering, and, believe it or not, as modeling technology has gotten >> BOSS $ 00 more advanced, it’s now easier to pack those effects into MO-2 More info on pg. 132 smaller and smaller effects units. One big advantage you
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Tell us about the resources and tutorials available at the MultiTracks.com website. Our blog is full of training and tutorials specifically geared toward worship leaders, and you can sign up for more in-depth training and screen-sharing assistance as well. I would encourage people to take a couple of hours and dive into learning a software program. I think they’ll be blown away by how it benefits their live sound. We’re grateful that we’ve been able to help thousands of worship leaders make the transition, and we’re constantly hearing about the difference it makes for their church. Thank you for talking with us! Anything else you’d like to add? We have free demo content if you just register for an account with us online. Plus, there is a Free Content section with click tracks and loop tracks that you can download without an account. We’ve made it really easy to try this out with your team, and we’re always adding new songs to the catalog. We’re definitely here to help any way we can.
get from modeling effects (Line 6’s POD standalone units, for example) is the ability to get the sound of your favorite guitar amp while plugging straight into your church’s sound system. This means you get total control over your stage volume and tone — and you don’t have to lug that hefty amplifier on and off of the platform.
A360 Thanks to convenient, full-featured personal mixers such as Aviom’s A360, each performer on the platform gets his or her own custom in-ear monitor mix. The result? More confident and consistent performances!
Phillip Edwards
Big Tone from a Small Package Sometimes, however, there’s no substitute for the sound and response of an honest-to-goodness guitar amplifier. The trick is being able to coax peak performance out of your amp without shaking the walls of your church and drowning out your message. As recording guitarists and studio engineers can tell you, the secret to big tone, oddly enough, lies in using a small amp — especially if you rely on classic tube-powered units for that rich, sustaining tone. A small single-speaker combo amp is relatively easy to transport and move, and its controls give you immediate access to volume and tone adjustments. Using lower power levels, or wattage means you can “drive” the amplifier’s power section and speaker, getting the benefits of the amp’s dynamic response and full-sounding tone without blasting the congregation and overpowering the rest of your worship team. If you need more than just one great sound from your amp, consider a multichannel amplifier (usually equipped with separate controls for clean and distorted sounds, as well as tone controls and reverb adjustments) or even that most recent of amplification developments, the modeling amp.
How Many Amps Do You Need? Small modeling combo amps provide a two-fold solution for worship guitarists. The first is versatility. Packed with multiple amp sounds and effects, a modeling amp can literally take you from shimmering clean sounds to uplifting, sustaining lead tones in seconds (and a footswitch is often included, so you can make changes on the fly). Secondly, you don’t have to give up portability and low stage volume to get the most out of these amps; in fact, modeling amps are voiced to provide very consistent-sounding versions of the amplifiers they emulate, even at low volumes — try coaxing the same sustaining lead tones from a real 100-watt amp stack that you can get from a preset on your modeling combo! Plugging into a small modeling combo lets you call up pretty much any tone you need for a worship performance. And the very compact size and light weight of such a combo makes it a snap to get on and off of the platform quickly. And let’s not forget the bass player, as there are plenty of great-sounding, highly portable modeling combo bass amps available that can hold their own on any stage.
Building a Mix
Since the primary goal of amplifying an acoustic guitar is to retain asIt’s much of the guitar’s natural character as point: the mix disaster. Maybe your church’s regular bound to happen at some possible, it’s important that your acoustic amplifier provide sound person calls atrun the last minute. Maybe the new volunteer sound person a very clean, transparent sound. So why in notsick simply your instrument directly into the soundasystem? While that’s from a doesn’t know volume slider a sliding door, or a mixing board from a mixing perfectly fine solution for many worship leaders (especially bowl. Whatever the circumstance, solo performers or small acoustic ensembles), those playing something has to be done to save the service. acoustic guitar in full-band setups orsound, on larger the stagescongregation won’t be engaged or inspired by the music, Without decent benefit from the control and focused sound they get from a and combo the message beamps completely lost. dedicated acoustic amp. Many may of these include extensive EQ controls for fine-tuning your tone, as well as onboard filters that hold feedback at bay. sound Amps with built-in system may not be perfect — forewarning the team that Though creating the perfect mix for a service is a effects let youtrue addart, even more body and depth everything may not be ideal will go a long way toward a sound person with littletooryour no mixing experience sound. Plus, they eliminate the needsonic for aclarity complicated signal easing the process for everyone. At least they will know can still achieve good and deliver the message chain runningwith through outboard effects pedals. what to expect! pleasant and effective audio. Though Here are some tips for acoustic combo ampsthe pack soniclast-minute punch frommix a small saving dayplenty with aofquick, — whether enclosure, larger still require sound reinforcement you rooms are working the sound booth yourself or have the help 4. Turn it on. from a PA system. That’s where your amp’s built-in direct of a volunteer. Turn on the speakers or the amplifiers last; this prevents loud output comes in. thumps and pops from coming through the system.
1. Keep it simple.
Using Your Amp’s Direct Output
Unfortunately, mix emergencies rarely occur when you have Most dedicated acoustic guitar bass amplifiers include loads of spare timeand to work on a solution — it balanced direct outputs, giving you the option of running almost always happens minutes before the service is your rig through your church’s system without sacrificing supposed to start.PA While your sound booth may have racks the control and sound you and get onstage. Several electric guitar now is of processors sophisticated audio equipment, combos (especially modeling amps) with direct-out capability not the time to experiment with effects or to randomly are also available some even include emulation, start— turning knobs. Focus speaker on the bare minimum you sending very realistic tones to the PA. Usingeffects for need to amp get the jobstraight done. Leave the special your amp’s direct output doesn’t just let you “have your another time. amp and play it too”; it also allows you to handle the sound level that reaches yourwhat’s gathering. You canthere. enjoy getting the 2. Use already sound you want on the platform, while your church’s sound your sound system is already setthese up, the cables and engineer can Hopefully, make a mix that’s ideal for the room. All the snake aremake run toplaying the mixer, andorthe monitors great sound tools help to guitar bass in the are tuned in to prevent feedback. Plug the mics into the mixer or snake worship environment a more inspiring experience for you — in their usual positions. Try to use the same “old standby” and your listeners. microphones and other gear you usually use — again, now is not the time to experiment with new gear!
3. Have a conversation with the worship team. Explain to everyone that the regular sound person is not available and that help is required to have the service go well. This means guitarists need to turn down, drummers need to control volume, and so on. Explain that the monitor
5. Reset the mixing board. Begin by pulling all the volume sliders (faders) down to zero. (Usually these are found at the bottom of each channel on the mixer.) Set the channel gain to a mid position (Usually this knob is found at the top of each channel on the mixer.) Next, reset all the equalization (tone) controls on the mixer to their center position, which is essentially off. Turn the auxiliary or monitor sends off. Make sure that mute or solo buttons are disengaged. (Usually these buttons are off in the up position.) Set the master volume fader to about 50%.
6. Begin testing each sound source through the mains. Have the main vocalist speak or sing into his or her mic. Bring up the volume slider until you can hear the vocals in the main speakers. Turn up the auxiliary or monitor sends until the vocalist can hear himself or herself in the monitors. As you verify that each mic or source works, pull its volume fader back down to zero. You can leave the aux (monitor) sends turned up so that the singers can hear themselves. To prevent feedback, don’t run the stage monitors too loud.
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!
The founder and CEO of MultiTracks.com, Phillip is a worship leader and a musician with professional touring experience. Since launching MultiTracks.com in 2006, Phillip has been teaching and training at worship conferences around the country on the concept of running MultiTracks to achieve a professional sound in any size church. RSS V-MIXING SYSTEM
The Basics of
Amp or PA?
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FREW ISSU E E
UM3X RC In-ear monitors are critical to working with MultiTracks. These isolating earphones allow each member of the team to hear the click, the accompaniment, and the live instruments and vocals clearly.
Can you address potential copyright issues with these stems/loops? A download from MultiTracks includes a limited license for live performance at your house of worship. We cover the royalties for use of the master as well as for publishing. Though you can perform the song as many times as you like at your church, the license does not allow you to use the tracks for streaming over the Internet or for recording purposes.
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You can also get LiteTracks, which are premixed stereo MP3 files from original sessions. On the left side of the stereo field is a click; on the right are synths, strings, pads, and sounds that enhance the worship band’s performance of the song. You can put LiteTracks on your iPod or other player.
Rehearsal Mixes let your team members hear the parts they’ll be playing louder in the mix, so it’ll be easier for them to learn what they should be playing. It’s an effective rehearsal tool that helps reduce practice time. Rehearsal Mixes are very affordable, and you can even buy credits in bulk to bring the price of each down even further.
Can you trigger these files via MIDI from, say, a keyboard controller or a MIDI foot controller? Yes. Many musicians run MultiTracks from the stage this way. It helps if all your musicians are onstage so that you can cue everyone together. If a guitar player is leading worship and triggering the tracks, he or she might want to use a foot controller, which is easy to program within most any DAW. Or you could assign the Worship Sound Pro 101 Guides pads or knobs on your MIDI keyboard to fire off the tracks from your keyboard. This way, you’re never touching the laptop.
$
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Can you walk us through the options that MultiTracks.com offers? We offer three core options: MultiTracks, LiteTracks, and Rehearsal Mixes. MultiTracks aren’t simply accompaniment tracks; they’re often the original stems from the original recordings. The cool thing about these tracks is that you can essentially have the entire recording up there — the exact same stems the artists use during performances — on the platform, ready for you to add your own parts.
MultiTracks are actual stems of audio, often from original recordings. Can you tell us how the MultiTracks are controlled by software or hardware? How much flexibility do you have with the arrangements? The MultiTracks that you download from our website can be played in any DAW or music software that can play multiple audio files at one time. We have users of just about every software — Ableton, Studio One, Pro Tools, Digital Performer… the list goes on. If you’re just triggering the tracks to start and stop, and don’t need to jump around from section to section, then most DAWs will work great. We have lots of training videos on this concept on our MultiTracks blog.
Korg Krome-61
The Path to Great
There are other websites out there that offer audio files for accompaniment. How does MultiTracks.com do things differently? Beyond the sheer size of our catalog, the quality of the original master recordings is amazing. There are also demos and quite a bit of free content on our site, which can help people get started. As does Sweetwater, we place a high value on supporting our customers, and we have a knowledgeable staff of engineers and trainers who can answer your questions and get you up and running right away.
bunch of monitors onstage that are louder than the sound system in the house, and the click track in those monitors would bleed into the house. Going with in-ears gives the mix control back to your sound person, and you have the added benefit of being able to mix in some individual MultiTracks with your live sound.
StudioLive 32.4.2 A powerful hardware/ software mixing solution, the StudioLive mixer and Studio One software work together to let you run your MultiTracks operations and get great main and personal monitor mixes. Plus, wireless integration lets you take control with your iOS device!
Photo by Jon James and Troy Behrens
7. Have the worship team begin to play a song. Watch for red overload or “clip” lights on the mixer. If you see these, turn down the gain controls at the top of that source’s channel.
8. Build the mix by bringing up the volume faders for the basics first. Start with the bass drum and the bass guitar, turning them up to a comfortable level and balancing them against one another. You may need to adjust the level of the master volume fader to get the overall level to the right point.
9. Turn up the volume faders for the vocals. Now focus on the vocals. Set them to a comfortable level, balanced against the bass guitar and the bass drum. The lead vocalist needs to be the loudest, with the background or harmony vocals filling in behind.
10. Turn up the volume faders on the other instruments. One at a time, begin turning up the other instruments. Start with the rest of the drums, then the guitars, the pianos, the keyboards, and any other instruments. Adjust the volume as needed. Balance each one against the vocals, the bass drum, and the bass guitar. This is a place where you can err on the side of being conservative. The vocals are the main focus, and you want to ensure that they are clearly audible. Use the other instruments to fill around the vocals, without obscuring them. As you go, adjust the master volume fader to control the overall level.
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spikes in sound. Ask each worship team member what he or she needs to hear from the monitors — one at a time so that everyone doesn’t speak at once — and adjust the auxiliary sends accordingly.
13. Don’t try to overtune the mix, and don’t make it too loud. Set things up so that they are clean and clear, and at a comfortable, conservative volume level. Then stop! Once you get to the point where it sounds okay — this should happen fairly quickly — stop tweaking the knobs. It’s easy to lose perspective and get lost in knob turning, even though the goal has already been achieved.
14. Here’s a final tip. When in doubt, focus on making the vocals, whether spoken or sung, clearly audible. The congregation is there to hear the message, which is contained in the words and lyrics. The music is inspiring and essential to a great service, but it plays just a supporting role in the grand scheme of things. Ensure that the vocals are heard, and the service will be a success!
11. It’s time for the equalizers. Up to this point, we haven’t touched the equalizers (tone controls) on the mixer. If you find that the sound is getting too bassy or boomy, use the “low” or bass tone control to reduce the bass frequencies a small amount on instruments such as bass guitar, keyboards, and piano. Vocalists, especially male vocalists, may also need their bass reduced a small amount. To increase the clarity of a vocal or an instrument, add a small amount of treble or high frequencies by using the tone controls on that mixer channel. Be careful with the tone controls, as overuse can lead to feedback!
12. Fine-tune the mix and the monitors. Adjust volume levels so that instruments and vocals are balanced, and adjust the bass and the treble controls on channels as necessary to prevent boominess, harshness, or
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Take Control You want flexibility. You want one touch to select any pedal combination. You want to combine pedals in front of your amp, as well as in the loop of your amp. You want to change channels on your amp and select pedals at the same time. Stop feeling overwhelmed by your gear and get control with the Rocktron Patchmate Loop 8 controller. No more tap dancing with your rig on stage. Eight loops can be configured for multiple purposes, plus access 128 programmable presets using external MIDI program changes.
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Available in a rack version (Patchmate Loop 8), or floor switcher (Patchmate Loop 8 Floor), both utilize Rocktron’s “Smart Controller Technology”.
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Features Non-politically speaking… OK, for years I have had a policy of not allowing my writers/columnists to wax political in their musically minded writings, or writing about political issues myself. This magazine is about musicians who are Christians. It is not about any certain political party. It is not about our own country’s political leanings. Those conversations are set aside for forums that deal with them directly in the political sphere. Our desire is to help you improve your skill and inspire your musicianship. That being said, I am going to say something that may look like a political statement, but is actually rooted much deeper than our current geo-political American interests. As a Christian, I am bound to the command of the Lord to seek justice for my fellow Christians in other lands who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. This means to pray for those who face the brutal will of communist dictators. This means to lend my voice for those whose churches are burnt and their pastor’s lives taken. This means that I need to challenge myself to spend time praying for those in prison “like I am there in chains with them” (Hebrews 13:3) Sometimes it is hard to take it all in… to consider those brave believers facing tribulations that you and I, at this point in our nations history, would find inconceivable. Yes, I admit it is easy to just let it slip our minds and go along with our many occupying and/or distracting activities… but I know better than that. I know that the Lord wants us to act in a more effective manner when it comes to our brothers and sisters in the faith who are in harms way. Many of them live in countries that directly surround Israel itself. When I was younger I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand (who had to actually sit down to preach, as he was tortured so badly that his feet lacked the strength to stand for long periods of time). He started the ministry “Jesus to the Communists”. He has since passed away and his ministry now continues on as “Voice of the Martyrs”. There are other ministries that reach out to help the persecuted church around the world too. I would ask you to consider learning more about this great need. I think you may find it just as convicting as I do when you realize that a lot of those persecuted believers spend time in their day praying for us Christians here in the West.
8 Product Review by Bruce Adolph Silvertone’s 1478 10 Bassic Communication by Norm Stockton Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 3) 12 Guitar Workshop by John Standefer Counterpoint 14 Drumming Dynamics by David Owens How To Prepare for an Audition 16 Vocal Coach’s Corner by Roger Beale I Did It All In One Day!
CONTENTS 34 Product Review by Doug Doppler Eventide H9 36 The Indie Mechanics by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr The Song Review 38 Ask Joe by Joe Riggio 41 Guitar From A 2 Z by Roger Zimish 4 From Summer NAMM 42 The Story About The Story by Bryan Duncan 44 Coda by Tom Brooks The Language of Music - excerpts
18 Show Us Your Groove by Rick Cua Deliverance vs. Winning The Battle 26 Selective Hearing by Shawn McLaughlin Daniel Amos Andy Gullahorn Derek Webb Ron Block Jars of Clay Sweet Comfort Band 30 Cool Guitar Things I Saw at Summer NAMM by Michael Hodge
Interview
20 Window On The Little Black Sheep: an interview with Ashley Cleveland by Aimee Herd all Ashley photos by Ben Pearson
So if I can wax non-political here just for a minute… let us not forget the least of these. Let us not forget those who may face beatings and sometimes martyrdom just for wanting to assemble together… for just wanting to go to church. When they do make it to church, I’ll wager that not a lot of those folks complain about the worship band either. :) Thank you for allowing me to kick myself in the rear… In His Grace, Bruce & Judy P.S. Check out www.voiceofthemartyrs.com
4227 S. Meridian, Suite C PMB #275, Puyallup Washington 98373 Phone: 253.445.1973 Fax: 253.655.5001 Email: bruce@christianmusician.com Website: www.christianmusician.com Editor & President: Bruce Adolph VP/Office Manager: Judy Adolph, judy@christianmusician.com Customer Service: Brian Felix, brian@christianmusician.com Street Team: Mike Adolph, Jesse Hill & Winston Design & Layout: Matt Kees Copyediting: Kevin Wilber Advertising Sales: bruce@christianmusician.com Published by the Adolph Agency Inc.
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PRODUCT REVIEW
Silvertone’s 1478 – Bringing back the blue collar guitars! By Bruce Adolph
and the futuristic space vibe from the old Jetson’s cartoon. This guitar just looks cool!
Silvertone was a household word for shoppers at Sears and Roebuck for decades and there is quite a list of well known guitar players who started out on a Silvertone guitar ( Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Phil Keaggy and Randy Bachman just to name a few). I had a 1960 Silvertone guitar made by Danelectro for years and loved playing it. Not only did Danelectro make these guitars for Sears but over the years Kay, Harmony, Teisco and National manufactured guitars and basses for the giant retailer. Now Samick (one of the most respected guitar makers - they build about 60% of the world’s new guitars for other name brand companies) has reissued the Silvertone line of guitars. The good news about Samick is that they have a respect for the historic significance of the line, they have made important upgrades to the product and the guitars are made in Indonesia where they have a good track record of taking care of their employees.
The tone is reminiscent of that classic twangy sound on the high end. The bottom end is What are the improvements to st surprisingly tight… good stuff! The middle the old formula you ask? The 21 position rings true of that Gretsch like sound. century has ushered in better fretwork on High marks go to the 1478 for tone. less expensive guitars and these feel great on the finger tips. Also the hardware parts and The scale length is 24&1/2” (which is a 1/2 neck shaping is much better with modern “ shorter than Gibson and a 1&1/4” shorter machinery than the past had to offer. The than your Fender scale fretboard) and the nut 1478 sports sealed tuners, a chrome Tone-O- width is 1&11/16”. Staying true to the original Matic tail piece, 2 single coil pick-ups (exact but perhaps the only weakness, the 1478 replicas of what used to be on the vintage comes with 20 frets. Fender style guitars have guitars) with 2 volume and 2 tone controls 21 and Gibson styles have 22 frets. If you hit along with a 3 way toggle pick-up selector that 21st fret in your solo playing you may miss switch. it here (or just bend the note up to it). For my The neck is a comfortable “C” shape, made playing I really don’t hit that high note much from mahogany and has block pearl inlays. so it is no big deal to me. This solid body electric has a Mahogany body, This is one guitar where if you are playing with a Maple top and back. It only weighs a it and you read Silvertone’s print ad while little over 7&1/2 pounds and part of that holding the guitar you say to yourself, “You weight comes from the Bigsby! know, this is exactly what they are claiming… OK, so the look and feel of the 1478 is good. it is an honest revisiting of a classic instrument How does it sound plugged in? I took the that touched so many players lives”. Not to take just my impression of the guitar, I took it to a vintage guitar store where the owner used to have a very large collection of Danelectros and Silvertones. He played it and surmised, “Yes, this is a good representation of what they were, with better parts and well worth the money!”
So once again you get a solid blue collar priced guitar that may just spark several future guitar hero’s as they pick up this 1478 model Silvertone. What you notice first is the Bibsby Vibrato tailpiece… it is a licensed overseas model with a strong spring. It is smooth as silk when you apply it to your playing. The bound fret board also catches your eye as well as the classic body shape… which I would describe as a cross between a surf guitar 8
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guitar over to a friend’s house that has a 1959 Fender Bassman amp. This amp would test the guitar to see if it has that big sound I was after. The Silvertone did not disappoint!
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The take away here… Silvertone Classic guitars have consistent neck shapes and precision fretwork to give you the best of modern playability with the tones that you loved from the past. Pound for pound it is a well worth the asking price. The available finishes are black and red sunburst. Retail $899.00 Street $549.00 www.silvertoneguitar.com
Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 3)
I hope you’ve been gaining some fresh ideas for your modern rock worship bass lines as we’ve been progressing through this series! Although we’re still just scratching the surface, isn’t it illuminating to find the multitude of strategies available for playing 8th-note rock over four chords? Please review Part 1 of this series for some important background and context.
on the side of simplicity when in doubt! Alright—let’s dig in!
Bar 1 has us back to the low root note as we anchor down the tune. This approach is absolutely Bars 5–7 employ a repetitive motif with a few note foundational and should be employed the majority variations. This phrase serves a number of musical functions as it creates motion, introduces tension/ of the time when playing actual music. resolution, builds intensity, as well as outlines the Bar 2 is the second inversion of E (you’ll recall that chord progression and underlying harmony. inversions involve voicing a chord with different chord tones as the bass note). Again, this is a bold Sliding to the upper register on the A string choice, and one that I would only incorporate after definitely sets this line up for success in the modern the song is well established. There are several rock realm. :^) The thicker tone resulting from this options to help: (1) if it’s worked out ahead of fretboard placement works substantially better for time, the keyboards and guitars can voice that this sort of bass line than if played on the lighter D chord as an E2/B; (2) you can add a ringing octave or G strings. note to further establish that inversion; or (3) my Bar 5 creates tension, both with the major 7th and preference—move the entire bass line in bar 2 the 9th (which immediately becomes the 5th in bar up an octave in register, sliding up to the B at 6—again, the second inversion we employed from the 19th fret of the E string. Not only does the bar 2, but up an octave). upper register help “sell” that note choice, but the Bar 6 continues the rhythmic motif, but moves the phrasing—very rock! :^) low note to G# (the major 3rd of E). It should be Bar 3 resolves the tension we created in bar noted that, although E2 doesn’t contain a major 3rd, 2; isn’t that cool? If I employed option 2 above, the underlying harmony remains intact—the E2 is I’d probably continue to add a ringing octave to the I chord and the notes of the major scale still follow through on the motif. If I’d chosen option work for any embellishments. 3, I would definitely drop back down to the Bar 7 completes the repetitive figure but moves lower octave to really bring home the root. The one of the low notes back to A (the b7 of B) and anticipation on the and of beat 4, as well as the th subsequent motion and tension notes on the the other to G# (the 5 relative to the upcoming C#m chord). Make sure to slide from the G# up to C# and strive for optimal rock phrasing.
I’m imagining the eight bars of groove in this installment to occur well into the tune—after a few verses and choruses. Please take note that the examples in this series are intentionally incorporating multiple rhythmic and harmonic ideas for instructional purposes. In real-life application, it’s so critical to use musical discernment to ensure that you’re not over-embellishing. Suffice it to say that in some contexts, this line could fit perfectly well being played as written, while in others, perhaps you’d just incorporate one or two of the ideas over the eight bars. The more experience you gain, by the way, the more reliable your musical discernment becomes. I encourage you to fully explore the possibilities during your woodshed times to help assimilate and familiarize yourself with these concepts. On the other hand, the worship environment isn’t a great place for woodshed experimentation, so please err
Bassic Communication Modern Rock Bass Lines (Part 3)
Finally, in bar 8, we reprise the figure in bar 4, but an octave higher.
Norm Stockton
A2
5
E2
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
Bsus
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
C#-
7
7
7
7
7
7
4
10
A2
E2
B
11 12 12 11 12 12 11 14
14 14 14 11 14 14 11 14
14 14 14 12 14 14 11 16
© 2013 Stocktones Music
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As you work on these lines, I encourage you to record yourself with a click and/or drum machine to ensure that your time and phrasing are consistent, emotive, and grooving. Have fun and see you next time! (Adapted from curriculum at ArtOfGroove.com)
4 4 4 2 2 4 4 2
5
upbeats in the next measure, have been recurring devices throughout this series as idioms of modern rock bass.
C#-
16 16 16 14 14 16 16 14
Norm Stockton is a bassist/clinician/ solo artist based in Orange County, CA. Following his long tenure as bassist with Lincoln Brewster, Norm has been focused on equipping bassists around the world through his instructional site (www.ArtOfGroove.com), as well as freelancing (including tour dates with Bobby Kimball, former lead singer of TOTO). Also visit Norm at www.normstockton.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“...Gallien-Krueger continues to astound.” Norm Stockton
Norm’s Clinic & Appearance Schedule 2013 September 17, 2013 Bass Workshop, Sacramento, CA October 11, 2013 Bobby Kimball (original lead singer of TOTO), Costa Mesa, CA October 12, 2013 Clinics & Performance, San Diego, CA October 2013 Clinics (Milwaukee, Chicago) TBD November 7, 2013 Bass Boot Camp, Redmond, WA Norm’s Clinic Appearence Schedule 2012 November 8 & 9,and 2013 Unite Conference at WFX, Atlanta, GA Sept. 19-20 Clinics & Performances, Christian Musician Summit, Unite Conference, St. Louis, MO Sept. 24-25 Redmond, WA Virginia Bass Forum, Fredericksburg, VA Sept. 29
Unite Conference, Pittsburgh, PA Oct. 1-2 November 10, 2013 Bass Specialties, Bass Player Live,Philadelphia, Hollywood,PA CAOct. 3 Unite Conference, Conference Boston, MA Oct. 8-9
November 16, 2013 National Worship Leader Conference, N. San Diego, CA Oct. 11 Clinic (Loswith Angeles) TBD (TOTO), Pleasanton, CA Oct. 18-19 Concerts Bobby Kimball Bass Player Live, Hollywood, CA Oct. 20 December 2013 Instrumental Music, Ventura, CA Nov. 7 Clinic w/ Gregg Bissonette, Tustin, CA (TBD)
Christian Musician Summit, Redmond, WA Nov. 9-10
The Outtengrand Orchestra, Yorba Linda, CA - Dec. 1-2 December 22, 2013 Performance, Whittier, CA Photo by Glen La Ferman ©2012 Gallien Technology Inc. All Rights Reserved
Gallien-Krueger 2234 Industrial Drive Stockton, CA 95206 (209) 234-7300 www.gallien.com
MB212 II 212MBP
Counterpoint One of the nicest features of orchestral arrangements is the use of counterpoint lines. As guitar players and band members in the modern world, we’ve gotten used to the concept that music is simply a melody line floating over a set of chords. This is not the case in orchestral or choir arrangements though, where every voice plays or sings a ‘line’. The listener hears a series of these lines layered together to form a tapestry of sounds. Sure, if you line up the notes on the page vertically, chords are being formed. But it’s much more than that. Instead of simply hearing a melody
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accompanied by block chords, the individual parts form lines that intertwine. Sometimes the melodies and harmonies follow each other in tandem. Sometimes they go in opposite directions. Sometimes the lines are more like two melodies that seem to have nothing to do with each other, except that they sound pleasing together. Anyway, much of the newer music we hear today seems to be gradually losing many of the deepest aspects of what is so beautiful about music in the first place. Just for fun, work on these little hymn excerpts below and experience music in two
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lines. You’ll see that it’s infectious. You might find yourself trying to incorporate these effects in other tunes... 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!
Chris Tomlin and Collings Guitars
Chris Tomlin and his 1999 Collings OM 42 SB
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How To Prepare for an Audition
A few months ago I was asked to audition for an artist who has been around for many years. Someone who’s voice and songs I have always respected. I was honored to be one of a few people asked to come in and play with the band, and I never turn down a chance to do an audition. You can never do too many. They are all different and you will always learn something every time you do one. The more auditions you do the more comfortable you will get doing them. So how do you prepare for an audition? I will use what has been my motto for the last few years: over prepare, and then go with the flow. How do you over prepare? Let me go through what I did to get ready for this audition. The management company gave me 5 songs to learn, along with their studio recordings. My first step was to carefully listen to the songs with really great headphones and try to catch as many subtleties as I could. I started a cheat sheet and wrote down the tempos and anything I noticed about the songs and the drumming in them. At this point I would normally write out a chart, but I decided I wanted to memorize the tunes because they were not overly difficult. The hardest thing was going to be capturing the vibe and feel that the original drummer had created. He had a very unique way of playing that became a part of this artist’s vibe. A lot of his drumming style involved playing fairly hard with brushes.
to find many versions of live performances of all five songs, but I had to weed through them to pick the most current recordings and ones with the best audio. The other priceless thing about these videos was being able to see exactly what kind of brushes and technique the drummer used for each song. It gave me an amazing look into the style of the original drummer.
I need to give kudos to the artist for going out of his way to make me as comfortable as possible. “If you don’t know the arrangement or tempo that is okay. We are just trying to get to know you and your groove.” Because of this I decided to not use a metronome and just count stuff off by instinct. I think I got the tempos pretty close to what they were used At this point I had 5 studio recordings and to hearing. 5 live performances to use as practice tools. To make a long story even longer, it turned My next step was spending time learning the out the auditions were not necessary. The live performance arrangements and trying to high profile drummer who originally had incorporate some of my ideas into the mix. been asked to play the tour but could not, I needed to capture the feel of the original ended up being able to do the tour after all. recordings but still make it my own. I was very careful to always make sure the original So was it a waste of my time? Absolutely not! drummer’s vibe was more prioritized than It was an awesome chance to play with some great musicians, as well as an opportunity what I might do if I had recorded the song. to discover and learn a talented drummer’s The next step was all about “going with style. It broadened my knowledge of the flow” of the audition. I had done my brush technique, and gave me a little more homework, and as I walked into the rehearsal experience on how to handle myself in an room I was doing my best to observe audition situation. everything and make decisions based on all So get out there and audition as often as I was observing. you can. Embrace it. Have fun with it. Be over I showed up with my cymbals, a snare, and prepared, and go with the flow! a kick pedal; but I saw in front of me the original drummer’s complete set up. I thought Blessings, immediately that I should play his kit just as David it was because that is what the artist and his band were comfortable with. All I did was adjust the seat and snare height. We were all David freelances in and around wearing in-ear monitors, so I also decided to Los Angeles and is currently tell the monitor guy only the basics of what I playing for Franklin Graham events worldwide. He has needed. I was going to do my best to just sit played with Fernando Ortega, down and play. Sara Groves, Bebo Norman,
Once I knew the basics of the tunes I sat down and played through them a couple of times. This gave me a good overall idea of We went through the 5 songs without trouble spots and the parts of the songs I stopping, and there were only a couple needed to pay closer attention too. of arrangement things I did not know; but The next step was to find live versions I corrected my mistakes quickly and got of the songs so I would be aware of the through it with only a few glitches. My goal arrangements that the band was used to was to make these guys know that if they hired playing. This is where YouTube is so helpful. me they would not have to spend a bunch of What an amazing resource! It was fairly simple time rehearsing old material they had played
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countless times before.
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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.
You Perform the Music
STAGEPAS Perfects the Sound. The new Yamaha STAGEPAS 400i (400 watts) and 600i (680 watts) are the perfect systems for performers who want great sound quality without the hassle. Both come with two speakers and a compact powered mixer that include powerful yet easy-to-use features. So you can concentrate on the music and let Yamaha, with decades of professional audio experience, handle the sound. Feedback Suppressor. Helps control feedback with the simple push of a button
Digital Connection. Accepts music from your iPhone or iPod and charges the unit while you perform
1-Knob Master EQ. Optimizes EQ for speeches, musical performances or bass-heavy events
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I Did It All In One Day! Recently I received a phone call from a student that I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from him and to find out that he had just completed a new album. He was excited about the project and went on and on about going to Nashville to record, who his producer was, and which studio he had used. I was really enjoying his enthusiasm until he said the producer had him do all nine vocals in one day. I think we can all agree that when a singer records an album, the vocals are the most important and predominate item. So why did the producer do this considering the negative effect of vocal fatigue, mental fatigue, emotional fatigue, dehydration, and hunger? I don’t know either. When I could slow down his enthusiasm a bit I asked him why he did all those songs in one day. He responded by indicating that he thought this was not a big deal and added the all-time classic statement, “that’s the way they do it in Nashville”. I see. By the way, he did go back the second day for the tenth song. Glad to hear it. This was not the only time that I have run into this novel concept of rushing the vocals in a recording session. Many years ago a friend of mine, who is worship leader at a nationally known church, completed an album of fifteen songs. His producer had him record all the vocals in one day. Fifteen songs in one day!! That recording was also done in Nashville. Fifteen songs in one day. I see. How should singers prepare themselves for recording day? First of all, it is obvious that you should not record fifteen songs in one day. Use some common sense. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “common sense is such a rare commodity; it should be classified as a super power”. Ah, words to live by. A Christian singer, using a Christ-centered view of the world while selecting songs for an album, should also have a Christ-centered approach to preparing the physical body for the rigors of recording. Prepare the body.
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Before recording, maybe a two to four week walking regimen should be used to up your “aerobicness”. How about a few sessions with a vocal coach or a trusted friend to get some feedback and really dig into the music and the meaning of the text? Or maybe slow down and spend some alone time with scripture and prayer. You know, some of us move so fast and try to accomplish so many tasks that if God spoke to us we might not even notice. We are just too busy. To quote the great Sammy Hagar, “I can’t drive fifty-five”. All of these suggestions might contribute to a sense of calmness as you enter the recording booth. I’m just sayin’.
singers is what to drink, chew, or swallow. Singers look for anything to help them sing better. There are a multitude of products that are marketed to singers, and all of them claim some type of magical property that will help the singer sing all the high notes that they want. After years of teaching singing, I have come to the conclusion that the simplest throat treatment of all is plain ol’ room temperature water. After all is said and done, this has proven to be the one thing that works with all singers. Simple little things always seem to be the best. Amazing! Or should I say ‘Bazinga’, or ‘Shazzam’?
One last thing, if you smoke, you need to be aware that smoking in the recording studio is a no-no. Residual smoke over time will gum up microphones and create havoc with electronic equipment. If you smoke, you need to stop. Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors are tired of treating patients with smoking related disease, and they see a lot of them. The decision to I also recommend that you stand while stop smoking could add a bunch of years to recording your vocals. This obviously your life. And your background vocalist will contributes to breathing efficiency. One really appreciate the fresh air. singer that insisted on sitting down with his Now go sing well! guitar during his vocal session created his own problem. The engineer and I were listening to the playback of the first song and noticed a strange noise coming at irregular intervals. Roger Beale is one of the After a few minutes of discussion and musical nation’s foremost vocal coaches. investigation we discovered that the chair He presently works with the singer was sitting on was squeaking. professional singers in all areas The recording engineer thought he was the of musical performance. His famous television detective, Columbo. Another benefit of getting physically and spiritually fit is better posture. You must have a good concept of posture to allow the body’s breathing mechanism to work efficiently. Remember that your lung capacity is maximized when your body is in a vertical and straight line.
Another point to consider, and one that all teachers of singing deal with every day, is your head position. It should be level. That is the way God built it. We are the ones throwing our heads back and up, tilting it down, or leaning it to the side. None of that contributes to efficiency. It adds muscle tension, which you do not need in a recording session. Over time it can create some very serious vocal problems. Another item that always comes up with
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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.
“From church music to metal, the HT-Stage 60 offers the perfect amount of power, the right tone, and the right looks... it’s a master of all trades.” - coniffism
(actual Blackstar user)
HE FOUND HIS VENUE. FIND YOURS. Check out more stories from players just like you and add your own at: www.blackstaramps.com/blackstarrockstar
Deliverance vs. Winning The Battle by Rick Cua
It’s interesting to me that many of us, regarding our issues, are waiting for deliverance and don’t realize the full value in winning the battle. Can God deliver us from our weaknesses and temptations that become daily struggles? Absolutely! And, I agree that is what we should hope for, however, we can’t forget that winning the battle one day at a time is a very good thing.
to getting a monkey off your back for good it just doesn’t work the same. That thought WILL work however if your daily victories help keep you pointed in the right direction and you have faith in a God that can deliver.
Proverbs 13:12 tells us: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” So, let’s hope for ALL that God has for us and also, the things that please God in a day to day kind of way: winning one battle at a time knowing that by doing so we will ultimately win the war.
That popular Rolling Stones song of the 60’s reminds me of the way we can feel if we don’t let small daily victories encourage us on our way to total healing. “I can’t get no... satisfaction”. My daily satisfaction comes from knowing that I have done my part and trusted the One who sees my efforts and has me on His course and in His will. It comes from the hope I have in Christ and in His Word. And most of all it comes from knowing “...He who began a good work in you (me) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Think about it, how bad do we want to get Phil 1:6 over our problem? Bad enough to take small Carry on my friends, hoping for deliverance daily victories as encouragement, or do we let yet rejoicing in the daily victories that come the familiarity of the issue become a comfort? from a heart of obedience. Love God and live I know these are hard questions to ask, but if a life of perseverance. Stay the course, one we want to grow we need to do a thorough foot in front of the other and one victory at a self-examination. time no matter how small it may seem.
I have a friend who struggled with alcohol... not just socially, but as a way to self medicate. Fortunately he viewed himself as a follower of Jesus Christ who struggled with alcohol and not an alcoholic. Was he an alcoholic in practical terms? Probably, but regarding who he was, he took the approach based on God’s truth that his identity was in Christ and not in something he struggled with. Now before you assume that I am speaking against AA let me be very clear; any program that helps people stay straight, keep their jobs, honor their families, and is built on Godly principles is good with me. Actually my friend that I just mentioned was a regular AA attender, he just knew the importance of confessing Christ as his identity and not his addiction. Celebrate Recovery is another great resource whose foundation is based wholly on our identity in Christ. Some people want something so badly that they can’t be happy unless they get it. Me, I’m a window shopper. I can be just as content looking at something as having it in my possession. That thought works pretty well if you are talking about a pair of new pants, or maybe a new appliance, but when it comes
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Many of us look at the enormity of the issue and focus on the giant task it will be to be rid of that thing once and for all. Alcohol, drugs, anger, fear, depression, sexual brokenness... whatever. Sometimes I wonder if we are just overwhelmed at the big looming on-going problem in our lives, or if we use that thought, “this is too great to overcome”, to sin one more time and then one more time again. “This is too big, I just can’t do it.” Well, the truth is, you do have a part to play in your healing and recovery, but God is there for you and ultimately your victory comes through His faithfulness. “It’s not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord of Hosts.” (Zech 4:6)
One thing I would suggest is the greatest of all the commandments...”Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” Matthew 22:37. Loving God is the first step towards persevering. And the second is like it “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matt 22:39. That’s where your support system comes from. God loves community and it’s in that unity we will find strength to carry on.
Let’s say that you, like myself, hope for deliverance but welcome and actually rejoice in daily victories. It’s going to take perseverance Not just a musical artist, Rick to overcome discouragement and stay the knows the business of music course, even in the midst of your hopefulness as well. Besides being a music and positive attitude. Perseverance is steady publisher, artist manager and persistence in a course of action, a purpose, booking agent, he founded a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, and ran his own record label, obstacles, or discouragement. Sounds like UCA Records, in the 1990s our lives, right? We wish it were all just a walk which led to a position for in the park, but the reality of living on this five and 1⁄2 years as Vice President, Creative/Copyright planet includes struggles. The good news is... God equips us to overcome those things that Development at EMI CMG in Nashville. There he hinder us. Steady persistence in a course of managed a large songwriter roster and exponentially action...what should that course of action be? grew revenue through film and TV licensing, song
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promotion and print music development. He is currently on staff as the minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation at Grace Chapel in Franklin, TN.
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WINDOW ON THE LITTLE BLACK SHEEP
AN INTERVIEW WITH
ASHLEY CL E V E L A N D BY AIMEE HERD
From the first time I heard the music of Ashley Cleveland back in the mid ‘90s, I loved the fact that she stood apart from the norm of what was heard on the radio—both CCM and mainstream. I had no idea, however, of the person behind the songs, and the struggles and triumphs she had been working through in her life, while kept by the immeasurable grace of God. There were those who encouraged Ashley to write an account of her journey, and fortunately for us, she has done just that. “Little Black Sheep” is an unassuming and entertaining glimpse into the personal history of this talented, salt-of-the-earth troubadour.
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Aimee Herd: Ashley, I know your book is going to touch many hearts, as it did mine. How hard was it, though, to go from writing lyrics and music to writing your life story in a book? Ashley Cleveland: (Laughs) Well, I’ll put it like this; people ask, “How long did it take you to write it?”, and I say, “A year of complaining and a year to write it.” But, once I finally surrendered to writing it, it wasn’t that much more difficult. Songwriting is—in some ways—harder, because you want to pack as much information into the smallest space. I used to be really “wordy” in my lyrics. When I first moved to Nashville, this wonderful publisher, who was revered by many, said to me, “Ashley, no one is interested in your second page of lyrics.” That was such a gift to me! In some ways, prose, you can spread out a little bit. But I can tell I’m a songwriter because my prose is really tight—I have a great economy of words. So, ultimately, it was the idea of [writing a book] that was so hard for me, because I’m such a huge reader, and a bit of a snob as a reader—I consider myself pretty discerning. That “who do you think you are committee” was alive and well in my head, and I had to get past that. I just kept telling myself, no one has to see this but you. That made it a little easier to jump in. And, at every point when I thought, this is ridiculous, no one needs to hear this... someone or something would arrive and just usher me down the road a little further. AH: I love it when God does that. AC: Yeah, so it really became a thing where the Lord had so graciously thrown open the gates on this project, it would be spitting on Him not to not walk through—to whatever end.
(with whom I’ve remained very close)--when that God was the same way. I told her I was going to write the book—said, “Hey I have something you can use.” She had There are two really prominent points I saved every letter I’d ever written to her. wanted to bring out. First, that God was so distinctly and profoundly “other” than what AH: Wow. I had expected. What I encountered was a God who was so relentlessly loving and AC: Oh yeah, it was a huge box of letters, tender towards me for no good reason. It just and I had no idea that she had it. So, that overwhelms me. opened up all kinds of memories. And then, my mother (who was a pack-rat) was moving, Second is... in our culture, it seems like and when I helped her, I found another box everyone’s on a “hero’s journey,” and it of letters I’d written to my mom when I was bleeds over into the evangelical culture. living with my dad in my senior year of high You become saved and then you become a school and in college, so that opened up a “mighty warrior of the Lord” or whatever. But whole other state of memories. Things like I came in broken, and I feel like every time I that would happen, and I’d think, well... I was ask God, “When do I get to not be broken?” [I very grateful. I heard on a PBS program that realize] that He absolutely did revolutionize the memories you revisit most often are the and transform me in a profound way, yet I’m ones that are likely to be most distorted— exactly the same. If anything, I’m more broken like every time you access them you add than I was when I first met Him. And I believe new information. But the memories you that pleases Him. But those are things I don’t haven’t revisited yet [or often] tend to be the always encounter in Christian culture. cleanest. AH: That’s true, and yet it’s in that broken AH: One of the things I love about the place where God can usually reach us most book is your honesty. You paint a very vivid effectively. picture of your childhood, and the struggles you wrestled with, and I think people will be AC: And not only that, but it’s where I’m able to identify with that. Without giving too useful. If I’m not broken, I can’t do anyone much away, can you give people reading this any good because I’m busy reading my own a little taste of what they’ll find in the book? press. And I want to make it clear that being a broken person doesn’t mean that I’m morose, AC: Sure, I was born into a family in Knoxville or wearing sackcloth and ashes all the time. that was rife with alcoholism, yet equally rife I’m just saying that there’s a vulnerable place with accomplishment and beauty. So, on that I’m just supposed to stay in, where I’m the surface, all looked well. Underneath, all completely aware of my own woundedness, was not well. My parents’ marriage collapsed or brokenness. And in that place, the Lord is pretty quickly, and I became a sort of everything; and I become very “right-sized.” scapegoat of the family; acting out the sorrow Then I can serve, and give my life away, and and the dysfunction. rest in Him, because He’s doing it all.
Then when my mother moved to the San Francisco area, I might as well have been moving to Mars; it was so vastly different. I was already a broken-hearted kid, but Knoxville, Tennessee [where I’d lived] was a small town, and there was a “connectedness” AH: Had you already kept a journal that you there—there were generations of my family. I were able to refer to? went from that to northern California, which was—minimum--15 years ahead. So, I started AC: No. Because I’m very haphazard about breaking down at that point. Then, when I got things, I have started journals but they don’t older, I fell into my own addiction. get very far. But then, that was another one of those amazing things... I had some clear That’s sort of the timeline of my book. But, memories and then some very pronounced overall, I think the greater story is about my blank spots. But quite early on, my oldest experience with God. My parents were friend, who literally knew me from the crib performance-oriented, and I kind of assumed
And then, there’s a little bit about music [in the book] (Laughs). People ask me, “Oh is it a music memoir?” I’m like, “Oh gosh no! I don’t have a big enough career to write a music memoir.” AH: Well, along that line, you mentioned something in the book about your husband, Kenny Greenberg, having the ability to tell a story with his guitar playing; and in listening to your music, I’ve found it’s true! AC: (Laughs) Yeah, it’s true, and I just think I’m so fortunate. It was just a gift to write the book and realize my life didn’t turn out the way I thought it would—it’s so much better.
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you have that perspective. AH: Did you find it to be cathartic in a way, AC: Yes, and I really look at all of my family revisiting your life story and sharing it? like that now. At one time I kept my distance, AC: Yeah it was...well...yes and no. There but now I’m so grateful for them, they’re just were things Kenny didn’t know, and there was tremendous people. And, all of us need stuff I didn’t revisit [before]. So, to go back... mercy. So, that was a great thing: I came out there were parts of it that were painful for me with a great appreciation for where I came from and who my people are. to re-experience and remember.
I found the Lord—where He came and sat with me. Had I not gone down so low, I would never have known the beauty of God. Life can be so much harder than we think it’s ever gonna be, but I wanted to encourage people that at the end of that dark tunnel— sometimes when you least expect it—the One who waits for you is everything you’d always hoped for.
AH: One of the things that struck me in your book was when you were describing the grace you’d found from others... you were still struggling with giving up drinking and you talked about attending these Bible studies, and you said there was “no condemnation from the Church or from the Lord for that matter; just an invitation to come.” I thought, so often we don’t give people that opportunity; we’re so quick to judge them. But you received an invitation to come, and how valuable that was!
AH: That’s so good Ashley. So, you wrote the song “Little Black Sheep” to go with the book?
There were two huge gifts I got from writing it, though. One I expected to get on some level—just finishing it revitalized me as a woman; it was so wonderful, I felt kind of excited about life and interested in new things again. But the other—that I had no idea I would gain—was... I had had conflicted feelings about my dad, and when he died, really my dominant feeling was relief, and I had never felt a lot of grief about losing him. But [in writing my book] I absolutely fell in love with my dad again—the way I felt about him when I was a child—because I saw him as someone just as broken as I am. It also helped me to understand that he deeply loved me, even though he didn’t really know how. He was doing his level best on my and my sister’s behalf, and he genuinely did not know how damaging his behavior was. I began to really grieve the loss of him and to miss him, and that was utterly unexpected—I had no idea that would happen.
AC: I really did! I’d go to these women’s Bible studies, and on the outside so many of them looked so put together, but I’m very transparent, and then other people started opening up, and I realized they’re just as torn up—though maybe in a different way—as I am. It was so great! (Laughs) Why can’t we all just be real about that?
I was talking to a friend the other day, who AH: Perspective is a wonderful thing; while has experienced so much cynicism because of you’re in that situation it’s hard to see family the sadness of life. But I will say this: suffering members in that light, but now, looking back made me. Because that was the place where
AC: No, I wrote the song long before I wrote the book. A pastor I loved—he was raised by African American women much the same as I was, they taught him little rhymes and limericks—was something of a poet, and he recited something in church one day, about the “little black sheep” that caught my attention in a big way. I went home, and it was one of those songs that just tumbled out, because obviously I knew all about the little black sheep. [Later on] when I was far enough into writing the book to start thinking about a title, it just seemed like the most obvious one. And then I had the song. We had been working on a record, and I had a recording of the song. When I originally wrote it, I had the little black sheep as a male, then my management said, “Why don’t you go back and do the song again as you? Then we can release it on iTunes with the book.” I liked that, but now it makes it harder to get through the song because it’s personal. AH: So will you have an album out too, or just the song and book? AC: Well, the album is its own thing. It’s really not a companion to the book, it’s just that one song. We were going to put them out simultaneously, but then we felt like it was too much to try to give everything to both projects at the same time. So, we decided to just do the book. Meanwhile, there were things—now that we have the luxury of time with the record—that my husband and I wanted to try, but we didn’t
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did not, once again, give me what I asked for. He gave me what I needed and what they needed. Also for my marriage, I mean you just can’t have a strong relationship with anyone in absentia. You’ve got to be there and do the work. AH: Well I’m glad things worked out the way they did, for you and your family, but also for your music. You’ve got some great records out there and I’m kind of glad for that “flying under the radar” aspect. Your music has a good feel to it—I’m a big Bonnie Raitt fan and you remind me a little of her, but you also have your own sound.
have time (prior), so we’re going back and doing some alternate mixes, which has really been profitable. So, we won’t release the album until either next spring or a full year after the book. But the song will be available for download on iTunes the day the book is released. AH: It’s a good song, I like it. AC: Thanks. And, I put that song and one other song on the audio book too. AH: Oh good, and did you do the voice recording for the audio book too? AC: Yes I did, and it was not easy! (Laughs) Well, I was so kind of arrogant about it, because I read on stage sometimes. I love poetry, so I’ll read poetry to my audience. Or recently, I’ve been reading little pieces of the book before playing the song... I’m a good reader, but it’s a whole other thing when you’re making a recording of a book. I thought, “Oh good Lord, I need a speech therapist!” (Laughs) I would get tripped up regularly. The audio book company gave me a very nice salary, but I think almost every bit of it went to my engineer because it took three times as long as we thought it would. AH: Ashley, you’re a three-time Grammy and two-time Dove Award winner, but you mentioned in the book about appreciating the way you’ve kind of “flown under the radar” a bit in your career...
AC: I have friends who have a much higher profile career, and it’s very demanding. But for somebody like me, I can make the record I want to make, and I can put the songs on that I want; I don’t have to cater to anybody or anything. Music has been as much of a lifeline for me as anything. I feel like it was God’s gift to me to give me some little thing to hang onto—that feeling of having something precious. Then I got into the music business and it just about killed me!
obscure—but I just never was a clear fit anywhere. I never fit into CCM, and I was entirely too Christian for mainstream music. But I had credibility, so I could kind of go in both [camps]. It’s still hard to put me anywhere; there’s not really a radio format that I’m a clean fit for, yet there are several So when I realized that no one particularly that I could belong to. cared if I played music or not, and that I could absolutely go back to playing it on my own— Initially I was pretty heartbroken over it; I for my own love and enjoyment—then it got reached a point where I’d rather do dishes really good again. Kenny and I had so much than play music, it was just too painful with fun making those records ‘cause we did it the music business... when it doesn’t turn out together. He’s as much the artist as I am; he the way everyone said it would turn out, and put so much of his heart into them. So, it’s no one takes your calls anymore... it’s painful. something we’ve gotten to share throughout our marriage, in addition to our family life But the great thing for me, in the midst of that, together. We plan to play until someone tells was that I had enough of a demand to where us we have to stop! (Laughs) I could continue to play. And I had a critical career that worked, and just when I thought I also love the fact that with the book... I can I was so off the radar I didn’t exist, I’d win a bring the book right into the music, and the Grammy or something. And things would kick music into the book. They’re two separate back up again. things but they’re complementary. Through all of that, I was never gone all the time... (Kenny had a very thriving career and was fortunate that way) I was able to go tour a couple of weekends a month, and then come home and raise my children. For someone who had so failed her first child, I struggled with that, but for Rebecca and certainly for Henry and Lily—boy it was important to me to be there for them, and to provide a stability that I had not experienced; I was able to do that.
AH: You’ll be doing a book tour then? AC: Right now, if I have a music date, we see about visiting a bookstore in the area too, to do a book signing. These much-loved local bookstores have become more valuable, and people support them because they know if they don’t, they’ll go away. (Laughs) I tend to hang out in bookstores anyway, so to have a reason to get to go there, to play and read, would be fantastic.
Now that they’re grown—Lily just turned 18 Find out more about Ashley Cleveland; AC: Well, I wouldn’t have chosen that— and she’s the baby—I look at them and see her music and her new memoir, at: no one gets into the music business to be the core in them and I’m so thankful that God www.ashleycleveland.com 24
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selective hearing by Shawn McLaughlin
more pronounced on the Dylan meets REM charmer, “The Uses of Adversity”, where Taylor sings, “My heartbeat is the pounding of your iron hand breaking me. Who knows Group songwriter, Terry where this shattering love is taking me. Scott Taylor has always ‘Cause you’re much too small if you’re not been interested in the a Mystery. So don’t send me rain if I bloom dichotomy between the flesh and the spirit, in drought.No don’t send me certainty if and man’s inability to adequately understand or express God’s mercy and grace. Daniel somehow it’s best for me to doubt” Amos spent the whole of their classic 1983 “Love Grace and Mercy” pits one of the discs album, Doppelgänger, exploring the former MANY memorable melodies with a lyric that and most of 1987’s Darn Floor - Big Bite again exposes the contradictory idea that tackling the latter, while each of their albums God’s gifts are given to us despite (and even traverse this complex but rewarding subject amidst) the wretchedness of our own ways. matter at least in part. The first song on the “Now That I’ve Died” is a witty look at the band’s exceptional new LP, Dig Here, Said unattainable nature of perfection in this life, the Angel, “Forward in Reverse” opens the sung in the sort of accented speak-sing more record, wrapped in a wonderfully baroque representative of Steve Taylor, than Terry. arrangement of swirling keys and ringo-esqe This is marked, as well as many other songs, drum-fills, setting the tone for the immense with a decided indebtedness to psychedelia tunefulness of the project. The cut contains and the fabulous 60’s, not the least of which such paradoxical couplets as “I found a is the ominously foreboding “We’ll All Know haystack in a needle, I caught an Angel in a lie, Soon Enough”, a not so assured look at what I saw a hypocrite in heaven, remove a log from awaits us in the afterlife. Greg Flesch’s guitar both his eyes” which speak to both concepts work on this cut is especially compelling as he actually, expounding on the biblical truism occasionally drops in nuanced, reverb-heavy that God uses the foolish to confound the wise. grace notes ala Buffalo Springfield’s “For What This type of parabolic lyrical juxtaposition is It’s Worth”, the ambiance of which is conveyed nothing new for Taylor, who liberally sprinkles throughout the cut. “Banquet at the World’s End” from 1993’s Melodies and harmonies abound--as do Motorcycle with equally whimsical musings, keyboards, mellotron, and orchestration. But as both songs provide a fitting prelude to the the album has a decidedly “rock” vibe with more earthy subjects tackled consequently its hefty rhythm section and swirling (pun on their respective records. A master at intended) psychedelic guitars. illuminating the folly that ensues people of faith, both corporately (including well- Some of the credit for keyboard and deserved swipes at the hypocrisy of certain orchestral bits has to go to Rob Watson, a gnostic-influenced branches of the modern friend and long-time collaborator with the church) and individually, when given over group. But according to Taylor, much of it is to the human side of their equation, Taylor DA’s own rocket scientist/guitarist Greg Flesch seems to look inward on “Dig Here” more pulling double (or triple) duty on keyboards so than on any other Daniel Amos release. and other instruments. The project has a very Perhaps as a result of a 5-year period in which complex sound, and it is gorgeous. This might his family was visited by several crisis situations be DA’s best sounding album yet, and was involving health and other matters, only to see engineered by the lovely AND talented, Derri some of their pain alleviated by a somewhat Daugherty, in between gravy breaks. miraculous moving of God, through his people, Of course, a big part of the DHSTA’s classicTaylor’s perceptive observations carry more yet-modern sound is Terry’s strong melodic emotional depth than ever before. A favorite sensibilities and the interesting things he does Taylor subject – death – is given an ultimately with his voice. That voice is in strong form on hopeful treatment on the gorgeously catchy, this album. As on other albums, DHSTA is also ebullient, “Jesus Wept”, as the lyric presents full of background vocals. Sometimes it is Terry death as a sort of precursor to something going back and harmonizing with himself. better than a life weighed down by our Sometimes the other band members pitch in, flesh. “Know, before he danced, Jesus wept”. especially in the star studded “Sunshine Street It brings to mind the words of Paul when he Choir” on “The Sun Shines on Everyone.” writes, “Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you”, a connection even Tim Chandler’s bass is way up in the mix, and Dig Here, Said the Angel Daniel Amos Stunt/ www.danielamos.com
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that is a wonderful thing. As always, it booms and does creative and unexpected things that somehow come out melodic and pleasing to the ear. Ed McTaggart’s drumming is rock steady, but there’s much more maturity and variety to it on DHSTA. McTaggart follows the aesthetic of ‘Less is more’, reminding many of greats like Jim Keltner and Ringo Starr. The album is a virtual treasure trove of accessible hooks and singable melodies, yet that accessibility is never compromised by cheap musical shortcuts. The song-craft is strong and creative, as with most any DA album, and bears the question as to why these guys have seen their audience shrink so much in the years since their early to mid 80’s heyday. The album ends with the especially encouraging “The Sun Shines on Everyone” in recognition that God plays no favorites among his people, His grace and mercy is available to ALL who accept it. It also mirrors a song from the past, at least in form if not melodically, as the anthemic quality of the chorus and the multi-voiced choir that sings it recalls the stirring “The Shape of Air” from Darn Floor Big Bite. On that note, while there are several moments that recall past DA songs (the initial melody of “The Ruthless hum of Dread” recalls Doppelgängers “Here I Am” with eerie accuracy) Dig Here, Said the Angel, in typical DA fashion, sounds nothing like any other album in the groups long discography. One of the reasons this band has survived everchanging musical environments, fitful recording schedules, and multiple side projects, is the fact that they (and in particular, Terry Taylor) are such restless musical visionaries. They seem incapable of repeating themselves or even of making a poor album. If this is a band you have very little reference point for, I would urge you to discover their music. If I were asked to name the band I thought was most responsible for positive artistic growth in the Christian music sub-culture, I would, without hesitation answer Daniel Amos. I would even go so far as to name Terry Scott Taylor one of the 5 best pop/rock era songwriters to ever grace our planet (with names like McCartney/ Lennon, Wilson, Dylan) and not blink an eye. We in the Christian music world have long ignored a remarkable talent and it is, simply, no longer tenable to continue doing this. Dig Here, Said the Angel is as good as any album Daniel Amos has ever released, and maybe as good as any Christian album released in the past 25 years. This music needs to be heard.
Beyond the Frame Andy Gullahorn Independent/ www.andygullahorn.com If you want the perfect introduction and summation of this man’s music, and this album in particular, I would mosey on over to the online community at The Rabbit Room and read the review they have posted. There is not much I can add. I will say this. Andy Gullahorn is probably my second favorite songwriter working today (if you read the previous review you are aware of #1) and the biggest reason is that, evidenced by his songs, I know of no other writer more empathetic of the human condition and imbued with compassion for the plight of others than this man. He seems supernaturally hot-wired to the pain, emptiness, joy, indifference, and all other emotions that make up the human experience, but in a personal way that speaks directly to whomever is listening at any given moment. The first cut on his brilliant new record, Beyond the Frame is called “I Will”, and almost mirrors the type of empathy (perhaps the most overlooked of Jesus’ attributes) that Christ himself displayed. Take this lyric and see how easily you can superimpose Jesus’ character over these thoughts:
we, as humans, should have: That we don’t have the answers because we don’t see the things that God sees. “I took a picture of the Grand Canyon / So I could remember that day / Oh but the beauty of the Grand Canyon / Stretches way beyond the frame”
.especially as we are going through a blaze. Yet it is important for us, as believers, to be there for one another; to bear each other’s burdens, and bring as much truth and light as we can into each other’s lives. This is the beauty of compassion: the secret of empathy. Musically, Beyond the Frame is what you And the reason why you should run to www. would expect from an Andy Gullahorn CD. andygullahorn.com or www.rabbitroom.com Lots of acoustic guitar and lots of his unique right now and get this record. alternate tunings. However, he has fleshed out the sound a bit on this record, as his music has I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry & I Love You never sounded quite so lush. The difference Derek Webb isn’t large, but is very organically achieved with Fairtrade a little extra piano here (actually quite a bit of piano) and some percussion frills there, and Derek Webb remains one of modern day just the right amount of orchestrated strings. Christianity’s most In the end, Beyond the Frame admits that prolific and provocative we don’t see the forest for the trees . . artists, releasing, in some
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“The truth is we’re all gonna take a last breath / That’s not the only sad death / We are meant to feel / If you need a friend to / Do some dying with you / I will” Each song on Beyond the Frame was written for a specific person going through a specific situation, and Gullahorn perfectly encapsulates the heart of each scenario. One of Gullahorn’s greatest gifts is to break through the defenses people build to protect themselves from pain; which, ironically, often ends up cheating them out of chances to experience true joy. He often does this using humor: getting us to laugh and trust him with a song about “Skinny Jeans”, or the perfect commercial country music song before artfully introducing a moment of grace. He slips by our carefully constructed conceits and gets to the heart. Check out the universal issues of selfobsession and unyielding wills within a marital relationship that Gullahorn essays in “Surface of Things.” It’s hard to read these lyrics without being convinced he has been there himself. That sense of walking hand in hand with the listener is what makes Gullahorn’s observations so powerful, especially realizing that this is, figuratively, what Jesus did by coming to earth in the first place. The final song of the album is the cut “Grand Canyon”. On a record that is full of people going through hard times - marital trouble, addiction, the death of a friend, parenting a special needs child – this song talks of the proper perspective that
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form or another, a good 15 records in the past 10 years; including solo, with his wife, Sandra McCracken, soundtracks, and at least two with Caedmon’s Call. The new record looks back to his first solo release, She Must and Shall Go Free, as he revisits The Church as a main protagonist of this loosely conceptual piece. Whereas his first record was pretty much specifically about the church, this one is more personal and benefits from Webb’s own experiences and personal growth over the past 10 years. Many of the songs here are presented as songs of love that can be interpreted in a romantic way, but most are also addressed to Christ’s own bride. While the acoustic nature of the debut is also recalled, I Was Wrong, I’m Sorry & I Love You contains more fleshed out arrangements and the ambient, indie aesthetic of such bands as Of Monsters and Men, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, as airy, sometimes tinkling keyboards and various percussion sometimes create a modern day complement to the Phil Spector Wall of Sound, like on the sequel “Lover Part III”, a song about the incarnate God that is The Holy Spirit. “Closer than You Think” has a typically ear pleasing melody and an ersatz soul feel that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Fitz and the Tantrums record. The first single, “Eye of the Hurricane”, is the catchiest thing on an album full of catchy material. The cut is an epic slice of folk rock goodness,
with a radio-ready chorus. “Everything Will Change” is a cinematic ballad that sounds modern and vintage simultaneously, and pairs a stirringly melodic chorus with a lyric that encourages steadfastness and perseverance. “A Place at Your Table” again mixes current sounds with classic form as a bouncy melody pairs with a slightly Motown inspired groove. “Nothing But Love” coasts on a Beatle-like string arrangement as it explores the difficulty of leaving a longtime church family, again sounding as likely a gentle goodbye to a former lover. The perky, pseudo-rock-a-billy track, “The Vow”, melds provocative images with a sturdy resolve to stick together, while “Your Heart Breaks in All the Right Places” displays Webb’s utter command of songwriting as an emotional tool, offering a beautiful, lilting verse followed by an admirably ethereal but restrained chorus in which his falsetto is devastatingly broken and affecting. Finally, Webb ends with “Thy Will Be Done” a simple, vocal driven coda to a lovely project that renews his dedication to the church, even as it signals a move forward. Walking Song Ron Block Rounder Records Walking Song is Blocks 3rd fulllength solo album and, by far, the best of the lot. The first two
ain’t too shabby, so this one must be pretty special. Well . . .yeah, it is. The disc is full of the expressive, yet controlled banjo and 6-string acoustic picking that Block has been known for during his long tenure with Alison Krauss and Union Station. His songs encompass an amalgam of traditional acoustic styles, with bluegrass being the engine that drives this vehicle, while strains of folk, blues, and singer/ songwriter styles weave in and out of the mix. What distinguishes this project from other fine Block efforts is the collaboration with poet/ lyricist, Rebecca Reynolds. Having met on an online community called The Rabbit Room, Block was captivated by Reynold’s writing; in particular . . .some poetry she posted, which led him to ask her to collaborate with him on a song. She accepted the task. Only later did she become aware that the Ron Block whose name was on Banjos and Guitars she saw was the same Ron Block she was writing songs with. Anyway, her lyrics allow Block to transcend traditional Bluegrass subject matter in a way that brings immense freedom for him to create musical accompaniments that don’t fit in any pre-packaged box. The instrumental numbers are spry, save for the stately, somewhat mournful, “What Wondrous Love”. Block’s banjo and guitar are steady, supported by a National Duolian and accordion, often
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OCTOBER 4-5, 2013
Belmont Church (on Music Row), Nashville, TN
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS OPEN
One Sonic Society - (Jason Ingram, Stu G, Paul Mabury) Brenton Brown & band (Ben Showalter, Scotty Murray, Daniel Ornellas), Matt Maher, Phillilp LaRue, Don Poythress, Ian Eskelin, Sarah MacIntosh, Zoro the Drummer, Dave Cleveland, Chance Scoggins, Tom Lane, Jason Webb... and many more...
NOVEMBER 7*- 8 - 9, 2013
Overlake Christian Church, Redmond, WA
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Matt Maher, Paul Baloche, One Sonic Society (Jason Ingram, Stu G, Paul Mabury), Tim Timmons, Dave Cleveland, Ian Eskelin, Don Poythress,Citizens (Mars Hill), Bryan Duncan, Doug Doppler, Norm Stockton, Zoro, Blues Counsel, Tom Kraeuter, Mike Howerton.. & more
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COOL GUITAR THINGS I SAW AT SUMMER NAMM by Michael Hodge
This summer’s NAMM show was held at the screw mount without drilling any additional new Nashville Convention Center. Shaped holes. Retails for $199.00 for the six screw like a giant guitar, it’s a fantastic facility. version, and $209.00 for the two-post Summer NAMM is, at best, a third the size version. For more information go to: of the Winter NAMM, but is a great place to https://www.super-vee.com www.townerusa.com
see cool new guitar stuff. Here are some of my favorites that I wanted to share with you guys. Check ‘em out!
The Towner USA United States Patent #7973226 • The Bigsby® mark and Bigsby tailpiece designs are registered trademarks of Fred W. Gretsch Enterprises, Ltd., which is not affiliated with Towner USA • Gibson Guitar Corporation is not affiliated with Towner USA • Les Paul® is a registered trademark of the Gibson Guitar Corporation which is not affiliated with Towner USA
Towner Down Tension Bar: is a unique Screw-less system that mounts in place of the stop tailpiece on the existing studs. This allows you to add a Bigsby to your 335, Les Paul, or SG without cutting into your guitar. The price at allparts.com is $32 for silver and $66 for gold. For more information go to: http://www.townerusa.com Planet Waves NS Micro Headstock Tuner. This award winning tiny tuner fits on the headstock of your guitar. Super handy and surprisingly accurate. Retails for $32.99 Street price $21.99. For more information go to: www.planetwaves.com TronicalTune is a new type of Robot Guitar type tuning system that mounts to your Fender or Gibson style headstock. It mechanically stores up to 18 different tunings and takes 5-10 seconds to switch tunings. Web price is $299.00. For more information go to: www.tronical.com Blade Runner by Super-Vee Tremolo systems is a frictionless Fender type Tre m o l o that uses a solid piece of tempered steel instead of relying on hinges. You can install it on either a two-post mount or traditional six30
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The Engle is a plastic mallet device for creating unique sounds on a guitar. Very cool sounds. The Engle sells for $19.95 without a case and $29.95 with case. For more information go to: http:// theengle.com
Stetsbar Pro II is a unique retrofit tremolo system that works on all Gibson and Fender type guitars without any modifications or holes. Street prices differ for each model and average $219.00 to $299. For more information go to: http://stetsbar.com
CruzTOOLS Groovetech Guitar/Bass 10-in-1 Multi-Tool is a nice compact tool to have in your guitar case. It has hex keys, screwdrivers, and a ruler for setting action. It’s a no brainer, and sells for $15.95. They also have great bass toolkits as well. For more information go to: http://cruztools.com Pedaltrain VOLTO is a lithium battery pack for pedal boards. The Volto has two 9-volt outputs that are capable of providing a total output power capacity of 2000mA. Retails for $99.95. Available soon. For more information go to: http://pedaltrain.com/products.php Michael Hodge is the music director and guitarist for Lakewood Church in Houston, TX
CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM
Selective Hearing (cont. page 28) mirroring the banjo’s lead melody. “The Fields of Aidlewinn” shows bluegrass’ indebtedness to Celtic musical forms, featuring droning violins, stand up bass, and Block’s animated acoustic. Perhaps the highlight of the album, “Let There Be Beauty”, establishes a lovely ascending melody in 6/8 time, as Blocks plainspoken but expressive vocal caresses Reynolds extraordinary poetry. Perhaps the chorus of this cut (with beautiful harmony from English folk Chanteuse, Kate Rusby) best exemplifies the artistic heart of Walking Song. / So let there be beauty / For beauty is good / The made and the making / And the bliss understood. / So let there be beauty / For beauty is free / Come swim in the waters. / Come drink from the stream. / This effort by Block is certainly an artistic accomplishment and should be owned by anyone who appreciates an artist creating work that mirrors the creativity of the Creator he serves. Inland Jars of Clay Grey Matters Back with their 11th full-length album, Jars of Clay offer a song cycle inspired by Odysseus (The Odyssey – Homer) who was instructed to row inland until he met someone who had never heard of the sea. On Inland, this journey begins on “After the Fight”, a sly pop rocker that relays the apparent struggle between God and a man (shades of Jacob) but serving more as an allegory of man’s attempt to set himself above God. Therefore, Inland is a record that shows what happens when humanity rebels (“Age of Immature Mistakes” is a succinct picture of the early stages of this process.) We lose the understanding of true love, start focusing on ourselves, and ultimately begin to wallow in despair. “Reckless Forgiver” is from the selfabsorbed perspective of one seeking to be absolved of their mistakes without having to be responsible for them. It receives some of its punch from the breezy, pop folk melody that mirrors the protagonist’s carefree attitude, while belying the impending personal crisis this attitude portends. Dan Haseltine’s lyrics are a revelation on Inland , offering cryptically beautiful poetry that reveals new layers with each listen. “Fall Asleep”, set in a room that overlooks the city, dwells on the impermanence of a love that blossoms for a moment, then dissolves into the hustle of life. “Loneliness and Alcohol” is a cross between the rootsier moments of U2 and Jars’ own “Dead Man” from Good Monsters. Fortunately, the journey on Inland is not
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Selective Hearing (cont. page 30) simply about despair. On “Skin and Bones” the singer begins the journey to light, through an admission, but it is not easy: First, the light of God shows itself in the form of mercy, but the singer must make the choice to accept it (as God does not make us love him) and does so only after descending into despair after recognizing his utter frailty. “Left Undone” then, is the first sign of true repentance, Acknowledging the pain of past mistakes, but resolving to move forward via the stark declaration, “I will try to make up for lost time, forsaking all I’ve done and left undone.” Then comes the journey “Inland” as the title cut reminds of the final scene of The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia) as the characters bid farewell to the shadowlands, proceeding “further up and further in”. Inland maintains this delicate balance of sadness and hope without tipping the scales into cynicism or naïve optimism. Lead singer Haseltine simply reflects on the world as he sees it, often with a spiritual awareness that is neither pushy nor overtly religious, but arises organically out of his thoughts and experiences. Ultimately, the record is more than just a mere collection of good music; it is the chronicle of humanity’s adventure from self-centered behavior to being focused on others, as we can’t truly love God without loving our brothers and sisters. Musically, Inland doesn’t disappoint, being full of melodious, fullbodied songs that feature a beguiling mix of plaintive acoustics and atmospheric electronic
touches, while buttressed by Tucker Martine’s empathetic production. Some people may have a problem with the fact that Inland is not an explicitly “Christian” record. However, the project is focused on the struggle of daily living, the emptiness of a life where God is rejected, but also the hope that is there when we admit our frailty. This is symbolic of what Jars of Clay has been trying to do for their entire career: to offer a voice and perspective in the artistic conversation that many people are unfamiliar with, and to reach an audience that, actually, really thirsts for the good news contained in the gospel of Christ. The Waiting is Over Sweet Comfort Band Shelter Sound Music Inc. In Tandem with Bryan Duncan’s recent solo record, The Waiting is Over offers a cornucopia of delights for longtime fans of The Sweet Comfort Band, as well as discerning fans of R&B, soul, funk, and pop forms of music. The band comes out swinging on the first track, “Lay it All On the Line”, a song that marries a raucous soul/funk shuffle groove with a lyric that leaves absolutely ZERO doubt what these 4 fellows are about. Randy Thomas acknowledges himself with this line “We know a man with nail-scarred hands who washes sins away.” Soon, Bryan Duncan sings on behalf of the band, “I fought the good fight with your strength and your power, with all of my might,
every day every hour, I never gave up, laid it all on the line.” In addition...anyone who was worried what SCB would sound like without co-founder and bass player Kevin Thomson (who passed away in 2010), will have their fears eliminated near the end of the track as Thomson’s son, Eli, MORE than ably handles an elastic, slithery bass line with flair and dexterity. The cut “Rock Steady” is another burner that recalls James Brown, even down to Duncan’s “UNGH!” vocal punctuations. There are also stirring soul ballads (“All In God’s Hands”, “Do You Love Me” “The Light of Heaven”, which is a moving tribute to Kevin AND God’s steadfastness, and the title track) and the classic, swaying soul groove of “Nothing Can Separate Us”. While the record has much for fans of instrumentally tight, well sung, soul inflected music, fans of poetic or esoteric lyricism need look elsewhere. Duncan, Thomas and the boys are simple and direct in their declarations; yet possess the charm of the early Jesus music scene, mirroring that type of purpose, zeal, and naiveté. In short, The Waiting Is Over more than lives up to its title and gives SCB fans exactly what they were hoping for, as well as the promise that they won’t have to wait another 20+ years for a new release. Shawn McLaughlin is a hard working dedicated, tireless worshipper of Christ
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PRODUCT REVIEW
Eventide H9 By Doug Doppler
Like many Eventide fanatics, when I heard about the new H9 pedal I was pretty much rabid to get my hands on one. Once underfoot, the H9 did not disappoint. While the H9 comes chock full with 99 presets of Eventide’s Greatest Hits, the smaller footprint introduces a divergence of how you edit (and now add) your sounds from previous models. The X, Y, and Z buttons on the face of the unit allow easy access to the most common parameters you’ll want to adjust via the HOTKNOB. Holding down any of the buttons activates “Expert Mode”, enabling you to deep-edit sounds from the face of the unit. The real magic, however, lies in the desktop and iOS apps which connect dongle-free to the H9 via mini USB and Bluetooth respectively.
you can make changes on the fly without having to adjust your delay time—very cool. Which get us to preset functionality. The GUI (graphical user interface) in the H9 app makes creating “Preset Lists” a breeze, and since you can connect to your H9 via an iPad, it’s easy to deep edit your sounds in the studio or on stage; love that! Inside the H9 app is where the once again, very cool. true genius of this cyber-stomp is revealed. If you’re already used to deep-editing software, In addition to setting your global input level I think you’re going to love the H9 experience. you can also store an output level for each On the desktop side of things, the H9 preset, which enables you to have built in application is well sized and easy to read boost for different parts when, and where, for those of us over forty. In-app purchases you need it. can only be made via the iOS app, but can From tones to tactile editing, the Eventide be shared with a download function in H9 has got you dialed. Sells for $499 at most the desktop version. Both apps feature a retailers. thoroughly awesome XY pad, which allows Doug Doppler is passionate about you to drag settings like mix and delay time God, worship, and worship musicians. visually using your mouse or finger. In addition to his work coaching
Speaking of delay time, the H9 features a face mounted tap tempo footswitch, but also After downloading the appropriate has some intelligent time related functionality. application, both my iMac and my iPad “Global Tempo” conveniently allows you to connected effortlessly on the first try—gotta over-ride the tempo stored in a preset so
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individuals and teams, Doug is also the author of “The Worship Guitar Book” which will be available in May 2013 via Hal Leonard. Check out Doug’s www.geartunes.com site, where he reviews a ton of cool gear.
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THE SONG REVIEW by Keith Mohr & Sue Ross-Mohr You have written a new song, stroked it, perfected it, brought it to the producer, listened until your ears bled, changed it once again, tweaked it and then, with hesitance, you give the thumbs up to mix and master. DONE! You beamed with pride. Posted it everywhere. Then somewhere along the way, someone suggested that you submit it for a professional review. The sweat, blood and tears that went into that song starts to ooze out of every orifice of your body as you await the words from the ‘industry genius’. “You’ve got mail.” You open the file and there, right before your eyes, your creation has been sliced, diced, opened, and flayed.
put on the platter to consume, let’s talk about how to deal with the ‘not so great’ music reviews. We recently read an article written by Chris Singleton, head of digital communications at Prescription PR. He listed these tips on how to deal with a bad music review. 1. Keep calm and don’t write letters to the publication. The first reaction is to strap your battle armor on, shields up, and prepare for a fight. Stop, drop, and chill. It’s easy to get defensive about your song; after all, songs are like children to us. So, we get it! Take 30 hours and see if there is some truth to the review. You do not want to burn a bridge anywhere in the music biz. It’s a small world, after all!
Hah! We love this one. OK, it’s a bad review . . . so what? Life goes on. This is supposed to be fun, right? In the grand scheme of things, a bad review is like a mosquito bite: it hurts for a while, but then it goes away. 5. Remember that even a bad review can have some benefits The Word says to be teachable. We love Psalm 51:17, which states” God will not despise a humble heart.” Humility is the best talent one can possess. It goes far beyond a catchy hook, or a witty phrase. Don’t get bitter, become better. Now, that may have something to do with your art, but we have a feeling it’s more about your heart.
6. Don’t forget the other channels of music 2. Remember that you can’t please all of the promo people all of the time There are tons of outlets and resources online We’ve heard that 97% of the people will like what these days to submit your music to. Knock on those you create. The other 3% don’t care for much of doors. Don’t walk up to the door, stare at the knob, anything, so don’t sweat the haters. Everyone has and hope it will open. Don’t be afraid of rejection, an audience these days. Find those who like what it’s a part of creating art. And, sometimes a closed you are doing, and give it to them! door keeps you from walking into places that are time wasters, or even worse. It’s all good. But keep 3. Accept that the critic might have a point on knocking. People who listen to a ton of music and write critiques must know something about music and 7. Prove your critic wrong songwriting, right? The worst thing you can do is Love this one too! The best part of being successful If you are reading this article and have not hit that convince yourself that they don’t “get it,” and that is saying to the naysayers, “See, I was able to do MASTER button as of yet, below you will see an you are the chosen one to usher in a new way of it!” Funny thing is, those naysayers can be related infographic to obtain those “let me tell ya’s” ahead assembling notes and letters. Well, those who to you, or.... even yourself! Sometimes we are our of time. Knowledge is power, especially if it is think they are the outliers have deeper issues than own worst critic. So, instead of focusing on winning rejection by a critic. Those who are students of the over others, win over yourself. Watch how your art coming from potential consumers. game, and fast to adapt, get results. becomes richer and more defined. Anyone who But if you have already sent out and paid for that has ever broken new ground had no idea they review after the product has been cooked and 4. Put your stinking review in context were the ones with the golden shovel. What you had once thought was a great song has, in just seconds, become the bane of your existence. You read and re-read the review, trying to change the view between each word, and wondering how they came up with the thoughts that they did. You turn up the speakers and re-listen, only now you see that song as a shipwreck with ugly barnacles hanging off the end. Geez, it even has a smell like that of raw sewage. Your hands hold up your now overweight head, your heart beating a thousand miles a minute, you feel defeated. How did you get here!? Just moments ago you felt you had a sure hit!
We hope these points challenge you and encourage you to grow as a songwriter. Songs are about stories; they take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. They make people ponder, wonder, and consider another point of view. So, even if others do not quite understand your viewpoint, consider theirs. After all, being a songwriter is like being a server in a restaurant. You deliver the goods that satisfy their desires. Think about that! Creatively His, Keith and Sue Mohr MOHR CREATIVE GROUP www.mohrcreativegroup.com Keith Mohr and Sue Ross-Mohr of “The Mohr Creative Group” have years of experience serving independent Christian artists, musicians and songwriters. Keith founded w w w.indieheaven.com in 2002, the leading portal for Christian independent music. Sue Ross-Mohr founded www.theinnervizion.com in 2003, a creative promotions /marketing/ consulting service to individuals and companies worldwide. Also check out www.indiemechanics.com for more helpful info!
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Need Help? Call (855) 362-8790
www.focus-worship.com
Ask Joe by Joe Riggio
Q A
When inspecting vintage guitars, what is a black light used for?
A black light is a tool that helps in authenticating the originality of a lacquer finish, or more precisely: the non-originality. What can be revealed is the presence of overspray, or touch-up to the original finish. While a professional repair from the past might fool the naked eye, the black light can show the difference between what is left of the original finish and the contrasting touch-ups. The newer layers are usually a dark, black-ish color against the cloudy-white original layers. This is not a fail-safe method, however, because a complete re-finish will show about the same as a complete original finish. This is a case where experience will help put all of the pieces of an inspection together, to best determine the originality.
Q
What does “cathodebiased” mean?
A
In the world of tube amplifiers, “cathode-biased” refers to an amp that automatically self-adjusts itself to a new set of power tubes. Other amps that are “fixed-biased” need some sort of adjustment by an amp tech to dial in the slightly different electronic specs of a new set of power tubes. This adjustment is needed in order for the new tubes to perform their best and yield the longest life. It’s important to know which type your particular amp is when it comes time for new power tubes. Preamp tubes do not ever need biasing and can be changed out at any time without any adjustments to the circuit. Joe Riggio is a professional guitar repairman/technician and recording engineer, based in Tacoma, WA. He owns and operates “Service Guitar Repair” and “House Of Sound Recording Studio” He has a deep love and knowledge of vintage guitars, as well as modern and loves to share his passion with others. He can be contacted at ServiceGuitarRepair@gmail.com website: www.ServiceGuitarRepair.com
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Artist: Marcos De Ros
4 From Summer NAMM The National Association of Music Merchants, otherwise known as NAMM, held their summer show at the new Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee from July 11th through the 13th. The show is where manufactures bring their latest and greatest gear to show off to prospective buyers and retailers from across the country. For a musician, it is kind of like being a kid in a candy store: checking out the latest guitar processor, or that piece of vintage gear that has been brought back to the market, new and improved. Plus, it’s a cool gig if you can get a spot playing and showcasing some of that new gear for the manufactures. Here are a few pieces of gear and players that caught my attention this year. 1. The one thing most every guitar player has is a capo. Kyser capos are one of the industry standards, and this year Kyser has the same great capo; now in more colors and designs, including the newest look: the ‘Red Bandana’. Appearing at their booth was the double neck, twohanded tapping guitarist Mark Kross, who was presented with his own signature series capos, and Greg O’Haver, inventor of the Kyser K-Lever Capos. I recommend checking Mark or Greg out on YouTube. http://www. kysermusical.com 2. Have you ever bounced a pencil or a drumstick on the strings of your guitar? It will give you a percussive hit like a piano or a hammered dulcimer. Well then, Mark Engler’s invention, “The Engle”, is worth checking out.
The Engle’s design is a guitar-hammer or percussion mallet that allows for more tonal variation then traditional guitar picks. The head of the mallet is shaped like an elongated eye, and is composed of molded plastic. Its weight and angle are key elements to its design and function, and Mark dubbed his musical accessory “The Engle”, as in a new angle for playing guitar. Guitarist Christie Lenee was demonstrating the Engle and was producing some of the most amazing sounds comments from everyone who saw them; out of an acoustic guitar. http://www.theengle. with the younger guys saying, “man that’s com cool” to the older guys, “I used to have one of those when I was a kid.” I remember these 3. Many of today’s guitars from back in the day. They were the musicians make ones that you used to get from Sears with use of iPads and the baseball bat size necks and high actions Android tablets for that made you work to play them. Silvertone their sheet music. For has reissued several models: the 1478 and those musicians, Air 1303/U2, along with the 1423 Jupiter Model, Turn manufactures 1449 Ddbl Cut, and the 1444 Single Cut bass a hands-free that will be available later this year. These bluetooth remote control foot switch. The BTreissues have that classic pickup tone with 105 for tablets is a great little device for the upgraded hardware, necks, and fret work to contemporary worship musician. “Whether make very cool, playable guitars. http://www. you lead alone or alongside a full team, you’ll silvertoneclassic.com find the AirTurn to be an invaluable accessory for leading worship. With apps like “Onsong” Coda: You might not be able to make it you can manage your library of songs, trigger to the NAMM shows in Nashville, TN or audio backing tracks, and even share files Anaheim, CA, but there are a number of and synchronize page turns among team local guitar and trade shows across the members, all wirelessly and hands free.” Air country worth checking out. Even spending Turn even makes a 4 pedal BT-105 that will some time in your local music store can be a control multi-effects guitar processor apps on learning experience, and you’re bound to see your iPad, iPhone, or iPad Touch. Air Turns something new will inspire you. co-founder, Hugh Sung, has also published a book “From Paper to Pixels; your guide to Roger Zimish is a freelance the digital sheet music revolution.” I found the guitarist/indie artist and clinician book and the BT-105 to be such great tools based in Hendersonville Tn. He I bought one myself. http://www.airturn.com has represented Audio-Technica, Greg Bennett Design Guitars 4. Silvertone guitars was a “must-see” at the by Samick, G&L Guitars, Visual show for musicians of every generation. Much Sound and PedalTrain Pedal heralded as a part of the roots of rock, their Boards. Contact Roger: Email rogerzimish@ re-issue classic guitars were eliciting excited yahoo.com, and on facebook. CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM
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The Story About The Story by Bryan Duncan
Yesteryear, before the world changed, I was inattentive and disinterested in the marketing machine and the people behind it who were focused on shining the light on a good work. I toured the globe for weeks at a time, with barely enough brain retention to remember what city I was in on any given night. Frankly, I seldom knew the first name of the promoter in a single town, let alone those in the audience who resonated with my songs. I imagined that I was pretty effective. I was utilizing every ounce of time and energy I had. What I didn’t expect was how quickly my time in the spotlight would vanish, and right when I thought I was doing pretty well.
just “lifted up the name Christ” and, without doing anything further, were promptly promoted to a position of authority. Of course, if you are already successful in that way, no one can argue with you now. Anything you say carries more weight than the rest of the peons who are still struggling with their Now that you’re “collecting” friends and you endeavors. You are granted the dis-likelihood want to find new ones who might come to that you are closer to being right about your performance, you can be specific! If you everything. want to dial up a list of people who like the In the process of growing our credibility we color blue, Go to church on Sunday night, and all are prone to bow to the idea that bigger, have ice cream at 31 flavors afterward, there rather than better, is the prominent assessment are a number of social media outlets that can of our success. And we use scripture and lofty help. (for a nominal fee of course). insights to skate around the pink elephants of The new world emerged and all the And, if you haven’t noticed yet, we are the ways and the means to do that, seeing any boundaries and definitions from years of quickly approaching the infamous “cashless personal effort as undignified and unspiritual. faithful service evaporated. Suddenly, those of society” my dad always preached about as a Not everyone will see the work of marketing us who used to rule the world were all standing sign of the last days. Now, a smart phone with as an “anointing”. That’s a Christian word around mystified. It became apparent a a Square Card will transfer nearly two thirds designed to discount your effort if it doesn’t different approach was needed and it would of all purchases from a merchandise table make a particular group feel good in the change every aspect of how we serve others directly into a bank account in a matter of moment or hasn’t yet resonated with the in the world today. The responsibility for all seconds. And with it, all the information I need masses. But one thing I know, I wasn’t the that a record company and multiple agencies to stay in contact. man called to be “the voice of one crying in used to do for a lot of us had fallen into our the wilderness”. Let us not assume that our own hands (with a little help from our friends). Every day comes with a new upgrade. My obedience to God in doing the hard work of And then came the awareness of all that was cellphone is now Smarter than I am! And I establishing our ways and means is measured done for us that we took for granted. “The have had to make a choice not to refer to the by the size of the reaction to it. In that case truth shall set you free” they say. But the truth internet as “My easy to curse website”. Yes, the God loves Billy Graham more than you or me. shall not set you free before it humbles you to information explosion has forced a new focus the core. Knowing your effectiveness (or lack on the details, which is where the Devil is most God allowed Billy Graham to prosper in his of it) has a way of generating a new interest in of the time, if you are planning to oppose him. work, but he also used William Randolph Miracles from God. Every Musician has to improve their Hurst, a newspaper mogul, to market him to marketing skills to stay alive. “Marketing is the world in the beginning. Hurst liked him My dad was a preacher. I recall he had a for his stand against Communism. Grahams “Sunday School” number board right up at storytelling, but not in a pitchy ‘look at me’ gospel message didn’t change, but God the front of the church to tell us all how many way. “If you’re real and honest people are certainly used marketing to establish the good people were attending on any given Sunday, going to know it” says CC Chapman, author news where the bad news thrives. with a look back at last week. Remember of Amazing Things Will Happen. I’ve always those? That was about all the information he labored under the illusion that the song WAS We may never have the assistance of the could gather to verify his efforts. That, and the story, but with my added awareness I now wealthy and the powerful, but awareness maybe the visitors would fill out a guest card know there has to be a story about the story. of who the public is and the power of an And it needs to come with an understanding expanding single voice has never been more to be dropped in the offering plate. of who you are telling the story to. accessible to me. Every day I am amazed at Technology now has delivered to us facts how God multiplies the loaves and fishes from and figures that are hard to exaggerate There’s a similarity between Marketing and a single child of his. I’m a fisher of men just like evangelistically. And with all of that information Evangelism, and it comes with some confusion. Peter became, we just use a different net now. gathering comes the humbling reality that our Marketing is the art of influencing others Biblical proportions have been relegated to to buy something or believe something. less than a full chapter. With some diligence Evangelism starts with a Power greater than on my part I not only know the first and last my own, of course, but my proclamation can name of every promoter of concerts and can certainly benefit from the new intelligence. Bryan Duncan/ Singer / help them do their job, but I recognize first Don’t use “Where God guides God provides” Songwriter/ author / and last names of thousands of friends (not as an excuse to “bury your talent in the fans) who resonate with my songs. Wow. And ground”. Faith still requires a step, or even Publisher. Radio Show host I can still remember my dad hand cranking out two. I market my work as a way of establishing for RadioRehab.com a podium to proclaim what I believe. And yes, Inducted into the Christian newsletters on a mimeograph. it’s still up to God to add the “increase”. music Hall of Fame in 2007. Now, over half of my merchandise is not even seen! It’s downloaded out of not-so-thin air. But it’s easy to assume that those who have 40 years, 22 albums, Dove and Grammy awarded. “Crowdfunding” has replaced purchases of developed a larger visibility and constituency www.bryanduncan.com
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music with rewards for your participation. And everyone who owns my new music has a name I can find in minutes; whereby I address them, often individually. And that music comes with all kinds of extras. The CD can be changed a dozen times after the release date to include new mixes and bonus material.
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I s Yo u r P r o d u c t i o n Wo r t h y o f Yo u r M e s s a g e ? Enhance the quality of your worship service by updating your church’s music, sound and lighting technology. At the NAMM Show, you’ll be among the first to connect with the newest sound and music product innovations from more than 1,400 manufacturers from around the world. You’ll also have access to the H.O.T. Zone, where you can choose from a variety of free pro audio training sessions that can help you to refine your skills and revitalize your worship and music programs. This is an exclusive invitation for house of worship professionals, audio/video and lighting technicians, and buyers only. The show is not open to the public––so don’t miss this unique opportunity to attend. You must pre-register by January 2, 2014. To purchase your badges and see if you qualify to attend, please e-mail NAMM at hotzone@namm.org.
JANUARY 23-26, 2014 • ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA • ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER
CODA Language of Music
excerpts...
by Tom Brooks
Where Do We Go From Here?
*Or brace yourself for a massive Train Wreck somewhere down the road! To answer this question sometimes it’s a good idea to go back to the very beginning; If you ask yourself this question and answer to the start of your journey – return to the honestly, it may hurt a bit at first – but I harbor and re-check your compass – go back guarantee you it will help you stay on course, to the launch pad and verify your trajectory… help you weather through the storms of life, and show you exactly ‘where we go from here’. “Why do we do what we do?” Don’t ever again ask God to bless your plans – Make no mistake about it - the Enemy is humbly ask God to reveal His Plans to you and a Deceiver and a Liar. If he can’t turn us all then line up your heart with His Plan! into drug addicts or compulsive gamblers, maybe He’s just trying to subtly lure us into If you answered e) and you know you are complacency; into a rut of routine liturgy, into called to serve God’s people with the Gift of a false feeling that we are doing the Lord’s Music He planted in your heart…then LET’S work when really all we’re doing is going GO!! through the motions - and leading God’s Step #2 people nowhere in the process. So if your heart is lined up with God’s heart The Answer? The Antidote??
Genuineness - Honesty – Authenticity – pure unadulterated love for God and His people Which leads us to our first topic: It’s time for your spiritual ‘Flu Shot’
and your motives are right, the LANGUAGE of MUSIC is an awesome tool to help connect people with Him. What is worship anyway?? To me worship is simply our natural response when we realize who God really is - Worship can be expressed in a thousand different ways; it could be singing, shouting, dancing, you name it.
Yes, it’s that time of year… the kids are back in school, sharing germs at every opportunity. Your Doc recommends a Flu Shot – and I Sometimes a room full of Christians agree; but my ‘Spiritual Flu Shot’ is different. expressing their individual worship can be Just like a regular flu shot the concept is, an awesome thing – but watch what happens “a little ‘owie’ now saves you from a big Train when that room full of Believers starts to Wreck later”. But this ‘Spiritual Flu Shot’ comes worship in one accord; singing together with one voice, dancing in sync to the same groove, in the form of a question: focusing their hearts on one truth – That’s Why do you want to be a Worship Leader/ where music is an absolutely invaluable tool! Worship Musician in the first place?? Music provides the melody so we can sing a) You like being on stage in front of people together with one voice – Music provides b) It’s a good way to get your songs heard the groove so our dance is in sync – Music c) You’re a Pro Musician and church smells provides the lyrics that focus our hearts on the way better than the nightclub where you’ve same truth. Even deeper, Music can create a spiritual atmosphere that allows God’s Holy been playing Spirit to flow and minister to people - Music is d) You always wanted to be a rock star, but the fabric, the soundtrack, the film score to the then you got saved worship experience! e) You love serving God’s people and your SO…Get Really Good at Music - for all heart’s desire is to help them connect with the Right Reasons! Him. If you are reading this article, then you surely If you answered anything other than e), you have the Gift of Music in some measure. have three choices… Remember the Parable of the Talents? The *Change your mind (get a different job) Master was leaving on a trip so he gave his *Change your heart (line up your heart with three servants each ‘talents’ of silver; one received 10 talents, another received 5, and God’s heart) another received 1. The servant who received
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1 talent buried it so he wouldn’t lose it. Another one invested his 5 talents and earned a handsome reward. The last servant invested his 10 talents wisely and doubled his talents! …and you know what happened when the Master returned? To the servants who invested their talents he said, “Well done good and faithful servants.” To the one who hid his talent and didn’t do anything at all with it the Master said basically, “You lazy slob, you moron, give your 1 talent to the guy who has 10 – you’re fired; get lost, go somewhere else and wallow in your misery.” So the question is… “What are you doing with the musical ‘talent’ God has entrusted to you??” The Bottom Line of this parable: regardless what measure of talent you have, God wants you to invest it – develop it – nurture it. That means learn everything you can about music, immerse yourself in it, perfect your craft, study the masters on your instrument, get around people who are better than you and soak up everything you can. Why? So you can impress your musical pals? So you can get in the spotlight and promote your own songs? NO! So you can use your talent and use the Language of Music to help people connect to God! So your Master will say, “Well done my good and faithful servant!” Ear Training One of the questions I hear often when I do workshops is: “Why is Ear Training so important?” When you become a parent you get the joy of watching your babies say their first words - and watching their eyes light up when they hear you say their name. Good Times! …but you don’t want them to stay that way forever, right? As they grow you want them to learn to say more words and put them together into phrases and sentences - you want them to learn to hear a rich vocabulary and understand what they hear so they can apply it, right?? And so it is with the LANGUAGE of MUSIC Words are like notes, phrases are phrases, and a paragraph is like a chorus - Don’t be a ‘babymusician’ forever; you need to grow and learn to speak fluently through your instrument, increase your harmonic vocabulary, plus
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you need to learn to hear and identify what sentences and expressing their thoughts… your band-mates are saying through their Aren’t you going to teach them how to read instruments. and write?? Just like a child in 1st grade, as a Ear Training simply means hearing music musician when you learn to read and write and being able to identify what you’re music you are opening up an entire universe of hearing - without it it’s like you’re listening opportunity - It’s like Dorothy arriving in OZ; to a conversation in a foreign country where your musical world goes from black & white you can’t understand what they’re saying. to Technicolor! You now have the ability to Knowing instinctively what you are hearing share your music around the planet, to walk in the music, being able to identify chords into a recording session and play a song and melodies and bass lines on the spot will you’ve never heard before, to document, to instantly make you a better musician, a better collaborate, to orchestrate, to communicate with other musicians – YES, reading music arranger, a better music director. is essential if you want to be a well-rounded *Is Ear Training important? ABSOLUTELY! It skillful musician! [*Bruce, you can delete this is essential. last sentence if you need to for space*] *Is Ear Training hard? NO WAY MAN!! Time to be done Come and see me quick, I can help you out You can download my “Guerilla Ear Training” As any Producer will tell you, you never workshop for free at TomBrooksMusic.com - really finish a project… you either run out You’re gonna love it. You’ll wonder how you of time or run out of budget; otherwise you would simply keep refining and perfecting it ever lived without it! forever. In this case, I have run out of space Which brings me to the #1 question I hear at to tell you everything I wanted to say! SO… Workshops: “I play by ear - Do I really need to grab a topic from the “LANGUAGE of MUSIC” learn to read music?” book that piques your interest and the next Let’s go back and look at your sweet babies time you’re in SoCal meet me at Starbucks and again - so now they are growing and learning we’ll discuss! lots of words and putting together phrases and
Tom Brooks is best known as the original Producer / Arranger / Keyboardist of Integrity Music’s award winning “Hosanna Praise & Worship Series”. His new book, “The LANGUAGE of MUSIC” is now available from Hal Leonard Publishing.
Matt Kidd (Phil Wickham, Shane and Shane, and Robbie Seay Band)
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ARTIST PHOTO CREDIT: COURTNEY DONDELINGER
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CHRISTIANMUSICIAN.COM 12/20/12 10:34 PM
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