Articles from March 2010

Worship Frequency is having another worship songwriting contest this year, and you don’t have much time left to enter.  The contest ends April 8th.  Top songs will be featured on Frequency Radio, top ten songs could be featured even longer.  Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, and Jesse Reeves will be the judges.

Contest Details

I am working on getting a couple of songs in myself.

Not sure why I haven’t never found my way to “Worship Matters” but I am glad I did today.  What a great blog for pastors, worship leaders, and instrumentalist in a church.  Lots of resources covering a wide range of topics that many of us run into weekly.  Definitely adding a link to this site.

Man, I love how God works!  It is definitely a wonderful feeling to be in presence of the Holy Spirit.  I don’t think I have ever had a moment like I had Sunday.  A feeling like I just couldn’t keep playing a song, a feeling like a I could barely breathe, but yet the I couldn’t stop singing or praising.  I have never heard our congregation so loud, seen them so happy to be there, I was overwhelmed by the power of God.  By what His presence can do when you are giving him your all.  I didn’t want to leave, to stop playing, to stop singing.  I pray that this revival continues with our church and that we can continue to let God lead us in everything we do as a congregation.

Thanks to Dr. Gary Gray for opening our eyes to what God told us to do in the Bible.  He made it so clear, all we had to do was read His word, the answers are there.

Got my picks in today from the pickguy.com.  Look great, feel great.  Super deal at only $38.00 delivered.  They even let me split my order up into two different pick gauges.  Sweet deal.  Thanks Pick Guy.  Also my first experience with the Grover Allman shape, and I really like it.

ASCAP, BMI Honor Josh Turner, Writers of “Why Dont We Just Dance”Composers Darrell Brown, Jonathan Singleton, Jim Beavers Spotlighted

via CMT : News : ASCAP, BMI Honor Josh Turner, Writers of “Why Dont We Just Dance”.

Congrats to all these guys.  Josh Turner is a great Christian role model for up coming artist.  Jonathan just keeps turning out the hits.

Had to post this.  Jonathan Singleton & The Grove’s world premier video for “Look Who’s Back In Love”.  If you haven’t heard them you should.  Jonathan has written several hit songs, but he has a great band and I hope the make it big.

Winter Jam 2010 has come and gone, and left me wondering what in the world has happened.  I was really pumped about getting to see one of my favorite bands of all time Third Day again.  Been a while since they have been to Tupelo.  Really like Tenth Avenue North, and we use their music for worship a lot.  Fireflight has some good stuff, and I knew the kids would like them.  New Song, well they are New Song, great harmonies and etc.  Tony Nolan is always such a good speaker, he brings it every year.  I always leave Winter Jam with a hunger for more.

But I have no idea what has happened this year.  I know we caught them at the end of the tour and they are all probably worn out, but man what a bummer.  I just left filling empty.  It was just a rock concert for the most part.  Even New Song was more about “Rockin’ Out” this time around.  Typically there is a lot of worship at Winter Jam, but it just wasn’t there this year.  It seemed like everybody was on a clock and really rushed to get done and get out of the building.  Even Tony Nolan seemed hurried with his message and he wound up leading the whole congregation in the sinners prayer.  He never really slowed down enough to explain what was going on.  I am sure there were a lot of people who left there a little dazed and confused.  I think they realized this when they asked people to stand up if they prayed that prayer and about half the 10,000 in attendance stood up.

The Bands

1. Revive – did a short 3 song set.  They have some potential.  Their sound was good, you could understand the vocals for the most part, they did a nice job with there stage sound.
2. Robert Pierre – just a young guy, I guess he was this year’s Pure Energy.  He seemed nervous, had some pitch problems.  Just didn’t really fit for the concert.  I think he did 3 songs, then he came back after a intermission and did a song to a track.  Can’t even remember what it was but it was bad.  He needed some autotune in the worst possible way.  But to give him the benefit of doubt (he wasn’t that bad with the live band earlier) maybe he could hear himself very good.
3. Fireflight – pretty good, they rock out.  They sounded pretty good, vocals could have been up a little bit.  But good show from them.
4. Newsong – man I usually love these guys, but Russ Lee was just screaming his head off that night.  The highlight of their set was a U2 cover and the normal closing song “Arise” which is always great.
5. Newboys – man, I am not sure about the Michael Tait experiment.  I thought this was the worst act of the night.  I love Tait in DC Talk and as a solo artist, but man he just doesn’t fit with the Newsboys.  If they go forward with this I will be surprised.  Peter Furler please come back!!!!!!!  I mean it just doesn’t sound like the Newsboys.  I saw them last when they headlined the Winter Jam tour and they were awesome, but they just didn’t bring it.  I think they played with some kind of track on every song.
6. Tenth Avenue North – why they got stuck with a 15 minute set and the Newsboys got 25 is beyond me.  These guys were great.  They sound good, none of the instruments were to loud.  Vocals were great.  They had a message to share and they did a great job.  They deserved much better.
7. Third Day – they were pushing Revelation, and I can’t blame them.  But I really like the older stuff.  Revelation comes off more as a secular rock cd to me than most of the classic Third Day.  There some great songs on there, but give the old stuff.  Mac Powell sounded good, Mark Lee was awesome as usual.  But the keys and organ had way to much volume and the funky wah-wah organ was wacked out.  It was a good set but just not what I came to hear.  Guess I will have to wait on them to come back by themselves.

I really think that this could hurt Winter Jam for next year.  I asked a bunch of the teens that were with us and they all agreed this was probably the worst Winter Jam they had been to.  I don’t mean this to be an insult to any of the bands, or especially not to Newsong, they do a great job putting this together year after year.  But I hope they set back at the end of the tour and talk about what they need to do to get it back on track and focused on Jesus.

Winter Jam 2010 hits Tupelo, MS tonight.  With spring break going on here this week I expect people will be lined up to get in early this afternoon.  At only $10 to get in and see Third Day, The Newsboys, Newsong, Tenth Avenue North and more, this is a steal.  Last year almost 10,000 people packed into the Bancorp South Arena to see the show.  Should be great tonight, we are taking some kids that have never been before.

Ordered some custom picks from the Pickguy today.  Can’t wait to get them in they look really sweet.  Been playing the Snarling Dogs nylon brain picks for a while, played the Everly Star picks before that.  These are black delrin .80mm, matte finish, I can’t wait to get them in.

$38 delivered for 100 picks, split them up into 50 each .70mm and 50 each .80mm at no extra charge.  You can download the template from his website and create your own pick.  Send it back to them, and they will fix you up a nice mock up so you can decide if you like it.

I was honored to run sound and video for a wedding this weekend.  I am sure most of you are thinking you could find a better thing to do with your Friday and Saturday night.  Normally I could to, but this wasn’t just any wedding.  I couldn’t think of two more devoted young people, not just to each other, but to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The ceremony was simple but the message was clear, in everything we do, do in service, and honor of our Lord.  To top it off the kiss at the end of the wedding was there first!  Yes after two or three years of dating this was their first ever kiss……no that is keeping it real people.  How many of us can say that we completely saved ourselves for our spouses, even down to the kiss.  I think that really sent out a message to other young people at our church.