Trinity Psalms

I have been talking and scheming about a new worship project for a while. Well, enough talk. We will go into the studio this coming Wednesday.

This will be our most collaborative, writing effort yet. Which is very exciting to me.

The track list (for now) looks like this:

Psalm 66 - Song Of Deliverance by M.Reardon
Psalm 34 - Taste And See - K.Cown
Psalm 103 - Bless The Lord - C.Lawrence
Psalm 118 - Proclamation - K.Johnson
Psalm 139 - Lead Me - M.Reardon
Psalm 139 - Thoughts Of You - M.Reardon
Psalm 51 - Whiter Than Snow - M.DiCristina
Hallelujah (Help Us Pray) - M.Reardon

Piano? Who needs one?

OK. I do. Or at least I want one. When I was 5 years old we had one and I remember my mother giving my brother and sister and I lessons. I made it all the way through my beginner's book and then one day I came home from school and there was a blank wall where our piano used to be. I grew up thinking that everyone had things that one day would go away. You see the same thing happened to a few cars we had as well.

Now that I am older I completely get what happened. You probably guessed it within two sentences. The Repo-Man paid us a visit that day and took our piano away. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time when I think about it. I say laugh because the Repo-Man may have taken away our only family instrument, but he did not take away my passion for music.

So, now my search is on for an old, beautiful and fully-functional upright piano to grace my own family's home...for keeps.

Here I come Craigslist!

"Music Man"

A friend of mine began blogging for Atlanta Music Guide and I must say I love his honesty and candor when it comes to the music industry. I have personally seen my share of bands & musicians venture into this world wide-eyed and full of hope only to see them approach their thirties with little more than the beer-belly they acquired from "networking" at clubs every night. Maybe they just needed some perspective on things.

I think Jay Harren offers a realistic, but not hopeless perspective about how one should view and approach this difficult industry. You can (should) follow his posts here Music Man.

Thanks Jay and keep writing!

Musicians need a dose of reality...

...and a job.

If you are a musician and hope to "make it" (even just a little bit) then this movie is a must see.

Visual Aids in Church

Here is an interesting article arguing against the use, or over-use, of computer-aided technology in church worship settings. It is a short article, but says a great deal on the matter.

One quote that stuck with me is, Because PowerPoint has become central to worship in many churches, it is now common to find more technology experts than persons knowledgeable about liturgy involved in planning and leading worship. Ouch!

Article Link - PowerPointless

A Beautiful Picture of Faith

"But faith is not necessarily, or not soon, a resting place. Faith puts you out on a wide river in a little boat, in the fog, in the dark. Even a man of faith knows that...we've all got to go through enough to kill us...

...A man of faith believes that (all) is not lost. He does not believe this easily or without pain, but he believes it. His belief is a kind of knowledge beyond any way of knowing."

-from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

There is something in me (and probably in all of us) that simply wants to arrive at a "resting place" - a point in life that is a peaceful and pain-free existence. A place where we need not act, but "be". But this quote rebukes and reminds us that faith is an action and not a destination. Hard words.

American Idol vs. Lunch with Marty?

I just received a phone call form one of our worship leaders that he was unable to meet me for our scheduled lunch appointment because his mother convinced him to audition today for the next season of American Idol. I will not tell you that the leader's first name, but his last name begins with the letter "F" and ends in "letcher".