Thoughts and Musings

Making herself known through music

It's not that I'm a Katy Perry fan. I mean, she's not horrible, and I actually find "Firework" a catchy little tune.

No, it's that I'm a Jodi DiPiazza fan. A serious fan. Watch this and you'll see why. Trust me, it's worth 8:34 of your day.  You'll be a different person on the other side.

At least the iPod didn't get a hand cut off

Indeed, the truth can be oh so hard to hear...

The method of making music matters

Sometimes I get depressed listening to the radio. And yes, I fully realize the "musical snob" label this kind of statement leads to.  I'm pretty sure that's not the case, of course.  It's just that, as someone who has been part of the process of making a song from the ground up, I'm well aware of the time, patience and skill that goes into making a truly great song - and the cookie-cutter nature of a lot of what's on the airwaves these days.

But every once in a while something comes along and surprises me.  Gotye is an artist that falls into that category.  I don't know that his style of music is the kind of thing I'd normally listen to, but it's the songwriting and layers and textures of what he does that attracts me.  It's obvious that a lot of thought and creativity goes into his stuff - and that means something. 

The fact that "Somebody That I Used To Know" is getting heavy airplay these days is less a validation of Gotye as an artist, and more a sign that there is perhaps hope for radio and the "what's-popular-today" nature of the music industry.

Here are a few videos you should check out, courtesy of my friend Chad.  I'm just intrigued by musicians who take the time to find a unique assembly of sounds - and, in some cases, totally new ones.  This is what music should be about, in my humble opinion.  Not quickly stringing together a beat and a catchy hook aiming for the next big hit, but using your musical creativity, God'-given smarts and patience with the process to assemble something truly beautiful.

Check out what he does with the autoharp on this video:

 

Who would ever think of sampling a fence sound and making it an integral part of a song? 

Bobby and the Bad Guys

Had a great time yesterday playing with my band, Mediocre Bad Guys, alongside the legendary Bobby Keys, well-known sax player for the Rolling Stones, at the BudBreak Wine Festival in Mount Airy, NC.  Bobby, by the way, is the dapper looking fella in the cap. This is the third time we've shared the stage with Bobby (fourth if you count the jam session at our practice space when an official gig got snowed out).  It's a testament to the random happenstance way life rolls sometimes, as we got hooked up with Bobby through a friend of the band (who also lets us use the basement of his warehouse for practicing) who knows Bobby and invited him to Mayberry one Christmas break.  You can read my blog post about that first gig with Bobby HERE.

Bobby's always a lot of fun to play with, and has an amazing knack for coming up with phenomenal sax parts in songs nobody but him would ever imagine sax in.  And when he growls out that sax solo on "Brown Sugar" it sure is something special.

There are a lot of other pics and hopefully some videos coming soon on our Facebook page, so consider "liking" the page and keeping in touch with the band.

Oh, and Bobby just put out a biography of his pretty amazing life. You can check it out on Amazon HERE.

He should get a Grammy for his speech

They could call it, "Best Advice For Any Aspiring Musician."

"To me, this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of making music is what's most important.  Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft - that's the most important thing for people to do.  It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on a computer, it's about what goes on in here (points to heart) and about what goes on in here (points to head)."

As my good friend and MBG bandmate Jerry Chapman tweeted, "Preach it, Rev. Grohl." 

(click HERE for YouTube video if you don't see it above)

Looking back at "Seeking Stars"

Back a few weeks ago you heard me talk about this Collegiate Conference at Montreat I was honored to be part of.  If you know Montreat, you know it's hard to explain it in words to someone else.  You really need to be there.  Here's hoping this video helps somewhat with that. 

I continue to be grateful for the great experience and all the fine folks I met there!

 

Seeking Stars: Looking back at the 2012 College Conference from Montreat on Vimeo.

"LOVE>FEAR" lyrics & chords

During my time leading music for Seeking Stars: Collegiate Conference at Montreat, a number of folks inquired about lyric/chord sheets for the two tunes I wrote specifically for the conference.  Here they are as downloadable PDFs:

YOUR RADIANCE

GREATEST OF THESE

And don't forget that you can download the songs themselves from ITUNES and BANDCAMP.

Thanks for a great week!

"Love>Fear" released today!

It's official! As promised, my new EP, Love>Fear, is being released today, the last day of 2011.  This project is tied to my involvement with the College Conference at Montreat next week - two songs I wrote to be part of the conference.

I've got the album available for immediate download at Bandcamp - a great service where I released Let Go back in May.  You can even get a bonus acoustic live version of "Greatest of These" too.  Just click on the "BUY" link and you'll be good to go! (Note: an iTunes release is coming any day now, but it won't have the bonus tune).

Thanks for listening, and feel free to spread the word! (Click HERE if the download widget doesn't appear below).

P.S. If you didn't get a chance to read this Thursday's edition of the Winston Salem Journal, there was a neat little article in there about me and the Let Go album. Check it out HERE!

P.S.S. - My band, Mediocre Bad Guys, is continuing our "Download of the Month" project, which means we have a fresh new tune dropping tomorrow. Not only is it one I wrote, but it's an up-tempo version of "The Dance" off Let Go.  I think you'll dig it.  Click HERE to sign up for our email list and be the first to get word when it's available!

"Love>Fear" to be released New Year's Eve!

As we are deep in the thick of the gift-giving season, I'm proud to share that I'll soon be giving you all some brand new music!  Love>Fear, my upcoming two-song EP, will be released on the morning of December 31st for your audial consumption.

(And as an aside, I don't know if a two-song project technically counts as an EP, but let's roll with it for the time being).

Why an EP release on the last day of the year you ask?  The tunes - Your Radiance and Greatest of These - were written for Seeking Stars, the 2012 Collegiate Conference at Montreat on January 2-5.  This is a fantastic national conference for all college-aged folks with some amazing keynoters and preachers like Sara Miles, Gabe Lyons and J. Herbert Nelson.  Somehow in that incredible lineup, I got asked to lead music.  And I decided, in addition to doing the standard praise and worship repertoire, that I'd write a few of my own.  Your Radiance is based on the conference's scripture and is a co-write with my good friend Jerry Chapman.  Greatest of These is not tied specifically to the conference theme, but was one of those beautiful songs that came in a flash.

More about the songs later - just know that on New Year's Eve, as you watch the 23-some football games that'll be on TV, you can turn the sound down and listen to some new tunes.  It'll be available as a digital download from iTunes, Bandcamp, and CD Baby. 

Get psyched.  I sure am!  And a Merry Christmas to you all.

 

A boy can dream.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/47855429@N04/6323104298/in/set-72157628076040302/)