We Should Sing

I don’t call myself a singer by any stretch. I can carry a tune just fine and know when I am out of tune and can even usually fix it before it sounds too bad but even though I occasionally sing in front of many people I generally won’t sing in front of anyone unless they are singing too. Singing is such a personal thing. If I’m singing then I am opening myself up to being judged. I’m exposing myself, letting people hear my imperfections. I don’t want to do that. I only want people to see my good side, to know the things I am proficient at, to see me excel at what I do.

This is why singing is so good, especially in a group. Anytime I’m in a group setting and a sing-a-long breaks out (which has maybe happened twice) I always think, “This is stupid. What a dumb idea.” But when we are done I’ve always had a good time and feel closer to the people I was singing with. I think it’s the willingness to open yourself up to other people to show your real self. A blog I did a while back called ‘risking stupid’ eluded to this idea too. Allowing yourself to open up and not hide your real self can be so empowering. It is also almost always enjoyable.

I think about being at dances. I never want to start dancing when things get started. I am so afraid of looking like a fool. Eventually I go through this whole thought process though and get the nerve to jump in there and make a fool of myself anyway. By the end I’ve had a great time and wish I had joined in sooner.

Being open and vulnerable and real is all anyone wants from the people around them. This is likely why this whole blogging thing has taken off. For some reason us bloggers seem to be able to express our true selves when we have the time to sit and write it down. I hope by being real and vulnerable in my blogs I will be held accountable to everything I say. As much as I hate typing that, it is the reason I write in the first place, to grow as a person and not stagnate.

So, all that said, we should sing in church and with our friends and with our families to grow our communities and become closer. Before we had TV and radio and computers, we did this all the time. Maybe it is something we need to get back to?

GL

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Subjectivity and Creativity

“It almost goes without saying that subjectivity is not the friend of the commercial artist.
Everyone's a critic; everyone thinks they have a lock on what colors work, what images convey the right message and what's truly hot in the market already.”

A quote taken from Fugitive Musings.

Even though he’s coming at art from a different world than I am these same things apply. Reading his blog hit me because it’s sort of what’s on my mind these days.

The band I play for “Downhere” is in the process of writing and choosing songs that will go on our next album. It’s such a crazy process. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 demos now I’m guessing and there are some really great songs in there. So how do we decide which songs go on the album? How do we figure out which songs will have the most appeal, which ones the most people will like the best? How many fast songs, slow songs, different sounding songs, songs in a different meter, songs with different lead singers?

Radio has an interesting way of doing this, at least in our industry. They’ll take sound clips of let’s say 50 songs and play them for a sample group of people. These people then rate each clip they have heard. The crazy thing is that they mix in new songs and old songs. I don’t know about you but if I have even heard a song once I almost always like it better the second time. Take the new Coldplay album for instance. I wasn’t really into it when I listened to it for the first time or even the second time. Then my brother in law Bob told me how much he was enjoying it so I made myself go back and listen to it a few times with more of an open mind. Now I really like it, at least the first half, likely because those are the ones I’ve listened to most often.

So who decides what is good and what isn’t? Take a look at these charts from R&R and figure out how many songs you like or even know.

Rock
Seether
“Remedy”
(Wind-up)

Staind
“Right Here”
(Flip/Atlantic)

Nickelback
“Photograph”
(Roadrunner/IDJMG)

Crossfade
“Colors”
(Columbia)

Rihanna
“Pon De Replay”
(Def Jam/IDJMG)


CHR/Pop
Audioslave
“Doesn't Remind Me”
(Interscope/Epic)

Mariah Carey
“We Belong Together”
(Island/IDJMG)


D.H.T.
“Listen To Your Heart”
(Robbins)

Pussycat Dolls f/Busta Rhymes
“Don't Cha”
(A&M/Interscope)

Kelly Clarkson
“Behind These Hazel Eyes”
(RCA/RMG)

Christian CHR
Jeremy Camp
“Lay Down My Pride”
(BEC/Tooth & Nail)

Switchfoot
“Stars”
(Sparrow/EMI CMG)

Tobymac
“Burn For You”
(ForeFront/EMI CMG)

John Reuben f/Matt Theissen
“Nuisance”
(Gotee)

Kutless
“Strong Tower”
(BEC/Tooth & Nail)

For full listings go here and click on formats.

So what I’m getting at is that I don’t think any of us has a better idea than anyone else as to what people will like. When we are dealing with subjective art everyone’s opinion is just as valuable. I guess the program director at the big radio station would have an opinion that would be more valuable but only because he decides what to play. And whatever he plays people will eventually know and probably even like only because they’ve heard it so many times!

So there you go. A little look into what goes on while preparing to record a new hit album that everyone will love and want to own. As you can see this whole having a hit song thing is quite elusive but also quite necessary to the survival of a band. I just pray that God would show favor to us and that program directors at radio stations will somehow be attracted to our songs no matter what we decide on.

GL

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Katrina and Parenting

Well I can’t write a blog without at least mentioning Katrina. For many people out there this is the only thing that is going on in their lives right now. I don’t really have any profound thoughts to share about it but I will say please remember and realize how devastating this has been to many people’s lives. I just found out that parents of a friend lost something like three or four homes that they owned and likely everything in it. I don’t have any links for you to go to to help out but I’m sure if you are reading this than you have already been to other blogs that have ways you can help. If not, check out some of the links to your right here. This Guy Falls Down, Ethos and Shlog have some great options.

Let’s try to move on from Katrina for just a little bit. Last night I was reading a selection from Devotions For Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas (thanks Generation Ex Files). This book looks at parenting in the spiritual sense or sacred sense. Many of the devotions help the reader to realize how parenting can bring you into a closer relationship with God.

Last night’s chapter was titled They Just Don’t Understand. Man, what a picture he painted in the first couple of paragraphs. A mother has a daughter who has difficulty walking properly. The mother spends time researching her daughter’s problem, she spends money bringing her to doctors, she spends time at the doctor and 4 hours a week in rush hour traffic getting her there. The great thing is that all this work is making a difference for her daughter’s walking difficulties. The sad thing is that one day as mother was picking up daughter, daughter said, “I’ll never forgive you for doing this to me.” WHAT! All I can think is what kind of ungrateful brat says something like that?

Then the writer says this. “It’s one thing to sacrifice for your child; it’s another thing to have that child look at your sacrifice and act as though it were child abuse.” Ouch! I couldn’t help but think about how often I do that to God. How many times have I looked at the sacrifice he gave and just ignored it? Creating a child that has its own free will has such a great opportunity for incredible love as it does for breaking one’s heart. I guess this is what God goes through with us constantly.

I know I’m quite early on in this parenting thing but as tough as it can be I’m glad God uses it to help us understand who He is better.

I wonder if the more children you have the better you understand God? After all he’s got millions . . .

GL

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Divorce and Cancer are Sad Themes

Sometimes in your life do you notice that there seem to be themes for a while? Times when certain subjects seem to keep coming up?

I remember when my Nanny passed away because of cancer back in 2000 and for a while it seemed like everything was about cancer. Next thing I knew cancer took a very close family friend. Then my Mother-in-law finds out she has cancer but praise God after surgery and cancer treatment it all seems to be gone now. At that point in my life I was really noticing how many people out there are affected by it. My ears perked up whenever I heard the word cancer and I started to realize how much of an impact cancer has on everyone’s life. Today I’m much more aware of it but not like I was when it was directly affecting my life. Thankfully that theme is over for now.

How about a happier theme? Maybe this one is more ‘a time of life’ type of theme? One day you find out a good friend or relative is pregnant then all of a sudden it seems like you get a call every other week about someone else who is pregnant and babies are popping out everywhere. Or at least that’s what it seems like. My son Jonah was born in June 04 then my nephew in November 04 then another nephew January 05. See what I’m talking about!

Well anyway, I feel like I’m in one of those times right now. I’ve been in this theme before. I guess it’s one of those recurring themes. I met a new friend recently who must have been about my age and she shared with me that her and her ex got a divorce this winter after five years of marriage! Thankfully there were no children involved. Then I was talking to my wife who was on a MOPS retreat this weekend where she learned of another couple that seemed to have everything going for them but can’t hold their relationship together. This time they do have kids! Every time I hear about people about to divorce or who are going through a divorce or who have had a divorce I feel like I get this ache inside. It’s like God allows me to feel just a glimpse of their pain. I hate it!

I could go on with example after example as I’m sure you are thinking right now of someone you know who has gone through this. I’m not sure I really have a point to this blog except to say that it sucks when people get divorced. Like you didn’t already know that. It sucks for the couple that made promises to each other and it sucks for the kids who once had two parents that promised to be together forever to raise them. If you are one of these kids you should check out this blog. Author and friend Jen Abbas wrote a book just for you called Generation Ex.

To try and make a point to this blog other than ‘sometimes life sucks’ may I make a suggestion? Or offer a challenge? (My wife did a blog on what I’m about to say so check it out. She’s smarter than me.) If you have been asked to stand for someone in their wedding EVER in your life that means you need to hold the person who asked you accountable to keeping their marriage vows. So how about this? Write down the name or names of those people and either call them today or make a definite plan to call them soon and catch up and specifically ask them how their marriage is doing. They WILL appreciate you asking, even if you are not married. It’s always nice to know that someone is thinking about you and cares for you.

Until next post . . .

GL

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A Movie Review

Well Kat, I’m taking you up on your suggestion so here is a review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you haven’t read the book and/or don’t know the story I am giving away a few things in this review so be warned.

Well I didn’t see the first Charlie so I don’t have that to compare this one too so you should get a completely unbiased report here.

I think it was great that I read the book shortly before watching the movie. Everything was still pretty fresh in my mind from the book so any differences were pretty obvious right away. And there were some differences!

The Bucket family was perfect. The people looked almost exactly as I had pictured them, especially Charlie and his Grandpa Joe. Their house looked great too complete with a door that didn’t quite open right. They had Charlie sleeping upstairs though which was a slight difference than the book. All of the other children were reproduced quite well too. Augustus Gloop was likely my favorite. The very last thing he says in the movie was one of my favorite quotes. “But I taste so good Mama.” Mike Teavee was likely my least favorite. And the fact that he was a violent video game playing gun-slinging kid from Denver didn’t sit well with me. Littleton is practically a suburb of Denver, which I’m sure, is no coincidence for Burton.

The town where the Buckets lived and where the factory was located looked great. This whole movie was obviously Tim Burton, with lots of strange angles on buildings and very saturated color everywhere. It almost had a cartoon quality to it.

I love watching Johnny Depp. He cracks me up and creates really cool characters. His interpretation of Willy Wonka wasn’t quite what I would have suggested and seemed to stray a bit from Dahl’s description. Wonka sort of had a Michael Jackson quality to him in looks. The thin white face and skinny body that is. He also spoke kind of effeminately which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Sure Wonka is eccentric but eccentric doesn’t automatically tie in with effeminate does it? All that said I still enjoyed Depp’s version. After all it was Burton’s version of the story so he’s allowed to do what he wants.

There were also some story changes. Wonka kept having flashbacks to his childhood and the bad experiences he had with his overbearing dentist father who thought candy was evil. This changed the ending slightly too which I won’t give away. None of the changes took away from the story at all. I could totally see why Burton added what he did. The book ends great but doesn’t have the kind of ending a movie made in Hollywood would have which is what Burton gave it.

The Oompa Loompas were interesting. Burton used one guy’s face and made all of the Oompa Loompas look like him. It was kind of amusing but I don’t think it was worth all of the work they would have needed to do to do that. They didn’t really fit into my mental picture of what or who the Oompa Loompas were. Their songs were pretty interesting. Danny Elfman outdid himself. The songs that they sang after each child destroyed themselves were all quite involved. There was singing and dancing and lights. It was all very organized. There was a disco-ish song, a Queen-type song and a couple of other theme based songs. Elfman used Dahl’s lyrics but created new music for everything.

All in all it was an enjoyable movie, very true to the book. My favorite part was when they first walk into the factory. That looked exactly like I pictured it. If you are a big fan of the book go ahead and shell out the big bucks for the theatre otherwise it’ll be a great rental. Maybe even read the book first. Any library should have it and it’s a pretty quick read.

GL

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Chocolate Angel Money

Since I last blogged I’ve finished reading two books.

In preparation for the movie I thought it would be good to revisit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It worked out great. I had a flight delay on my way to Nashville last week and managed to polish it off between my first flight and waiting for my second flight. I’ve mentioned before how much I like Roald Dahl’s writing so I won’t go into that but I can’t wait to see how they have translated Dahl’s words into a script and sets. I’m especially looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp play a character that Roald Dahl created. I’m not sure what it is I like best about his books but I feel like he mixes humour, nastyness and a sense of wonder and justice into almost all of his books. I wish he had written more books for adults.

I also finished Angels and Demons, which is Dan Brown’s precursor to The DaVinci Code. It was another one of those books that you don’t want to put down. I love reading those. The thing I like about Dan Brown’s writing is that he makes you believe everything he writes is truth. That’s quite an ability. This is why the DaVinci Code has stirred up so much trouble. Everyone who reads it starts wondering if what he is saying is true because he writes so convincingly. I enjoy his characters and depth of story too. I’d like to say I had an idea of how it would end but what I thought was going to happen was just what he wanted me to think. I won’t give anything away but check it out. In my buddy Dave’s words it’s also not heretical like the DaVinci Code was.

I’m currently reading a course called “No Money Down” by Carleton Sheets. It teaches you how to become a real estate investor. I’m not interested in becoming a real estate investor at this point but I would like to own my own home one day. It has been an interesting read so far especially coming from the background of Dave Ramsey and Howard Dayton. These guys are anti debt where as the course I’m reading gives about 20 or more different ways of getting a mortgage and not paying any money down. So there is some difference there. It’s always good to get both sides I guess.

Check out my wife’s blog to see what’s been going on with my family lately. We have been ill. My son Jonah looks pretty pathetic in the pictures she has posted. It was a sad time. We’re all better now though!

Anyway, until next time . . .

GL

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myblogsite personell, help!

I love finding things that are different. I love doing things that are different. I'm very much about being my own person just like everyone else.

This is why I chose "myblogsite" instead of blogger or typepad or something else. The only issue is I will type this and click on post and it won't show up just like the last two posts I did. I find this very disappointing as I have liked this place for blogging otherwise. The ads are a bit annoying sometimes but I can deal with that. I can even deal with the occasional technical difficulty but this has lasted for about a week now.

If you are reading this I'm surprised because that means the site is working now and I've just written this for the benefit of myself and some blogsite employee who maybe just fixed it for us. So I guess I'll be posting again soon seeing as you can actually keep current with me now.

GL

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On God's Love

I have been reading Donald Miller’s latest book Searching For God Knows What. It has really got me thinking which is why I read in the first place. A chapter on the story of Jesus deals with many different aspects of His personality and why His story is about relationship and not some sort of formula that we have turned it into.

This got me thinking about God’s love for us and I wondered why some people seem to have so much trouble accepting it. By accepting it I mean not trying to get love and acceptance from everywhere else but being happy and content with what God gives us. That leads me to ask why do I find it easy to accept? I suppose it has something to do with being raised in a loving home and normally being surrounded by people who sincerely love me. I guess if I didn’t have that I may have trouble too. I also think I find it easy because God’s love for me seems obvious when I read the Bible. When I read about Jesus and his character and the way he loved everybody it makes it easier. I love it but find it challenging that Jesus would always be found with the social outcasts, the “non-religious”, the dishonest tax collectors and prostitutes. He didn’t care about what anybody thought He just loves.

In John 4 you’ll find a story about Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well. This woman had had five husbands and was currently living with another man so her reputation wasn’t very good. And the fact that she was a Samaritan woman and Jesus was a Jewish man also shows the extreme Jesus went to in dealing with people and loving them. In Donald Miller’s book he mentions that Jesus asking this woman for a drink would be the equivalent today of a known evangelical going into a gay bar and asking a man to buy him a beer. That’s my Jesus! That’s the God I serve, the one who loves me unconditionally no matter what, the one who would go into a gay bar and ask a guy to buy him a beer. No matter who I am or what I’ve done I can count on Jesus loving me.

It is stories like these found throughout the Bible that convince me of God’s love. This doesn’t mean that I don’t need love and acceptance from people in my life it just means that I will strive to get my love and acceptance from God rather than people. I wish I could survive on only God’s love. Maybe some would say it’s possible, but I think since the fall of man we are forever destined to look for it elsewhere.

What does striving to get my love and acceptance from God look like? Maybe my wording is wrong because I believe we all have His love and acceptance no matter what. I want to make sure I’m clear about that. No matter what I’ve done or who I am there will never be a time in my life when God doesn’t love me. He is the perfect Father. He’s obviously disappointed when we disobey His commands but like a perfect worldly father He still accepts us and loves us and waits for us to come back to Him in obedience. What I am trying to say is that I try to get my value or identity from God’s love rather than trying to please other people and be accepted by them. This is tough to do and I fail constantly but it is what I have been reminded to strive for!

GL

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