Category: Music


Transition Between Writing Styles

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November 4, 2013

20131103_132007 I hope I’m not the only writer with this problem, but I find it difficult to switch from writing prose to writing poetry or to songwriting. Not that I can’t, I just find it difficult at times. In younger days, when I was writing songs and playing music all the time, the ideas came continuously from everywhere, whether it be a verse a line or two, or a chorus. It’s a mindset. I looked at everything in hooks, lines, rhymes – or not – and musical themes

Writing prose is another mindset altogether. I think in terms of paragraphs, short stories, ideas that can be stretched into posts, articles, essays, or books. There is not the “instant” (in comparison) gratification as in a song that you have just written. The song will go through changes, but having the framework is the hardest part.

So, having written books, articles, and so on for the past twelve years, and having written few songs, getting back into the rhythm – as it were – of writing songs as well as other writing has been a little tough. One idea would be to write prose works on alternate days from songwriting. Or spend a half of each day on each. Which would be good ideas if I didn’t have a myriad of family obligations.

I watch re-runs on tv when I’m writing because it’s background garbage. If I listen to music while I’m writing prose, I quit writing and get into the music and begin to switch to the songwriting mindset. If I listen to music while I’m writing songs, I end up with pieces of songs that sound like everyone but me. And not necessarily in a good way.

How do you juggle writing duties – whatever that may entail?

Peace be with you.

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Relying on Musical Memory

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October 31, 2013

Dan Roark and Sons 3 For the past couple of years, I have been getting music together in preparation for recording a new CD. I didn’t play much when the boys were growing up, what with Little League baseball, church activities, and disc golf tournaments. Now Conner and Cameron are 20 and 19, respectively, J.D. is a senior, and it’s time to get back to playing music. We all play in the praise band at church occasionally.

I started with my old standards and added the new songs I’ve written over the past few years. As I was practicing and getting ready to go into the studio, I kept thinking of other songs I’ve written that I hadn’t thought of in a while. But when I looked in my notebooks, I could not find some of the songs I was looking for. And some of the songs I found didn’t have the chords written down.

I remembered the songs in my head, of course – for the most part. And I have a large number of tapes. My musical partner, Joel Nichols, and I were fanatics about recording practices and shows (sadly, Joel died in 1999). Yet not all of the tapes are labeled as to what songs are on them. Unfortunately, there are no clues such as – “this is the recording of that song that you remember was particularly excellent.” So I get to spend a lot of time listening to tapes. Which means a lot of recordings of the same songs.

Which is my cross to bear. Here’s my point – keep track of everything. Back everything up and date it. Having everything on computer is useless if you don’t know where to find it. But you’re a couple of steps ahead of me. I still have boxes to go through and copyrights to renew.

Joel and I thought we could hit the big time at any moment. We would spend our lives playing the same songs, along with new ones we were writing. It never occurred to us we might not sing them long enough for them to settle in the backs of our minds with other old memories. Fortunately for me, I played most of my songs enough that, even if I didn’t play them again, I probably will never forget them. Once I started playing the newly found old songs, they usually came back to me fairly easily. Yet there were others that didn’t come back as quickly or easily.

So trust me, don’t rely completely on your memory. You’re already having to write songs, record, give interviews, make appearances, and plan tours (among other things). Don’t leave anything to chance. It can come back to haunt you.

Peace be with you.

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Brewer and Shipley

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August 31, 2013

Brewer and Shipley 2 Cyndy and I went to Ft. Worth last Friday to see Brewer and Shipley at McDavid Studios. It is in a building owned or managed by Bass Performance Hall and houses smaller venues in the next block. The Van Cliburn Recital Hall is also in that building. The room we were in had a capacity of 200 people with the setup for the show. The crowd numbered less than two hundred but it was a good audience for Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley.

I first saw Brewer and Shipley at the Lone Star Opry House in the early seventies. Cyndy and I had our first date at Lone Star Opry House when we went to see Rusty Weir not long before or after the Brewer and Shipley show. Cyndy and I sang One Toke Over the Line in the folk club in high school – I was one of the guitarists.

The next time I saw the duo was the day our youngest son was born in 1996. (We dated a couple of times after high school, but did not get married until 1992 after both of us were divorced.) Sally, a good friend of Cyndy and I, took me to see them at the original Poor David’s Pub when Cyndy had to remain in the hospital for a couple of days. They signed all of my albums, but I could not find my Brewer and Shipley songbook. They signed the songbook on Friday.

Seventeen years later, Cyndy got to see Brewer and Shipley. And they sounded just as good as the past two times. Their harmonies intertwined, as did their guitars, to create an orchestral acoustic sound. The duo began with Shake Off the Demon and followed it with Make My Bed from their Shanghai CD.

Then they played One Toke Over the Line after a few stories about how they wrote the song and times when they were “several tokes over the line.” They were playing clubs in the midwest when they went out back of the club for a – well – toke break. When they were walking back into the club, Tom Shipley turned to Michael Brewer and said, “Man, I’m one toke over the line.” They wrote the song that night as a joke for their friends. It only made the album because they needed another song. Brewer came back from a trip to Mexico and found that One Toke… had been made a single and the vice president said they were the worst influences on young people of the day. Lawrence Welk had a couple sing the “modern spiritual,” One Toke Over the Line. Jerry Garcia also covered the tune.

“Which makes us the only people on the planet,” Shipley said, “to have a song covered by both Lawrence Welk and Jerry Garcia.”

The hour and a half set included numerous stories and songs. Among others, All Along the Watchtower – “the only song we’ve played longer than our own songs” – Witchi Tai To, an Indian song from the 1800s, Streets of America, and the encore, a song by Tom Shipley, Treehouse Brown. Speaking for myself, it was a greatest hits set of my favorite Brewer and Shipley songs. Were there other songs I would have liked to have heard? Well, sure. But I trust that I will see them again – next year, not in another seventeen years.

Peace be with you.

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Happy Easter!

Filed under: Current events, Family, Music, Theology, writing — 1 Comment
April 8, 2012

I hope everyone had, and is having, a wonderful Easter. Fortunately, the rain held off here until after the third and final service of the morning. The sunrise service at Jaycee Park and the two services in the sanctuary were glorious celebrations of the risen Christ. Our music department at Christ UMC in Farmers Branch, is one of the best around and proved it once again this morning. From Trevor Shaw and Will Nieberding during the sunrise service to the Christ Alive Band, the Children’s Choir, the Celebration Ringers, and the Easter Choir (Celebration Choir and Sunshine Gospel Singers) in the worship services, the music was excellent.

Bob Spencer ruminated on Judas and Peter – the two pivotal figures of Christ’s final days in human form – during his message at the sunrise service. Pastor Kenny Dickson gave an inspirational sermon on Resurrection faith during the two worship services. The United Methodist Men served a delicious pancake breakfast in the gym following the sunrise service.

The rain began immediately after the 11 a.m. service as everyone was going to their cars. A couple of hours later we heard the loudest thunderclap we have heard in quite some time. It seemed to rip the sky apart. It immediately reminded me of the tearing of the “curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple” down the middle as Jesus “breathed his last.” No doubt I felt closer to God for two reasons today. Hallelujah, Christ is risen!

Peace be with you.

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Faith and Pop Culture – Book Review

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June 11, 2011

[Re-posted from former blog]

Faith and Pop Culture is the eighth installment of the Christianity Today Current Issues Bible Study Series, published by Thomas Nelson. As stated in the introduction, “[t]his Current Issues Bible Study is designed to facilitate lively and engaging discussion on various facets of entertainment and how it connects to our lives as Jesus’ followers.” The Faith and Pop Culture study examines the compatibility of our faith with the current culture as it pertains to the various parts of the entertainment industry. The book includes observations on movies, books, sports, television, and violence in entertainment media.

The study also takes a look at how entertainment affects Christians and vice versa. Must all entertainment Christians enjoy be “family friendly?” Can Christians influence the entertainment industry? With “entertain me” as the cry of our culture, is it compatible with a life of faith? These are questions to be discussed during the eight weeks of this study.

The Current Issues Bibles Studies are designed to be small group studies. Each session of the Faith and Pop Culture study begins with a Scripture Focus which provides the passages pertaining the lesson. After a brief introduction, a relevant article from Christianity Today magazine and ChristianityToday.com follows. The study guide of each session following the article are Open Up – discussion activities, The Issue – focusing on the main issues with which the session is concerned, Reflect – sharing thoughts and observations on the Scripture Focus passages, Let’s Explore – discussion questions, and Going Forward – taking what is learned and discussed and putting thought into action within our culture.

Each study guide includes ample questions and activities. Which allows for flexibility within the small groups using the study. If the group meets for two hours, they have plenty of questions, scripture reading, and activities. A group that meets for a shorter time has many options to choose from. Some sessions have “bonus” ideas or extra activities which could also be done outside of the regular group time.

In a time when many books and articles are written about modernism, post-modernism, and, indeed, faith and culture, Faith and Pop Culture is an intriguing Bible study that allows Christians as a group to actively apply their faith to the culture in which we live. The studies are also relevant for any small group in any situation. After reading the study, you might find yourself mentioning the book and series to group leaders whom you know.

Peace be with you.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers for the purpose of  review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor did I receive any compensation other than the book itself.

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The Gift of Psalms – Book Review

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[Re-posted from former blog.] I received the Word Of Promise The Gift of Psalms from Thomas Nelson Publishers yesterday. Since I am in the midst of several projects, I skimmed through the book, then popped the first cd into the computer – planning to read/hear one psalm and devotional and put the book aside for the moment. I found I could neither put the book down nor turn the cd(s) off. I previously thought having celebrities read the Bible would cause the listener to be distracted from the biblical message. Pleasantly, I was mistaken. Although it did distract me a little, the voices of the well-chosen celebrities enhanced the reading of the Psalms – as did the use of the King James version.

The devotionals by Lori Jones are a mixture of exegesis and devotional – as opposed to the common types of devotional. However, readers and listeners who prefer the more common devotional styles will not be disappointed with the mixture. The exegesis adds a contextual view of the scriptures and their application in the world today.

The Gift of Psalms provides an inspirational way to start the day or to take a spiritual break from a hectic schedule. The WOP New Testament Audio Bible is also available.

Peace be with you.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson for reviewing purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, nor did I receive any compensation other than the book itself.

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Innovators Concert

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June 7, 2011

The Innovators, a Christian Acappella band, presented a harmonious and spiritual performance in the sanctuary at Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch, on Wednesday, June 1st at 7 p.m. The six young men were visiting Texas from Innercity UMC in Harare, Zimbabwe. Tatenda Sithole, Michael Sithole, Knowledge Radyo, Dzago Chatsama, Marvellas Nhubu, and Leopold Chipatiso filled the sanctuary with their glorious harmonies, illustrating the presence of the Holy Spirit.

In between songs from their CD, such as The Lord’s Prayer and Never Give Up, the men took turns introducing songs and providing background stories. When they decided to bring their musical ministry to the United States, they faced several obstacles. The first obstacle was obtaining visas to leave Zimbabwe, which are difficult to come by. Each attempt required a non-refundable fee of $240 dollars (US). They were denied initially, despite letters of recommendation.

Each time they were denied, they refused to give up. They did not have money, but they had their faith that God is good and their musical talent with which to raise money. In addition to trying to get visas, the Innovators also raise money for their charity which helps to support orphans in Zimbabwe. After several attempts, the Innovators did, indeed, receive one year visas. Then they faced the task of paying for airplane travel to the states. Following many prayers and conversations with Stefany Simmons and others of the Connectional Table, the prayers were answered and the musical group was on their way to Texas.

A few of the songs were sung in the African dialect of Zimbabwe. The audience was told that “you may not understand the words, but you understand the love of God. I don’t know exactly what it means, but I was told the ‘love of God.’” Other songs included a version of Blessed Assurance in both African and English, Thank You, Lord, and Holy Spirit Fill me, Fill Me. Before the conclusion of the concert, the Innovators had the audience dancing in the aisles, singing, sharing praise and welcoming the Holy Spirit.

The tour, which began at Hamilton Prison in Bryan, with shows in College Station, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio will end with shows in the Corpus Christi area before the group returns to Zimbabwe on June 13th. The congregation of CUMC, along with the love offering taken during the performance, sends their prayers with the Innovators as they continue to use their musical talents to praise the Lord. Thanks be to God for faith as strong as that of the Innovators.

Peace be with you.

 

Stefany Simmons introduces Innovators

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“Slavs” Perform Songs from Bulgaria

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March 15, 2011

The Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus presented a delightful performance on Sunday evening, March 13th, in the sanctuary at Christ United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch, Tx. The chorus is Yale’s oldest all-female ensemble, founded in 1969, the first year of undergraduate coeducation at the college. The Slavic Chorus is comprised of a group of women from a variety of cultural and academic backgrounds who share a common interest in Slavic music.

Using the traditional dumbek, or doumbek, hand drum, and clad in authentic Balkan garb, the nine young women performing on the 13th sang songs from the countries of Bulgaria, Croatia, Russia, Georgia, Poland, and the Ukraine. The “Slavs,” as they are affectionately called, moved effortlessly through the two sets of music with dissonant harmonies, syncopated rhythms, and distinctive vocal qualities. The folk songs from the different countries told of love, marriage, work, war, country life, and sorrow. The women took turns introducing each selection, giving a bit of the story line and background.

While primarily an undergraduate group, the chorus also includes members from the rest of the Yale-New Haven community. The chorus is entirely student-run and student-directed. Rachel LaViola, of Frisco, sings second soprano and is one of the three current tour managers. In her introduction, LaViola explained that the group was staying at her home during the Dallas tour. Sarah Larsson, singing second alto and one of the two current business managers, stated that some of the Slavs had been familiar with Slavic music before college, while others heard the music and instantly knew they had to audition.

With the constant sensory overload present in our lives, an evening of rhythmic, harmonic folk songs from other countries and cultures – allowing the listener to immerse oneself in that culture – is a welcome change. The enthusiasm of the Slavs was readily contagious. The hypnotic harmonies calmed the worried souls of the audience. The worries would return. Fortunately, so would the memories of an evening of beautiful music sung by women who truly enjoy the music they feel called to sing. More pictures will be found below.

Peace be with you.

 

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