David Story's Blog

Eliminated

2009-08-17T02:40:00.002-04:00

I'm trying my best to keep a humble and gracious attitude after being eliminated from the Dayton Band Playoffs. By a vote of 28-47, I was taken out of the running and Oxymoronatron advanced. This demonstrates why I didn't want to enter the competition in the first place; it wasn't decided by musical talent, but by who could get the most voters to the venue.

That being said, I feel I did quite well for a guy who has lived in Dayton less than a year, and knows fewer than fifty people in the city. And I gained more than a few new fans from the exposure I received during the competition.

I want to extend a very heartfelt and grateful thank you to everyone who came out to listen, support, and vote for me. I love singing for a listening audience, no matter the size. You gave me an audience. Thank you.

With the playoffs behind, it's time for me to buckle down and get to work on the new album. Exciting things will be coming your way via DavidStoryMusic.com. So be sure to check back in the coming days, weeks, and months, for news about upcoming shows, the new album, and my world tour. (You think I'm joking?)

Cheers.

Round Three This Sunday Night

2009-08-14T11:34:00.001-04:00

If you live anywhere remotely close to Dayton, Ohio, this is for you...

This Sunday night, 16 August 2009, I will be competing in the quarter-finals of the Dayton Band Playoffs. I'm pitted against Oxymoronatron, who received over sixty votes in the last round. By comparison, I only received 34 votes. So once again, I am the underdog.

It goes without saying that I would love for you to come out and vote. And also, please bring as many people with you as are willing to come. If you're in a hurry, you can simply come in, place your vote, and leave. But I'll be playing two solo sets, and half the songs will be on piano, so if you come I guarantee you'll get a great show.

Here's the vital info:

Dayton Band Playoffs - Quarter-Finals

Canal Street Tavern (click for map)

Sunday, 16 August 2009

9:00 pm

$5 cover

(you must be over 18 to cast a ballot)

Thanks in advance. See you there!

Dayton Band Playoffs - Round Two Results

2009-08-03T03:10:00.002-04:00

I am completely overwhelmed. By a vote count of 34 to 18, I have advanced to round three of the Dayton Band Playoffs! Many thanks and much props to my worthy opponents, Six Cloves. They put on a heck of a performance.

Round three is coming up in a couple of weeks, so please check back here for the time and date, sign up for the mailing list if you haven't already done so, and please come out and vote! I'll be going against a band who received over 60 votes in round two, so I've got my work cut out for me.

If you're in the Dayton area this week, I'll be back at Canal Street this Tuesday night at 10:30 pm, performing at their weekly Musicians' Co-Op. Also, my band and I will be performing at the Greene in Beaver Creek this Wednesday evening from 6-10 PM. We'll be staged by the fountains, so bring out the kids and let 'em splash around whilst we fill the air with smooth rock'n'roll. Jameel from Abi Cook & Crew will be sitting in on drums while Jason Herring is still in Italy.

That's it for now. Many, many thanks to those of you who came out to Canal Street and voted, especially if you voted for me. This battle is won, but the war's not over. Round three is just around the corner. Spread the word and stay informed!

Cheers.

Two Types of Freedom

2009-07-28T22:26:00.003-04:00

In our society, freedom is seen as the absence of rules. If you are truly free, you can do whatever you want. And this is what our society glorifies. Do what makes you feel good, because the ultimate goal in life is personal happiness.

So if you want sex, have sex. If you want money, be greedy. If you want power, be ruthless. If you just want to feel good, smoke pot, get trashed. The fewer rules there are to keep us from what our bodies want, the more perceived freedom we have. We are free to obey our lust.

My friends, this is slavery.

There is no freedom when you are a slave to your own body. And our society frowns upon self-control.

Leave us alone and give us what we want. We don't want accountability. We will answer to no one but our own animal appetites.

And so man has become what he believes he is: an animal. He is nothing more than the most evolved of creatures. And in this world, there is no freedom.

But Christ came to give us true freedom:

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free... Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
- John 8:31-32, 34-35

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery... For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
- Galatians 5:1, 13

Friends, choose your freedom wisely.

A note in a tip jar.

2009-07-09T15:41:00.003-04:00

God has a way of providing exactly what I need at exactly the right time.

The last two months have been exhausting to say the least. Between shows, late nights in the studio, and I don't know how many thousands of miles of road, my love for performing, recording, and driving has diminished significantly. Given the choice between being a rockstar or a soccer dad, I'd pick the latter.

I took this exhaustion with me into Starbucks last night, where I played a three-hour set for a disinterested room. I sang at least thirty songs and received almost no applause all night. At one point, I even ad-libbed a song that said something to the effect of, "If you're listening, set down your drink and applaud right now."

One person clapped.

So I just kept singing - mostly covers (because if they're not listening, then I'm just gonna sing whatever songs I want). However, one song that I sang twice was one of my own, which will be on my next album. It's a song called "Otherwise", written from the perspective of a leper who doesn't feel worthy of being healed by Jesus.

Not long after I sang it, I noticed a girl sneak up to my tip jar, drop in what appeared to be a piece of paper (not money) and scurry away. I just assumed it was her phone number, which surprised me a little, considering that's never happened to me before. When the night was over, and I was emptying the tip jar, I expected to find a girl's name and phone number on a piece of paper. Instead, I found something entirely different. Something much, much better.

It was a note written by five different people, and it said the following:

"Thank you for sharing the gospel through your music. It was very encouraging to hear your songs sharing truth tonight."

"I love that everywhere we turn God is there strengthening and encouraging us. It's really cool to know we're striving for the same goal."

"Jesus makes you and your music so beautiful! Thank you for letting the Spirit work through you. You were a blessing in our lives tonight. You're beautiful."

"You being so bold in sharing the gospel is so encouraging. I hope someone walks away tonight with the seed of Christ planted in their hearts and I hope you'll keep preaching the gospel!"

"It's so refreshing seeing Jesus in you. Keep pursuing Him and preaching the gospel. You are loved."

I was stunned. Even more, I was humbled. All of my self-pity from not getting applause immediately vanished. This was most assuredly a reminder from God why I do what I do. And it comes at a time when I need it most - when the path of least resistance is looking more enticing than the arduous but rewarding road that I know God has called me to. It reminds me that I am not doing this for myself, or out of selfish ambition. I do this for the Gospel. And by God's grace, the Gospel is being heard through the music He has given me.

They didn't leave their names. I don't know who they were. But I know they were sent by God.

So whoever you are, wherever you are, thank you for lifting my spirit. Like Aaron and Hur steadying the arms of Moses, you have held up the arms of this weary man. I am going to keep your note with me in my wallet for the rest of my life. From the farthest reaches of my soul, thank you.

Cheers.

Grounded (Vintage 1999)

2009-06-21T22:51:00.005-04:00

This is for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

Grounded
by The O.C. Supertones
words by Matt Morginsky

I strike back like the empire and we'll televise the revolution
What will save you from divine retribution?
Do our part, try to make a contribution.
Playin' at 11, givin' OC noise pollution.

Think long and hard about our world today,
What needs to be said and, what I need to say.
We're a tower of Babel built on anti-phiosophy,
Neitzsche in the West and Krishna in the East.

War rages on through generations.
All of these Christians abandoned their stations.
A whole world around us that we've ceased to reach.
An army of soldiers we've neglected to teach.

But it's dim and not pitch black, the truth will prevail
If our God is for us, how can we fail?
No surer hope has ever been rested.
But our adversary's worthy. Prepare to be tested.

Hoo! Hah!
How will you stand if you don't understand?
Hoo! Hah!
Fight like a man, Scriptures in hand.

And here we stand, naked, barehanded,
Futilely prepared for the blows to be landed.
Presuppositions is all you can stand on?
Can you twist their wrist when they lay a hand on?

Learn how to fight from words on a paper.
Learn from the shoguns Bahnsen and Schaeffer.
Invincible army, Holy Spirit our general.
Weapons are formed from most precious of minerals.

Hoo! Hah!
How will you stand if you don't understand?
Hoo! Hah!
Fight like a man. Scriptures in hand.

Kids in universities
Drowning in an ocean of apostate philosophy.
We need apologetic instruction,
Mental reconstruction,
Ignorance reduction
To halt the mass abduction.
Evangelical mind has been scandalized.
Wisdom and truth have been vandalized
By the unevangelized.
No truth in a world that is randomized.
Expose the lies no matter how they're disguised.

Hoo! Hah!
How will you stand if you don't understand?
Hoo! Hah!
Fight like a man. Scriptures in hand.

Get grounded in the Scriptures.

Song Titles

2009-06-17T12:36:00.002-04:00

Here are the names of some songs that may or may not end up on my album (in no particular order)

- Brace Yourself
- The Price of the Prodigal Life
- Karma Affair (La La La La)
- When You Belong to Me
- Otherwise
- Our Monochrome World
- La Lingua Non Parlo
- Manhattan Bridge
- Save My Lonely Soul
- Waltz for a Brand New Day
- I Will Be Your Solid Ground
- Nameless
- Ordinary Man
- Fugue State

Cheers.

I'll make it worth your wait.

2009-06-11T15:26:00.002-04:00

Many changes are just around the corner within my realm. I know I promised to start blogging again, and, much to my own chagrin and the disdain of some, I have failed to do so. I apologize. Sort of.

In truth, I have been spending much of my time writing. The songs have been biting, and I'm reeling them in one by one. I'm extremely excited about what I have so far, but there's still plenty more fish in the pond. When it's all said and done, I think you'll be pleased with what you hear.

In the mean time, I am setting up a real, functioning website that will give you a chance to peak inside the studio. This will be more than a studio blog. I'll be posting videos, pictures, sneak previews, and much more. Plus, it will all be interactive, which means you can post comments on everything, and share it with your Facebook and MySpace friends right from DavidStoryMusic.com.

But not yet. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Cheers.

Resurrecting The Blog (141 character minimum... Take THAT! Twitter)

2009-05-29T23:13:00.005-04:00

In this insta-world that we live in, we humans have become pros at streamlining life. Indeed, we have come a long way from the "Push-Button Age" of the Fifties. As a result, patience has been decreasing, along with our collective attention span.

The primary example of this is, of course, Twitter.

Now, I'm not here to preach against Twitter. In fact, I love the thing. I enjoy being a part of the Global Conversation. It's the future of the Internet as far as I'm concerned. But I do feel like it's the cool new kid on the block, and our faithful friend The Blog has been neglected, pushed to the back of the closet, stuffed away in the attic.

And I'm as guilty as the next blogger-turned-tweeter. I've traded in my big, clunky van for a sexy, new sports car. And I'm starting to feel remorse. So I've come to ask forgiveness from my blog.

Blog, I'm sorry. And I've come to resurrect you.

In a Twitter-fied world, I'm gonna be a rebel and keep on bloggin'. Especially now that work has begun on my next album. I will be setting up a new blog in the next week or so with updates from the studio, pics, videos, and maybe even a few sneak previews of the album.

Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter.

Cheers.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

2009-05-06T11:48:00.004-04:00

A quote from the movie Men In Black has been running through my head recently. Will Smith's character, who has yet to become Agent J, is asking Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) why the government hasn't told the public about the existence of aliens. "People are smart," he says. To which Agent K replies,

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it."

Truer words have been spoken, but these words are quite apropos for our present world.

In short, I've really come to abhor the Press. I can't count the number of times I've seen the words "Outbreak", "Epidemic", or "Pandemic" in the headlines in the last two weeks. They would have us believe that a simple flu virus is the second coming of the Bubonic Plague. Just take a look at some of these headlines that I found just within the last five minutes:

Scientists scramble for vaccine as flu cases rise
CNN.com

Flu fears ease, but next wave looms
MSNBC.com

Swine Flu on the Rise. Do We Stop Shaking Hands?
FoxNews.com

Just in case some of you are starting to panic, take a look at some of these facts:

As of this writing, there are 1,533 known cases of Swine Flu worldwide, with 403 cases in the U.S. Also in the U.S., there has been only one death attributed to Swine Flu.

Now consider this: every year there are more than 1,000 cases of Malaria in the United States. In Africa, over 2,000 people die everyday from Malaria -- a preventable, treatable disease.

2,000 deaths. Everyday. From the time you started reading this blog entry, two people have died from Malaria.

Why haven't we heard about this? It's simple. Because we in America can't be bothered by a real epidemic in Africa when we've got our own epidemic to worry about here in the States. Plus, the Media have a little rule that they live by. It's called Out of Sight, Out of Mind.

Of course, this rule doesn't apply to Swine Flu.

Thanks, Media, for keeping us informed with the information we need. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put the finishing touches on my new germ-free panic room.

Arrivederci.

Do you have pig flu?

2009-04-28T19:37:00.002-04:00

Click here to find out.

Out of the Woods (Aah... Aahh... Aatchoooo!!!)

2009-04-26T22:34:00.002-04:00

In the "It's so sad, it's funny" category, my allergies didn't start flaring up until after we left the woods. I guess that means I'm allergic to civilization.

I spent the last three days in the West Virginia wilderness (I realize I'm being redundant) with Russell Knight, Nathan Blake, and three new friends. We backpacked an 11-mile trail from the top of Spruce Knob - the highest point in the Mountain State - down to and alongside Seneca Creek.

It was glorious. The weather couldn't have been better, especially for late April. We only saw about 90 seconds of drizzle, and the rest of the time was either sun or stars, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s. The stream was gorgeous, and the trail was relatively easy. Hands down, this was the highlight of my 2009 thus far.

I'll be posting some pictures sometime in the next few days, so check back for those. And I know I'm long overdue for a few updates, so check back for those, as well.

But for now I'm gonna go do something I haven't done for three days: take a shower.

Arrivederci.

Here's to Jesus

2009-04-12T19:04:00.003-04:00

It's a cloudless day in Morgantown, West Virginia. The air is crisp. It feels like mid-October, despite the fact that we're three weeks into the spring season.

I am back in my old stomping grounds for a few reasons -- not the least of which being the fact that I missed my friends that I love so dearly. Today I was able to reunite with many of them, but there are still a few that I plan to look up during my week here in Motown.

What else brings me to the foothills is a show at So.Zo that I will be doing this coming Saturday. The week will give me, Matt, and Ous time to learn some of my new songs and re-learn others. While we don't really need to practice, it has been over six months since we last performed together, so a little practice can't hurt. But I digress...

What is of real importance today - and every other day, for that matter - is Jesus.

Today we remember that Jesus is not dead. He was dead, but only for three days. It was on the first day of the week that Jesus resurrected. And today we remember than He is risen. He is risen indeed.

I was very thankful to be able to celebrate Easter Sunday with my old church, StoneBridge Baptist. Though I now live in Dayton, Ohio, I will always be a StoneBridger at heart. What I love and appreciate about StoneBridge and pastor Jason Sheffstall, is the emphasis that they place on the Gospel. You will never attend a StoneBridge gathering without hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel, because it is the single most important truth that any human will ever know, and a message that every human needs to hear.

If you are not aware, the Gospel is very good news. It is the news that even though we deserve eternal condemnation and separation from God in Hell, Jesus Christ has saved us from condemnation because He took our punishment -- He was condemned in our place. All we have to do is believe.

Simply put, the Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. He suffered in our place. He saved us, because we are helpless to save ourselves.

We are helpless to save ourselves.

So today we celebrate the One who saved us. Today we celebrate the Saviour. We reflect upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is not dead. He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Here's to Jesus.

Hear Here: Karma Affair (La La La La)

2009-04-10T04:27:00.003-04:00

It's 4:30 AM. I can't sleep because I'm so excited about a new song I wrote a few hours ago that I call "Karma Affair (La La La La)".

It's about Jesus sitting around a table with His gang of tax collectors, sinners, and generally drunken lowlifes (Luke 6:29-35; 4:18-19). I think it's one of the most creative songs I've written, but you don't have to take my word for it...

click here to download

Karma Affair (La La La La)
words and music by David Story

O kith and kindred
This is where we begin
Right round the table
Soak it up and take it in

O my believers
Don't trouble your minds
The last in your kingdom
Is first in mine

So bow all ye bridals
And say your prayers
This is no karma affair

So we sing
La la la la, La la la la
La la la la, La la la la

Summon the singers
Strike up the songs
The lame man is dancing
And the vagrant belongs

So raise all your glasses
And drink this wine
I come to give sight to the blind

So we sing
La la la la, La la la la
La la la la, La la la la

© 2009 David Story (ASCAP)

I'm ready for the Ferris Wheel.

2009-04-08T23:50:00.002-04:00

Almost three weeks. Shame on me. That's how long it's been since I last blogged. Where to begin?

Let's see... I flew to Alabama (well, actually I flew to Mississippi -- the show was in Alabama) for a gig at Spring Hill College. It was for their annual Cajun Fest which was basically a big craw fish boil. I had a blast.

On the way back, my guitar was mishandled by American Airlines, and the crack that had been fixed from a previous mishandling by ATA four years earlier came unglued. Thankfully IRC Music in Indianapolis is repairing it for free, since it was their fix that didn't hold.

Before my trip to the Deep South, I spent a week with my best friend Jonathan and his family in Bentonville, Arkansas -- hometown of Wal-Mart. (Yes, I visited Walton's Five and Dime.) It was an awesome week filled with lots of video gaming. Oh, to be a teenager again.

On the songwriting side of things, I have broken through into a type of great awakening. Last Friday night, after watching the movie Once, I was aching to write. But I had no guitar, plus it was 1 AM and I couldn't disturb my roommates. So, knowing that my folks were in England and that their house was empty, I packed up my Mac and my Moleskine and drove to Fairmount. I arrived at 3 AM, sat down at the piano, and wrote until 9:30 AM. It felt great.

I found a couple of songs in that all-night session that I think will end up on my next album. One is called "I Will Be Your Solid Ground". It's sort of a Black Gospel sing-along song, with the title line being repeated throughout. Sunday, the day after I wrote it, I took part in Mix Management's artist showcase here in Dayton. I coaxed fellow Mix Management artists Abi Cook and Beau Bristow to sing harmony with me, and they graciously obliged. I thought the song got a pretty good reception.

But what happened next completely blew me away. The group that followed me was a Black Gospel group called the Hebrew Children. The very first song they did was a cover of "I Will Be Your Solid Ground". In the ten minutes between the time I performed it and the time they got on stage, they learned the song (the first verse, anyway), split it into five-part harmony, and got their band to play it.

I couldn't pick my jaw up off the floor. They completely knocked it out of the ballpark. It was fantastic. I was so honored yet so humbled by it. I simply couldn't believe that they were covering a song I had written only one day earlier. If I have my way, they'll be singing it with me on my next album.

Yesterday I wrote a song that I call "Manhattan Bridge". It needs a better chorus, but it's a song that I'll be performing soon, and hopefully recording soon as well.

All in all, the time between my last blog post and this one has been a roller coaster. It's had its ups and downs, and at times I've felt nauseous. But no matter how disorienting the ride may be, you always make it back to the station. Sometimes you're glad the ride is over, and sometimes you can't wait to ride it again.

I enjoyed the ride, but I'm not quite ready to jump back in line. Maybe I'll take a spin on the Ferris wheel.

Arrivederci.

Miss Snooze

2009-03-18T09:53:00.004-04:00

If you're one of the eight guys who have called me roommate, then you know that I have an on-going love affair with my snooze button.

Starting sometime around 6:30 every morning, my alarm clock begins blaring an annoying buzzing noise, or an equally annoying radio talk show. About an hour later, said alarm finally rouses me from my slumber just enough for me to fling my arm like a catapult and hit my snooze button with uncanny accuracy. This process continues for the next two hours, until my alarm clock finally gives up on me and stops altogether. Thus I am left in my peacefully sedated state.

It's sad, I know. While I genuinely desire to wake up early every day, I only seem to succeed about once a month. The problem isn't that I'm staying up too late. I'm just an extraordinarily deep sleeper. So it's difficult for me to form any coherent thoughts, other than that I simply need to stop the confounding noise coming from my night stand. And thus, my snooze button becomes my lover. She stops and noise and ushers me back to my blissful coma.

But I need to put an end to this relationship. She's got a hold on me and I can't get away. So I'm asking for your help. How can I break off the love affair with Miss Snooze? How do you say no when your whole body is screaming for "just five more minutes"?

I'm a man with a weakness. I need all the help I can get.

Rusty

2009-03-14T00:43:00.003-04:00

I'm finding it difficult to get back into the habit of songwriting. It is with shame that I admit that it has been months since I've actually sat down and written an entire song. And it's not entirely like riding a bike. It's probably more like playing basketball, which is another thing I did this week for the first time in many months.

I was overjoyed to play in my high school's alumni basketball game against this year's varsity squad. It was sobering to discover that I was the oldest player on the court. Nevertheless, I had a blast playing with guys I hadn't seen in years. I was about 1 for 10 shooting, which was better than I expected. Shooting is one thing that I quickly get terrible at if I don't do it often. And since basketball hasn't really been a priority in my life since I left Indiana, I'm a pretty terrible shooter. I used to only be mildly terrible.

Anyway, I'm proud to say that the old Knights beat the young Knights. We came back from a nine-point halftime deficit, thanks to everyone but me. If anything, I just wanted to make everyone else look better. And at that I succeeded.

How does this relate to songwriting?

I think the term "rusty" can be applied to both situations. My songwriting is a bit rusty, much like my shooting. And the only way to shake off the rust is to practice, practice, practice. So I've taken on a daily regimen of songwriting. I'm writing lyrics, mostly, but also a few melodies here and there. Like I mentioned in my previous post, it's only through diligence that I will write great songs.

Edison was right: "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

So I guess the cure for rust is sweat. In that case, I'd better start exercising.

How to be a Brilliant Songwriter

2009-03-06T16:31:00.003-05:00

Brilliance is reserved for those who go looking for it. Genius does not choose its subjects. We choose genius when we forsake the status quo. We choose brilliance over mediocrity when we pick up the pen and don't put it down.

A worship song by U2

2009-03-03T14:01:00.002-05:00

Magnificent
from the album No Line on the Horizon (2009)
music by U2, Brian Eno and Danny Lanois
lyrics by Bono and The Edge

I was born
I was born to be with You
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love,
Only love can leave such a mark
But only love
Only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for You
I didn't have a choice but to lift You up
And sing whatever song You wanted me to
I give You back my voice
From the womb my first cry...
It was a joyful noise

Only love,
Only love can leave such a mark
But only love,
Only love can heal such a scar

Justified until we die
You and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love,
Only love can leave such a mark
But only love,
Only love unites our hearts

Justified until we die
You and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Exhausted.

2009-03-01T22:29:00.003-05:00

Well, I've spent the last 273 hours working on the new DavidStoryMusic.com. It will go live sometime Monday.

As for me, I'm going to bed.

Portraits of Kuria

2009-02-14T12:53:00.003-05:00

visit NuruInternational.org

join Nuru's Facebook Cause

End of the Prologue

2009-02-11T16:22:00.005-05:00

God has a way of making sure He gets all the credit.

How did 300 men defeat the entire Midian army? How did hundreds of thousands of runaway slaves outrun the mightiest cavalry on earth? How did a scrawny sheep herder cut off the head of a professional warrior-giant?

God.

And how did I wind up signing a contract with Mix Management?

God.

Here's how it all started...

There is a coffee shop near my house called the Night and Day Cafe. It's just a nice little joint by the University of Dayton campus--the perfect place to sip a hot drink and get some work done. So I was over there doing just that about four weeks ago. When I got home, I told my roommate Nate about it, so he decided to check the place out. When he got back a couple of hours later, he told me that through an overheard conversation he had met a couple of Christian guys who were interested in starting a Bible study.

Those guys were Tim and Jeff--both Sinclair students. Jeff is an assistant youth pastor, and Tim works in web development, and is also a phenomenal singer with a lot of contacts within the Dayton music scene. So Tim and I decided to meet at the Night and Day Cafe to talk about music and web design, and just to get to know each other.

We were discussing various things regarding web design, and about the Dayton music scene. Tim had to leave momentarily to go pick up a friend, and shortly after he left, a girl at the adjacent table leans over and says, "Excuse me, did I hear you say that you were a singer/songwriter?"

I told her who I was and where I was from, and that I was trying to get a music career going. That's when she mentioned that her husband was best friends with a guy named Jeremy Mix, who manages some local artists. I was really intrigued, so they gave me his contact information.

The next day I called Jeremy, and the day after that we met each other at the Night and Day Cafe. We hit it off right away. For starters, Jeremy is a fellow Christian, and is involved in a church plant down in Centerville, a suburb of Dayton. On top of that, in his few short years as a music manager, he has become quite successful at it, and has made a fair amount of connections not only in Dayton, but around the country. In fact, many of his artists live in other states.

Jeremy is a very down-to-earth kind of guy, and very easy to get along with. We share a lot of the same tastes in music, and we both agree that Christian music reached its peak in the mid to late nineties. He was the first person I've met in a long time who had actually heard of the band Johnny Q. Public, and was familiar with their music. When I found this out, I knew that I had to work with this guy.

He told me about what his business, Mix Management, does. It's pretty much everything that I suck at: business, booking, production, promotion, financial stuff. He clearly stated that his job is to enable me to focus on making great art. And that's just what I need, and just what I had been praying for.

Jeremy heard me perform a couple of times, and just a few hours ago we made our partnership official with the signing of my first music-related contract. Now it's time to get to work.

Through all of this -- and bear in mind that this has all taken place just within the last three weeks -- I have seen the hand of God. It's almost laughable how easy it was. And it's because I didn't do any of it. I want to make this very clear: I cannot take any credit for any of this. How could I possibly take credit for something that came about through two separate overheard conversations?

"Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

I am doing just that. I'm here to brag about God. Last year, through my own booking savvy, I played a total of eight -- EIGHT!!! -- shows. In one year. Eight shows in one year. Three of those were at the same venue.

...And I call myself a musician.

But because of events that only God could bring about, I will be playing eight shows before the month is out. And, if the Lord wills, I'll be playing a minimum of one hundred shows this year. And the beauty of it is that I won't have to book a single one.

This, my friend, is what happens when you do not lean on your own understanding--when you acknowledge God in all your ways. Do that, and you'll find your paths becoming straighter. It sure beats trying to do it all yourself.

You might be asking what signing on with Mix Management means. Well, for starters, this is not a record deal. Jeremy will be taking care of all of my financial dealings, my bookings, and he will help me develop my skills and give me career advice. Obviously this is a huge burden off of my shoulders. As far as shows go, he will be booking me mostly in the Dayton area to begin with, but by summer I'll be heading out on mini-tours around the Midwest.

Needless to say, I'm very excited about all of this. But more than that, it has given me a new determination and focus. I realize that this is only the ground floor, and there is no elevator. This is the beginning of a lot of hard work. I see this as a rolling-up of the sleeves and getting my hands dirty. It's time for me to start taking myself and my music career seriously.

So I thank you all for praying for me, and I am so appreciative of your support.

But know this: heretofore has merely been a prologue. Now begins Chapter One.

Ten Songs

2009-02-07T14:33:00.004-05:00

In the mood for some new music? Well, here are ten songs that I think you should own in your music library. You can click on any song title to sample it or download it from the iTunes store.

Camille Saint-Saëns
Maestoso
Symphony No. 3 in C Minor

Saint-Saëns is the greatest composer you've never heard of. Actually, you're probably more familiar with his music than you may realize. This particular piece, "Maestoso", is the third movement from his famous Organ Symphony. If you've ever seen the movie Babe (you know, the little pig that herds sheep?), you've heard this song. This piece is sheer brilliance from beginning to end, and is vastly superior to anything that has been written in this century. So if you've been tempted to download Kelly Clarkson's latest screeching rant, do yourself a favor and download this song instead.

Paul Simon
American Tune
There Goes Rhymin' Simon

For being such a little guy, Paul Simon sure does write some massive songs. 'American Tune' might not be as bold musically as Saint-Saëns, yet it contains a melodic melancholy that seems to send your heart into a collapse. You can hear the ache in the lyric. This is the song of a man who is spent, who has given his youth, his joy, simply looking for escape from the toil. He expresses his resignation through this line of tragic irony: "I'm alright, I'm alright / I'm just weary to my bones." He dreams of dying to find relief from it all, flying away over New York City. In the end he sighs,

But it's alright, it's alright
You can't be forever blessed
Still tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all, I'm trying to get some rest

But it's a rest that will never come, because life is hard work. We come on the Mayflower, and "the ship that sailed the moon", looking for the promised land, but never finding it. And that is America's Tune.

Queen
Radio Ga Ga
The Works

Freddie Mercury was certain in 1985 that radio was "yet to have [its] finest hour." But I've got my doubts. Sadly, this song is more true today than it was in the mid-eighties. It is an ode to an industry in decline, where quality of song has been usurped by quantity of cash. Now "all we hear is Radio Ga Ga, Radio Goo Goo, Radio Blah Blah." Nevertheless, Freddie remains hopeful. He reassures the ailing music industry, "Someone still loves you." The message is just as true today, but the music is pure eighties. Queen didn't experiment much with drum loops and synthesizers in their glory days of the late '70s. But as the rest of the music world evolved, Queen had to make sure that they were still the ones leading the pack. 'Radio Ga Ga' is a great marriage of Queen's classic sing-along anthems and Michael Jackson's dance beats. For an extra-fun listening experience, pan the song to either the right or the left speaker. In fact, do it with any Queen song and you're in for a surprise.

Ryan Adams
English Girls Approximately
Love is Hell

"English girls are pretty when they play a guitar..." Just the opening line of this song makes me wish I could be as cool as Ryan Adams. This song is about as straightforward as they come: simple acoustic guitars with some piano plunks through a progression of three chords. The lyrics aren't especially deep either. It is simply a song about an English girl he used to love. But there's something about this song that is irresistible. I think it's the casualness of it--the slouching-in-your-chair kind of laziness that can slur words but still be incoherently coherent. So I guess that's how I would label this song: it is 'Lazy Day Rock'.

Steven Delopoulos
She Held My Hand
Straightjacket

I'm not sure I would call Steven Delopoulos a singer/songwriter. Doubtless Steven is a musician--a skilled folk guitarist with a haunting voice. Doubtless he is a poet--a crafter of words. But his lyrics and his music tend to stand apart from each other while at the same time being tightly interwoven. 'She Held My Hand' is a beautiful, deeply personal poem laid over a beautiful, deeply personal melody. Both lyric and tune could stand up on their own, but brought together they create a true work of art. That's why I wouldn't classify Steven as a singer/songwriter. With a singer/songwriter, music and lyrics are interdependent. With Steven, the music and the lyrics are two separate art forms, and he has mastered the art of bringing the two together. He is a musician/poet.

Coldplay
Glass of Water
Prospekt's March

Whether or not you like Coldplay, it is hard to deny that they write beautiful music. And that's what I appreciate about the British foursome. While their songs may be trite, they bring intelligent compositions into a popular music realm where intelligence is clearly not a requirement. And "Glass of Water" is a prime example of Chris Martin's musical genius. On first listen, you might hear nothing more than another arena rock anthem in the vein of U2 or The Who. But if you take a closer listen, you'll notice some fascinating subtleties. The verses are in common time -- a straight 4/4 beat -- but the chorus abruptly changes to 7/8. I dare you to try to find another popular rock song in 7/8. And instead of taking the obvious route of a reverberating guitar solo, the song quickly decrescendos into a pulsing piano interlude--like a peaceful valley between two precipices--before erupting back into the pounding 7/8 refrain. This isn't simply a rock song.

James Taylor
Mean Old Man
October Road

I think this is James Taylor's best song. The jazz tune is undeniably beautiful, if not catchy. But the clever lyrics set this song up there alongside his greatest hits. In fact, I'm not going to write a review, I'm just going to give you a snippet of the brilliant lyrics:

I was a mean old man
I was an ornery cuss
I was a Dismal Dan
I made an awful fuss
Ever since my life began
Man, it was ever thus
I was a nasty tike
Who was hard to like

I had to misbehave
I did things in reverse
Refused to wash or shave
I was horrid to my nurse
I got back what I gave
Which only made me worse
I had to have my way
Which was bleak and gray

In the end, he sings his thanks to the one who turned a mean old man "into a golden retriever puppy dog."

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
When Your Mind's Made Up
Once (Music from the Motion Picture)

First of all, if you're going to listen to this song, you should hear them sing it on the movie. It is my favorite part of my favorite movie. The lyrics of the song aren't much to speak of. Just another song for an ex-lover. But the heart that Glen Hansard pours into every one of his songs stops you in your tracks. Musically, he takes an arpeggiated acoustic riff and molds it into a 5/4 rhythm that really comes out of nowhere. The opening verse and chorus are accompanied only by guitar and piano. But when the drums come in at the start of verse two, that's when the song really comes alive. It only escalates from there.

Johnny Cash
Mercy Seat
Cash Unearthed

Johnny Cash is obviously best known for his country classics like 'Ring of Fire', 'Walk the Line', and 'Boy Named Sue'. But in the late years of his career, the Man in Black ventured into the realms of rock. His cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' is probably the most popular example of this. But many don't know that he performed a song called 'The Wanderer' on U2's album Zooropa. Aside from that, he recorded at least a dozen other covers of classic pop songs, such as U2's 'One', Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', Neil Diamond's 'Solitary Man', and this one--'Mercy Seat', originally performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It is a deeply morose song about a man on death row, drawing parallels between his own execution and Christ's death on the cross. The song builds steadily from just an acoustic guitar and Cash's trembling bass into a cacophony of organs, pianos, accordions and harpsichords. You feel the dissonance of the condemned man's soul at the crest of the song. This truly is one of Johnny Cash's hidden gems.

Scala & Kolacny Brothers
It Never Will Come Back
Paper Plane

The Kolacny Brothers have a way of making a choir of sweet, innocent girls sound scary and foreboding. Though Scala is an all-girl choir, their music is anything but girly. The Kolacny Brothers' arrangements possess a gritty, masculine quality that is only augmented by the fact that the songs are being sung by teenage girls. 'It Never Will Come Back', a Kolacny original, sounds like it could be a Radiohead or Smashing Pumpkins cover. There's nothing feminine about this song, other than the fact that it is being sung by a choir of beautiful girls. And in that lies the brilliance of this song, as well as the entire album.

Well, that wraps it up. I hope you've found something new that you like.

Arrivederci.

Blogging Despair

2009-02-03T17:05:00.001-05:00

Arrivederci.

Turn Up The Funny

2009-01-31T18:25:00.003-05:00

I have a giant poster of Homer Simpson hanging in my bedroom. It is emblazoned with the words "Turn Up The Funny". I also have a similar poster of Bart with the same four words. They are both on my wall for two reasons: One, I am a huge fan of The Simpsons. And two, because I need a reminder to not take myself too seriously. I was scrolling down through my most recent entries and realized that I've been doing a lot of preaching lately. So I thought I should take some time to "Turn Up The Funny".

I could go into some verbose exegesis pertaining to life as a single male in these United States (e.g. grocery shopping, oil changing, trying to cook without setting the house aflame). But today has been a day devoid of any comedic inspiration, so I'm just going to give a you a synopsis of my week.

I was headed to Arkansas on Thursday to visit my best friend Jonathan when I become acutely aware that the bent wheels on my Dodge Avenger were getting hazardous. So I had to cancel my trip and buy new wheels. Needless to say, they look and drive a lot better than the eleven year-old ovals I had been driving on previously.

My guitar and voice lessons are going well. I'm learning all sorts of new scales and singing in Italian. I would say that I'm the next Josh Groban, but I'd have to get a perm and do all sorts of weird eyebrow stretches before I could even come close to matching his greatness. But it's still fun to sing in Italian.

I've begun the process of backing up all of my computer files onto DVDs, considering my Apple iBook G4 (which is still running Panther, mind you) is now 117 in computer years. It hasn't shown any signs of dying; it still runs like new. But it is now three generations old, making it a Mac grandfather. So I'm investing in some life insurance and writing up its will.

I think I'm going to be rooting for the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. However, I have a lot of friends who are Stillers fans. In fact, I lived in Steeler country for nearly three years, so I've got more ties to them than I do to the Cardinals. Still, it's hard not to root for a team who has been an NFL bottom feeder for the last sixty years. For a long time I didn't even know the Arizona Cardinals were an NFL team. And come on, Pittsburgh... it's not like you don't have five trophies already.

Before I wrap this up, I want to inform you that I will have some rather significant news to report within the next few days (no, I don't have a girlfriend). Some things are coming to pass on the musical front--things that only God could have orchestrated. So check back around Monday or Tuesday for the press release. It's not as huge as a record deal, but it is a step in that direction.

Wow. This post wasn't funny at all. OK, umm... lemme think of a quick joke. Oh, hey, did you hear the one about the governor who tried to sell a senate seat, got impeached for it, and then compared himself to Nelson Mandela, Dr. King, and the Mahatma Gandhi?

Arrivederci.