Seven Months (Plus)

I’m a terrible blogger.

Alas, when my life gets anywhere close to busy, I don’t seem to make the time to update this as much as I should. I don’t want to discontinue this outlet, either, because I do enjoy writing. My apologies to those that have read my blog, few of you that may actually be. I’ve just been... busy.

With what, you ask? What have I been doing over the past seven months?

Well, the short answer is: continuing my preparation for eventually going into full-time ministry. The longer answer? Voice lessons every week, helping my church’s choir (for the second year in a row) produce our annual summer worship project, and most importantly... working on my ever-elusive first demo song.

Why Do I Need A Demo?

The general idea behind posting demo materials on this site is simple. I want to showcase my style and abilities to those that may not be aware of them, namely, future employers. Western culture is becoming more connected than ever, and technology is allowing a wider range of people do do amazing things (for relatively low costs). Since ministry work may call me away to a place where few (if any) know who I am, it’s important for me to be able to show what I can do, how I do it, and why.

Why Did I Choose This Song?

I wanted to select a song that aligns with the purpose and passion of my life and ministry: whatever the word or deed, all the glory and focus will make its way back to God. Songwriting, however, is not my strongest trait (at least for right now). Since I’m not writing my own songs at the moment, I decided in April to select Chris Tomlin’s “Once And For All.”

While some may think of me as a “Tomlin fanboy,” the decision to record this song came after a great deal of consideration. It’s obviously a “good song” (I think that, at least), but more importantly, it is a great declaration of who God is, what He has done through his Son, and why He deserves our attention and praise. Further, I’ve been struck by how quickly this song “catches on” with worshippers. (This has been my experience, both at Passion 2013, and in my own experiences leading the song in worship.) It certainly speaks to the giftedness of the men who wrote the song, but it also speaks to the Truth behind the song. In short, I couldn’t think of a better song to feature on this site.

The Process

The process began in April, after gathering together the necessary backing elements. This was a struggle by itself, since I did not have the time or resources to properly record multiple guitars, drums, and keyboards. In an attempt to expedite this process, I made the decision to use MIDI computer instruments. Now, MIDI (or virtual) instruments can be hit-or-miss, in terms of their sound. Virtual sounds have improved greatly over the past five years, and it is becoming easier and easier to compose and edit MIDI files. Still, it took some effort and patience (and, ultimately, money) to avoid sounding like I recorded the demo with a cheap Casio keyboard.

Once I gathered all of the virtual instruments together (over two-thirds of the final product are MIDI virtual instruments), I needed to record vocals. I began recording my vocals with my vocal coach, Carmen Rairigh. She’s a talent in her own right (check out her site, CarmenRae.com), and she was also kind enough to record some backing vocals. I also approached my good friend and bandmate, Allyson Kehoe. There are few people in this world I would rather lead worship with, and this project would not be what it is without her. Finally, I approached my church’s student pastor, Dan Lyle, to throw in his vocals to add a doubling effect.

It took about seven months to get the recording together, after some trial-and-error, and some patience for people’s schedules to clear up (after all, between the four of us, we have very little “professional” experience… and this was all done for free, without seeking any financial returns). I also decided to move from a basic three-part harmony, to a two-part main vocal line with three-part backing vocals, about midway through the process. This added a few months to the process, but I feel it was worth it in the end.

Once all the recording and editing was done, it was time to mix and master the song. I did not want to pay to get this done (it’s VERY expensive!), so I sought to learn how to do this myself. Since I have zero experience in this area, it was quite the undertaking. While I do believe the final product is good for what this project called for, I will admit that it is far from what a polished studio project would sound like (aided by professional studio engineers).

Licensing

About halfway through the project, the issue of copyright and licensing was brought to my attention. This is an uneasy subject for me, and I may talk more about this in a future post. The bottom line is, though, that there are laws that govern intellectual property in this country, and as a Christian, we are all called to follow the laws placed over us. No matter if one has reservations about them, or may view them as “unnecessary” due to the nature of the project, the requirements of copyright law do not defy anything in Scripture (for the most part). Translation: I had to pay up.

I will say that the rates were fairly reasonable, and the people at Captiol CMG Publishing (formerly EMI CMG Publishing) and Music Services, Inc. were quite easy and pleasant to deal with. I did hit a few snags with Sony/ATV Publising, since they didn’t operate like the other two licensing companies (it would also help if people would reply to emails in a timely and professional manner… just saying). Still, after some patience, I was able to acquire 100% of the legal permission to stream the song on this site.

The Final Product

Over seven months of work culminated in my first demo song, which can be heard by clicking here. I could not have done it without my amazing friends (Allyson, Carmen, and Dan… THANK YOU!). I don’t know when my next demo will be posted (it will probably be a video), but it will hopefully come together in a fraction of the time that this project took. Finally, it’s good to be done with it, and I hope you enjoy it.

Review: Loud Harp

​Rating: 4 out of 5 stars [iTunes Link]

On the ever-expanding quest to better my palette of worship music, I’ve long been seeking a band that enhances the etherial. I’m not talking about “rah-rah” songs, or powerful ballads, or deep and meaningful hymns. I’m talking about music that thrives during those meditative times of worship, where God is engaged and words seem inadequate. About a month ago, some ministry friends in Oklahoma City introduced me to the band Loud Harp. After giving their self-titled debut a number of listens, I’m pleased to find that this band fills that specific need in my worship arsenal.

Loud Harp is comprised of Asher Seevinck and Dave Wilton. Their goal is to make music that makes known the peace that “echos [in our hearts] louder than our doubts and fears,” the peace found in Christ. They’ve worked together on other projects in the past, but this project happened almost by accident. While setting out to work on another project, Seevinck and Wilton began to write songs that respond “to God’s overwhelming presence in the midst of a season of doubt.” Their hearts are certainly in the right place, but I believe their musical abilities are what set them apart from other bands.

To be honest, Loud Harp reminds me of another band that is getting some attention from both RELEVANT Magazine and Worship Leader Magazine: Young Oceans. Both seem to be offering a similar style of music, and both are of a similar quality of music. With that said, however, I would place Loud Harp slightly ahead of Young Oceans. Where Loud Harp sounds etherial and meditative, Young Oceans feels drawn out and repetitive. Nothing against Young Oceans, and this may seem like splitting hairs to some, but I believe that the slight distinction is worth making.

In short, Loud Harp is a band that engages the heart of God through earnest lyrics and thick, worshipful sounds. Their songs may not serve all of your needs in your worship service, but I do believe that they bring something distinct, fresh, and needed to the table. They are well-deserving of support, and I pray that they continue to gain traction among worship leaders.

Review: Re-Hymns

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars [iTunes link]

Hymns are often the focal point (and thus, a casualty) of the conflict between “traditional” and “contemporary” worship. Too many have, and continue to, throw out the good with the bad, as those in the “contemporary” camp reject hymns altogether. They neglect to consider, however, the importance of the songs themselves, as well as their connection to the history of the church.

Enter, Page CXVI.

The trio of Latifah Phillips, Reid Phillips, and Dann Stockton have come together for one simple reason: to make hymns known and accessible again in today’s church. The group name is a reference to page 116 of C. S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, where Aslan sings Narnia into existence. The reference is likely designed to emphasize the timelessness of the songs the group presents, the songs that have formed the foundation of the church’s corporate worship for hundreds of years.

I simply love these guys. They have released four hymn collections, and they all follow the same general style: raw, unplugged, and simple. I highly recommend all of the projects the band offers, but I wanted to focus on their Re-Hymns album in this post. The band takes hymns and presents them in a refreshingly new way, which is fantastic on its own. This album, however, takes a fan-selected group of favorites from Page CXVI’s four hymn collections and hands them off to singer/songwriter/producer Derek Webb.

Derek Webb is one of the more talented (and controversial) artists in Christian music, and he gives these hymns just enough of his signature remix treatment. The result is a re-imagining of the re-imagined that both surprises and inspires the listener. Webb’s remixing does not take away from the talent or feel of Page CXVI, but it adds slightly more edge to their overall sound. Yet, at the same time, the electronic sound that is stereotypical to remixes in general is not overpowering. You will forget you are listening to a collection of hymns, at times, but you will also forget that you are listening to a remix album.

I hope that Page CXVI will continue to offer many releases in the near future, and I have nothing but respect for what their doing. I could have easily chosen any of their offerings to review, because they are all of the highest quality. Their collective heart certainly in the right place, and it is where many should be in the church today. Simply put, worship should transcend style and song, uniting the body of Christ in the praise of our Creator.