05.07.07 Flea Market Montgomery Live

I can’t turn down a dare.  Here it is, the Flea MArket Montgomery song live in Brant Hansen‘s neck of the woods.

05.07.07 A Tribute To Michael W. Smith

This is my attempt to boil the essence of Michael W. Smith down to a tiny pop song...complete with boys choir.  I’ve denied that this song exists for years.  But it’s been caught on tape so the secret’s out.  Enjoy it while it lasts, before Smitty’s goons descend upon YouTube and Me and wipe this gem out of existence.

04.23.07 Careful What You Say

This morning at a Gospel Music Week event at which artists mingle with radio types, an artist overheard two radio station employees discussing criticism of their industry.  He heard my name.  Then a curse word.

That overheard exchange traveled to the artist’s ear, to his friend via cell phone, and then to me from his friend’s mouth in just a couple hours.

A good reminder I suppose to be careful what we say. The room has ears.

And why not just e-mail me and curse at me directly?  It’s if you ever feel like giving me a piece of your mind.  I can take it.  I’m a big boy.

04.21.07 We’ve Met Before Haven’t We?

Brody had just remarked in the elevator that at industry events like this people are always saying to him “We’ve met before haven’t we?”

Five minutes later the first guy we run into at Gospel Music Week says to Brody “We’ve met before haven’t we?”

Of course the answer is “No. No we haven’t.  I’m Brody.”

Welcome to Gospel Music Week in Nashville, where scads of industry professionals and artist hopefuls flood the Convention Center and surrounding buildings for five days to learn, meet new folks, hear new music and pretend they’ve met each other before.

Brody and Brian and I were there this morning for two hours at an independent artist event.  I’m on a GMA council that deals with independent artists and education and what not and apparently, at a meeting I was absent from due to a prior soft rocking commitment, I got recruited to teach this session this morning.  Actually, I loved doing it and I’d do it again.  The topic they gave me was why I do what I do - the perfect opportunity to speak about Compassion International and the difference partnering with them for the last little while has made in my life and work.

I talked about what we’ve been saved for and how we can integrate that into our music making.  I talked about how God has gifted us all in a way that can be used to bring the “kingdom” to communities, to inspire the doing of God’s will here on earth as it’s done in heaven.

Then I hung out and talked to folks.  Lots of folks.  Lots of independent artists trying to figure out how to do what they do, why they do it, and how they can do it better.  (They don’t realize, I suppose, that they know more about being independent than I do.) I walked away, after only two hours mind you, with a stack of business cards and about a dozen demos in hand.  “Will you listen to this and tell me if you like it?” Phew, I’ve got a lot of listening to do.

And a long plane ride to do it on.  I’m heading to Vidor, Texas to play a show tonight - waiting on our plane as I type.  I’ll be back at Gospel Music Week on Monday to shake hands, learn, hear good music and pretend I’ve met people before.

04.16.07 Ew

Warning: explicit lyrics and bad wardrobe choices ahead.  (This cover song business has officially gone too far.)