Played "Start it Out Here in Bethlehem" at Lighthouse Worship Center's Christmas Eve service. OK, but I really am not impressed with the Korg Triton LE. Sounds are good - if you can find the one you want. The controls and voicing arrangement on the Tritons just make no logical sense whatsover. This was the 2nd time I've played this keyboard, and I still had to ASK someone where the #&&$*! piano was (OK, I didn't really curse in worship, but I still consider that an inexcusable fault in a keyboard). Maybe that's why there are HUNDREDS of Korg Tritons for sale on eBay at any time and rarely more than a couple Yamaha S90's or Motif's. The only other "performance" I've had is playing 4 or 5 songs at the acoustic piano for the last Faithbridge small group meeting at our house before Christmas. Very sweet anointing, and the songs were very well received.
Once again, haven't kept this updated very diligently, haven't accomplished a lot in respect to songwriting, but actually, a lot has happened with potential for improvement with the music and website. First, CompUSA finally! put last year's G4 Powerbooks on clearance after they'd already been selling the new Intel Macs for a few months. The last Powerbook left in the store I was in was the floor display, so I was able to bargain for a pretty good deal. Not the latest and greatest, but definitely an upgrade over the 6-year old Bondi Blue iMac (which is still running great, by the way, just won't run some of the newest software). With the new Powerbook also came Apple's Garageband, and I also opted to spend a bit more to upgrade the OS9 Finale "Allegro" to the full version of Finale! notation software running in OSX. Those 2 software upgrades should... eventually... help out with some better audio and sheet music files, and hopefully, make both a little easier to generate. The basics of both programs are pretty straightforward, but I've got some learning to do to take advantage of the full capabilities of either one.
So, it hit early November, I was really starting to get into learning both new programs and updating old files to the new Mac when disaster struck. The disaster was in the form of a "one-week" trip to Istanbul, Turkey with work that ended up stretching out to 2 weeks, then 3 weeks, then 4 weeks ... basically, most of November (including Thanksgiving); finally returned home December 4th. The disaster aspect was working with a filthy, nasty, dismally-performing shipyard and uncooperative client. I tried to walk off the third day, but ended up staying...and staying; in retrospect, walking off would have been the right decision. I'm not complaining about Turkey itself; the couple of times I did get out among the Turkish people, they were very friendly and helpful, it's just the specifics surrounding the particular job that were intolerable. I've still got a mess to clean up into a report when I get back to work in January. As far as this website and songwriting, the trip just basically stalled everything out for a month - more than a month, with a family trip and the holidays looming by the time I got back. I had taken a CD with a copy of music files I could have worked on with the company laptop I had with me, but the schedule we had to work there just didn't allow any extra time, just enough to shower, eat, and crash every evening.
But, I'm back home now, thankful to God to just be unharmed with no major illnesses, considering the conditions in the shipyard. We've made the trip for daughter Laurel's graduation from college. We'll have lots of company over Christmas, and probably hit a very busy time at work when I return after New Year's. So, getting up to speed and actually getting things done with Garageband and Finale is probably going to come along slowly until after the first of the year, but I'm determined that there will be progress!
And there's the silver lining - since I missed the family Thanksgiving while I was in Turkey, my boss has blessed me with time off, overtime pay, and a substantial extra bonus! So, after initially thinking: bigger boat!; no, wait, lake lot!, reason has prevailed; we'll be paying off all debt from the college bills, putting some away for Laurel's wedding to long-time boyfriend Steven (date still to be set), getting a new kitchen countertop, and probably, getting myself an upgraded synth-style keyboard (looking at the Yamaha ES90 or Motif models). That should help both my live performances and recording eventually, but once again, will take some learning on my part to take full advantage of the capabilities.
So, finishing 2006, I feel very blessed, in spite of a few rough spots during the year. We've kept in touch with Lighthouse Worship Center and Pastor Bart has asked about me, and we're praying about, taking a role in the worship there. Also have talked to Patsy at South Texas Coffee Company in Tomball and had hoped for a pre-Christmas performance there, but getting back so late from Turkey kind of squashed that. Will try to arrange something soon after the first of the year. As always, check my Yahoo! calendar or eMail me for updates. Here's hoping that 2007 will truly bring some progress in establishing myself as a songwriter!
Fall 2006
Backtracking and writing this in January'07 -- One thing I did get done this fall (late summer? - I don't even remember the date now) was to make it by The Next Door Coffeehouse for their Open Mic one Friday night. We got there late, quite a few people had signed up, so my slot to play wasn't until 11 PM. Both very good and uh..."interesting" people played before me, ranging from a pro promoting his new CD and tour to poetry reading, acapella singing, and sax playing. Quite a few people had left by the time I played, but there was still a small crowd, and the songs went pretty well, although I don't quite remember which 3 I played now. I guess everyone was tired by then, though, no one really said anything, good or bad. It's a pretty decent place, and you can hear some interesting stuff there, but don't expect good coffee; it's free, donations accepted. I'll probably hit open mic there again if I can find another Friday I'm not too tired.
Week of September 11, 2006
Not all the files are quite where I want them, but I decided to go ahead and post two collections of songs for sale - All 10 formally copyrighted song scores in one package, and practically all the lead sheets I've produced (16) in another package. The scores aren't all updated as I'd like them - one's a scan of a handwritten score converted to PDF, others are from an old PC program I haven't even gotten in a form I can reprint on the Mac. The lead sheet package is missing some corresponding chord sheets - didn't realize I still have quite a few of those to produce; some of the sheets included are posted as free downloads right now; but I also included 3 "bonus" scores I haven't produced lead sheets for. I think the packages are good though not perfect, and quite a bargain if you've looked at printed sheet music prices lately. And the Lord said, "THOU SHALT BUY"...just kidding.
Local Houston ministers and worship leaders, check the note posted here (localnote.html).
Late August 2006
Just uploaded a fairly major redesign of the website Friday night, August 25. Same basic structure but a different look and some internal rearrangement of files. I've checked it over fairly carefully, but please eMail me if you find broken links, missing images, things out of place, or just want to comment on the changes.
Things went well at August 20th worship at Lighthouse Worship Center; a couple of minor keyboard stumbles, but the songs (Cry Unto Me and Every River) seemed very well received and appreciated (As well they should be, since I had a very strong sense of the Lord's leading to play these two specific songs). Pastor Bart's planning a "Singspiration" Sunday Evening for September or October that I'll probably play at if I'm not out of town for work, and I'll probably play here again in worship occasionally. Check my calendar or the LHWC website.
Projects, moving slowly along, prayers for focus appreciated:
Still need to get the (10) formally copyrighted songs into an updated format on the Mac and put all 10 together into a PDF book.
I -yes, still- have scores sitting around I finished up in 2005 and earlier; just need to re-re-check them once more and send a collection in for copyright registration.
The next direction I feel like I've gotten from the Lord is "FIVE FOR ISRAEL," a collection of songs that I think would speak especially to Messianic Jews. The sheet music, when I get it done, is to be offered for sale individually and as a collection, and any proceeds will go to charities directly helping the Israeli people.
Otherwise, we've been attending Faithbridge Church. I turned in a prayer card there including a prayer for movement forward in this music ministry, and there has accordingly been some - some new software that lessens the need to boot into OS9 on the Mac, for one thing. Not that I hate OS9, just that OSX is so much more advanced that I've gotten more and more reluctant to boot up OS9, where my main songwriting program resides. Being able to do more work in OSX should help. I also made some connections with people at Faithbridge that will probably build into some involvement in worship there, though I'm really trying not to be the piano player in worship on any regular basis - just simply not enough time to learn new worship songs plus keep up with my own stuff.
Summer 2006
Long, hot summer.Very little progress in the songwriting. Sometime near the start of summer, I had one of my pity-me hissy fits, yelling at -God? the devil? things in general? I've got to learn to quit that, because it pretty well destroys my voice for a couple of months. When it seemed about to clear up this time, I've had some general sinus malaise, not enough to feel sick, but enough to make it hard to sing very well. We also focused most of the summer on getting some long-ago-started remodeling projects finished around the house, and at least made some progress there. So, haven't scheduled any performance gigs all summer like I'd hoped to do. I've had a good couple of practices in early August though, finally feel like my voice is recovering. Pastor Bart's asked me to play again at Lighthouse Worship Center one Sunday; right now, that looks like it will be August 20th.
Sailing - Memorial Day, almost too much wind for a change, great sailing if you like hanging on by your teeth, popping the sheets loose and pushing the tiller over, hoping it turns into the wind before you go too far past the rail being buried. Our boat's not a planing hull exactly, but we were darn near planing with me and three big college guys sitting the windward rail. The few times we've been to the lake since then, there's been either storms and lightning or no wind whatsoever.
May 2006 - Mother's Day Weekend Sail
Deb flew to Florida to visit her mother for a week. I had this bug that I just had to be out on the water and try some solo sailing. Of course, it wouldn't be an adventure if things had gone as planned... The rest of the story is here (maysail.html).
April 2006 - Upcoming Plans(?)
Working on putting the (10) copyrighted songs together as one sheet music package for sale. Finally listened to most of the tape from the Dec. 11 gig and started transferring it to computer. Most of it sounds OK, will post the audio files "real soon now."
Will -probably- play now and then at Lighthouse Worship Center, Spring, Texas. Debbie and I attended there for a short while, couldn't get a sense that's where we belong as a church home, but still plan to keep in touch. Church info: www.LHWC.ORG.
Still intend to play more gigs at SOUTH TEXAS COFFEE COMPANY, 425 W. MAIN (FM 2920), TOMBALL, TEXAS; just not sure when. Preparing for a gig seems to take about two weeks out of my life, and we've decided right now to focus on some other things, like getting some long-ago-started remodeling and yard projects finished. Also still sailing, and looking at houses and lots at the lake. Check my calendar or eMail me for updates.
March 2006
New Songs! - March 17 - "Sonny Boy". Not sure where this came from - just developed in my head driving to work, but thankfully, not autobiographical at all. Almost depressing lyrics, but I like the tune, kind of haunting in A minor, that pulls it all together. Debbie heard me playing the piano for it without the words and liked the tune too, so now it's a song, and I think a pretty good one. And yeah, I guess it could sound a bit Irish, coming on St. Patrick's day and all.
- March 23 - 2 songs! - "Sing Out the Blues". A little tune I got on the drive to work, about the universal tendency toward the blues as a mood, and the universal appeal of the blues as music. I like songs that have a bluesy sound and mood to them, although not many of my "blues" songs are technically the standard blues chord progression. This one is so close to the standard, though, that I won't claim much originality in the music, just the words.
"What a Story". A pastor I met this week poked around on the website and emailed me that I had a knack for telling stories in song. He meant it in a good way, but for some reason driving home from work I started thinking of it the other way, how stories can also get you in trouble, and that triggered the song - that's just the way my brain works sometimes. I also put this one in a minor key (Dm) when I got home, lots of piano between the lyrics with a soul beat on the Yamaha keyboard, and really started liking it the more I worked on it.
Late February - Early March 2006
New Songs! - Feb 22 - "Somebody Touch Jesus". Slow and worshipful, for the quiet place in a congregational service. March 2 - "Lord, Bring Your Mercy". Upbeat, maybe for the early part of congregational praise. Both of these I got in the truck commuting, and they reflect the range of moods I've been going through (at least the good moods) the last couple of weeks.
February 18th, 2006
Gig at South Texas Coffee Co. - Definitely not my best performance by a long shot, but still had fun. A half-dozen people from our boating club, a couple of neighbors, and a few coffee shop customers in and out. Thanks to all of you for coming. Had more trouble than normal with the acoustics and balancing the vocals and keyboards at first; think that affected my attitude, and my keyboard playing just wasn't up to what I know it can be. Patsy's still gracious enough to invite me back, though. Next time will be better! Thanks again to Patsy, her crew, and everyone who stopped by. Enjoyed dinner with great folks from CRBA afterwards.
Week of February 13th, 2006
GIG! - February 18th - SATURDAY - SOUTH TEXAS COFFEE SHOP, 425 W. MAIN STREET, TOMBALL, TEXAS. - Start around 4:00 to closing time around 6:00; later if anyone's still hanging around and my voice is holding out (not likely). This will be my first Saturday instead of Sunday here, so I intend to try out more of a secular set for a wider audience, not just the purely inspirational songs. Read through the index titles for a flavor of some of the songs I'll be playing. Musically, they range from bluesy to folksy to a little jazzy to just a tad country - hoping mainly to just have a lot of fun with them. I'd still appreciate your prayers, for my voice, for people to show up, and for me to hear the Holy Spirit well enough to change directions if need be. Check my Yahoo! calendar for any updates. Posted a flyer here if you want to pass it around (thanks!). Please come out!
Late December 2005 - Feb 2006
Not much news, some progress on chord sheets, updated some of the web site with style sheets, otherwise very busy with Christmas, family, work. Practiced mostly the "secular" songs to get a couple of sets ready for the next gig, which looks like mid-February.