The Point of Being Sick

I've been sick since Monday morning. It's Wednesday. Needless to say, I've had some time to think about being sick: why do we get sick? is there a purpose in sickness? what's the best way to get better? I'm not so sure that I've made any break-through discoveries on this subject, but what I can say is this:

Being sick has reminded me that one day, all sickness and disease will be wiped away, destroyed, and conquered, and we'll never have to deal with it again. In these moments, I find myself longing for that perfect day when all things will be made right. And yes, I do believe that day approaches.

For me, music captures so much of this longing. Right now, I find myself pining for that perfected reality, where tears of pain shall no longer be shed. If you're looking for a few songs to hit you this way, check out these two songs by SLEEPING AT LAST: "Careful Hands" and "Needle & Thread". Oh yeah, and by now I know you all know that I was uber-blessed to be able to open for Sleeping At Last this past Saturday night, at a show at COLLEGE CHURCH, with some friends of mine, RESTORATION PROJECT.

More Results w/ Less Work

So I still can't figure this one out. Over the last three months, I've spent very little time working on the "business side" of music, and most of my time on the "creative side". The results? Not a lack of them, I'll tell you that much.

Obviously, I've had my hands in a lot of things, as of late, and the ball is finally rolling on Restoration Project; but honestly, two weeks ago really marks the end of a period where I haven't been putting in the time to book gigs, do promo, etc. I've been primarily focused on the creative end of my profession.

This Saturday, I'll be performing the biggest concert of my career so far. And the gig just landed in my lap. It just happened to come from a guy I know - at church! I'll be performing with Restoration Project, opening for Sleeping At Last.

But that's not all. A few friends of mine in ResProj have accomplished what I have never been able to on the Wheaton College radio station: WETN, 88.1 FM: yesterday morning Paige Winfield had an interview promoing the album, on the "Joy in the Morning" program. Just amazing. And this coming week, I expect the album to be in rotation on the station. Again, unattainable for me, personally - even with my new recordings from Nashville.

Ahab and the Boy: What Drives Us Mad?

Over the last few weeks, I've had the chance to read. Alot. I finished Moby Dick (though I started this a while ago) and I read The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I loved both books. Obviously, Moby Dick is epic. But both books really push the reader to answer the questions: "Is there any good in humanity?" and "Are we in control of our own destinies?"

Honestly, I don't think the answers are so simple. Certainly, people demonstrate small amounts of goodness at some point, but the question then becomes: what is the origin of that goodness? Is it generated from within us, or is it placed upon us somehow? McCarthy's book is a battle for survival - a journey where the only thing left to do is keep moving.

The road itself is, in the book, a metaphor for all of life: we don't know how things will turn out, but we have no choice but to continue on. McCarthy's book ends with a resounding "yes" to the question "Is there good in humanity?". But I tend to disagree with where that goodness seems to be generated from. McCarthy would most likely say that the goodness is self-generated and that all humans are inherently good. I think that this goodness is given to us.

I highly recommend both books, but I would suggest skipping some of the Melville's writing on Cetology. Though it adds a miniscule amount of depth to Melville's main character, it does not really add to the plot or overall effectiveness of the book. (Don't tell him I said that!)

Back to the Basics: Booking 101

If there's something I've had a lot of time to think about over the last six months, it's how I was going to approach booking for this coming season. As you know, I've been up to my eyeballs in work for Restoration Project, and it's been a struggle to balance booking with recording, promoting, producing, writing, living, etc. BTW, the album drops next week. You should buy a copy.

But seriously, this week marks another hard push for me with booking shows all over the country - for friends and family and fans. Here are a few things I have been reminded of, as I've made calls, sent emails, and in other ways tried to get shows:

1. I love the music I write. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the motivation to call people I don't know and ask them to consider me to play for their schools, venues, coffeehouses, churches, etc.

2. There are a lot of people in the world who suck. And they're going to screw you. The only question is: "How am I going to react when it happens?" I've decided that I am only responsible for, and can only control, my own actions. I have to do what's right: forget about it and move on. And I have to believe that in the end people will get what they deserve: "Not well done, wicked and slothful servant..."

3. Finally, I believe that a lot of people can relate to my music. They hang on to the words; they are looking for some resolution to some of life's most mysterious questions. I can be passionate about booking concerts because I think I touch on some of these things. I'm not saying I have all the answers, but I do think great live music can *change* people - how they look at the world, what they think about when they wake up in the morning.

I'm *really* looking forward to playing some awesome college shows this year, meeting new people, and following the passions set in my heart. I can't wait to serve you (and you're just like me!) and share my life and music. Because, as you know, I am a songwriter. I was *made* to write. And if I didn't, I would probably cease to exist.

Pay Without Work: The Status Quo Reality

Here's something I've been thinking alot about lately:

Americans are lazy. Yeah, I said it. Every single one of us. Well, let's take a minute to define what I'm talking about here. I guess I'm really defining "lazy" as: living unproductively and trying to do just enough to get what we want - but not any more.

I've discovered that there's a crisis in the American workforce today. People are apathetic with the companies they work for, they don't "believe" in what the company does, their bosses (typically) suck, and they are satisfied with a performance level that meets the status quo.

The question is: "Why?"

I think it comes down to a few things:

1. Companies are big. Even companies in America classified as a "small business" can be quite large in personnel. When you don't feel connected to the "top dog", you don't get a full sense of the vision he has for the whole company.

2. We are all working for the almighty dollar. Most of us live paycheck to paycheck. And if we don't, we're living to save money so we can spend it on something we want later. I guess there's nothing inherently wrong with that, but the problem comes in when we equate "getting what we save for" with "true happiness". It ain't gonna happen, and we'll always be disappointed.

3. We lack purpose in life. Obviously, living for the "buck" doesn't "produce" like we seem to expect. We also know that people disappoint and let us down. Joy is fleeting for many people.
Concluding thoughts.

A song I heard once goes: "There is joy but it can only be hung from HIS hand." I think there is lasting joy in life... somewhere... There has to be. We wouldn't have minds like we do if there wasn't - able to comprehend abstract concepts and contemplate death and soul and spirit. *That* would be meaningless. I hope that this sort of lasting joy can one day fully influence my attitude as I work part-time jobs to pay bills and continue to follow my passions and dreams in music.

A Quote to Live By

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately. It's a quote that I memorized while I was in high school. Though I don't subscribe to his overall philosophy, I do think Henry David Thoreau says some pretty cool stuff:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Let this soak in. I'm still following these words, and I'm not there yet.

New Speakers - Well, Monitors, Really...

In the hi-fi audio world, you don't call them "audio speakers" - you call them "reference monitors". Why? Not really sure. But I guess it does give the impression that someone is actually using monitors to really identify what's coming out of them, and to analyze it.

Whatever the case may be, I'm looking at buying some new studio monitors. I've been borrowing a set of JBL Control 1's from a friend, but I'm just not sure they're doing the job. They're close, but I think I need something a bit better for popular music reference. I'm looking at JBL's "new" series (atleast it's new to me). The LSR 4328's may be the way to go, but just looking at the specs, I'm a little bit unsure. It looks like I have to take a field trip to G.C. to take a listen to them myself...

So why would I spend $1400 on them? I'm really excited about the opportunities I will have in the future to do more music producing and engineering, and I want a set of speakers of my own - that I'll always have around. Nothing can cripple a project faster than having to give the speakers back for a few weeks. I'm looking forward to searching for four or five singer-songwriters to collaborate with and record over the next 12 months. Just another way to stay busy.