I’ve mentioned Jessup before right? I study at a Christian university called William Jessup in Rocklin, CA. Ring any bells? So, 2 months ago I realized that I needed to take 2 more classes. I needed 6 more elective units and so I quickly enrolled in a couple extra (over and above my 12) at the local JC here in town. Now, it was all a little much so I dropt English and kept the photography class and things are pretty good now. Good call right?

The photography class is rad! It’s the only digital photography class that the school offers. There are tons of film classes. It’s an awesome break from the rigorous academics involved in all my other classes.

That, however, is not to say that this is not challenging. Far from it! Photography boggles my mind. My wife is a genius when it comes to this stuff, but it’s going to take me a while to get it. I am loving the process though.

So, here is my first project. I turned it in today. I will probably look back in a few months and laugh at myself for showing you, but here it is. It’s no Celestial Photography but you’ve got to start somewhere right? Oh! And the assignment was frozen, blurred, panned, and creative motion so that’s what I was going for. Let me know what you think? Be gentle. Grace Friends!

Ok, last night, one of the craziest, funniest, strangest (maybe saddest) things I’ve ever seen—you pick the adjective when I’m done.

Last night was a pretty great gig, more fun than many. I played at a Hot Topic store in the Galleria Mall in Roseville, Ca and in addition to the attending crowd there were random shoppers moseying through for most of the show. It was a very low-key gig. By low-key, I mean that it was me, on a stool with my guitar just having a fun time with the crowd. Not to mention a fun time watching the crowd.

Have you seen those monkeys that people put on their kids? It’s a monkey stuffed animal that the child where’s like a backpack. The monkey’s tail provides the practicality in the apparatus (apparatai?) because it is a leash.

I-kid-you-not! Every person under 5 that wandered in the store had one of those things on, like some kind of blow out sale was happening next door. All different kinds, there were monkeys, lambs, and lions with tail leashes attached to parents.

The craziest, funniest, strangest (maybe saddest) leash I saw wasn’t attached to a parent; it was attached to a shirt rack. The parent (who actually was an older brother I think/hope) had taken the leash thing a little too literally and thought that he was free to shop. When he was done shopping he re-acquired the child where he had been teathered, and continued the evening walk. Wow yeah?

So, I’m telling you, it was quite a night. But what do you think? Crazy, funny, strange, or sad? Cruel and unusual?

Heath and Samara – Wedding Teaser – HD from Matt E on Vimeo.

I have been meaning to do this for a while simply because cool people I know do it. Also, I have been encouraged when I have read the set lists of other worship artists and found that we are leading the body of Christ in many similar songs.

In a way, it gives the realization that the Sunday morning worship leading that is done is larger than the small corners that we occupy. With one voice and many words we lift up the name of Jesus together across the world.

So here it is (no guarantees that I will remember to do this all the time but here is yesterday).

Morning at Bayside

All Because of Jesus-Fee
Your Love is Deeper-Phil Wickham
Pour Out Your Spirt-Evan Wickham
Cannons-Phil Wickham

Evening at Origin

Cannons-Phil Wickham
Lord I Give You My Heart-Reuben Morgan
Because of Your Love-Phil Wickham
We’ve Come to Praise You-Amy Grant

Do you want a computer? Get a Mac. Are you editing music, photos or video? You may want to spend a little more and get a pro. Do you want a car? Go to the consumer reports and find out what’s going to last a little longer than your loan duration. Do you want a really great drink? Get a Peppermint Black and White Mocha—because it’s yummy.

What I’m trying to say is that, it doesn’t matter what you want, there is usually some good advice to follow that will lead you to the best product possible. That being said, there is—apparently—no right answer when it comes to buying studio vocal mics. What the crap!

Over the last 2 months, I have talked to 6 pretty great producer/engineers, who I have connections with, and I cannot get a straight answer from any of them. “Hey, Colbie, Danny, Woody, Damian, Brian, & the other Brian! What do you guys think is the best Mic and Preamp combo for my studio with this budget?”

“I don’t know bro. Just use what sounds good.”

Hmmmm…

I really was not expecting that.

Where’s the Magic formula?! XYZ equipment = Platinum CD production? (Now that’s Algebra I can get into)

And from there I got told all kinds of stories: Amazing artists (names of which evade me) that got Grammys for songs that they recorded holding a $100 mic in their cupped hands, the $5000 mic left in the closet (and othere stories that were good. I wish I remembered the details).

Well I confess that in the beginning of this process I was a little bit confused. Now I am quite confident that I am a lot confused. But it’s cool because I now know that as I keep trying out and testing, borrowing and sneaking mics to try out, I will eventually find what works best for me. It’s a crazy idea but I think I get where these producer friends of mine are coming from.

So what about you? Are you thinking long and hard about any upcoming purchases? Are there any gear people out there who can chime in on mics that they have found to work for them. Let me know. Cheers!

download kill mp3

Well, I don’t exactly know what the big deal is with Myspace song plays, but apparently, it’s cool if you have them—a lot of them. And if you are an Indie (independent) artist like myself it’s especially good to have them.

I have been looking around at some of the cool cats that play similar types of music, that are at a similar level of exposure, and I have been noticing that they are ranging right around 1 to 500 daily plays.

So, I thought to myself, what happens if you market around myspace a little and try to stir up the play action a bit. Which is quite what i did.

It was a pretty exciting situation last night. I captured a picture with my handy-dandy mac screen capture short cut (com shft 3) so that I could share the moment with you all my first 1000 plays in one day. Woohoo!!! Cheers!

Well, things don’t always get done when we think they will do they?

Yes, yes my friends, no matter how I try to spin it, shame is a part of the reason—the reason why my blogging has been so minimal.

For the last few weeks I have expected that I would have a song from my album ready to preview to you wonderful friends of mine. I have expected this pretty much everyday! Every time that I had something wonderful to blog about I would simply set it out of my mind. “I don’t need to blog about that crazy thing that happened today because I am surely going to be able to post one of my really wonderfully produced songs today; that will be so much cooler than that ridiculously crazy thing that just happened.”

I have had so many wonderful things to blog about that were simply lost to moments passed by. Shame. Even now. I had thought for sure that at least one song would be mixed and mastered so that the next thing that I posted would be a tune.

Now my dilemma still remains: Bloggable moments are so trivial in comparison to the music that I am aching to post!

(this is the part of the blog where I am supposed to say “BUT…” and either produce the light at the end of the tunnel or the song that is actually done.

…but lets be more real than that).

To be continued…

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