Avery's Song
About a year ago, I was driving in the truck with my kids and my daughter Avery said “Daddy, I want to sing you a song.”She started singing like only a 4 year old can and I listened to her serenade. About 30 seconds into the song, Kai, my oldest daughter, told her to stop because it didn’t sound good. I told Avery to keep on singing that I was enjoying her songs. Avery kept singing. About six months after that, Kai, Avery, Noah and I went to visit one of our friend’s church. It was a little more charismatic …
Sleep Tonight
Each night when I put my kids to bed, we read a book, talk about their day and pray for their sleep and their futures. Sometimes after the prayer, they want me to scratch their back. On special occasions, they ask for “Sleep Tonight”. “Sleep Tonight” is really the song MLK by U2 sung in my best Bono voice. I know. My wife has already said you can’t use a U2 song as a lullaby. By the way, you can see/hear it here: Sleep Tonight-MLK by U2 on YouTube While I am singing …
American idol winner vs GOD …
This American Idol TV show has caught my interest. I thought it would never happen and I am not sure why it has. You see my wife is trying to stretch me. I’d actually prefer to watch ESPN or ESPN 2. What’s next for me … text messaging … ? Never happen. Choose the top 10 greatest vocalists of all time … yes, I said of all time … and none could sound like GOD when He sings. Imagine the LORD sitting center stage and singing a song just for you. I am certain even Simon would be speechless. The …
Positive & Encouraging
Looking for some positive input into your life? I have two sources to help you out. KLove During these days of political confusion, and economic strife it’s hard to find peace at home. KLove helps keeps my general outlook on life positive. If you’re in Chicago give it a try for an hour and see if you’re affected the same way. You can find KLove at FM 94.3. If you’re outside of Chicago you can listen online at KLove.com or click here for a station listing in your area. Gospel Music Channel I found a cool new resource on direcTV …
Folk-Rock's Prodigal Son: Chicago's Michael McDermott
What do you do if you’re only twenty when the gates to a glittering utopia of self-indulgence open up before you? Unless you’re a prince of restraint, you probably swagger in, all smiles, fearless and cocky as an undefeated boxer. That’s what singer/songwriter Michael McDermott did in 1991 when his future in the music world was looking like a shiny promise just on the horizon. His debut album, 620 W. Surf, was getting positive reviews and the single “A Wall I Must Climb” was spinning him a reputation as having the potential to be the next Springsteen or Dylan. On …
Live Interview With Recording Artist Rosie Thomas
I meet up with Rosie Thomas on an unusually cool summer day in Bushnell, Illinois, June 2007. We search for a spot far enough away from sound checks, seminars and live music for us to record a brief interview without background noise. There is no such place. We’re at Cornerstone Festival—if there’s an open space someone’s making noise on it. We end up on a grassy hillside near a small tent where the music is reasonably subdued. Rosie suggests we sit on the grass. She’s wearing a white sweater over a pink dress with a muted pattern. Her look may …
Looking for Signs of Rock Band Dust For Life
The music industry is a harsh mistress. Narrow is the way to lasting success and very few artists find it. Founding member of Dust For Life, Jason Hughes, has hiked that precarious path and made it farther than most. In the summer of 2000, DFL was opening up for Creed. That fall they were on tour with 3 Doors Down, Nickelback and Cold. They went on to do shows with Linkin Park, Lifehouse, Fuel, Stone Temple Pilots and Tenacious D. The band performed before as many as 30,000 and their debut CD ultimately sold nearly 150,000 copies. To put that …
From restlessness to release (thanks to Tim McGraw)
If you’ve been following this series of posts (i.e., From abandonment to hope). The last post focused on how feeling abandoned leads one to a sense and perhaps even a lifestyle, or approach to life, of restlessness. To be a restless person, one feels like a spiritual vagabond. It’s the James 1:6 principle of having “two minds”. For me at least, I cultivated this approach to life until I was almost 39 years old. I could see its effects in my life but felt powerless to change it deeply. Instead, I expressed internal power through an illegitmate way – ANGER! …
I Want to Be Just Like You
There’s a song by Phillips, Craig & Dean that has meant a lot to me as a father. I sang this to my son Matt when he was around four in a church. To this day I call him “Bub”. I want to be just like you (title) He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug He calls me Dad and I call him Bub With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh He snuggles up close and says, “I want to be like you” I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight Trippin’ over …
