Music Monday - Over The Rhine Concert

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but is there something that holds a special place in your heart? Maybe your spouse, or a special vacation, or a valuable possession. Maybe certain music always takes you back or is always there as the new memories are forming. As you may know, I have a lot of favorite bands and my wife and I have some favorites together too. One of my all time favs is Over The Rhine.

The first time I heard of them was at a Christian music festival called Inner Seeds in the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds sometime during the summer of 1992 (I think – it was a long time ago…). It was their Patience tour, their second album. Their first album was Till We Have Faces, released a year or so after they first started performing in 1990 – a little OTR history lesson. To be introduced to the band live was revolutionizing for me. After the first notes and the captivating, liquid voice of Karen Bergquist, my perception of music drastically changed. This was unlike anything I have ever listened to. The bands ability to marry music and vocals into one unified and complimentary sound was, well, heavenly (and I don’t use that term lightly). As I look around the audience the looks and expressions were the same: wide eyed, mouth opened and awestruck! After their performance I immediately bought their first two albums (on cassette… yup!) – I only had so much money to spend, I was 17 and broke, but it was well worth the investment. Those two tapes will have shaped my perception of music from then on.

Since then I have had the pleasure of hearing them live three times – twice with a buddy and fellow musical connoisseur and twice with my amazing wife (the first with her was our first date!!). We saw them last week at Eddie’s Attic with some great friends! This show was just Karen and Linford casting their entrancing spell with guitars and piano. I should point out how well their voices blend - there is very little distinction between them - so well that when singing together they sound as one. This is the product of their unity - as husband and wife and band mates for over 20 years- and that their music comes from their very core. They have been given the gift of breathing life to their music. As if a part of them is given up in every song.

As I mentioned, around two years ago my first date with my wife was seeing OTR. I knew then that I would marry her. And I knew that music would play a vital role in our relationship. OTR is one of those bands for us that will never age, or ever get dull. It is a reminder of late nights on the couch with coffee and a fire in the fireplace. Of time spent with great friends, and singing along at every opportunity. The music that we share has a way of bringing us back together. If only briefly, we can forget about the busy, hard times that life brings and gaze at each other starry eyed or hold each other in a loving embrace singing cheek to cheek. God is kind to offer moments of respite to rejuvenate our souls and to remind us why we love each other.

While I was thinking about OTR and how to try to communicate who they are, the theme of unity kept coming up: their unity both musically and vocally – as in a marriage. Could God use the gift of music to exemplify the relationship of husband and wife or the relationship of God and man? That may be a stretch, but when music and voice are merged together as one, it is truly a marvelous sound to behold – truly divine! A gift from the Creator of music – for our enjoyment and His glory.

Aaron

Re-use Mismatched socks

As I went through our mismatched sock bag this morning... who am I kidding, it has actually taken a whole week :-)... I realized there are just some socks that I have been staring at for two years hoping to find mates to. 132 socks with no mates, to be exact. So... after sorting through them and deciding which ones were worth still searching for (about 20), I pondered what to do with these socks. It seemed like such a waste to just throw them away, and why would anyone drop them off at Goodwill for someone to deal with? So I turned to Google to find some nifty ways to reuse them. Here is a list of things I found.

• 31 tips on how to recycle socks - Wiki How
• Sock bed for cats - Pinterest
• Sock Hobby Horses - RadMegan Blog

• Dog Toys - GreenUpgrader
• Bean bags - A little tipsy

• Gloves - Cut out and Keep
• Dog Sweater - Dogs We Luv

• Home Decor Chair Remake - Design Your Revolution
• Play Donuts - Rook No.17

• Coffe Sleeve - Parents

There are so many ideas... just get out and cyber space and find them!

What I learned about being a mom... From my Dad!

For those who know me, you know two things... We have lots of kids and I have an amazing father who loves watching them for us! My dad has raised me and two siblings by himself since I was 18 months old. He managed to hold down a job to provide for us, put us in sports so we didn't miss out on anything, and be there for all of it. One of the things I think about often is how he showed up for every practice and every game of travel fast-pitch softball, basketball, and choir for 9 years.

It's normal for your dad to provide for the family or to be there for sporting events, but my dad was my mom too. He was there for all of the uncomfortable female milestones with no help. He helped me go shopping for clothes, and dresses for dances, he planned my sweet 16 and encouraged me when I felt I didn't measure up. He stayed awake all night with me when my high school sweetheart broke my heart.

He's been there through my first marriage and was there when it fell apart. And when no one else was there to keep my children when I had to go to work full time he was always available to take care of my babies. Even since Aaron and I have been married he has seen when we needed time away from the kids to grow our marriage, and has pushed us out the door to a movie. I've never met a person who didn't like him. He'd give you the shirt off of his back and ask nothing in return. That's my dad!

So in honor of mother's day I want to express what I learned about being a good mom from my dad.

1. Showing your children your relationship with God does more than telling them about one. - He read the bible to us and we went to church, but than that I remember seeing him daily reading God's word like others would read a magazine, newspaper, or new best seller. There was no "quiet time", that was just his regular reading material of choice.

2. The truth always comes to light. - He always told me this as a teenager and the older I get the more I see its truth.

3. Sacrificing for your children never returns void. - I have learned to sacrifice because of his example and would sacrifice for anything for him.

4. Always be there to cheer your children on... They will remember. Like I said above, I remember him being there for everything. Nothing feels better than knowing someone is cheering you on.

5. Praying with your kids will last a lifetime. - I remember anytime I was afraid, worried, sick, or hurt the first thing that would come from my dad's mouth was "in the name of Jesus" or some quick prayer. I have found that to flow from my mouth in those same situations and am thankful for that.

6. Your children's trust in God will mimic yours. - My dad always had so much trust that God would provide, even when he didn't make enough to make ends meet. I find it helpful to recount God's faithfulness through those days as well.

7. Spend time playing with your kids. - We played tennis, spades, chess, and bowled on a regular basis.

There are a lot of things from my childhood that made my life horrible. More than you could imagine. BUT when I look back, the best part of my childhood was having my dad as my mom. I wouldn't trade him for the world!

Music Monday - The Choir Concert!

I have mentioned previously that one of our favorite bands is The Choir. Their talent is exceptional. Their creativity and artistry is original. Their longevity is, well, long. Their first album was released in 1985 – “Voices in Shadows” – then called The Youth Choir. Some 27 years later they released their latest record: “The Loudest Sound Ever Heard.” With almost 3 decades of making music (my point is not to acknowledge their age…), There comes a respectable level of experience, perfection and just plain old good music.

We had the pleasure of seeing them live a couple of weeks ago, performing their “Chase the Kangaroo” tour. We had an exceptionally busy weekend (especially my amazing and gorgeous wife) and almost didn’t make it to the show. Perhaps it was a combination of needing a break from the busyness and my persistence in needing to experience and support this band at every opportunity at any cost (the show was free!!!), I don’t know…. But we made it – the two of us and 5 of the 6 kids!! And it was so rewarding! I have been following The Choir since 1991ish, this was only my second time seeing them perform – the first time with the 4-piece band.

The first time I saw them was almost two years ago as a wedding gift from my marvelous wife. We went to a cookout they had in Nashville, at Dan Michaels’ home. Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong played some of the “greats” on the patio with a small circle of fans. This is how cool the guys are: I went over to Dan, who was standing off to the side adding some commentary in between songs. I asked him if they would play a request – “About Love”, one of the top songs in the running for our first dance song at our wedding – just the night before. He said they would be glad to and he brought out his sax to play in that song just for us! (They all got a kick at the fact that we were there a day after our wedding just to meet and hear them. As if we didn’t have other things to do…..)

We saw Derri about a year later doing a side project with Mike Roe (Kerosene Halo). Before the show we went to talk to him, reminded him that we met at the cookout and he remembered us as the crazy couple who was there the day after our wedding. So last week, almost 2 years later, we get to see the full band play. It was such a good show. To hear Derri’s melodious voice, their skill in making music, and how they pull it altogether to make one harmonious sound is just captivating!!

Again, this is another way the band is way cool: After they played their set and went off stage awaiting the encore, I mustered up enough courage to go back stage and attempt to make a request. It was kinda funny, I pulled the curtain aside, stepped in and they were all standing right there – I almost ran over Derri as he was about to walk out. I humbly pled my case for them to play, you guessed it “About Love”. Perhaps a little shocked by my intrusion, they said ok, we’ll see. They ended the night with our favorite Choir song:

Sorry to call so late

The planet turned 4 times

You're on my mind but you're nowhere

In my world

Please kiss the little bird

God bless the cozy cage we share

You kill me

You thrill me

You threaten my dreams, girl

There's something wonderful about love

There's something wonderful about love

There's something lost about me with you

There's something blind about the chosen few

There's something wonderful about love

So, of course, after the show we hung around to say hello to the guys and introduce the kids. Derri recognized us right away, Steve and Dan knew they knew us from somewhere, and quickly remembered as we told them the story. They were excited that we brought the kids and took time to greet them all.

We were talking to Dan for a few minutes (showing off tattoos) when Matthias chimed in. He was really curious about this “funny looking” instrument that Dan played – curious enough to have the courage to ask him about it… Dan was so patient and kind to invite all the kids over to his “lyricon” to give them a little infomercial and demonstration. The kids were all very excited (as were we)!!

A lyricon is an electric saxophone that is shaped similarly to a clarinet. It is a pretty cool instrument (I think I need to have one…), you can change the sound to other instruments and even add in some neat effects. If you were to look up “lyricon” on wiki-pedia you would find a list of prominent lyriconists, and there in the list is none other than Mr. Dan Michaels!!

What an awesome group of guys!! But, don’t take my word for it. Check them out for yourselves. Whether you are young or “older”, there is something in their music for everyone. A “MUST” for any musical connoisseur! God has used the musical gifts he has given these guys to influence the Christian music scene for many years. The reach of their influence goes wide as they have worked with many many other artists. And Lord willing they will continue to do so for years to come.

Aaron



At Chili's after the show. The kids were begging to go to sleep without brushing teeth or putting on pjs



Side bar from the wife – My favorite lyrics to the song differ from aaron’s:

When you get home come spring

Wont you be glad to be mine

Just don’t laugh

Please don’t cry

Just say so

We started dating in the spring of 2010, and it would make sense to anyone who knows us well, why this is my favorite verse.

Music Monday - Snow Patrol Concert

My gracious wife was kind and merciful to give me a couple weeks off the assignment. Now, I’m back in full swing…



Venue oddity #1



Last Monday night, Victoria and I had the privilege of going into Atlanta to see Snow Patrol in concert - one of our favorite bands. They played at the Tabernacle, a really cool place for a concert, although it has it’s share of oddities (maybe I’ll do a post on concert venues soon).

There are a few qualities that make a band/musician truly great. For me one on the top of the list is how well do they sound live. And I am talking mostly about vocally. Anyone can sound good on a recording. With technology as advanced as it is, the most tone-def person can sound talented. It wouldn’t be too difficult to compile a list of singers who can’t really sing. I don’t wish to offend, so please work on your own list.



Gary Lightbody



A few who have accomplished this feat (in my humble opinion) would be Chris Martin of Coldplay, Karen Bergquist of Over The Rhine, Derry Daugherty of The Choir, Dave Matthews of (you guessed it…) The Dave Matthews Band amongst a few others. And now added to the list is Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol. It takes talent and a unique quality these days for a singer to stand out amongst the masses. Most people can sing to some degree and a few of those can captivate an audience both on an album and live. Snow Patrol has been able to capture this ability.

I think most people would agree that if they are going to go to a concert they have certain expectations. One, to be entertained of course, but also they want to hear in person what they hear on their favorite CD. As a listener, if I enjoy a show then I will follow a band throughout their career. If the guy can’t sing in real life then no thanks. There are plenty of truly talented artists that I would rather support.

Victoria and I really enjoy going to shows. We try to go as often as possible, but with ticket prices as high as they are, we have to pass on some concerts. We felt Snow Patrol was worth the expense (although it wasn’t too high). We chose their hit song “Chasing Cars” to be the “first dance” song at our wedding. So, yea, they are a big deal to us.

We love music, and we love live music. As I mentioned, we go to shows as we can. We are fortunate for the next few months we have some great shows lined up: I took the boys to see the 77’s last month, we saw a friend play in downtown Woodstock (keep an ear out for Jonathon Peyton). We just saw Snow Patrol this past Monday, We are going to see OTR (Over The Rhine) in a couple weeks with some dear friends (two great shows this month!!). We have tickets to see Coldplay in july (our anniversary present to each other). We will have our eyes open to fill in the gaps in between. Sadly we will have to miss The Choir this year…

God has blessed us to be able to enjoy these great musicians in a live setting. Since He created music for our enjoyment, then concerts are just an extension of that gift. He is so kind.

Aaron



Preoccupying ourselves between acts!



Obviously no Music Monday Post

Aaron has been attacked by the pollen on and off and feeling pretty yucky, so I gave him a break this week from his usual music post. I do want to talk about music though. One song in particular that has effected my life for almost 7 years, since the birth of my first biological son, and will probably effect our family for many more. It's "The Gospel Song". Maybe we started singing this to the kids because it was short... maybe it was just the first song that came to Aunt Amanda's mind one day... but what I do know is it is loved, it is truth, and it is gospel:

"Holy God in love became

perfect man to bear my blame.
On the cross He took my sin
by His death I live again."

Out of the many songs that had been sang to Matthias as a baby, this one was the most requested. Once Lorelai came along, then Jac, this just became "THE" song we sing. We sing it for bedtime, we sing it to calm crying babies and hurting boo boos, we sing it for fun. All six of the children now sing this song and I love it. I love that every time they think they are just singing a simple song the gospel is being rehearsed in their minds and resounding in their hearts.

Although this song has been sung for all of the children, I don't think any of them cherish it quite like Lorelai. As you can see in the picture, she would cuddle up, thumb in mouth and nasty corner in hand (and yes, she actually called it her nasty corner after hearing my dad call it that and referred to it endearingly that way. She would also offer for you to sniff her nasty corner as a sign of affection... but that's a different story.) Even Chandler, when we sang this song in church Sunday, looked around for Lorelai saying "it's Loli's song". When she was sick with a 104* fever last year all she wanted to do was listen to this song on repeat over and over for hours.

This is her song because of all of these reasons, this is our kids' song because it's in their hearts and minds, this is our song because it's truth. I pray this song, and the gospel truth it holds, is passed down from generation to generation in our family. Music is a gift from God and how wonderful for it to be used as a constant reminder of truth.

Music Monday - The Playlist

Do you have your music split up in playlists? Webster defines playlist as: “a list of recordings to be played by a radio station; also: a similar list used for organizing a personal digital music collection.” (Hey, don’t think a definition is unnecessary – there are likely some out there who aren’t informed) Today, I’m talking about the latter definition.


Playlists can be sorted in a ton of ways. You could do it the boring way and just divide them up by genre, like rock, jazz, 70’s, alternative , or my favorite “classic rock.” “Not that I have a problem with that.,,” – just saying. Creativity doesn’t come easily to some or perhaps they just don’t care. Here is where I’m conflicted. I don’t necessarily like things to be ordinary or predicable. However, some of my playlists are in desperate need of editing! And why, you ask, don’t you edit them? Time. Time is the enemy. –and expensive too. Can’t seem to find any on clearance… Time that is. I digress.

Currently, I have 16 playlists. Some may think 16 is a lot. I’m not really sure, but I figure it’s America; and if I want 98 playlists then I will . Here are some of my titles at random: Christmas, Christian tunes, 72310, UK favs, Carson’s list (my son), new, folk and easy. Oh, and my favorite: night time…. – we won’t discuss that one for the sensitive eyes and ears close by (use your imagination).

There are some that are on my iPhone at all times, ready for any occasion: Worship, Christian tunes, New, UK favs and 72310. 72310 is my anniversary date (to the most amazing woman in the world!!). These songs were our playlist for our reception. So they are special songs for us and quickly remind me of that wonderful day! the “new” list is recently downloaded artists and albums that I am getting to know and deciding if they make it to the “AC’s Favs” list. The obvious “UK favs” are some of my favorite UK bands: U2, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Snow Patrol, Adele and others.

The list that is in the most desperate need of editing is the “AC’s favs” list. It started out several years ago as a list of my favorite songs, or my favorite songs from a particular artist. So, not only do I not like things to be ordinary and predictable, I don’t like for things to take a long time. In my laziness, instead of taking a few minutes to add a couple songs from an album, I would just add the whole stinkin’ thing!! I haven’t added anything to this list in quite a while, but I currently have 689 songs, 4.66GBs and 1.9 days worth…. Factor in the narrow diversity with the quantity then you could easily see that it is just slightly excessive. Just a bit. Now if I worked the list the way I intended to then 689 songs wouldn’t seem that daunting –maybe it’s just me….

I really like the idea and organization of playlists. My laziness plague seems to get the best of me at times (a lot of times). How do you sort your playlists? Do you have a favorite and Are any in need of editing, or am I the only one with that problem? Do tell…

I would say that if music is a gift from God, playlists would be also! I mean, playlists are for our ease and enjoyment – and God is most satisfied with us when we are most satisfied in Him. I, for one, am satisfied when enjoying His gifts.



Aaron