Help Us to Get Through - A Song for the Unemployed

I wrote this song while I was unemployed (big surprise there, right?). I had, for the first time, experienced the feeling of the loss of a job due to no fault of my own. The feeling of rejection that one experiences can lead to depression, and a feeling of being trapped in a welfare system that can actually keep you sustained better than if you were working, depending on the job itself. This gives you a hopeless feeling that you will never be able to find another job that pays well enough. Not to mention that the job market itself right now is barely existent, causing competition that is so fierce, that "what you know" is almost not a factor in your "hireability" (if that's a word). Anyway, for those of you who might be thinking "Wow, he's such a pessimist," my complete outlook on life is actually much brighter than portrayed in this song. The purpose of this song is to, for lack of a better word, "capitalize" on the feelings that getting laid off from your "what you thought was a good" job, and being thrown to the wolves of the current job market, can create. So, to those who can relate to the message this song sends, I say this: things are never as bad as they seem, and eventually, you will have to face the fact that things are going to get better, and the only one who will make things worse is you. The loss of a job is really not so much a "loss" as it is an opportunity for you to make things better for yourself and your family. Now, some will jump on that bandwagon with guns loaded and go as far as to say that you are the only one in control of your future, and you are the only means to the end you may recieve. Anyone who is a bible believing Christian knows better than this, as our belief is that God is in control of things, not us. Anyone who does not believe in God should also know better, because of this simple law of nature that states "Anything that can go wrong will". The answer to all this? Be as prepared as you can be. My two cents are: save your money, live below your means, keep a realistic perspective on life, and have some faith, because the God of the Bible is real. He reveals his existence to us as we have faith in Him, not the other way around. Why? I guess He likes it that way. Is it always that way? No. Why? I don't know, ask God. All I know is that he has made his presence in my life very real to me, but it has always been after I have excercised my faith in Him. Off the soapbox now. Enjoy the song, everyone! More "positive" things to come!

Silent Night

In the first semester of 2001, I finished the last of my education at Middle Tennessee State University. During that time, I wrote an arrangement of Silent Night, because, I wanted to write an arrangement! I ended up using that arrangement for a MIDI lab class, and made a very different version of the same arrangement. After seeing the positive reactions from that song, I decided that the original recording deserved a little more attention. This is that recording. I put the song on mp3.com, which, back then, was a very prominent and popular website. It got some airplay on an independent radio station during Christmas that year, and everyone I know says I should have done more with it. I thought about re-recording it with the same arrangement and instrumentation, but then, what's the point, really? So relax, get some figgy pudding, a big bowl of sugar plums, and allow "Silent Night" to lay a big yule log of joy in the hearth of your heart!
:)

I Owe it All To You

The song I promised about my Mom has finally arrived! This song was a bit more complicated and took more time to craft than "Dad's Prayers". As a result, I think we have a song, here, that I hope will speak to many of our feelings about our mothers, and therefore, providing a bit more of a "marketable" song. At the same time, these are definitely the memories of my mother, and, going by the smile on her face after hearing it, were pretty accurate. As I told her, the idea and concept for the song were born long before this release. My goal was to write a song about each of my parents individually. It was to honor them both, as they are both very special people in my life. Having done this, I do feel that I have accomplished something that satisfies a need to honor them by making them feel the same special way that they have always made me feel through the years in their own loving ways. Thank God for loving Mom's and Dad's!

Thunderous Applause

I had a long-winded explanation for this song, but, let's just say I wrote it back during the '08 election, and, having held onto it for a year now, I can't help but feel that this song is more relevant than ever, and I hope it helps to wake this country up to the things that are going on right in front of us. Anyway, I decided to just let folks decide for themselves what the song says (unless you just need to ask me). My main focus for this song is going to be pitching it to political sites and circles. If anything else, this song shows that I do care about what goes on in this world outside of my own little corner, which is more than what can be said about the majority of Americans. My "Mom" song will be done very soon, so, thanks for your patience, and enjoy! Thanks to all my Facebook friends for all the support!

First Bluebird Performance

After waiting almost a month for my chance to play a Monday night at the Bluebird Cafe, I finally got to use my stamped ticket, and WALA! I can't complain, though. Going to the Bluebird has truly exposed me to a lot of great songwriting, and some nice people, too. Thanks to Kevin Tucker, for recording the event, and for the business cards. Just play the YouTube player below to see the performance. Also, please rate the video (the stars located under the video), and subscribe, if you have a YouTube account. Comments are always welcome, too! Thanks to everyone for your support, it means a lot!

Gotta Do

I wrote this one while I was working for Quanta, about 6 months or so ago. I was worried about my job, wondering if they were going to start firing people. I started having that sinking feeling again, you know, that feeling of "where will I go if I lose my job" feeling. This song came out as a sort of declaration to the world that, well, I just really don't care anymore. I have had it with worrying about stuff that matters. I have been a Christian all my life, but have never really understood faith until now. Faith is not just learning to trust in God with my problems, it's learning to stop worrying so much about bad things when they do happen. That's the hard part. That's what usually kills my faith. It's only when I stop all the drama, drop my concern, and simply say, "I really don't give a crap what happens" that allows God to move. I know that sounds really strange, like I have stopped caring about everything. But until you go through something that causes you to understand that you really have no control over anything, that ANYTHING can go wrong, and will, that you understand why you need a God who is in control. I guess that all sounds a little preachy. Maybe it's preachy because God's word is in better view of reality that we sometimes give it credit.

Alright, I'm off the soapbox. The song is a pretty drastic departure from "Dad's Prayers", and I think shows some of my pop roots that I have to give some attention to now and then, or writing's just no fun. Please give feedback, through Facebook or wherever is most comfortable. Of course, any purchases of the mp3 will go to a currently unemployed songwriter. Thanks for listening.

Coming next month: a song for my Mom.

Dad's Prayers

This song is completely from my heart. It is about my Dad, of course, and his unwavering faith and consistency in prayer. When my Dad does pass on, I'm pretty sure this is what I'll have played at his funeral (which is weird and scary to think about right now). I'm very pleased with how this song came out, having recorded it on good ole Garageband at my friend Kevin Tucker's house. This was the first in a new series of recordings that have resulted in what I hope will be a new chapter of songwriting in my life, profitable or not. The song is truly 3 (maybe 4) chords and the truth. Love you Dad. Thanks for listening.

A quick update (9/26/09):
I called my Dad today. I told him to get on Facebook and go to the blog to listen to "Dad's Prayers." He has a 56k connection, so he said it was kind of choppy, but after about 10 minutes he was able to listen to it uninterrupted. He said he did not feel like he was worthy of the song. I shared with him some of the feedback I have been getting from those who have heard it before him, especially those who have said that it reminded them of him. I said "there's the proof." We talked about some things going on in my life and in his. And then he prayed for me, right there on the phone.