Tuesday
Jan242006
We Give Thanks (for the camera crew)
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:23AM
I had a new and really cool experience this past Sunday. We sang a song that I wrote as a congregation in Church. Thankfully, nobody said anything about me writing it, and I was playing in the band so I got to watch people sing it sort of "anonymously."
The song was "We Give Thanks" and it's on the new Caedmon's record. I wrote it to be very simple, both melodically, so as to work for a congregational song, and lyrically, to be very clear what it was that the congregation was actually singing about. They seemed to pick it up fairly easily and by the second and third choruses were all singing along like it was any other tune. A really cool sight, for sure.
I have been playing bass in the church band recently. They have a number of musicians so they just have a list of who plays what and that weeks' leader puts together a team for that week. Since I sing and play guitar every day for a living, I asked to be on the list as a bass player. It's been really fun. I just love playing bass, and it's nice because I'm ok at it, but not really great, so I just enjoy playing without worrying about doing anything fancy. It has been the best way for me to worship at church, honestly, in years. And it's been cool to get to know some other people that way, as well.
In other news, a camera crew from Portland Studios came over yesterday to film us working on my new record and to do some interviews for an extra CD-ROM thing on the CD. The record is so close to being done, but we intentionally saved a couple different types of parts so they could get me singing, Cason playing piano, David the intern rocking the tamborine, etc... They also filmed a couple of songs live, one as it will be on the record, and one for the extra portion. The Portland guys have never done anything that has been less than incredible so I'm excited to see how it will all turn out.
We'll be back to the normal grindstone of the album today, but aside from a few bgv's, and a little perc and piano that Garett and Ben Shive are coming to do later this week, I bet we'll finish it up today. Pretty exciting. It's really sounding great and I can't wait for you guys to hear it. I'll try to have some clips of the rough mixes up on the pre-order site by the end of the week.
Well, that's about it for me today. I'm going to go play with Ella a bit before I have to go to work. Thanks for dropping by.
The song was "We Give Thanks" and it's on the new Caedmon's record. I wrote it to be very simple, both melodically, so as to work for a congregational song, and lyrically, to be very clear what it was that the congregation was actually singing about. They seemed to pick it up fairly easily and by the second and third choruses were all singing along like it was any other tune. A really cool sight, for sure.
I have been playing bass in the church band recently. They have a number of musicians so they just have a list of who plays what and that weeks' leader puts together a team for that week. Since I sing and play guitar every day for a living, I asked to be on the list as a bass player. It's been really fun. I just love playing bass, and it's nice because I'm ok at it, but not really great, so I just enjoy playing without worrying about doing anything fancy. It has been the best way for me to worship at church, honestly, in years. And it's been cool to get to know some other people that way, as well.
In other news, a camera crew from Portland Studios came over yesterday to film us working on my new record and to do some interviews for an extra CD-ROM thing on the CD. The record is so close to being done, but we intentionally saved a couple different types of parts so they could get me singing, Cason playing piano, David the intern rocking the tamborine, etc... They also filmed a couple of songs live, one as it will be on the record, and one for the extra portion. The Portland guys have never done anything that has been less than incredible so I'm excited to see how it will all turn out.
We'll be back to the normal grindstone of the album today, but aside from a few bgv's, and a little perc and piano that Garett and Ben Shive are coming to do later this week, I bet we'll finish it up today. Pretty exciting. It's really sounding great and I can't wait for you guys to hear it. I'll try to have some clips of the rough mixes up on the pre-order site by the end of the week.
Well, that's about it for me today. I'm going to go play with Ella a bit before I have to go to work. Thanks for dropping by.
Reader Comments (4)
Hey Andy - that's great that you're playing bass at your church. Sometimes it's so hard to find a musical way to really worship when that's what you do for a living, so I'm glad you found it! I can't wait to hear "We Give Thanks." What a powerful experience! I wrote a communion chorus a couple of years ago that my seminary has adopted and to hear 300 people singing it at the Baccalaureate service last spring was really an amazing experience of God's goodness. Can't wait to hear the new album!
I really cannot wait to hear this song. I really dig the two tunes that you wrote music for featured in IG4. Glad you're serving and loving it!
Ditto. The church I'm at here in Florida is always looking for new songs for worship.
Also, congradulations on completing (albeit almost) the album.
A camera crew. Hmm. Well, yes, I suppose that's the best term. Had good times at the shoot however you slice it. Thanks.