Fan and Peer

It’s been said that nothing happens by chance, rather that things happen for a reason. I’m certainly ready to add my voice to the collective “they” to whom that statement is often attributed.
I joined four of the other Stringers and Prayers: Diane, Greg (and Christine), Marcella and Meaghan, in Calgary for the Covenant Awards – the annual Gospel Music Association of Canada’s celebration of the best in Gospel music. What a night!
We were there because “Train to Glory” was nominated as Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year – but I think God had additional plans for us.
I know meeting Sterling Hunte was part of those plans – what a wonderful and unexpected blessing meeting him was. It was such a pleasure chatting with him, his wife Jean and their friend Pamela. He is a talented songwriter and performer whose music I am only beginning to know – but which is steeped in a strong faith and Caribbean sound that made me smile.
The performances on stage were awesome -  Fresh IE, Tenore, City Harmonic, Junkyard Poets, Brian Doerksen, Ali Matthews, Jodi King, Mike Janzen and many others including good friend Zach Havens from To Tell – an amazing variety of music and styles – all with a common purpose and message: our Love for our Lord.
It took a while to sink in and I don’t think I could really put a finger on it until the GMA after party, but as much as I felt like a fan at the Covenant Awards, I realized, quite surprisingly, that I am also a peer. We were able talk and share and laugh with some of the wonderfully talented people making Gospel music in Canada today – and they were interested in hearing about our project and what we’re doing. Another unexpected part of God’s plan for us here – and what a gift!
What an inspiration all of these people who praise and sing and play to God’s Glory are – thank you Lord for taking us safely to Calgary so that we could be part of this big GMA family that has such Love for You – and through whom your Spirit is clearly at work.
Thank you Ali, Marika, Wanda, Jodi, Sterling, Kevin, Jacob, Mike and Zach and everyone we were able to get to know, if only a little; I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing more.
A big “thank you” too to Leroy and the whole GMA team for all of your work in making the Covenant Awards happen. What an awesome experience – and what an honour to be among you all.
God bless you all in your Ministries!

Peace,
Dan

Flow

When I was in my teenage years, I used to fix up old bicycles. Sometimes I would get caught up in the disassembly, the cleaning, the reassembly and the adjusting; often, I would completely lose track of time and be surprised when my mom pointed out that I had been working away for several hours. I loved it.
Years later, I remember reading about “Flow” theory, an idea put forward by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Simply put he describes “Flow” as the feeling of complete and energized focus in an activity, with a high level of enjoyment and fulfillment. I remember making the connection between “Flow” and the feeling I had fixing up bikes. It’s like happiness, satisfaction, fun and peace, all rolled into one.

Every now and then I still get to ride along with the “Flow”. Sometimes it’s building things with my children or taking a hike with the whole family…and other times it’s when I’m making music with my good friends in A String and A Prayer.

The rest of the Stringers and Prayers and I had a wonderful weekend playing at one of our favourite venues, Dutton’s West Elgin Dramatic Society (W.E.D.S.) Hall on Saturday, and then St. Jude’s Anglican Church in Mount Brydges on Sunday.

As a weekend, it was one of the busiest, yet satisfying and fun we’ve had as a band in a long time.

It was a full house at W.E.D.S. on Saturday night, as we shared the stage with our good friends The Five Guys and helped raise funds for a courageous local woman who is fighting MS. The crowd was great we had a chance to meet lots of new fans and old friends. It was great to be back in Dutton Sunday afternoon turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I met someone a couple of weeks ago, who upon hearing about our upcoming gig at St. Jude’s described it as “the little Church”, they even suggested that we wouldn’t need any kind of amplification at all. None of us in the band had ever set foot in St. Jude’s, so we had no idea what to expect, other than it was small.

And it is.

But, I can truly say that whatever St. Jude’s lacks in physical space, it more than makes up for in warmth, sound and hospitality. We played without microphones and unplugged, except for the electric upright bass, and it sounded great. The “wireless” nature of the show even allowed Norm to go right into the audience as he sang The Baptism of Jesse Taylor. Apparently, it’s something he’s always wanted to do. We wrapped up the afternoon with a rousing rendition of I Saw the Light, accompanied by every voice in the Church.
I think we all experienced “Flow” theory this weekend; happy, satisfied, fulfilled and at peace. And did we ever have fun.

To everyone who shared the weekend with us, a heartfelt “thank you”. We love spreading God’s Word one string at a time through music and we feel so blessed to have been there with you all.

See all y’all soon,
Dan

Meaghan’s lyrical confusion

Have you ever watched or listened to a commercial and completely misinterpreted the meaning behind the add???  I must admit that I am probably the one person in the world who is guilty of this little quirk more than anyone else.  And my reasoning behind it?  I just don’t pay good enough attention!  I won’t skirt around the issue, I won’t deny it.  After all, what’s the point?  It’s a commercial, it’s not like it something that is going to drastically affect my life with its outcome!  People who know me will absolutely agree with this!  Unless it is something that I feel will greatly affect me I might pay attention, but I have too many things going on in my life to really care about what the next commercial will be on the TV or radio!

When I first realized I had this ‘issue’ with commercials I had the TV on and was doing some work.  Since I am a singer I always try to make sure I can keep my voice healthy and throat, well, not sore!  But about once a year it doesn’t matter what I do I end up losing my voice with a killer sore throat, so needless to say, I’m always on the look out for good throat lozenges.  Anyways, I was doing my work and listening to this commercial and kind of sort of paying attention.  I thought it was about throat lozenges, but then some guy goes and shouts into this huge instrument looking thing, FREE COLA.  I thought to myself, what kind of sense does that make, a throat lozenge called FREE COLA?!?!  Needless to say, I was super confused!!

 

 

Marcella’s Musical Influences

My parents loved classical (especially organ music, much to my chagrin) and sacred choral music, and that’s it! Nothing else was allowed to be played in the house. I would visit friends and hear the popular music of the time played on their radios. I tried to like it. I really tried; I wanted to fit in. So, I would play it on my radio in my room (softly of course, so I wouldn’t get the evil eye and be asked how I could listen to “that garbage”!). Yet, I would get frustrated with it and turn it off.

When I was in grade 12, a class-mate and I spent a March Break away from home. While playing with the radio, we came across a brand-new station, BX-93. I’d never heard Country or Bluegrass music before. I fell in love! I had found “my” music! I started buying records, (which I have kept all these years, and still have a working turn-table). They played a lot more Bluegrass back then, Emmy-Lou Harris, The Whites, Dolly Parton, and my favourite, Ricky Skaggs. I just loved his gospel tunes. There was at least one on every album and hints of his faith in many of his other songs. Today my favourite singer is Alison Krauss, especially when she sings the gospel songs written by Ron Block.

Over the years, Bluegrass music disappeared from the radio (at least in my neck of the woods), except for the occasional song played on the gospel show on Sunday mornings. I have continued to enjoy Country music for the most part. One of the biggest reasons I enjoy it, is that you can understand the words. It always surprises and delights me to hear evidence of Christian faith in many of the songs. Music, for me, must have a message. It needs to speak for me. It can be deep, questioning, sad or silly. So many times when I hear a song, I wish that I had written it because it explains my thoughts or feelings so well. And I love it when a love song, with perhaps a word or two changed, could be a gospel song. (Check out Paul Brandt’s “When You Call My Name”. Wow!)

My other need and joy is harmony. That’s another reason I love singing Bluegrass songs and still love singing in a church choir. There is nothing more thrilling than praising God together in song; different voices blending and complementing each other, sometimes dissonant, then coming together again in resolution. Perhaps a hint of what heaven will be like? Because I know that’s where music came from in the first place!