It's Not About Me: But I Actually Am Me...

First things first. Read this article which was sent to me by a wonderful friend of mine.

Are We Headed For A Crash: Reflections On The Current State Of Evangelical Worship

Here are a few excerpts:
"Last week I spent a couple of days attending the National Worship Leader Conference, hosted by Worship Leader Magazine, featuring many well-known speakers and worship leaders. The conference was held about 15 minutes down the road from me, so it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I’m glad I went."

"It’s good for worship leaders to experience this kind of wide-exposure from time to time, and the National Worship Leader Conference certainly provides it."

"Yet throughout the conference, at different sessions, with different worship leaders, from different circles, using different approaches, and leading with different bands, I picked up on a common theme. It’s been growing over the last few decades. And to be honest, it’s a troubling theme. And if this current generation of worship leaders doesn’t change this theme, then corporate worship in evangelicalism really is headed for a major crash.
It's a good, true and interesting article. I've always maintained that balance is the hardest thing to find. As a part-time worship leader I try to keep to one original song per service these days. Because I don't lead frequently enough for the congregation to stay familiar with my music. When I was full time I would introduce a new song (mine or anyone else's) 3 weeks in a row to allow the congregation to digest it. I make a point to try to put songs in a key where the melody doesn't go higher than a certain note, in order to make songs as physically easy to sing as possible. There are congregations, such as at Tommy Walker's church that have developed a culture of participation in worship even with very complicated music. And I have heard of people being very accusatory towards Tommy for showboating with his guitar, when literally nothing could be farther from the truth. But the person was not part of his church's worship culture."

It's a conundrum. I am not moved by a lot of the worship music that comes out so I don't use it when I lead. I am often disappointed by the fact that there are often several near identical versions of the same worship song recorded by different worship bands and artists. I often find it creatively lazy and not honoring our very creative God... But I am not a "standard issue" type of person in general. I am the guy who just did a live remix of Birdland and Mustang Sally after all. So I am obviously not a normal person...

I know it's a problem, especially when a self proclaimed worship junkie can't even follow along and engage in worship.But I am not sure of how to address that problem... It's very hard to lead people along a path you are not on. Every sincere Worship Leader wants to take people into the presence of God. But not very worship leader is in tune with his inner Chris Tomlin. (For the record, I led worship this past weekend and did both The Wonderful Cross and Take My Life voluntarily and virtually without alteration. He is just the first name that came to mind.) But as a writer, I literally can't fanthom a worship world where we all fit into one universal cookie cutter shape for worship. As creative people, Christians are so often told how great it is when we "use our gifts for the Lord". Sometimes with an underlying implication of instead of using them for "yourself" out in the world. For some our creativity is our livelihood. And if we didn't use our gifts in the world we'd either have to work outside of our gifting and many, possibly most have to do so, or work only in ministry which is rare and often very limiting. And if the fact that we write our own music is part of the problem with worship today that puts a serious damper on using ones gifts "for the Lord"...

As an aside, I truly believe we are doing a huge disservice to this generation of musicians by teaching them how to NOT read music. I am not even the sight reader that I should be, but if I were the king of the forest I would destroy virtually every chord and lyric sheet in existence and decree that lead sheets be mandatory. I wouldn't really go quite that far. At least put the chord over the right word. But I do believe we have some very bad musical habits in most churches that you could quite frankly make a case for them being dishonoring to music itself if not to God. Case in point, electronic drums are often teaching young drummers how to lack musicality (DYNAMICS) by just turning down their volume and playing as hard as they want. (I've even heard a drummer friend extend that to drum shields...) And I mean after all, isn't the Creator of the universe worth more than just three triads. David said I I'll not offer a sacrifice that cost me nothing. But I am a extended harmony snob and I digress. That said, for the record, I live to worship singing Revelation Song and How He Loves (oops that has four chords and one is a minor 7 chord). I only recently succumbed to my natural tendency to "blackify everything", in the words of my good friend and brother The Reverend Dr. Dave Pettway, and reharmonized How He Loves for the Northern California Gospel Music Festival... *Pett, these days I am very prone to Latinizing and/or reggaefying everything but I am as God made me...

Life IS a complex thing... And finding balance in worship is no less complex than life itself. Not every worship leader is a songwriter. Nor is every worship leader *MADD like I am. (Musical Attention Deficit Disorder) I guess the best thing to do is as worship leaders is search our hearts and try to prioritize pleasing the Lord and bringing His children into His presence and helping lead the lost into His arms above all else and earnestly working on making the HOW most appropriate for the culture of where we are leading. And of course, destroying all the chord and lyrics sheets and electronic drums... I'm trying to be kidding about that...

All We Are Saying Is Give Them A Chance

It constantly breaks my heart that as a society we have come to value virtually everything more than a human fetus. I am greatly saddened and enraged for every woman and girl who is impgregnated against her will by some horrible act of violence and violation. But this is not by any means a large statistical number of the abortions that occur. I am devastated by the number of abortions that either for convenience or fear or, I am sad to say it, whatever excuse women choose. Am I saddened for the the teen who finds herself pregnant after her first sexual experience? Yes. But whatever circumstance arises a much better choice is to allow SOMEBODY to decide to raise a helpless newborn baby. SOMEBODY will CHOOSE a BABY regardless of ethnicity, birth defect or even an extremely short life expectancy. People love babies, people want babies, we must protect them in order to give willing parents a chance to do so.

Otherwise we are no better than the various members of the animal kingdom that eat their young. I beg you, please don't get me wrong I really don't condemn anyone for their choice even when they come to it frivolously. How can I condemn someone who Jesus has literally died to forgive? But I do not and cannot condone the practice of abortion. There IS a difference between saying "I believe you've made a terrible mistake." and saying "I think you're a terrible person." WE ALL make terrible mistakes. But this one happens to be a moral mistake we are making as a society and it is destroying our very moral fiber. What is more helpless, what deserves our protection more than a human fetus? After all a human fetus does not become a harp seal, it becomes a human. This rampant destruction of so called tissue is child sacrifice and we are willfully blind not to see it.

Abortion Statistics In America From Buzzle.com
"If the statistical data by age groups is taken into consideration, women in their 20s top the group with 58 percent of the total cases of induced abortion, followed by women in their 30s with 22 percent cases and women below 20 accounting for 18 percent of the total cases.
Of the overall cases of abortion, girls belonging to the age group of 17-19 constitute for 11 percent of the cases, those in the age group of 15-18 constitute for 6 percent and those who are 14 and below constitute 0.4 percent of the total cases."
Andrea Bocelli's Story

The child you save may or may not be the next Andrea Bocelli or the next "your favorite famous or important person's name here" but EVERY child deserves the chance to become whatever God had in mind for him or her to become. Every person has significance and value, whether they become President, a doctor, a car salesman or a person that has to be cared for their entire life. Someone is willing to care for raise and nurture that child if given a chance.





Why Women Get Abortions
The three reasons focused on in the article above are:
Financial Instability
Negative Impact on the Mother's Life
Relationship Problems and/or Unwillingness To Be A Single Mother

These issues appear to be seen solely through the prism of "This child is going to ruin my life if I have it." This supposes that if you have a baby you have to keep the baby. Believe me, if you don't want to have a child we don't want you to raise a child. we just want you to have the child some some loving family can. The vast majority of these issues could be addressed through adoption. A 9 month detour to save a human life. Why do we as a society almost completely disregard the most loving, compassionate and beautiful option? It is quite difficult to adopt a child in America and quite easy to abort one. This is not a good thing for society. It's an incredibly callous method of troubleshooting or problem solving. Why destroy life when you don't have to?

I don't say any of this callously or without compassion. And I know I will never know what it feels like to be pregnant and feel trapped. For that I apologize. But I have held a baby in my arms and thought "You're so beautiful!" And when I think back to those moments I think "How could someone want to kill you?" When an unwanted pregnancy happens why can't our reasoned logical thought be that when we say. "You have options." the assumption is that we mean you can have the child adopted as opposed to "We can make that go away."?

I don't want to see anyone's life destroyed by having to raise a child while one is a child. I don't even want to see someone's life inconvenienced because they are not ready. I don't wish for anyone to be a mother if for whatever reason they deem it the wrong time for them. But the answer is not to destroy life before it can blossom. I almost never speak in absolutes but here goes. I will say it again. There is ALWAYS someone willing to love a baby. All we are saying is please, please give them a chance.

Who Do YOU Think I Think I Am?

The Question: How well do we know one another? Or even ourselves for that matter.
It can be answered in many ways.
The first question I threw out was in my game called Who Do You Think I Think I Am? was this: who do YOU think are my five favorite bass players. The answers were quite good  but no one got them all correct for right now in my life. I am going to keep asking questions regarding different aspects of myself and I hope others do the same. It seems a safe way to get under each others skin a little. Safely and in a good way ;-)

Here we're MY answers to the first round of the game. Enjoy and deploy!

 Spoiler Alert: Here are my 5 Top Bassists of all time. No particular order. This is my knee jerk list at the time I posted the Dare.

 Marcus Miller: master and innovator on so many levels, ruthless tone and probably finds his way onto the playlist more than anyone. 

Jimmy Haslip: Formerly of The Yellowjackets. I have logged more miles with the Jackets in my ear than even Marcus. I hope he finds his thumb now that there is a place for it... Love his tone, touch and taste. He moves me. 

Pino Pallidino: When i Hear fretless i THINK Pino. New York Minute/Don Henley  :-) :-) :-) 

Nathan East: POCKET, POCKET, POCKET .....   TASTE   ...... POCKET

Neil Stubenhaus: Back in the day, most times when I would look up the liner notes on a CD to find out "Who is the bass player? He isn't playing anything and it feels soooo good! " it would be Stubenhaus, The King of the Perfect Nothing! Taste and pocket for eons...but even more subtle than Nathan somehow...

Fred Hammond and his bass players Maurice Fitzgerald and Terrance Palmer. I have to include all three because of the sheer mileage and rewind factor... The baselines are Fred but many of the live interpretations are Mo and TP and expand on the original siqueness recipe! 

Honorable Mentions:

BRUTAL list to whittle down! 1st some honorable mentions go to Jaco, James Jamerson and Stanley: They are the DNA. THE SPOCK to our collective Sheldon Cooper... Without them the others wouldn't know to exist, if you know what I mean.

Abe Sr. Favorite live! I haven't seen everyone of my faves live, but how do you experience more than experiencing Abraham Laboriel Sr. Live!? I don't think I can be done. I just don't :-)

Chariya Bissonette, this is for you! EVEN had you not checked in, EVEN IF I DIDNT KNOW YOU GUYS, Matt Bissonette would have gotten this HM. Julian Lennon Help Yourself: Years after I met you, Chariya, the lightbulb came on and I realized that Matt played bass on it. Not only an all time fave but an all time fave BASS ALBUM long before I knew or even KNEW I knew the bass player...

Other honorables I would have or may have mentioned: (in a knee jerk first that come to mind basis)

Aaron Mills/Cameo TONE & lines

Prince: Lines

Verdeen: Lines

Victor: Holy!!

Sting/Geddy: YOU WANT ME TO SING AND PLAY THAT TOGETHER!?! Riiiight...

I think that most of this list was compiled in this manner. Consistently through my life to this point, which players have most shaped me directly:

How I listen to music, am I listening for bass specifically?

How often do I come back to this music?

Has it changed me? How I play, hear or think about The Bass

Do or how much do I have think or woodshed to play and sing this baseline?

Probably, the greatest factor is how much do I come back to it, because that seems to inform everything else...

Missing honorable mentions:  James Neuble and Cedric Lee. Both phenomenal bassists that I have worked with and have graced me by allowing me to wield their axes a time or two. But most of what I have gotten to hear of Jimmy and Ced has been tempered with this. When I hear them I am required to not cease to do my job while they throw down. AND THEY DO! But I still have to singing/playing/running loops etc and specifically not let myself by completely absorbed into the Borg of Funk! Even though I would become mo'phunky it would keep me from leading worship if I let myself go all the way DOWN TO THE BASSMENT...

FIVE IS WAY TOO SHORT. THE LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Thank you for coming along on this Fantastic Voyage!

Hint for a future list or two. Heartbreak Hotel by The Jackson's and Teen Town by Jaco

Stay tuned for future Who Do You Think I Think I Am? DARES! And don't forget this bonus question: How did Who Do You Think I Think I Am? get it's name? Want a hint? PLEASE post your own WDYTITIA? DARES :-)

A Tale of Two Presents

I have been sick literally all year and then some. Actually, since the day after Christmas. So I am pretty excited to be up to lashing words together at length.

Today we are going to talk about the a glorious convergence of two of my favorite things.

Christmas and music. God bless us Amazon. Let me get this straight. I live Christmas probably more than anyone you know not named Buddy. I just realized I wrote live instead of love back there but both are true so I'm leaving it. Also, it's not about the presents. Ask my kids, they will probably still be able to tell you what I want is world peace. Meaning for everybody in the house to be getting along and truly happy and honestly pleasant... But we have a big wonderful family, so the Amazon wish list is indispensable. All that to say I scored all the way around but I just happened to actually review two presents formally during my convalescence.

First, Sting's The Last Ship Super Deluxe Amazon Exclusive

5.0 out of 5 stars Great change of venue! Typical genius! One caveat !,

January 11, 2014

I am a full-time professional singer, songwriter, bassist and keyboardist. Sting has always been my gleefully dark side, so to speak. He's such a storyteller. Better yet, in keeping with the adage that a picture paints a thousand words, he's a master painter. Top to bottom The Last Ship carries you in a bittersweet, raucous, heartbreaking AND heartwarming journey through the seaside town, the ships being built and the Theater, for which the songs have been crafted.

For me, Sting's music tends to be a tasty dish that is constantly comfortingly familiar yet filled with surprise. He has themes and threads he loves to weave thru his entire body of work. From winks, nods and suggestions to direct self quotations in various songs across the decades it's like a musical train tour through England. From The Last Ship, to The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance (my current favorite), to Practical Arrangement he takes you there. It's like A Christmas Carol except you're whisked around by a spirit into the lives of the characters in the song, not your own past, present and future. What more could you ask for?

Well, there is ONE thing I could've asked for. There are two F-Bombs in Jock The Singing Welder. I could've lived without them, particularly, as my first listen was with my wife and early adolescent son. Not so much that they are there or gratuitous or whatever. We just didn't see them coming. As you can see, I still gave the album five stars. I just would've appreciated a heads up.

In the words of the truly great, Reverend Gordon Sumner, "It may not be the romance that you had in mind,

But you could learn to love me,

Given time."

Gordo, you had me at Roxanne and you have me at The Last Ship. I can't imagine how you could lose me...

In fact, If I Should Lose My Faith...

P.S. I'm a devout Christian with the terrible habit of honoring great turns of phrase by designating the author "the Reverend" "Right Reverend" "Reverend Dr." etc insert wordsmith's name here. (It's usually Donald Henley, American Treasure) I love words, so it's essentially my personal version of a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar or the Congressional Medal of Honor. They aren't necessarily or necessarily not given to preachers and I mean disrespect to no one ( nor the above honors) on any level. That's just how I roll. For the uninitiated, Gordon Sumner (Also referred to as Gordo) IS Sting and is NOT, nor is likely become a minister. The same goes for "THE DON".

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality time with your music teacher AND your wife/girlfriend that SHE will EAGERLY sign up for..., 

January 11, 2014

Marcus Miller: The ONLY Artist I can consistently expect to still be playing when I get back in the car when my wife has been driving at length! I was reminded of this album when I was looking for a Christmas present for my pastor, who happens to be a phenomenal bass player. Long story short, he already had it, it ended up on my wish list and subsequently among my presents. We put in A Night In Monte Carlo for our annual pilgrimage across California on Christmas afternoon. That was over two weeks and a thousand miles ago. I've been sick and laid up in the house most of that time (including the trip home). Marcus is still playing... And at least during one of the few times when I was both in the car and conscious I heard my wife say, most appropriately, "That's just sick!"

Marcus and the Band plus Roy Hargrove & Raul Midon AND the Orchestra.

Plenty of nasty and tasty improv. Interwoven are some sick unison lines that carry so much force with the weight of Marcus' Bass (capitalized intentionally) the band and orchestra. Stanky, quirky, butter smooth, lyrical, haunting, jaw-dropping, ruthless, beautiful, funky....SIQUE! In all it's a work of art, a master class in multiple bass techniques and arrangement, composition, orchestration, interpretation...AND great for DATE NIGHT!

Granted my wife is musical, but not nearly the funk/fusion head that I am. I play a lot of "musician music" around the house and in the car, Yellowjackets, Karizma, Ricky Peterson, George Benson, Miles, Trane... But I only expect Marcus to still be playing when I get back to the car.

...and thereby hanger a tale...

November 22nd benefit concert! You Can Help Save The Holidays For An Angel And Her Son!

Holidays For An Angel:

Benefit Concert for Carolina McSharey & Son

Featuring

Aaron Gayden Band w/ Festivalive

& Celebration Cares Choir

Friday, Nov. 22, 2013 $10 Adults 381 Nevada Street

6:30 pm 12 & under FREE Auburn, CA 95603

See Festivalive AND the Aaron Gayden Band both live in one night!!!!!

AND 

You can help a wonderful person from our community as she has had to travel halfway across the country to help her son who was paralyzed from the shoulders down in a diving accident. 

Ticket sales and donations will help Carolina and Abe be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and have presents to share with each other and other family members! 

(As well as the necessities.)

Please help us save the Holidays for our angel, Carolina!

***Please message Aaron Gayden Band | Auburn, CA or Guitarman Celia Ayala if you are interested in being a corporate or individual sponsor for this event.***

What Do Conservatives REALLY Hate?

A friend of mine, who resides firmly across the political aisle from me, has brought something to my remembrance. Now I am not a fan of politicians on either side. I think both major parties have people that go in with the best of motives and get drunk on their new found power or caught in the gears of the machine. This is about the belief that conservatives intensely hate government handouts. This is not true.

My friend is a Democrat and a hard worker. I am a Republican and a hard worker. I have no doubt that there are times that people need help. I KNOW this is true.  But THIS is what conservatives hate. This is one of the two worst stories I have ever heard. This woman calls the Dennis Prager Show and tells her experience. She was pregnant with her fourth or fifth child and her husband had just left her. She goes on welfare for about a year and gets back on her feet. So she goes to the welfare office to opt out of the system. The worker says that she can stay in the program if she has another child. She says that she is not married. The person says that's ok. She can just go get pregnant and get more money. THAT is what conservatives hate. The system is a proponent of bad decision making and abuse of itself.

I am NOT a rich man. I play in 6 bands, work at my church, teach music at three schools and do other  musical and basic techie work to make ends meet. I barter what work I can. I support my church. I sponsor a child through Compassion International. Much of the work I do with my own band is for charity. I think it s very, very important to give something back.  God has been very good to me. People have been very gracious and generous to me. 

Ok, I will add a connected topic since we are talking about what conservatives really hate. I believe it is my responsibility to help whenever  I can. But there is validity to the adage "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat forever." To that I add, "Give a man a fish he'll eat for a day. But make it almost impossible to get a fishing license and people will feel like it makes a lot more sense to just take the fish the government is handing out..." The fact that the government makes it so expensive to run a business is something conservatives hate. I was listening the Hugh Hewitt Show recently and the host asked his guest if the government helps his business. He laughed and said "Yes, and if you believe that I have a lovely bridge in Brooklyn I would to sell you!" He was then asked if he had ever tallied up what he pays in taxes. At this point he said  he hadn't because it would make it delibilitated with sickness for two weeks if he knew exactly how much the government takes. THAT is what conservatives hate. And by the way, this was not some rich white fat cat. This was an immigrant with a thick accent that still believes in what American is. A place to work hard and earn money and if you so desire, voluntarily give something back.

Thank you, my friend, for a chance to let you know what we REALLY HATE.

How Can You Possibly Watch Your Own Mouth?

Whatever you believe I think you can see the validity of these verse as played in out in your everyday life...

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.  
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:2,5,7-8.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,  but a harsh word stirs up anger.  
The soothing tongue is a tree of life,  but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.     A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,  but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.  
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,  but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.  
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—  and how good is a timely word!     Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,  but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.
Proverbs 15:1,4-5,18,23,32

I KNOW I am not perfect, But I try to be aware of my tongue and I am trying not set things on fire or poison anyone. I ask for your forgiveness in advance for when I will stumble. And none of this means you need to go around trying to tell everybody what they want to hear...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Speak the truth with the above definition of love and things will generally work better. (Even difficult truths. Proverbs 27:6 (NIV) Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.)

Again whatever you believe I think you can find the applicable truth here. It is an unruly she bear robbed of her cubs but trying to tame the tongue will be worth it. Even if you have to deliver the hard message it would likely do you well to follow the immortal words of the Reverend Otis Redding and try a little tenderness...
Love you all!