Music Suggestion: The Book of Love – Peter Gabriel


Been listening to Peter Gabriel’s new album Scratch My Back (on amazon here or on wikipedia here) and it’s great. It’s mainly orchestral arrangements of “modern” songs. Anyways, thought I would recommend a song to check out. It’s called The Book of Love and is actually a cover of The Magnetic Fields. The song is done so well. The orchestration is great and something about Peter Gabriel’s has just gotten so great with age. I mean it was great when he was young also, but has really grown and aged well too.

Oh, and do yourself a favor by not watching that youtube video; just listen. Enjoy.

Here is The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel written by The Magnetic Fields on youtube.

View or Share Music Suggestion: The Book of Love – Peter Gabriel

Music Suggestion: Will You Be There – Michael Jackson


Listening to my music on shuffle the other day and this track came on. It through me for a loop with the Beethoven choir portion in the beginning. But once the piano part came in….. Sooooo good. Everything about the song is great; from the choral intro, to the great beat/bass line, epic keyboard part, the great use of the choir throughout, Michael Jackson’s improve vocals, melody lines, to the dynamics of the song as a whole, this list could keep going. Yeah, I like the king of pop…. I could do without the quote unquote “will you be there conversation” towards the end.

Sidenote: Do you even have to write quote unquote when you’re writing? Kind of defeats the point. Oh well, I’m new to this blogging stuff.

Enjoy.

View or Share Music Suggestion: Will You Be There – Michael Jackson

That Lonely Hour Cover’s Winter Song


So my band, That Lonely Hour, has released a rendition of Winter Song by Sara Bareilles. We did this for our good friend Tim Bauer’s Christmas compilation Winter Is On My Head. The purpose of the compilation is to raise awareness and support for the Orange County Rescue Mission All the proceeds go to the OC Rescue Mission. All that said, please support it.

For more information about Winter Is On My Head go to one of these:

website
facebook

View or Share That Lonely Hour Cover’s Winter Song

Music Suggestion: Requiem – Eliza Gilkyson Arranged by Craig Hella Johnson


On a whim I picked up an album entitled Requiem by Craig Hella Johnson (on amazon here). And by whim I should clarify Requiems are some of my favorite pieces to listen to; so maybe “pseudo whim.” Not only was I extremely impressed by the music, but it also moved me. So I thought I’d recommend a track for listening. Only recently did I discover the track was written by someone other than Craig Hella Johnson. This is not the album version, but close enough. Enjoy.

Here is Requiem by Eliza Gilkyson arranged by Craig Hella Johnson on youtube.

View or Share Music Suggestion: Requiem – Eliza Gilkyson Arranged by Craig Hella Johnson

New Music from That Lonely Hour


Matt and I are slowly, but surely moving through our upcoming album. We have officially finished six tracks! The album will most likely consist of ten songs, one instrumental and one song introduction. It may also feature other music, as we’re still in the planning process. But it will have the ones above for sure. We’ve been talking about releasing an acoustic version with it. That is to say all the same songs arranged for just acoustic (or two) and voice. I will soon add some of the newly finished material here.

View or Share New Music from That Lonely Hour

New Music from Lisa Jones


We finally finished up tracking for Lisa’s most recent album. The recording took a long time and was quite a bit of work, but the end product turned out really good. The album hasn’t been officially released, but there are a few finished tracks from the album added to the site. Check it out here.

View or Share New Music from Lisa Jones

My Music


Recently I have been encouraged to record some guitar music which I’ve written over the years. Being a perfectionist the recording process will be long and grueling, but should be worth the effort. So far there are three laments (here) and one guitar piece (here). I hope to have more up soon. Until then enjoy!

View or Share My Music

Taking Note of Gifts – Philippians 2:13


While playing worship at church the other day the pastor mentioned a verse during his sermon gave new life to an old idea. The verse resides in Philippians chapter 2. If you are reading from the New International Version the verses read like this:

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

There are multiple verses listed here, however, the one which struck me is verse 13—listed in italics. It is important to read a bit more than just verse 13 and give a bit of context. (Click here to read my thoughts of this importance.) Philippians is Paul’s epistle to the church of Philippi. Thus when speaking Paul is speaking to that audience and to their needs as the church or the body of Christ. The wrong view of that last statement is that it reads, “the historical context of the book Philippians implies that it merely applies to history.” Moreover this entire sentence is a concluding thought indicated by the beginning word of the passage “therefore.” Paul in the previous passage has discussed imitating Christ. (verses 1-11) Hence Paul is reaffirming and encouraging the Philippians as the body of Christ.

All that aside verse 13 reads as follows, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Almost immediately after hearing this verse it occurred that any musical gifting I possess is simply what it is, a gift. That is to say a gifting—of any sort, but in my case specifically a gifting of music—is exactly what the term indicates a gift from one to another. This concept is what struck me personally, but the whole of the verse expands far beyond this personal example. Once realizing the truth of this it becomes clear that gifts should be treated as such. Consider the following example:

A friend give’s another friend a substantial gift, such as a car or a house. All of a sudden the receiving friend has gained a free item.

In this example let’s suppose the gift carries far more monetary weight than zero dollars—that supposition is only in place to give the example worldly substance. Upon acceptance of the gift the receiver would not only gain a gift, but the responsibilities that go with it.  That is to say possessing that gift would entail new duties for receiver. There are many unique paths the receiver could take after possessing the gift.  It is important to note that the paths chosen could be for the better or for the worse. For instance an example of a path for the worse is one in which the receiver simply takes the gift for granted and is not concerned with it in the least with it. However, the path I intend for that gift is of care, acknowledgement, and new responsibilities. The above example is fairly straight forward, but to see everything in this light is what struck me.  Everything is a gift; anywhere from what we “own,” the skills of our hands, to the breath in our lungs. It is all a gift.

View or Share Taking Note of Gifts – Philippians 2:13

Christmas Music!


Winter is on My Head has been released! This album features my rendetion of Angels from the Realms of Glory and many other great artists. The album is pay what you would like; so from $0.00 dollars to any amount of dollars. All the proceeds of the album will be donated to Orange County Rescue Mission. It’s a great cause.

Go to www.winterisonmyhead.com to get the music and find out more about Winter is on My Head.

View or Share Christmas Music!

The Importance of Context and History


When studying the Bible it is important to look into the context as well as the history. The importance is simply this: one does not want to take a verse and merely flip the verse on its’ head to apply the verse to whatever one wants or desires. Taking note of this importance leads to a deeper understanding of the Bible. Thus not only is one eliminating personal bias one’s comprehension is also improved.

I am neither a Biblical Scholar nor Historical Scholar. Thus when discussing the Bible I will make my best attempt to present what has been learned and clearly show the truth of the Bible—not perverted by me. That is to say the Bible is the infallible word of God and I prefer not to discuss it in a “Ryan” jaded manner.

View or Share The Importance of Context and History

Christmas Song! Angels from the Realms of Glory


So for the last week and a half I have been working on an arrangement of “Angels from the Realms of Glory.”  A friend, namely Tim Bauer, is putting together a Christmas compilation album.  The album is a collection  of Christmas songs—originals and covers—from all sorts of different artists.  It will be released this Christmas season and the proceeds will be donated to charity.  I’ve got everything recorded and am in the midst of working through the mixing process.  Hopefully I’ve have a copy of it up soon, Ryan.

View or Share Christmas Song! Angels from the Realms of Glory

C.S. Lewis – Out Of The Silent Planet (page 74)


And how could we endure to live and let time pass if we were always cyring for one day or one year to come back—if we did not know that every day in a life fills the whole life with expectation and memory and that these are that day?

C.S. Lewis – Out of the Silent Planet (Page 74)

View or Share C.S. Lewis – Out Of The Silent Planet (page 74)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Ethics (page 87)


Christ did not, like a moralist, love a theory of good, but He loved the real man. He was not, like a philosopher, interested in the “universally valid,” but rather in that which is of help to the real and concrete human being. What worried Him was not, like, Kant, whether “the maxim of an action can become a principle of general legislation,” but whether my action is at this moment helping my nieghbour to become a man before God.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Ethics (page 87)

View or Share Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Ethics (page 87)
1 4 5 6