Friday Favorites

This week, Drake had a reading assignment, as he does every week. This week's material was a reader's theatre about Christmas and the "true meaning" of Christmas. They (characters in the theatre) went through suggestions like ornaments, or eating, or presents, and then arrived at the "true meaning" which was family and friends.Drake - after finishing his reading - had to write 3 to 5 complete sentences. Mandy was putting the other boys down to bed. I was at church. This is what she discovered after she came down from bath and bedtime.The picture says this: "It [the reader's theatre]…

I think it's pronounced "Tay-hill-law"It's one of the 7 Hebrew words for praise - it means to create a spontaneous new song.We introduced a new tune to the church two weeks ago called "Because of Your Love" by Paul Baloche. It starts off with a rather energetic vocal part, which is exciting in structure and harmony - the syllable sung is "Yeah" or "Hey." I think it's cool.I was trying to paint a new picture for the choir to think about as they sing "yeah" for the opening of this song - and I've got a good friend that REALLY…

Updated 9/15/15Everything geared for the volunteer. FOH console - Yamaha CL5, with Waves Soundgrid Extreme server, and two stage boxes.Outboard gear:Behringer Composer Pro XL (for program compression into CD burner)HBB Burnit CD RecorderTascam CD playerRaxxess Ipod DockMarantz Hard Disc Recorder - PMD560Clearcom MS232Behringer Ultragraph Pro Graphic EQ (for choir mic tuning)Tascam TA-1VP vocal processor.Checkmate CM-150 db MeterVideo support:Toshiba DVD playerKramer VP-419xlExtron IN3254 RGBHV/DA(2) Blonder tongue RF Modulators - AM seriesKramer VP-31 switcherKramer VP-41AV switcherListen Assisted Listening systemFOH Line - 4 EAW Line arrays, loaded with KF730 and 730SB (subwoofers)6 more SB600 subs.Front fill and delay ring speakers.Projection System - Custom-built…

and writing incredible music. Music always reveals things to me as only music can - through its unique transcendence - but lately I'm going through a classical music phase - especially classical piano. I have this one piano student that's working on the Moonlight Sonata - by Beethoven. The emotion that he [Beethoven] wrapped up in that piece of music is so thick . . . I wonder if a non-musical type can sense it. He wrote it when he was 31, and had been dealing with the symptoms of going deaf for about 3 years. He had a constant…