And, of course, to make matters more lovely the flutes will be dancing to Aretha Franklin's Respect. While looking like idiots.

Malhação - 27 pontos

Ciranda de Pedra - 25 pontos

Beleza Pura - 30 pontos

A Favorita - 41 pontos

Prova de Amor - 6 pontos

Os Mutantes - 14 pontos

Chamas da Vida - 13 pontos

Pantanal - 15 pontos

Since I've gotten a new camera, I've been all about playing with the settings and getting better at manual. We went to Armco Park here in town and found some playground equipment that was fun, as well as a grassy area with a grassy hill behind it. That meant to traffic in the background, YAY! Austin doesn't like grass. He had fun in the swing, but got irritated as soon as we put him in the grass. Here are a few of the better shots from that day.

The first picture actually had Ashley in it, trying to get him to laugh. It didn't work, but I loved his expression, so I did a little cloning over top of him.

Dress is still in pieces, but I finally got some interfacing, so I might start working on it soon. I also bought a "little black dress" that was only $10 but 2 sizes too big in the bust and 4 sizes too big in the waist/hips, so I'm gonna have to some minor surgery on it. I liked it and it was a good price, so I thought I'd attempt it. If I were going to make it, I'd pay $10 for the pattern alone, so I thought it was worth a shot.

As for the digi scrapping, I've been slacking a bit. I did buy an 8x8 baby album that I hope to use as a Baby Book, documenting Austin's first year. It's got 20 pages, so I need to get crackin'! I've got some ideas for it that I just need to get down in photoshop.

“Statement first, then question…. I recently stepped down from worship at our church… I couldn’t get along with the worship pastor at all - he had no vision for us to go or grow - he was stuck in the 80’s and 90’s - and he had nothing to teach the other worship leaders… after numerous meetings and suggestions on things to do LIKE PRACTICING FOR ONE, I gave up and decided for the best of everyone that I remove myself from the situation. Well - 3 days letter he decided that he isn’t the one to continue (after 6 years) leading the church into this new direction we’re headed… the pastor has been trying to get the guy to step down for 2 years too - so it’s good for everyone.

Now the Senior pastor has decided that in this transition time, he will oversee the worship ministry… which is fine although scary. BUT he wants to turn the worship into specific teams operating together instead of the random rotation we’ve been doing. So what he wants to do is stick all the worship leaders in one room (we had 4 including me and the worship pastor, but the Senior pastor has added 2 more, and the worship pastor has decided he’d like to continue at least leading) so that makes 5 worship leaders - not including me because I stepped down.

So the senior pastor wants to stick the 5 worship leaders in a room with himself, and hash out 5 seperate teams… so that way the Senior pastor only has to schedule worship leaders and not musicians….

Hopefully that’s clear as mud… so now the question - what are your thoughts on specific teams for worship - where you always play with the same people?

More info - the old worship pastor let anybody on the stage - so we have brutal drummers who shouldn’t even be allowed to hold chopsticks, and singers who constantly break even the plastic communion cups when singing… (that’s a little dramatic of course…) I told the Senior pastor what he needs to do is disband the entire worship ministry, bring in a new worship pastor, and then let that guy start from scratch where people have to do auditions and all that….”

- - - - -

Many of you posted your own comments, which were fantastic. We don’t all agree with each other, but the fact that you’re willing to share what you do and why is great!

So let me address a few issues in the question before diving into the “set bands” debate.

First, change is not always bad, whether it be personnel, music styles, color of the carpet - whatever. Just as long as it causes you (the singular and plural “you”) to grow as a church, in your relationships, and as a more mature Christian.

Now I can’t fault the Senior Pastor for wanting to get involved. He is, after all, the senior leader of the church, and has a responsibility to the church as a whole. The danger can be, however, is just what level of involvement and decisions he makes, especially if they come from a place of ignorance. Just because you’re building a house, doesn’t mean you know how to draw the blueprints, run the wiring and operate a bulldozer. You get experienced, knowledgeable people to do that.

So beware the leader that leads in places of ignorance. A good leader knows and recognizes their weakness, and surrounds themselves with excellent people who have the abilities that fill that gap.

I think of a good married couple, and how one individual’s strength is the other’s weakness, and visa versa.

That said, I believe your Senior Pastor should identify who is the best LEADER for your music program - and no, that’s not necessarily a Worship Leader. In some cases and churches it will be, and in others, not. I do believe, however, that they must be an excellent musician, respected by the other musicians in the program, and (most importantly) understand the mentality of a musician. Only then can they be a proper advocate for the musicians.

As a musician and leader, one of my biggest concerns is that I am an advocate for our players and singers. That I can stand in the gap for them, and relay to my leadership what is a realistic expectation, and at the same time also hold the musicians accountable, knowing what is realistic to expect from them.

We, as music staff, need to be smart enough to know when something is lacking and not up to snuff, and also celebrate with the musicians what is good.

We need to be sensitive to the dynamics of a group of musicians - personalities, egos, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, styles, ranges, experience, tones, attitudes, etc. Heck, even who laughs at who’s jokes.

A band’s success, and thus success of a music program, is a much, much bigger picture than just picking a few names out of a hat and calling it a day.

And so, with that in mind, the “set band” issue takes on a whole other picture, doesn’t it?

And so, the question:

Set Bands or Random Rotating Players?

Is one better than the other? What are the pros? What are the cons?

Is it even a realistic option, and if it is, is it one that you should implement?

What is best for your music program, as a whole?

What is best for your church?

What breeds excellence and what creates apathy?

What develops community and what creates isolation?

When does a commitment become an assumption?

When does musicality outweigh attitude?

When does healthy competition become divisive arrogance?

When does desire for ministry pervert into jealousy and a bruised ego?

When does a band become a rewarding community group?

When does that community group become an exclusive clique?

And, when it comes right down to it, is it even logistically possible?

These are some of the questions we’ve had to ask ourselves over the past half-decade as we’ve pondered this topic from time to time.

And - before I go any farther - let me assure you that we (North Point Community Church and its campuses), nor I am the final judge in this debate. What we do is not right or wrong - it’s only what we feel is best for us, our musicians and our church at this point in time.

Please take everything I (or anyone else) have to say with a very large grain of salt. There - end of disclaimer.

- - - - -

As both a musician and as service programmer, a set band can have some incredible advantages, as well as some catastrophic disadvantages. Ultimately, it’s your job to weigh the pros and cons as it relates to:

- your specific church

- your specific music program

- your specific style of worship

- the musicians available in specific city

I just pray that you weigh them in that order: what’s best for your church as a whole is not necessarily what’s most fun or most convenient.

- - - - -

First of all, let me say a few things about drawing names out of a hat and creating a set band only for the sole purpose of “ease of booking”:

That’s total CRAP. Absolute baloney. I don’t buy that for one minute, nor, as a musician, do I accept it as it relates to me, my skills and abilities, or my feelings.

That’s a total cop out by your leader / scheduler who cares more about their own time than what is best for the service or the musicians who are involved. (Have I ruffled your feathers yet?)

- - - -

A GOOD SET BAND:

PROS:

A good set band is one that flows and feeds off of each other, each one inspiring the others, each one respectful and in admiration of the others’ skills and abilities, each one respectful of each other’s time, all unified in their goal.

Each one TRUSTS the other. Each one WANTS to be with the other.

And that’s where I think a lot of church programs have a breakdown in their set band implementation.

So let me talk from experience: The “set” bands that I have been involved with and that have had the most success are ones that have been formed independantly, APART from here, apart from church.

Guys like Todd Fields, Kristian Stanfill and Steve Fee have put bands together OUTSIDE the church walls. Initially they were for playing at camps and outside gigs, and evolved into more stable “bands”, and even albums and record deals.

Those are bands that WANTED to be together, CHOSE to be together, and worked out any quarrels with each other on their own time. Some guys have come and gone from those bands, and that’s fine. They dealt with the drama...

Those are also the bands that usually come up with some cool new twists on our current worship tunes, and that’s a great benefit for us. It’s been cool to share those arrangements with the other musicians and campuses.

These are also the kinds of set bands that can raise the bar on their own playing, singing and overall musicianship, obviously benefitting your church in the long run.

CONS:

A con, however, can be when one of those guys gets outside that band (on a separate, independant booking) and experiences frustration playing with guys that don’t know the “special” arrangement. It’s kind of like driving a car with a stick shift - when you only drive one, it’s tough to adjust to the clutch of another.

(Yep, I know that last analogy left some of you youngins in the dark…)

Here’s what we’ve experienced a great deal: Many of our players, even the ones in these self-formed set bands, earn their living (or most of it) as professional musicians. Sometimes that means taking extra gigs traveling or recording with someone or somewhere else. Or sometime they’re simply not available. That’s when the set band breaks down, and putting in a “sub” ends up being awkward - a real “5th wheel” experience.

Another con of this “self-formed set band” for us can be a lack of flexibility for special songs. We often will swap guys around based on a special song that we’re doing as an opener or closer. This can depend on a song’s unique requirements, such as genre or style, instrumentation, range, etc. Ultimately it’s our responsibility to do what’s best for the song, and that can often be contrary to who is booked in so-and-so’s band.

We believe our job is to put the right people on stage. That phrase can have many interpretations, including who is the best lead singer, backup singer(s), and individual instrumentalists for a particular special song and/or worship set.

One thing we really strive for is for a special song - especially a recognizable one - to be performed equally as good, if not better than the original. That’s a bar we’ve raised for ourselves, and an expectation that has been put on us. I can’t tell you the number of songs we’ve not done simply because we knew we couldn’t do it right.

Now that’s just us and the mission and filter we have for programming services. It’s not right and it’s not wrong - it’s just our purposeful, conscious decision. Your church may have a totally different vision.

- - - - -

A BAD SET BAND:

“Hey, what about MY opinion?”

Well that’s easy. You take a bunch of musicians and create a set band on their behalf and tell them they don’t get to play with anyone else for the next however-many months, and you’ve got the makings of some anarchy….

I can’t tell you how BIG a difference there is between people GETTING together versus being PUT together.

“Why am I stuck with him?”

Now every once in a blue moon things might end up peachy. That’s super cool! But I know I’ve heard story after story of people being stuck with so-and-so in their band, and they don’t like it. Either they don’t appreciate their musicianship or are peeved at their lack of preparation or get hacked off at their tardiness. Maybe they fight over guitar lines or disagree with kick patterns. Maybe the educated singer gets frustrated with the young floozy that can’t hear harmony to save her life.

And they’re all upset with the Worship Leader or Music Director for not fixing their problem!

Man, you talk about a no win situation…

“We got picked to do the Christmas Services”

Some folks also commented on egos, attitudes and unhealthy competition amongst rivaling bands. “I’m in the ‘A’ band - nany nany poo poo”

Yeah, that sounds childish and immature - but remember: these are people we’re dealing with, so that sin nature creeps up easier than you might think…

“It’s our gig” and “Yeah, we’ve played that 100 times”

Here’s the one that I believe is the most dangerous. It’s a 3 headed monster I’ll call “The Triple A”:

Assumption, Arrogance and Apathy.

There can be a horrible byproduct of a set band when the commitment to the musicians gradually turns to assumption, and even arrogance, on their part.

This then breeds the worst possible animal, at least musically speaking: Apathy

Nothing brings your music program to a grinding halt more than that. And it’s deceiving, because it is a slow killer. Like a frog in a pot, you don’t know the harm until it’s too late.

Guys stop wood shedding at home. They hastily hurry through rehearsals. They regurgitate old songs without interest. Parts just become notes, no longer inspiration. Guys show up at rehearsals late (if at all!). Set lists are poorly thought through. Transitions suffer. And ultimately, mistakes are laughed off, instead of treated as a serious issue.

Poor musicianship becomes the accepted norm, and self-discipline disappears.

And leaders and Worship Leaders and band directors would rather turn a blind eye in order to not hurt someone’s feelings or avoid controversy than deal with these problems.

Apathy on behalf of the musicians, and, more importantly the leaders, is a cancer that has spread through church music like a wildfire. Impish Music Directors and ignorant Pastors putting anything with a pulse on stage, instead of encouraging - no, demanding excellence.

Shame.

(Sorry - got a little worked up there for a minute…)

“I know, I know, but he’s our only drummer”

See the above paragraphs!!! Fire him! Get another drummer! Or use a drum machine! I don’t care how much he tithes or that he’s the son of a deacon. That’s not an excuse.

Again, let me once again repeat our mantra:

"We are not obliged to give people a place to play (or use whatever musical talents they think they might have). Instead, we ARE obliged to do what's best for the church as a whole by putting on stage the right people at the right time."

We do not exist so that we may deal with peoples' drama. Whiners and criers can go spend the service with the other babies in the nursery.

Let me just say that we are very fortunate to be entrusted and trusted, as a Music Department Staff, to schedule players, singers and Worship Leaders as we (sensitively) deem appropriate, without feeling any pressure from leadership to "call in a favor" or "so-and-so's son plays the guitar and he wants to play". That's obviously leadership that has a secondary objective other than the health of the Music Program and the quality on stage, and ultimately what the congregation experiences.

- - - - -

OTHER POSSIBILITIES:

Now I have heard of situations that involve 2, 3 or 4 set bands that rotate week to week, and that change up members every few months or so. And I guess that can be cool - again, depending musicians' schedules and on how services are programmed.

Some churches don’t do special tunes, or at least ones that might require specific singers/players. Instead, they’ve committed to a specific group of people for a specific amount of time. And, providing everyone’s cool with each other and what they bring to the table, this can be a really cool time of musical, personal and spiritual development.

- - - - -

SO WHAT DOES NORTH POINT DO?

First off, we talk. We're always discussing people at great length. We discuss their strengths, their weaknesses, what we love about them, where we would like to see improvement - you name it.

It is discussed privately and candidly amongst our music staff. The filters are removed, sometimes the doors are closed, and there are no bad questions or improper opinions.

That's one way we've learned to trust each other over the years. There's no secret agendas or "meeting after the meeting" stuff. The people on our music staff are there because they are excellent at what they do, and we bounce ideas and opinions off of each other every single day.

Worship Leaders:

We have about a dozen Worship Leaders that we use across North Point Ministries (North Point's East and West Auditoriums, Browns Bridge Church, Buckhead Church). Most of them lead at 2 of the campuses, some at just one, and a few at all three.

There's no set schedule or rotation. There's no balance between campuses or stages. There is, however, a different percentage of time we'll have different leaders.

For example, Todd Fields, Eddie Kirkland and Mike Gleason are usually leading somewhere about twice a month. Steve Fee, with his current touring schedule, is now only available once every 6 or 8 weeks. Same goes with Michael Olson and Ryan Stuart. Danny Dukes is a steward with Delta Airlines who's work schedule can conflict with rehearsals, so he is with us at one of the two northern campuses about once every 3 weeks, and Casey Darnell is somewhere amid the 4 stages about twice a month.

Chrystina Fincher is a great female Worship Leader, as well as a killer BGV, so she's on in one capacity or another at least a couple times a month. Chrystina and Gleason on stage are a great combo, and so sometimes one might lead while the other is the BGV, and visa versa. Kristian Stanfill's tour schedule has picked up significantly, and so we only see him at one of the campuses about once a month or so. We've also recently added Seth Condrey to the mix, who will lead some of the Spanish services, as well as some english ones as well. James David Carter and Carlos Whittaker have found a home leading once a month at Buckhead Church, and Cori Moon is a welcomed addition to the Browns Bridge family.

So that's a jigsaw puzzle that most churches don't have to deal with. So, as you can see, we've had to think outside the box and invent a new shaped wheel.

You throw in summer camp season, and that's a whole different (and very ugly) animal. During those few months we do the best we can, but occasionally we will need to substitute a leader for Wednesday rehearsal or use the vocal and acoustic guitar from a North Point Music multitrack.

Band Guys and Background Vocals (BGV's):

The way we use band guys and singers is quite reflective of the way we use Worship Leaders. Of the 50 or so guys in our pool, some of them play a lot, some once or twice a month, and some every 6 - 8 weeks or so. This is based on what they bring to the table, as well as their own personal schedules.

That's a juggling act. First off, when Steve, Todd or Kristian lead, we try as hard as possible to book their touring bands with them. That follows the "good set band" mentality, but we often need to augment those bands where they might lack in instrumentation if we're doing a special, or swap out a competent substitute that they know and trust if one of their regular guys can't make it for some reason.

Here's a great example: When Kristian's here, his bass player, Tim Gibson, attends and is committed to a different church where his father-in-law is the pastor. So although I invite him, he almost always declines - and that's OK. At least I give him the opportunity to choose. We then fill that spot with Earl South, who's had repeated success in that role with Kristian.

Apart from those guys' set bands, I try to book combinations of guys that experience with each other, work well together, have some kind of social bond "off-stage", and that have commented on how much they enjoy playing with the other.

Sometimes this is just a good pairing of lead and rhythm guitarists, and sometimes it's a larger group that have done special events together. AND they compliment the Worship Leader (duh!!). Plus, our pool is not so big that it allows guys to play with each other a lot.

This, over time, has given us a family feel. It's close to a set band mentality, but still allows us flexibility as it relates to our musical needs, player, singer and Worship Leaders' schedules, and allows folks to share musical experiences with each other.

It also allows musicians to broaden their social and musical networks - something that many of them rely on to put food on their table.

Tough...

Yes. Without a doubt what we do is tougher and more time consuming than having set, "closed" bands on a predictable rotation.

Especially if you add to the fact that it's also key to have guys where they're not only needed, but where they can experience church as a family. Most of these folks have kids in classes and spouses who are also involved in some area of volunteer ministry. Obviously that's not always possible - but we try.

Add to that the other local churches and North Point Ministries' Strategic Partners within a hundred mile radius that are also calling and booking these folks, and it's another element working against us.

The Bottom Line:

We have consciously chosen to do certain types of music and special songs using a specific calibre of Worship Leader and musicians. The result for the congregation and the church as a whole is one of anticipated (and almost always achieved) excellence.

And, at least right now, we wouldn't have it any other way.

But by using those people, we deal with their schedules and demand away from the North Point family. It also allows us to use the RIGHT people, both on and off stage.

It also gives a certain level of commitment and stability to the musicians, without breeding assumptions or apathy.

And no one's "stuck" with anyone for more that a week :)

- - - - -

So that's just what we do. It's not right. It's not wrong. It's just where we've found success and balance. Plus, Planning Center helps a TON!!!

- - - -

Family...

This is a discussion that comes up frequently around our families - both mine and Jennie's - since so many of us are musicians and participate in our church music programs. It's always fun to talk about.

Here's what they do:

My Mom, Gayle - in a small church, she's a BGV, random rotation

My Brother-In-Law, Michael Olson - professional, traveling artist and Worship Leader at a bunch or different churches, many in Nashville and Atlanta areas (including North Point and NP partners). Plays with bands at the church, so often different.

My Mother-In-Law, Beth - large church, sings on worship team, set band (which is also a Bible study group), set rotation (and loves it!)

My Sister-In-Law, Leah - attending new, small church with her Fiancee, Chris, sings with him on worship team, regular band with a few alternates

My Soon-To-Be-Brother-In-Law, Chris - regularly leads worship, small church, regular band with a few alternates

- - - - -

There you go, kids. Hope that helps!

Let me know what you think...

E mais: Alguém da Band está tentando marcar uma reunião com Hebe. A emissora nega.

(Fonte: Fabiola Reipert, Jornal Agora)

The Cadets
Something was wrong tonight. I noticed that it seemed like some of the hornline members were having issues that night in the drill. Physical or mental, I'm not sure... but this is not normal for Cadets. Some very dirty parts in the drill that were not characteristic for a top 5 corps. Aside from all this, the hornline was very powerful. Some really nice strong hits that were carried out well through the phrase. I was unable to hear some cool stuff in the softer low voices towards the beginning because of this nagging voice in my ear... But I won't get into that.

Carolina Crown
WOW. Such control. I don't think there was a better hornline out there tonight. Very sweet points in the music that actually made me almost tear up. I could feel emotions coming out of the bell and being sent out into the crowd. And when they decided to ramp up the power, they did. And there weren't any questions about it either. Very fun to watch, and I hope to see this corps move up through the weekend.

Phantom Regiment
I love the amount of dedication to the role of bloody chaos this corps has. The crowd is loving the acting, and really getting into it. Very entertaining to watch. This corps is another really great hornline that I've loved over the years. They definitely have power in them. For some reason I've been getting the feeling that there might be some kind of Finals Day change in their show to catch everyone by surprise...

The Cavaliers
Such fun to watch! Another great acting corps. Quite interesting drill... but there was something missing. It was the power of the previous two hornlines. After Phantom and Crown, It was kinda hard to get into the music of the next two corps. Cavaliers definitely had a little spunk in them, but it just didn't catch me as well as Crown and Phantom.

Blue Devils
An interesting show concept, with lots of really interesting moments. I feel kinda sorry for the members who had to run allllllllllllll the way around the drill sets. They look and sound like they're having fun. The hornline, again, didn't catch me nearly as well as Phantom or Crown, but there was still a good bit of fun in their sound. Every now and then you could hear a nice and controlled few lead sops being laid on top of the sound. Just enough to be sweet, but not enough to bring that ballsy BD sound I used to know and love.
----

Hi-Ho Silver, time to go to Semifinals.

Twitter me @ twitter.com/dsheets
Photos of the trip can be seen at http://flickr.com/photos/djsheets

Die Entscheidung wurde der Jury, bestehend aus der Redaktion des 030 Stadtmagazins, einem Vertreter der Konzertagentur Seliger und einem Mitglied der englischen Elektro-Rock Band 'Chikinki', nicht leicht gemacht.
Etwas aus der Reihe fiel die Singer / Songwriter Kombo Rescue Mission, welche mit einer eindrucksvollen Stimme und vielerlei multiinstrumentalen Effekten nicht hundertprozentig ins Genre passten, trotz allem aber als absoluter Geheimtipp zu ahnden sind.

Als definitiv letztes Konzert des Abends und der kompletten Bandcontestreihe gaben die KINDLS ihr Können zum Besten und konnten die Menge trotz später Uhrzeit noch in ihren Bann ziehen. Mit melodischen Gitarrentönen und einer Stimme, die so einzigartig ist und unter die Haut geht, spielten sie sich letztendlich auf den 3. Platz, eine außerordentliche Leistung, wenn man bedenkt, dass die Band erst seit eineinhalb Jahren zusammen auf der Bühne steht.

Gewinner des Abends und dies auch wohlverdient waren sin fu roco, die Vier überzeugten mit ungeheurer Bühnenpräsenz und hohem musikalischem Können. Der 2. Platz ging an Arvid Noir, eine Band, die spätestens nach den ersten 10 Sekunden das Bein zum Tanzen und die Stimme zum Schwingen brachte.
Außerdem mit dabei waren iTANK und The Roovers, beide Bands lieferten eine mitreißende Show ab und rockten die Kunstfabrik.

Die Qualitätsdichte des Abends ließ zum wiederholten Male darauf schließen, dass vor allem der Untergrund mehr zu bieten hat, als MTV und VIVA – Zuschauer denken. Viel öfter sollten diese Veranstaltungen dazu beitragen, jene Bands eine Fanbase aufbauen zu lassen und ihren Bekanntheitsgrad zu steigern.

Wir danken allen Leuten, die 6 Wochen lang mit uns gefiebert haben und die Bands so großartig unterstützt haben!

Es war eine tolle Zeit, wir hatten viel Spaß und Aufregung und freuen uns schon jetzt auf das nächste Jahr, wenn es wieder heisst, soKLINGTberlin trifft DooLoad.de!

The night's wind would whip around me, carrying my friend's words to my ears and far, far away. My bronze hair, just to my eyes, would be ruffling about at its own will now as I forced myself through the night. Running, gasping for air, the cold of the night fueling my lungs. Lyric, my senior by four years, would call out to me in that damned cool voice of his, as wonderful and vibrant as the night itself, "Hurry the hell up, you slow-ass! We'll miss the train!"

And in less than ten minutes we were there. Odd, you know, that we'd be stowing away on a cargo-car of a train. Strange faces would stare at us, bewildered by the two kids in trenchcoats and baggy pants. Lyric was a bit taller than I, which wasn't much, seeing as I was barely five-eight. He still imposed a somewhat awesome presence, though. Sprawling down his face would be a tattoo of abstract lines as dark as his ebon locks that met his shoulders. Two silver studs were peirced through the edge of his lip and his emerald eyes would cooly survey the world around him. I was jealous of my best friend. I always had been. He was always more athletic, had a better love-life, and seemed to get everything I never could have. Hell, he even slept in class and made a solid three-point-five. Still, I couldn't let that stop me from my own dreams.

I would take a seat and sigh, looking down to my palms. Seventeen now. Slightly overweight. Never the cool kid. Never the one at parties. Likes rock music and Japanese shows. And now, my parents dead, Lyric being the only guy to look after me, I had to get somewhere. And here I was, all my things in this cargo-car. We'd been planning to hop towns awhile ago. There simply was nothing for me in Troville. I play the guitar, you see, and that's about my only talent. Lyric here? Oh, he sings, is a genius on the piano, womanizes like it's nothing, and is still quicker on his feet than me. I couldn't hate him, though: He was the closest I ever had to a brother. You see, my father had helped Lyric's parents meet when they were just getting out of highschool and to thank him they bequeathed Lyric to my dad in the case that they'd pass away or be unable to take care of him. Ten years and two over-dosed druggie parents later and Lyric was part of our family. Six more years and a car crash that ended my parent's lives was all I needed to make me even closer to the man.

And so here we were. A cart full of homeless people heading to Fiona. That was the capital-- and where we could hook up quite a few live concerts. It was smooth sailing from there. We were made. Sure, there would be struggles, but, hah, like those types of things could stop Risk Simonson and Lyric Chase. Oh, boy, if only I had known how much shit we had just gotten into by going to Fiona...

The train screetched to a halt. The sun was rising and I was half-asleep as Lyric kicked my side a few times in an attempt to make me a bit more alert. I'd forgotten that it was easy to get your ass kicked and money stolen when you were sleeping. Right. Getting off the train, I would spot a girl with long, dark hair. I winced. Why the hell did everything remind me of Valentine? Lyric would follow my gaze and then promply give me a shove, muttering in that dark tone that was his alone, "She's not your lover, dick. Forget about Valentine, she's long gone. Bitch didn't know how to love you anyway. You deserve better than that." I'd sigh. I didn't care, even Lyric's dont-give-a-shit-get-over-it mannerisms wouldn't stop me from being regretful for not trying harder. My dad always said he had the same stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Yeah, right. Just like how Lyric's parents had sex the first day they met. Real likely, sure. I could never believe old fogies when they tried to relate to us teens.

Off the train now, carrying a suitcase in one hand, my guitar strapped over my shoulder. The city was goddanmed beautiful. Expecially as it just woke up, steam rising from the place, lights slowly turning off as the night was beaten away by the sun's rays. Housing and corporate buildings and bars and arcades and stores would line the streets. I felt like I could grow to like this place. Another nudge from Lyric, "Move along, won't you? You'll have all night to enjoy the town. For now, we've got to get to an apartment. Old girlfriend of mine set one up for us free of charge on one condition."

I'd glance back, my deep, somewhat smooth voice retorting with the obvious reply, "What condition?"

"I have to do that thing she likes with my tongue."

I'd snicker and punch him square him the shoulder, "Douche." He always made jokes like that, but only when I was around, because, secretly, I think he knew that I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Regardlessly, we continued to the hotel and checked in. A little room that smelt, oddly, of citrus. Still, it was my new home for the next few months, so I got used to it. In moments I began to play a bit of an addictive tune on my acoustic guitar. Lyric wouldn't have any of that, besides, he had to go pay his favors to the girl who was letting us stay. Or so he said. In the next hour, I wished he never left...

The room would grow increasingly hot. I checked the AC and it was still on. As I went to the door, I found it wouldn't budge. Natrually, I freaked right-the-fuck out. I banged on the door for a moment and no one even noticed. This was creepy. If Lyric was playing another joke on me I'd kick his ass. Sadly, it wasn't him at all. A voice, creepy and sinister, would unwind from the back of the room. The sound of it stopped me in my tracks.

"I've killed your family and now I've come for you, Risk."

My heart doubling over, I turned slowly to see something beyond nightmares. It wore a robe of black, though laced throughout it, as if patched there, were faces of humans screaming in agony. His own face would be shrouded, though eyes as crimson as blood would stare back at me, peircing right into my soul. He would hold out a hand, fingernails akin to a bird's talons, and speak even further. As he went on, I felt a warmth between my legs. Here I was, facing down a demon, and all I could do was piss myself, scared shitless.

"Give me your soul and it won't hurt at all..."

I would manage to croak, my voice not-so-cool in the face of danger, "W-what if I don't!?"

"Then I will personally rip you limb fr---"

His voice was cut off as a blade would slide right through his chest, blood spraying across the room-- and onto my face. I'd watch as the beast in front of me was chopped to peices by some savior. I'd fall to my knees. It was too unreal. And that was the end of the night for me...

I woke up to find myself on the bed, my guitar still in my hands. Lyric was sitting across from me. I'd gasp and look around, yet there were no bloodstains, no signs that I'd nearly died. Hell, even my pants were dry. I looked back to Lyric and he would laugh, "Why the hell 'you freakin' out? You fell asleep playing that song you never quit playing."

I shook my head and laughed, "Man, I must be bat-shit crazy then. I swear, I had the craziest dream. J-just.... don't fucking leave the room, okay?"

Lyric would toss me a side-ways glance at that and simply add one of his usual jokes, "Okay, but if you ask me for a kiss I will have to decline. It's already suspicious enough with us rooming together."

I sighed. The 'dream' felt so real. In fact, I knew it was real. And the person who saved me from that demon was definantly, undeniably, the only person I knew who wore clothes two sizes too big and had a facial tattoo: Lyric.

That night I found it difficult to sleep. The day's nightmares haunted me even as I was concious and I was frightful of what would happen if I surrendered my body to a world of dreams. I sat at the table provided for us in our room, my computer the only thing illuminating the place: A light cerulean glow would make things seem ethereal to me.

I had to tell someone. Lyric wouldn't listen to me even if I tried. I knew that. He wasn't the type of guy to buy tale tales and stories. Lyric simply was a realist. Also, he definantly was the one who saved me. Definantly. Confronting him wouldn't work. So I found myself here, my laptop open, on my Myspace page. 'Risk Breaker' was my display name. How clever of me. New messages? None. I wasn't too popular. I'd open a new window and start to write, though to no one at the time. I typed about how I'd left my home and come to Fiona. I even included the part about being saved, though I did not say it was Lyric who did it. Even if it was online, I wasn't going to give him more credit and status than he already had above me.

I scrolled through my friends, thinking of who to send it to. The mouse stopped over Valentine. I wanted her to know. I mean, even if she left me, I still wanted her to know, at least, that I wasn't in town anymore. Maybe she'd think I was more mature and cool for taking this route.

I added one more thing for her, "I still love you." Just a few words, added to the bottom of the message. Sent. I'd spend the next few minutes looking around on the internet, catching up with things I'd missed out on, and before I knew it I was back to Myspace, at my inbox.

I had expected a huge reply, one of worry. I had hoped for her to be intrested, to come back to me. I was let down. All that glowed on the screen were the words, "I don't love you anymore, Risk."

Tears escaped my eyes and dribbled down my cheeks instantly. It was painful. Unlike the breakups most people were used to, where one's heart felt shattered and then they were left to peice it back together, this one simply left my heart with nothing to thrive on. I know, I know, I should be over her by now. Lyric even said I should. I'd reply, as blunt as she did...

"It hurts."

With that, I closed my laptop. Utter darkness. A hand coiled over my shoulder. I whipped around, expecting yet another demon, here to collect my soul. It was just Lyric, smiling down at me, "Let's go out tonight. You're still caught up over her, we've got to get you to forget about that bitch. She with fucked your heart, man. I told you; totally not worth your time."

Hands in my pockets, my hair probably more than a little frizzed around, I followed Lyric's dark form from the hotel to the lobby to the streets. The town really did come alive at night. Stores were bustling with business, lights kept the place as bright as it would be at any other time of day. It seemed like the city, itself, was a thing of the night, a creature that thrived off of the activities of us humans. And there I go again, my mind wandering to such absurdities. Now, though, I knew that there were absurd things in this world.

Lyric led me to a dark place, if it was at all possible in Fiona. We'd go through alleyways, my friend assuming a brisk pace that I felt a little troubled by. Eventually, he broke out into a full-fledged sprint. "Danmit. Not this shit again..." I'd chase after him, hating how he'd run like this sometimes.

We ran for what seemed like ten minutes, though I know it was less. He stopped and I nearly crashed into him. Lyric was ready for that: He tossed me behind him and stood firm. I peeked over his shoulder and saw that we weren't running to any certain place: We were running away from something. I couldn't tell what it was in this darkness, but my heart knew full well. It was another spawn of hell who had come for one thing and one thing alone...

...my soul.

(( To be continued. Maybe.))

Kapanlagi.com - Buntut dari pemecatan yang dilakukan grup band papan atas Peterpan terhadap 2 orang mantan personilnya, Andika dan Indra tahun 2006 lalu, sepertinya akan terealisasi dalam waktu dekat ini.

Pasalnya, Peterpan akan mengeluarkan album 'best of the best' Peterpan, yang berjudul Sebuah Nama, Sebuah Cerita, yang menjadi album terakhir Ariel cs, sebelum grup band asal kota Bandung ini mengganti nama Peterpan dengan nama yang baru.

"Setelah album 'best of the best' ini, kita akan menganti nama. Album ini album terakhir dengan nama Peterpan. Album ini kita beri judul Sebuah Nama, Sebuah Cerita. Pengennya Peterpan tidak berubah image karena jenis musik dan temanya masih sama. Cuma yang ngebedain hanyalah namanya aja," ujar Ariel, ditemui saat pembuatan video klip di studio Gudang, Cililitan, Jakarta Timur, Rabu (10/7).

Sejauh ini, pengganti nama Peterpan masih belum ditentukan, karena masih belum dapat nama yang pas buat Peterpan yang telah menghasilkan jutaan copy dengan hit-hit mereka.

Tapi yang pasti, baik Ariel, Reza, Lukman dan Uki, berharap nama Peterpan akan menjadi sebuah legenda di percaturan musik Indonesia.

"Rembuk soal nama sudah ditentuin, tapi masih belum menemukan sebuah nama yang cocok. Pengennya Peterpan masih terus diingat sebagai legenda yang telah menghasilkan jutaan copy," tegas Ariel.

Track List :
CD1 :
01. Walau Habis Terang
02. Kisah Cintaku
03. Dilema Besar
04. Mungkin nanti
05. Tak Bisakah
06. Semua Tentang Kita
07. Ada Apa Denganmu
08. Menunggumu ft Alm Chrisye
09. Menghapus Jejakmu
10. Yang Terdalam
11. Diatas Normal
12. Kupu Kupu Malam
13. Di Balik Awan
14. Ku Katakan Dengan indah
15. Tak Ada Yang Abadi

CD2 :
01. Mimpi Yang Sempurna
02. Bintang Di Surga
03. Aku Dan Bintang
04. Jauh Mimpiku
05. Hari Yang Cerah Untuk Jiwa Yang Sepi
06. Menunggu Pagi
07. Khayalan Tingkat Tinggu
08. Sahabat
09. Sally Sendiri
10. Langit Tak mendengar
11. Di Belakangku
12. Kita Tertawa
13. Membebaniku
14. Cobalah Mengerti
15. Topeng

Untuk Info Lain Dan Download Album Peterpan-Sebuah Nama Sebuah Cerita, Klik Disini

I also find it amazing how he can play all those instruments. Great job, man!

Erik Sorensen, NBC5 Street Team

While the streets State and Madison have stood at the heart of Chicago's grid system for over a century, "State and Madison," the band, is anything but stationary. In fact, change might be this act's most distinctive characteristic. Those attending The Beat Kitchen (Chicago) on Saturday will get an early ear full of what I'm talking about.

In what might be their most musically mature album yet, the 4 piece Indie-Rock band is set to release their new material; and with a music scene that's plagued with 2 dimensional bands and label hungry copycats, S&M's "Become The Not Found" LP is a strong dose of originality - and exactly what the doctor ordered.

The forthcoming LP will be released first as a limited edition vinyl (250 copies) equipped with B-Sides and a drop-card for digital versions of the songs.

"The songs on this record are so different from one another," says singer Nickolas Blazina. "They shouldn't make sense together, but somehow as a record, it works. It's some of the heaviest stuff we've done, but also some of the more delicate. I think the B-Sides on the vinyl will highlight that best."

The Chicago-based band is known for delivering pop-infused Indie-Rock with a signature punch, an always infectious live show, and consistently giving back to their loyal fans

Of course, if you're the type who doesn't believe everything they read, listen for yourself, and then head over to The Beat Kitchen on Sat. August 9th to hear what it sounds like when State and Madison intersects with Belmont and Hoyne.

State and Madison (CD Release)
The Beat Kitchen
2100 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60618
Doors @ 5:30 pm | Show @ 6:00 pm
Tickets: $8.00 Adv. / $10.00 Dos. | All Ages

www.StateandMadison.net
www.Myspace.com/StateandMadison

Nesse trecho vemos uma época em que os debates eleitorais não possuiam regras e vemos uma troca de acusações acalouradas entre os principais candidatos daquela eleição Franco Montoro e o ex-presidente da República Jânio Quadros.

]]> http://susmakcebok.wordpress.com/?p=3 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:23:05 +0000 susmakcebok http://susmakcebok.wordpress.com/?p=3 ]]> http://noelpettersson.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/bandet-som-kryddar-tillvaron/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:30:21 +0000 noelpettersson http://noelpettersson.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/bandet-som-kryddar-tillvaron/ Den finns en viss grupp, dansband, som spelar en viss sorts musik som man kan dansa till, musik som är populära. Det är oftast musik genre som foxtrot eller bugg som spelas, som då mestadels är pardans. Musiken som spelar är oftast likt och besläktad med gammal musik, som swing och country.

Det är oftast gamla par som brukar sysslar med dansband, eftersom många anser det vara en aning gammaldags men det är något som är väldigt underhållande och trevligt. Man umgås med massa människor som man lär känna och får även en gemenskap hobby med sin partner, genom dansen.

Quote of the Day:

"Wait here, Audrey. This is between me and the vegetable." ---Rick Moranis, 'Little Shop of Horrors'

Thoughts:

So eveyrtime i go to look up quotes, i go to one website. quotationspage.com, and i hit random quotes. This quote was funny as crap it just made me laugh alot! So yeah just thought i would put randomness.

KevinSousa#30 OUT!!!

CLOSER BY NINE INCH NAILS VIDEO

yes, i would suck all of their dicks.

twice.

What? not everything I write is a poem.

I took one of the bees and after a lot of fiddling I came up with this:

I had to try out both versions but I think I'll use the second as a band in the sampler.

The motif on the right is adapted from an image of a vintage iron transfer I found in the flickr group Hoop Love. This may be the final version.

The motif on the left is based on a band from the Beginner's Guide to Blackwork by Lesley Wilkins. I also have Traditional Blackwork Samplers by Wilkins as well. The Beginner's Guide has more "raw material" in that it's mostly filling patterns and bands whereas Traditional Blackwork Samplers has, well, samplers.

In fact, that's where I found this:

Or rather, that's where I found this in pieces as part of a larger band in a sampler. I don't know if you can tell but almost every quarter of these two motifs are different. I had charted them on graph paper but I really needed to see them stitched up before I could make a decision. Only the bottom two on the right are the same and the design I finally settled on before I realized (with the help of my boyfriend) that they aren't even my style. Seeing them in context with all of my other designs really highlighted the differences and I decided to scrap them altogether.

This all leads up to the focus of the sampler: an embroidered comic! It's a little macabre but I couldn't resist.

The story is that the beekeeper is trying to smoke the bees to sleep in order to gather their honey and they take offense to this.

In the second "panel" they swarm out and he throws the smoker over his shoulder in surprise. The empty space where the smoker and his arm used to be draws attention to the swarm and then this draws the eye to the right where the dotted line indicates the smoker's movement.

He runs with the bees hot on his tail. I positioned the flower (and plan on adding a second) to indicate a left to right movement and the swoop of the dotted line-smoker-bees also helps this I think. I've since re-charted the dotted lines and the smoker to fill up the empty space in the center bottom. I've also re-charted the position of his arms:

I think I'm going to use the fragment on the left. These were my "sketches" of the beekeeper figure and I didn't bother to fill in the netting of his mask.

Back to the comic though: The fourth panel is the beekeeper's demise. Here the viewer sees the beekeeper in repose (maybe he's just sleeping) and holding a flower. I squeezed two actions into one panel and I hope it works. The bees have used the smoker against the beekeeper. This development play on the previous two panels and the device I used to show movement. The technique used to tell the story turns literal within the story.

So, that's the comic and what I have for the sampler thus far. I think my mom will like it and find it funny and I decided it was more important to give my mom a present that was from me and have it be off-kilter rather than something I found in a book (not that there's anything wrong with that) that didn't represent my aesthetic.

Before you decide to cancel that tour or long road trip consider this…

You need to make MORE money!

Just the sight of the rapidly rising price of gas can put most in a panic.

Don’t fall into that trap.  Take this as an opportunity to push harder on what you know you should be doing anyway, marketing.

It is fairly easy to either cut spending back but what I prefer is to increase my income to cover it.

If your band is playing 2-3 nights a week figure out what extra you would need to

make.  If you are paying to play negotiate a lower amount to make up for it or have them add in

extras that are not normally included.

There are plenty of options to try. 

You may think of a new creative way to sell more merchandise.  You do bring plenty of merchandise to sell, right?  It should be your goal to have at least one member of the band shake hands with everyone in the joint look them in the eye and ask if they’d like to buy a cd.  If you have someone else to do that for you, great, but people love interacting with the band.  Work the room before and after the show.  People love the personal interaction and will tend to buy what you are selling.  Plus they will tell their friends to come next time to meet you.

Always think on the side of increasing income rather than decreasing spending.

Better yet, do both at the same time!

You could negotiate for part of the bar and while you are playing talk about how much you love their signature drink or an expensive one.  Help up the bar sales!

I’ve seen a tip jar at a place with a cover before.  The band (truthfully) laughingly claimed it was for the gas. It probably was!  You can also put a Paypal donate button on your website as a virtual tip jar.

Are you promoting yourself every way possible?  There is a band I love to watch but they haven’t updated their myspace or website.  Any news is good news.  Keep it fresh.

Have you canvased the area with flyers?  Do you have contacts with the local media?  Having local marketing in place will increase your exposure resulting in more money.

Band together with other groups on tour.  Vanpool to shows.  Yes, you will be packed like sardines but it will save a bunch of gas money.

Before canceling your tour get together with your group and brainstorm all the ways you can make more money and better success.

How have you fixed the money crunch?

Pamela Doyle

coachpamela

www.rocksolidbandingskills.com