Wow! What an exciting summer it's' been! Between
concerts, auditions for various opportunities, even composing the music for a
Christian TV series that's presently still in the making, it's been another
amazing journey. I am especially looking forward to an invite that I received
from Faith and Friends internet radio to sing at this year's Chocolate Festival
in Dayton, Ohio. This year's theme has a cute Christmas sort of spin: The 12
Years of Chocolate.
As for the Christian TV series, the first episode just happens to be about
religious freedom, and we just happened to be in the middle of filming when the
unconstitutional decision that changed the course of America's history about
marriage being between one man and one woman was handed down from the Supreme
Court. I can't say a whole lot about this particular Christian TV program as of
yet, but its name is "The Revelation Zone." Here is a trailer for
the first episode, "Symon".
I composed, and recorded the music. We
are working toward filming an entire season that will address various topics. Not
sure what additional adventures autumn will hold as of yet, but I am able to
say that I look forward to experiencing its unfolding.
Showing posts with label writing industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing industry. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
A Day to Celebrate
There’s
always something special about the “official” national release date of your CD
when it’s all your own music. Especially if you have been through a lot to get
to that point. But today is certainly a bright spot in the midst of my journey
as a music artist and freelance writer.
It’s been interesting to watch things unfold among the various radio stations that are taking an interest in music from this newest album, Draw Me Into Your Presence, and there have also been some fun surprises along the way. Perhaps the one that’s the most fun for me personally has been that several Southern Gospel radio stations have taken a liking to the song “Hear His Call.” Totally unexpected as far as I was concerned. With all my “Broadway style” vocal training, never in a million years did I expect that my music would be played on Southern Gospel stations, but I have no complaints about that, of course. The modern-day parable set to music paints a word picture in the minds of listeners that apparently resonates with them. I see it as another blessing among many that have come my way.
The last several months have been a time of running hard toward the presence of the Lord and trying to determine where He was leading. I found myself recalling a concept I read in a Rick Joyner book called Overcoming Evil in the Last Days some years ago. Rick was a flight instructor before going into the ministry. He always taught his students that when they were flying in situations with restricted visibility (confusion), that they needed to trust their instruments and not the way that the plane felt to them. They needed to hold their position according to what the instruments said. He compared the instruments to the Bible.
Another way to look at it is that during times of turmoil, we need to trust the Lord and not lean on our own understanding (or feelings). When we acknowledge Him, He’ll direct our path. I found that as I continued to do what I was sure the Lord had been directing me to do before the massive storm hit my life and I also stayed in line with the Word, that slowly, the storm clouds lost their seemingly overwhelming power. In some ways, it felt like I was running on yesterday’s vision. Yet God was and is still moving in amazing ways in my life, giving me some needed clarity and the boldness to follow through. Sometimes there’s even some joy as I consider that He still has a future planned for me – it just looks different than what I had initially anticipated.
It’s been interesting to watch things unfold among the various radio stations that are taking an interest in music from this newest album, Draw Me Into Your Presence, and there have also been some fun surprises along the way. Perhaps the one that’s the most fun for me personally has been that several Southern Gospel radio stations have taken a liking to the song “Hear His Call.” Totally unexpected as far as I was concerned. With all my “Broadway style” vocal training, never in a million years did I expect that my music would be played on Southern Gospel stations, but I have no complaints about that, of course. The modern-day parable set to music paints a word picture in the minds of listeners that apparently resonates with them. I see it as another blessing among many that have come my way.
The last several months have been a time of running hard toward the presence of the Lord and trying to determine where He was leading. I found myself recalling a concept I read in a Rick Joyner book called Overcoming Evil in the Last Days some years ago. Rick was a flight instructor before going into the ministry. He always taught his students that when they were flying in situations with restricted visibility (confusion), that they needed to trust their instruments and not the way that the plane felt to them. They needed to hold their position according to what the instruments said. He compared the instruments to the Bible.
Another way to look at it is that during times of turmoil, we need to trust the Lord and not lean on our own understanding (or feelings). When we acknowledge Him, He’ll direct our path. I found that as I continued to do what I was sure the Lord had been directing me to do before the massive storm hit my life and I also stayed in line with the Word, that slowly, the storm clouds lost their seemingly overwhelming power. In some ways, it felt like I was running on yesterday’s vision. Yet God was and is still moving in amazing ways in my life, giving me some needed clarity and the boldness to follow through. Sometimes there’s even some joy as I consider that He still has a future planned for me – it just looks different than what I had initially anticipated.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Breaking into the Music and Publishing Industries
The arts may be one of the most competitive industries
in which to find paying opportunities. For whatever reason, writers and
songwriter-musicians seem to be far more plentiful than the opportunities that
actually pay. Maybe that’s because there are far more people in the arts who
seem willing to work for next to nothing or even free than there are people in
business. While I could make quite the hobbyhorse out of the for this post,
I’ll exercise the self-control necessary to avoid that temptation.
That being said, as difficult as it is to find a decent job that pays a reasonable wage in corporate America right now, it’s still far more difficult to break into the writing and music industries. In fact, it’s even more difficult now than it was eight years ago when I began working as a freelance writer. It seems that people who can’t find work in corporate America are reassessing their career desires, and the writing and music industries are getting hit with many new people who never would have considered such highly competitive careers before because, quite frankly, some of them feel that they don’t really have anything left to lose. I would encourage any aspiring writer or songwriter-musician to keep this in mind. It’s not just you. It really is difficult. And for those who have been here a while, I would encourage you to keep in mind that, no, you haven’t lost your touch. It really has gotten more difficult because of the present economy.
While connections for breaking into the industry were important before the economic crash, they are even more important now. In fact, I personally have found a new value to attending seminars that I never experienced before. Writing and music seminars can be some of the very best ways to not only tweak your craft, but also to get noticed by the industry professionals who can help you to get your book or music out to the public. Not only do attendees get the opportunity to connect with individuals at various phases of development, but there is the added benefit of being affirmed through being around like-minded, like-gifted people if you are willing to reach out to them and simply strike up a conversation.
I think my most positive experience with an industry seminar occurred this past January through an organization called Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC). Not only did I learn a great deal from all the seminars over the course of this one week event, but I (and all the attendees) were given the opportunity to showcase our talent to industry professionals in the music and movie industry, as well as the modeling industry.
In my particular case, I even had some opportunities to pitch my writing talent because there are a few music labels that also have a book publishing division. This was an added bonus that I didn’t realize until I got there. I even had the opportunity to meet a few fellow writers, one of whom was a scriptwriter. However, the focus of AMTC at this time is really on those who are gifted for music, acting and / or modeling. One of the highpoints for me personally was when Tate MusicGroup, a Christian label, offered me a recording contract. We’re presently in the process of creating the CD
project
Though AMTC is a Christian organization, those who are interested in getting involved are not required to be a Christian. And not all of the industry people who are there are necessarily looking for exclusively Christian material.
Another industry conference that seems to have potential for songwriter-musicians is the Song Discovery Creative Conference. Though I have not experienced this one myself, there seem to be a lot of great networking opportunities and learning opportunities.
One writer’s conference whose recognition seems to be snowballing is the Writing for the Soul Conference. This particular conference is aimed more at Christian writers and offers opportunities for a one-on-one mentoring session with various writing industry pros.
One of my best sources for getting my writings published has been The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers. Not only have I gotten many non-fiction articles published in magazines through this source, but I have also been able to get a few non-fiction short stories published. I get mine through www.writersbookstore.com. You should be able to see and click on the green icon at the top of the page to get more information on that.
Writer's Digest is another good source for both information and writing resources. I subscribed to their e-mail blasts and make the time to check out what editors and agents have to say about the industry whenever I have a bit of time available to do so.
While there are some places on-line to bid on writing projects, I’m finding that they aren’t paying as well as they used to. In fact, I have backed off of that for now because of some of the ridiculous wages being posted with the projects. When someone doesn’t even want to pay minimum wage for their project, they aren’t really interested in having a professional writer take it on. Hopefully, that will change if the economy should improve in the near future.
In the meantime, staying connected with fellow writers and / or musicians through blogging and social networking will be nuggets of activity that can bring positive future results. Those who are willing to share their experiences can be some of the best sources for being able to move just a little bit further along toward whatever goal we are working to reach.
That being said, as difficult as it is to find a decent job that pays a reasonable wage in corporate America right now, it’s still far more difficult to break into the writing and music industries. In fact, it’s even more difficult now than it was eight years ago when I began working as a freelance writer. It seems that people who can’t find work in corporate America are reassessing their career desires, and the writing and music industries are getting hit with many new people who never would have considered such highly competitive careers before because, quite frankly, some of them feel that they don’t really have anything left to lose. I would encourage any aspiring writer or songwriter-musician to keep this in mind. It’s not just you. It really is difficult. And for those who have been here a while, I would encourage you to keep in mind that, no, you haven’t lost your touch. It really has gotten more difficult because of the present economy.
While connections for breaking into the industry were important before the economic crash, they are even more important now. In fact, I personally have found a new value to attending seminars that I never experienced before. Writing and music seminars can be some of the very best ways to not only tweak your craft, but also to get noticed by the industry professionals who can help you to get your book or music out to the public. Not only do attendees get the opportunity to connect with individuals at various phases of development, but there is the added benefit of being affirmed through being around like-minded, like-gifted people if you are willing to reach out to them and simply strike up a conversation.
I think my most positive experience with an industry seminar occurred this past January through an organization called Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC). Not only did I learn a great deal from all the seminars over the course of this one week event, but I (and all the attendees) were given the opportunity to showcase our talent to industry professionals in the music and movie industry, as well as the modeling industry.
In my particular case, I even had some opportunities to pitch my writing talent because there are a few music labels that also have a book publishing division. This was an added bonus that I didn’t realize until I got there. I even had the opportunity to meet a few fellow writers, one of whom was a scriptwriter. However, the focus of AMTC at this time is really on those who are gifted for music, acting and / or modeling. One of the highpoints for me personally was when Tate MusicGroup, a Christian label, offered me a recording contract. We’re presently in the process of creating the CD
project
Though AMTC is a Christian organization, those who are interested in getting involved are not required to be a Christian. And not all of the industry people who are there are necessarily looking for exclusively Christian material.
Another industry conference that seems to have potential for songwriter-musicians is the Song Discovery Creative Conference. Though I have not experienced this one myself, there seem to be a lot of great networking opportunities and learning opportunities.
One writer’s conference whose recognition seems to be snowballing is the Writing for the Soul Conference. This particular conference is aimed more at Christian writers and offers opportunities for a one-on-one mentoring session with various writing industry pros.
One of my best sources for getting my writings published has been The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers. Not only have I gotten many non-fiction articles published in magazines through this source, but I have also been able to get a few non-fiction short stories published. I get mine through www.writersbookstore.com. You should be able to see and click on the green icon at the top of the page to get more information on that.
Writer's Digest is another good source for both information and writing resources. I subscribed to their e-mail blasts and make the time to check out what editors and agents have to say about the industry whenever I have a bit of time available to do so.
While there are some places on-line to bid on writing projects, I’m finding that they aren’t paying as well as they used to. In fact, I have backed off of that for now because of some of the ridiculous wages being posted with the projects. When someone doesn’t even want to pay minimum wage for their project, they aren’t really interested in having a professional writer take it on. Hopefully, that will change if the economy should improve in the near future.
In the meantime, staying connected with fellow writers and / or musicians through blogging and social networking will be nuggets of activity that can bring positive future results. Those who are willing to share their experiences can be some of the best sources for being able to move just a little bit further along toward whatever goal we are working to reach.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Persistent Faith in the Arts
Back in the 30s and 40s when the movie industry was
one of the hottest new technologies that was becoming available to people,
Christians were heavily involved in what made it into the theaters and what
didn’t. Not only were Americans in that generation, and especially small
business owners, more concerned about living a moral life, but they were also
deeply concerned with running their business in accordance with Christian
principles. And much of the movie
industry was no exception.
In his book How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Losing Your Soul, Ted Baehr notes that Christian groups had gotten together and created a motion picture code that Hollywood applied to their movies so that those movies would not negatively affect the culture. Then in 1966, the Christian groups pulled out, and today we have instances of the moral values of individual actors and actresses being violated to the point that some have chosen to refuse a role or lose their job rather than compromise.
Actor Neal McDonough is one case in point. According to Movie Guide, he boldly refused to do a sex scene in the ABC series “Scoundrels”. So they fired him.
Boldly taking a stand for what one believes is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Especially when a person doesn’t have a great deal of experience yet and credits are needed to build a resume for future opportunities. While these types of decisions are personal ones for each artist, it also seems appropriate to point out that God does reward those who take a stand for what’s right. And sometimes that even manifests in this life.
What He is doing through the cast of Courageous would be a case in point. Not only has it had a positive influence on individual lives and families, but it has done well at the box office.
Another positive influence in the arts is Leonardo Defilippis, founder of St Luke’s Productions. According to the website, God placed a vision in his heart to present the Gospel of Luke, “in a new dramatic form.” That was three decades ago. Since that time, the production company has grown to produce several inspirational films and original music soundtracks. Not only does Defilippis have a desire to be used of the Lord for evangelism, but also to restore the dignity of film, drama and television.
Rich Christiano, founder of ChristianMovies.com is another influence in the industry that God is moving through in mighty ways. According to his website, He has been creating Christian movies with his brother Dave since 1982, and distributing them since 1985.
The above are just a few examples of some of God’s people in the industry. Since today’s Christian influences in the arts are often either ignored by mainstream media or made to look extremist when we do take a stand, living what we believe can sometimes be a challenge when those values are confronted. Knowing that others have been through what we may encounter and that God has chosen us for His purposes in the arts can sometimes make all the difference.
In his book How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Losing Your Soul, Ted Baehr notes that Christian groups had gotten together and created a motion picture code that Hollywood applied to their movies so that those movies would not negatively affect the culture. Then in 1966, the Christian groups pulled out, and today we have instances of the moral values of individual actors and actresses being violated to the point that some have chosen to refuse a role or lose their job rather than compromise.
Actor Neal McDonough is one case in point. According to Movie Guide, he boldly refused to do a sex scene in the ABC series “Scoundrels”. So they fired him.
Boldly taking a stand for what one believes is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Especially when a person doesn’t have a great deal of experience yet and credits are needed to build a resume for future opportunities. While these types of decisions are personal ones for each artist, it also seems appropriate to point out that God does reward those who take a stand for what’s right. And sometimes that even manifests in this life.
What He is doing through the cast of Courageous would be a case in point. Not only has it had a positive influence on individual lives and families, but it has done well at the box office.
Another positive influence in the arts is Leonardo Defilippis, founder of St Luke’s Productions. According to the website, God placed a vision in his heart to present the Gospel of Luke, “in a new dramatic form.” That was three decades ago. Since that time, the production company has grown to produce several inspirational films and original music soundtracks. Not only does Defilippis have a desire to be used of the Lord for evangelism, but also to restore the dignity of film, drama and television.
Rich Christiano, founder of ChristianMovies.com is another influence in the industry that God is moving through in mighty ways. According to his website, He has been creating Christian movies with his brother Dave since 1982, and distributing them since 1985.
The above are just a few examples of some of God’s people in the industry. Since today’s Christian influences in the arts are often either ignored by mainstream media or made to look extremist when we do take a stand, living what we believe can sometimes be a challenge when those values are confronted. Knowing that others have been through what we may encounter and that God has chosen us for His purposes in the arts can sometimes make all the difference.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Persistent determination pays off
As someone who has an interest in both the writing and music industries, I have noticed over the years that there are many similarities. Perhaps one of the strongest is the importance of persistent determination. As competitive as both industries are, discouragement can take its toll on both aspiring writers and aspiring singer-musician-songwriters. For that matter, it can take its toll on those who have been blessed of God to break into the industries – for a whole myriad of reasons. That’s where being connected to a supportive group of like-minded (and perhaps equally or slightly more crazed) artists than yourself can be of great benefit. Being surrounded with people who will weep with you through the bad times and rejoice with you through the good just somehow bolsters a person’s persistent determination and fans the flames of inspiration.
Another thing that I personally find inspiring is reading about others who have managed to gain some success. Any of them who are honest will vouch for the fact that there is no such thing as an overnight success. There’s a lot of time, sweat, tears, training and of course money involved in what’s really comparable to a journey – as opposed to, say, a microwave dinner. Jenn Gotzon is a recent example of persist determination paying off. According to Movie Guide, Gotzon had been on her journey of being an actress for 15 years when she received her major breakthrough in the industry. I especially find it inspiring that part of Gotzon’s vision for her career is to “inspire and impact” the audience.
Founder and editor of Movie Guide Ted Baehr has written a fantastic book called How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Losing Your Soul that is an amazing tool for those desiring to use their gifts make a difference in the fields of the arts and entertainment. Not only does he offer great insights, but he has written it in such as way that it can help the reader to develop their own vision and definition of what success means to them – as opposed to what everyone else says it ought to be.
Another author who points out the importance of defining what success means on a personal level is Kristi Holl. In her book Writer’s First Aid, she reveals that when a person allows others to define what success is for them, that they’ll find that they are mysteriously unable to truly enjoy it. This could also easily be applied to someone who is a singer-songwriter-musician, and / or who has an interest in acting. Holl goes on to challenge the reader to consider the personal importance of the following: prestige of a byline or first sale (or cd label or movie contract); the passion of doing something meaningful to you; the career goal of making enough money to support your family; and further points out that personal success can change over time. So it’s important to reassess what success truly is on a personal level at strategic times in your life, such as when a goal is met or a person gets married or has a child or whatever. More on her book can be found here.
Because it can take years to really gain momentum in the arts industries, a person’s belief system will also have a strong impact on their ability to maintain persistent determination. Though the journey may be long, if we are looking to Him to lead us we can expect that He will open doors and even cause divine appointments.
Another thing that I personally find inspiring is reading about others who have managed to gain some success. Any of them who are honest will vouch for the fact that there is no such thing as an overnight success. There’s a lot of time, sweat, tears, training and of course money involved in what’s really comparable to a journey – as opposed to, say, a microwave dinner. Jenn Gotzon is a recent example of persist determination paying off. According to Movie Guide, Gotzon had been on her journey of being an actress for 15 years when she received her major breakthrough in the industry. I especially find it inspiring that part of Gotzon’s vision for her career is to “inspire and impact” the audience.
Founder and editor of Movie Guide Ted Baehr has written a fantastic book called How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Losing Your Soul that is an amazing tool for those desiring to use their gifts make a difference in the fields of the arts and entertainment. Not only does he offer great insights, but he has written it in such as way that it can help the reader to develop their own vision and definition of what success means to them – as opposed to what everyone else says it ought to be.
Another author who points out the importance of defining what success means on a personal level is Kristi Holl. In her book Writer’s First Aid, she reveals that when a person allows others to define what success is for them, that they’ll find that they are mysteriously unable to truly enjoy it. This could also easily be applied to someone who is a singer-songwriter-musician, and / or who has an interest in acting. Holl goes on to challenge the reader to consider the personal importance of the following: prestige of a byline or first sale (or cd label or movie contract); the passion of doing something meaningful to you; the career goal of making enough money to support your family; and further points out that personal success can change over time. So it’s important to reassess what success truly is on a personal level at strategic times in your life, such as when a goal is met or a person gets married or has a child or whatever. More on her book can be found here.
Because it can take years to really gain momentum in the arts industries, a person’s belief system will also have a strong impact on their ability to maintain persistent determination. Though the journey may be long, if we are looking to Him to lead us we can expect that He will open doors and even cause divine appointments.
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