write beautiful songs

IMPENDING DOOM!!!! That the name of the band I’m listening to right now. You can probably guess from their name what kind of band they are. Heavy Metal to tha CORE! And I’m not talking drop-D-tuning-heavy-bass-double-bass-and-some-screaming-here-and-there heavy metal. No this is no-holds-barred-no-mercy-rip-your-face-off grind metal.

Anyway, Impending Doom is amazing. Their one of the only bands that follow Christ that other bands of this genre will your with. Most ‘Christian’ bands of this genre get no respect from other bands because, first, their Christians and, second, they suck. But people WANT to tour with ID because their just so darn good. That’s how things should be. People who are Christians should be setting the standards in our culture. If we claim to be reflections of our Father, the originator of beauty, doesn’t it make sense that the art we create whether it’s music, graphic art, performing arts, or even the arts of speaking, writing and politics, should be the most beautiful? We shouldn’t have to look to people who are functioning out of selfish motives and/or out of their own power to learn how to use OUR gifts. Let’s look to the Giver of those gifts.

I’m writing this in this goal because Impending Doom makes beautiful music. Yeah it’s brutal. He kind of sounds like an animal in many parts. You can’t really understand the words. Most of the songs sound the same. But what they make glorifies God and it gets respect from the most talented musicians on Earth. I can listen to ID and pray at the same time because I see it as a reflection of God’s beauty. I can’t say that for a lot of “Christian” songs. Honestly, a lot of them suck.
I want to write music that is a reflection of God’s beauty.

I decided on two songs that I want to learn. On acoustic, I wanna learn “Boy on a String” by Jars of Clay. It’s a pretty old song. It’s got some sentimental ties to it. I used to listen to Jars of Clay when I was in grade school and my sister had just started dating her ,now, husband. He used to listen to it all the time.
Then I want to learn, on electric, “Message for Adrienne” by Underoath. It’s on the Changing of Times album which I got when I first started getting into metal. It was pretty popular at the time but only in the underground metal scene. Metal was becoming more popular and it only went downhill from there. But that album and song are still amazing.
So if I ever get any free time, I’ll crank these out.

I think I started writing a song today. It’s simple. Not very unique. But I’m writing it for the Lord.
I came to many realizations over the past couple weeks in being on the tuesday morning worship team. A lot about the worship that I offer God and how I think He knows I can give more and there’s more inside of me that He wants. But the problem is that I have been undisciplined in my music. To the point where I can’t really say “my music” as if it is some other entity that I create. I can’t really call myself a musician. More like one who plays songs from time to time. That makes me so upset.
I love music. I really do. It’s not just an art for me. It’s a recreation. I play and listen to music because I enjoy it and because it’s beautiful. Music can be shallow and it can cut to the marrow. It can say “whatever” or it can speak truth.
One who plays music can replicate what others have created. One can learn a song and tag along with the purpose of the song, either recreation or art. Only a real musician can create music to do whatever he wants.
If want to make music to express myself or to give praise to God or just have fun, I have to discipline myself. I have to work at it. And it’s a darn shame that it’s gotten to this point. Music used to be something that I would just do. I wouldn’t have to make myself do it. But something along the way made it seem not as appealing. I think it’s because the only venues I had to play music were not stretching me. They met me at the exact point of my ability. That’s now how you get better at something. You get better by surrounding yourself with people who are better than you.
So what I’ve decided to do is discipline myself. I’m going to make it a point to play guitar for at least 30min a day. I’m gonna try to do it 30min at a time but it might not be possible so it might have to happen at random intervals. But I’m gonna make it a point to play guitar everyday. Then I’m going to try to learn songs that are just outside my own ability. I’m gonna play acoustic stuff and try to play some heavy metal stuff too.
I can write metal easier than acoustic stuff. But I love them both. They are equally beautiful and equally fun.

I almost had the chance to do this. I was told that I was chosen to go with a group of 4 other guys to the Ohio Fine Arts Festival for AG. We (Masters) were asked to get a band together and put together a set of 4 songs in the popular, screamo genre. I was asked to play bass with these 4 guys. I was really pumped about writing music even though it was a genre that I don’t really like or have much familiarity with. We were kinda going for an Underoath feel which is cool because their newest cd is actually pretty good. So I was listening to that CD pretty closely and was getting some cool ideas for a song I was putting together. Well, then I got the news that I was never officially asked by Masters to be part of this project. They ended up saying I couldn’t go to Ohio because I was gonna be involved with a project for Target Leadership Conference. I was a little bummed until I found out what the project was.
As it turns out, I get to be in a Beatles cover band called the Beattles!!!! Were gonna play four songs: Revolution, Come Together, Lucy in the Sky, and Hey, Jude. I am super, killer excited. I stinkin’ love The Beatles! I’m gonna be taking on the role of George Harrison, shredding on lead guitar. Ok so not really shredding. It is The Beatles after all…I mean Revolution can get pretty crazy but it’s no Eruption.

*Obviously, this doesn’t mean I’ve lost my opportunity to write music. I can finish this song if I want. But it’s not really my most favorite genre in the world and I don’t know if I’ll even be able to play it with a band. But, in the words of the illustrious Greg Hendry, “We’ll see what the night brings”

This goes along with my other goal of singing and playing the guitar. I don’t want to just sing songs that other people wrote; I want to make beautiful music for my GOD.