Video of the Week: "The Battle of Jericho" with Moses Hogan

I fell in love with the works of Moses Hogan the first time I sang one of his arrangements while attending Christian Music Summer School at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas.  I was so sad to learn that the life of this amazing director and arranger of spirituals was cut short with his unfortunate death in 2003.

I just recently found a collection of spirituals Hogan arranged for solo voice called  "Deep River - 10 Spirituals arranged for Voice and Piano" that I have added to wish list and can't wait to buy when I get the chance.

This week's Video of the Week features Moses Hogan and his arrangement of "The Battle of Jericho".  Enjoy! 

Video of the Week: "I am Restless" by Audrey Assad

This song came at just the right time a couple weeks ago.  I was asked to sing a solo during worship last month and could not find a song to go with the pastor's sermon that week.  We were in week three of a sermon serious related to bones.  I was stumped.  I had found a couple ideas but I wasn't confident about them nor did I feel that I could convincingly share their message in worship.  I did have to pick by Thursday morning or our church administrative assistant was going to be calling me so I kept at it.

Thursday morning came and I still had no idea what I was going to do.  I sat down to do my usual email and rss reader reading and came across my Worship Together newsletter and was that ever an answer to prayer.  I was gifted with the free lead sheet download of Audrey Assad's new song "I am Restless".  It is based on these words from "The Confessions of Saint Augustine"

And I'm restless, I'm restless,
'til I rest in you, 'til I rest in you.

Not only did these words speak to me on a personal level but they fit beautifully into worship that Sunday.  I got more compliments on that song and I thank the Holy Spirit for making it come alive.

I am still working on getting a video recording of my performance so until then I wanted to share a live recording of Audrey Assad singing "I am Restless" from eXclaim! 2010 in Toledo, Ohio at the Monsignor Schmit CYO Athletic Complex.  Enjoy! 

Restless by Audrey Assad

• Love the song as much as I do?  Download the lead sheet like I did at the Worship Together website here.

• If you are interested in reading "The Confessions of Augustine:  An Electronic Edition" check out this website.

10 Piano Quotes to Celebrate National Piano Month

I love to read and share good quotes.  I feel that just a few well spoken words can make a big impact in someone's life and even motivate them to greatness.  That's why my "Quote of the Week" was one of the first things I added to this blog.  In September the National Piano Federation celebrates its National Piano Month and what better way to join in the celebration than with some inspiring piano quotes.  Enjoy!



1.  "Pianos are such noble instruments - they're either upright or grand." 

~ Author Unknown

2.  "The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air." 

~ Kenneth Miller

3.  "One man gets nothing but discord out of a piano; another gets harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault." 

~ Author Unknown

4.  "I've never felt anything that moves me as much as my piano. I'm an emotional player. I don't really like people. I prefer my piano to people. It's totally reliable and it's alive. I can hear what it's saying."

~ Tori Amos

5.  "When you play music you discover a part of yourself that you never knew existed." 

~ Bill Evans

6.  "To play without passion is inexcusable!"

~ Ludwig van Beethoven

7.  "Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art."

~ Frederic Chopin

8.  "I sit down to the piano regularly at nine-o'clock in the morning and Mesdames les Muses have learned to be on time for that rendezvous." 

~ Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky

9.  "It is wonderful how soon a piano gets into a log-hut on the frontier. You would think they found it under a pine-stump. With it comes a Latin grammar, and one of those tow-head boys has written a hymn on Sunday. Now let colleges, now let senates take heed! for here is one who, opening these fine tastes on the basis of the pioneer's iron constitution, will gather all their laurels in his strong hands." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

10.  "All I need is a big surfboard and a piano."

~ Dennis Wilson

 



Quotes provided by:
http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/
http://www.brainyquote.com

Happy Thanksgiving from George Winston

I hope your Thanksgiving is a happy one! I wanted to share with you today music from one of my favorite composers, George Winston. I love the feel of this solo piano piece entitled, "Thanksgiving". It forces me to take a minute for myself and just breath and that's exactly what I did while preparing for this post. This is my invitation for you to take a minute from all the hustle and bustle of this special day and relax. Enjoy!

Quote of the Week "What I have in my heart..."

“What I have in my heart and soul must find a way out. That is the reason for music…”

– Ludwig Van Beethoven