Music

I love music, music of all kinds. There's not much music I can't appreciate. I am blessed to be able to play drums and percussion. Blessed now to have a home where there is a music room where my kit is set up and I can play. And I do, pretty much daily.

The rock band I'm working with now is called In So Deep. This is a 3-piece band--bass/vocals, guitar, and myself on the kit. They had some originals before I came on board, really good stuff, I think, and we're going to do some covers. Some of the bands we're going to cover are Rush, Neil Young, Journey, Frampton/Humble Pie, and KISS, to start. Nice thing is, they have a kit in the rehearsal room, so I don't have to drag mine back and forth.

We're being loaned a kit for Chapel of St. Francis, and when we get into our new worship space this next week (hopefully....!), we can add drums to our worship music. For a long time Clare has played keyboard by herself. Since Shirley and I came we've been able to add percussion--shakers and bongos. I am looking forward to adding a full kit. I'll be playing it with soft rods (drum sticks for quieter, acoustic, worship settings). I enjoy using mallets for cymbal rises in the right places and just making it pretty when I am privileged to do worship music, not much attack in that setting. (now when I do rock, well, I save most of my attack for THAT setting....!)

I am enjoying the fact that Van Halen will be touring this year with David Lee Roth. I saw them several years ago with Sammy Hagar, and really enjoyed that. But I've never been able to see them with original singer Roth, and I'm looking forward to it (gotta see if they are, indeed, playing OKC). Although I would say--the attitude belongs ON the stage--and leave it there! : )

I'm really enjoying the new John Michael Talbot album Beautiful City. It rocks! He pushed the envelope last time with Monk Rock, and this in many ways is a continuation of that. JMT plays all the electric guitars on this one, and plays some nice lead (although I did enjoy McPherson's and Keaggy's contributions last time on MR). There's some funky elements on this one, and a nice mix--some interesting eq's on the kit. Looking forward to seeing this live. Brother, I don't see an OKC date yet........we'll drive to Tulsa for it, but somebody book it here pllleeeeease!

I will be listening to a lot of worship music this Lenten season, as is my custom. Shirley and I visited the Episcopal cathedral bookstore downtown yesterday, and I was really wanting to get some of the worship cd's they had there--they had a Celtic one there I wanted to check out. Next time.



Blessings,
br francis