MusicNL Conference and Awards...

I didn't get to post a song story this week. Here's why: I was attending the MusicNL awards and conference in Gander this past weekend.

First of all, I was nominated for Gospel Artist of the Year. I didn't take home the award, but it was an honor to just be nominated. Janet Cull and Kelly-Ann Evans won the category and deserved it to the fullest.

I also had a chance to perform at the CBC Song-Writers Circle on Sunday afternoon. During my first song, which was "Like Your Love", I pushed against the microphone with my mouth and the mic-stand started to swing away from me. So I stopped, and fixed it. So...There is a pause in my first song that I'm hoping the merciful people at CBC will edit out before they play it nation-wide (Yes...nation-wide. It is slated for broadcast on CBC Radio 2 some time in the new year, as well as Province-wide on CBC Radio's performance hour on Saturday November 22nd.) The second song that I did was "Hope Will Rise". No micrphone incidents with that one.

Later that night, I had a chance to perform at the awards gala at the Arts and Culture Centre. I used the Loop Pedal on "Create in Me". It was a very good show all-around. MusicNL needs to be commended for their professionalism and hard work.

Anyway, that's the scoop. I'll be back with a Song Story on Saturday.

Saturday Song Stories - "Hope Will Rise"

When I first stared to learn how to finger-pick (I'm talking about guitar, not my nose), I came up with a catchy pattern that I would use to impress people when we were sitting around someone's living room. I could play it fast because I would use it as a warm-up whenever I practiced, seeing how fast I could play it. But try as I might, I couldn't put words to it.

One night as I read through the writings of an ancient prophet named Isaiah, the words struck me as profound. Isaiah 35 talks about God coming to save his people, a pretty common theme in the Bible. But the imagery that Isaiah used was intense. Lines Like "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way", "say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear, your God will come...", and "he will come to save you...Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy...They will enter Zion with singing."

It's every songwriters dream to have someone else write the poetic stuff for you (after all, Isaiah isn't about to sue me for copyright infringement). When I played around with different chord progressions, it fit perfectly with my show-off finger-picking lick.

How often in our world are we faced with fears? And how comforting is it to know that God will cause hope to rise within us because of his promises? It has happened on a few occasions that people who have heard this song, among a couple of others on the album, found comfort in the midst of storms that they were facing. That is one of the reasons why I write music.

(Please note, that the phrase "Finger-picking lick" is not an endorsement of KFC)