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Customers May Not Identify New Project as Brian Doerksen’s
The staff member who checked in the CDs was surprised when I told her that the album was actually a new project from Brian Doerksen. In the U.S. market, I supposed there would have been a sticker attached to the shrink-wrap, “New from Worship Leader Brian Doerksen.” Here, we’re relying on word-of-mouth to accomplish that, I guess. The following is from my consumer review which appeared at Thinking Out Loud:
The Shiyr Poets (pronounced ‘sheer’) takes a word-for-word approach to the book of Psalms, but with a conversion to modern English from the Hebrew and with the addition of recurring choruses as keeping with the structure of modern music. In many ways, bringing these texts into our century captures the heart and anguish of the Psalmist in ways we might miss with a cursory reading of the text.
The band is the latest project from worship leader Brian Doerksen composer of Refiner’s Fire, Come Now Is The Time to Worship, You Shine, and Faithful One. The sound is consistent with past Doerksen albums, a gentle, more intimate sound. (Foreshadowing this project was the song Fortress 144 from a few years back; a song Brian said was written especially to be a song that men could embrace in a corporate worship setting.)
On Songs for the Journey, Volume One the goal is to begin working sequentially through the book of Psalms, hence this album covers the first ten, with two bonus tracks. Yes, this is an ambitious project! The group used crowd-funding to partially underwrite the launch of the first project and probably would need to do that again to create successive volumes, as this has not been produced for a major label.
You can listen to an audio sample from Psalm 3, at the band’s website by clicking here, or watch a video from a Christian television program here and here. The physical album is currently only available in Canada, but elsewhere customers can download it from iTunes.
Again, there’s a lot going on in the Psalms that we miss, and this project accurately captures both the tension and the wonder.
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Recording Artist Manafest Debuts as Author
There are some books that might never land on my home bookshelves that nonetheless deserve to be on our store bookshelves. One of those is Fighter by Christian music artist Manafest. Three reasons to carry this book: (1) Supporting Canadian talent, (b) touches on topics of interest to music buyers, (c) would resonate with a demographic out stores desperately want.
Ellen Graf-Martin sent me this publisher summary of the book:
Earlier this fall, rock vocalist and three-time JUNO nominee, Chris “Manafest” Greenwood released his first book and personal story, Fighter: Five Keys to Conquering Fear and Reaching Your Dreams. Named after his highest-charted song, Fighter, this book is the story of how Chris conquered his fears and found success in five stages, which he calls the anatomy of a fighter—Courage, Perseverance, Mindset, Discipline and Willpower- the five resources all readers can draw on in order to reach their dreams, no matter what they are.
The book was supported by loyal fans through a fully-funded Pledge Music campaign. As a part of this campaign, Chris is giving back and donating five per cent of the pledges to World Vision.
Chris knows what it’s like to be a fighter.
“Whether it’s family, personal, or professional, it’s been a fight,” shared Greenwood, “I’ve had the willingness to bear pain to get through all this and I’m winning now. Fighter was made to keep bringing a light to people; keep fighting.”
After losing his father to suicide at age five, fear and insecurity took hold of him and Chris found himself with nothing to cling to but a single mom and a childhood dream of moving to California to become a professional skateboarder. Shortly after deciding to pursue a career in professional skateboarding, an injury took his dream away and showed him that God had other plans for his life. At age 18, Chris fell in love with hip-hop music, took a leap of faith and quit his corporate job to join the ranks of Toronto’s underground hip-hop scene, choosing the name “Manafest” as a reflection of his goal to manifest his dreams.
After years of fighting for success in one of the toughest industries in the world, he found himself living in his dream—a three-time JUNO award nominee, three-time Dove award nominee, Top ten Billboard charted rock artist, living in southern California, selling hundreds of thousands of records worldwide.
Fighter is available in Canada from David C. Cook, and in the U.S. from Ingram/Spring Arbor and Send-the-Light. Hardcover. ISBN 9780989160308 $19.99 US.
Redman’s 10,000 Reasons Scores Double Grammy Win
Matt Redman
In the Best Contemporary Christian Music Song category of the 2013 Grammy Awards, it was oh so close as the song Your Presence Is Heaven by Israel Houghton and New Breed tied with Matt Redman’s 10,000 Reasons. This was a songwriter award which beat out. among other songs, White Flag, on which Redman was a co-writer..
For Redman, the win was clearer in the Best Gospel / Contemporary Christian Performance category with a win for 10,000 Reasons.
The Best Gospel Song award went to the writers of Go Get It, as performed by Mary Mary.
Best Gospel Album was Gravity by LeCrae.
In a category more closely watched by readers here, Best Contemporary Christian Album, the statue went to Tobymac’s Eye On It, beating Kari Jobe’s Where I Find You, Casting Crowns’ Come to the Well, Gold by Brit Nicolle and Into the Light by Matthew West.
More info at Grammy.com
EMI Doesn’t Believe Exposure Equals Marketing
Here’s the bottom line:
If AM and FM radio were invented tomorrow, EMI would not permit any of the songs for which it owns copyright to be played. Not in Canada, anyway; or Japan which shares Canada’s fate when it comes to restricted access to songs in the EMI catalog.
But radio is how we all came to hear those songs way back when, and continued exposure means today’s artists are often covering those same songs, perpetuating the value of those copyrights.
But as a Canadian who finds myself shut out from re-experiencing thousands of music memories on YouTube, I find I can’t continue to support a company that doesn’t get it when it comes to the equation that “exposure = marketing.”
And what does EMI have to lose when the recordings in question are out of print?
As someone who sells recorded music products, any video uploads of those same songs aren’t hurting my sales; all anecdotal evidence suggests that YouTube exposure is helping my sales.
But until EMI feels that way, I have no choice but to throttle EMI-CMG products entering my store.
EMI-CMG, there’s a difference between sharing music and file sharing. YouTube posters and bloggers promote your music in the same manner as album reviews in music magazines. If you ban YouTube from being a conduit for the promotion of your copyrights, then you must immediately end your association with every radio broadcaster in the world.
Hillsong is a Top Concert Draw
Hillsong’s youth-oriented group, Hillsong United, has become the first Christian group to sell out The Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event also raised $33,000 (U.S.) for earthquake relief in New Zealand.
Rebecca St. James Engaged
Normally we don’t do Christian celebrity news here, but thought this one more significant…
The woman who has been a lead representative of Christian singles everywhere has announced that she got engaged on Christmas Day. Australian born Rebecca St. James has also been a leader in promoting sexual abstinence among young people, best remembered in her 2000 song, “Wait for Me.”
A singer, songwriter, author and actor; St. James has recorded many albums, a number of books, and was the lead in the DVD Sarah’s Choice. You can find the stats on her in this Wikipedia article.
Her fiancee is Jacob Fink, who did a two-year missions posting to South Africa, has a degree in communications and film production, worked in television and is now building a music career.
The wedding date is to be announced. More info at YourMusicZone.com.
SUMMER 2011 UPDATE: Google keeps sending people here… The happy couple is already married. Sorry you didn’t get an invite. Mine got lost in the mail.
Sarah Palin’s Alaska Homecoming: Gaithers Get Political
That’s Sarah Palin to the right of Bill Gaither. This is the cover of the new Gaither video Alaskan Homecoming which releases early February. It is paired with another CD and DVD release called Majesty. Sarah Palin has certainly put Alaska in the news recently so we felt she belonged on this particular Homecoming DVD. That’s why we added her. It was a slow news day. If we hadn’t someone else would have. But think of the possibilities. Jeff and Sheri Easter join Buddy Green and the Gaither Vocal Band on the hunt for wild caribou. It would probably sell more copies. But can she sing?
Steve Bell Featured in Report On Business
Canada’s leading Christian male vocalist, Steve Bell, was featured on the weekend in Report on Business, the monthly glossy magazine supplement to Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe & Mail.
The article, entitled Digital revolution inspires musician to take different path; begins with the story so familiar to our Canadian readers, the growth of Steve’s music ministry and Signpost Music with partner Dave Zeglinski. But then…
Five years ago, Mr. Bell and Mr. Zeglinski begun to notice change in the industry…
First, the music industry began migrating to the Internet. The digitization of music had dire consequences on Mr. Bell. It meant that people were less inclined to pay $20 for an album, particularly when they could buy a used copy for a fraction of the price or download some – or all – of the albums online.
In addition, many specialty faith-based bookstores were either shutting down or going broke… This shift was critical to Mr. Bell as each independent’s closing meant one less distribution point for albums and concert tickets. In a world increasingly moving toward iTunes, Amazon.com and the Big-Box model, old distribution formulas were being shaken…
Complicating matters was the fact that recording a digital product had become so easy; meaning, essentially anyone could get into the ‘music ministry’ business. Adding insult to injury, many of these new entrants were willing to cut their album and ticket prices…
Mr. Bell was fond of an Old Testament-inspired maxim that said “You can’t see the new Jerusalem if you can’t leave the old Egypt.” But what exactly, he and Mr. Zeglinski wondered, did the “new Jerusalem” look like? And while he knew he almost certainly had to let go of some parts of his old business model, what parts were essential to keep?
The article then lists some of the elements of the “different way” of making music the pair are utilizing
…This ‘different way’ meant making some tough choices; one of which included releasing all of the artists they’d brought into Signpost only a few years earlier in order to focus exclusively on Mr. Bell’s music.
A second key change was moving toward articulating a new business model; more specifically, a new funding model that included the launch of IncarNATION Ministries. The organization was created to allow Mr. Bell’s supporters to become modern-day ‘patrons of the arts.’…
…A third key change involved seeking grants available to registered Canadian arts groups, which included Signpost Music. While IncarNATION …had already been in action since 2004, recently it became evident that fundraising efforts needed to be stepped-up…
Click here to link to the entire Report on Business article by Reg Litz.
In another Steve Bell story linked on Wednesday at Thinking Out Loud; Christian Week is reporting that Kindness, Bell’s latest album features a title song written by Brian McLaren. Yes. That Brian McLaren.
…Brian McLaren, the controversial evangelical pastor, author and speaker, wrote the title track.
“Here’s a fellow who has written some books that have really stressed a lot of people out! And for good reason! But the vitriol that he has received back because of it is shocking,” Bell says. “The mean-spirited responses and almost the hatred that has come from [some] Christians is almost overwhelming. So I found it quite moving that he would be the one to write a song called ‘Kindness.'”
As Bell studied the word “kindness,” he realized the magnitude of it, particularly its root in the word “kin.”
“The only motivation that will ever sustain kindness in the long run is going to be a deep appreciation of a fundamental kinship between all things,” Bell says, adding that it goes back to the kinship in the trinity; “the Son loving the Father and vice versa; “which ultimately results in the Father’s love for us.
“So all of a sudden a word like kindness —kindness — you realize this is no soft word,” Bell says. “This is a big word. This is not sentimental, it’s not sweet … this is [the] fabric of life.”
Continue reading all of Aaron Epp’s article at Christian Week.
As we prepared this story on Friday night to kick off a new year at Christian Book Shop Talk, Steve Bell was experiencing one of the hazards of being a musician on the road: Stuck in Fargo, North Dakota; unable to make it home for New Year’s Eve.
George Beverly Shea To Receive Lifetime Achievement Grammy
From Christian Telegraph:
“America’s Beloved Gospel Singer” and longtime Billy Graham Crusade soloist George Beverly Shea received an early Christmas present this year, learning last week that The Recording Academy has decided to honor him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in conjunction with the 2011 GRAMMY Awards, reports Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST Ministries.
“I was surprised to receive the call from The Recording Academy president before Christmas and am honored for the recognition,” Shea said. “The music has been for God’s glory.”
According to a news release from A. Larry Ross Communications, Shea, who will turn 102 years-old the week before receiving this honor, is among the oldest living persons to be honored by The Recording Academy. He is still performing publicly, having sung at several Christmas concerts near his home in Asheville, N.C.
Last month, he joined longtime colleagues Billy Graham and Cliff Barrows at an event in Charlotte celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Over his musical and ministry career spanning more than 80 years, Shea has produced more than 70 albums of hymns, including nine CDs, with RCA and Word Records. He has already received ten nominations and one Grammy Award (1965) from The Recording Academy.
Shea’s 2011 Special Merit Award co-recipients are Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, the Juilliard String Quartet, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton and the Ramones. According to The Recording Academy’s website (www.grammy.com), the Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium, and is determined by vote of The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees.
“It is a great honor to recognize and celebrate such a distinguished and dynamic group of honorees who have been the creators of such timeless art,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. “These influential performers and brilliant innovators have been of great inspiration to our culture and industry. Their legendary work has left a lasting impression and will continue to influence generations to come.”
The award recipients will be honored at a special invitation-only ceremony during GRAMMY Week on Feb. 12, 2011, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, which will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
2011 Grammy Award Christian Music Nominees
This list covers the gospel categories only as announced on Wednesday and does not include Christian nominees in other categories…
Note: This required a lot of editing and time did not permit readjusting the spacing; the green name or title, followed by space and then additional credits constitute a single entry. If someone wants to re-edit this and e-mail the HTML, I’ll repost it.
50. Best Gospel Performance
He Wants It All
You Hold My World
Nobody Greater
He’s Been Just That Good
Grace
51. Best Gospel Song
Beautiful Things
Better Than A Hallelujah
It’s What I Do
Our God
Return To Sender
52. Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album
Church Music
For Those Who Wait
Beautiful Things
Rehab
Hello Hurricane
53. Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
Beauty Will Rise
Love God. Love People.
Pieces Of A Real Heart
Mosaic
Tonight
54. Best Southern, Country, Or Bluegrass Gospel Album
Times Like These
The Reason
Expecting Good Things
Journey On
Live At Oak Tree: Karen Peck & New River
55. Best Traditional Gospel Album
The Experience
A City Called Heaven
Downtown Church
Here I Am
All In One
56. Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
Get Ready
Love Unstoppable
Triumphant
Aaron Sledge
Still
And The Nominees Are…
GMA Canada announces the nominees in a wide variety of categories… many of these artists have a reach beyond the Canadian border and will be known by readers in other parts of the world. There are many, many diverse categories; the list below simply reflects a few of the major award nominees.
Keeping Up With New Artists
Check out some of these artist websites:
- Josh Wilson (music starts when you arrive)
- Kerrie Roberts (watch the 4-minute video about her life)
- Chris August (hit the play button under the album graphic)
- The Museum (click on media page; then try the 3rd video)
- Dave Barnes (click on video page and select the 1st video)
Each one of these web pages will help you (and/or your music buyer) get to know artists your customers are hearing on Christian radio.
It’s interesting that while publishers are keeping busy sending out review copies of books to social media (such as blogs) I’ve never seen a blog carry a review of a Christian album that had been sent to them for review purposes. All the albums reviewed here and at Thinking Out Loud were actually purchased as demos from our own store to review.
Thanks for help finding these artists to 20-The Countdown Magazine.
Christian Book Shop Talk 