Vic Rivera contacted me about CRUNCH participating in a benefit cd for a British radio station. I was happy to do it! Vic is a stellar melodic rock writer so I knew it would be a great track. What this blog is about is not so much about the song as it is about how it was recorded.
Crunch is a New York City band (I don’t know if you know this, but it’s a long way from Ft. Branch, Indiana. ) But that doesn’t stop us from making music together. The song is called “The World That We Knew” and it’s a basic rock set up of guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. Vic plays guitar but also got his start as a drummer. Eddie Campbell plays guitar (ferociously) and Doug Odell plays bass. And of course, I sing.
Vic sent us a rough track of the song to lay down our individual parts. Vic doing his at Red Five Studios in the Bronx, Doug laid down bass at The Panic Room in Long Island, Eddie played his leads in his home studio (which is just a few doors down from Vic), and I sang in my dining room at home. We were never actually together at any point. But we still created music. This would not be possible 10 years ago. My how things have changed!
So, I sent my tracks from Indiana to Vic in New York on Saturday night, He mixes on Sunday then sends it to England where it will go to manufacturing on Tuesday for a release at the Firefest Festival. Kaboom! That was fast!
I’m extremely tired as I type this so forgive me if it’s rambling or somewhat incoherent. But I was genuinely impressed with how this recording session went down. I kind of believed my recording days were going the way of the buffalo, but after this weekend, I assume you’ll be hearing a lot more outta me. It’s just too easy. And……wait for it…… IT WAS FUN!
True Peace-
jamie ¶ 9/30/2008 0 Comments
Is anyone really paying attention?
If you haven’t figured this out by now: I really enjoy blogging!
It’s a freeing form of expression and hopefully entertains and stimulates thought and discussion. I too read the blogs of others and always enjoy passing on things I feel are worthwhile.
Most folks know that I work in the Christian music business. Being an artist once upon a time gives me a bit different perspective on marketing. Obviously, we entered into a digital revolution about 9 years ago that has changed EVERYTHING! Traditional music sales have plummeted while other forms of entertainment (such as video games & personal computers) have experienced rapid growth. I think the problem is that the music industry was slow to respond to the changing culture of its core consumers…and in turn has entered a state of panic and survival. Face it, the modern attention span has shrunk. People get bored easily and want to move onto the “next thrill”. If you are not responding to the cultural changes, you are going to be left behind. I can’t recall where I heard this phrase but I’ve held it deep for a few years: “Change is inevitable. You can embrace it, and learn how to benefit from it, or you will get run over by it.”
I think in the digital age, it’s essential to embrace change. In my field of work, it’s not a choice anymore. In fact, if that mentality was adopted sooner, the thousands of music industry employees who have been layed off the past few years might still have jobs.
I see parallels in other arenas. Take the church for example. Have you noticed something missing? I have, it’s those in the 19-30 age groups. Why? Many reasons I’m sure, but I think a large one is that church culture didn’t grow in line with the culture outside of the church.
I think a great example of a church who is meeting cultural needs is Granger Community Church in Northern Indiana. They don’t compromise Truth, the atmosphere doesn’t feel like a heavily edited version of real life, they seem to value people over tradition…and guess what? There is no shortage of the 19-30 demographic. Why? Could it be that they responded to cultural change and altered their approach so that they wouldn’t lose generations to come? We need to realize that if we don’t reach future generations, then the church will eventually be empty. People will view church as irrelevant, and in turn will likely project those feelings onto God.
Okay, back on track. I wanted to pass on this excerpt from an article I read about the modern attention span. There’s some good info here….read on!
Peace-
jamie
The part of your brain located between the medulla oblongata and the midbrain is something called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). The RAS is something like a filter between your conscious and subconscious. It’s involved in primitive functions like the ability to be awake or asleep, and the ability to direct attention toward certain stimuli.
“The job of the RAS is to filter and screen all incoming stimuli and ‘decide’ which stimuli should merit the attention of the conscious,” writes Dr. Kathie Nunley. There is a hierarchy at play that determines what our brains decide to pay attention to. Physical needs come first, but after that our brains tend to gravitate toward novel experiences. Our shortened attention spans can be blamed on the heightened pace at which we encounter these novel experiences in today’s media saturated world.
“At one time a young child could master or learn his surroundings and they remained relatively unchanged. A toy or two, a dozen people, a home sparsely decorated. Even the world outside the home had relatively limited novelty to offer after the first few years of ones’ life. This allowed the RAS and attention to be drawn to other things, primarily self-made choices and more complex types of thinking and learning of abstract concepts,” says Nunley.
Today, though, television, the Internet, and other external stimuli “have trained our minds to perceive and interpret quickly and be ready to accept the next presentation.” That’s why we have trouble reading long articles — our brains are ready to jump to the next stimuli before we’ve fully absorbed the first.
(Note, newer research has presented more complex models of how we pay attention to things, but they’re really beyond the scope of this blog post.)
In a time where we have a Wall Street meltdown, unsure political future, ridiculous gasoline prices, and the daily grind….there are still moments that show you what life is all about.
Watching Christian and Kaitlyn this past Saturday compete with the Gibson Southern Marching Titans, Heather and I were proud parents! Playing “The Music Of Metallica”, We watched them take away the first place award in their division. They also took the awards for best color guard and best percussion. Though it’s a high school marching band, they have invited a few from the middle school to be apart as well. Christian is in 8th grade and Kaitlyn is in 6th - I am excited that they are a part. The band kids have a special bond.
Here are a couple pics from Saturday
Kaitlyn in the middle.
Christian marches during the first half then finishes up in the percussion pit.
Hope you have a great week!
Peace-
jamie
¶ 9/22/2008 0 Comments
Check out these thoughts that apply to all segments of life...
-jamie
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I’m on a management retreat these last couple days. I’m taking away some profound wisdom, vision, and tons of twitter quotes. Only problem is this retreat has a mandatory no cell phones or laptops rule. Which actually brings a whole new level of freedom, amongst complete focus and concentration on the subject that being discussed. That really is a whole blog in itself.
Couple of notes I’ve taken away from the first day. You can’t think like an eagle and act like a chicken. You can’t perceive you are an eagle, or even have those aspirations and function like a chicken. An eagle soars through the air…with little effort reaching great heights and travel paths. In fact eagles thrive on high winds or storm up drafts. They actually help the eagle spread wings and ride it out.
On the flip side are the chickens. They don’t fly, they don’t even hardly look up. Chickens are subject to their surroundings and circumstances. Chickens are pecking around at the ground, scavenging for what ever they can find. They will never leverage circumstances to shine. Chickens won’t see beyond their immediate surroundings, they are predictable.
When you have distinct vision, then you really soar. When a corporate movement of people with the same core mission integrated into vision all work together…then anything is attainable. Those companies will take turbulent times and soar above them. Those companies will survive. Those companies will have perseverance. Those companies will become industry leaders.
What is your vision? What are you operating like this week? Chicken or eagle, it’s a choice…don’t let circumstances dictate where you go or who you are.
Breathe In & Smile Out,
Chris
Read the original here: http://ping.fm/qNdsA ¶ 9/19/2008 0 Comments
Random thoughts for Wednesday, September 17th….
I don’t have a single topic to devote to the blog today…But I feel the urge to write. A mid-workday diversion before I jump back in I guess. Indulge me as I subject you to my randomness……
*I want to go on the record and say that the iPhone 3g is a brilliant invention! Heather and I upgraded last Friday and we are both just in awe of the capabilities that they offer. From business functionality to entertainment, it sets the new standard! One minor drawback is the battery life runs down a bit fast if you are running a lot of apps. But, a car charger, ac outlet, or computer is almost always in reach so it’s not been an issue. Steve Jobs is worthy of his reputation as a creative genius in the tech field! Apple is forward thinking like google. I don’t believe Microsoft will disappear overnight, but I do foresee a day where they are not the normative choice for home/business computing solutions. Google now offers basically any MS Office product (with better sharing functionality) with Google Docs. And it’s free.
*If I recklessly spend my money and allow Spark Media to enter into a bankruptcy situation, will the Federal Government bail ME out? I think not. I keep hearing Obama has socialistic ideals. Evidently they are being implemented before the election as the freddiemac, fannymae, Lehman, and AIG takeovers indicate just that. A lot of hard working people just lost money and jobs and I hope the brass that caused the situation are fired and there’s not even a hint of a high dollar severance package.
*Cainotophobia – the fear of change. It’s an actual phobia. Fortunately, I believe God can perform the miracle of healing.
*One of my artists for Integrity Music is Parachute Band. I believe they have the best looking MySpace layout around right now. While Parachute Music created the awesome graphics, The Fresh Aesthetics crew out of Australia did the coding for it and as usual, they amaze. I love you Raj and Sam!
*”Ike” blew through Southwestern Indiana on Sunday. All I can say is Wow! Lots of wind related damage and power outages. I can only imagine what it was like hitting head on in Texas.
*As most of you know, I am a Twitter fanatic! I tried a new iPhone app, GPSTWIT, that allows me to use my GPS to send along my locations whenever I tweet. I also encourage all of you who are Twitter folks to use ping.fm. It allows you to update status on multiple sites at once so you are not having to enter facebook, myspace, LinkedIn, etc each time you wanna’ update. In fact, this blog is being sent out through Ping!
*Guardian will in fact play the RockVida Festval in Buenes Aries, Argentina on December 6th. I am taking Christian with me for our first father/son out of country outing. I love Argentina so I am stoked he’ll get to go. Also, Tony Palacios is playing with us so you will have the classic Guardian lineup! The attendance is predicted at over 100,000 people. Funny, 8 years after Guardian basically ceases, we’ll play the biggest show of our career! I am tempted to ask everyone in the audience if I can have just 1 dollar. Haha!
*Speaking of music, I am gonna’ sing down a new Crunch track in the next few days for a special benefit record for a radio show in the United Kingdom. I haven’t heard it yet, but it’s a Vic Rivera track so I’m sure it’s stellar!
*I want to learn how to make Pad Thai. But am scared that if I learn, I will be ever fatter than I already am…in fact, I know it!
*Cool weather indicating summer’s end surrounds us. It’s quite nice!
*If you are in the mood for entertainment, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHH_HYSkH8
*I realized again last night how much I enjoy the fellowship of our Tuesday night small group. I am fortunate to be in a mix of quality people who each bring a unique perspective on life and seeking Christ. I hope if you are reading this and have an opportunity to be in a small group/fellowship that you’ll dive in!
*That’s all for now…thanks for your time!
jamie
jamie
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Mother Teresa, internationally famed humanitarian and advocate for the poor, once said "There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."
I think this is such a powerful statement because appreciation is such a powerful tool, and when people are appreciated, it brings about a huge sense of accomplishment, value, power, and happiness to their life.
The great part about appreciating others is that it's easy!
So, who have you appreciated today?
I'd like to encourage you to think about who you have (or haven't) appreciated lately. Take just a minute or two to write people's names down...and the next time you see them, make a point to appreciate them for the blessings they bring to your life. ¶ 9/12/2008 0 Comments
Ok, while I am stoked about the record number of views the last 2 blogs have gotten, I'm going to say one more thing and then move on...
I simply ask: How many people have left the church because it was too loving, too compassionate, too caring, too inclusive, too accepting, etc...?
I'm guessing hardly anyone.
But on the flip side, how many have left because it was not compassionate, not caring, not inclusive, not accepting, etc...?
I think if we knew the real number, we would find it sickening.
During the Guardian days, we worked closely with an organization called World Vision. Today, I was reminded of their theme: "Let our hearts be broken by the things that break the heart of God".
Let me not just hear those words, help me live it. I need to be more compassionate myself. Really, I do.
Ok, I have worked with Slanted Records recording artists DecembeRadio for 2 years now.
This last week, their new CD "Satisfied" became the number 3 Christian album in the US!
I take personal pleasure in knowing that I am a part of the team that helped launch this new disc.
The subsequent success it is receiving is well deserved by a talented and great group of guys.
They are “road dogs” who always make time for their fans. Head over to Wal-Mart or iTunes and pick up a copy!
Speaking of work, Last month I signed an agreement to work most of the artists on Integrity Music.
I've said this before but allow me to repeat myself, Integrity Music is possibly the finest record label making Christian music available today.
The direct focus on the church is outstanding! The staff treats me like extended family.
They set a standard in my eyes.
If you are unaware of Integrity, you will likely know the songs they release as they are typically some of the most known songs in the modern church. Visit their website here.
Have a great weekend....if you go to church this Sunday for any other reason than to worship and have an encounter with God....then I would suggest you stay home and get a few more hours of sleep!
Only by His grace-
jamie
Labels: church, decemberadio, integrity, jamie, jamierowe, media, music, rowe, spark, worship
¶ 9/05/2008 1 Comments
I was happy to see such a great response to yesterdays blog (“Church”)!
The comments have been flowing in from email, posts, phone calls, and even in person!
Thanks to everyone who passed the blog onto others. I felt like it needed to be said..and the feedback suggests a resounding YES…I wasn’t EVEN CLOSE to being alone.
I want no part of a social club, if I did, I’d find one without the bickering. Ha!
But, I do want (NEED!) a place of worship where I can be with other believers in seeking, praising, and growing closer to God.
A place that welcomes everyone…realizing that we ALL fall short and need the Saviour.
And yes, that includes welcoming those who make audacious comments like the one I mentioned in the blog. Christ can do a wonderful work through that person despite their short-comings.
Comments:
Seeing her comment makes me think of a lyric from Todd Agnew’s My Jesus where it says:
“My Jesus would never be accepted in my church,
His blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet”
I think those who “don’t look like us” are exactly the ones you want coming in each and every Sunday. Think about it, if Jesus was walking the earth this Sunday would he be in a church or hanging out on the streets with the lost, or in a corner bar? We as christians I think need to do everything short of sinning to get people to church, once they are there God will do the rest.
Great post Jamie and I can’t wait to see more conversation on this topic.
Derek Chalfant - September 4, 2008 at 10:31 am
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Oh no, you aren’t alone.
When I hear things like this I remember this verse:
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” -Luke 5:31-32 NIV
I know that Jesus really meant that there’s no additional saving to be done if they are already saved, but I also like to look at it as Jesus didn’t care how a person looked or whatnot, he was only concerned that they were not saved.
Commedian Dennis Miller once said something like “The Bible tells us that God created us in his own image and I gotta tell ya, I just don’t think he’d wear his hair like that.”
Ed - September 4, 2008 at 2:31 pm
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Oh my freakin goodness. All I know to say is "Amen". I would so love to elaborate, but this captures my heart's words completely. You were reading my mind...
Posted by Scott on Sep 3, 2008 4:33 PM
Posted by kacy on Sep 4, 2008 12:35 PM
I couldn't have said it better myself. I'm a delivery driver for pizza hut and one time I made a delivery to a church. I was greeted at the door by a guy who said he was taking me into the "Lions Den" and "if I wasn't a Christian now, I'd be one before I left. Sanctified by the blood." Now, thats good and all I got a laugh out of it (the guy didnt though...he was serious) because I'm a christian and I get all the lingo. But what if I wasn't? What if I was on the verge of it and standing on the edge of the blade? It would've been tipped the other way because of some "Charasmaniac". Too many times there are Christians who do more harm to the Kingdom than good. I used to work at CBN (The 700 club with Pat Robertson!! I cut his grass at his house...seriously) and now I never wanna work for a Chistian organization again. I'm sick of the moopy, complaining, arrogant, ignorant, holier-than-thou, "My God told me what to do and I dont care what you have to say about it even though you're my boss" type of Christians. They do nothing to further the Kingdom and hold back the ones who want to go for greater things. The ones who spend 24 hours a day in a church and dont work there are even worse. But thats a whole other issue. In all, I wish Christians would grow up and move on past all this "Religious" crap. Thanks for the post, Jamie. God bless!
Posted by Redd on Sep 4, 2008 12:12 AM
i always love the way god shows himself OUTSIDE the church all the time!!
bless!cesar
im closer to god than ever, but far from church than ever...
Posted by LA CAIMANERA on Sep 4, 2008 2:51 PM
She told a staff member:
“ I don’t like all the new people, they don’t look like us”
My impulse was anger, but now it’s given way to sadness. In a church that was stuggling to survive (with an average attendance of 93 on Sunday) just 5 years ago, it’s now between 250-300 on any given Sunday. That would mean that the MAJORITY are ‘new people’.
Check out this scripture in light of the above statement:
Matthew 25:38-40 (New King James Version)
38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
I want to say so much more...but you likely see the whole point by now. I'm tired of people treating the church like a private club, I'm tired of people bickering, I'm tired of leadership getting beat up because insecure people want to feel important. I'm tired of it, I'm guessing I'm not EVEN CLOSE to being alone on this.
This morning, Bob Lotich posted a great blog that says what I think a lot of people are feeling, read on:
Why I've Run From Churches
by Bob Lotich
Let me start by saying that I have been planted in my current church for over 10 years. I deeply believe in the value of staying in the church that God plants you in rather than just leaving as soon as you get offended. That said, I have lived in a few different cities and have visited quite a few churches in each one when trying to find out where to land. I have seen some wonderful things and I have seen some things that made me want to run for the doors. These are the things that caused me to run for the door:
Everything was mediocre.
Mediocrity has been too prevalent in the church today. Be it marketing, music, teaching, evangelism or anything else, it should be excellent. Just a few hundred years ago the greatest music, paintings, literature, etc. were glorifying God. It offends me that the word "Christian" is used as an adjective that is synonymous with mediocre by some non-Christians. It should not be.
The place was full of strife.
The Bible has some very strong things to say about strife and it also says that they will know that we are Christians by the love that we have for one another (John 13:35).
Back-biting, selfish-ambition and gossip are things that I expect to see on a soap-opera, not in my church. I realize that people are not perfect and that everyone makes a mistake, but when I see strife as a defining characteristic of a church it makes me want to look elsewhere.
There was an unwillingness to adapt.
Paul became all things to all people in order that he could win them. I am reminded of a church near me that built a state-of-the-art skate park in order to give a young and notoriously rebellious generation a place to skate--all in order to win them to Jesus.
Another church I know of created a haunted house to compete with all the others during the Halloween season. The house shows the scariest thing--hell. It then shows the visitors Jesus and why he died. It is top-notch and thousands of people wait in line for hours each year to get in.
They tickled the ears of the congregation.
There are a lot of people who do not want to be challenged in their faith walk. They want what they believe preached to them, rather than having the truth preached to them. It is easy for churches to get caught up in just trying to keep the congregation happy rather than speaking the truth of the Bible.
The real truth is that churches like this are doing a tremendous disservice to the kingdom of God and to the congregants themselves. The congregants who refuse to grow end up hanging around, while the hungry Christians take off to some place where they can have the unfiltered truth spoken to them.
It is not led with passion.
I want to follow a leader who believes what he is saying. Someone who is not just speaking words that he read, but rather speaking with truths that have changed his life and the corresponding passion that follows.
It is impossible for someone to truly be passionate about something that they are not sure about. I want to follow a leader who has seen God work in his life and who has seen the Word change him in real and practical ways.
Final thoughts
There is a new breed that is rebelling against the self-satisfying lifestyles they see all around them. They are eager to be challenged and are willing to lay down their lives for the call. This provides a great opportunity for churches to step up and create a church they want to go to.
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God is still God.
Peace-
jamie
Labels: branch, church, fort, jamie, pastor, rowe
¶ 9/03/2008 0 Comments
Labels: browser, chrome, computers, google, innovation, jamie, jamierowe, rowe, tech
¶ 9/02/2008 0 Comments
