Shout out to musicians

[michaeljw]

Greetings all.

I’m an engineer by day, but on weekends I’m a guitarist/vocalist. I started playing guitar at age 8, began playing guitar at mass in high school, and have been a liturgical musician ever since. I play a Taylor acoustic 812. Where I am, contemporary music at mass is beginning to wane, and we’re seeing a return to traditional hymns and Gregorian chant. So lately, I’ve been working more on training my voice for those musical styles. I’m also trying to get enough secular music memorized that I could maybe play at a local coffee shop - just something to keep the guitar playing up.

I’m also a huge prog-rock fan (Rush/Yes/Dream Theater are the big three). I just downloaded Dream Theater’s new single, and I can’t get enough. I’ve had a dream of recording a Christian prog CD for several years now. I’ve recorded several tracks, but not being an electric guitarist (and not really schooled in composition), I’m limited in what I can do. I’ve been hoping to find a local Catholic guitar player with the chops to play something approaching Petrucci. - (I don’t expect perfection, but I want it to sound better than a garage band). Anyone know anyone in Phoenix?

Have you heard of Amaze.fm? Talk radio host Hugh Hewitt has created a website where musicians can post their original work. Then people vote on their favorites, and the highest rated song gets played on his radio talk show on Fridays. My hope is to someday make the cut.

Peace - Mike

 

[adrian91706]

I have been in Music ministry since age 15 and am now a music director for the Youth Mass. I love the christian rock scene. I find that you Jesus speaks to us in all kinds of styles. After all, He created us in his Image and blessed us with so Much culture, not limited to just one style. I come from Post Vatican era when guitars were a big instrument to use and the style was that of the St Louis Jesuits and Dameans to name a few folk groups from the 70’s. Yes, I love Gregorian chant, but I love the Modern Praise & Worship style that our Protestant brothers have had a big influence on us Catholic Contempory Musicians.You can see the style in Matt Maher one of our Major Catholic Artist who is leading the way in Modern Worship Music in the Church. Unfortunately for so many Catholics they do not know this style as many just choose to leave Jesus Music in the Church on sundays and go home and listen to Secular music. For many of us catholic musicians, I find us taking the modern worship style , home and in our cars becuase the style speaks our culture wich can consist of Rock , Jazz, Pop and so many styles , we as americans were raised with. My biggest influences of Pop /Rock Christian music is The David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, Third Day and of course our Catholic Brother Matt Maher. …St Agustine said "He who Sings Prays Twice.

 

[PoliSciProf]

Thanks for the links. I look forward to watching and hearing them. I’ve always wanted to delve into jazz, but have yet to make the effort. A jazz guitarist I know told me a good place to start would be with the late, great Miles Davis.

I know and use jazz chords in my music, but the closest songwriting influence I have to jazz is Steely Dan.

You can’t go wrong with Miles. The single most influential album in jazz hhistory was his Kind of Blue. Sixty years later it still sounds fresh. There are several books about the making of this major piece of music. Miles himself thought the best jazz musician was Louis Armstrong (he once said, “no him, no me”) and he was right but Satchmo never cut a record like Kind of Blue. Jon Hendricks has a nice vocalization of Fredie Freeloader (no connection to the Red Skelton character but a reference to a moocher who hung out with Miles’ band.)