Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Actually, I hope you're not actually spending today reading blogs, so ideally you're reading this at a time when it would make more sense for me to say "hope you had a great Thanksgiving."
Either way, I've got another video for you.
After watching the last one, I was thinking that maybe I did too much talking, and didn't get to the awesome-face-rocking soon enough. So I decided that this time I'd just upload the song without the "here's how I wrote it" stuff. If you really must hear me talk about these things, you're welcome to come see me play sometime soon. Info on upcoming shows can be found here and here.
Anyway, the new video is below. For some reason, if you watch it here on the blog, I'm like half out of the shot. It's framed better here.
A little bit of back story:
I actually didn't want to play this tune on my ukelele, but we were at Jeff's house, and my acoustic was locked up in a church building for a gig we were doing that evening, so I just went with the uke. It turned out pretty good anyway, and made for a nice, different-sounding arrangement.
Also, this arrangement is in A, while the version on the album is in Bflat. Again, that wasn't something we planned. It just turned out that we only had one capo, and I wanted it for the uke, since I can only play like 6-7 chords on it (mainly chords in D, G, and E), and Jeff didn't want to play acoustic in actual Bflat. I know, that's all terribly hacky, but there you go.
Having said all that, I think this turned out really good.
Enjoy, and please go buy and tell your friends!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Mo Vid Yo
Hello.
A quick update. The CD is selling great. I mean, it kind of has to sell great, because in about 40 days, sales will drop off like crazy. So it's good news that the CD is selling well. Thanks to everyone who bought it, and special thanks to anyone who told someone else to buy it or bought several to give away. If you have the project and like it, please tell your friends. You are my PR firm, people. The pay ain't great, but... well, the pay ain't great.
Secondly, I'm working like mad on a new website, and it's just taking longer than I'd hoped. The RK World Tour office is rather spartan in it's personnel, so it takes us a bit longer to roll out these big changes than it sometimes ought to. Hopefully I'll have it rolling the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Finally, in my continued efforts to drum up interest in the record, I've got another video to show you. Check it out and feel free to send your "I don't know if I want to buy another Christmas record, especially from some goober that I've never heard of" friends to it.
A quick update. The CD is selling great. I mean, it kind of has to sell great, because in about 40 days, sales will drop off like crazy. So it's good news that the CD is selling well. Thanks to everyone who bought it, and special thanks to anyone who told someone else to buy it or bought several to give away. If you have the project and like it, please tell your friends. You are my PR firm, people. The pay ain't great, but... well, the pay ain't great.
Secondly, I'm working like mad on a new website, and it's just taking longer than I'd hoped. The RK World Tour office is rather spartan in it's personnel, so it takes us a bit longer to roll out these big changes than it sometimes ought to. Hopefully I'll have it rolling the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Finally, in my continued efforts to drum up interest in the record, I've got another video to show you. Check it out and feel free to send your "I don't know if I want to buy another Christmas record, especially from some goober that I've never heard of" friends to it.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
another fun video! it's like actual marketing.
Yep, here's something else for you to watch. I know I always love to have videos of me to watch, and if you're like me, then you do too.
Seriously, go watch this. My pal Andrew Kilzer shot and edited it.
Seriously, go watch this. My pal Andrew Kilzer shot and edited it.
A weekend of great causes
Hey! Quick Update!
The CD will be out this Friday. I'll be mailing them this weekend to anyone who has pre-ordered. If you want the pre-order price, you've got 3 days left!
Now, onto upcoming dates:
If you're in the Central TX area, there are two great opportunities this weekend to give your money, your time, and your ears.
First, this Friday, I'll be in Waco, joining Brett and Emily Mills and James Mark Gulley for a night of great music and powerful stories of redemption. Jesus Said Love is an amazing ministry, bringing light and hope to dark and hopeless places. All the info you need is here, and of course you can just email me or leave a comment on this post and if you want more info.
Second, this Saturday I'll be playing here in BCS for Hope Pregnancy, a wonderful group of folks who reach out to young women who find themselves unexpectedly with child. As an adoptive father, I am deeply grateful to ministries like this, because they play a huge part in the way that infertile couples get babies! That's obviously a self-centered way to look at it, I know, but there you go. They do lots of great stuff and they need money to do it. So come see us or, at the very least, go find a ministry like this and give them some of the money that you'd use to buy unnecessary stuff.
As always, I'm thankful to be playing music, especially for great causes like this. What a great job I have.
The CD will be out this Friday. I'll be mailing them this weekend to anyone who has pre-ordered. If you want the pre-order price, you've got 3 days left!
Now, onto upcoming dates:
If you're in the Central TX area, there are two great opportunities this weekend to give your money, your time, and your ears.
First, this Friday, I'll be in Waco, joining Brett and Emily Mills and James Mark Gulley for a night of great music and powerful stories of redemption. Jesus Said Love is an amazing ministry, bringing light and hope to dark and hopeless places. All the info you need is here, and of course you can just email me or leave a comment on this post and if you want more info.
Second, this Saturday I'll be playing here in BCS for Hope Pregnancy, a wonderful group of folks who reach out to young women who find themselves unexpectedly with child. As an adoptive father, I am deeply grateful to ministries like this, because they play a huge part in the way that infertile couples get babies! That's obviously a self-centered way to look at it, I know, but there you go. They do lots of great stuff and they need money to do it. So come see us or, at the very least, go find a ministry like this and give them some of the money that you'd use to buy unnecessary stuff.
As always, I'm thankful to be playing music, especially for great causes like this. What a great job I have.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Vidyo.
Hey. Have you bought the Christmas album yet from Ross "talks about himself in the 3rd person" King? Well, you should.
But either way, watch the video below.
My good pal and resident idea-guy/consultant/creative genius Andrew Kilzer shot and edited the "bumper" thing at the beginning. We're still working out the kinks on it, but I thought it looked cool enought to try it out. It's not like I'm known for super-professional-looking videos.
Anyway, check it:
But either way, watch the video below.
My good pal and resident idea-guy/consultant/creative genius Andrew Kilzer shot and edited the "bumper" thing at the beginning. We're still working out the kinks on it, but I thought it looked cool enought to try it out. It's not like I'm known for super-professional-looking videos.
Anyway, check it:
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
News and things of that nature
OK, first of all, a big thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered the new album. I’m so thankful to have your trust and, well, your money. For those of you who haven’t ordered yet, there’s still time. I’ll be doing pre-orders for another 7-10 days. Go here to order for a discount.
And of course, as most of you know, I’m running a sale right now on my back catalog. All of my older CD’s (except for the ones that are out of print), are $5 for a limited time. I’ll probably extend this sale for another 2-3 weeks. Go here to buy cheap stuff!
Barring any weird surprises, the new CD – The Christmas Stories – will release between Nov 11th and 15th. I will alert everyone as soon as I have them, so that you can have some idea of when to expect them in the mail.
The album should be available for download –on iTunes, Amazon, etc – a few days before the actual CD is released. Probably early next week.
Now some tour/concert news. Below you will find my travel calendar thru Christmas. All dates subject to change, but I doubt that will happen. All these are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Nov 6 – Kids’ concert in Houston, TX. I think this show is closed, but if you have questions, call me and I’ll see if I can get you in.
Nov 7 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Nov 12 – benefit concert for Jesus Said Love in Waco, TX. This show has a ticket price, but there are two other acts playing, and the proceeds go to fund an awesome ministry, so it’s worth it. More info here.
Nov 13 – benefit for Hope Pregnancy in Bryan, TX. This is the kind of ministry that, among other things, allows couples like me and Staci to get babies even though we can't make 'em the "normal" way. Support this!
Nov 14 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Nov 21 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Dec 3 – Christmas concert at The Village Café in Bryan.
Dec 4 – Christmas concert in Tyler, TX at this church.
Dec 5 – Leading worship in Tyler, TX at this church (same place as the night before).
Dec 8 – Christmas concert in Richardson, TX at this church.
Dec 10 – House concert in Arlington, TX.
Dec 12 -- Christmas concert for my peeps at Community Church in College Station, TX.
Dec 17 – Christmas concert in Houston, TX (details coming).
Dec 19 – leading worship, doing mini-concert in Arlington, TX for this church.
As always, if you have questions about any of these shows, leave a comment on the blog, email me, or contact me thru facebook or twitter or whatever.
If you’d like to host me for a house concert (or whatever) sometime in the next 2 months, please let me know. House concerts are free as long as you provide me some food and invite lots of friends!
Finally, my new website should be up around the time that the CD is released, if not sooner. Be on the lookout for that.
And of course, as most of you know, I’m running a sale right now on my back catalog. All of my older CD’s (except for the ones that are out of print), are $5 for a limited time. I’ll probably extend this sale for another 2-3 weeks. Go here to buy cheap stuff!
Barring any weird surprises, the new CD – The Christmas Stories – will release between Nov 11th and 15th. I will alert everyone as soon as I have them, so that you can have some idea of when to expect them in the mail.
The album should be available for download –on iTunes, Amazon, etc – a few days before the actual CD is released. Probably early next week.
Now some tour/concert news. Below you will find my travel calendar thru Christmas. All dates subject to change, but I doubt that will happen. All these are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Nov 6 – Kids’ concert in Houston, TX. I think this show is closed, but if you have questions, call me and I’ll see if I can get you in.
Nov 7 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Nov 12 – benefit concert for Jesus Said Love in Waco, TX. This show has a ticket price, but there are two other acts playing, and the proceeds go to fund an awesome ministry, so it’s worth it. More info here.
Nov 13 – benefit for Hope Pregnancy in Bryan, TX. This is the kind of ministry that, among other things, allows couples like me and Staci to get babies even though we can't make 'em the "normal" way. Support this!
Nov 14 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Nov 21 -- leading worship in The Woodlands, TX for this church.
Dec 3 – Christmas concert at The Village Café in Bryan.
Dec 4 – Christmas concert in Tyler, TX at this church.
Dec 5 – Leading worship in Tyler, TX at this church (same place as the night before).
Dec 8 – Christmas concert in Richardson, TX at this church.
Dec 10 – House concert in Arlington, TX.
Dec 12 -- Christmas concert for my peeps at Community Church in College Station, TX.
Dec 17 – Christmas concert in Houston, TX (details coming).
Dec 19 – leading worship, doing mini-concert in Arlington, TX for this church.
As always, if you have questions about any of these shows, leave a comment on the blog, email me, or contact me thru facebook or twitter or whatever.
If you’d like to host me for a house concert (or whatever) sometime in the next 2 months, please let me know. House concerts are free as long as you provide me some food and invite lots of friends!
Finally, my new website should be up around the time that the CD is released, if not sooner. Be on the lookout for that.
Monday, October 25, 2010
It's the "Ross Needs More Fans SALE!!!"
The Christmas record is pre-selling, at a discount, right here! Go buy it, please! And tell your friends.
Also, in celebration of the new project, I'm running a sale of my entire back catalog. Normally, my CD's are $12 at my online store ($10 plu $2 shipping), but for the next couple of weeks, I'm running a super-cheap sale. All my CD's will be $7 ($5 plus $2 shipping).
Not sure if you want to buy? Well, if you're brave enough to wade thru the retro-tastic and somewhat skank-nasty myspace waters, you can hear some samples here.
So, if you've got some friends that you want to turn into crazed, maniacal Ross King fans, this is your chance to do it at a discount. Got some family that only listen to old Carman records? This is your chance to blow their minds with musical awesomeness, while also making yourself look super-generous.
Or maybe you've got some friends who you want to fool into thinking that you're now really rich! I know I do. Well, go buy a boatload of CD's and then be all like, "yeah, it's no big deal. I just buy tons of CD's cause i'm rich." Ha! They won't know you spent 5 bucks a pop on 'em! Zing!
OK, seriously, go buy some stuff.
Oh, and I'm still working on the site, so be watching for a whole new look by the end of the week.
Thanks for your support!
Also, in celebration of the new project, I'm running a sale of my entire back catalog. Normally, my CD's are $12 at my online store ($10 plu $2 shipping), but for the next couple of weeks, I'm running a super-cheap sale. All my CD's will be $7 ($5 plus $2 shipping).
Not sure if you want to buy? Well, if you're brave enough to wade thru the retro-tastic and somewhat skank-nasty myspace waters, you can hear some samples here.
So, if you've got some friends that you want to turn into crazed, maniacal Ross King fans, this is your chance to do it at a discount. Got some family that only listen to old Carman records? This is your chance to blow their minds with musical awesomeness, while also making yourself look super-generous.
Or maybe you've got some friends who you want to fool into thinking that you're now really rich! I know I do. Well, go buy a boatload of CD's and then be all like, "yeah, it's no big deal. I just buy tons of CD's cause i'm rich." Ha! They won't know you spent 5 bucks a pop on 'em! Zing!
OK, seriously, go buy some stuff.
Oh, and I'm still working on the site, so be watching for a whole new look by the end of the week.
Thanks for your support!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Merry Christmas?
The CD is done. That’s the cover up above. Photo by the great Tim and Kristen Douglass of Fidelis Photography, and design by my pal and sometime drummer Michael Steele of The Bright Company.
As for the audio part (even though my 38-year-old hotness will surely compel many to buy, I still have to have some music on the CD as well), I will be sending it off to be mastered (a process not worth explaining to those who don’t know what it is) and then duplicated within the next few days. It will be ready for download on iTunes and Amazon by the end of the month, and the actual CD’s should be out the first week of November.
I’m very excited to show you these songs. I’ll probably try to put a few preview tracks up on myspace (just because it’s got a free music player) and/or somewhere else sometime early next week.
I’ll be posting more updates frequently, but for now, here’s what you need to know.
Pre-orders will begin next week. I’ll be making the CD significantly cheaper to anyone who pre-orders. In addition, I’m going to be running a HUGE SALE on my entire back catalog, probably running thru the rest of the year, or at least until Christmas.
Oh, and I’m in the middle of a website update. That should be up early next week as well.
Finally, I’ll be announcing a bunch of shows early next week. Mainly Houston and Dallas, but probably a few other places as well. If you’re interested in hosting or helping with a show, let me know!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Progress Report
The Christmas CD is nearing completion. Basically I’m now just listening thru all the tracks and making sure that everything sounds the way I want it to sound. For the first time in several projects, Keith (co-owner of The MixLab and good pal) won’t be mixing the record. I love Keith’s mixes, but he’s wanting a little break from mixing, and I’m fine with that. My old friend (and my original partner in engineering/producing) Jon Meyer is going to mix. I’ve already started sending him stuff.
Right now, it looks like I will have no problem getting the project ready for download (on iTunes, Amazon, etc) by November 1. The actual, physical CD’s may not be out until a few days after that. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks.
I’m currently putting together concerts for the release. Right now, I have 2-3 in DFW, 1 in Houston, and 1 in Tyler. I’ll keep everyone posted, but if you’re interested in me doing something (and if you’re in TX or pretty close), let me know asap.
I plan to do some pre-sales, as well as some giveaways as previews. Keep a lookout for that stuff.
Right now, it looks like I will have no problem getting the project ready for download (on iTunes, Amazon, etc) by November 1. The actual, physical CD’s may not be out until a few days after that. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks.
I’m currently putting together concerts for the release. Right now, I have 2-3 in DFW, 1 in Houston, and 1 in Tyler. I’ll keep everyone posted, but if you’re interested in me doing something (and if you’re in TX or pretty close), let me know asap.
I plan to do some pre-sales, as well as some giveaways as previews. Keep a lookout for that stuff.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
New Christmas Project!!!
OK, I’m way behind with my updates, so I’ll try to catch you folks up just a bit.
The Christmas project, tentatively titled Christmas Stories, is well under way. Here is the song list. The first 4 on the list are the traditional/covers, and the other 7 are songs that I wrote:
The First Noel
Jingle Bells (a very fun duet with my wife!)
Joy to the World
Angels (this is a variation/re-work of “angels we have heard on high”)
Song of Gabriel
Bethlehem
Merry Christmas to All
Rise Up (co-written with Michael Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks)
My Christmas Eve (co-written with Jimmy Needham, and also a very fun duet with my wife!)
All Things New
Macy’s Parade (a very strange song which may end up being titled “Weird”)
Some of you may remember "Song of Gabriel" from way back when I had it for free download on my old site. And you may have heard "All Things New" here.
One thing that I'm really excited about is that, even on the songs that I didn't write, I added/wrote/re-worked something on the song to make it seem more personal and creative to me. Don't worry, I didn't ruin any classics (I don't think). I just did some fun little tweaks and additions that I think/hope people will enjoy.
I’m very, very excited about the record. I plan to release it on November 1. I’ll give more updates asap. Tell your friends!
But I will say that I’ve already got some Christmas concerts lined up, and I’ll be looking for more dates very soon. I’ll post about that asap.
That’s all for now. More updates soon!
The Christmas project, tentatively titled Christmas Stories, is well under way. Here is the song list. The first 4 on the list are the traditional/covers, and the other 7 are songs that I wrote:
The First Noel
Jingle Bells (a very fun duet with my wife!)
Joy to the World
Angels (this is a variation/re-work of “angels we have heard on high”)
Song of Gabriel
Bethlehem
Merry Christmas to All
Rise Up (co-written with Michael Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks)
My Christmas Eve (co-written with Jimmy Needham, and also a very fun duet with my wife!)
All Things New
Macy’s Parade (a very strange song which may end up being titled “Weird”)
Some of you may remember "Song of Gabriel" from way back when I had it for free download on my old site. And you may have heard "All Things New" here.
One thing that I'm really excited about is that, even on the songs that I didn't write, I added/wrote/re-worked something on the song to make it seem more personal and creative to me. Don't worry, I didn't ruin any classics (I don't think). I just did some fun little tweaks and additions that I think/hope people will enjoy.
I’m very, very excited about the record. I plan to release it on November 1. I’ll give more updates asap. Tell your friends!
But I will say that I’ve already got some Christmas concerts lined up, and I’ll be looking for more dates very soon. I’ll post about that asap.
That’s all for now. More updates soon!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Various Things!
Like the title says, here are some various things.
First, I meant to do this like 3-4 months ago, and I didn't, but it's not too late. My good pal Todd Wright is a fantastic songwriter. He consistently writes worship music that is singable, powerful, and has meaning. If you know anything about the "business" of worship music, you know that there's lots of fluff and "rock star" going on. That ain't Todd. He's the deal. If you don't have his All the Freed record from a few years back (which I had the honor of producing), go get it. It is, song for song, one of the top 5 worship CD's I own. No kidding.
But that's not what I want to tell you about. Go get this. It's a tune that Todd wrote a few months ago called "Maker of My Days." For some reason that completely escapes me, he decided to record it at some other studio instead of mine. In spite of that epic fail, the track turned out great. It's really a very, very good song and a great production. And hey, it's only 99 cents. I don't tell you folks to go out buy very many things (usually I tell you to buy things exclusively from me, because I am completely unfettered in my desire to pay my bills), but I feel confident about encouraging you to spend your money on this.
Second, if you haven't ever heard of these people, go read about them now. Moreover, get on their mailing list and let their powerful stories of real, on-the-edge ministry move you.
And even moreover to that first moreover (the public schools didn't teach me how to use multiple "moreovers"), find a way to support what they do. Here's just one example of the amazing stuff God is doing thru Brett and Emily.
First, I meant to do this like 3-4 months ago, and I didn't, but it's not too late. My good pal Todd Wright is a fantastic songwriter. He consistently writes worship music that is singable, powerful, and has meaning. If you know anything about the "business" of worship music, you know that there's lots of fluff and "rock star" going on. That ain't Todd. He's the deal. If you don't have his All the Freed record from a few years back (which I had the honor of producing), go get it. It is, song for song, one of the top 5 worship CD's I own. No kidding.
But that's not what I want to tell you about. Go get this. It's a tune that Todd wrote a few months ago called "Maker of My Days." For some reason that completely escapes me, he decided to record it at some other studio instead of mine. In spite of that epic fail, the track turned out great. It's really a very, very good song and a great production. And hey, it's only 99 cents. I don't tell you folks to go out buy very many things (usually I tell you to buy things exclusively from me, because I am completely unfettered in my desire to pay my bills), but I feel confident about encouraging you to spend your money on this.
Second, if you haven't ever heard of these people, go read about them now. Moreover, get on their mailing list and let their powerful stories of real, on-the-edge ministry move you.
And even moreover to that first moreover (the public schools didn't teach me how to use multiple "moreovers"), find a way to support what they do. Here's just one example of the amazing stuff God is doing thru Brett and Emily.
And finally, in the least important news of the day, I really am going to do a Christmas CD. I've already scheduled the studio time. To promote the record, I'll be doing some Christmas-ish concerts in November and December. Mainly house stuff, but some bigger shows as well. If you're interested in hosting something, contact me directly at ross@rosskingmusic.com.
That's all for today.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Nice to meet you.
Yes, yes. I know. Where have I been, you say? The answer, for the most part, is that I've been writing songs. There's more to the story than that, of course, but most of the other stuff isn't all that interesting, so we can leave it at that.
I'll do my best to blog a little more in the coming days/weeks, but in the meantime, here are two things of import.
First, I am working on a Christmas CD. It will be mainly original songs that I've written about Christmas, and a few "standards." I know that no one on earth -- well, maybe my mom -- is dying to hear Ross King versions of holiday classics, so I won't fill the CD with too much of that. But I do have several new songs that I want to share, and I have some ideas for how to produce/arrange some of the familiar stuff as well.
So be looking for news on that. When I release it -- Lord willing, in late October or early November -- I'll be doing some concerts to promote it. Let me know if you're interested in hosting something in November or December.
Second, go watch this:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=535454070421&ref=mf.
I love it when real people act crazy and embarassing on video for the whole world to see, and I love it even more when they use my music as the soundtrack to their craziness.
And speaking of "Juicebox," who has ideas on how to get Juicy Juice to use my song as their jingle? How hard can it be?
I'll do my best to blog a little more in the coming days/weeks, but in the meantime, here are two things of import.
First, I am working on a Christmas CD. It will be mainly original songs that I've written about Christmas, and a few "standards." I know that no one on earth -- well, maybe my mom -- is dying to hear Ross King versions of holiday classics, so I won't fill the CD with too much of that. But I do have several new songs that I want to share, and I have some ideas for how to produce/arrange some of the familiar stuff as well.
So be looking for news on that. When I release it -- Lord willing, in late October or early November -- I'll be doing some concerts to promote it. Let me know if you're interested in hosting something in November or December.
Second, go watch this:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=535454070421&ref=mf.
I love it when real people act crazy and embarassing on video for the whole world to see, and I love it even more when they use my music as the soundtrack to their craziness.
And speaking of "Juicebox," who has ideas on how to get Juicy Juice to use my song as their jingle? How hard can it be?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Houston! I'm coming for you! Be warned!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Allow me to introduce myself
Hey, it's Ross. You know, the guy that used to blog here.
Sorry for the long absence. I have no excuse, other than the fact that I've been working, mainly writing songs. Despite what you may think from reading my brilliance and wit on this page, I don't make any money when I blog, at least not directly. Songwriting pays the bills. So when I am faced with limited time, and choices have to be made about how to spend it, songwriting always wins.
Hence, my absence.
I have a couple of upcoming shows, and I hope to post about those this week. Either way, I wanted you to see this. It's a video of me and Sam (my 6-year-old son) playing music together. This video marks the first time he's ever actually played with me at a gig. I've been hesitant to put him on stage, especially when leading worship. I have lots of reasons for my hesitation. First of all, putting children on stage and trying to make them into stars seems to be a highly dangerous game, even when it's highly profitable. Second, I -- rightfully, I think -- take worship leading pretty seriously. I don't want to turn it into a gimic or a talent show. Putting your child on stage with you could probably do that.
On and on.
The point is that I haven't been eager to do this kind of thing.
However, I had the pleasure of doing a children's camp this summer, and since many of the kids at the camp were Sam's age, I figured it was a good time to give it a go. I did worship every day and night for the kids, but Sam just joined me for one session. Baby steps and all.
Anyway, here tis, below. Enjoy. There's nothing fancy, but he does a fantastic job of keeping time and he doesn't show off. Those of you who are musicians will notice how adeptly he handles the interesting time aspects of the pre-chorus of this tune. Lots of drummers try too hard to do something cool with it, when it often works just as well just to play right thru it. I was proud of him for (well, lots of things, but specifically for) keeping his head in the game, so to speak, thru the difficult parts.
Sorry for the long absence. I have no excuse, other than the fact that I've been working, mainly writing songs. Despite what you may think from reading my brilliance and wit on this page, I don't make any money when I blog, at least not directly. Songwriting pays the bills. So when I am faced with limited time, and choices have to be made about how to spend it, songwriting always wins.
Hence, my absence.
I have a couple of upcoming shows, and I hope to post about those this week. Either way, I wanted you to see this. It's a video of me and Sam (my 6-year-old son) playing music together. This video marks the first time he's ever actually played with me at a gig. I've been hesitant to put him on stage, especially when leading worship. I have lots of reasons for my hesitation. First of all, putting children on stage and trying to make them into stars seems to be a highly dangerous game, even when it's highly profitable. Second, I -- rightfully, I think -- take worship leading pretty seriously. I don't want to turn it into a gimic or a talent show. Putting your child on stage with you could probably do that.
On and on.
The point is that I haven't been eager to do this kind of thing.
However, I had the pleasure of doing a children's camp this summer, and since many of the kids at the camp were Sam's age, I figured it was a good time to give it a go. I did worship every day and night for the kids, but Sam just joined me for one session. Baby steps and all.
Anyway, here tis, below. Enjoy. There's nothing fancy, but he does a fantastic job of keeping time and he doesn't show off. Those of you who are musicians will notice how adeptly he handles the interesting time aspects of the pre-chorus of this tune. Lots of drummers try too hard to do something cool with it, when it often works just as well just to play right thru it. I was proud of him for (well, lots of things, but specifically for) keeping his head in the game, so to speak, thru the difficult parts.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tomorrow night!
I'll say it again, mainly because it's the only thing I have to say right at this moment, COME SEE ME TOMORROW IN HOUSTON!
That is all for now.
That is all for now.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Shows! Updates! Wanna book me for a house concert? Ecksetera!
Don’t you hate when people say that word wrong? Well, I do. And you should too. I spelled it wrong just so that, if you are one of those people, you'd see how silly it looks. Sound it out, people.
Well, I am officially unemployed again. May 30 was my last Sunday at this church. I’ve had a great time, but I’m ready to go back to being an extremely un-famous musician with a “how will my bills get paid this month” life.
Many of you have been asking about the Rudy’s jingle. All I can tell you is that I’ve turned it in and it’s been approved. I really don’t know when it will be online and/or on the radio and/or on TV. But you can be that I’ll post updates here about it. I ain’t shy about such things.
In the meantime, I’ve got lots going on. Here’s a list of the stuff coming up soon.
June 14-17: I’m doing a children’s camp for this church.
June 18: I’m doing a concert for this church in Houston on that Friday evening. My pal Johnny Simmons will join me on percussion.
June 20-25: I’m going to Nashville for various co-writing sessions with writers out there.
July 4: I’m leading worship for this church in Arlington, TX.
July 12-16: I’ll begin recording/producing a record for these super-talented people.
July 17: I’ll be doing a benefit concert in Houston with this guy. More info here.
July 25: I’ll be leading worship for this church in San Antonio.
So, let me know if you want more info on any of the concert/worship dates, and pray for me as I write in Nashville. As many of you know, I would really love to be more of a “songwriter” by trade. I’ve already been blessed that a significant chunk of my income is from my writing, but I’d really love to have that be my “main deal,” so that I could travel only a little. I still love leading worship and doing house concerts and such, but I don’t like leaving my hot wife and my awesome kids at home, and we can’t afford a tour bus.
One last thing: I’d like to book some house concerts around the DFW and San Antonio dates listed above. I’ll post something specific about this later in the week, but if you’re interested in hosting a DFW or SA show in July, please let me know.
That’s all for now.
Well, I am officially unemployed again. May 30 was my last Sunday at this church. I’ve had a great time, but I’m ready to go back to being an extremely un-famous musician with a “how will my bills get paid this month” life.
Many of you have been asking about the Rudy’s jingle. All I can tell you is that I’ve turned it in and it’s been approved. I really don’t know when it will be online and/or on the radio and/or on TV. But you can be that I’ll post updates here about it. I ain’t shy about such things.
In the meantime, I’ve got lots going on. Here’s a list of the stuff coming up soon.
June 14-17: I’m doing a children’s camp for this church.
June 18: I’m doing a concert for this church in Houston on that Friday evening. My pal Johnny Simmons will join me on percussion.
June 20-25: I’m going to Nashville for various co-writing sessions with writers out there.
July 4: I’m leading worship for this church in Arlington, TX.
July 12-16: I’ll begin recording/producing a record for these super-talented people.
July 17: I’ll be doing a benefit concert in Houston with this guy. More info here.
July 25: I’ll be leading worship for this church in San Antonio.
So, let me know if you want more info on any of the concert/worship dates, and pray for me as I write in Nashville. As many of you know, I would really love to be more of a “songwriter” by trade. I’ve already been blessed that a significant chunk of my income is from my writing, but I’d really love to have that be my “main deal,” so that I could travel only a little. I still love leading worship and doing house concerts and such, but I don’t like leaving my hot wife and my awesome kids at home, and we can’t afford a tour bus.
One last thing: I’d like to book some house concerts around the DFW and San Antonio dates listed above. I’ll post something specific about this later in the week, but if you’re interested in hosting a DFW or SA show in July, please let me know.
That’s all for now.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
More shows! Barbecue Songs!
Hey. You. Yeah, you. Listen to this.
I'm playing two concerts this weekend. The first one is in SAN ANTONIO. Specifically, I'm playing here at 4 pm on Saturday.
The second concert is in Bryan/College Station. Specifically, I'm playing here at about 6:30 or 7. It's a big picnic for Grace Bible Church, where I've been working for the last 20 months or so.
Both concerts will be a mixture of kid tunes and my regular grown-up stuff.
And, for those who have been following along, I turned in my Rudy's jingle yesterday, and as far as I know, it's a hit with my clients. I'm not sure when it "drops" (can I use that term here? Well, I'm gonna), but I'll let you know.
Finally, I have more shows to announce soon, in Houston, DFW, and a few other places. I'll be starting a new "who wants to book a house concert" campaign in the next few weeks. Be on the lookout.
I'm playing two concerts this weekend. The first one is in SAN ANTONIO. Specifically, I'm playing here at 4 pm on Saturday.
The second concert is in Bryan/College Station. Specifically, I'm playing here at about 6:30 or 7. It's a big picnic for Grace Bible Church, where I've been working for the last 20 months or so.
Both concerts will be a mixture of kid tunes and my regular grown-up stuff.
And, for those who have been following along, I turned in my Rudy's jingle yesterday, and as far as I know, it's a hit with my clients. I'm not sure when it "drops" (can I use that term here? Well, I'm gonna), but I'll let you know.
Finally, I have more shows to announce soon, in Houston, DFW, and a few other places. I'll be starting a new "who wants to book a house concert" campaign in the next few weeks. Be on the lookout.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Shows!
Several upcoming shows to tell you about, some of them, like, extremely soon.
Saturday May 15 -- House Concert in Irving, TX
Sunday May 16 -- Concert at Community Church (my church) in College Station, TX -- Andy Gullahorn will be playing as well!
Saturday May 22 -- Concert in San Antonio, TX
Sunday May 23 -- Concert for Grace Bible Church in College Station, TX
Saturday July 17 -- Concert in Houston, TX -- Randall Goodgame will be playing as well!
All of these shows will feature some of my kid music as well asmy regular stuff for grown-ups. If you want info on any of these shows, email me directly: ross@rosskingmusic.com.
More info and updates coming soon!
Saturday May 15 -- House Concert in Irving, TX
Sunday May 16 -- Concert at Community Church (my church) in College Station, TX -- Andy Gullahorn will be playing as well!
Saturday May 22 -- Concert in San Antonio, TX
Sunday May 23 -- Concert for Grace Bible Church in College Station, TX
Saturday July 17 -- Concert in Houston, TX -- Randall Goodgame will be playing as well!
All of these shows will feature some of my kid music as well asmy regular stuff for grown-ups. If you want info on any of these shows, email me directly: ross@rosskingmusic.com.
More info and updates coming soon!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
4 out of 5 Big Mamas Recommend Juicebox
OK, OK ,I know it's been forever. I have excuses -- writing/producing/pitching/tweaking a jingle for a barbecue chain, preaching a church service and a wedding, numerous co-writing sessions and trips, etc -- but mainly I've just been lazy about blogging. I'm working on a big update and some concert/tour date info, but in the meantime, go read a new review of my kids' CD.
For reasons that completely escape me, some people still don't own Words That Rhyme with Orange. More specifically, almost everyone on earth has yet to buy it.
Allow me to explain. Ahem.
There are -- I've read -- approximately 8 billion people on the planet. If that data is correct -- and I got it on the internet, so you know it is -- then, using my mathamaticotious calculations as a proficient songwriter, I see that approximately 7,999,999,300 people still haven't purchased my CD. Now I know -- from my other readings on the internet (and in magazines when I am in the doctor's office and I'm trying to find something to do besides play games on my phone in front of people) -- that at least a billion or two of those people don't have CD players or (I'm not kidding about this) even iPods. So those people have an excuse. Someday, when all is made right with the world, this travesty will be corrected and shoeless children everywhere will have access to Kanye, Ne-Yo, and Taylor Swift. Until then, let's assume that I have maybe 5 billion potential buyers on the planet.
To be fair, at least a few hundred of those haven't learned English yet. Again, how we Americans can sleep at night knowing that so many in this world have yet to learn how to say brilliant things like "I'm drinking my drink until I've drunk all of it and then I'll be drunk" or, "I know, right?" is beyond me.
But this is getting too political, and I'm really just here to talk about juiceboxes and bacon and monkeys disguised as humans. I mean, no matter who we are, we can agree on those things.
So moving on, if you haven't bought the CD yet, and if you can afford it, and if you speak English, you should go read this, then go watch this, then go here and buy something.
Oh, and in caes you don't get sarcasm and you think I'm really a boneheaded, heartless American capitalist, go here, here and here to see what shoeless children really need.
For reasons that completely escape me, some people still don't own Words That Rhyme with Orange. More specifically, almost everyone on earth has yet to buy it.
Allow me to explain. Ahem.
There are -- I've read -- approximately 8 billion people on the planet. If that data is correct -- and I got it on the internet, so you know it is -- then, using my mathamaticotious calculations as a proficient songwriter, I see that approximately 7,999,999,300 people still haven't purchased my CD. Now I know -- from my other readings on the internet (and in magazines when I am in the doctor's office and I'm trying to find something to do besides play games on my phone in front of people) -- that at least a billion or two of those people don't have CD players or (I'm not kidding about this) even iPods. So those people have an excuse. Someday, when all is made right with the world, this travesty will be corrected and shoeless children everywhere will have access to Kanye, Ne-Yo, and Taylor Swift. Until then, let's assume that I have maybe 5 billion potential buyers on the planet.
To be fair, at least a few hundred of those haven't learned English yet. Again, how we Americans can sleep at night knowing that so many in this world have yet to learn how to say brilliant things like "I'm drinking my drink until I've drunk all of it and then I'll be drunk" or, "I know, right?" is beyond me.
But this is getting too political, and I'm really just here to talk about juiceboxes and bacon and monkeys disguised as humans. I mean, no matter who we are, we can agree on those things.
So moving on, if you haven't bought the CD yet, and if you can afford it, and if you speak English, you should go read this, then go watch this, then go here and buy something.
Oh, and in caes you don't get sarcasm and you think I'm really a boneheaded, heartless American capitalist, go here, here and here to see what shoeless children really need.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Concert in Austin
OK, sorry for the long absence. Been busy doing lots of songwriting and such. More on that later.
For now, I have a concert this Friday night in Austin. It will be at NW Hills UMC at 7. Come check it out.
More details tomorrow, hopefully.
Also coming soon: a show here in B/CS with the great Andy Gullahorn, and some news on my new jingle for Rudy's Barbecue. Fun stuff!
For now, I have a concert this Friday night in Austin. It will be at NW Hills UMC at 7. Come check it out.
More details tomorrow, hopefully.
Also coming soon: a show here in B/CS with the great Andy Gullahorn, and some news on my new jingle for Rudy's Barbecue. Fun stuff!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday Show
Hey folks. One last blurb about the show for Sunday Mar 28. It will be at the amphiteater/pavillion thing at Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, TX. I'll play from around 2:00 to 3:30. Lots of kids' songs, plus some of my regular music for grown-up people. Come see me!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Ever wonder...
...who regionally-almost-formerly-famous celebrities go see in concert? Well, this friday, I'll be doing this:
In case you can't see the details, it's the Robbie Seay Band doing a concert at the Palace Theater in super-cool Downtown Bryan this Friday (tomorrow!) at 7. Go here for more details on this show, other upcoming shows, and their new record, which is fantastic.Also, I heard it before you did because Robbie likes me. But it's not something we need to make a big deal about. I'm just saying.
Anyway, come to the show if you live around here. I'll be in the audience, singing along and thinking about how much of a rock star I'm not.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
More info on Sunday's show
OK, after getting a few emails wanting more info, I chased down some details for Sunday's show. Here they are:
What? Family/Kids' concert (there will be other kids/family activities as well)
Where? In the outdoor amphiteater/pavillion of Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, TX.
When? This Sunday, March 28, from 2pm to 3:30pm
I'll be doing a bunch of the songs from my new kids' record, a well as some of my regular songs from grown-ups.
Email me for further details.
What? Family/Kids' concert (there will be other kids/family activities as well)
Where? In the outdoor amphiteater/pavillion of Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, TX.
When? This Sunday, March 28, from 2pm to 3:30pm
I'll be doing a bunch of the songs from my new kids' record, a well as some of my regular songs from grown-ups.
Email me for further details.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Houston!!! Come See Me!!!
Hey people. Just a heads-up that I'm doing a special kids' music concert at Sienna Plantation in Missouri City (basically, Houston), TX. It will be this Sunday at 2 in the afternoon. It's a big family/kids event. If you live in the area, come see me.
And let me say again that I'm starting to book concerts for summer and fall. If you'd like to do a house concert (or help me organize several), send me an email and I'll hook you up.
And let me say again that I'm starting to book concerts for summer and fall. If you'd like to do a house concert (or help me organize several), send me an email and I'll hook you up.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Ridiculous But True Stories Volume 4 or 5 or whatever
This is my 200th blog post. I don't blog much, so it's taken me 3 years to get here.
Among my many posts, the "fan favorite" seems to be the Ridiculous But True Stories. They are long, rambling, somewhat humorous tales of my adventures as a musician and world traveler.
You can view the past ones here.
It just seemed appropriate that my 200th post ought to be another chapter in that "book," so here goes. It's a long one, but I don't think it will be boring.
Enjoy.
I don’t consider myself to be a dramatic person. Meaning, I don’t think I overdramatize my life. But to be fair, dramatic people probably aren’t terribly self-aware when it comes to their ability to assess the drama in their lives. So who knows? Maybe I’m a drama king.
Either way, I’ve dialed 9-1-1 several times in my life. To my count – and I may have forgotten some – I’ve dialed it 7 times. I figure that’s more than normal, but I have no idea really.
I haven’t written any “Ridiculous But True” Stories in a while, and I know you’re eager to hear one, so if you’ll bear with me, I’ll tell you a little about all 7 times that I have dialed 9-1-1. Then you can decide if I’m dramatic , or if I’m just supposed to become an EMT or a superhero or something (please say “superhero!”).
The first time was maybe 12 years ago. It was Halloween night. I was driving home from a friend’s house and it was pretty late at night. Close to midnight I think. I was on a 5-lane road in College Station called Wellborn. Wellborn runs right along the west side of the Texas A&M campus. I was in a little Nissan pick-up that I had for several years way back. I loved that little truck. Lots of great gigs and road trips.
Anyway.
Heading home with not a care in the world, I spot headlights approaching in my rear view. Approaching very fast. Definitely well over the speed limit. I decide to change lanes to get out of the way of this maniac. Only right at the same moment, the other car changes lanes as well. Now we’re both trying to anticipate each other and the whole thing is a mess. I barely avoid a super-fast rear-end collision, but instead the other car smashes my passenger side, hard, going probably 70 miles an hour. It’s like one of those scenes in an action movie where one car tries to knock another car off the road by side-swiping it. I don’t think that was the driver’s intention in this case, but he actually did a really good job of it nonetheless.
My pick-up goes swerving into the oncoming lane which, fortunately, is unoccupied. I whip the wheel back to the right and get control of my vehicle. The vehicle that hit me continues down the road, apparently undeterred by our little (big!) smash-up. The car doesn’t even appear to slow down.
Just as I’m getting my breathing back in check, another car passes me going just as fast. From what I can tell, this second car is chasing the first car. Neither car is pulling over to see if I’m okay. Maybe they didn’t see me.
Well, now I’m curious – and a little ticked – about what’s going on, so I give chase.
About a mile down the road, the first car pulls into a campus parking lot, followed by the second car. I arrive seconds later. Both cars have stopped; both drivers are out of the car. By the time I pull in next to them, the driver of the second car is laying a blue ribbon beat-down on the driver of the first car.
Curiouser and curiouser.
I get out and try to talk down the situation, to little avail. (As a sidenote, watching people fight isn’t much fun in real life.) So I decide that I’d rather let the po-po’s handle this one. I call 9-1-1. The cops come and take both dudes away.
By the time the story gets straightened out, here’s what I’ve learned. The driver of the first car left a party where he’d been drinking copious amounts of the booze. On his way out of the parking lot he smacked into the second car. He freaked and drove off. The guy in the second car wanted to, er, exchange insurance information. So he pursued. The guy in the first car realized he was being pursued and decided to run for it. I got in the way of said pursuit and you know the rest.
Happy Halloween.
The second time was about 5 years ago. Many of you already know this one, so I won’t give the whole story, just the basics.
I was on the way to a camp just north of Waco, where I was scheduled to lead worship for 5 days. The short version is that a 15-year-old girl ran across 2 lanes of a major highway and right into the path of my Suburban. I hit her going about 45-50 miles an hour, and she flew up over the top of my car like a rag doll. Appropriate yelling and panicking ensued. Andy Crawley, my longtime drummer and good friend, actually did the 9-1-1 dialing on that one, but that was only because I was hyper-ventilating so I couldn’t talk. I get a pass.
If it sounds like I'm making light of this, don't worry. I was plenty sober and freaked out when it happened, and for months after.
The part that you’re interested in is that she didn’t die. In fact, she only got a really badly broken arm and some other minor injuries. Of course I didn’t know that for a while. Due to the nature of the law with regard to medical records and privacy and such, I had no idea if she’d lived or died or been paralyzed or whatever for about a year. I finally got the whole story when her family sued me for negligence. Long story. In the end I was absolved of all wrongdoing.
But I did ride in a cop car, take a “drunk test,” sit on a witness stand, and a few other interesting-but-not-fun things. Oh, and I think I saw an angel. That’s a long story too. But again, I’ll just give the short version.
Rewind to about an hour after the wreck. While I was waiting for the cops and ambulances to sort everything out, I just stood by my car in the turn lane of a 5-lane highway. Turn lanes aren’t very wide, so I was actually standing really close to the oncoming lane. It wasn’t safe, and you’d think I would’ve been extra-aware of that kind of thing on a night like that, but I needed air, and I was a little loopy from the experience, so I stood out in the road, safe or not, leaning against the driver’s side door while the cops and EMTs worked it out, thinking about what life was going to be like if I’d killed somebody.
Anyway, cars rolled by slowly, rubbernecking and trying to get a sense of what was what. At some point, a car pulled right up to me and a woman inside rolled her window down and starting describing the accident to me – in pretty good detail – and telling me how I hadn’t done anything wrong and that I had no reason to feel fear or shame. Then she drove on.
Pretty sure that was an angel. You may not believe in such things, or maybe you just don’t believe me. Not sure I would’ve believed it either.
I didn’t end up leading worship at that camp.
The third and fourth times happened that same summer. It was quite a summer.
Only a few weeks after the wreck in Waco, Staci and I were driving around in Bryan – where we live – and we pulled up to a red light. While we were waiting for it to turn green, we sat and watched a little white pick-up truck drive right by us, smash into a light pole, flip over, end-over-end, and land upside down in the road we were about to cross, maybe 20 feet in front of us. I dialed 9-1-1, then handed the phone to Staci while I ran to the truck and checked on the driver. To my surprise, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. For a moment I thought, “I’m rescuing Matthew McConaughey! This is my big break!” But it wasn’t him. Just some other dude who loved to be shirtless at inappropriate times. I would never have the guts to try something like that. So anyway, other than being shirtless, the guy was relatively fine, and even though I would’ve probably recommended that he not move until the ambulance got there, he insisted on crawling out, so I helped him.
No big deal on that one. Far as I know that guy was fine. By “fine,” I mean fine other than being a shirtless driver who didn’t know how to steer clear of a 15-foot light pole in broad daylight…
This seems like a perfect time to say just keep livin’.
Only a couple weeks after that, Andy (aforementioned drummer and pal) and I were at another camp. We were in Daytona Beach, Florida. We had some time off during the days, so we would head over to “the strip” and see what there was to see, which was mainly MTV rejects and people who probably drove shirtlessly into light poles fairly often.
Whilst cruising the strip one day – on foot, which probably doesn’t count as cruising – we were surprised to see a woman running frantically toward us, looking scared and just sort of “off.” We stopped her and asked what was wrong. She told us a crazy-sounding story about how she was being pursued by her ex-husband who was abusing her and her child. Who knows what’s true and what’s not in these kinds of situations? With an almost reflexive move of my fingers, I dialed 9-1-1 and invited the cops to sort thru it. We stayed with the woman for a bit to wait for the cops, but then we had to get back to the safety of singing songs about Jesus to half-interested teenagers.
The fifth time was a whole year later. Andy and I were at a summer camp in South Texas. Our good pal Brady Redwine was also there, playing like 17 instruments and generally making everything sound better. This camp made two grave errors. They gave us golf carts. And they didn’t give us or the golf carts any kind of curfew.
So one night after worship a bunch of us were out driving our golf carts. Brady had decided he wanted to teach us all how to do a “j-turn.” According to Brady (who may have been making it all up), a j-turn is basically when you’re going in reverse, real fast, and you pull the park brake while simultaneously whipping the wheel. If you do it right, you end up facing forward at the end of the turn. Cops on TV shows do it all the time. Only with cars, not golf carts.
Well, you know how this is going to end, so I’ll just get there.
Me and Brady were in a golf cart together, and Brady decides to try a j-turn while driving downhill. In reverse.
So of course when he hit that brake and whipped that wheel, the golf cart flipped. Brady and I both flew around a little and I ended up on top of him, both of us landing pretty hard.
I was pretty shaken – sort of half-conscious, really – and I spent a few seconds just trying to get my bearings. Once I did, I could see two things. First, the golf cart was pretty wrecked. Second, Brady was laying perfectly still with his eyes open.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched way too much TV in my life, and on TV, when people are perfectly still with their eyes wide open, it means they are dead. Somebody always has to come around and do that thing where they close the dead dude’s eyes with the palm of their hand. I think it’s supposed to be some kind of tender and respectful way to say “goodbye old buddy, you were the best d**n partner this ol’ cop ever had” or something. Just a watch a few hours of primetime and you’ll see it.
So anyway, that’s Brady. Totally immobile. Eyes wide open. Standing at the pearly gates, playing his little dobro gee-tar for the angels.
It’s important to remind you that, at this point in my life, I was awaiting a court date for the lawsuit from the aforementioned car wreck. So of course my immediate thought was “Brady’s dead and his parents are gonna sue me and I’m gonna have TWO LAWSUITS GOING AT ONE TIME. I’ll be broke and no one will ever want to hear my songs ever again. And Brady’s dead, which is also sad as well.”
Poor Brady. Killed un-glamorously in a bizarre golf-cart stunt, only to have the emotional weight of his passing overshadowed by the threat of litigation.
Well, he wasn’t dead. I yelled at him for what seemed like a couple of minutes (probably 10 seconds) and he finally woke up. Well, he didn’t really wake up, but he did start moving.
By now, the other cart-drivers had made their way down the hill to check on us.
We got on another golf cart and made our way – slowly, safely, and without any stunt-driving – back to the main area of camp. We had to call for an ambulance. This particular time, the 9-1-1 dialing was only required because it was too late at night to get a hold of an ambulance that would come out to the boonies and get him.
There are some other funny parts of the story that I have to tell before I move on.
First of all, Brady, who ended up having a concussion and an injured shoulder, was cussing a lot after his injury. Like I said, he had a concussion. I don’t think I’ve ever had one, but supposedly, it sort of makes you do weird stuff. Anyway, we’ve got him on a back-board (not knowing the extent of his injuries) in the nurse’s station of the camp, and he’s talking really calm, only he’s throwing in profanity every few sentences. Like, just sort of randomly. Those of you who know me well know that I’m not offended by the occasional curse-word (there are even rumors of my usage of some such words, but don’t believe them). But we were at a Christian camp. We were the worship leaders at a Christian camp. So it wasn’t apropos for us to be cursing. So as Brady is blathering on in curse-laden nonsense, I’m trying to convince the dozen or so people who are standing around that he is out of his mind, instead of just really uninhibited. I think maybe I tried to blush a lot and look appalled. I don’t know if it worked.
The story turns out ok. Again, just a concussion and a messed-up shoulder for Brady. Those things were bad I guess, but considering the fact that I thought he had died (and that I might be sued or jailed for it even though it was totally his fault), it kind of seems like we got off easy.
The only other thing that seems important to mention is that I rode in the ambulance, and the driver went – I’m totally not making this up – 90-100 miles an hour for most of the way to the hospital. When I asked him about it, he said something like, “well, I’m allowed to drive as fast as I want if I think my passenger is in dire need of medical attention.” At that point, I was thinking, “well, Brady’s cussing more than normal, but I think he’s okay, but if we wreck at 100 miles an hour, we’re all gonna die.” But kept it to myself.
Even funnier is the fact that my friend Aubrey Spears – who was speaking that week at the camp – had to follow us in my Suburban. If you do the math, you’ll realize that Aubrey was driving my Suburban at 90-100 miles per hour as well.
Somehow, we had arrived at a place where amateur-stunt-driving golf carts weren’t the most dangerous vehicles cruising around South Texas that night.
OK, two more, and these are both pretty boring, but I’m trying to tell all these stories in the order that they happened, and this is just how it worked out.
Number 6 was odd, but not exciting. A year or so later, Staci and I were on the way to Brady’s wedding. Yes, somebody married that cussing, brain-damaged goofball. It’s a miracle.
Anyway, the wedding was in Wichita Falls, so Staci and I were driving thru Arlington to drop off our son at her parents’ place. We’re on I-20 and a pick-up truck in front of us is loaded down with furniture, which is packed in extremely tight and not-very-efficiently. So of course, at some point the truck hits a bump or something and all the furniture just starts flying out of the back of the truck onto the highway. Staci and I are a few hundred feet behind the truck, so we have enough time to kind of swerve around it all, but then we realize that we better pull over, because the furniture is covering like a half mile and several lanes. Cars are smacking into end tables and lamps and such. Couch stuffing is floating around. Etc. Traffic is backing up like crazy.
Next thing you know it’s a parking lot on I-20.
We dialed 9-1-1. We didn’t make it to Brady’s wedding. I am told it was a G-rated affair with zero profanity.
OK, last one. This was about a month ago. I was on my way home from our Sunday meeting of Community Church. We meet at night, so it was nighttime. I had just picked up some takeout for me and the wife. I pulled up to a stop light and saw two cars stopped in the left turn lane. Both drivers are out of their cars and there’s some yelling going on. I roll down my window and catch some hostile language. Both dudes look ready to go at it, only one of the dudes is much bigger and meaner-looking than the other.
I had learned many lessons from the multiple crazy altercations that I’d witnessed over the last 12 years.
Don’t try to break up fights between two dudes that you don’t know.
Don’t assume that every shirtless idiot is a famous shirtless idiot.
Always put a gag on the mouth of your concussed friends.
The list goes on. But the most important truth that night was one that I had learned without the assistance of any drama or law-enforcement.
Don’t let your food get cold.
I dialed 9-1-1. I assume everything worked out ok.
Among my many posts, the "fan favorite" seems to be the Ridiculous But True Stories. They are long, rambling, somewhat humorous tales of my adventures as a musician and world traveler.
You can view the past ones here.
It just seemed appropriate that my 200th post ought to be another chapter in that "book," so here goes. It's a long one, but I don't think it will be boring.
Enjoy.
I don’t consider myself to be a dramatic person. Meaning, I don’t think I overdramatize my life. But to be fair, dramatic people probably aren’t terribly self-aware when it comes to their ability to assess the drama in their lives. So who knows? Maybe I’m a drama king.
Either way, I’ve dialed 9-1-1 several times in my life. To my count – and I may have forgotten some – I’ve dialed it 7 times. I figure that’s more than normal, but I have no idea really.
I haven’t written any “Ridiculous But True” Stories in a while, and I know you’re eager to hear one, so if you’ll bear with me, I’ll tell you a little about all 7 times that I have dialed 9-1-1. Then you can decide if I’m dramatic , or if I’m just supposed to become an EMT or a superhero or something (please say “superhero!”).
The first time was maybe 12 years ago. It was Halloween night. I was driving home from a friend’s house and it was pretty late at night. Close to midnight I think. I was on a 5-lane road in College Station called Wellborn. Wellborn runs right along the west side of the Texas A&M campus. I was in a little Nissan pick-up that I had for several years way back. I loved that little truck. Lots of great gigs and road trips.
Anyway.
Heading home with not a care in the world, I spot headlights approaching in my rear view. Approaching very fast. Definitely well over the speed limit. I decide to change lanes to get out of the way of this maniac. Only right at the same moment, the other car changes lanes as well. Now we’re both trying to anticipate each other and the whole thing is a mess. I barely avoid a super-fast rear-end collision, but instead the other car smashes my passenger side, hard, going probably 70 miles an hour. It’s like one of those scenes in an action movie where one car tries to knock another car off the road by side-swiping it. I don’t think that was the driver’s intention in this case, but he actually did a really good job of it nonetheless.
My pick-up goes swerving into the oncoming lane which, fortunately, is unoccupied. I whip the wheel back to the right and get control of my vehicle. The vehicle that hit me continues down the road, apparently undeterred by our little (big!) smash-up. The car doesn’t even appear to slow down.
Just as I’m getting my breathing back in check, another car passes me going just as fast. From what I can tell, this second car is chasing the first car. Neither car is pulling over to see if I’m okay. Maybe they didn’t see me.
Well, now I’m curious – and a little ticked – about what’s going on, so I give chase.
About a mile down the road, the first car pulls into a campus parking lot, followed by the second car. I arrive seconds later. Both cars have stopped; both drivers are out of the car. By the time I pull in next to them, the driver of the second car is laying a blue ribbon beat-down on the driver of the first car.
Curiouser and curiouser.
I get out and try to talk down the situation, to little avail. (As a sidenote, watching people fight isn’t much fun in real life.) So I decide that I’d rather let the po-po’s handle this one. I call 9-1-1. The cops come and take both dudes away.
By the time the story gets straightened out, here’s what I’ve learned. The driver of the first car left a party where he’d been drinking copious amounts of the booze. On his way out of the parking lot he smacked into the second car. He freaked and drove off. The guy in the second car wanted to, er, exchange insurance information. So he pursued. The guy in the first car realized he was being pursued and decided to run for it. I got in the way of said pursuit and you know the rest.
Happy Halloween.
The second time was about 5 years ago. Many of you already know this one, so I won’t give the whole story, just the basics.
I was on the way to a camp just north of Waco, where I was scheduled to lead worship for 5 days. The short version is that a 15-year-old girl ran across 2 lanes of a major highway and right into the path of my Suburban. I hit her going about 45-50 miles an hour, and she flew up over the top of my car like a rag doll. Appropriate yelling and panicking ensued. Andy Crawley, my longtime drummer and good friend, actually did the 9-1-1 dialing on that one, but that was only because I was hyper-ventilating so I couldn’t talk. I get a pass.
If it sounds like I'm making light of this, don't worry. I was plenty sober and freaked out when it happened, and for months after.
The part that you’re interested in is that she didn’t die. In fact, she only got a really badly broken arm and some other minor injuries. Of course I didn’t know that for a while. Due to the nature of the law with regard to medical records and privacy and such, I had no idea if she’d lived or died or been paralyzed or whatever for about a year. I finally got the whole story when her family sued me for negligence. Long story. In the end I was absolved of all wrongdoing.
But I did ride in a cop car, take a “drunk test,” sit on a witness stand, and a few other interesting-but-not-fun things. Oh, and I think I saw an angel. That’s a long story too. But again, I’ll just give the short version.
Rewind to about an hour after the wreck. While I was waiting for the cops and ambulances to sort everything out, I just stood by my car in the turn lane of a 5-lane highway. Turn lanes aren’t very wide, so I was actually standing really close to the oncoming lane. It wasn’t safe, and you’d think I would’ve been extra-aware of that kind of thing on a night like that, but I needed air, and I was a little loopy from the experience, so I stood out in the road, safe or not, leaning against the driver’s side door while the cops and EMTs worked it out, thinking about what life was going to be like if I’d killed somebody.
Anyway, cars rolled by slowly, rubbernecking and trying to get a sense of what was what. At some point, a car pulled right up to me and a woman inside rolled her window down and starting describing the accident to me – in pretty good detail – and telling me how I hadn’t done anything wrong and that I had no reason to feel fear or shame. Then she drove on.
Pretty sure that was an angel. You may not believe in such things, or maybe you just don’t believe me. Not sure I would’ve believed it either.
I didn’t end up leading worship at that camp.
The third and fourth times happened that same summer. It was quite a summer.
Only a few weeks after the wreck in Waco, Staci and I were driving around in Bryan – where we live – and we pulled up to a red light. While we were waiting for it to turn green, we sat and watched a little white pick-up truck drive right by us, smash into a light pole, flip over, end-over-end, and land upside down in the road we were about to cross, maybe 20 feet in front of us. I dialed 9-1-1, then handed the phone to Staci while I ran to the truck and checked on the driver. To my surprise, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. For a moment I thought, “I’m rescuing Matthew McConaughey! This is my big break!” But it wasn’t him. Just some other dude who loved to be shirtless at inappropriate times. I would never have the guts to try something like that. So anyway, other than being shirtless, the guy was relatively fine, and even though I would’ve probably recommended that he not move until the ambulance got there, he insisted on crawling out, so I helped him.
No big deal on that one. Far as I know that guy was fine. By “fine,” I mean fine other than being a shirtless driver who didn’t know how to steer clear of a 15-foot light pole in broad daylight…
This seems like a perfect time to say just keep livin’.
Only a couple weeks after that, Andy (aforementioned drummer and pal) and I were at another camp. We were in Daytona Beach, Florida. We had some time off during the days, so we would head over to “the strip” and see what there was to see, which was mainly MTV rejects and people who probably drove shirtlessly into light poles fairly often.
Whilst cruising the strip one day – on foot, which probably doesn’t count as cruising – we were surprised to see a woman running frantically toward us, looking scared and just sort of “off.” We stopped her and asked what was wrong. She told us a crazy-sounding story about how she was being pursued by her ex-husband who was abusing her and her child. Who knows what’s true and what’s not in these kinds of situations? With an almost reflexive move of my fingers, I dialed 9-1-1 and invited the cops to sort thru it. We stayed with the woman for a bit to wait for the cops, but then we had to get back to the safety of singing songs about Jesus to half-interested teenagers.
The fifth time was a whole year later. Andy and I were at a summer camp in South Texas. Our good pal Brady Redwine was also there, playing like 17 instruments and generally making everything sound better. This camp made two grave errors. They gave us golf carts. And they didn’t give us or the golf carts any kind of curfew.
So one night after worship a bunch of us were out driving our golf carts. Brady had decided he wanted to teach us all how to do a “j-turn.” According to Brady (who may have been making it all up), a j-turn is basically when you’re going in reverse, real fast, and you pull the park brake while simultaneously whipping the wheel. If you do it right, you end up facing forward at the end of the turn. Cops on TV shows do it all the time. Only with cars, not golf carts.
Well, you know how this is going to end, so I’ll just get there.
Me and Brady were in a golf cart together, and Brady decides to try a j-turn while driving downhill. In reverse.
So of course when he hit that brake and whipped that wheel, the golf cart flipped. Brady and I both flew around a little and I ended up on top of him, both of us landing pretty hard.
I was pretty shaken – sort of half-conscious, really – and I spent a few seconds just trying to get my bearings. Once I did, I could see two things. First, the golf cart was pretty wrecked. Second, Brady was laying perfectly still with his eyes open.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched way too much TV in my life, and on TV, when people are perfectly still with their eyes wide open, it means they are dead. Somebody always has to come around and do that thing where they close the dead dude’s eyes with the palm of their hand. I think it’s supposed to be some kind of tender and respectful way to say “goodbye old buddy, you were the best d**n partner this ol’ cop ever had” or something. Just a watch a few hours of primetime and you’ll see it.
So anyway, that’s Brady. Totally immobile. Eyes wide open. Standing at the pearly gates, playing his little dobro gee-tar for the angels.
It’s important to remind you that, at this point in my life, I was awaiting a court date for the lawsuit from the aforementioned car wreck. So of course my immediate thought was “Brady’s dead and his parents are gonna sue me and I’m gonna have TWO LAWSUITS GOING AT ONE TIME. I’ll be broke and no one will ever want to hear my songs ever again. And Brady’s dead, which is also sad as well.”
Poor Brady. Killed un-glamorously in a bizarre golf-cart stunt, only to have the emotional weight of his passing overshadowed by the threat of litigation.
Well, he wasn’t dead. I yelled at him for what seemed like a couple of minutes (probably 10 seconds) and he finally woke up. Well, he didn’t really wake up, but he did start moving.
By now, the other cart-drivers had made their way down the hill to check on us.
We got on another golf cart and made our way – slowly, safely, and without any stunt-driving – back to the main area of camp. We had to call for an ambulance. This particular time, the 9-1-1 dialing was only required because it was too late at night to get a hold of an ambulance that would come out to the boonies and get him.
There are some other funny parts of the story that I have to tell before I move on.
First of all, Brady, who ended up having a concussion and an injured shoulder, was cussing a lot after his injury. Like I said, he had a concussion. I don’t think I’ve ever had one, but supposedly, it sort of makes you do weird stuff. Anyway, we’ve got him on a back-board (not knowing the extent of his injuries) in the nurse’s station of the camp, and he’s talking really calm, only he’s throwing in profanity every few sentences. Like, just sort of randomly. Those of you who know me well know that I’m not offended by the occasional curse-word (there are even rumors of my usage of some such words, but don’t believe them). But we were at a Christian camp. We were the worship leaders at a Christian camp. So it wasn’t apropos for us to be cursing. So as Brady is blathering on in curse-laden nonsense, I’m trying to convince the dozen or so people who are standing around that he is out of his mind, instead of just really uninhibited. I think maybe I tried to blush a lot and look appalled. I don’t know if it worked.
The story turns out ok. Again, just a concussion and a messed-up shoulder for Brady. Those things were bad I guess, but considering the fact that I thought he had died (and that I might be sued or jailed for it even though it was totally his fault), it kind of seems like we got off easy.
The only other thing that seems important to mention is that I rode in the ambulance, and the driver went – I’m totally not making this up – 90-100 miles an hour for most of the way to the hospital. When I asked him about it, he said something like, “well, I’m allowed to drive as fast as I want if I think my passenger is in dire need of medical attention.” At that point, I was thinking, “well, Brady’s cussing more than normal, but I think he’s okay, but if we wreck at 100 miles an hour, we’re all gonna die.” But kept it to myself.
Even funnier is the fact that my friend Aubrey Spears – who was speaking that week at the camp – had to follow us in my Suburban. If you do the math, you’ll realize that Aubrey was driving my Suburban at 90-100 miles per hour as well.
Somehow, we had arrived at a place where amateur-stunt-driving golf carts weren’t the most dangerous vehicles cruising around South Texas that night.
OK, two more, and these are both pretty boring, but I’m trying to tell all these stories in the order that they happened, and this is just how it worked out.
Number 6 was odd, but not exciting. A year or so later, Staci and I were on the way to Brady’s wedding. Yes, somebody married that cussing, brain-damaged goofball. It’s a miracle.
Anyway, the wedding was in Wichita Falls, so Staci and I were driving thru Arlington to drop off our son at her parents’ place. We’re on I-20 and a pick-up truck in front of us is loaded down with furniture, which is packed in extremely tight and not-very-efficiently. So of course, at some point the truck hits a bump or something and all the furniture just starts flying out of the back of the truck onto the highway. Staci and I are a few hundred feet behind the truck, so we have enough time to kind of swerve around it all, but then we realize that we better pull over, because the furniture is covering like a half mile and several lanes. Cars are smacking into end tables and lamps and such. Couch stuffing is floating around. Etc. Traffic is backing up like crazy.
Next thing you know it’s a parking lot on I-20.
We dialed 9-1-1. We didn’t make it to Brady’s wedding. I am told it was a G-rated affair with zero profanity.
OK, last one. This was about a month ago. I was on my way home from our Sunday meeting of Community Church. We meet at night, so it was nighttime. I had just picked up some takeout for me and the wife. I pulled up to a stop light and saw two cars stopped in the left turn lane. Both drivers are out of their cars and there’s some yelling going on. I roll down my window and catch some hostile language. Both dudes look ready to go at it, only one of the dudes is much bigger and meaner-looking than the other.
I had learned many lessons from the multiple crazy altercations that I’d witnessed over the last 12 years.
Don’t try to break up fights between two dudes that you don’t know.
Don’t assume that every shirtless idiot is a famous shirtless idiot.
Always put a gag on the mouth of your concussed friends.
The list goes on. But the most important truth that night was one that I had learned without the assistance of any drama or law-enforcement.
Don’t let your food get cold.
I dialed 9-1-1. I assume everything worked out ok.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What I did in Nashville
Most of you know that I did some songwriting in Nashville a few weeks ago. In many ways, the trip represented a new “chapter” in my story as an artist and songwriter, so I figured I’d share about it here for those who care.
OK, here’s the brief back story. About 10 years ago, I was approached by a record label regarding one of my songs. It was a song called “wake up” (it ended up on my 1999 CD Big Quiet Truth) that I wrote with my pal Andy Gullahorn, who many of you know and love. He’s probably one of the best songwriters alive today (I’m serious), and I totally ride his coattails any time I can. This was one of those times.
Anyway, Andy and I signed over the publishing (insert technical music biz mumbo-jumbo) to the record company and they agreed to try to pitch the song in pop, country, and Christian music circles. The deal was only for a year or two, and nothing really ever came of it. But during that time, my primary contact at the record label was an extremely nice lady who, for her privacy, I will call Lucy.
After a couple of years, the record label relinquished all the publishing back to me and Andy. Easy come, easy go. I went on with my life and lost touch with Lucy, who went on to become very successful and extremely connected and respected in the music biz.
Fast-forward until this past November. I was at a conference for Taxi, the indie A&R company (insert more technical music biz mumbo-jumbo) that I work with (these are the folks that are getting me the TV/film work that I talked about here). Thru a random circumstance, I ran into Lucy. I wasn’t sure who she was at first, but we started talking and quickly figured out how we knew each other.
Lucy asked about what I was doing these days, and I gave her the story. Then she took some of my music, and we exchanged contact info and wished each other the best.
Well, she called me a couple of weeks later and was really excited about my songwriting. She was quoting my lyrics and talking really specifically about stuff she liked, etc. Of course, as a songwriter, this was really a great encouragement to me, considering all the talent that Lucy has been around for the last couple of decades.
So after a decent amount of talking, I decided to hire her in a consulting role. Again, long story, but basically she was just agreeing to help me improve as a songwriter and help me make connections that would, ideally, lead to me being able to make a decent living as a writer. I love leading worship and doing concerts and producing in my studio and all that, but my real passion is writing songs.
So fast-forward again to February. Lucy arranged an entire week of co-writing sessions with professional writers in Nashville. It was really cool. Basically, I spent all day long, for 4 days straight, writing music with extremely gifted musicians and songwriters. Several of them have written hit songs on country, pop, and Christian radio.
Every writing session was totally different than the one before. I wrote music that was very normal to me, and I wrote stuff that was absolutely, completely different from what I normally write. That part of it was extremely rewarding and challenging. It’s hard to explain, but I just love making music. Obviously I enjoy writing the kind of music and lyrics that I would want to put on my own projects, but I also really enjoy just creating. And the idea that I could get paid to create; well, that’s just insane and beautiful and cool.
Well, so far nothing significant has come out of my time there, in terms of big career stuff or money, but it was a fantastic learning experience, and I made some great relationships and – I think – helped write some good songs that may someday end up on the radio or on someone else’s projects.
I also got to hang out with my good friends Andy and Jill Gullahorn, and I got to (randomly) spend some cool time in the studio watching Andrew Peterson record cello and organ for his new record. That was kind of “geek out” moment for me.
That’s really all that’s worth telling. I’ll keep you all posted when/if things develop. I’ll be heading back to Nashville soon for more of the same. We’ll see where it leads.
One more thing. I’ve done some good writing for my own projects as well. I hope to get back in the studio early in the summer for a new project of “grown up” music. I’ll keep you all posted on that front as well.
OK, that’s it. Not sure who actually cares about any of this, but I just figured it was worth telling the 4 or 5 of you who like to keep up.
More soon!
OK, here’s the brief back story. About 10 years ago, I was approached by a record label regarding one of my songs. It was a song called “wake up” (it ended up on my 1999 CD Big Quiet Truth) that I wrote with my pal Andy Gullahorn, who many of you know and love. He’s probably one of the best songwriters alive today (I’m serious), and I totally ride his coattails any time I can. This was one of those times.
Anyway, Andy and I signed over the publishing (insert technical music biz mumbo-jumbo) to the record company and they agreed to try to pitch the song in pop, country, and Christian music circles. The deal was only for a year or two, and nothing really ever came of it. But during that time, my primary contact at the record label was an extremely nice lady who, for her privacy, I will call Lucy.
After a couple of years, the record label relinquished all the publishing back to me and Andy. Easy come, easy go. I went on with my life and lost touch with Lucy, who went on to become very successful and extremely connected and respected in the music biz.
Fast-forward until this past November. I was at a conference for Taxi, the indie A&R company (insert more technical music biz mumbo-jumbo) that I work with (these are the folks that are getting me the TV/film work that I talked about here). Thru a random circumstance, I ran into Lucy. I wasn’t sure who she was at first, but we started talking and quickly figured out how we knew each other.
Lucy asked about what I was doing these days, and I gave her the story. Then she took some of my music, and we exchanged contact info and wished each other the best.
Well, she called me a couple of weeks later and was really excited about my songwriting. She was quoting my lyrics and talking really specifically about stuff she liked, etc. Of course, as a songwriter, this was really a great encouragement to me, considering all the talent that Lucy has been around for the last couple of decades.
So after a decent amount of talking, I decided to hire her in a consulting role. Again, long story, but basically she was just agreeing to help me improve as a songwriter and help me make connections that would, ideally, lead to me being able to make a decent living as a writer. I love leading worship and doing concerts and producing in my studio and all that, but my real passion is writing songs.
So fast-forward again to February. Lucy arranged an entire week of co-writing sessions with professional writers in Nashville. It was really cool. Basically, I spent all day long, for 4 days straight, writing music with extremely gifted musicians and songwriters. Several of them have written hit songs on country, pop, and Christian radio.
Every writing session was totally different than the one before. I wrote music that was very normal to me, and I wrote stuff that was absolutely, completely different from what I normally write. That part of it was extremely rewarding and challenging. It’s hard to explain, but I just love making music. Obviously I enjoy writing the kind of music and lyrics that I would want to put on my own projects, but I also really enjoy just creating. And the idea that I could get paid to create; well, that’s just insane and beautiful and cool.
Well, so far nothing significant has come out of my time there, in terms of big career stuff or money, but it was a fantastic learning experience, and I made some great relationships and – I think – helped write some good songs that may someday end up on the radio or on someone else’s projects.
I also got to hang out with my good friends Andy and Jill Gullahorn, and I got to (randomly) spend some cool time in the studio watching Andrew Peterson record cello and organ for his new record. That was kind of “geek out” moment for me.
That’s really all that’s worth telling. I’ll keep you all posted when/if things develop. I’ll be heading back to Nashville soon for more of the same. We’ll see where it leads.
One more thing. I’ve done some good writing for my own projects as well. I hope to get back in the studio early in the summer for a new project of “grown up” music. I’ll keep you all posted on that front as well.
OK, that’s it. Not sure who actually cares about any of this, but I just figured it was worth telling the 4 or 5 of you who like to keep up.
More soon!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
MTV stands for Me Tele Vision
Hey peeps. At the bottom of this post, there's a cartoon music video for my song "happy to be me." Big thanks to the absolutely brilliant dudes at Phodder for their work on this.
OK, here's what I need. As good as the sales of the record have been so far, I'm still not really "breaking in" to the whole kids' music scene on any kind of national level. Maybe I never will, and that's fine. I'm not looking to get rich or become the next, er, I don't know who. But I would like to have reach more folks with my music and hopefully teach them about The Kingdom That Lasts Forever.
So, if you are a fan of my music and/or the kids' record and/or the video, PLEASE tell people about this video by linking to it on your Facebook, Twitter, blog, youtube page, etc.
Thanks, everyone, for your support. Enjoy the cartoon version of me, even though he only has four finger, and even though the real me is a better dancer.
OK, here's what I need. As good as the sales of the record have been so far, I'm still not really "breaking in" to the whole kids' music scene on any kind of national level. Maybe I never will, and that's fine. I'm not looking to get rich or become the next, er, I don't know who. But I would like to have reach more folks with my music and hopefully teach them about The Kingdom That Lasts Forever.
So, if you are a fan of my music and/or the kids' record and/or the video, PLEASE tell people about this video by linking to it on your Facebook, Twitter, blog, youtube page, etc.
Thanks, everyone, for your support. Enjoy the cartoon version of me, even though he only has four finger, and even though the real me is a better dancer.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Things I've been doing
Had a great weekend of gigs in Houston and Salado. Big thanks to everyone who came out. After the concert on Friday, I’m itching to do more. Just a reminder that if you’d like to book house concerts, it’s easy and (basically) free. Contact me if you want more info, or go back thru the archives of the blog to find instructions.
In the “my job is so fun and weird” category, I give you this:
My good pals Andrew Kilzer (who is also an amazing sports photog) and Michael Steele (who is also an amazing drummer/musician) asked me to compose some music for a corporate promo that they created for Northcutt Media. For context, Northcutt Media works with companies like TexAgs to provide quality advertising. They are cutting edge and brilliant, and they hired Michael and Andrew to help create an extended “commercial” that they could show to potential clients. Anyway, I composed and recorded the music, which you will hear throughout the video. This sort of thing isn’t my primary skill area, but I’m excited about how it turned out. Check it.
For more context, this is Michael's first major flash/video/cartoon project, and this was Andrew's first time to write this kind of copy and do voice-over. I mean, all of us were kind of "winging it," and somehow it still turned out super-cool. At least I think so.
Anyway, enjoy. Mainly I just wanted you to hear the music I did. As I get more and more into instrumental work and composition, I like to share with you folks. If anybody wants the music track, I'd be glad to send it for free. Just email me.
Also, I’m working on a recap of my recent Nashville trip. Hopefully I’ll have it up this week.
Finally, I’ll be posting some more concert/gig dates within the next few days. Be looking for those.
In the “my job is so fun and weird” category, I give you this:
My good pals Andrew Kilzer (who is also an amazing sports photog) and Michael Steele (who is also an amazing drummer/musician) asked me to compose some music for a corporate promo that they created for Northcutt Media. For context, Northcutt Media works with companies like TexAgs to provide quality advertising. They are cutting edge and brilliant, and they hired Michael and Andrew to help create an extended “commercial” that they could show to potential clients. Anyway, I composed and recorded the music, which you will hear throughout the video. This sort of thing isn’t my primary skill area, but I’m excited about how it turned out. Check it.
For more context, this is Michael's first major flash/video/cartoon project, and this was Andrew's first time to write this kind of copy and do voice-over. I mean, all of us were kind of "winging it," and somehow it still turned out super-cool. At least I think so.
Anyway, enjoy. Mainly I just wanted you to hear the music I did. As I get more and more into instrumental work and composition, I like to share with you folks. If anybody wants the music track, I'd be glad to send it for free. Just email me.
Also, I’m working on a recap of my recent Nashville trip. Hopefully I’ll have it up this week.
Finally, I’ll be posting some more concert/gig dates within the next few days. Be looking for those.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Show tonight! Free CD's being mailed! LOUD NOISES!
Hey everyone. It's kind of a "clean-up" day around here. Got a few things for you.
First, go here to get more info about the concert tonight in the Houston area. It's free and it should be a big crowd. I mean, for me, a "big crowd" is like 70 people, but you know what I mean.
Second, the Great CD Review Giveaway of 2010 is officially over. Thanks to all who participated and gave me big props and much love. The free CD's are going in the mail today. If you haven't given me your CD preference and your address, I can't send you a CD! So get me that asap. Depending on where you stay at, you'll get them sometime next week.
Third, in case you're wondering who all these strangers are showing up and commenting, they are all mainly followers of this chica, who is doing a giveaway of her own. Feel free to go over there and get some free stuff.
Fourth, I really want to tell you all about my trip last week to Nashville. It was tons of fun and I learned a lot. In addition, there were some really cool "career" things that happened. So hopefully I can get to that next week.
That's all for now. Hope to see all the Houston folks tonight!
First, go here to get more info about the concert tonight in the Houston area. It's free and it should be a big crowd. I mean, for me, a "big crowd" is like 70 people, but you know what I mean.
Second, the Great CD Review Giveaway of 2010 is officially over. Thanks to all who participated and gave me big props and much love. The free CD's are going in the mail today. If you haven't given me your CD preference and your address, I can't send you a CD! So get me that asap. Depending on where you stay at, you'll get them sometime next week.
Third, in case you're wondering who all these strangers are showing up and commenting, they are all mainly followers of this chica, who is doing a giveaway of her own. Feel free to go over there and get some free stuff.
Fourth, I really want to tell you all about my trip last week to Nashville. It was tons of fun and I learned a lot. In addition, there were some really cool "career" things that happened. So hopefully I can get to that next week.
That's all for now. Hope to see all the Houston folks tonight!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
where have i been?
In Nashville, doing some really fun stuff. I will try to blog about that in the next day or two.
In the meantime, thanks to everyone who posted reviews in the various places I asked. I really appreciate it. If you didn't email me with specs on what free CD you wanted and where to mail it, do so quickly and I shall make haste in getting you your RK jams.
More later. Too busy and tired to type.
In the meantime, thanks to everyone who posted reviews in the various places I asked. I really appreciate it. If you didn't email me with specs on what free CD you wanted and where to mail it, do so quickly and I shall make haste in getting you your RK jams.
More later. Too busy and tired to type.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
See dee baby? (A Contest!)
For some reason, when I wrote that sentence, I said it outloud with an unidentifiable European accent. Like many of my jokes, you had to sort of be there to appreciate it.
Anyway, my kids' CD is now available at CDBaby. I'm hoping to generate some sales there, so I thought I'd run a little giveaway/contest thing.
Here's how it will work. I'll give a free CD -- anything from my catalog that is still in print -- to anyone who will do 2 of these 4 things:
--go to my CDBaby page and post a review (hopefully a very positive one) for the new CD.
--go to my iTunes page and post a review for the kids CD.
--go to my Amazon page and post of review for the kids CD.
--go to any of the pages that i listed here and post a review in the "comments" section of any of those blogs/pages.
Just do 2 of those things, then email me (ross@rosskingmusic.com) or comment on this post, letting me know that you did it (links to your reviews would be appreciated, but if you're not very tech-savvy, just tell me where the reviews are), then let me know what CD you want. It's that easy, people!
I figure if I get several good reviews, I'll be more likely to sell some stuff in those various places. These different webpages/services represent different markets for me, because most of my "fans" would probably just buy my stuff direct from my website. But people who buy at CDBaby or thru the other above places are more likely to be the kind of folks who just stumble upon me one way or another (especially now that I have a CD in a different "genre").
So, most of you probably have all the CD's of mine that you want, but if not -- or if you want to give some as gifts or whatever -- go post some reviews and let me know about it. I'll send you some free stuff!
Anyway, my kids' CD is now available at CDBaby. I'm hoping to generate some sales there, so I thought I'd run a little giveaway/contest thing.
Here's how it will work. I'll give a free CD -- anything from my catalog that is still in print -- to anyone who will do 2 of these 4 things:
--go to my CDBaby page and post a review (hopefully a very positive one) for the new CD.
--go to my iTunes page and post a review for the kids CD.
--go to my Amazon page and post of review for the kids CD.
--go to any of the pages that i listed here and post a review in the "comments" section of any of those blogs/pages.
Just do 2 of those things, then email me (ross@rosskingmusic.com) or comment on this post, letting me know that you did it (links to your reviews would be appreciated, but if you're not very tech-savvy, just tell me where the reviews are), then let me know what CD you want. It's that easy, people!
I figure if I get several good reviews, I'll be more likely to sell some stuff in those various places. These different webpages/services represent different markets for me, because most of my "fans" would probably just buy my stuff direct from my website. But people who buy at CDBaby or thru the other above places are more likely to be the kind of folks who just stumble upon me one way or another (especially now that I have a CD in a different "genre").
So, most of you probably have all the CD's of mine that you want, but if not -- or if you want to give some as gifts or whatever -- go post some reviews and let me know about it. I'll send you some free stuff!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Houston show details, etc
OK, go here for more info on the Feb 19 Houston/Missouri City show (which is open to the public and totally free).
Also, go here to read the brilliance and thought-provocation of my pal and co-laborer, Thad Norvell, who is currently using his mental and verbal superpowers to talk about Haiti, adoption, and the Kingdom that lasts forever.
Also, go here to read the brilliance and thought-provocation of my pal and co-laborer, Thad Norvell, who is currently using his mental and verbal superpowers to talk about Haiti, adoption, and the Kingdom that lasts forever.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Erbody love Juicebox (and my other songs too!)
Lots and lots of reviews being posted all around the cyberweb netverse or whatever it's called. So far, everybody has been extremely positive! Whew. Color me relieved, which, I think, is a kind of pale yellow-ish with hints of crimson and puce.
I contacted these people a few weeks ago and asked them if they would be interested in reviewing my new record, and they said yes. So this week there are tons of reviews popping up all over the place. If you haven't bought the record yet, or if you know somebody who needs convincing, send them to any of these places:
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review this one is especially fun because she shares some email dialogue that I had with her about the record, and I think it really conveys my heart for the record.
There are more, but I didn't want to overwhelm you. Here's what you can do to help. Go read a few and post on their "comments" sections and see if we can stir up some more sales.
These are mainly moms with kids. That's pretty much the main demographic that I'm needing to reach and impress with the new record, so it's great to get all this positive feedback.
More news to come.
T-shirts? Yeah, I think I'm going to do it within the next month or so.
Cartoon/iPhone app? Coming along. Supposed to be ready late next week. We'll see.
Concerts/gigs? I'm starting to book lots of stuff, so if you're interested for something in the spring or summer, let me know!
I contacted these people a few weeks ago and asked them if they would be interested in reviewing my new record, and they said yes. So this week there are tons of reviews popping up all over the place. If you haven't bought the record yet, or if you know somebody who needs convincing, send them to any of these places:
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review
Review this one is especially fun because she shares some email dialogue that I had with her about the record, and I think it really conveys my heart for the record.
There are more, but I didn't want to overwhelm you. Here's what you can do to help. Go read a few and post on their "comments" sections and see if we can stir up some more sales.
These are mainly moms with kids. That's pretty much the main demographic that I'm needing to reach and impress with the new record, so it's great to get all this positive feedback.
More news to come.
T-shirts? Yeah, I think I'm going to do it within the next month or so.
Cartoon/iPhone app? Coming along. Supposed to be ready late next week. We'll see.
Concerts/gigs? I'm starting to book lots of stuff, so if you're interested for something in the spring or summer, let me know!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Proof that I am, indeed, a cartoon!
OK, here is a sample of the thing I was talking about a few days ago. Basically, this is going to be a music video/iphone app (we may work some interactive game stuff into it as well) for my song "happy to be me" from the new record. It's just a fun little cartoon thing that hopefully will help kids to connect with the music a little more.
Big props to my friends at Phodder, who are working hard on this for me. Check back in the next 2 weeks for the final product. Come on, everybody loves cartoons, even when a big doofus like me is the star of them! Fun, huh?
Big props to my friends at Phodder, who are working hard on this for me. Check back in the next 2 weeks for the final product. Come on, everybody loves cartoons, even when a big doofus like me is the star of them! Fun, huh?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Victories
I know there has been a lot of Haiti talk around here and elsewhere, but I just had to share this one. Tim Pearson is a guy that I served with for a few days last summer when Com Church sent us to Port au Prince. We connected pretty well. He's a funny guy and a true servant, so of course everybody loved him.
He was there for several reasons, but one of them -- or rather, two of them -- were Sammy and Gino, the two little boys he and his wife were, at the time, in the process of adopting. It was heart-wrenching and beautiful to watch him interact with those boys. Tim was really impressive and inspiring to me because, among other things, he really modeled the Kingdom to me as a father, as an adoptive parent, and as (at the time) a servant for Jesus in Haiti. There would be times when Tim's boys were 30 feet away from him and he had to focus on other work that he was there to do (he was integral in helping orchestrate the rooftop garden that was one of our primary jobs while there). I knew it must've been really hard for him to keep his sanity in those moments, but he was always joyful, hilarious, and encouraging.
OK, so the point of the post is to share this with you. Go read the story of Sammy and Gino's homecoming. Go ahead and cry. It's good for you.
He was there for several reasons, but one of them -- or rather, two of them -- were Sammy and Gino, the two little boys he and his wife were, at the time, in the process of adopting. It was heart-wrenching and beautiful to watch him interact with those boys. Tim was really impressive and inspiring to me because, among other things, he really modeled the Kingdom to me as a father, as an adoptive parent, and as (at the time) a servant for Jesus in Haiti. There would be times when Tim's boys were 30 feet away from him and he had to focus on other work that he was there to do (he was integral in helping orchestrate the rooftop garden that was one of our primary jobs while there). I knew it must've been really hard for him to keep his sanity in those moments, but he was always joyful, hilarious, and encouraging.
OK, so the point of the post is to share this with you. Go read the story of Sammy and Gino's homecoming. Go ahead and cry. It's good for you.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Gig details, etc
I mentioned some gigs a few days ago. Well, I've got details for those gigs, plus info on one more. Here it be:
Jan 31 (this Sunday night), 6 pm -- Worship/Concert at Calvary Baptist Church in Lufkin, TX
Feb 19, 7 pm -- Concert at First Baptist Church in Missouri City
Feb 20, 21 -- Various worship/concert stuff at First Baptist Church in Salado, TX
April 9 -- House concert in Dallas area (exact time and location TBA)
Let me know if you need more info on any of these shows. I'll get it on the blog asap.
That's all for now.
Jan 31 (this Sunday night), 6 pm -- Worship/Concert at Calvary Baptist Church in Lufkin, TX
Feb 19, 7 pm -- Concert at First Baptist Church in Missouri City
Feb 20, 21 -- Various worship/concert stuff at First Baptist Church in Salado, TX
April 9 -- House concert in Dallas area (exact time and location TBA)
Let me know if you need more info on any of these shows. I'll get it on the blog asap.
That's all for now.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
She likes it!
Got another positive review of the new kids' CD, this time from a mom with a kid! That there is the target demographic, people (my college roommates went to business classes, so I know these things). Go read it and, if you haven't bought it yet, seriously, how much convincing do you need?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
I still play gigs
Hey folks. Wanted to give you the scoop on a couple of upcoming gigs. I haven't been playing out as much over the last 18 months, since I took the interim worship job at Grace Bible in College Station, but that job is coming to an end in May, so I'm ramping up the gigs.
Here are a few over the month or so:
Jan 31 -- Concert in Lufkin, TX
Feb 19th -- Concert in Houston, TX
Feb 20th -- Leading worship in Salado , TX
As you can see, the first one is this Sunday night. Any Lufkin folks out there? Come see me.
I haven't realy booked any kids' concerts yet, but I'll do that soon as well.
If you want any info about these shows, or about booking me for other stuff, just comment here or email me ross@rosskingmusic.com.
Here are a few over the month or so:
Jan 31 -- Concert in Lufkin, TX
Feb 19th -- Concert in Houston, TX
Feb 20th -- Leading worship in Salado , TX
As you can see, the first one is this Sunday night. Any Lufkin folks out there? Come see me.
I haven't realy booked any kids' concerts yet, but I'll do that soon as well.
If you want any info about these shows, or about booking me for other stuff, just comment here or email me ross@rosskingmusic.com.
Friday, January 22, 2010
I'm a cartoon!!!
OK, so in my ongoing efforts to market the kids' record (see some of my ideas and thoughts here and here), I've got something new to show you. I'm not going to tell you exactly what this is, but it won't be that hard to figure out. Basically, I have some friends who do something really cool and hip for a living, and I'm going to partner with them to turn one of my songs into... well, you can try to figure it out, or you can wait a couple of weeks and I'll tell you when it's done.
But anyway, here is the hint:
If you look closely at the pics, you can figure out what song this is. As for what this is going to be, well, it's not that hard to figure out, but I'm going to make you wait anyway.
Check back the week of Feb 1 for more details!
But anyway, here is the hint:
If you look closely at the pics, you can figure out what song this is. As for what this is going to be, well, it's not that hard to figure out, but I'm going to make you wait anyway.
Check back the week of Feb 1 for more details!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Perspective
I know people on twitter and facebook are probably tired of me talking about this, so I figured I'd come over here and talk about it. Go read this blog and get some persective. And if you haven' given any money to some sort of Haitian relief effort, please consider doing so.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Pray for Haiti
Some of you will remember that I spent some time with orphans and saints in Haiti this past summer. There was a pretty massive earthquake there today. The people (and kids) that we worked with there are all ok, but I know they would appreciate your prayers. Haiti is the second poorest country in the world, so an earthquake is like adding insult to injury. Go read about how my friends at Heartline are doing.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
He likes it!
Got another review of the CD. I sent one to this guy because I found him on the internet and saw that he was a cool, diserning dude who liked to review kids' music. He agreed to review it. Check it out. And thank him for listening!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Clothe yourself
Happy New Year everyone. Sorry I've been away from the blog for a bit. After the craziness of gettting the CD released, and then the holidays, I was a little worn out.
Updates:
Well, the CD is selling great. I've sold around 200 actual hard copies, which I know doesn't sound like much, but considering I haven't done any shows to promote, and that I'm the only "store" that's carrying it, it's not bad. And it's doing really well on iTunes and other download stores as well. So big thanks to all of you who have been buying and telling your friends and such.
I'm doing lots of writing these days. Hoping to start working on a new "grown-up" project in a few months. I miss writing and playing music that isn't about boogers or juiceboxes or monkeys.
I'm booking concert for the winter and spring, so if you'd like me to come play for you (grown-ups, kids, or both), let me know. If you don't know how it all works, send me an emai or comment on this blog and I'll fill you in. It's extremely cheap and easy. And it will change your life for ever.
And now, onto something new. Check it:
These were designed by my pal Josh Taylor, who is not only an amazing artist/designer, but is also the lead singer and guitarist for Clairmont, a fantastic band that you need to hear and see and support.
Here's the thing. Shirts aren't cheap to order and, as I said, I have no idea if any of my "fans" would even be interested in something like this. So here's what I'm looking for. I need to know if any of yo would buy these if I offered them.
How much? Well,I need to charge $14-15 just to make any money on them. But I could give discounts for purchases of multiples, or "buy a CD and get a shirt for half-price" kinds of things.
And I ca definitely get "get lots of friends to buy my CD and get a shirt for free" deals.
Oh, and I can get kid/baby sizes as well as grown-up sizes.
Soooo, thoughts? If enough people respond postively, I'll get these going in the next month, in time for the spring weather. We all know that erbody love juicebox, but I'm trying to find out if erbody love juicebox t-shirts.
Updates:
Well, the CD is selling great. I've sold around 200 actual hard copies, which I know doesn't sound like much, but considering I haven't done any shows to promote, and that I'm the only "store" that's carrying it, it's not bad. And it's doing really well on iTunes and other download stores as well. So big thanks to all of you who have been buying and telling your friends and such.
I'm doing lots of writing these days. Hoping to start working on a new "grown-up" project in a few months. I miss writing and playing music that isn't about boogers or juiceboxes or monkeys.
I'm booking concert for the winter and spring, so if you'd like me to come play for you (grown-ups, kids, or both), let me know. If you don't know how it all works, send me an emai or comment on this blog and I'll fill you in. It's extremely cheap and easy. And it will change your life for ever.
And now, onto something new. Check it:
OK, I've never done anything like this before, so I have no idea how people would react. So look at the pics below and then read on.
These were designed by my pal Josh Taylor, who is not only an amazing artist/designer, but is also the lead singer and guitarist for Clairmont, a fantastic band that you need to hear and see and support.
Here's the thing. Shirts aren't cheap to order and, as I said, I have no idea if any of my "fans" would even be interested in something like this. So here's what I'm looking for. I need to know if any of yo would buy these if I offered them.
How much? Well,I need to charge $14-15 just to make any money on them. But I could give discounts for purchases of multiples, or "buy a CD and get a shirt for half-price" kinds of things.
And I ca definitely get "get lots of friends to buy my CD and get a shirt for free" deals.
Oh, and I can get kid/baby sizes as well as grown-up sizes.
Soooo, thoughts? If enough people respond postively, I'll get these going in the next month, in time for the spring weather. We all know that erbody love juicebox, but I'm trying to find out if erbody love juicebox t-shirts.
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