do the spirits of the air, called into existence by the pulsing vibrations of melody and harmony, converse with him. They are the familiars that he can send forth speeding to all hearts with messages too subtle for words,- sometimes sparkling with irresistable mirth, at others wild with terror and despair, or filled with sweet whispers of imperishable consolation. All this and far more than any words can utter, was to be done, and has been done, for man, by music.
HRH
Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.
My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.
Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.
1.
I pant for the music which is divine,
My heart in its thirst is a dying flower;
Pour forth the sound like enchanted wine,
Loosen the notes in a silver shower;
Like a herbless plain, for the gentle rain,
I gasp, I faint, till they wake again.
2.
Let me drink of the spirit of that sweet sound,
More, oh more,—I am thirsting yet;
It loosens the serpent which care has bound
Upon my heart to stifle it;
The dissolving strain, through every vein,
Passes into my heart and brain.
3.
As the scent of a violet withered up,
Which grew by the brink of a silver lake,
When the hot noon has drained its dewy cup,
And mist there was none its thirst to slake—
And the violet lay dead while the odour flew
On the wings of the wind o’er the waters blue—
4.
As one who drinks from a charmed cup
Of foaming, and sparkling, and murmuring wine,
Whom, a mighty Enchantress filling up,
Invites to love with her kiss divine…
Christmas, year end goals, business of many varieties and an eye on 2012 eh? I hope you all have been having a great holiday season – and look forward to a blessed Christmas as well. I have been busy writing and adding to my licensing library…and have had a fairly wide and wild variety of songs get checked off as of late…a bunch of Christmas public domain songs with Trina, Star Spangled Banner, my first foray into blues with “Corrupt Politician Blues”, which I will probably post here in the next days. If time allows I’ll crank out a video just for giggles. I purchased a guitar harp at an estate sale for a very good price (instrument is circa 1890’s)… I also picked up a very deep soft synth which I will be implementing and blogging on in the upcoming weeks. I really do hope you and yours are enjoying a great time of peace, reflection and celebration as we thank the Lord for His goodness in providing us the greatest gift of all in the birth of Jesus Christ. I find it so amazing that we can know our Creator on a personal level…and be allowed to co-create in myriad ways.
inspiration;
c.1300, “immediate influence of God or a god,” especially that under which the holy books were written, from O.Fr. inspiracion “inhaling, breathing in; inspiration,” from L.L. inspirationem (nom. inspiratio), noun of action from pp. stem of L. inspirare “inspire, inflame, blow into,” from in- “in” (see in- (2)) + spirare “to breathe” (see spirit). Literal sense “act of inhaling” attested in English from 1560s. Meaning “one who inspires others” is attested by 1867.
You want inspiration? Here are 10 tips;
1 ) Seek God first in all endeavors (prayer, bible study, obedience) for unexcelled inspiration.
2 ) Seek inspiration outside of your trade. Go to artists that work in mediums you don’t specialize in.
3 ) Get out in nature. You will never run out of inspiration in taking in this wide, bold, wonderful and sublime world God has created.
4 ) Be truthful / honest / real
5 ) Consider learning a lifestyle rather than a title.
6 ) Celebrate the amazing diversity we are surrounded in with the human experience, walk wide eyed in your daily gift of the present, fight evil at every opportunity overtly OR quietly.
7 ) Enjoy a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ, be it in a building called the church or not.
8 ) Fellowship with authentic Christians.
9 ) Make your goal to please God not man.
10 ) Admit you don’t know yourself.
sedit qui timuit ne non succederet
1. Knowledge trumps ignorance.
2. Experience trumps knowledge.
3. What you hear that day in the control room trumps experience.
4. How it fits in the arrangement trumps what you hear that day.
5. What the whole thing makes you feel in your heart trumps all.
The “Fatman” makes a case for priorities, that I can see applying to a lot of situations in life…
Read the rest of the article here
I have been looking for some time for the Apple Powered Speakers, mostly because of their endorsement from Bob Clearmountain;
>>Clearmountain’s main monitors in his mixing room are Yamaha NS10s – “I just know them so well that I can really be sure of what’s going on with a mix when I use them,” – augmented by self-powered KRK E7s – “those let me hear what’s happening below 80Hz.” He also employs a pair of compact Apple computer speakers. “Those are actually my favourites! I have them placed right next to each other at the side of the room on top of a rack. I don’t like speakers that are too hi-fi for mixing, because if the speaker makes everything sound good, you don’t work as hard and then the mix is not going to sound very good when you play it back on a lesser speaker. I want something that makes me work hard. I like to switch speakers a lot, as well. The little ones, believe it or not, are actually really good for judging things like bass and bass drum level. If I can’t hear those on the little Apple speakers, then I know I’ve got to re-EQ or change something in the track. They’re also good for setting vocal levels. There’s just no hype with the little ones – they’re so close together that everything is almost mono, and I get a really clear perspective of how the overall thing sounds. Of course, they don’t make them any more. Anything that’s good, they always stop making it.<<
I had some NS10s, but my (then) dog chewed the wood out of the cones, I currently use HR824s as my main monitors, and now will be using my newly acquired Apples as an A/B...anyway - if you want to read some more about Clearmountain - go here.
On another note – I have picked up a pioneer PL-518. Which I wanted for several reasons i.e. I have vinyl records that are not available digitally, vinyl collections can be a good buy, more custom sampling possibilities and of course the analog sound.
Musically I am busy writing, and have some new stuff that should be coming up soon…I have a name for my new project – which will be launched without a lot of fanfare in the next week or so. Video wise I have shot some stuff for Don’t Feed The Drummer, so that will likely be the next video.
Finally I want to thank those of you that have given feedback on the Chronicles “spoken word” entry. It is nice to hear – but for the life of me I don’t understand why so many of you tell me offline – or through email or whatever – I mean that IS what the comment option is for… 
but seriously – every one of you who visit is appreciated, and if I can in any way encourage / inspire you or put a smile on your face, it is mission accomplished.