Tag: music

Say Goodbye

Alright, time to be a little vulnerable…

I’m totally comfortable writing, speaking, podcasting, and Facebooking many aspects of my life and thoughts. But music has always been something I keep pretty close. It’s a private hobby and I’m a little embarrassed to expose it to the world.

I don’t write songs often anymore, but about a year ago a melody and lyrics popped into my head and I worked it into a song. After interviewing musician Tim LeVan Miller on the podcast I was inspired to try something I’ve always wanted to do but never made a priority: record one of my songs in an actual studio. I’ve only ever recorded them in one take with my iPhone voice memo app.

In other words, I’ve never really heard my own songs. When I write them, I hear them as they could be, with a full band, and parts that are above my skill level. I wanted to hear this song as I imagined it.

Tim was awesome enough to not only give me time in his studio, but to produce it, add a bridge, and play many of the instruments. I haven’t had this much fun collaborating on a song since my days in Second Floor Jungle (Kalamazoo’s most famous youth group coffee house folk band).

Anyway, here’s the song. I recommend listening with headphones to get the stereo effect. I also recommend listening a few times in a row. It grows on you.

I hope you like it. But most importantly, I like it, so I say success!

Tide

I have always been moved by the imagery of the tide.  There is something cleansing and freeing about it, yet powerful and dangerous at once.  The feeling of water steadily pulling can seem threatening, but I’ve never felt that way about it.  It feels liberating to me.  I can rest and it will do its work.  There is a sense of letting go connected with the push and pull of the tide.

Tides are relentless.  They don’t care what’s on the beach, or what the weather is like, or if it’s a convenient time for me.  They have no indecision, no waffling.  Its not like the rain that sometimes wants to fall but won’t make up its mind.  They proceed on their predictable pattern.  Sea creatures know this and let the tide bring them sustenance.  They naturally, gracefully navigate it with minimum resistance and find harmony in its rhythm.

Tides don’t affect small pools, only great lakes, seas, and oceans.

Tides reveal the connectedness of the universe.  A gray rock floating two hundred thousand miles away raises and lowers the water just down the beach.  Tides are tirelessly creative.  They play with grains of sand in and endless dance and make new beaches and shorelines every moment.

Tides are revealing.  When it goes out you can see previously obscured rocks, shoals, reefs, islands, and wrecks.

I don’t like to share my music, but today it felt right.  The quality is low because it was recorded on an iPhone and because I am a decidedly amateur musician.  Still, perhaps it can convey something that I am struggling to convey as I deal with the loss of a friend.

(If you are so inclined, you can support his family here.)