Making the Grade, part 2

Well, the song remained popular through the month and is part of the Top 5 Songs – 30 Days.  Even though it is fairly silly to create Christian rap parodies with a faux-British accent, it seems to be doing well.  I’m glad.

Making the Grade

I participate in an online social network called SD Community, where Christian songwriters and worship leaders gather and share each others music.  This week, it appears I’m on the top 5 rated list with “Thou Shalt Always Die,” my parody of “Thou Shalt Always Kill” by Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.  If you are among the people who appreciate that song and want to support me making things like that in the future, you can visit my online store and pick up your own copy.  Thanks and happy listening.

Music for Jane

Today, I make available 2 songs I’ve written for Jane… The first, “Jane’s Lullabye,” written when Jen and I were expecting, and the second, “Jane’s Dedication Song,” written the day before her dedication.

Jane’s Lullabye

Jane’s Dedication Song

The Wall of Guitars

I’ve finally done it… hung all my stringed instruments (except the autoharp) on the music room wall.  Here, in all it’s musical splendor… the wall of guitars.

Forget it

It’s just too hot to do anything.  Check back when Fall starts.

Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (aka CCLI, part 7)

We use CCLI to get our words on screen each week.  All the song composers license their songs for use through CCLI.  I am now a license holder with CCLI too… finally.  Check out the proof below.

…(h)And we’re back

Okay, I’ve gotten a better picture. Which is a better sample to use in the piano book?

1=

2=

(Okay, so I bite my nails…)

Thou Shalt Always… BUY!

I’m glad to say the next installment of parody is here – riding on the backs of Scroobius Pip and Dan le Sac, with their original “Thou Shalt Always Kill,” I’m proud to present to you today, “Thou Shalt Always Die.” One of our pastor’s most oft-quoted verses in the Bible is about dying to yourself, taking up your cross and following Jesus. Although I can’t quite quantify how much of the new lyrics point to that exact message, certainly, most of them are good guidelines to follow.

In my head, I must admit, I was writing half for the public and half for my daughter (in utero). I wanted the messages to be poignant and relevant to our society just now. Enter the song, and many of the references in my parody. As always, this song incorporates many of my life experiences. You may be surprised how difficult my life can be sometimes. Although not everything in the song is autobiographical, there is enough there to feel really personal to me. The rest is just good livin’ as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway, if you are so inclined and want to own your very own HIGH QUALITY mp3, you can cruise over to my Speakerheart store and buy the thing (@ 192kbps).  Enjoy.

PS – to ensure everyone can have a cursory listen to the song, I’ve included it at the top, but recorded at 64kbps – which affects the sound quality – and with so much going on lyrically, it gets muddy.  The good news for you is – the HIGH QUALITY recordings are crystal clear.

I’ll let you buy my music…

It’s no problem, really.  If you need a tune, just go to the place where my music is, throw a dollar at the internet, and voila – instant satisfaction.  You can get there by clicking the Music Page link at the top right of the page, or clicking on the Jeff Little @ Speakerheart link in the More ME section to the right, or you can bookmark the actual address – which is http://www.speakerheart.com/jefflittle – so you can come back every day, and shower me with your dollars.  I won’t cry if you do.  Oh – and just for fun, the first 3 people who comment on this post with their name and email get a free download sent to them, courtesy of me.  We’ll see who’s watching.

Billy Preston/Hammond Organ

I was reminded of Billy Preston as I began searching for my Hammond Organ Model # yesterday.  I did a search for his name and found a particularly cool little music video he did for BET – it seems like a sketch comedy show of some sort, perhaps with music interwoven between bits. “Music is a Voice of God” is the song – and I’m thinking about rehearsing it for some Sunday at church.  I was first introduced to Billy Preston’s music with “Nothing From Nothing.”  I LOVE that song!  This guy played a mean organ.  Inspirational.  So I took apart my organ to find the model number hidden behind the back panel.

I found it is a Hammond BC, not a B-3, like I had hoped.  Not that I understand the real difference between the two.  I’m told by Bill Connor of BC Organ & Service that “the vibrato and chorus function differently, the BC has no “percussion”, the preamplifiers are different. The BC may have a “tremulant” control on it which is not found on a B3. It is also possible that your BC has older style keys.

The B3 is more preferable because of public demand.  The features you are missing on your BC are the features that make the B3 desireable.  Generally, if you ran the BC through a Leslie speaker it would be very similar to a B3.“  I also own a Leslie speaker, so I may be in better shape than I thought.  At any rate, I’d like to share a picture of this little treasure with you.  Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll get it repaired to perfection and learn to make that thing sing.