Song Writing

Well, it's been a pretty great week with a couple bumps along the way.
I met a guy.. there were fireworks. Well not really, but he was full of good advice, and I love meeting people that can insert some wisdom into my life. His name is Joshua Seller, a worship leader from Harvest Bible Chapel in Oakville and a singer, songwriter. Find him on facebook and pick up his cd.
Well he put this little idea in my head, and I thought it would be selfish not to share it. After talking about some strategies and theology on leading a church into worship (Which many of you will find less than interesting..) he gave me some advice for musicianship (which a quarter of you will find interesting) (I recognize that three quarters of you wont be interested and I'm not even remorseful..)
The advice was this. Jon Foreman is the lead singer and writer for the band Switchfoot. You may or may not have heard of them. They're a relatively recognized band that's stumbled onto quite a bit of success. Jon makes it a discipline to write one song a day! A day! And that is one, finished, entirely written, bridge included, pre-chorus-figured-out song. I have the hardest time finishing a song, because once you label it finished, you leave it alone and you can't bring new stuff in. The mind-set behind the one a day song plan is this.. Every new song is better than the last, so keep pushing them out so you can keep improving. And at the end of the year you've got 365 songs to cycle through to look for that pearl.
Joshua has incorporated this into his ministry and he requires every one of his interns to write and record one song a week which they will show to him. It seems small, but if we want to grow as writers and we want to stretch our music than it makes perfect sense to force ourselves into a discipline that will stretch us. I wish I could show you some of my early songs.. no I don't.. they were terrible.. But I had to get that junk out to figure out what works. A friend of mine Scott Jackson from Life 100.3 has told me that his pet peeve is artists who rhyme, "Love with Dove". It's been done. It's what we all resort to when we're struggling with lyrics.
I know this is long.. I'm sitting in a class right now that's not even mine and I can only focus on homework for so long. Moral of the story. Discipline leads to greatness. Stretch yourself, be it songwriting, musicianship or your spiritual life. Hard workers take the lead when talent stops working hard.. or something like that.
The Raptors start their season this Wednesday night and I'm going to be sitting at home watching the game with my dad and a doctor pepper. Does life get any better?
Check out our little song on the facebook page. And hey, go write a song

Levi

"Christian Music" & Jonny Lang

Hi, it’s Drew.

So, the other day I was killing time, and I happened to catch a performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno that would really spark my interest. I usually just turn on Leno, watch the monologue, and stop paying attention or fall asleep. Luckily this time I stayed awake and saw the musical guest.

On this particular night the musical guest was Cyndi Lauper, y’know that “girls just want to have fun“ lady. I generally wouldn’t have been interested, but as I was watching I noticed she had an amazing band behind her, in particular the guitar player she was singing a duet with caught my attention. His name was Jonny Lang, and though he has been around for a while, (He put out his first album when he was 14) I had never heard him before. I ended up enjoying their performance quite a bit, (click HERE to see it) and immediately googled Jonny Lang.

I started listening to some of his stuff on youtube, and a day later bought his “Live at the Ryman” album off itunes. As I listened to the album I couldn’t help but notice the inspirational lyrics, and Christian messages embedded into his music. After doing a bit more research I found out that Jonny is a born again Christian, and has played on some Steven Curtis Chapmen and Israel Houston records... but I really wasn’t surprised after listening to his music.

Jonny is an AMAZING guitar player, and has played with some blues legends like Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, Herbie Hancock, Eric Johnson, as well as playing with Carlos Santana. Even though he is so young... he’s really been around the block.

What I found really interesting about him was how he incorporates his faith into his music, even though he is not tagged as a Christian artist. We have all heard of these types of musicians before in the industry. Christians who are playing music, but not labeling their music as “Christian”. I’m not going to name any names, but what set Jonny apart from these artists was how his faith actually shines through his songwriting. You can really hear the influence all over his album. Not just in a generic, positive message kind of way, but in a blatant, unapologetic statement of his lifestyle. Just listen to the ‘live at the ryman’ CD and you’ll know what I mean...

It really got me thinking about what it means to be a Christian and a musician, and all those bands I’m not quite sure what to think of regarding their faith. Sure there are a million artists who label themselves as “Christian”, thank God during awards, and come from a religious background. But how can I tell who really lives it? I think Jonny is the best example of a Christ follower, playing music in the secular music scene.

His love for God, and inner passion can’t help but burst through his songwriting even though the genre he plays doesn't call for it.. And doesn’t that make sense for all of us... that the thing which is most important to us, and the most influential part of our lives, shines through our art form even if we aren't applying a certain label on ourselves.

I dunno, the whole thing just really made me think and it's hard for me to put on paper. But I guess that's why I write guitar parts and not lyrics.

Here’s some of his lyrics that really spoke to me, as we are getting ready to release the CD, and launch a new season in our musical journey with The Levi denBok Band.

“This one might not ever be a single
Just something on my heart I hadda’ sing ya.
I hope they play this on the radio,
Gimme a chance to let somebody know,
That we can change the world one boy, one girl, one person at a time”

“Sure be nice to go triple platinum,
but there’s no guarantee it’s ever gunna happen.
And if I can only reach one set of ears
I know that I’ve fulfilled my purpose here.”

One Person At A Time - Jonny Lang.

Can't believe I didn't hear about him, until after he was in Kitchener this August. Wish somebody would have told me about how amazing this guy is earlier.

Anyway, hope you're all well, and hope that I'll see you in November at the CD release. Come talk to me, I may seem tired at first, but I really love talking to people after we play.

- drew

Ramblings from the gutar section.

Time to hear from the guitar player...

And... surprise surprise, I’m going to talk about guitars. Over the past couple of days my mind has been crammed full of guitar stuff, it’s almost all i’ve been thinking about on my spare time. This is mainly do to a documentary I watched the other day called “It Might Get Loud" (<-- click for trailer). If you are a guitar player, you must watch this film. It’s life changeingly good. Three generations of guitar players, each with a unique approach to playing, get together and chat about the one thing they share in common, a burning passion for the guitar. Anyway, enough about the movie, check it out it’s great.

For all the guitar players out there, I want to talk about gear for a minute . I have never claimed to be the greatest guitar player out there, I know I have so much to learn, and lots of improving to do. But, one thing I’m always very interested in, and have spent a lot of time learning about, is the more technical side of guitar playing, and how different types of hardware effect our sound. For me, it’s a super important factor and something i’ve become rather obsessed with. The pursuit of the best guitar tone possible... of course in relation to my playing style and level of ability.

For me, good tone is the number one factor concerning good guitar playing. It’s all very simple... DOES IT SOUND GOOD? I’ve met so many guitar players who are so much better than I am in technical ability. Guys who can shred a crazy solo, or play with tons of energy and can do things with the guitar neck i’ll practice my entire life and never get right. But so many times, it just doesn't do it for me. Sure it’s crazy, and looks amazing... but it just doesn't sound that great. And what good is the toughest guitar solo in the world, if at the end of the day it sounds like garbage. When all is said and done (especially when playing worship music) it is most important that what I’m playing sounds good, and improving the overall sound quality of the band you’re playing with. (by the way, this isn’t just a guitar players concern...)

Anyway... I bring all this up because I want to talk about guitar strings. I’ve spend so much money in the past on pedals, amps and guitars but have overlooked the most simple part of hardware that effects my tone... the strings. Sounds silly right, spend thousands on gear that will help me sound good, but then just pick up the cheapest or simplest pack of strings to slap on. They’re very important, and if your a guitar player it’s something that you should be thinking about too... what type of strings compliment me most?

Basically this is how it boils down. On my tele (my main guitar) I have played GHS Boomers 11’s since my last setup. I went up a string gauge 2 years ago when talking to a guitar tech about how a thicker string gauge helps your guitar stay in tune better and improves tone for a variety of reasons. Before that I played some kind of Ernie Balls, and Elixirs. But, after talking to some older guitar guys, who I consider the best kind of expert, I’ve made what I consider to be a significant switch in strings.

So here’s a little history to explain what I’ve been thinking...
Back in the day, when electric guitars were really starting to pave the way, guitar strings shifted from being made of primarily out of brass and bronze to nickel. In the late 50’s early 60’s Nickel was the industry standard for electric guitar strings. However, because of the increasing need during the Korean and Vietnam war, quantity of nickel decreased, and subsequently prices increased. So... in the late 60’s string manufacturers started marketing steel strings, with nickel plating to cut costs. Since then nickel-plated steel strings are almost exclusively used by electric guitarists. All the brands I mentioned above are steel core strings.

So here’s where my shift began. I began reading about pure nickel strings and found out that they are characterized my a warmer, mellower sound. Steel core strings tend to be louder, and brighter. Brightness is a good thing and sought after for many guitar players. But if any of you have heard me play, you know the last thing I need with my tele and vox is a brighter sound. So I’ve decided to switch to pure nickel strings. I just feel that a more original and natural approach is better in this situation, and that it is possible that string manufactures use steel core as a cost efficient way to distribute their product. But I would l like to find out if it is the BEST way. Pure Nickel strings are a little more expensive... but again, why spend so much on you guitar and then skimp on something as important a strings.

Recently I loaded up my guitar with DR ‘pure blues’ strings (11-50), and so far so good. They feel nice, and are easy to play. Nickel strings are softer I guess... so there is less string tension. They are easy to play, I may even go up to 12’s. The thing I like about DR strings is that they are handmade, and have a round core opposed to a hexagonal core which is part of the reason they bend easier and feel nice. The pure nickel strings help take the edge of my tone and definitely have a nice bluesy sound. If you’re a metal player, you might need that additional output you get from the nickel plated steel strings. but so far I don’t feel I’m lacking in loudness. So I’m going to stick with these for a bit, and see how they fare in the long run. I think it is important to test out new strings to help tune in the best sound to fit my style. I mean, I could try out 20 different kinds of strings, 20 slightly different sounds, for the price of one pedal that effect my sound.

Anyway... that is my rant. Longer than I though it would end up, and probably pretty boring for a lot of you, but important none the less to us guitar players and gear junkies.

Hope to see you guys out at the CD release party.

- Drew

www.facebook.com/thelevidenbokband

Bass player's aren't supposed to talk this much...

Hi again...taking a break from reading about MIDI and other cool sound and recording stuff (not really i'm kind of lost). Some of the stuff is really amazing though, the technology we have now...being able to produce a song without ever plugging in a guitar! Enough about studying haha...so today Levi and I were late getting back to class after our 15 minute break...it was pretty funny seeing Levi attempt to apologize while drinking his green tea with honey haha. And of course you have me...'dude, relax, it's our second class, he doesn't actually care,' yet he's the one on top of all the homework. But i better go...life of a student, studying stuff i don't understand...Peace out

Thoughts from the Drummer...

Hello! Hallo! Alô! Saluto! Det! Powitanie! привет! Hallå!

Language is an interesting thing. We all speak different languages but yet mean to say the same thing. Sometimes I view music in the same way. We have different styles, genres, tempo's, instruments, progressions, etc. But we all work towards telling a story with our music. There is some sort of meaning or statement to our crescendo's and allegro's much like the statements and questions used in our own language.

Some of you might hear music and just hear... well... music. But beneath every word, every note, there is an underlying message. Classical music is one of the greatest examples of these. We hear the music but sometimes don't catch the message portrayed by the notes and the tempo. Composers of the classical era relied on this principal that music was more than noise for the ears but a form of story telling. Next time you hear a song, really try to soak into the words... you might find that the great song you love on the radio really isn't so good, or that song you hate with no words is actually telling a vibrant story.

I guess what I am trying to say is we need to give music a deeper thought. Forgive me for my boldness but, music is a global phenomenon, there is no known culture in the world that hasn't created their own type of music... So with that being said, don't we owe it to ourselves to treat our ears and minds to something worth listening to? Something that makes us think? Laugh? Imagine? Something that provokes thought and emotion? I am not necessarily talking about the music they play at the Spa either...

All music that is good will provoke feelings and thoughts onto the listener, so remember this next time you switch on the radio or pop in one of your cd's. Because What I have found is that some genres we never thought could be emotional and deep can produce artists who are talented at writing music. Underoath is a great example. Not everyone appreciates their style, but dig into their lyrics and they are much better than anything by Lady Gaga. Listen to the words and melodies, good music.... your music should speak to you. Just some food for thought...


If you want to experience music like I just explained, try some of these songs. Break beyond the comforts of your own style and experience music they way it should be...

Artist: Gustavo Santaollala
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTRBl5rdaI&feature=related

Artist: John Hopkins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5umlj3eyYk

Artist: Trentemøller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DUCKGyojpE

Artist: Kate Havnevik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRrPdDUqI78

Thanks,
Trevor

New band member...not

I probably feel like a new band member to whoever reads these crazy blogs...but yeah i am the same old bass player levi's been using for the last year and a half. I'm Matt Szkarlat...or 'Kobe' as some of my friends call me (only Levi). So the last months have been different. Transitioning from working full-time to having three weeks off (to 'prepare for school' , to moving to Cambridge (Mexico as Levi put it) for school full-time! So yeah, it's been different, but God's been solid as usual.

The last few weeks more specifically have been VERY different. Kind of got my heart broken, attempting to learn music theory, moving away for the first time (which has lead me to attempt to cook), meeting new musicians, going into major debt, travelling back and forth for different 'gigs'...lots of good stuff. But it's all been a great experience. Having to stretch yourself is never a bad thing i have learned...although it never feels good at the time.


So that's it for today...i have to be up early for a class tomorrow (haven't said that in about two years), then i get to lace up the skates and play some hockey...looking forward to it :)

Peace out dudes.

P.S. The songs sound great :)

A Break From CD Jibberish

Well guys.. It's funny because you've probably only seen one, maybe two, references to the upcoming album release.. But to me it feels like it's all I've been talking about/thinking about for years. So today, I take a break, and I give you a look into the plain old routine that is my life. You must think I'm terribly conceited.. lol But the reality is I don't suspect more than one person reads this thing, and that one person is my mom, (Hi mom :) and it's important to communicate with your mom.. so what's conceited about that? Yeah, I thought so.

So this past week I said goodbye to Stayner Ontario and I moved to Mexico. Actually I moved to Cambridge, but some days it feels like Mexico. Nobody's wearing a sombrero, and it's not very hot, and there aren't many tacos.. but it's not home. My family is somewhere else.. Amanda is somewhere else.. My church is somewhere else.. It's been an adjustment. And you may not know it with my hobby of choice, but I'm a shy dude. I'm hiding in my room like a turtle (I've heard they also hide in their rooms?) and I'm basically just playing guitar and basketball with Matt. For those of you who don't know, Matt is my bassist. He's the little soulful man in the band (He's not that little.. He could probably beat me up..) We have yet to kill each other, but in this cramped space it wont take long. I'm taking resumes for new bassists now ;)

It's nice to be in a place where I need to put a new hat on.. At home I'm a musician. I'm a musician with a pretty girlfriend, and it's easy to let those things define me. Now I'm in a place where everyone's a musician, and no-one knows Amanda. I've got to figure out who I am behind the guitar..
I was talking to a dude yesterday, and yes I said dude (go ninja turtles), and he was talking to me like I had it all together. It almost made me laugh out loud.. There's always something about ourselves we want to change.. I'm the sweatiest man you'll ever meet. It's really embarrassing. And I have a lisp.. And my hands are weird lookin'
If we focus on that stuff we're just never going to be satisfied. I have the perfect Levi image in my head, and I can't ever be that guy. But I believe in God. And I believe He made me just like this. That's enough for me now. It's easy to look confident when you walk around thinking like that. "I'm not ashamed of it, and I don't need to change it. This is me, and in God's own words, "It's good!""

I'm not a biblical scholar y'all. But it breaks my heart hearing someone tell me how ugly they are. Shake off all that junk. Life's too short. I may not have it together, and I certainly don't have all the fans and fame I'm "supposed" to have.. but I've got joy. What else do you need?

Raptors season starts soon. I'm one of the bigger Raptor fans you're ever going to meet and even I'm having a hard time getting excited for this season.. What a year this is going to be..

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