Well another year has passed and it's quite amazing that many aging rock stars... Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Eric Clapton(to name a few)... are still going strong after their initial burst onto the stage some 40 or more years ago.
Speaking of aging... Just the other day someone sent me this funny video clip that I just have to share with you...
But kidding aside, most of us who play the guitar admire the artists depicted in this video and appreciate their songs. Who among us wouldn't love to reach a similar level of excellence and longevity with our own music?
What is too old anyway?
According to McCartney's official website..."Paul has packed more into December than most artists manage in a year." I find his energy and passion inspiring, don't you?
Paul also recently attended the Kennedy Center Honours at the White House where he and others were recognized for their "exceptional talent in the arts and the ability to bring people together."
Well, we know that Paul McCartney's contribution to the music scene definitely brought people together!
And the continuing success of our aging rock stars only goes to show that if you have the talent and the energy to perform then you're never really too old to rock out!
So what are you waiting for? Whether you're young or old, doesn't matter. Why not make a New Year's resolution to pursue your own music passion? You can download this free gift and get into the groove right now...
Michael Card is a well known Contemporary Christian Music artist who has sold over 4 million albums and written 19 number one singles.
I saw him in concert once. He's left-handed, but it didn't look like he was using a left-handed guitar. I was sitting in the front row, close to the stage, and it looked like he was playing a right-handed guitar upside-down and backward. That would be hard!
Anyway, it's beginning to feel a bit likes Christmas where I live (the snow is gently falling as I write this.) So it's a perfect time to listen to one of my favorite songs by Michael Card and dream about being on the beach...
Here are the chords and lyrics if you'd like to learn how to play it...
THE NAZARENE: (capo 1st fret)
C
The Nazarene had come to live the life of every man
C/B Am Em F
And he felt the facination of the stars
G
And as He wandered through this weary world
C C/B Am
He wondered and He wept
F G F C C/B
For there were so few who'd listen to His call
Chorus:
Am Em7 F C C/B
He came, He saw, He surrendered all
Am Em7 F
So that we might be born again
F G C C/B Am
And the fact of His humanity was there for all to see
F G F G C
For He was unlike any other man and yet so much like me
C
The Nazarene could hunger and the Nazarene could cry
C/B Am Em F
And He could laugh with all the fullness of His heart
G C C/B Am
And those who hardly knew Him, and those who knew Him well
F G F C C/B
Could feel the contradiction from the start
The holiday season is upon us once again and familiar Christmas songs are now being played over the air-waves as people search for just the right gift to give their family and friends.
I don't know about you, but when I listen to holiday music I find that it tends to lift my spirit. Perhaps the reason for this is because of the message of hope and peace that it carries, which is so rare in our world today.
Christmas Songs also often contain a message of new birth- most specifically, the birth of Jesus. They tell the story of how he came into the world to offer new life to everyone who believes his message.
Recently I found an old Keith Green video on YouTube. Keith was a piano player, not a guitar player... and he isn't playing a Christmas song in the "traditional" sense either, but this video clip is just great...
Shortly after writing this song, Keith and two of his children, three year old Josiah and two year old Bethany, were killed in a plane crash. However, his wife, Melanie Green, though heart-broken, found great comfort in knowing all her loved ones were experiencing new life in heaven with Jesus.
How weird it is though, to find that just speaking or printing Jesus' name publicly can create bitter outrage and controversy among some people these days.
This response is nothing new. In fact, it was very common for Jesus to experience ridicule and false accusations when he was walking the earth as a man. Yet when... "he was oppressed and afflicted... he did not open his mouth..." (Isaiah 53:7)
Admittedly, there was even a time in my own life when I reacted in anger to those who told me about the "Good News" of Jesus' love. Most people I meet today find it hard to believe that I was once a very rebellious "incorrigible" teenager with a bad temper.
Perhaps you can see the "hard-guy" attitude reflected in my face from this photo that someone took of me when I was about 17 years old...
Just a little earlier I was wandering the streets of Vancouver, Canada when I heard three guitar players who were singing songs near the harbor.
So I stopped to listen.
After the crowd dispersed, they began talking to me about... God, angels, heaven, and hell...
It seemed like they were telling me a bunch of fairy-tales and I mockingly rejected their message.
However, a seed was planted in my heart that day and several years later my eyes were opened to receive the Truth they spoke of.
I wasn't planning to tell you all of this when I started writing this blog post, but there it is.
It's not my intention to offend anyone, but only to explain that my life was on self-destruct mode back then and I don't think I would be here today if Jesus hadn't intervened. He cared about me when no one else did and literally saved my life.
That, for me, is the real meaning of Christmas and the message behind most of the songs that I personally write and sing...
So, if you like Christmas songs too, then I'd like to give you a free gift for taking the time to read my story. Just click the link below to learn how you can get it today...
"The inaugural Crown of the Continent [Guitar] workshop this past summer was rated a huge success, exceeding all expectations, by everyone who participated-- students, artists in residence, faculty, the community, and staff."
According to the news I heard...
"60% of the students from this year have already pre-registered for 2011"...
Now that's pretty amazing!
This year there will be three new workshops added:
1. singer/songwriter
2. advanced rock/blues
3. advanced jazz
In addition to this, Nancy Cawdrey will be teaching a watercolor class for spouses.
The workshop presents a unique opportunity for guitarists of all levels to learn from some of the most accomplished guitar players in the country.
Lee Ritenour and Scott Tennant will be participating as "artists in residence" for the second annual CC guitar workshop that will again be held at the beautiful Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana. The dates are set for August 28 - September 4, 2011.
Lee Ritenour:
If this is something you are interested in doing, I suggest that you Pre-Register for 2011 workshop now. Last I heard, there were only 75 available places left!
To learn more and/or pre-register go to...
www.cocguitarfoundation.org
The official registration, workshop details, artists in residence, faculty and more will be announced on December 15th.
This workshop is for anyone who has a passion for the guitar and a desire to learn from the best.
