Music

I have a very wide taste in music. I grew up listening to late-80s and early-90s rock/pop. For a short (short) while, I listened to country, and then was introduced to Christian rock in the mid-90s. I enjoyed listening to good music from groups like DC Talk, Jars of Clay, the Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Audio Adrenaline and so much more.

I was never exposed to any a capella music (music sung without the accompaniment of instruments) except in church every Sunday (and Wednesday). While a lot of hymns have a great message, I never understood them. Plus, we joked about having a "Top 40" of hymns that we'd sing regularly.

I don't remember when I first heard good a capella music. I remember getting a CD for Christmas of the group Acappella, it was called The Collection. Wow, I thought it was very very good. I sang along. It more fun singing along to it then some of my other music. I liked some of their hymn arrangements, such as "He Leadeth Me." It was quite different than the hymn, and the message came through clearly. One year at Sierra Bible Camp, I (somehow) got a chance to sing with some of the counselors, the college reps, and a tenor with a great voice.

We practiced several days and sang twice during the week at campfire. I'll never forget one practice, we were looking up potential songs to sing and I suggested a song I thought would be good with a group, "Poor, Wayfaring Stranger." I asked my tenor friend if he knew it. Someone else mentioned that not only did he know it, but he (Kevin Percival) had already recorded a jazzy arrangement of it for his singing group, Sweet Deliverance.

Anyway, I say all that because today is a big day. The quartet I was a part of for a year, One A Chord, is putting on a program today for Alice Jean and Ed's 60th wedding anniversary party at Overland Park Church of Christ. We've been revisiting our old music the past month or so, and it's not half bad! We've also added two new songs for this special occasion. I'm very excited. It's such a blessing to be able to sing again, even though it's only for one program. Even just rehearsing has filled my spirit.

I ran out this morning to Lawrence, and picked up a new dress shirt for the occasion (a nice maroon long-sleeve shirt with a tie for under $20 at Kohls!). I was hoping to pick up a green dress shirt, but the only one I could find was a minty green (I'm not cool enough to pull that one off yet), or a nice deep green that was a little too small. Actually it was a fitted shirt, which means.... well it didn't fit in my midsection very well. :o)

Well, I'm going to get ready to go. I just heard the quote of the day by new Texas Tech head men's basketball coach, Pat Knight: "That's like putting an elevator in an outhouse."