The Final Show!

After dinner, we went to the theatre for our final concert of the tour. We were excited, relieved, tired, drained, energetic, jittery, hoarse and grateful all at once. The place was packed. This grand theatre has four balcony levels. It was built in the early 1800s. Everything had been preserved except the wood has been replaced. The acoustics are incredible. The artwork and drawings just take your breath away to see. You’ll just have to see the photos.

We stepped onto stage to find that our last night had the rowdiest, most energetic, most excited crowd that we’ve had all tour. Before the first song even started I heard someone shout out, “We love you, Michael.” Did they think I was Michael Jackson… or Michael Jordan… or Michael W. Smith? That was an interesting feeling.

We went through our set. We opened with “Dance In My Feet,” involving the crowd on the vamp. They were on top of it. We went into “Holy Is The Lord,” singing the chorus in Italian. We took it to church with “We’ve Come This Far By Faith,” including personal testimony of how we’ve had to learn to rest in the peace of God. From there, we went to “In Your Blood” which set a powerful tone. We closed the first part of the set with “Join In This Praise.” Then we went into the Christmas set. We opened it with “Oh Holy Night” which always goes over very well. Then we went into “The First Noel” wherein “The Well,” “The Diva,” and “Red Bird” get to handle the lead by singing the verses. That consistently gets screams and cheers. We moved into “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Although Christmas Day has passed, these people celebrate the entire Holiday Season just like Americans. We concluded this part of the set with “Amen,” which is another crowd favorite. I love the fact that singing that song allows me to minister the Kyrygma… the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. We moved into the final set, starting with our African remix of “Fight For Me.” It pulls the crowd in and allows them to sing with us even if they don’t know a drop of English. From there, we got personal with “You Are Lord – Agnus Dei.” By the time we got to the end, worship was in the house. I knew that if we didn’t stop quickly, we were going to completely lose it. We were all considering the times when the van skidded on ice in the mountains and the hand of God kept us from going over the cliff. We were considering the times we were emotionally spent and God revived and restored us. We were considering the many times we were terrified by Italian driving but quickly found ourselves falling asleep because God wrapped us in a blanket of His peace. Yeah… we were getting caught up… and wouldn’t have been able to finish the tour. So, we cut it kinda quickly and went to the closer… “I’m Saved.” By the time we were done with it, the crowd was on their feet singing, “Oh – Oh – Oh – Oh!” It was a blast.

Typically, that’s where we close the show, and then come out for an encore with “Oh Happy Day.” But I felt the need to do a teaser. So, we stopped, went back to the mics and did, “Down By The River Side.” It’s so funny watching my wonderful Italian friends try to clap and move and sing at the same time. Somebody say, “Rhythm, Lord! Oh, oh, oh, rhythm, Lord!” (Sorry… I had to whoop that one.) We left the stage and was called back out by the crowd for an encore. Now, we were all shouting the victory because it was the last time we were singing “Happy Days!” You should have seen us literally running back on the stage like it was Christmas. Then we all started dancing. The crowd was in stitches! It was a very funny moment. “Oh Happy Day” was very special this time. We took it to church! We even stopped the music and rocked out a little. Wow! What a blast.

After the concert, we went back to the hotel and packed. We had to pull out at 2:00 AM to head to Milan Airport – a six-hour drive. Our flight leaves at 10:15 but, of course, you need to arrive very early. We were supposed to take a nap and get some rest during the 1.5 hours we had before load and departure time. But, the only one of us that could sleep was “Red Bird” and she was like really dead to the world. “Mad Max” however was required to sleep. He had to do all the driving.

We sat around and tried to figure out what we were feeling. It was “bittersweet.” We were so glad that it was over and that we were headed home. But, we had so much fun and hated to see it come to a close. This was a special moment.

The drive to Milan was grueling! I took the first leg of staying awake with “Mad Max” to keep him alert. By about 5:30 AM, I was totally spent. “The Well” switched and took on the last shift while I got in the back to get some shut-eye. Of course, I woke up later and saw that “Mad Max” had no help. “The Well” was wide-awake, listening to my iPod the entire time I was awake. I guess we were on the same schedule.

We arrived at Milan safely. Even more of a surreal moment was observed. We were actually leaving Italy and heading home. We are tired. As much as we loved Italian food, we want some fried chicken… collard greens… potato salad… macaroni & cheese… hmm, on second thought… skip the mac & cheese… we’ve had enough pasta to hold us for the next six months. Oh… we want pancakes and sausage… scrambled eggs… a waffle…

We’re on the plane!

Thank you, God, for the opportunity to do what many people only dream of. I am so grateful for the chance to spread the message of the Gospel to people of another culture. Thank you for the chance to spend two weeks living out a witness to “Mad Max.” I pray that the life that we lived before him will draw him to you. Thank you for opening his heart to the point that he would ask questions about you as we rode to Treia. Thank you for giving me an understanding of your word so that I could have something to share with him that would make sense. Thank you for being so gracious to me. Thank you for all of the people that prayed for us through this journey. Thank you for the amazing singers that took this journey with me and worshipped, wept and prayed with me. Thank you for healing me from the virus that attacked my body the first week I was there. Thank you for traveling mercies. Thank you for the revival in Naples. Thank you for the artists that went before me that I was able to draw from. Thank you for EVERYTHING!!

The Final Show Approaches!!

We decided to leave early from Olivone, Switzerland and head to Treia, Italy for the final show. It is a six-hour drive. When we stepped out of the hotel – a small, quaint ski-resort, we were astounded by the view we had of the Alps. When we arrived there the previous evening we were too tired to fully digest what we were seeing. Besides, it was late afternoon and the sun was setting. It was now early morning and we were in the shadow of the mountains. This was a great photo op.

Driving from the mountains of Switzerland to the central Italy city of Treia meant we had to pass through Lodi (pronounced Laud-ee). This area of Italy, just outside of Milan has the phenomenon of intense fog in the dead of winter. Fog most often occurs in warmer weather. But in this area, even when there is thick frost on the ground there is also intense fog. We traveled through it for about 15 kilometers (see, I’ve been here so long I’m starting to think in the metric system. Oh Lord!!).

When we reached Treia I could hardly believe my eyes. Do you remember the movies about Medieval Europe… about ancient Italy…about the historical city of Jericho? Treia is an ancient, walled city. This fortress still has cobblestone streets. You can see the great military advantage to the location just based on geography. Treia is on a mountain… an actual city set on a hill. It is a place that couldn’t be hidden. But it’s also a place that you couldn’t sneak up on. From the towers or from the walls, any enemy approaching this city would be spotted.

We arrived at the hotel, a very modern establishment in this ancient place. As we walked down the street we found some very cool shops nearby. This was a very modern city in the body of an ancient museum. We got there about 4:30. We had a 7:00 sound check, and dinner at 7:30.

Our tour schedule said that we wound be singing at a church in Treia. Our tour manager said that we would be singing in a church. We were prepared for one more cold church with the amazing acoustics, to which we had become accustomed. To our surprise, when “Mad Max” met us to walk us over to the facility, which was only about 40 meters away, he told us that he just found out that it was a theatre. And, to use his wording, “…and this place is dope!”

Now, please allow me to explain “Mad Max” to you. My buddy is part Italian, part American, part Hip-Hop and totally serious about everything. My man is INTENSE! But, because of that character trait, he can always be depended on to get the job done with excellence. He can be short and curt like most Italians, but he also knows how to rap. And now, after riding around with us all week, he knows how to “whoop!” See, when things got intense on the road, “The Well” or I would break out in a sermon to lighten the mood. Well, whooping is contagious. On the way from Rivarotta, “Mad Max” took over the message for one line. That was all it took. We were all in tears… hearing this Italian, who loves to rap and rhyme, take on the art of preaching. “Preach, preacher!!” Oh yeah… did I mention that he loves to rap and rhyme? Dude will break into a rap at the drop of a dime. He can break down the history of rap and hip-hop like very few others can. We love Massimo, aka “Mad Max.”

Crossing the Border for an Alpine Adventure

We left McDonalds with our bellies full. We had just come across the border from Italy into Switzerland. Here we go! Another new country to explore. We thought Italy was gorgeous. Switzerland just takes it to another level. It is just amazing!! I tried to capture every photo I could. We’ll have to get some more on the way out.

We headed to a little town called Olivone – up on a mountain in the Alps. The hotel we checked into has the most comfortable beds we’ve slept in since we left America. We all took a nice nap when we got there.

And let me tell you… we had never in our lives seen a church more beautiful than this. From the artwork on the ceiling to the sculptures on the ledges to the gold lined walls behind the pulpit to the enchanting colors throughout the building, this seemed to be a miniature Sistine Chapel. You will have to see the photos to truly appreciate it. No… you’ll have to go there and see it in person.

The sound check was on point. You know… come to think of it… we’ve had better sound on this tour than we usually have for our engagements in the states. I’m going to miss these guys that have been making us sound so full and rich. They really know what they are doing. It appears that they are engaged in ensuring the sound is as good as it can get from the beginning of the show until the very end. They catch feedback very quickly… before it gets to that ear-piercing point. They try to ensure that everyone in the building not only can hear the music but also can fully enjoy the experience. Working with them has been a great pleasure. Their expertise has allowed my voice to last for the entire tour. Thank you, guys!!

Then, again, we discovered that the restroom was in another building. So, we had to go outside to get there. We take so many things for granted in America… especially in our “big city churches.” But your worship is tested when you are offered the opportunity to worship in uncomfortable circumstances. If your intensity lessens because of your discomfort, I suggest that you re-evaluate the authenticity of your worship. Here, on this tour, there was no time for questionable worship. We had to be real.

People filled every seat, every crack, lined the back wall… all to hear “gospel music.” This was the community’s huge annual event and the first Gospel concert held in this church. This was a bit of a tough crowd… very reserved. But, the building was completely packed. It took a while to get them going. But, “Oh Holy Night” was just what the doctor ordered. When we did “The First Noel,” they came completely alive… and stayed with us for the rest of the journey.

We had developed a bit of a comedy routine on stage. We started trading riffs and runs… particularly “The Well” and me. But, this night, more of the group got in on the act. I heard “Chicken on Bikes” ripping it up. Shocking!! She was gettin’ it! The crowd seems to enjoy it. Also, on this night, I even challenged the crowd. You should have heard this Swiss crowd doing riffs with me. It was very cool. Thank you, Andrae Crouch, for the idea.

Over the last five or so shows, we’ve made “You Are Lord – Agnus Dei” our personal worship time. It allows us a moment to leave the performance and go hard after God. We’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to verbally reflect on the journey and openly bless God for bringing us through it. By the time we get to the “Hallelujah Chant” we are caught up in the glory of God. Those moments make the grind of the road worthwhile.

After the concert we came out to greet the crowd. We would have been selling CDs but we sold out in Naples. I guess I should have brought more. As we were talking with the crowd, a group of four was standing to the side – all of whom spoke some English. One young lady in the group – perhaps the spokesperson – began to share how they were moved by the intensity of the worship. She asked if that was the way we praised God all the time. “Yes!” She proceeded to say that it was a great testimony to them, that God could be worshipped this way. Too often, she said, their people sit quietly in worship – with a few rebels making noise. But now they are encouraged to worship more intensely.

Another young lady was speaking with some of the other group members about how she couldn’t sit quietly through the concert. We all were feeding off her energy throughout the show and told her how much we appreciated her enthusiasm. She shared how she doesn’t understand how people can sit during such worship and be so silent. Yeah… we really do understand.

Ron Kenoly recorded a live worship project in Italy some years ago and I have a copy of it. That album helped me learn words in Italian to facilitate praise and worship. Thank you, Ron.

The Wonder of Rivarotta

We arrived in Rivarotta after dark. That wasn’t a good thing. This place was a bit scary. Definitely like a ghost town. We checked into what is best described as a bed-and-breakfast, which was the best the town had to offer. The hostess was less than friendly. The accommodations were less than comfortable. But it reminded us of the word we had received from the Lord on Christmas day. So, we were up to the challenge.

Later, we arrived at the church. As we waited in the cold room, next to the door to the outside where the restroom was, we considered what the Lord had said and determined that we would give Him a sacrifice that cost something. Soon, the concert organizer came in and asked if he could have our seats because the place was completely full and they needed more chairs. We obliged. Later, he came in again and asked if it would be all right if people sat on the sides of the stage because the place was overflowing. Of course, we obliged.

When we exited our room and entered the sanctuary, this small church that seats probably 200 people was jam packed with about 300-325 people, standing against the walls, three rows standing in the rear of the building, and about 16-20 people on the stage at our sides. It was huge for their town.

Now, we met God mightily in Potenza. We saw God show his face in Sassari. But, this night was another dimension. The worship was intense. The crowd was right there with us. Again, the Holy Spirit was the translator and these Italians were worshipping God with us! It was just amazing. This was a rocking, ready, rowdy crowd that didn’t mind getting into the music and engaging in the worship.

After the concert, we were asked to join some of the locals at a local eatery across the street from the church. So, at 11:15 PM, with our stomachs growling, we detoured from our planned immediate sprint to the restaurant so that we could make an appearance at the local eatery. Yeah, there would be food there… but it wasn’t going to be a meal. And we weren’t in the mood for snacks or appetizers. We wanted a meal. But… we obliged. After eating quiche’, we were headed out the door to the van so that we could go to the restaurant. Then we were intercepted and asked to come in and eat some of the local rice dish. This was a dish we had obligingly tried last week in another town. We weren’t ready for this. We had some attitudes. But we obliged. As we were sitting there eating the rice, which none of us really enjoyed, I remembered that in most cases your greatest victory is followed by your greatest test. I shared this with our group. We all quickly got ourselves in check and adjusted our attitudes. We were not about to come out of that incredible worship experience and fail an attitude test. We ate the rice, then left for the restaurant.

Oh my God… the wait was worth it!! The food at the restaurant was just indescribable. God knows how to reward us when we try our best to please Him.

We went back to the “bed & breakfast” and decided to leave extra early the next morning. We were all in the mood for an American breakfast. We had seen a few McDonalds on the road and decided to forego the aged croissants that the hostess at the B&B was offering us. We wanted McGriddle sandwiches: sausage, egg & cheese biscuits; hotcakes and sausage… something American. We were very disappointed to discover that Italians don’t patronize fast food breakfast so Burger King and McDonalds don’t open until lunchtime. Guess what we had for breakfast… croissants and strudels. But that’s okay… we went to McDonalds for lunch. And our stomachs paid for it!!

Major Bonding in Bellaria

“Mad Max” got a little lost getting to the hotel in Bellaria. A nice Italian gentleman got in the van with us and guided us to the hotel. We pulled up to a gorgeous beachfront vacation spot on the banks of the Adriatic Sea. Oh my God… What a view! The Adriatic Sea is so amazingly clean and blue. “Chicken on Bikes” and I had to go to the water and grab some shells. This slice of Paradise is very natural. Even in the dead of winter, it’s totally fabulous. Locals were walking and running the beach – getting their exercise… embracing nature… appreciating God’s awesome creativity.

The concert in Bellaria was held at a beautiful theatre. A local journalist called before the concert began to hold a phone interview. We found the article in the paper the following morning. That’s pretty cool… to see an article about you in a language you can’t read. “Mad Max” read the article to me. I guess journalists are journalists everywhere. She didn’t quote me accurately at any point in the article… but she did get the essence of what I said, so I wasn’t upset. I am particularly glad that she captured what I said about Jesus giving hope to the world and His message being the essence of my music.

Bellaria is an English friendly place. Since it attracts so many tourists from many countries, including England, you find many things in multiple languages. This was evident at the restaurant we visited after the show. They had an English menu for us to use.

Speaking of restaurants… I’m going to have to get back on a decent eating schedule when we get home. On the road the schedule is: breakfast at about 8:30-9:30 AM; travel to the next city for 3-7 hours; a snack after the sound check, which is usually around 7:00 PM; then dinner after the show which usually starts around 9:30 PM, which means dinner doesn’t start until about 11:45 PM. Then we go back to the hotel and sleep. Fortunately, this food is so natural, pure and light that it doesn’t sit on you. If you stay up for about 3 hours, you will find yourself hungry again. But, this schedule wouldn’t work in the US, especially with the kinds of food we like to eat. So, I’ll have to get back on a decent schedule. Pray for me.

Back to Bellaria… We got up the next morning pretty late. Since we only had a 2.5-hour drive to Rivarotta Di Teor, we didn’t have to leave early. So, we didn’t have wake-up calls. We stopped at a laundry and did our clothes together. That was a real bonding moment. You should have seen all of us putting our whites and colors together to maximize the use of the machines. By now, we all feel like family, so why not act that way? I have to compliment the laundry facility. Your 3 Euros pay for not only the use of the washing machine, but the machine automatically dispenses your detergent and fabric softener. As long as you don’t have allergies and need specific detergent, that system makes life easy.

A Tent Meeting and a Revival!

We flew out of Sassari and landed in Rome. “John” met us there. We didn’t know that it would be our last time seeing him on this tour. We’re gonna miss him. He is hilarious!!

“Mad Max” drove us from Rome to Campobasso. Our hotel was on the top of one of those snow-capped mountains. It was beautiful getting there. This hotel was on a cliff so that you could look right down off the mountain into the valley. Breathtaking!! We intended to come out and take photos – but by the time we got back outside the mountain was completely foggy. Perhaps a cloud had descended or something. We couldn’t even see the end of the parking lot. So much for the photos.

Upon our arrival at the hotel, we noticed a few African-Americans. That was exciting. Another group was staying at the hotel that night who were also touring the country. They were also singing at the same concert we were headlining that night. We expected to connect and fellowship with this group of people. We were disappointed to see that they were not a group we could freely fellowship with. Suffice it to say, we had an unpleasant experience. Anyway…

That night’s concert was held at a tent erected in the middle of town – all the way down the mountain. It was a heated tent! Hallelujah! But there were no restrooms… just outhouses, outside in the snow. Praise Jesus, anyhow!! They did have a drumset. “The Well” was able to get his release. We did a short set – only 60 minutes. Our other concerts have been 80-90 minutes. Yeah, that’s a lot of singing! But, this night was shorter.

Now, I told you about how we were always asked to sing, “Oh Happy Day!” Well, we had planned to sing it as our closer – perhaps our encore. As we were walking in the tent, we heard the group on the stage singing “Oh Happy Day.” They were struggling through it. In the States, our common practice is to adjust and sing something different if someone sings a song you were planning to sing. So I asked “Mad Max” about it and he thought we should still sing it. So, we closed with it. People were up singing and screaming as if we were The Edwin Hawkins Singers. Then the group that got up behind us was a choir from Campobasso. They sang a couple of the same songs we sang, including… you guessed it… “Oh Happy Day!” And the crowd went crazy all over again. Yeah! These people love… as they call it… “Happy Days!”

The next morning, we left a little late and drove to Naples (Napoli) for our day off. We so desperately needed some down time. We got a chance to go shopping! I got some nice things for my wifey. I even picked up a pair of shoes for me. We had a fun day. That night we hung out in the big room downstairs in the lobby. It was like a big family gathering. Being on the road like this really makes you bond. You become like brothers and sisters… getting on each others nerves… learning each others idiosyncrasies… making each other laugh until your belly aches. We had so much fun. But underneath it all, I could sense the depletion that was there. We needed a refill from God.

Christmas morning, we got up… ate breakfast… and went back to sleep. But God dropped something in my spirit to share with the group. I spent some time in the word to get the clarity I needed to share it accurately. It was based on II Samuel 24:24 when David states, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” We had arrived at the point in the tour where the novelty had worn off. We were no longer “oohing and awhing” over the mountains and fruit trees and buildings and landscape and food. We were in the grind. When you are giving your talent to God to be used by Him during a time when things are automatic and comfortable, that sacrifice doesn’t cost you anything. But when you aren’t feeling good… when your body is exhausted… when you are emotionally drained… when you are under attack… and in that moment you stand and give God your best offering, that’s when you are making a sacrifice that costs something. And God moves when that kind of offering is sacrificed before Him.

We met together at 2:00 Christmas afternoon and had a chapel service. After I shared this brief word with the group, we sang songs of worship to the Lord. And I wish I could describe to you what happened in that room. We were in the hotel restaurant at the piano. No one else was in there except one of the hotel staff that got caught up with us. As we sang, God came in that room and enraptured each of us. Tears turned into weeping as we felt God refilling us and restoring us. I have a new appreciation for the lyrics, “Oh the glory of Your presence. We, your temple, give you reverence. So arise from your rest and be blessed by our praise as we glory in your embrace; as your presence now fills this place.” I have a new appreciation for the lyrics, “Sweet Holy Spirit. Sweet Heavenly Dove. Stay right here with us, filling us with your love. And for these blessings, we lift our hearts in praise. Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived when we shall leave this place.” Yes, the Holy Spirit came up in that room so powerfully that even the hotel staff member was lifting his hand and worshipping God with us. And… the man doesn’t speak English. What an awesomely great God we serve.

Christmas night, we did a concert at another church. Again, the conditions were very difficult. But we were prepared. We pushed through and gave God a sacrifice that cost us something. And, again, God showed up in the building! Yeah, God!!

In the morning, we head to Bellaria. That will be a 5-6 hour road trip. Then we sing there and sing each night for the next four nights. Then we head back home. I look forward to getting back home to my wife. I miss her.

Meeting God on the Island

We had a wonderful time at the reception dinner after the concert in Cerro Veronese. We met “Danny” who promoted the event. “Danny” is a musician and producer in a wonderful blues band called MOBLUS (mo’ blues). He gave us a couple of their CDs. Really nice sound!! We also met the mayor of the town.

The next morning we headed to Verona airport to fly to the island of Sardinia. When we arrived on the island we had to wait nearly an hour for the taxis to pick us up. It gave us a chance to grab a pizza. Oh my GOD!! People, you haven’t had pizza until you have pizza in Italy. It is soooo goooood!!

When the taxis arrived, we were happy for a few minutes. Then we realized we were better off with “Mad Max” behind the wheel on a bad day. We had “Evul Knieval” and his twin brother “Evil Knievel” behind the wheels. I was exhausted so I fell asleep very quickly for this 75-minute drive. When they awoke me at the hotel, they ladies told me the horror story. I had my true revelation when “Evul” and “Evil” picked us up from the hotel the next day to take us back to the airport. Can you way reckless abandon?! But, that’s another story…

When we got out of the taxis at the beautiful hotel in Sassari on the island of Sardinia, it looked like something from a movie or a book. It looked surreal. The tiny street that was smaller than most 1-way streets in America was a bustling 2-way corridor right in front of the hotel. It looked amazing, frightening, enchanting and wonderful – all at once. There were so many people walking the streets shopping at the various clothing and merchandise stores. It was so cool!!

After chilling out for a little while, we got prepared for sound check. The church where we were singing was only a few meters away so we walked… down this amazing street… pass some enticing stores… through this bustling crowd… down this frightening alley… down an even more frightening, unpaved alley way… to this amazing, glorious cathedral in a courtyard that you would totally miss if a local hadn’t gotten you to it.

When we entered the building it was totally awe-inspiring. It forced you to consider the love and sacrifice of Jesus – with all of its paintings and statues. Yeah… this building gets you when you first walk in the door. And, in the Italian tradition, it was COLD!! But we were prepared – mentally prepared for this encounter.

After sound check, we sat in the back room. I finished sharing my testimony with the group. I started in Cerro Veronese telling them about my life story and how God had delivered me. I opened up and told them of what I had encountered during my foolish youth… the crazy mistakes I had made in ministry… the times I had completely failed God and his people… how God had wondrously forgiven me and restored my life. I told them what the song, “Look Where You Brought Me From” was all about. I told them where the song “In Your Blood” came from. We were all nearly in tears when we got finished talking.

When we stepped onto the stage we were completely charged! It is so much fun being on stage with this group. But something amazing started happening this night. We started feeling the presence of God very early in the set. When we started singing “In Your Blood,” I believe we all had a new appreciation for those lyrics. The intensity continued to build. We did our African remix of “Fight For Me.” It was a huge hit! But I kept feeling the need to go in deep and worship God intensely.

As I started playing the intro to “You Are Lord,” I just wanted to sing a love song to the Lord. I started asking Him if I could do so – but it came out in song. Very quickly we knew something supernatural was happening. As we started singing the song, the audience vanished, the ceiling disappeared and we were in the face of God. He listened as we sang, “You are Lord. I offer you my worship.” He listened as we sang, “Holy are you, Lord God Almighty! Worthy is the Lamb!” Before we could start the “Hallelujah chant,” I found myself weeping in worship. I told God how awesome it was that we were worshipping in this amazing place of worship, thousands of miles away from home. Yet, in every language, in every tongue, worship is the same because He is the same. And we can all join together and sing “Hallelujah!” But my prayer came out in song over the microphone. As we started the chant, we could hear this Italian crowd singing “Alleluia! Alleluia!” It felt as though the earth began to quake. Heaven was in a dance with earth and God kissed his creation. When we ended the song, we were paralyzed from anything but worship. We could do nothing but bless God. We couldn’t explain the moment to the audience… I didn’t know enough Italian to even attempt it… and I was too caught up to try. But as we started opening our eyes we saw that the audience was in worship just as we were. They went with us! They were clapping and cheering and lifting their hands. And we could tell that it was no longer applause for a performance… they were worshipping with us. The Holy Spirit had translated the moment and they understood it very well. This went on for a few minutes… just pure worship! What an amazing sound!! I can’t even write it without crying again.

Yeah, we met God on the island of Sardinia, in the town of Sassari. He was very present.

Learning To Adjust

Of all of us on this trip – “The Well” has the most touring experience. He told me, “In most cases, it starts out good, then it goes downhill, but it comes up at the end.” He was referring to the accommodations that you are provided when touring in foreign countries. He was certainly correct.

In Udine – pronounced UUH-din-nay – we had to adjust to rooms with very interesting smells and construction taking place on the roof – and we were on the top floor. In Cerro Veronese, we had to adjust to rooms that were colder than the snow-capped mountain the hotel stood on. But by the time we returned to the rooms after the show, the steam radiators had heated them. However, I guess the heat brought out the bugs because we found some crawling on our pillows – well not me personally. I was too tired to notice anything.

As a singer, I have had to learn to adjust my style and approach so that I can last for the entire tour. When I get on stage, I tend to completely spend myself vocally. But I cannot do that for these concerts; especially since the temperature of the rooms we sing in is totally unpredictable. I’ve had to adjust my clothing as well to accommodate the fact that I will be sweating a little on stage but there won’t be a warm bathroom in which to change clothes after the show at the venue. So, I have to wear undergarments that will absorb the perspiration and keep me warm, even after the show.

We noticed that in Reggio Calabria and in Potenza, the audience requested that we sing “Oh Happy Day.” We hadn’t learned it so we couldn’t do it. But we learned it in the van on the way to Udine and did it at that show. We’ve also had to pick up “Down By The River Side.” These are songs that Italians love to hear – and actually expect to hear at Gospel concerts. And you should see how they get into it when we close the concert with those two songs.

After the concert in Potenza, a gentleman came up to me who spoke just a little English. He said, “When I came to concert, I felt ‘ehh.’ Now, I feel much better. Thank you.” Of all the compliments we have received, that one blesses me most. It underlines the power of this gift of music that God has given us. It also reveals the universality of music ministry. Even when people can’t understand what you are saying, they can feel the message – and when God anoints it, they will encounter God in the message.

Many Christians in America tend to compartmentalize our experiences with God. We can be so over-churched that the moments when we encounter the supernatural don’t have a lasting effect. We leave those moments in its particular place in time. I think that is a problem. We talked about it as a group. We decided not to leave the Potenza experience in Potenza – but to carry it with us. And that’s what we have been doing.

The Udine concert was wonderful. Again, we experienced God. Likewise, the Cerro Veronese concert was fantastic. God’s presence was clear at that theatre. It was a night of major adjustments for me because my voice was a bit weak. I felt my body fighting off a virus and it took a toll on my voice. So, “The Well” took my lead part in “The First Noel” – and he KILLED it!! I think I’m going to let him keep it for the rest of the tour. I also dropped the key of “Fight For Me” by a whole step – right on stage. It is such a blessing to be working with professional singers who can handle a key change right on stage with only a 30 second notice. I don’t normally do that kind of thing but sometimes it’s necessary. By the time we got to the end of the concert, my voice was strong and clear again.

We are in the airport now headed over to Sardinia. We sing at a church there tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes. Keep praying for us. It’s very intense riding with “Mad Max” driving us through these mountains. The Italians are used to this… We’re from Virginia, Southeastern Virginia at that. Fast driving around curves on mountains frightens us. So, please keep praying for our safety… and our courage.

Oh yeah… one other great thing to report. Although we are less than halfway through with our concerts, we have sold two-thirds of the CDs that we brought. At this rate, we won’t have any CDs for the last few shows. God is blessing!!

If I don’t post to my blogs on a given day, it’s only because we are at a hotel that doesn’t have internet access – which has been the case with the last two hotels. Thank God for the airport.

The Road To Potency (Potenza) – Part 2

We figured that it was going to be cold in the church so we decided to dress warmly. Yeah, we were right. We arrived at a fantastic catholic church that was just as cold as the mountain. The heat was turned on to attempt to take the chill out of the building. I thought to myself, those heaters won’t get it done in time.

The sound check made it clear that we weren’t going to have to push. This building carried sound very well. We hardly needed mics. During sound check I saw a black priest come through the church, gather his robe, and leave. Soon, I saw him return with his robe on. I thought, “Wow! They’ve got a black priest.” What happens when you assume?

We were taken to a room in the adjoining building to relax and prepare for that night’s concert. There was a heater in that room and the temperature was probably just above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That was quite a step up from the temperature of the church. As we concluded our vocal warm-ups in that room and finished our preparations, our host brought in some hot tea and pastries.

Then, a very energetic, elderly gentleman entered the room. His presence demanded respect – but we all felt so welcome around him. He introduced himself as the pastor of the church and welcomed us. He gave us each a book about the history of the church and told us that he would return shortly to take us on a tour of the facility. As we looked through the books we could see the 100-plus years that the church had stood as a light in that city. We could also see that people wore coats and scarves during the services. We were in for a cold night.

When the pastor returned, he took us down the hallway and began to show us photos of the worldwide work he and the church had been doing to provide homes for orphans all around the globe. They had facilitated more than 1500 adoptions for children. We were introduced to one such young lady who was living in Potenza and working at the church.

We were escorted to the pastor’s office where he had the most amazing collection of artwork and memorabilia from all around the world, highlighting the many countries to which he had traveled providing assistance, training and service to the underprivileged of the world. Paintings, carvings, literature… Words cannot express what all we saw in his office. We took lots of photos (I’ll load them soon – I promise).

Looking at these items and seeing what this man was doing to make a difference in the world challenged us to re-evaluate our lives and to work much harder to make a difference. As we saw artwork capturing the struggles of people – even the terror of a congregation in Africa as, during Mass, their priest was murdered in front of their faces – we realized that the small things that we struggle with in our comfortable lives in America are so small when compared to the plight of millions on this planet. We felt embarrassed that we were griping about a cold church when these people who come to this cold church are tirelessly reaching out to people who have even less than they do.

The pastor then took us to another room wherein he keeps figurine nativity scenes from the many cultures of the world. He has at least 120 or so sets of nativity figurines in a case that covers three of the four walls of the room. Included are countries and tribes in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It was breathtaking. I stood there, fighting back tears as I realized that God was much larger than I had imagined. “The Well” offered a great commentary when he highlighted that, while the design of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was different based on the culture of the people, the message and story was undeniably the same. Jesus was born to save mankind – and the Earth was rejoicing!! I wish I had the words to describe the things that the pastor shared with us. He spoke with such passion and conviction. “Mad Max” did a great job interpreting what the pastor couldn’t put into English for us. We were all challenged to be better.

As we went back to the room we talked about the change in perspective we now had on what our lives should be. Between seeing the awesome might of God in the mountains and the active love of God in the work of Father Don Franco, we were changed.

As we began to sing that night, the atmosphere was electric. These people, who could not understand the words of most of the songs we were singing, were ready to be fully engaged in a night of music and celebration. The building had endured an earthquake a few years ago. This was the first big event at the church since the re-opening. This was a big deal. They were ready to celebrate. And they did! They were up clapping, cheering, swinging, singing any words they recognized. As we sang the Christmas music set, they recognized the music and often sang in Italian as we sang in English. When we starting singing the song, “Amen” – oh, it was on! They were right with us!

But when we got to the worship set – and began singing “You Are Lord” and tied it with “Agnus Dei,” we found ourselves consumed by our new perspective of the awesomeness of God. Tears began to flow from our eyes as we envisioned those mountains we had traveled through and the figurines in Father Don Franco’s office. We lost ourselves as we sang, “Holy! Holy – are you Lord God Almighty! Worthy is the Lamb!” When we concluded that song, we had to just stop for a few minutes and weep as we reverenced the presence of God. “Red Bird” completely lost it – started acting like she was at a Pentecostal church in America, hollering and carrying on. While some of the people looked curious, they didn’t look frightened. We later found out that they actually understood what was going on. I guess that’s why they started clapping and worshipping with us as we were consumed with the presence of God. His face had entered the room and you didn’t have to speak English to recognize it. While we all reacted differently, we all knew what was happening – and we were not afraid. We all worshipped. It was a moment that I could never describe.

Finally, we pulled ourselves together and went into the final song. “The Well” called up a couple of enthusiastic gentlemen from the audience to assist with playing some of our percussion instruments. They were rocking as we sang, “I’m Saved!” You should hear these Italians singing, “Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh!” Just amazing!!

My life will not be the same after that night.

We headed to Forli the next morning. We have a night off. We’re ready for it. We have four shows in a row before our next day off. We were scheduled to have Christmas Day off – but we were just booked for a show in Naples on that night. So, we have Wednesday night off, we sing Thursday through Sunday; then we have Monday night off and sing Tuesday through Saturday.

I think we will be pretty tired when we get home.

Tired and inspired.

Pray for our voices.

The Road To Potenza (Potency) - Part 1

As we pulled out of Reggio Calabria we were consumed with the beauty of the scenery. Reggio Calabria sits on the banks of the Strait of Messina right across from Sicily. The night we spent in Reggio Calabria had us in awe of the beauty of seeing the lights of Sicily across the water of the strait. But it didn’t compare to the beauty of the view we had as we climbed the mountain leaving Reggio Calabria.

As we ascended, the scenery became more and more beautiful. We all intended to sleep the whole trip. “The Well” was the only one to go to sleep pretty quickly. He was TIRED from cutting up so much. The rest of us couldn’t stop looking at the glory of God revealed in creation. But, the higher we went up the mountain, the more nervous “Running Feather” became. She doesn’t do heights nor darkness very well (more about the darkness later). So, she went to sleep – or at least feigned it.

“Mad Max” drives very differently from “John.” “Mad Max” isn’t afraid to put the pedal down and get on up the road. His driving made all of us a bit nervous. So, “The Diva” and “Red Bird” went to sleep so they wouldn’t have to watch as we rode. This left “Chicken On Bikes” and me to do all the “oohing” and “aahing.” We tried to take advantage of all the “photo ops” – moments when the scenery warranted a photo.

Southern Italy has so much history and charm. Clearly, the people there live very simple lives. The houses are built to last for centuries. No wooden frames here… these homes are made of solid concrete with iron rod reinforcement. Many homes burn wood for heat. This is the way of southern Italy.

Soon, we started seeing snow-capped mountains. Oh, what majestic beauty they possess! We rode on cliffs; through tunnels and around some of the most beautiful mountains we had ever seen. Then, more snow-capped mountains. Soon we saw mountains wearing clouds for halos. Still, more snow-capped mountains. Then we were riding through areas where snow was still on the ground. Soon we realized that we were on a snow-capped mountain. We saw that halo again… then noticed it was getting closer… and closer. Of my God – we drove into the cloud. What an awesome experience… driving into a cloud on a snow-capped mountain.

Eventually we reached Potenza – which actually means “Potency”. It looks like something you would see in a movie. A city built on a mountain without destroying the mountain. Streets are all either on the incline or decline. This busy, bustling city is packed with people driving their small, mini cars (Opel, Fiat, Renault, etc.), navigating these steep streets with reckless abandon. The view and atmosphere are incredible.

We pulled up to the Parco Del Seminario. Based on the name, I figured that the place was a renovated or remodeled seminary. I was close. We actually stayed in an active seminary. And, in the classic tradition, this wasn’t at all a place of luxury. This was a “get close to Jesus” moment for us.

The establishment clearly believes in conservation. After checking in, we headed to our rooms. The lights in the hallway were turned off – and there was no sunlight entering in to brighten your pathway. It took us a while to find the light switches. And when we found the switch and cut the lights on in the hallway, to our utter surprise, they only stayed on for about 30 seconds. Before we found our rooms, the lights turned off and we were in the dark again. You should have heard “Running Feather” scream as she crouched in the corner, holding on for dear life to whoever she was able to get her hands on. Poor thing. That was a FUNNY moment! When we got to the rooms we discovered that they were just as cold as the hallways, which were just as cold as the entrance to the building, which was almost as cold as the snow-covered mountain. In other words, NO HEAT! Well, to be more precise, they don’t run the heat all day. And we were checking in at the wrong time. There was no heat running in the rooms at that time of day. And, this place doesn’t have central heat. It was pipe heat – like steam heat. So, the rooms weren’t going to heat up quickly. And, marble floors are quite beautiful to have in your room – but it sure is cold to walk on.

By now, we were all very hungry. So, “Mad Max” took us on an adventure walking through the streets of Potenza at 3:30 in the afternoon in search of a restaurant. What we learned as we walked along was that Italians – especially those from Southern Italy – believe in siestas. And once siesta is over, most of the restaurants close because they don’t get any business. And they don’t open again until about 7:00 PM. We walked about a half-mile downhill through the snowy streets only to find nothing open. So, we turned around and headed back UP the mountain. By God’s grace, on the way back we found a spot open. We were so grateful!!

After these experiences, we weren’t in the best of moods. We were ready to get to the church, do the concert, come back to this cold seminary and quickly fall asleep so that we could get on our way to the next place.

Little did we know that our lives would change that night!

Tune in tomorrow to find out what happened.

La Sosta Club in Villa San Giovanni

Wow! What a first night. When Minister Earl Bynum told me a few of the things to expect, my head really didn’t wrap completely around it. Tonight, the sweet reality set in.

Our tour manager – “Mad Max,” met us at the airport this morning and flew over to Reggio Calabria with us. “John” met us at the hotel when it was time to head to the venue. “Mad Max” and “John” drove us there in the van – which “John” drove down from Rome. When we arrived at the venue we noticed the large poster in the window with our group photo announcing our performance. We were greeted with great hospitality – like we were big stars. The audio crew was getting the sound system together. They worked hard on it until they got it right. While they were getting it together, we had dinner. La Sosta Club is a Jazz club in Villa San Giovanni with a fantastic menu. We had some amazing pasta and seafood. After we ate our fill, we did our sound check, got dressed, and sat in amazement as the crowd grew and grew until is was standing room only!

“Mad Max” gave us a fantastic introduction. The crowd was cheering enthusiastically – as if they already knew that they were about to hear something wonderful. It made me wonder… I knew they didn’t have a clue who I was or what I sounded like. But… praise God for a fun crowd.

So we went into our first song… “Dance In My Feet.” I thought it would be a great starting song because it’s easy to manipulate that song and do fun things with the crowd – especially getting them to clap with us and sing the “yeah yeah” with us in the vamp. Knowing that it wasn’t an English speaking crowd, I wanted to capitalize on chants and cheers throughout the set as much as possible. Well, the first song went over extremely well and from that moment on, we had the crowd.

It was interesting watching them respond to the way we fluctuated the mood with the song order. I wanted to move from upbeat to contemplative back to upbeat throughout the set over and over again. This way I knew that the crowd wouldn’t get bored nor lost. It seemed to work. We watched them listen intently to “Holy Is The Lord” getting quite interested when we starting singing it in Italian. We watched them rock out to “We’ve Come This Far By Faith.” I’ll tell you more about the songs as we go along this journey.

There were a couple of musicians sitting in the front who reminded me of the musicians in America. Whenever we did an unexpected harmonic change or I used an unpredicted chord change, they started banging on the table or hollering, gesturing the universal “did you hear that?!”

It was a night where we really couldn’t do sermonizing, preaching, giving a testimony or anything like that. If I’d tried any of those methods, it would have been futility. They people in the audience wouldn’t have understood anything I was saying anyway. We knew we had to get up and sing knowing that there was a powerful message in the music and an anointing on us. We had to allow the Jesus in us to simply shine through as we sang His praises. And, you know what… that’s exactly what happened.

Since it’s 3:00 AM as I’m writing this (9:00 PM on the east coast of the US), suffice it to say, the first night was fantastic! We were well received. We were called back on stage for an unexpected encore. Fortunately, we had something we could pull out! We sold CDs. We all signed lots of autographs. It was a blast!!

Tomorrow morning, we drive to Potenza where we will be singing at Church S. Anna. Don’t forget to pray for us.

The Road to Reggio Di Calabria

There are a few things that you learn quickly when touring:

• Don’t make your bags too heavy. The weight limit for most airlines – even for international flights – is 50 pounds. Even if your touring agency purchases your ticket, if your bag is overweight, you will have to pay for the extra weight out of your own pocket.
• Don’t forget the regulations for carry-on. There may be a situation wherein you have to carry a bag onto the plane that you were intending to check in. Well, the regulations for carry-on luggage will still apply. If you have liquids of more than 2-3 ounces, consider them GONE!
• The only things irreplaceable are time, life and God. If the airline says that something cannot board the plane with you, please remember that the item that you fight for is most likely replaceable. The time that you lost fighting for it – is not. While you may possibly win the argument, you might miss your flight because the plane will not wait.
• Maintain the 2-hour rule. Always plan for the unexpected delay at the airport. Especially when you are in another country. Because even when you do arrive 2-hours early, you can still find yourself doing the O. J. Simpson through the airport. Well, I mean the old O. J. Simpson – back when he had the rent-a-car endorsement… before the “see O. J. run from the law” days.
• Be nice and represent God the entire time. You never know when you are going to meet another artist management company representative – even in the airport ticket counter line – who may only decide to introduce themselves to you when the recognize the Jesus in you. Wow! What a testimony. (Go Diva!!)
• Having a grueling first day isn’t always a bad thing. It may cause your first full night to be a night of full sleep – thus resetting your body clock to operate according to the new time zone. Today, we are all wide-awake.

After all of that learning… God has a way of making things all worthwhile. Now, don’t get me wrong. We didn’t miss a flight or anything like that. We just had a somewhat stressful morning. But – OH MY GOD!!! – as our plane started descending over Sicily and preparing to land in Reggio Di Calabria, just the view was worth the efforts of the morning. It is so amazing!! Just seeing how God took his finger and dug out sculptures in the earth to create valleys… just seeing the fantastic cliffs and mountains… it was just so awe-inspiring. God is so awesome.

We hung out at the mall today. That was hilarious. Everyone kept looking at us like we were celebrities or something. Of course, we were the only “black” people in the mall. And, “The Well” could easily pass for Michael Jordan or someone like that. We found some cool stuff. I even bought a few things for my wife. That was so much fun.

When we got back to the rooms, I let everyone make calls to friends and family via my Skype account. If you are traveling internationally, it is THE way to go.

Tonight is the first show. It’s going to be a bit of a stretch for me… a bit interesting. This is not going to be a “gospel concert” or a “church service.” So, I can’t just go in there and have church. Tonight, I have to go in and perform great music and provide good, clean, wholesome entertainment. I know that if I go in there with my usual methods I will not be effective. This is one of those times when I will have to let the people see Jesus in me and be drawn to the light I shine. There won’t be a preaching moment. There won’t be any sermonizing. This is going to only be music. Thank God the music is loaded with a message.

Tune in tomorrow to find out how it went.

Travel Day #2

I woke up on the plane and saw the beginning of a gorgeous sunrise. The edges of the horizon were painted with blue, purple, red, orange and yellow… such a beautiful spectrum. A few minutes later I could see the outline of something amazing. It didn’t take long for the outline to become a full portrait of mountainous grandeur. I think we were flying over the French Alps. As the plane turned slightly north, we exited that mountain range but you could see another range of mountains north of us. We were entering Northern Italy and I was now looking at the Swiss Alps. What a beautifully creative artist our God is!

We landed in Milan. Once we got in the terminal, “Chicken on Bikes” realized that she’d left her phone on the plane. Wow! That’s a real dilemma for her. This girl is a text-messaging addict. So, she and “The Well” waited where we were while “Red Bird” and “Running Feather” went ahead with “The Diva” – since “Diva” had to make a mad dash. I went to the info desk to ask if they could have someone look for “Chicken on Bikes’” phone. And, what do you know… they found it. Can somebody say GRACE!!

We all met back up at baggage claim. Once we retrieved all of our luggage, we went out to the greeting area where we were met by our super cool driver – I’ll call him “John.” When we got to the parking lot we had to stop and sigh at the lovely backdrop of the Swiss Alps. We boarded our tour van and started heading south to Rome.

“John” stopped at a small “fast food” place where we got some of Italy’s delicious pastries. A few people tried the coffee – unsuccessfully. They weren’t ready. We got back on the van and started again on our road trip – listening to a variety of music on the radio. Although we had no idea what they were saying, the music was beautiful. Music is such a universal thing.

As we rode through the country of Italy, we eventually found ourselves riding through snow. Soon after that, we were in mountains again. “John” informed us that there is also a mountain range that runs vertically through the country – and this was the range we were traveling through. What a gorgeous sight!

We made a pit stop at a service center. When I got out of the van I heard what sounded like a group of children all crying at the same time. Upon closer examination, I realized that I was hearing a trailer full of sheep – all bleating at the same time. As many times as I’d heard that sound on TV – it really doesn’t compare to the real thing. I wanted to hook up a microphone and record the sound so I could sample it in a song. Perhaps something about God’s sheep knowing his voice; or about the Lord being our shepherd.

As night began to fall, we still hadn’t arrived at our destination. Eventually we discovered that “John” had never been to Rome so he didn’t really know where he was going. We were the new characters on that hit ABC show – “LOST!” But we all decided that it was perfectly fine – since we were all in a country we hadn’t visited before… and since “John” was paying for dinner.

We finally arrived at the hotel. John gave me the money for our meal and we went to our rooms to shower and change. We went to dinner at a quaint little restaurant and got to taste what real Italian pasta is like. WOW!! It was fantastic! The food and service were excellent. Now, it’s time to sleep. We’ve been traveling for 36 hours. It’s time to sleep and get ready to take another flight in the morning.

I’ll tell you about that one tomorrow night.

Buona Notte!

Travel day!!

My wife and I were the last ones to arrive at the airport. The rest of the gang was there. There was “Redbird” with her “friend.” How cute! There was “Running Feather” with her mom and her boyfriend, “the Rev.” There was also “Chicken on Bikes” with her fresh new haircut. Nice! “The Diva” came walking up with her brother and nephew. She had baggage issues to resolve. BTW… Her brother (my bass player) and his wife just had a new baby. Congrats!! Then, of course, there was “The Well.” I’ll call him that because he’s so deep. Seriously, he really is a deep brother. But you wouldn’t believe it unless you get to know him. Besides, his musical skills run very, very deep. I am still amazed that this fantastic drummer and percussionist is traveling with me as a vocalist. WOW!!

As we were getting ready to head to the concourse, I predicted that 4 people would shed tears before we got to the plane. I was really close. By the time we were parting company, “Running Feather,” her mom and my wife were all dropping tears.

We landed in Philly for a six-hour layover. A wonderful friend who has connections with the airline we were traveling met us with a long-distance flight package. Nice stuff!! Thank God for wonderful Christians all over the world. We went to TGI Friday’s for lunch. Then headed to the gate for a four-hour wait for our departure. Good time to take a nap!

The music industry can be so enticing and deceptive. As an artist it is easy to become consumed with ensuring that the performance is right… making sure that your next outing is better than the last… improving your skill. But, without realizing it, this can crowd out what the focus really should be.

First, I need to be focused on my relationship with God. I have to maintain a clear and growing relationship with God. When I step on stage, what the audience should actually see is the result of my relationship with God. If the image I present on stage is the image of a very spiritual, Godly person but my life doesn’t truly match it, then I am a hypocrite. Of all the things that God dislikes, scripture implies that hypocrisy is at the top of that list. Hypocrites actually end up in Hell – and I do mean the literal “Hell.” So, my relationship with God has to be in tact so that what comes across on stage is the natural offshoot of that relationship.

Secondly, I need to be focused on shining a light, spreading some salt, sharing a testimony and modeling a love that will draw people into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is important that I remember that I am a worship leader first and foremost. While I have the privilege of being an artist, my greatest artistic ability is leading people into the presence of the Lord through the tool of music.

Now, “Running Feather” is knocked out in her seat with her pink blanket. “Red Bird” and “The Well” are stretched out on the floor – dead to the world. “Chicken On Bikes” and “The Diva” are in one of the restaurants chatting and laughing. They can’t sleep for some reason. That’s not my testimony.

While we are waiting for the plane… I think I’ll spend some time reading my bible – getting a fresh word from the Lord… then, I’ll take a nice long nap!

Next post will be from Europe.

Finally… A tentative date for INSP!

There are several wonderful things you can do with MySpace – such as contact hard-to-reach people. Well, I guess that really doesn’t fit this situation. I just lost the email address for the contact person at INSP.

Okay, let me slow down and make some sense…

Back in July 2007, I was a contestant on C.A.T.S. (Christian Artist Talent Search). The show is aired on INSP – The Inspiration Network. While the show was taped in July, the airdate was tentatively end-of-the-year or a little later. The contestants are to receive a letter announcing the airdate as well as a DVD of the show on which we appeared. I’ve been waiting expectantly on a letter from INSP. Being the pro-active/hyper-active person that I am, I took matters into my own hands (don’t we do that too often?). I used my MySpace contacts to get updated information from the associate producer of the show. You see, MySpace CAN be used for great, positive things.

Tentatively, the 2007/2008 season of the show will be aired in February 2008. I recommend that you check out each episode of the show. You will be introduced to some wonderful artists from all across this country. I had the privilege of meeting many of these artists and, let me tell you, I was so blessed and inspired by them. You will see some of America’s greatest worship leaders and most amazing bands. Oh yeah… you’ll get to see me, too. I get to share a few songs from Worship Of A Redeemed Man on international television. Wow! What an opportunity.

God is Great!!

The first set of tour stops are in!!

The booking agent for my tour informed me today that our tickets are purchased. I am so excited!! I put the confirmed stops on my calendar today. You can check it out. I thought we were going to be in Sicily. I had the wrong island, y’all!! It’s Sardinia. Anyway, we do get to go to Switzerland – up in the mountains. Someone told me that I should pick up a Swiss watch while I’m there. Cute!

Today was my last day holding piano lessons. I had been providing piano lessons since I left my corporate job in 2004. It’s been wonderful watching these students grow and learn. They all pushed me to grow and get better as well. I’ve learned to sight-read – something I’ve always struggled with. I’m still not fluid like I want to be but I am sooo much better than I was.

Since I’m going to be out of the country for the last part of December, I’m working feverishly on getting all of the end-of-the-year stuff done at church. We have a Christmas production to do – but I won’t be here to direct it. So, I’ve got to make sure everything is set before I leave. But I have to say… I have some of the best ministry leaders in the world at Gethsemane. These young people are on top of things. I am so blessed to know that things will flow smoothly while I’m gone. And the praise team is tearing it up!

Lately, the songwriter in me has come alive. I get to spend some concentrated time tomorrow finishing some songs I’m working on. I can’t wait to record them and share them with you. I may do a limited release of the songs in demo version so you can hear them and tell me what you think. Let me know if you’d be interested in a sneak peak.

Arrivederci!

Michael

I’m headed back to the studio! Today I’m mixing a few tracks that I produced for a new artist names Irreka. Her project will be coming out early 2008. Working with her has been a wonderful learning experience for me. When I produced my first solo project, Worship Of A Redeemed Man, it was my first time producing a full project. Using God’s wisdom, I surrounded myself with people that understood the process and who would keep me on course. With their counsel, things came out pretty well.

Advice for independent artists… We are not all gifted to produce music. Many of us can create the music, but our music would be better prepared if we had someone else produce us who has the experience and the gift for production. Don’t let your music suffer because of your inexperience or your pride. Even if you feel you do have the gift to produce yourself, surround yourself with people that have even more experience and expertise that yourself; people that won’t mind telling you the truth about your production; people that won’t feel obligated to appease your ego. Those are the people that I surrounded myself with and they guided me to a successful product.

So, I am getting ready for Italy. This is very exciting. The promoter wants a piano, acoustic tour so I can’t take my band. I can, however, bring 5 singers. So, I’m taking my four background singers and my drummer – who happens to be a great singer as well. The blend is wonderful! Next week I’ll be finalizing the set list and the arrangements. We fly out on the 15^th. Our scheduled return is December 31^st. I’m hoping we get back in time for New Years Eve service.

Look out for blogs much more often. You will be hearing from me a lot more. If you ever want to communicate with me, feel free to email me at hayahsounds@cox.net. I’d love to hear from you. If you have any Italy stories or production stories to share, please email me. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. It’s time to get ready for Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

Mad Love for GMA

Some months ago I joined the Gospel Music Association – the GMA. Now, let me explain a little bit about the music industry. Many, many moons ago, someone founded the GMA – and organization dedicated to promoting “Gospel” music. However, this organization was designed before “Gospel Music” meant “Black Gospel Music” and wasn’t founded by African-Americans. It was very popular among persons in the Southern Gospel and Contemporary Christian community. Sometime after that, Rev. James Cleveland founded the Gospel Music Workshop of America, which caters to “Black Gospel Music.” Today, among the black, independent Gospel music community, many of us don’t even know about the GMA. However, it is a powerful, wonderful organization that is connected to probably everything related to Gospel music – and by “Gospel” music I mean all categories of music that spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This past weekend I attended my first GMA event – GMA Academy. This two-day event was dedicated to educating and empowering unsigned artists and songwriters. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was hopeful. Oh my God… I was certainly not disappointed.

It was so amazing having the opportunity to sit in a room and pick the brains of some of Gospel music’s biggest stars and greatest songwriters. I sat in sessions with Geron Davis, Mark Harris, Dave Clark, Ahmande Grimes, Brandon Eggerton, Shaun Groves and Nicole C. Mullen. I learned so much about songwriting – much better methods than I was using. One thing that was a pretty recurring theme was that being an “independent artist” or “independent songwriter” is a very good thing right now. It was explained how the music industry is changing and we are entering the era of the independent.

Another thing that I gained from this experience is confirmation. Confirmation is a wonderful thing. When I went to Charlotte and did C.A.T.S. – the Christian Artist Talent Search – it was such a tremendous blessing to have so many industry professionals confirm my ministry and state, “you are doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing.” As an independent artist, it’s easy to look for the next thing that I’m supposed to do. But when you know you’re doing exactly what God wants you to do, you don’t have to look for the next thing… just keep doing this thing. While at GMA, I submitted some music from my CD for critique… another great thing offered at GMA. I sat in a room with about 8 other independent songwriters and artists and had an industry professional – first a producer, then an A&R rep – listen to some of my music. Their comments and compliments reaffirmed that I am doing what I should be doing. When the A&R guys saw my promo kit he said, “I’m going to make you the poster child.” Then he said to the group, “See, this guys gets it. All the stuff I was telling you guys to do, he’s doing it.” Then the producer said something that I think will forever be etched in my brain. He said, “For me it always boils down to one question… would I buy it. And, yes, I would by this CD. Just based on the partial of the two cuts I heard, I would buy this guys CD.”

Sometimes we say that we don’t need man to reaffirm us or confirm what we are doing. And I guess that’s true. But when God does use man to reaffirm what you’re doing, it sure feels good.

So, to all my fellow independent artists, I highly recommend GMA. And, to Mondo and Brandon… thanks, guys, for being my new mentors.

Seasons Change!

December 2003 was my last month of employment with corporate America. I remember that season. It was scary. I had a nice job with a pretty solid company. My position was Recruiter and Trainer for the region, covering Hampton Roads, Richmond and Raleigh. I spent a lot of time on the road between the cities, recruiting employees and training them to work for our company. It was a season of testing for me. My manager was in Connecticut so I had to work autonomously. My integrity was tested. Of course, when no one is there to watch you it can be very easy to come to work late and leave early. It can be easy to cheat and find shortcuts. But by the grace of God I made it through those testing times. It all proved to have a lot to do with my future.

Anyway, as that December rolled around I had made the decision to launch out into the deep water of self-employment. I decided to start giving private piano lessons. That January, I started with just a handful of students. By that March, I had as many as I could handle. That was the beginning of a new season - the birth of Hayah Sounds. Having never studied music myself, I was only proficient in playing by ear. So my curriculum was based on what I knew. After the first few months of teaching, I saw the need to expand the curriculum. So, I picked up a few books by which to study the fundamentals of music theory. Shortly thereafter, I started including some music theory in my curriculum. The more I taught it, the more I learned it.

In March of 2004 when I knew that it was time for me to record my first project, I was well on my way to understanding music theory. As we got closer to the recording date, I saw how that theory was necessary in my communication with the band. After the recording session was done and we got into the post-production studio work, there was even more need for my understanding of music theory. I had no idea that I would need to understand tempo, time signatures, scales, accidentals, etc., while mixing the project. But working with one of the greatest engineers in the country taught me a whole lot! Thank God for Robert Ulsh.

Enter the next season – the marketing of the project. We started pulling together a group of singers and musicians that would travel with me to do engagements. The band has been consistent since the live recording session, with the addition of one more keyboardist. They are very tight!! But it took a while to get the singers I needed. I started with an audition session that produced a nice group of nine singers. Over the course of the next two years that group has changed faces and sounds a few times. But I believe I’ve got the right mix now. The group of singers that God has blessed me to work with now is amazing! We’ve gone in the studio a few times to work on some of the projects I’ve produced for other artists. They sound really good together. The vocal quality is fantastic. So we’ve done several concerts – long and short – near and far.

But I see a new season unfolding before my eyes. I believe that this is the season of open doors. The precursor of this season was the placement of my wife and I into a church where we could serve and grow. Now that we are planted it appears that we are starting to bloom. She’d have to tell you about all of her new wonderful ministry opportunities. But as for me, I’ve been blessed with the chance to minister on INSP (look for it on your TV in December). I’ll be headed to Nashville, TN in October to study with some of the nations greatest songwriters. This past Sunday I had my first engagement as director of Ebony Impact Gospel Choir of Old Dominion University. And – now get this – in December, my singers and I will be performing on a 10-city tour in Italy. And, I don’t mean opening for someone else’s tour. We will be the headliners in 10 cities in Europe with possible stops in Sicily and France. WOW!!

So, regardless of how long one season lasts… just remember that seasons change.

Today, I’m back home in Virginia Beach.

Oh my God!! What a fantastic trip. We had so much fun doing the Christian Artist Talent Search. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent at the facility. The judges were so amazing! And the contestants… I just love all of them.

World, get ready for Radial Flight, Serenity, Brii and Emma! They are going to blow you away. I’m sorry that you have to wait until January before you get to see the show but trust me, you will love these artists.

What blessed me so much was receiving confirmation that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. When I took the stage on Wednesday evening, I really sensed the power and presence of the Lord. The reaction of the audience and the response from the judges confirmed what I felt.

After we wrapped up taping, I had the opportunity to speak with all of the judges. God gave me great favor! The purpose of the trip was really wrapped up in the events that took place on Wednesday night. Great doors were opened. When Sharon and I left that night we were so happy with God. His favor is better than life.

I wish I could tell you more about what happened but I can’t. Just know that the show will be great to watch. I’ll remind you as we get closer to January.

Well, I’m still in Charlotte!!!

So far this today, I’ve been going through my music… listening to my tracks and planning out the rest of my performances. Oops, I may have said too much already. Let me go to another subject.

My niece is a hair stylist with her own salon in Charlotte – D’Paul’s. My wife is there to get her hair styled – or as we like to say it, "to get her hair did." Jinel’s been styling hair for many years and is quite good at it.

I’ve met some wonderful people at the CATS competition. I met a young lady from North Pole, Alaska who is a wonderful singer and songwriter. You will love her when you see the show. By the way, the show won’t air until January 2008. Sorry! But you will definitely appreciate the artists. I met another young lady from Florida who is so much the Christian version of Christina Aguilera. And she is a sweetheart with a great testimony. I’ve met some wonderful worship leaders who really love God. It is great being around so many people who share the passion that I have.

Thank God for my prayer posse!! There are so many people praying for me through this competition. It’s wonderful having so many great friends "texting" me to let me know that they’re praying for me. Keep praying. I’m still here.

Today is the big day!!

How do I feel? Nervous! Excited and nervous. Sometimes people think that I’m kidding when I say that I get nervous when it’s time to sing. But, I really do. For me, it’s reassuring that I still get nervous. I don’t want to ever get to the point that I am so self-confident that I don’t get nervous. My nervousness tells me that I still realize that my sufficiency is not in me. It tells me that I need to rely on someone greater then myself to do what I am about to do. It tells me that I have not taken on the position of being a star. I am only a moon. I don’t shine a light of my own. I reflect the light of Christ. And if He doesn’t shine at this moment, I won’t shine at all. So I need God. The nervousness reminds me to pray and seek God for direction. So, I’m glad that I’m nervous.

It’s been an interesting few weeks. My wife and I are hosting our family reunion in Virginia Beach beginning this Friday but I am in Charlotte today for the INSP Christian Artist Talent Search. So, I’ve had to split my attention between preparing for the reunion and preparing for the competition.

I don’t like music competitions anyway! They can bring out the best and the worst in Christians. Often they cause artists to leave the ministry in music and move completely into the performance of it. It’s important to me to remain focused on ministering the music. If there is any way in which I stand out in the industry I would say it is my passion for leading people into worship through effectively ministering the music. So, pray for me that I won’t minimize my role to singing or competing but that I will be the worship leader that I’ve been designed to be. Pray that I will effectively minister to the people that will be in the studio audience as well as the thousands that will be watching on TV.

The taping of the competition takes place over a 4-day period. I started yesterday. If you make it through a round, you get to stay in Charlotte another day for the next round. However, we cannot divulge the results of the show until the show is aired. And the show won’t be aired until probably November. So I can’t tell you whether I win a round or not. But, I can tell you which city I’m in. So, as long as I’m in Charlotte, you know the deal!

Speaking of Charlotte… this is our first time visiting the new home of my niece and nephew. It’s beautiful! Way to go, Paul & Jinel! They are wonderful Christians with a heart for ministry. And Paul is a real sports buff… my kind of guy!

Okay… I’m going to get ready to leave for the studio now. If I’m still in Charlotte tomorrow… you’ll know why.

The Alabaster Box was broken!!!

This was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever done. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think one factor was that my focus was clear. My aim was just to lead people into worship. And by leading, I don’t mean directing. Sometimes we get those two mixed up. But I believe that the best worship leaders are not those who direct the worship but, rather, those who demonstrate worship. There are those who respond well to someone telling them how to worship. But I’ve found that even more respond well to someone that demonstrates how to worship. So when I say that my aim was to lead people into worship, I mean that I wanted to go hard after God in such a way that everyone could see what worship looks like. As an individual Christian, I’d much rather just worship inconspicuously so as not to draw attention to my worship or myself. But, as a worship leader, my duty is to be conspicuous with my worship; to draw attention to the worship for the purpose of demonstration; and to draw attention to God, as He is the recipient of the worship. As a worship leader, I worship extravagantly! I worship hard! I worship loud! For there can be no mistaking my conviction that the God that I worship deserves everything that I have to offer. My hands, my arms, my back, my legs, my feet, my voice, my thoughts, every fiber of my being joins together in chorus to celebrate the matchless love and grace of my precious King.

So, Tuesday night was a night of worship. I’ve heard my singers sing and my band play several times. But I don’t ever recall feeling such intense worship when we’ve been on stage before. It was as if everyone took their alabaster boxes and broke them open before the Lord. I don’t mean popping the top off, pouring some ointment out, then putting the top back on. No, I mean breaking the jar! We went to the point of no return. The worship was thick! The presence of the Lord rested in the place as we presented our offering of music and worship. It was beautiful to feel God moving in the room. The music was great! The vocals were great! The performance was great! But the worship was amazing!!

Mount Lebanon is such a cool church! They treated us as royalty – like we were guests from another state or country. It wasn’t at all like we were from just across the bridge. The hospitality was wonderful! It was also great getting to meet and greet Bishop B. Courtney McBath & Pastor Janeen McBath (Calvary Revival Center – Norfolk, VA) and Bishop Gary Hawkins (Voices of Faith – Stone Mtn, GA). They were all so cool and cordial. They entreated my wife and me the way Christian leaders should entreat everyone. We felt loved and welcomed in their presence.

And, I can’t way enough about Drs. Kim and Valerie Brown. They are some of the greatest leaders in the body of Christ today. Their love and hospitality was just fantastic! This is the second time we’ve been invited to minister at their conference and they always show us such amazing love and respect. It’s admirable. It’s the model to be followed.

Now, it’s time to start getting ready for C.A.T.S. It was a challenge getting my songs condensed into a 3-minute format, but it’s done. Now, I just have to practice, and practice, and practice so that when I take the stage, I can relax and just worship God.

Getting ready for the Issachar Conference…

Tonight is the big night. I don’t get as nervous as I used to about concerts. I wonder if that’s a good thing or not. I’d almost rather be nervous… that way I know that I’m not over-confident or cocky. But, then on the other hand, being more relaxed allows me to focus more and be more deliberate in what I do.

Going into a concert, there are so many technical things that you think about. Sound, lighting, staging, the set list (songs that will be sung during the concert), communication on the stage… all of these things is important. Then there are the intangible but most critical elements such as spiritual preparation, the anointing of God, the flow of the Holy Spirit, the flexibility of the persons on the stage to follow the flow if it changes what we planned to do.

I’ve had to take the stage with little notice for two big events this weekend. On Saturday morning at about 10:00 I was asked to open a concert in Hampton, VA that was featuring national recording artists Lexi and Richard Smallwood. I had to be at the venue by 1:15 and on the stage at 2:05. With such short notice, I had to do it by my self with no BGVs… just the track and me. I did my two sets and the Lord truly blessed. So, Lexi took the stage and did a great job. Not long after she was finished, the gentleman responsible for the event came and asked if I could to two more songs right away because the next person wasn’t quite ready to take the stage and they needed a “filler.” So, I took the stage and did two more songs. And, again, God showed up and blessed. After it was all over, I had the opportunity to talk with Lexi. She was so encouraging. She shared some great industry insight with me. I made a great contact there.

So, Sunday evening we had a special event planned at my church. I invited a few friends to perform who are both recording artists. I got a call at 5:15 pm (the event started at 6:00) from one of my friends to inform me that he would not make the 5:00 sound check and would be a little late to the event. Then he called back at 5:55 to inform me that he wouldn’t be able to make it at all. He had a legitimate excuse but it still left us in a bind. Of course, I wasn’t about to let my home church suffer because of it. So, I pulled up out the tracks and took the stage – again by my self – and God again showed up and blessed!

So, maybe that’s why I’m not that nervous today. God has been proving himself all weekend. His presence had been there each time I took the stage. I’ll be presenting myself before him for the rest of the day – getting spiritually prepared for the event. I trust that he will move freely tonight.

It’s pretty exciting. I see it like giving someone a gift that is made of brass. Before you give it to them, you put some “elbow grease” into polishing the item so that it will shine. We’ve spent the past few weeks polishing what we are doing tonight… making sure that it shines. Tonight, we will present this offering of music to the Lord. We trust that he will take it and use it to bless his people.