this is DB
MUSIC FROM AN INSOMINAC (part 2)
7 days.
(7 days of trying to capture lightning in a jar.)
that’s all its been. Today begins the 3rd week of tracking… and its been a little over 17 days since this plan to record these songs was put into motion. But….. life is busy with responsibilities and commitments. I’m only able to really push hard for 3 or 4 hours on certain days of the week. So far.. its been 7.
That’s hard to believe.
It feels like its been so much longer. And i believe the reason why it feels that way is because its been a long time coming. I’ve been working on a few projects but not really pursuing them. Carving out time to really dig into a project like this is hard to do. So, this time it just came down to: if not now..then when?
7 days.
Over these last few weeks its been amazing how these ideas have been taking shape. The original themes and topics have grown and blossomed into something bigger, deeper… and darker. This is more of a darker album overall. Not depressing…. but it ain’t shiny happy either. Its one of hope and pain, courage and fear, light and dark. The songs embrace the tension of life…. giving voice to unspoken prayers of a frustrated heart in darkness. A part of the reason behind that is the fact.. well… insomnia sucks. LOL! So these tunes reflect my frustration of not being able to sleep for days. But also the frustration of those questions, dreams and prayers that seem to go unnoticed or unanswered. Then finding the strength to turn the protest into praise, while still in the middle of those circumstances. Hmm… maybe I’ll touch on more of that at another time.
This project/experiment has taken me on quite a journey. And I’m not even at the halfway mark yet. It’s refreshing to just make and record music so instinctively. Free to not have to shape songs to fit a certain mold, genre or category. I can just let the songs take a life of their own. And this makes me curious. Very curious. I’m not sure how these songs will be received. To be honest.. there are a few tunes where the lyrics have not been completed yet. So I myself haven’t even “heard” the song yet. So I suppose it’s my job to simply create a space for the song to progress and capture it the best way I can.
7 days of trying to capture lightning in a jar. This is not really the way I would prefer to record an album. Actually… i would normally be downright against doing it this way. LOL!! But its been a great creative experience so far. I’m pumped to see what the next 7 days will look like.
Drums are done, bass is done…. next up are the guitar and keyboard sessions. Can’t wait to share these tunes with you.
~db~
PS: (ya… maybe this is a little premature….. but I’m really, REALLY excited about this project)
DOING NOTHING = PERFECTION
Some friends from church invited us to their cabin for a few days. SO we packed up the car and drove out to the lake and it was perfection. It was great to hang with great people, have some laughs, and enjoy some family time. (Made me miss living in cottage country.)
But the main thing for me that I loved about the 48hours of bliss.. was just resting. My life is a non-stop flow of THINGS TO DO: beyond the important family/work responsibilities there are projects, gigs, ministry stuff, , etc etc etc. And its easy.. even on vacation to keep going with that mindset:
gotta go here!
gotta go there!
must do things on the checklist so I can say “I did stuff”
and not “waste my time”.
For me… none of that is important. i simply did nothing.
more importantly than that: I CHOSE TO DO NOTHING.
I read, i wrote…. watched a movie or two, sat on the beach and watched Tyson laugh and goof off. And I did things as I felt led to do them.
Perfection.
In a summer that has been filled with busyness and restlessness…. i really needed a moment to pause and rest. Thanks to Randy and Tracy for giving me and my family an opportunity to do that in a beautiful location.
How did YOU create space for rest this holiday weekend??
MUSIC FROM AN INSOMINAC
Been slowly working on a few projects these last few months. Enjoying the process but as usual… its hard finding the time to really dig into it. Artists know…. its better to carve out a large chunks of time and just go for it…. than it is to do small chunks over a large period of time. So I’m continually in this start/stop/wait pattern.
Not fun…. but you gotta do what you gotta do.
About a week ago after a flurry of late nights and amazing shows… i was hit hard with insomnia.
HARD.
It lasted for a week… and it sucked.
VERY HARD.
The worst part is…. with the lack of sleep came the lack of motivation to do anything in those early morning hours. No programming or editing. No movies or XBOX.
So I decided that maybe this was just a time to be creative. (Perhaps it was less of a decision.. and more of “I fell into the idea that I should just be creative”) I grabbed a journal and my ipod… and went for walks, jotted down notes, scripture verses, prayers and melodies.
Then all of a sudden… the muse swung by to pay a visit.
And I was able to just go for it.
Between 12am till 5am.. lyrics, melodies and chord structures began to flow out!! I did what i could to capture them on whatever piece of paper/instrument/recording device i had around me. And soon I began to notice that there were a few common themes and yet a very specific feel to these songs. A bit darker and aggressive on one hand…. and on the other reaching back to my ambient/electronic roots.
Each night came 1 or 2 interesting ideas… each with a storyline and a sound that kept my interest. The next day those 3am melodies were still in my head.
By Friday… after another sleepless night… i decided that it may be worth while to head into a studio to track these songs and simply see what happens. By Sunday night…. the studio gear was ready and soundcheck was underway.
This project goes against “my rules” of songwriting and production. Almost of all them… but there are few that are held high like a flag. One of them being: Cook while the fire is hot!
Right now these tunes are soaked in adrenaline and are itching to be released. Sometimes… you gotta just dive in and see where the song leads you. If the energy and vibe is there…. just go with it. Even the worst case scenario…. is still worth it.
This is the most instinctual project I have ever been a part of. There is a “positive pressure” that is pushing for creativity but also completion. These last 2 weeks has been a blur of shaping and capturing my inner whispers and roars into songs. There is such an raw energy in the project… and I’m loving trying to capture that the best I can.
My Winnipeg drummer and good friend Eric Boorman was kind enough to lend his talent for the project. We spent 3 nights tracking a bunch of tunes, sharing stories and dreaming of how these songs can look and sound on the road. We are both exciting to tour on this EP. Its funny to dream about that when the songs aren’t even recorded yet.
I hope to have this new EP into your hands sometime in mid-Sept. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Stay tuned for more blogs and video blogs coming up. I’ll share more details as the weeks come up.
~db~
The Tingle: SUNDAY SETLIST (June 27)
Once a month, I partner with a local worship service at Calvary Temple called BEYOND. It’s a great event where people can come together, hear teaching and worship corporately with others from different churches and walks of life. I’m honoured that they would welcome me to lead worship there.
As I was planning for this event.. i was a little nervous. I knew the songs and the themes that I wanted to touch on and sing out but musically I felt a little timid. I’m not very comfortable playing lead guitar while lead worship and my usual lead player (who is brilliant BTW) was unable to join us.
Needless to say i was biting my nails.
You see my nervousness was purely on a musical/technical level.. which is valid…. but in no way is it as important as the true task at hand…. partnering with the Holy Spirit and the lead team at Beyond in creating a space where people can genuinely and authentically go crazy for their God and King.. as we worship him thru these songs. Whether I’m doing a GROUND ZERO event….. or a small group….. it stays the same.
It was great to remind myself of that over the course of the week leading up to the event. It made everything so much simpler.
From the time we started rehearsing the band and I noticed that there was something different happening. And when we were in pre-service prayer… it felt stronger. And as we walked down towards the stage…. it was even stronger. It was electrifying. I dubbed it… “the tingle”. Like a pins and needles feeling in the air… some sort of excitement or anticipation that was almost tangible. And it wasn’t just us – this feeling was shared by many in that room. The atmosphere in that room was alive and vibrant.
These are the tunes from last night.
HOSANNA -A- (Baloche/Brown) We rocked this out quite a bit faster. Felt so good. Gave this song new life for us as a band.
YES YOU HAVE -D- (Leeland)
REMAIN LET GOD ARISE -B- (Tomlin)
OUR GOD -B-(Passion – Redman/Tomlin)
YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS -A- (McClarney) It was breathtaking to hear people sing the bridge long after we ended the song. We decdied to ramp back into it
FOREVER REIGN -C- (OneSonicSociety)
HOW HE LOVES -C- (McMillan)
YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS reprise
We flowed thru the first 6 songs for over an hour. Together we all were continually soaking up and singing the truths found in these lyrics. It was a great night of proclaim our love for Him and being reminded of his marvelous love for us!!
“You’ve stolen my heart!”
“You wiped away the stains… and broke away the chains!”
“You are the God who saves us. Worthy of all our praises!”
“He holds the keys of life, our Lord – Death has no sting, no final word”
“Our God is a God who saves!”
“And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us! And if our God is with us, then what could stand against!”
“You make all things work together for my good”
“When the ocean rage, i don’t have to be afraid for i know that you love me!”
“You are joy, You’re the reason that I sing. You are life, in you death has lost its sting”
“The riches of your love will always be enough. Nothing compares to your embrace”
“He loves us, oh how he loves us!”
How could you not get excited over that?!?! By the end of the night…. people (including myself) had a fresh and renewed perspective on the father’s love for us. He will never desert or forsake us. He is forever faithful to us. He loves hanging out with us. WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!
It was a great time worshipping with the great folks at CT and Beyond. It was also wonderful to worship with my brothers: Jamie, Jeremy, and Eric. They played with such passion, creativity and clarity. They understood the flow and the vibe and just followed. We walked away exhausted yet completely refreshed – our heads and hearts spinning from a wonderful evening of spending time together with our Father.
~db~
PS: I wonder if anyone else is still feeling the “tingle”! LOL! - This is part of the SUNDAY SETLIST blog community. Check it out.
Goodbye Ontario………
I miss Ontario.
I can’t even say specific areas. Pinpointing cities or towns wouldn’t do it justice. I just simply miss the most of province. (Notice I said “most”…. LOL) So when I get a chance to return for a few days or a week… whether its for work and/or pleasure….. I am pumped. Its a great chance to visit family and friends… to visit my old hang out spots or soak up certain areas or “flavours” of the city.
This time coming back was amazing. So many good times and wonderful moments. Some people love “returning” to some place because of the memories they made there. For me… i just want to continue making new memories with the people I love. These are just a few pics from that little trip.
I had a fun b-day party with some friends at my favourite wing joint in the world… ALL STAR WINGS. It is the best. (I want to open one here in Winnipeg). We had a great time of catching up and celebrating life together.
Man I could go for more of those wings right now! Wonder if they deliver to WPG?
That night went on till 4:30am… (which has become a standard for my Toronto visits) and even now I smile thinking of those 10 hours of laughs, chats, and tears that all occurred that night. That’s what I call a party!!
“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you” – Christian Morganstern
From there.. we spent some time with family. Just chilling…… giving ourselves time to pause and be together. As usual… i’m always curious to watch how the boy interacts with other kids. It was a blast watching him. 
yup. it was a great time.
but it was also great to come home… get back into the swing of things… and use these new memories that we created as fuel to the fire as we step towards making our crazy dreams a reality.
“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself” – Maya Angelou
Goodbye Ontario….. and hello Winnipeg!!!
NEW SONG : Everlasting Light
I’m blessed to be part of a group of friends and songwriters called WORSHIPRISES. The vision is to create resources for and from Canadian churches. At one of our meetings I wrote and song with 3 others people: Luke Holst, Bob Cotrill and Keith Sparrow. We just met.. and Luke had a great scripture reference… I came up with the hook… and together we created the structure and theme of the song. It was such a great time.
Well….. that tune will be available on July 13th!!! And right now I am in the process of recording a version of the song that hopefully will be available on my next album. (and if i get it done it time… it will also be available on July 13th for a FREE DOWNLOAD with the purchase of the WorshipRises EP)
Grab Everlasting Light!!!! for free right now!!! no joke.
Worship Music Disasters
I’ve been involved in Worship Music ministry for about 12 years now. Being a side-man to some of the more popular worship artists out there… and as well serving within my home church. Its a great honour and privilege to be able to what I do.
But every once in a while…. disaster strikes. The kind that makes you cringe…. and what to never return to the stage again. For the most part.. it isn’t a big deal. You can choose to laugh it off… and move on. But nonetheless it just nags at you. Funny how it does that sometimes even weeks after the incident.
This isn’t a blog about how to move on from that. It’s simply a reminder that “it happens to all us”!!! Brush it off…… learn from it… and laugh. Strike it up to a beautiful humbling experience. 
I saw this video this morning and just had to share it. This is a great example of those moments.
YouTube – Martin Smith Horror Moment // Worship Central London 2010.
I think I have seen/been a part of/been a victim of MANY moments like this.
- the forgotten capo (aka playing in the wrong key)
- the sloppy intro.. and the choice to either start the song again or hope that the train wreck solves itself out soon!!
- going unplugged (mic or guitar cable unplugs during an important moment)
- forgetting the words… which happens to me ALL THE TIME!!
I remember twisting my ankle on stage during a big crash ending at a youth worship night. Yup.. that was bad.
In the end.. I am so thankful that it isn’t about me anyway. There is so much freedom in that. It really is all about Him.
And If i wind up looking like a fool… well.. at least God will get a good laugh out of it too.
~db~
the truth behind CCM recording sessions
I could tell you so many stories of this. wow. whoever did this knows a bit too much of the industry. and has a killer sense of humour.
It’s moments like the one portrayed in this video that compels me to always surround myself with people who LOVE MUSIC and who LOVE WORSHIPPING GOD THROUGH MUSIC! Cause then… i know that no matter what the project is that we are tackling at the moment… we will approach it from a place of purpose, authenticity and a heart of worship.
(and maybe with a dash of cynicism. LOL!!)
~db~
smitty came to town
… and it was good. Great band… great tunes…. and connected with old friends and acquaintances that I haven’t seen in a LONG time. This was a great and memorable date night.
YC Manitoba
When festivals or big events come to WPG.. i grin from ear to ear for one reason: MY FRIENDS ARE COMING TO TOWN. One of the great things about the music community is that you’ll wind up bumping into each other at some point. Well quite a few of long time friends and newer acquaintances showed up here in the city for YC Manitoba. It was SO great to hang out, catch up and have some laughs.
Long time friends Manafest… and our mutual lead guitarist Josh MacIntosh rocked the house this weekend bringing their high-octane hip-hop/rock fusion to WPG. Here are a few shots from their set. For more pics.. go to my flickr site.
~db~
BACK AT IT
Ok. Its really hard for me to keep blogs up to date. There are so many things that are “more urgent” than blogging. But I enjoy writing down my thoughts… and I really miss that.
So I went out and bought a journal. And re-activated the blog. Time to focus on writing again.
Speaking of writing again. It has been a long time since I did much songwriting. A long time. Months. perhaps almost a year. With the exception of “Where the Heart Is” I don’t remember the last song I wrote.
So this new season of INTENTIONAL CREATIVITY will be interesting for me. It will be a process of getting back to the things I love.
I remember a time when I used to come home from work.. then immediately head into the studio to write a few songs. And come out with something really good. Now my life has changed a lot since then. But I think there is something about that season of my life that I can learn to engage with once again.
So.. i am back at it.
Here we go.
FINALLY AN APPLE STORE IN WINNIPEG!
…. need i say more?????
I know there are more important things in life to be excited about. But I can’t help myself!!!
~db~
Have you seen this yet???
The 2 of the guys I work with share a few common things with me. One of them being: we are pop-culture/media junkies. We love it. Can’t get enough of it. It stirs up engaging conversation.. and forces us to think about the society we are a part of.
Today.. one of the guys mentioned this great site. It needs no introduction. Just check it out. The first time I saw it.. i thought… “OH!! why didn’t I think of that!!??” Such a great creative project to be a part of. This would be fun to do. Check it out!!!
Musicians and music fans.. especially those who REALLY appreiciate electronic music.. will love this!!! Cause I know I do.
this is drew brown
here we go. trying to attempt to blog. its definitely hard for me to stick to this. but I am very excited to tackle this!!
here
we
go!!