Asking for Help
Aug 9, 2009 Media and Technology
For the past week I have not been writing on my blog. Not because I am tired, or have nothing to say but because I was kinda stupid. I have been looking for a new look, layout for my blog and as I was trying them out, loading and unloading them something went wrong. All the sudden I couldn’t get to anything. Forkintheroadmusic.org just brought up a blank page. Instead of asking for help I tried several days worth of solutions. Download this, upload that, copy and backup, restore… nothing worked.
Last night I gave up and asked for help. I sent a simple email to bluehost.com explaining the problem, which was human stupidity. They sent me an email saying that they had a backup and could restore it if I confirmed my password. Thirty minutes later I was up and running with no problems.
Unfortunately I tend to do the same thing in other parts of my life too. I get into a mess, make a mistake and then I spin my wheels and spend my time trying to fix it, when I should just ask for help in the first place. Maybe that help is from God. Maybe that is from a friend or family member. But the hard part is asking for it in the first place.
What do you have the hardest time asking for help with?
Tags: asking, blog, email, Family, help, late, Music, night, work
How to Make a Slide Show Without a Computer?
Jul 28, 2009 How To, Media and Technology
This past year I was introduced to Animoto, a service that takes your photos and turns them into a slide show. I really hadn’t done more than a few attempts at videos. However earlier Animoto released an app for the iphone. I began wondering if it would be possible use this app to create a slideshow of an event without ever using a computer. This last weekend I led a group of adults and Jr. High youth at a BIG HOUSE camp and I used the opportunity to try it out.
Each day I began by taking about 90-95 photos from morning till night. After that I selected the ones I wanted to use and uploaded them to the animoto app. After choosing my music I set it to render. It took between 5-15 minutes depending on my connection. I never had Wi-Fi but generally had the 3G network. Once the photos were uploaded and it began rendering I could close it out. Animoto sent me an email when my video was ready.
I ended up making one video per day including one the last day of camp. Usually we show our overall camp slide show on Saturday night, and then pack up on Sunday morning. Doing this completely using the iphone I was able to even take photos on Sunday morning, and on the drive home, (my wife was driving) I was able to upload and render the video.
Click here to see Saturday’s video.
One setback. Right now the videos created on the iphone do not show up on the web version. They say they are working on this and will have it fixed soon.
Tags: Animoto, BIG HOUSE, iphone, Slide Show, video
Ways Our Church Uses Twitter #1
Apr 10, 2009 Media and Technology
Yes, just last week I put up a post entitled Why Not to Use Twitter, The truth is I think twitter can be a great tool to use for your church. Here is the first of several examples of how we are using twitter.
Our youth director recently set up a twitter account for the youth group. We then embedded the feed into our website using the badges twitter provides. When our group took a trip to St. Louis recently our youth director posted updates and pictures during the trip. Our members were then able to go to the website and follow the youth on their journey.
This had several benefits:
1. Church members could feel like they were connected to the trip.
2. Several members began using twitter and now follow the youth group and the church, and other members, expanding our connections
3. We embedded the twitter feed into our website. This exposed new people to our website, not only to the twitter updates, but to the rest of the site.
Follow us
Williams Memorial UMC
Williams Youth
Russ Bowlin-Youth Director
Russell Martin- Me
What are some of the ways you are using or could use twitter?
Iphone Audio Applications
Jan 14, 2009 Media and Technology
Over the past few weeks I have shared posts highlighting some of my favorite iphone/touch applications for musicians. If you enjoyed those make sure and check out this post on churchaudio.blogspot.com for some audio apps that might be helpful as well. And if you missed them, check out iphone apps for musicians part 1, part 2 and part 3.
Tags: application, apps, blogs, Church, iphone
Iphone Apps for Musicians- Part 3
Jan 3, 2009 Media and Technology
This post is third in a series where I have highlighed some of the most useful apps for the iphone and ipod touch that I have found for my ministry leading worship. Here are the final 4.
Evernote-Their website says “Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.” I have just begun using this software and haven’t started using it to it’s full potential but it looks promising. The ability to sync online and iphone is good. I could definately see it useful when purchasing equipment and making comparisons.
Twittelator- If you are a twitter user this is a great app to have. It is my primary form of interacting on twitter. I can send photos, direct messages, and replies. It also supports the location feature so everyone can know exactly where you are. It does from time to time get overwhelmed if you are following a large number of people who update very often but all in all it does well. There is a free version and then Twittelator Pro which costs a few dollars.
Pandora- I wrote about this a few months ago for the desktop version. The Pandora program for the iphone works just the same. Enter a song or artist and it will create a station based around the sound characteristics of that artist or song. The result is a play list that is similar in style that you can listen to all day long. I have used this both on the edge and 3G networks as well as Wifi. As long as you have a signal you can listen. The downside is you cannot listen to it and do anything else on your phone. Until apple lets us run two programs simultaneously.
BONUS APPLICATION FOR MUSICIANS
Gigbaby- A four track recorder with drum machine and metronome? Yeah and all for under a buck. I wouldn’t produce any records with it but great for recording song ideas. This was not in my original list but I ran across it the other day and have loved it since.
Tags: application, apps, Free, iphone, Recording, twitter, work, Worship
Using Video- Incorporating Scripture in New Ways
Dec 31, 2008 Free Stuff, How To, Media and Technology, Worship Planning
Isaiah 60:1-6 from russell martin on Vimeo
Our contemporary worship service as well as our traditional service follow the lectionary. The lectionary usually provides four different scriptures for each Sunday that follow a theme. In the traditional service we have typically used one for the main scripture the sermon is based on, and then atleast two of the others are read or used as a responsive reading. Up until this point in the contemporary service we have only really used the one that the sermon is based on. I was trying to think of ways to incorporate more scripture in our service that fit the style of our service.
While I was at Youth Specialties in Nashville they used several scripture videos. (available on their resource page) The videos consisted of a moving background, generally a moving view from a car, or rollercoaster, or something like that, with the scripture laid on top and an audio loop in the background. The YS team used them very well for transitions during different parts of the general sessions.
So I thought I would try to create something in that same style. I took a section of video on a recent trip to Houston. Using Vegas Movie Studio I lightened, blurred, and added noise to the video. Then took the Old Testament reading for the week, Isaiah 60:1-10, and placed it on top. I then used Sonic Foundry Acid to make a short audio background loop and added it on.
So this is the result. I think we will play it after the offertory as a transition for the band to get off stage before the pastor and person reading the scripture for the sermon.
Oh.. if you use the lectionary in your church and you would like a copy without the little “Xperience Worship” tag on the end just leave me a reply and let me know. I can run it with out the tag and send it to you or upload it..
Tags: application, Background, band, CD, Church, Resource, resources, Russell Martin, Sunday, Team, video, Worship, youth
Using Video-Christmas Dinner in Fast Forward
Dec 29, 2008 How To, Media and Technology
This was my first attempt to do one of those cool fast forward time lapse videos you see around. I took a camera and set it on top of our china hutch before we ate our Christmas Dinner. Then I took the video and used Windows Movie Maker to speed up the footage. Cut it in a few places and downloaded the music from free-loops.com. What do you think? How would you use something like this technique in worship?
Iphone Apps for Musicians: Part 2
Dec 27, 2008 Media and Technology
Last week I sent you my first three favorite iPhone apps that I use in my music ministry. Here are three more.
You Version Bible- This bible app works well and offers a ton of bible translations. Most versions however are online so the app needs a connection of some sort either through the phone network or over wifi. They just began offering a few bible translations as downloads.
Pianist- Pianist provides a basic piano keyboard to play your favorite tunes. It allows you the ability to record your compositions and includes a metronome. I have used this more though for figuring out what key a song is that I hear on a CD or for simple things like that.
Piano chords-Ever forget a piano chord? This app makes it easy to play any piano chord. Just choose the root note from the keyboard and then one of 50 different types of chords and the chord is played and shown visually on the keyboard.
Iphone Apps for Musicians: Part 1
Dec 20, 2008 Media and Technology
In June Apple introduced their iPhone applications store. Since that time I have gone downloaded at least 100 applications that do different things. Here are my first three of the top 10 applications, free and paid, that I use on a regular basis in my ministry.
Guitar toolkit- Guitar toolkit features many tools that I need on a regular basis. It features a Chromatic Tuner, Chord Finder, Metronome, Tuning Tones and Scales, and supports different tunings, 12 string, bass and will reverse for left handed players. I tend to use the tuner and metronome feature the most.
IDicto recorder This recorder is great for capturing song ideas on the fly. Simple to use by just pressing record and letting it run, you can also transfer the files to your computer.
Air sharing Do you have chord sheets saved as PDF or word files? Use Air Sharing to store them on your phone so you always have them with you. It connects over a shared wireless connection.
Stay tuned for my next three favorite applications coming in Part 2
What are some of your favorite applications?
Tags: application, apps, Free, guitar, iphone
It’s Time For Worship, Please Turn ON Your Cell Phone
Nov 26, 2008 Media and Technology, Worship Planning
It seems that whenever we are constantly being reminded to turn off our cell phones when we go to public places like movie theaters, schools, and church. This weekend at National Youth Workers Convention at one of our general sessions we were asked to do exactly the opposite. There were several times that we were specifically asked to turn our phones on.
The first time was one of the coolest prayer experiences I have ever been a part of. The speaker would say something like, “Maybe you feel like you need to be filled up this week” and then asked those that agreed with the statement to turn their phone display on. What happened is that in the darkness we were able to see that there were others with the same struggles, while it still gave some sense of ambiguity. Each time a statement was made, thousands of lights appeared across the stadium.
The second was during a general session where we had three speakers. Each one was given 15 minutes to talk, and then we took 5 minutes to discuss what they spoke about. During that 5 minutes we were encouraged to text message questions to a number on the screen. At the end of the 5 minutes they used those questions for a Q&A session.
The final use of the phone was ongoing through twitter. Through monitoring twitter comments and sending my own I was able to interact with people sitting in various areas of the worship service, get their thoughts and respond. I was even able to follow one of the services we did not attend, getting photos, comments, sermon notes and more. (follow me on twitter @rgmmusic)
These all worked great in a large conference setting. What I am wondering though is how they could work in a smaller church setting of 100-500 people. Or would I be asking for trouble by encouraging people to turn their phones on during worship.
What ways have you used cell phones during your worship service?
What would concern you most about encouraging your congregation to turn ON their phone?
Tags: application, CD, Church, National Youth Workers Convention, Prayer, Thoughts, twitter, work, Worship, youth
