The fourth of the 12 Days of Free Christmas Songs is “What Child is This”
You can listen to the song using the Sound Cloud player below. To download go to www.volummonster.com and enter code: 12DaysChristmas5
Click here to catch up on the previous 12 Days of Free Christmas Songs
Popularity: 1%
Here is the second of the 12 Days of Free Christmas Songs , In the Bleak Midwinter
You can listen to the song using the Sound Cloud player below. To download go to www.volummonster.com and enter the code 12dayschristmas2
In the Bleak Midwinter by Russell Martin
If you missed it… here is the first of the 12 Days of Christmas songs, Silent Night
Popularity: 1%
I’m starting off the 12 Days of Free Christmas Songs with one of my favorite Christmas hymns, Silent Night.
You can listen to the song using the Sound Cloud player below. To download go to www.volummonster.com and enter the code 12dayschristmas1
Silent Night by Russell Martin
Popularity: 2%
The time has come once again to begin voting for “Awaken Our Hearts”. In October I submitted “Awaken Our Hearts” into the Indie Heaven Indie song 2011 contest. You voted it as one of the top 10 songs for the month of October and thus it was chosen for the finals. Now the time to vote has come again.
I have a chance to win $500, a one song recording session and many other prizes, but I need your help. They combined all the top songs from September, October and November into a final contest chart. By the end of December my song, “Awaken Our Hearts” needs to find itself listed in the top ten.
The top 10 songs on January 1 will be judged by a panel of songwriting experts and one song chosen as a winner.
So here’s how you can help.
1. Go to http://www.indieheaven.com/indiesong
2. Locate “Awaken Our Hearts” by Russell Martin
3. Listen to the song
4. Vote 1-5 stars
5. Forward this to your friends and have them do the same thing
6. Repeat Daily
Join the Facebook Event “I’m Voting Every Day for Russell’s Song ‘Awaken our Hearts’”
You can only vote once per day, but you can vote every day between now and the end of December. Please forward this to your friends, post this link on Facebook, twitter, google plus, linked in. Talk it up with your friends, family, even random strangers.
Popularity: 1%
In the past I have submitted songs to Indie Heaven’s Fan Faves Chart. It has always been just for exposure, until now. I now have the chance to win a single song recording deal for “Awaken Our Hearts” , $500 cash and more from Indie Heaven Indie heaven, but I need your help
Here’s how to help:
- Go to www.indieheaven.com/fanfaves
- Select “View All” and click on View
- Scroll down to find “Awaken Our Hearts” By Russell Martin
- LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE SONG
- Vote for 1-5 stars
- Tell all your friends to do the same.
- Repeat every day for the next 30 days!
At the end of 30 days they will choose the top 10 most popular songs. If I make it there, “Awaken Our Hearts” will be combined with a special to 30 chart in December. The top ten voted for songs that chart will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and a grand prize winner will be chosen.
Here’s what I would win:
Popularity: 2%
Over the summer I have been working on recording my first all piano CD called “Hopes Prayers and Lullabies” Now that it is finished I thought I would get back to posting instrumental reflections like I did last year.
This song is called “Not Forgotten” and was written as background music for video for our worship service. You can listen by clicking the play button,
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(right click and save as), or subscribing in itunes.
To listen click play!
If you enjoy this then consider buying Hopes Prayers and Lullabies. The proceeds from this CD go to help my wife and I in our effort to adopt a child. You can read more about it here.
Popularity: unranked
When working with my youth worship team I often find myself emphasizing rehearsing the songs. After all, we generally have one event or another to prepare for so that means creating a songlist, and working up that music to perform or lead with.
I have realized, however, that there is a huge benefit to teaching, and not just rehearsing. When I first started to teach guitar lessons I told myself that I wanted my students to learn why a chord was what it was, what the names of the notes they were paying etc… Instead of just “play this chord”
I believed by teaching them how to learn to play guitar, then they could continue to learn whether I was teaching them or not.
The same thing should be true for worship teams. We should work with them to teach the basics of chord structures, rhythms, balance, tone, song structure, etc… So that they begin to recognize these things.
What’s cool is that when your group starts to learn these things, they begin to play musically together. You don’t have to explain every part of every song, but they begin to feel it.
For us this has resulted in more productive rehearsals, and more enjoyable ones too.
So what basic lessons would you teach a beginning praise band?
Popularity: 1%
There are many ways you can help your worship team vocalists sing strong with confidence. One thing I discovered this past year is that the right key is the key!
Last year I would introduce a song usually by listening to the cd then having the band try it and vocals sing. Many times they would like the song, however the vocalist would be struggling trying to sing out of their range, or flipping octaves between verse and chorus. Since the music was printed and we had already worked on learning in the original key, it was hard to change keys and we usually just struggled through.
This year we tried something different. This year every new song was first introduced to the vocals. After they learned the basic tune we found the key that best suited their voices. I made a note of the key and then during the next week would print music accordingly.
I have really noticed a difference in a few key areas:
1. They enjoy it more- When they are comfortable with the key they don’t have to worry about how they will hit the notes, and less worry means more fun.
2. They are stronger- Since we chose a key that fits their range they are more confident and sing out.
3. They get more done- Since we no longer take time out in rehearsal searching for keys with the whole band, and transposing music 2-3 times we get more done, learn more music and get better as a band.
What tips do you have for developing vocalists?
Popularity: 1%
This past week we created a video of member of our church, who was in the military, sharing his thoughts on what veterans day means. This weeks instrumental reflection is the background music I composed for that video. Click here to see the whole video.
To listen click play!
Just a reminder.. Instrumental Reflections is now available as a podcast. Click here for the feed for the podcast or here to subscribe in itunes
Popularity: 1%
