Maize High School vocal music students will perform the musical
“Children of Eden”
January 15-16, 7:30pm
January 17, 3:00pm
Maize High School
11600 W. 45th Street North, Maize, KS

“Children of Eden” is a production by Stephen Schwartz (composer of Wicked).  Approximately 50 students and 16 children from the community are involved in the production. Three Maize alumni who have worked professionally in music theatre are also helping with the show:  Matt Udland (director, ‘Father’); Amy Baker (choreographer) and Jesse Warkentin (conductor).

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students, and may be purchased at the door.

While your impression of high school musicals may not lead you to jump at this opportunity, let me just say that this school’s vocal music program is phenomenal, and they rarely perform entire musicals like this.  The story of this show is weighty, and the student performances are stunning.

If you come, be sure to look for a bobcat, an alligator, and a turtle that are doing an especially fine job.
The guy doing video backgrounds isn’t bad either.

photos by Justin Cary Photography

Occasionally he performs with mandolin player Jay Lapp as the Steel Wheels Duo.

Last fall, the Steel Wheels Duo embarked on the very successful Spokesong tour… via bicycle.

Take a few moments to glimpse behind the scenes of their tour…. guitars on bikes, hamstring stretches, and Haz Mat suits.  You get to see it all.

Trent Wagler / Steel Wheels music is available here, here, and here.

New album releases March 1, 2010.

Get it.

Implicit in the story of the birth of Christ is the knowledge of his death and his subsequent Resurrection.  This is what connects it to the secular songs about the cycle of the seasons.  We are reminded that there is light and life at the centre of the darkness that is Winter–or conversely, that, no matter how comfortable we feel in the cradle, there is darkness and danger all around us.

Amazing insight, that.

The writer of this paragraph, and the artist behind the CD, is Sting.
The CD is ‘If On A Winter’s Night…’

The project is inspired by traditional music from the British Isles, and celebrates the many facets of winter.

There is, as you might imagine, quite a bit of folklore wrapped up in ancient songs from the British Isles.   Sting writes about the background of each song with a clear respect for the history and mystery of each one.  It is not a collection of  Christmas music… it is ‘winter’ music.   But he does allude to The Christmas Story, saying…

Since the first millennium the festival of Christmas has become the central and defining event of the winter season; the story of Christ’s birth contains many magical elements, prefigured by ancient prophecy… I appreciate the beauty of these stories and how they have inspired musicians and poets for many centuries.  It was my desire to treat these themes with reverence and respect, and despite my personal agnosticism, the sacred symbolism of the Church’s art still exerts a powerful influence over me.

After describing the songs which come from the Christmas story, he wrote the paragraph at the top of this post.  You might want to read it again.

Do you see it? A man who respects the story of Christ but does not hold the belief still sees how God’s story of redemption is echoed in the cyclical nature of the world around us, and in the art we have created across the centuries.

Do you feel it? A simple sense of awe.

Oh that we who know this story and do believe may keep this same sense of awe.

***************************************************************************************

I do, by the way, highly recommend the CD… it sounds like this…

A few years ago, I became a fan of music by Jared Anderson. His latest CD, “Live From My Church”,  released today.  I had the opportunity to write a review for this album at The Worship Community, so if you want to know a little more read my review here. This album was, in fact, recorded live at Anderson’s church in Colorado Springs.  It is filled with songs for the church to use in worship;  Anderson is great at crafting the songs in a way that make them accessible.  I also enjoyed his studio release “Where Faith Comes From” a few years ago.  Anderson’s music is piano-driven… cheerily so…. and I always love that.

I recently discovered Anderson has a completely different thread of songwriting that his friends have dubbed “lamp music”.  I have been listening to his July 2009 release “People of Troy” (the most recent ‘lamp music’ offering) and totally love it. These songs are creative & expressive…. live recordings of vocal, piano, & instrumental stuff including a brass ensemble, a cello here and there, and lots and lots of bouncy tunes that will make you smile. I now have even greater appreciation for “Live From My Church”, as Anderson intentionally focuses his own creative, quirky style in order to write songs the larger church can use in worship. So, yeah, I think you should freshen up that iTunes library of yours and give his music a try.  You’ll find some great treasures.

I recently discovered Anderson has a completely different thread of songwriting that his friends have dubbed “lamp music”.  I have been listening to his July 2009 release “People of Troy” (the most recent ‘lamp music’ offering) and totally love it. These songs are creative & expressive…. live recordings of vocal, piano, & instrumental stuff including a brass ensemble, a cello here and there, and lots and lots of bouncy tunes that will make you smile. I now have even greater appreciation for “Live From My Church”, as Anderson intentionally focuses his own creative, quirky style in order to write songs the larger church can use in worship.

So, yeah, I think you should freshen up that iTunes library of yours and give his music a try.  You’ll find some great treasures.

Enter onomatopoeia.  

I get ridiculed for this.  Hard core, slam down, ridicule.  And yet, they always end up knowing what I’m talking about, so the proof is in the whatever, right? It was suggested to me at our most recent rehearsal that I start a website called worshipleaderonomatopoeia.com.  Probably I won’t do that because that’s the worst URL possible (times infinity squared).

Anyway, here we go. Those of you who play instruments or lead a band or whatever…. see if you can guess what instrumental sound I’m going for. 

ticky-ticky.mp3
Listen on Posterous

doh-doh-doh.mp3
Listen on Posterous

waaaaaa.mp3
Listen on Posterous

chonk-chonk.mp3
Listen on Posterous

fring-fring.mp3
Listen on Posterous

bow-chicka.mp3
Listen on Posterous

Yep. This is real life. Don’t you want to work with me now, like, more than you can even imagine?  :) So give me your guesses.  Numbers 1 through 6.  What are they?

View answers here.  

wl-onomatopoeia1.pdf
Download this file

NO CHEATING!

Saturday morning (May 23), make some coffee, grab some cash, and make your way to the Old Town Famers’ Market from, say, 10:00 until noon.

While perusing the finest local produce money can by, enjoy the live music being performed in the square by Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels.

Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, perform a mix of bluegrass, folk, americana… mostly originals.  They are amazing, and I promise you will enjoy hearing them.  I know this because Trent Wagler is my brother, and he and his band have some mad flat-pickin’, bass-thumpin’, fiddle-playin’ skills.

Just to clarify… Sat May 23, Old Town Farmers’ Market, 10:00 – noon.

Be there.  :)

What inspires you?

Sara Bareilles, “City”

What inspires you?