i noticed this way back in march when i bought Page CXVI just to check out some redone “hymns”. there’s this song on it called “joy”. i recognized the song from Psalty that i listened to in car rides as a kid or in sunday school. (if you don’t know who Psalty is, thats fine… now that i look at him he’s kinda scary. christians are crazy sometimes). the original song as i knew it can be found in this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9wc8IFparU

the remake in the Page CXVI album sounds pretty depressing. i sent it to my brother and a few friends familiar w/ the original song to see what they thought and everyone was like “this is so depressing. i almost wanna kill myself listening to this”. you could listen for yourself below (sorry i couldnt find a better youtube recording):

on the new matt redman album “we shall not be shaken” there’s a song called “my hope” which is based on the hymn “on christ the solid rock”. the original hymn is a pretty victorious sounding song (if you don’t know the song you can find countless recordings/versions of it on youtube). redman’s remake is embedded below:

i’m posting about these songs because i think i’m beginning to understand the point these guys are trying to make in singing these songs in the manner that they do. while these songs can often be applied in a celebratory way, singing about the joy and hope we have in christ, i think the truths these words convey need to be heard even more when we’re in the valleys of life… when we don’t feel like celebrating or being “happy”… when the normal melodies of these songs would frustrate us or even make us angry that such a happy sounding song could exist when the world seems perpetually grey and gloomy in our eyes. it makes the truths we need to be reminded of more… receivable.

and here are some pics from our first chamber music summer thingy. it was very fun.

fun times! we shall do again!

1. i got lasik surgery
2. recovery from the surgery did not go as expected so i was unable to see properly for a few days.
3. for WP development, i did a little work on DamnSexyBookmarks. eventually all my changes were merged with SexyBookmarks. dropped my fork and will continue working w/ Josh in the parent project.
4. went to eye doctor’s a few times.
5. played a lot of violin since i don’t need to see anything to play music.
6. today i’m back on the internets! tho vision is still blurry like saved by the bell dream land.

got this from herman. this video is cool.

i think this is the winter after i graduated (2006) since we talk about moving to the new apartment at some point. in the video are me, simon, herman, and funko.

it’s a long video… the beginning is just some random jamming… so here are some ha-ha moments in the video if  you don’t have 14+ minutes to waste:

1. holding the C for a whole minute ~ 8:39
2. which led into not knowing when to clap (by funko) ~9:22
3. clapping in 6/8 time ~9:40

while winamp (yes i still use winamp) randomly goes thru my music, it brought me to “for the sake of the call” from steven curtis chapman’s abbey road sessions cd i bought a while back.

why is he so good???

i decided to just listen to that cd (5 tracks) for the rest of the day.  i don’t normally listen to his music style and i don’t think i even listen to much christian music at all, but something about his music… it’s just always good to hear again.

one of the first cds i ever bought was his “for the sake of the call” album where he had long hair and looked kinda… well… here’s a picture.

his lyrics are always good… sometimes kinda cheesy, but very true and deep nonetheless. my friend, haemin describes it like so: “his sound is very distinct and yet he’s changed w/ the times, in a good way“.

anyway this is just a random post about a guy whose life and music i admire very much. here are some lyrics from the opening of “for the sake of the call”:

Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure was Jesus had called to them
He said “Come follow me” and they came
With reckless abandon they came

i didn’t post the whole thing bc people skip through big quotes. if  you want to see all the lyrics, there’s always google (=.

and now that i think about it, i can talk to them about spiritual things without feeling too… well… “spiritual.” i don’t show my “spiritual” side too often because i don’t want to appear like i’m on cloud nine when i’m not. but with good friends, i can talk about it and know i’m not being perceived the wrong way. i can talk about the bible without feeling like they think me some crazy bible reading maniac (because honestly, i’m not). all i want to say here is that friends are great.

we talked for a while drinking our tea, coffee, and apple cider. peter had to leave a little early because he sleeps early and has a wife to go home to. tiff any i chatted ’til she had to go to her train. a good night with friends while music played at starbucks.

i’ve been listening to music to try to stimulate myself. the last songs i’ve enjoyed during the good moments were from the Across the Universe soundtrack… “i want to hold your hand”, “let it be”, “hey jude”, etc. good music i must say, and yes it did bring somewhat a sense of emptiness… perhaps even a longing for what was… but it didn’t do the trick. i realize now as i’m writing this that it may be because the music wasn’t grounded in an experience… other than the movie and some random singings as we walked. grounded in something, yes, but not deeply ingrained into me.

so here i am at work… decided to put on some music… i beatles-ed myself out yesterday so no more of that… scrolling thru my music folders i felt like i was slammed by a truck just by reading a folder name… i didn’t even listen to it yet, but just reading the name brought back a surge of memories i wasn’t expecting… i was reluctant to put it in the playlist for worry of what it will do to me, but how could i resist? it’s good music. i need to feel.

the magical album this time around was Dishwalla’s Opaline. this album is deeply associated with my trip to s. africa. it was the album that i listen to before the trip. i associate it with all the saving up. the anticipation of getting on the plane. going to africa to see one i’ve been waiting so long to see. i associate it with the going of trip. nearly two days in an airplane in total. this was the album that played. these tunes kept on playing even as i slept in my chair in the plane and when i woke up i heard this album. as i read my narnia books on the bed with the green sheets i listened to this. that room. looking out the window to devil’s peak. hanging my mini towel there to dry. looking out on the tree and the brai grill outside. and i listened to this when i got back. it’s associated with the beginnings of my new waiting for the next few months to be over. this album has such a personal hold over me.

and as i started to write this i began to think of all the other albums or songs that remind me of points in my life. i’ll just mention a few to close this off. edwin mccain’s i’ll be reminds me of parting moments from miami. eagle eye cherry’s save tonight reminds me of my first winter living in new york. dmb’s crush from before these crowded streets reminds me of a trip to boston in my HS junior yr… i can go on but i’ll just leave it at that. music is such a gift… even tho it sometimes hurts… even that is a gift.