I really appreciated that the decision makers of the conference were really intentional about representing the world instead of one particular part of the world’s culture. 

One of my personal highlights of the congress was performing and singing the theme song I produced for the congress with the Baptist International Mass Choir.  I just saw a brief clip of this song on Flickr.  My new friend, Emanuele Aprile who is from Italy, led the Baptist International Mass Choir.  Emanuele is a great composer and arranger.  Keep a look out for him. 

You’ll also see that Logan Jones, the author of “Hear the Spirit” leading 5000+ people from around the world in worship.  Logan’s CD will be release this Fall, so you will be hearing more about his project from me soon.  Meanwhile, make sure you get your free download of Hear The Spirit!

The past few months have been crazy busy.  I've been producing four projects, finishing my book, and preparing for the Baptist World Congress Conference.  Sorry, I fell off of the blog bandwagon!

Logan Jones, is one of the artists that I'm producing and the guy who extended the invitation for me to be the music director at The Baptist World Congress in Hawaii.

He wrote the theme song for the congress and I produced it.  He and another artist I'm producing, Lori Michelle, are both singing on this tune.  You can get a free download of the song at the below website:

http://www.loganjonesmusic.com

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

I'm hoping to get back into the routine within the next few weeks, but meanwhile, I wanted to let you know about two events that I will be serving.

July 28-Aug 1, I will be the music director at the Baptists World Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii.  If you'll be there, reach out to me and let me know.  I would love to connect.

Sept. 7-11, I'll be in Chicago at the CCDA Conference presenting a workshop called, "Music and Memory: A Deeper Vision for Reconciliation through Worship Music".  I will be co-leading this workshop with my friend Reynolds Chapman who is finishing his M.Div. at Duke University and works at the Center for Reconciliation.  The content of the workshop comes from Reynolds's research and excerpts from my book.  Below is a descrption of what we will be presenting:

"In our congregations, the style of worship music can be a painfully divisive issue or a powerful way to bring people together. But exactly how do we cast a vision for church music that worships the God of all nations and represents the whole body of Christ? This workshop will show how faithfully remembering our history is fundamental to seeking reconciliation through worship music. With the use of sound recordings, visual images, and voices throughout the years, this workshop will be a journey into the story of how our churches have come to sing different songs and worship in different styles. Through this lens, there will be concrete practical guidance and resources to help you develop a music ministry for a healthy multi-cultural congregation. This workshop is about how we the Church, in the songs we sing, can 'remember the past, rejoice in the present, and re-imagine the future.'"

Again, let me know you will be at any of these events.

PRC Concert for Life Preview-Beautuful Great One from Adam Samuelson on Vimeo.

Tomorrow night I'll be playing with Alex Mejias of High Street Hymns at the Hymns for Haiti a Benefit Concert.

I hope you all can come out.

7pm, Mar. 20, 2010

Doors open at 6pm

West End Presbyterian

9008 Quioccasin Road

Richmond, VA 23229-5506

$10 advanced, online @ www.ticketstobuy.com

$15 @ door.

Kids 12 and under are FREE!

The last couple of weeks have been crazy, good, and challenging.  I've been at the studio working on the music and audio for the PRC DVD.  The DVD is coming together. I think you will enjoy watching it.

About a week ago, I went to the One Conference about Racial Reconciliation.  The conference was sponsored by the Acts 29 Network.  They a good group of people and it was great connecting with them.

While I was in Charlottesville at the One Conference, I connected with Alex Mejias of High Street Hymns.  He's a great guy and you should check out his High Street Hymns stuff.  I'll be playing with Alex 8pm, March 20 at his show, "Hymns for Haiti".  I'm hoping to get him in for an interview on MAM TV soon.

I should be back on the blog wagon, so stay tune.  I have more to share.

Photo Credit: Christian Steinkruger

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Grover who is a noted "Throat Singer".  For those that are not familiar with throat singing, you will be amazed.  It's fascinating!  

The full interview will be posted tomorrow.  In the interview, Brian talks about the art form, where it's from, and some of it's parallels with American blues music.  

Stay tune and check it out.

Two of my musical inspirations are Duke Ellington and of course, Michael Jackson.   Michael Jackson would be an obvious inspiration for any 80’s baby and Duke Ellington is an obvious inspiration for any student of jazz.  I admire their musical innovation and influence on popular music, but my admiration goes deeper.

Duke Ellington and Michael Jackson were two African-American artists that were so excellent in their craft that they helped to redefine what it means to be “black” in a culture where being “black” meant something derogatory and marginalized in the majority of society.

Duke Ellington is truly the King of Swing Jazz music.  Benny Goodman was branded with the title, “King of Swing”, but Goodman himself admitted that he could not light a match to Duke and the other black jazz musicians that would hang out in Harlem, NY.  As a matter of fact, Benny Goodman and his band members would go to Harlem after their gigs to learn how to play jazz at the jam sessions with black musicians.  He and his band had a lot to risk with their reputation back then by seeing black people as equals and in certain areas superior.

During that era, Duke Ellington’s sophisticated music was called, “Jungle Music”.  What a derogatory term to one of America’s greatest composers?

Ellington was aware of the racism and aware that he was not getting the respect that he deserved as the great artist he was.  He had to sleep on the bus (not the hotel) and go to the bathroom on the side of the road when he was on tour.  Instead of turning bitter, he used his injustice as a motivation to do something greater.

During that time, the music industry tried their best to marginalize black musical artists by promoting them as uneducated, untamed, jungle like entertainers.  Duke Ellington got his nickname, “Duke” because of his regality.  Part of Duke’s motivation to carry himself in a regal manner was to redefine to the ignorant, what “being black meant”.

To be “black” has always been something of dignity and honor to black people in America, even when there was a lot of rebranding to define black as something dishonorable.

The longevity of Duke’s character paved the way for other black intellectual musicians and artists. 

By the time Michael Jackson came along, our country matured to the point where it wasn’t okay to call black music, “jungle music”, but it was unimaginable for a black artists to get world wide super star status similar to The Beatles. 

During Michael Jackson’s peak, he added another definition of what it means to be black and the abilities that black people can achieve.  Now we live in an error where a musical superstar can be any race or ethnicity.  Thanks to these two men and others.

I’m sure that you all have seen plenty of Michael Jackson videos.  Here is a video of a Duke Ellington composition.