Spending my day editing weekend sessions. Really hope to have a setlist for the live album soon!
New video posted! This is “All Creatures of Our God and King” from the Home CD release concert. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas! Updates, and a gift for you!
Hello Everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve given you all an update on things. Even so, I’ll make this short and sweet so you can get back to holiday festivities :)
I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by! I had a lot of plans in January…then life happened and now it’s Christmas! It’s been a fun year though. I’ve been leading worship on Sundays at Warehouse Christian Ministires, and also doing a bit of producing and engineering on a couple of projects for other people. One is a worship music project for Marilyn Mann, one of the very talented singers I am privileged to work with on a regular basis at WCM. The other is a spoken word project by Steve Scott, something I have never done before but am enjoying. Both of those projects will be out next year.
I’ve started working on some new music myself too, which I hope to get recorded next year. It’s going to be a lot different from my previous album HOME. I’ll be going back to my roots on this one, which is folk and bluegrass music. I am also editing and mixing some live worship music from Sunday mornings. I have received many requests for a live album over the last couple of years. I’m very happy that it is coming together finally. I hope to have it out in the early spring.
And now a Christmas gift for you, from now until the end of the year I’m giving away my album Home for FREE, no email address required. Just head over to my bandcamp page and click DOWNLOAD. Done! Feel free to share with friends and family.
http://jimmyward.bandcamp.com/
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
jimmy
www.jimmywardmusic.com (currently being updated)
Here’s another new song that we’re going to start singing this Sunday at WCM, “Our God” by Chris Tomlin. Down below are the lyrics. See you on Sunday!
Our God
Water, You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness, You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You
Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other
Our God is healer
Awesome in power
Our God, our God
And if our God is for us
Then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us
Then what could stand against
Then what could stand against
Here’s another iphone video of new song we’re going to start singing at Warehouse. Check it out! My beautiful wife Becca is singing lead on this one. It’s called “Lead me to the Cross” by Hillsong United.
Also, I promise to get better at making these :)
Back to Basics: Leaning to Play Guitar Again…
I’ve recently made a big decision; I’m going to learn how to play guitar. Wait, isn’t that what I do every Sunday morning? Well, yes, but I’m also singing, reading words, wondering if the band remembers to stop on the 1 and come back in a measure later… I’ve gotten a little better at singing (maybe), and I’m a bit more comfortable arranging songs and working with other people, but I have not been able to spend time with my first love.
Once upon a time I was a guitar player, just a guitar player. I started playing when I was ten and didn’t start singing (outside of my bedroom) until I was in college. I played bluegrass flat-pick style when I was young, then picked up the electric guitar in high school. I just loved playing. As my focus has shifted in recent years, my guitar playing has been neglected. I want to change that. To start, I’m going back to basics.
I’ve decided to go back and relearn some fundamental guitar skills. It’s humbling. Today is day one, relearning my fretboard. I’ve been playing for so long that my fingers automatically find their way to most of the songs I play, but when someone wants to change the key of the song, I’m lost. Put a song in the key of E, A, G, D, C and I’m all good. Bb? F#? No thanks (unless I have a capo handy).
I know this blog post might not connect with some people, but here’s a bit of application for non-musicians. We all have jobs. We have hobbies. We have callings on our lives. No matter what we are doing, we should do our best. I’ve had this conviction since I was young, thanks to my Dad, (though I have certainly ignored it at certain times). Later in life I also found this idea in the Bible, so it must be a good one! In Colossians 3:23 Paul writes to servants, urging them to work hard at whatever it is they do, not for men, but for the Lord. No fancy interpretation of that scripture needed in my opinion. Whatever we are doing in life, let’s do it well. Over the last few years it’s been about doing my best on my album that came out last year, doing my best on Sunday mornings, and doing my best in college. What is it for you?
