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Night and Day {New Music Monday, Plus A Couple Extras}
This year at school, I had the honor and joy of leading a select choir for the first time. We met for a few months leading up to our school’s fundraising Gala, and then performed three songs at the Gala. They had us sequestered in a room away from the main event, so I spent the evening accompanying the students, eating pizza and desserts, and playing a card game or two. Overall, it was an incredibly fun evening and I’m looking forward to doing it all again next year. One of the select choir ensembles learned a song that I wrote called “Night and Day”. A couple of my creative…
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The King of Love My Shepherd Is {New Music Monday}
This is going to be a quick New Music Monday introduction! Today is our last day before school starts, and I’m enjoying my last few moments with the kids, just us together. Brian and I are helping lead the hymns at school this year. We made this video to help the other teachers lead as well, and for families to use to practice at home. This is Brian’s video debut here at Teacher by Nature. How exciting! I hope you enjoy our recording of The King of Love My Shepherd Is, based on Psalm 23.
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Reflections from the Art House North Songwriter Workshop {New Music Monday}
The Art House North is located in a beautiful, cozy old church. The sanctuary, now used for concerts, plays, and general artistic inspiration, is surrounded by stained-glass windows and lined with church pews, faded but comfortable from their years of good use. The wood floors creak a little bit under pressure, but their whispers mean that people are gathering together. I felt welcome at the Art House North from the moment I entered the building. Even the smells felt homey: chicken pot pie cooking in the basement and coffee brewing in pots both upstairs and down. Those of you who know me well know that I like to take notes.…
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A Lullaby & The Introduction to My Book, The Light Gatherers {New Music Monday}
This is a very special New Music Monday, and I appreciate that you’re here, visiting my website. I’ve been working on a book for a little over a year, called The Light Gatherers. (You can read the Prologue to the book here, which I wrote as a writing exercise as part of The Habit.) I don’t feel like any book is complete without a poem or a song; most of my favorite books include at least one or the other. The Hobbit includes the songs in which the dwarves sing about helping Bilbo with the dishes and the Lonely Mountain. The Princess and the Goblin includes Curdie’s rhymes, which scare…
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Contributing to the Conversation: “Calling Evil Good: The Lie of ‘Christian’ Rock and Roll” by Spencer Smith
I grew up during the era in which contemporary Christian music’s popularity skyrocketed, eclipsing hymns and choral music in church worship services and on the radio. I remember when Switchfoot released their first big single, “New Way to Be Human,” and I loved (and still love) the song “Love Song for a Savior” by Jars of Clay. I sang “Breakfast in Hell” and “Shine” at summer camp, both Newsboys hits, and I can still sing all the words to “Let It Reign” by Michael W. Smith. I also remember when our youth group worship leader chose “Come Thou Fount” as our closing song one evening at youth group. I marveled…