Studio Update: Home

Over last weekend, I spent some time working on 3 new songs: You Are Worthy (which I talked about in a previous post), Cross the Line, and Home. Cross the Line is a song that I began near the end of this week’s sessions, so I’ll talk more about it later. The majority of my work last weekend was on the song, Home.

I have always been fascinated by Jesus’ parable of The Prodigal Son (found in Luke 15). There are many lessons that can be learned from the story, not the least of which is the fact that God is a loving Father who longs to be with us. Even when we try to run away from him, he still stands and waits patiently for us to come back, regardless of where we’ve been and what we’ve done. What an AWESOME GOD!

Anyway, this parable was the initial inspiration for this new song. As has become my practice lately, I tried to write lyrics that could describe 2 situations: God longing for us to come back, OR the rekindling of a relationship between 2 people. How you hear the song really depends on what you might be going through when you hear it (or, in this case, read it.):

Home

You went as far as you thought you could go,
But you find you’ve been chasing the wind.
You went after things that you thought were real.
Now these things have come to an end.
I tried my best to get you to stay,
But you didn’t want to listen to me.
You wanted to go your own way,
But that way didn’t set you free.

It only bound you tighter than you were before.
Now I wait for you to knock on my door.
You know you always have a place here.
I’m just waiting for you to come…

Back home where you belong.
With me, like you never were gone.
I don’t care what you’ve done.
What matters most is that you’ve come
Back home, safe and sound.
Set free, no longer bound.
I want you back around.
The lost should be found.
Please, won’t you come back home.

I told you my door is always open,
And you always have a place with me.
I’ve been watching for you to come back,
Because this is where you’re meant to be.
When you walk through that door, we’ll celebrate,
Because you’ve come back to be with me.
You know you always have a place here.
I’m glad you’ve made the choice to come…

Back home where you belong.
You’re with me, like you never were gone.
I don’t care what you’ve done.
What matters most is that you’ve come
Back home, safe and sound.
You’re set free, no longer bound.
I’m so glad you’re back around.
The lost now is found.
I’m so happy that you’ve come back home.

There will be a few more lyric lines for this song, but they haven’t been written yet. There is a really good possibility that this will be the title song for the next CD, but that decision is not final just yet.

So, I’m curious to know what you might think of the lyrics. Did I get the point across? PLEASE leave me a comment and let me know!

Until next time, God Bless!

--Eric G.

Wallbuilders

You may have heard about this organization before, but if you haven't, they're worth checking out:

www.wallbuilders.com

I am in the process of reading a great book that they put out last year, written with TobyMac and Michael Tait (from DC Talk), called Under God. The book is a collection of true short stories about our American heritage and the faith in God that this country was founded upon. This organization is devoted to educating Americans about the faith that this country needs in order to carry on as a nation.

As a father of 2 small girls, I find this a NECESSARY ministry, as I see the attempts by the "politically correct" crowd to rewrite history and teach my children about an American heritage that excludes God. There are tons of great resources and information at this website.

I just thought this was worth sharing! God Bless!

--Eric G.

Why?

I had a “Studio Update” post all ready to go today, but it will have to be pre-empted due to the events of yesterday.

My heart and my prayers go out right now to the families of those killed in the shooting massacre on the campus of Virginia Tech yesterday. As I watch the news and listen to all the commentary, I keep hearing people ask, “Why?”

Over the next several days and weeks, there will be all sorts of speculation in the media that will attempt to answer this question. I’m sure that before all of this is over, there will be fingers of blame pointing everywhere in an attempt to understand or even justify the actions of the young man that did this. There will be advocates on all sides, stressing the merits or the drawbacks of gun-control laws (even though all the laws in the world wouldn’t have prevented what happened yesterday from taking place). I have already heard people today talking about everything from the guy’s relationship problems to video games being the reason for his actions.

Through all of the shock and fear that has resulted, and through all of the speculation that will take place, we need to remember one thing: This whole event is the result of EVIL.

It was EVIL that invaded the heart of the man who is responsible. It was EVIL that led this man to acquire the weapons. It was EVIL that hatched the entire plot inside his head and led him to carefully plan the entire thing. It was the EVIL in this man’s heart that led him to kill dozens of people, wound dozens more, and then take his own life.

PURE EVIL. Nothing more, nothing less.

Pure evil only comes from one place, and that place is NOT Heaven. There is only one being that creates evil just for his own amusement, and that being is NOT God. There is one way that we can fight against this kind of evil, and that way does NOT involve laws, amendments to the Constitution, or guns.

I ask that you join me now in this fight against evil by joining me in prayer:

Father God,

There are no words that can express the grief that we are feeling right now on behalf of the families that have lost loved ones in this senseless act of evil. Lord, we know that only you can protect us from the evil one, and that only you can direct us in the way we should go. Father, I ask for your blessings upon the families of those who were killed, and for your healing hand upon those who were wounded.

Lord, I also pray for the family of the man who is responsible for this act of violence. I pray that you will comfort them during this time and give them the strength and the faith to trust in you.

I pray right now, Father, for you to be with our nation as we mourn those lost in this tragedy. I pray that this event will be a turning point for us in that we will look to you as a nation for answers, that we will trust in you to lead our country and our leaders. I pray that somehow through this, we will once again become “One Nation Under God.”

Father, once again I ask for your blessings of comfort and strength upon the families of the victims in this tragedy.

Thanks for listening to us. We love you, Lord!

AMEN


--Eric G.

I Belong To You

In addition to being Easter, this past Sunday was also a very special day for me in that it was my wedding anniversary. That’s right…12 years of wedded bliss for me and Meloney!

You know, it doesn’t feel like it’s been 12 years. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!

This picture was taken a few weeks ago during the promo shoot that also produced the picture that you see up to the right. It was taken by our good friend, Aleah Goode. If you like these pictures, you can check out more of her work at her website: www.aleahgoodephotography.com

A few years ago, when I was recording my first solo CD, Refuge, I wrote the following lyrics as a tribute to my wife. I felt it was appropriate to share them with you here (By the way, the CD is available at www.ericgwin.com if you’re interested in that sort of thing!):

I Belong To You

I belong to you
And I can never run away
From the love that you've given me
I belong to you
You have captured my heart
And since then I haven't been the same
I belong to you
And you're the only one
Who could ever call me your own
And I belong to you
There is nobody else
That could ever take your place

You've given your all to me
And I thank you
And you've made my life complete
And I thank you

I belong to you
And to nobody else
Only you are the owner of my heart
And I belong to you
And to you alone
And now I'm completely whole

I can't imagine how my life would be without you
I can't imagine how lost I would be
I can't see myself living without you
I can't describe how much you mean to me

Today I praise God for the last 12 years! There have, of course, been ups and downs, good times and not-so-good times. But through it all, the last 12 years have been a blast! God has blessed us with 2 beautiful children and a very happy home. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the next 12 years!

May God Bless You Today!

--Eric G.

Happy Easter

I believe that scripture can probably say what I’m feeling right now better than I can:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:1-53)

Do you know what makes Jesus different from Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius?

An empty tomb.

God Bless!

--Eric G.

Studio Update: The Joy of Sequencing

As a gesture to those of you who are interested in these sorts of things, I have decided that I will devote one post per week to the recording of my new CD. Hopefully, through this post, I can not only “pull the curtain back” to give you an idea of what does into making an Eric Gwin CD, but also use my studio work as an illustration in order to make some much greater points in other posts about life in general.

I actually began recording the album (Sorry, but being someone born in the 1970s, I still refer to them as albums!) last month, but I’ve only spent a little time in the studio, with only one real recording session to show for it. The results from that recording session were documented in a previous post, which I highly recommend reading if you haven’t already.

This week has been a busy week, but I have managed to get a little work done in the studio. Most of that work has been of the sequencing variety, though.

What is sequencing? Glad you asked. Allow me to explain:

Sequencing is the process of creating an instrumental “sequence” of chords and rhythms that are then arranged to make up the foundation of the song. In my work, this is done using a sequencer, which is a machine that works kind of like a drum machine. But unlike a drum machine, in which you can only program individual drum and percussion sounds into patterns and loops, this machine allows you to string together notes and chords into patterns, using any variety of sounds that you like. Essentially, it’s like having a band “in a box.” (By the way, for all you technophobes who are wondering, my sequencer of choice is a Boss DR-5 Dr. Rhythm. I’ve been using it for over 10 years and I love it!)

Once I get a sequence of a song put together, I then have an instrumental arrangement of the song that I can use as a reference. By singing with the sequence, I can stay on pitch and in rhythm as I’m putting together all the vocal tracks that will eventually become the acappella version of the song. This also helps me with being able to edit the tracks later.

This part of the recording process has its ups and its downs. One of the “ups” is that sequencing gives the song a real musical foundation to build upon. It’s also during the sequencing process when I am actually able to get an idea of what the song will eventually sound like. Before sequencing, the song’s music is just a bunch of little notes flying around inside my head, and the lyrics are just words written down on a sheet of paper. The sequence is where the song begins to take on a life of its own.

The only real downer with sequencing is this: The sequence is a LOT of work that will never be heard by most people. Once the vocals are in there, stacked on top of each other to form the chords, notes, melodies, and rhythms that make up the song, the sequence comes out, never to be heard by the public. It’s almost sad, really.

So that’s where I am so far with this project: Making a TON of music that you will never hear. Oh well.

I’m sure I’ll have more to report within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, can I make a request? PLEASE keep me in your prayers as I work on this CD. My previous 2 CDs would have never happened had it not been for the prayers of many, MANY people. I know that this CD is no different, so I beg you to pray for me in this endeavor. Thanks in advance!

Not much inspirational stuff in this post. Sorry for that, but I DO feel a good point about life coming on from all of this that I just typed. Can you guess what it is?

I’ll save my spiritual application for another post. Until then…

God Bless!

--Eric G.

Life is Good at ShoutLife

Have you heard about ShoutLife? It’s a great online community that I have just recently become a part of. It’s a lot like MySpace or FaceBook, but I think it’s a little better. It’s got more features, looks better, and it’s a Christian site, which is really cool.

One other thing that I like about ShoutLife.com is that in order to listen to my music or see my photo galleries, you MUST be a member there (which is free, by the way). This really cuts down on a lot of the “stalker-friendly” features of some of the other online communities out there.

I’ve just recently set up a site at ShoutLife.com, and I encourage you to check it out. I’ve got mp3s of some of my music and the site is also the first to feature some of my new promo pictures, taken by my pal, Aleah Goode.

Become a member:
www.shoutlife.com

Then check me out:
www.shoutlife.com/ericgwin

And let me know what you think!

God Bless!

--Eric G.