Earlier this week I was asked if it was possible to do the old Lutheran hymn, "Ein Feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God) in a rock 'n roll style.  I promptly sat down and recorded several tracks of guitars, bass and drums.  Yes, I'll admit, I had a bit of fun with it.  Honestly, I'm anxious to take any chance I can to work with Logic and improve my recording skills.  Anyway, check it out on the Media tab and let me know what you think.

For a conversation topic:  What makes music good?

I believe that any music that conveys a genuine emotion to have inherent value.  Now, I also believe that there is music that attempts to express an emotion, but it is not genuine--that is, it doesn't feel authentic.  Of course this is subjective.  However, I believe that a majority of people when listening to an authentic performance will be positively affected by the musician's emotion.  Many times I have spoken to people about a musician or a band and have heard that when attending a live performance they "fell in love with their music" (or some other statement of high praise).

On a related note this, I believe, is one of the challenges of making recordings.  Perhaps it is something akin to a photographer who can capture the beauty of a subject.  Or, likewise, a photograph of a person or a scene will often fail to do its subject justice and provide a false impression of the subject's value.  A great recording artist should be able to capture the emotional content of the musician, who otherwise may be more effective at expressing an authentic emotion when performing live.

It seems I've veered away from my original topic.  However, I'm interested in what anyone who reads this journal might have to say on this subject.

My goal is to update this website several times a month, and I'll make a point from now on to do this on the first weekday of every month.  I have several ideas for compositions that I'd like to finish and post on the web.  I also have some ideas for more recordings.  These will be coming up as September progresses.