Let’s Start A Group
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under SoGospelNews.com Articles
Lately I have listened to the opinions of several people concerning an over saturation of southern gospel artists. Honestly, I have never given the subject much thought. I know there are more artists than I could ever name, but I found myself wondering if indeed too many artists exist. This past year has brought discussion over whether or not a “gate-keeper” can insure artist quality and ministerial integrity. Many feel this type of organization would help reduce the number of artists aiming for the national spotlight. Meanwhile, many dissenters feel that such an organization has zero validity and others have compared the “gate-keeper” idea to Marxism. As I began to reflect upon the over saturation issue, one question kept coming to mind: “Why are you singing?”
I often work with independent groups in the studio. The question I find myself asking to relatively everyone is, “What do you do?” The typical answer is, “I sing.” Now, I already knew that. Of course you are a singer. I will ask again, “Seriously, what do you do?” The second round of questioning is usually met with a confused look. I have discovered that most people do not have the slightest clue about what they do. Let me explain this further. What does McDonald’s do? They sell hamburgers, right? Uh, nope! McDonald’s is a real estate company. McDonald’s owns the largest share of corporate real estate in Russia, and is second only to the Vatican in land ownership worldwide. It is obvious that you sing. It is also obvious that McDonald’s sells hamburgers. It takes a little research to know that McDonald’s primary source of revenue is leasing land to franchise owners. You sing at churches, sell CDs, and receive a love offering. That is the equivalent of selling hamburgers. The calling the Almighty has placed on your life and the vision that God has given is “what you do.”
The Great Commission was given to all. Each person has to find the method in which we are called to spread the Gospel. I have a friend who I find quite inspiring. He left a very good job in the music industry to start an inner-city children’s ministry. Over breakfast on morning I said, “So, tell me what you do.” He said, “My purpose in life, is to rebuke, encourage, enlighten and disciple the next generation. My goal is to share the heart of God with children and to plant seeds in them at an early age.” I then inquired about his methods:
I go churches and do events that are oriented for the entire church body with a focus on youth. We minister biblical truths and make it a fun family event. There are children who do not have a father and that will never hear a parent tell them that they are loved, they are special, and that God has a wonderful plan for them. The only time they might ever hear it is from me.
That is a purpose; that is a vision! Lives are being a changed because we desire God to work through us.
This past weekend I did a live recording for a contemporary Christian band. During pre-production I asked them what they wanted the live recording to do. Without hesitation they answered, “We want those who have this CD to be able to have a worship service in their car.” Usually I hear answers that resemble we want to sell a lot of units, we want to get radio play, or we hope churches will start booking us. That is the wrong idea. There is nothing wrong with selling CDs, charting, or acquiring dates. Here is my point. If you are doing what God has called you to do, there will be evidence of the Lord working through you. They shall know us by our fruits. That evening 14 people received salvation, while others flooded the alters for a time of prayer. God moved in a powerful way because six people had a vision; when asked what they do, they had an answer.
This brings us back to whether there is or is not an over-saturation of southern gospel artists. Here is my take on the issue. I get mentally fatigued when I hear some groups update me on their efforts. It goes something like this:
Well our ministry is really growing. God is doing great things. We just bought a bus. It is a 1953 International and next month our song should be on the charts. We are still trying to get more dates. Do you know anybody that can help book us?
I hear that often. That is not ministry. That is what I call “playing music business.” It is like the person who is always busy, but never gets a single thing accomplished.
Let me answer the question at hand by saying a loud and resounding, “YES!” There is definitely an over-saturation of southern gospel artists. This is primarily the only genre where four guys can stand around one microphone, in an abandoned trailer, in the boondocks, make a cheap recording, and actually get the song played on the radio. There is accessibility in this genre and people take advantage of it. I have never figured out how come everyone that gets saved wants to record an album. There are numerous companies who prostitute our industry with absolute rubbish and folks who do not know the difference between a quality product and scrap that is only suitable for the salvage yard. Therefore, this vicious cycle is perpetuated.
However, talent level should not be the litmus test for ministry. I have worked with several artists who are not top notch vocally, but are covered in the anointing. There can never be an over-saturation of God’s outpouring. Let me encourage you to follow God’s purpose for your life. Ask yourself, am I called by God or am I called by man? Chase the vision God has for you with fervor. If you do not have a vision, diligently pray for God to reveal Himself to you. I promise you He will.
Music is a tool that empowers us with to spread the Gospel. Music should never be who we are. Who we are should resemble God a little bit more everyday. Let us use the gift of music to let the world know they have a life, a hope, and a future through the redeeming blood of Jesus. It is not something that should be used to further our own agenda of power acquisition, recognition, and prosperity. James 3:16 says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.”
The next time somebody asks about what you do, tell them.
Who I Am & What Is On My Mind…
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under SoGospelNews.com Articles
Hello there! My name is Steve Allen. No, not the Steve Allen, former host of the Tonight Show, just Steve Allen. In the coming months, I will be shedding some light on what some may view as the simple task of making a record. In actuality, the process is complex and sometimes tedious, but at the end of the day it is truly worth every sleepless night.
Let’s think about that statement for a second, making a record. What is a record? You would be rather surprised to learn the many different definitions and descriptions of that all too familiar word. You know, I was shopping the other day and had a brief conversation with a fellow twenty-something about today’s music. I happened to utter the old adage, “they don’t make records like they used to” which prompted her response, “I don’t think they even make records anymore at all.” Hmm, I thought, what could she have meant? I mean, I see records made everyday. I then realized, she thought I meant, vinyl records. She happens to be right. Long gone are the days of the 33 1/3 long play records. But my friends, records, are still very much in production today, even, dare I say, great ones.
It is that brief, yet, insightful conversation that leads me to write a series of articles in which I seek to debunk the myth that records are not being made today. I will discuss the inner workings of a great record. I will ask the questions, “Who should make records?” and “Is a record really what you need to expand your ministry?” We will examine some of the greatest records of all time and find out how and why they have stood the test of time. I will lead you step by step through the creative process of making a great record, exploring the art and science of this process. Finally, I will give you some advice on how to make your record timeless. What’s that? Just who am I and why should you listen to me about making a record? Well, that is a valid question. The simple answer: I am a producer & mix engineer.
If you haven’t seen my face, hopefully, you have seen my name. I have been living and working in Nashville for the past seven years. Along the way, I have worked with many wonderful people in the southern gospel family. Many of whom are my heroes.
My story begins in the rolling hills of West Virginia. Born in Worthington, the smallest incorporated town in West Virginia, I have recorded with more people than live in my hometown. Well, almost. Worthington is 2.2 square miles. That’s right, it’s smaller than a Wal-Mart! I moved to Nashville to attend Middle Tennessee State University in 1998. In October of that year, I heard Scott Fowler on a southern gospel radio station. Now, Scott Fowler, as many of you know, is a former member of the legendary Cathedral Quartet. I took a chance and called Scott after the show to ask if I might intern for him at Square One Studio. The rest, as they say, is history.
My initial project at Square One Studio, when the Cathedral Quartet retired later that year, was as engineer for Scott and Roger Bennett’s new group, Legacy Five. Their critically acclaimed, nationally released first album received two Dove nominations. Since that fateful day, I have worked with a veritable who’s who of Christian artists, including Bob Carlisle, Vestal Goodman, Gaither Vocal Band, Ernie Haase, The Isaacs, and The Old Friends Quartet.
So what have I been up to lately you ask? Well, I have had the honor of helping to make several great gospel records with producer/songwriter Zane King. Most notable was Terry Terrell’s “Back on My Feet” CD. The title cut from that project received mainstream country radio airplay, which is no easy feat. In July of 2005, I worked on the pilot for a TV show called Gospel Music at the River, at the River of Life Assembly of God in Smyrna, TN, starring country music giant George Jones. In May 2005, I engineered a Kirk Talley CD and video, which Talley shared was the best product had ever done. Talley appeared subsequently in a feature article in the August 2005 issue of GQ magazine.
Now, do these accomplishments make me the authority on the record making process? Not hardly. Are there people out there that know more about it than I? Absolutely. Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.” What these accomplishments have afforded me is the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of the some of the biggest giants in the southern gospel family.
My father told me that hard work always pays off. “Son, make hay while the sun is out”, he would say. Well, it turns out the ol’ man was right. Not only do I feel that I have succeeded in my career, thus far, but I feel pretty darn good about how I have accomplished this feat. You see, I feel that I have a very specific purpose in this world. You might think that making records is that purpose. No, not really. Making records is my job. Being the best man that I can be, loving every human being, giving back to humanity, never letting anyone leave my life with less than they came with, my friends, that is my purpose. It just so happens that my job consists of delivering love to mankind under the disguise of a record!
Until next time, happy listening!
Steve Allen
Tags: record making, Square One Studio, steve allen
Remembering Don Knotts
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
On February 24th, 2006 we lost a true comedic genius. Don Knotts was born on July 21, 1924 in Morgantown, West Virginia. When someone from West Virginia leaves and becomes successful everyone back home is always in his or her corner. Anyone who grew up in or has visited West Virginia is very aware of the lack of opportunity that exists there. Don Knotts made West Virginia proud. In early 1998, a portion of High Street in Morgantown was renamed Don Knotts Boulevard in honor of the man and his achievements. He will be missed.
Here is a little bit about Don’s life…
Don’s first jump into the entertainment business was a ventriloquist. He and his dummy, Danny, were paid to perform at various parties and events around town. After graduating high school, Don went to New York City but wound up moving back home after a few weeks. He enrolled in West Virginia University (WVU).
At the age of 19, Don enrolled in the army and was transferred to a special service unit to entertain the troops during World War II. Don eventually got tired of his ventriloquist act, left his dummy on the beach and moved on to comedy. When the war was over, Don returned to WVU and graduated. Don got married and he and his wife moved back up to New York.
With the help of the connections he made in the service, Don was able to make a break into showbiz, doing radio shows and comedy clubs. His first big role was playing Windy Wales on the Bobby Benson radio show. He auditioned for and got a small role in the Broadway play No Time For Sergeants where he first met Andy Griffith. Don later reprised his role for the movie version.
Don also became a regular on the Tonight Show with Steve Allen, doing his nervous man routine for the Man-on-the-Street segments and bits in other sketches.
In 1959, the Tonight Show moved to Hollywood and Don moved with it to California. He heard that Andy Griffith was doing a new TV series about a small-town sheriff. He called Andy and suggested that the show needed a deputy. A few weeks later, Don got the part of Deputy Barney Fife. (Originally, Fife was referred to as Sheriff Andy Taylor’s cousin, but the idea was later dropped.) Don won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor five years in a row.
In 1964, Don starred in The Incredible Mr. Limpet. After that, he signed a five-year contract with Universal Pictures. He did The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1965), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), The Love God (1969) and How To Frame A Figg (1971).
After his movie contract was up, Don had a shortly lived variety show on NBC. had two kids with Kay, a son and a daughter. Don started doing plays and guest appearances on other TV shows and eventually started doing movies with Tim Conway for Disney
In 1979, Don got the role of Ralph Furley on Three’s Company. After the show went off the air, Don revived his role as Barney Fife for an Andy Griffith Show reunion special. He did a few small TV appearances, including a recurring character on Matlock. Lately Don’s kept himself busy with plays, doing cartoon voices and a part in Pleasantville.
-Steve
Forgiveness…
Posted by Steve Allen | Filed under Personal Blog
We often think of forgiveness as something that someone who has done us wrong must ask of us. There is always another way of looking at something. My thoughts on forgiveness suggest that you focus on offering forgiveness to the person who has wronged you. To not forgive them is like taking the poison (continuing to suffer for what they did or didn’t do to you) and expecting them to die!
Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. It is not something you do for someone else. It is not complicated. It is simple. Simply identify the situation to be forgiven and ask yourself: “Am I willing to waste my energy further on this matter?” If the answer is “No,” then that’s it! All is forgiven.
Forgiveness is an act of the imagination. It dares you to imagine a better future, one that is based on the blessed possibility that your hurt will not be the final word on the matter. It challenges you to give up your destructive thoughts about the situation and to believe in the possibility of a better future. It builds confidence that you can survive the pain and grow from it.
Telling someone is a bonus! It is not necessary for forgiveness to begin the process that heals the hurt. Forgiveness has little or nothing to do with another person because forgiveness is an internal matter.
Choice is always present in forgiveness. You do not have to forgive and there are consequences. Refusing to forgive by holding on to the anger, resentment and a sense of betrayal can make your own life miserable. A vindictive mind-set creates bitterness and lets the betrayer claim one more victim.
I believe that to withhold forgiveness is to choose to continue to remain the victim. Remember, you always have choice.
When you forgive you do it for you, not for the other. The person you have never forgiven. . . owns you! How about an affair? Just because you choose to forgive, does not mean you have to stay in the relationship. That is only and always your choice. The choice to forgive is only and always yours.
When you feel that forgiveness is necessary, do not forgive for “their” sake. Do it for yourself! It would be great if they would come to you and ask forgiveness but you must accept the fact that some people will never do that. That is their choice. They do not need to be forgiven. They did what they did and that is it - except for the consequences, which they must live with.
The hurts won’t heal until you forgive! Recovery from wrongdoing that produces genuine forgiveness takes time. For some, it may take years. Don’t rush it. It helps to focus your energy on the healing, not the hurt!
Healthy love relationships are not possible without forgiveness! You cannot have a loving and rewarding relationship with anyone else, much less yourself, if you continue to hold on to things that happened in the past. Regardless of the situation, making peace with past love partners, your parents, your boss or anyone who you think may have “done you wrong” is the only way to improve your chances of a “healthy” relationship with yourself or anyone else for that matter!
It is not possible to truly be present and available to a new relationship until you heal the hurt and upsets of the past.
Forgiving someone else is to agree within yourself to overlook the wrong they have committed against you and to move on with your life. It’s the only way. It means cutting them some slack.
Non-forgiveness keeps you in the struggle. Being willing to forgive can bring a sense of peace and well-being. It lifts anxiety and delivers you from depression. It can enhance your self-esteem and give you hope.
Forgive and forget is a myth. You may never forget and you can choose to forgive. As life goes on and you remember, then is the time to once again remember that you have already forgiven. Mentally forgive again if necessary, then move forward. When we allow it, time can dull the vividness of the memory of the hurt; the memory will fade.
Forgiveness is a creative act that changes us from prisoners of the past to liberated people at peace with our memories. It is not forgetfulness, but it involves accepting the promise that the future can be more than dwelling on memories of past injury.
There is no future in the past. You can never live in the present and create a new and exciting future for yourself and your love partner if you always stay stuck in the past.
Begin again! It is truly impossible to start new and to make clear, healthy, life giving choices until we have let go of past hurts, confusion and resentments. Old wounds have a drawing power and pull our attention to them over and over, taking energy and hope from us, preventing us from starting again. Old wounds raise fearful spectres of the same thing happening again in the future. For this reason it is so important to spend time understanding the true nature of forgiveness, and what it really entails.
To forgive means to “give up”, to let go. It also means to restore oneself to basic goodness and health. When we forgive, we are willing to give up resentment, revenge and obsession. We are willing to restore faith not only in ourselves, but in life itself. The inability or unwillingness to do this causes harm in the one who is holding onto the anger.
If you are at war with others you cannot be at peace with yourself. It takes no strength to let go, only courage. Life either expands or contracts in direct proportion to your courage to forgive. Your choice to forgive or not to forgive either moves you closer to what you desire or further away from it. There is no middle ground. Change is constant.
Want peace of mind? Forgive. The same energy you use to hold on (to not forgive) is the same energy you need to create a new and exciting relationship together; a relationship anchored in unconditional love.
Forgiveness is the most important single process that brings peace to our soul and harmony to our life. All of us, at some point in our lives, have been hurt and wounded by the actions or words of another. Sometimes the grievances have been so great we thought, “no way, this I cannot forgive!” Resentment and hostility can run so deep that forgiveness becomes very difficult. We feel we have a right to our indignation!
However, living from resentment takes so much effort. It creates a tremendous void in and around us. All the toxic feelings of hatred and resentment stay bottled up inside and eventually seep into all the areas of our life with the result that we become bitter, angry, unhappy and frustrated. And so, living from forgiveness becomes a necessity. Not that this is easy; it isn’t. But we cannot keep ourselves in the flow of good if we hold another in unforgiveness.
Forgiveness is not something we have to do, but something we must allow to flow through us. When we step away from the consciousness of our human nature, and allow the divine or God’s grace to express through us, to forgive through us, we can at that point, feel the radiant and warm rays of the flow of divine love dissolving all hurt, all bitterness, all sense of injustice. We become aware that we are free and we can project that love outward into our world.
Forgiveness helps you move forward. No one benefits from forgiveness more than the one who forgives!
Give yourself the gift of forgiveness. The very word forgiveness is built on the root word give. Forgiveness releases your partner from your criticism and also releases you from being imprisoned by your own negative judgments. It is not surrender, but a conscious decision to cease to harbor resentment. In affect, it takes the poison out of your body. It cleanses your system of the poison that will surely fester and cause illness and continued misery if not released. You cannot take the poison and expect someone else to die. They will go on with their life and you will be the only one to continue to suffer.
Forgiveness is the key to your own happiness. Forgiving someone else takes moral courage. It ends the illusion of separation, and its power can change misery into happiness in an instant. Forgiveness means choosing to let go, move on, and favor the positive.
Forgiveness is a form of love within the context of a personal crisis. To forgive is, in a sense, to love one’s enemy. When forgiveness is given because you think you should, it no longer is forgiveness but an act of self- interest.
Robert Enright, a developmental psychologist at the University of Wisconsin defines forgiveness as “giving up the resentment to which you are entitled and offering to the person who hurt you friendlier attitudes to which they are not entitled.”
Mona Gustafson Affinito says, “Forgiveness means deciding not to punish a perceived injustice, taking action on that decision, and experiencing the emotional relief that follows.”
Prayer for Forgiveness. . .
Living, loving Presence, I enter this moment of silence and consciously make the decision to unburden and detach myself from the painful memories of the past. I release to you everything that holds me back from my spiritual journey. I feel your power working in and through me in forgiving and letting go all that needs to be forgiven and released. Amen
Larry James. Adapted from the book, “How to Really Love the One You’re With.”
thank's for the interesting information...