I heard Frank Luntz being interviewed on the radio today. He said something that I thought was profound: “We don’t watch the news any more for information but for affirmation.” (That’s as close as I can get on the quote, sorry if I missed a word.)
Are you looking for affirmation in the news? Have you tuned in to any of the “opposition” channels in the last 6 months? Do you ever read editorials that really torque you off when you read the headline? If not, why not? If you’re right you shouldn’t mind checking out what the “other side” has to say, should you? What if you’re wrong? You might never know if you don’t listen to the opposition. Try it, you might learn something.
In our spiritual lives we don’t want to listen to the opposition. Satan is right outside our door 24×7. His voice is already very loud in our popular culture and lives. He’s even in church with us from time to time. Do we need to listen to him? I don’t think so. But part of the arrogance of Satan is our arrogance in being sure we’re absolutely right about everything on this Earth. If you don’t recognize his voice from time to time, you’re probably not listening closely enough.
How do we avoid that arrogance in our lives? Dive deep into The Word. Listen to your pastor on Sunday and think about that message. If the pastor’s not preaching from the Bible with citations, is it their message or God’s? Read your Bible. Pray. Think about what Jesus would do based on the Bible, not on current social conventions.
And with less than two weeks to go before the elections, I urge you to again look at your candidates and ballots from a Biblical perspective. You might win the argument about something with your mother, brother, or best friend if you vote a certain way and your side wins. But is it the vote that God would expect of someone who wishes to enter His Kingdom of Heaven?
Weigh the issues. Examine the candidates. Examine the Gospels. Once you’ve balanced the first two with the third one, then you will be ready to vote. Are you ready?
I’d like to talk a bit about Christian popular music and where it is today. Please contain yourself and stop what you’re doing before you get out any pictues of Stryper and email them to me. Also, I don’t want to see a picture of “nana” wearing her Zubas and Stryper shirt while she does Wii bowling in the rec room at the home. Christian music has changed quite a bit in the last thirty years.
Yawn? Or, perhaps, “duh” would be more appropriate. What hasn’t changed in the last 30 years? Christian music has moved right along since Stryper and Amy Grant
And where has it moved? Some of it moved to a more conservative point of view. Amy and Stryper were opposites in style, but both upset some traditionalists who thought that they were emphasizing entertainment over God. Perhaps. But since the time of King David worship music has been a part of the deal. It isn’t wrong (in my less-than-humble-opinion) to entertain at the same time. That brings the undecided to the altar. The more conservative bent in the music focuses on turning scripture, particularly Psalms, into the lyrics. The music is… well… on the way to the elevator in some cases. And if that music does it for you, that’s great. It’s not what I choose to listen to in my spare time.
Some artists (like Amy Grant) are evolving with the musical tastes of the modern era and they have a body of work that covers decades. They are the ones with great voices, terrific skills in song writing, and a love of God that shows through in their work. They form the underlayment of Christian music stations around the country. And a part of their body of work has crossed over into the secular market as well. That’s wonderful – more exposure and more believers in the end.
That crossover appeal includes a good share of the Modern Gospel Sound. This genre so alive and vibrant that it crosses over into the black secular community easily. This is great music. Here are two samples to show what I mean about vibrant music with a special ethnic flavor.
But the biggest part of that market is comprised of the artists that tour and get the big-time airplay on Christian Radio. Groups like Mercy Me, Third Day, Lecrae, Casting Crowns, 10th Avenue North, and the list goes on. All of them are amazing musicians and lyricists. They often take the text and lyrics right from the Bible. It’s fascinating to me to be listening to a new song and recognize it as something I read that week while studying the Bible. (Which, by the way, I really should do more of instead of blogging away.)
You wouldn’t know that it was “Christian music” by the music itself. Seriously talented musicians are on the loose here, not just some guy with a guitar singing Michael Row the Boat Ashore on Saturday evening at the folk mass.
Got the idea? That’s right – Christian music runs the whole gamut of tastes and style. It’s all about testimony through music. Worship music. And it appeals to a huge number of people who might never get into a church on a regular basis but who will incorporate those messages into their hearts and come closer to God as a result.
Blah, Blah, Blah. Sure. Prove it. Oh, I will. This next picture was taken at a Toby Mac and Jamie Grace concert a few weeks ago. And this little girl knew all the words (as did her mother) and danced and worshiped the whole time. That message penetrated her world and while there’s probably a place for Spongebob, there’s a bigger place for Jesus.
Jesus in the heart of a little girl.
That begs the question, “What are your kids listening to while you’re reading this?” And, I’d ask you to think about what you’re listening to when they’re around. It’s a nice change of pace to listen to Christian music when you get the chance. In most countries that’s not even possible. Mull that one over for a few minutes. And then please consider changing your life today with more of the music that’s been around since David’s time. Worship God on your radio. Enjoy that river of life that should be flowing through and in you.
Go take a listen. They’re on the web and you can stream them if you’re not near another Christian station. Have a blessed day. (Warning: Don’t blame me if the lyrics or melodies get stuck in your head. It’s His doing.)
That stands for Pastor Pizza Party. I went to one yesterday. A friend of mine from the Christian writers group ACFW is the head representative of God at a local church. His church holds a number of different fund raisers for the events that they host. Yesterday’s fund raiser was at a local (for him) pizza parlor, Angelo’s.
I’ll be the first to admit that I really went to see how his congregation treated him. I couldn’t wait to hear my friend John Otte referred to as Pastor. I know: that’s a little twisted. But I know John as a fellow nerd. He’s a Trekkie deep down (I refuse to call myself a Trekker. Sorry, not politically correct but that’s the way it is.) He regularly posts Star Wars humor on Facebook and I know him as an affable guy with a great sense of humor and a lovely book called “Failstate” that I read a few months ago.
So, to make a long story short, Angelo’s basically lets them take over the restaurant for a night. John supplies the wait staff/bus staff from his church and the restaurant gives the church a percentage of the till that night. Everybody wins. I ordered a veggie pizza to take out and watched as the scene unfolded in front of me – my friend John becoming Pastor John.
And … well, he’s the same guy. No pretenses, no nonsense. He’s just John who works for Jesus. Same thing in our writing group, at the convention, or in a pizza parlor with his flock. I admire that in him. Not everyone can pull that off. But when you live what you preach it makes it easy to remember how you have to behave with the group you are with. I still have to remember to curb my tongue and behave better around people who don’t tolerate me every day. And the more I think about it, the more I’d better change my ways so that my friends get the same courtesy that strangers and professional acquaintances get from me.
Are you walking the walk? Are you less cautious around people who know you well? Do you live the life you espouse in your writing? Good questions that I need to work on starting now. How about you?
(Disclaimer: I am not a regular in the studio. I do just enough work to allow me to take an extra vacation every year. Others may/will differ with my opinions and have different experiences in this field. You have been warned.)
Final installment. The day in the life of a recording artist.
Tuesday a few weeks ago was one of those days where I actually felt like a professional actor for more than a few hours. It was marvelous and entertaining.
Not the studio microphone but it sure was handy for this photo.
I got a call from my agent the week before about a voice over gig on Tuesday and when all was said and done I was hired for the work.
The whole process starts with a script. Somebody at the advertiser’s office decides to do a radio commercial and they jot down some things they’d like to say. It’s not always elegant, but it starts the ball rolling and gives the ad agency an idea of what information needs to be conveyed to the public.
The ad agency comes up with the script and hopefully the client approves it. I’m sure that sometimes dozens or even hundreds of revisions go into the final product. I’ve worked on spots where we changed it at least 20 times in the studio after I’d been sent two or three revisions in my email. Why? Because what looks great on the paper sometimes sounds horrible once you read it out loud.
Next, and it’s a big next, the ad agency books the studio time. That’s not always easy to do on short notice. The great recording places are booked well in advance. What makes a great recording studio is not always the equipment. That makes some difference but in the age of digital electronics the equipment is secondary to the “guy” at the board. I’ve been blessed to work with some great talents on that board. Every one of them made me sound better than I probably am “in real life.”
The magic is not the board itself but what they bring out of the talent. A great board guy is also a great director. The talent is standing in front of the microphone because of some quality in their voice and some modicum of acting ability. But the direction is what makes the spot. They hear things you don’t in the booth. They encourage, cajole, and (sometimes) whip it right out of you. And without them the result is the crappy commercial you usually hear on smaller radio stations. The one where the intern or the overnight guy records the commercial in their spare time and gets $50 a whack to do it so they do as many as they can as quickly as they can. The client thinks they are getting a bargain because they don’t have to hire a studio and a talent. But what they are truly getting is a cheap product. The board guy can spot that kind of hackery and put a stop to it before it gets too far. Not that the intern or overnight guy doesn’t have a good voice, but they cannot do justice to the material when they have nobody to quality check the work.
Now the agency has a time and a place to do the ad. They contact the talent agency (I work with Moore Creative Talent as a voice talent) and ask for a list of candidates based on the kind of ad and who they envision as the “person” they need. Sometimes they need a little child. Sometimes an old woman. Sometimes it’s the same person. I have worked with an actress in the past who can do both quite convincingly. She’s neither. She’s a beautiful woman in her … well, not her twenties and not her sixties. But the simple fact is that she has the most versatile voice I’ve ever heard. And that’s the kind of actress or actor you want in the studio for most things. Sometimes you need a specialist who does cartoon voices, or a simple plain voice that’s totally forgettable (I worry that I might be “that” voice on occasion) and will not focus the attention on the performer but on the product. But the agency does the wrangling and screening of talents for the advertising agency and submits some talents to be considered. Occasionally the agency just gets a call from the client asking for a voice they’ve used before or has heard on the agency’s website. That’s great for agents and talent alike – no auditions, no muss, no fuss, no bother.
On “gameday” you get to the studio a few minutes early. But not too early. They really don’t want you hanging around because the studio is tightly scheduled some days and your sitting there blogging on your tablet takes up a chair. Once you arrive and check in the smart people head to the bathroom. Nothing annoys the client like some talking head stopping hugely expensive studio time so that they can go potty. Get a drink of water, warm up your voice and be ready. Yup, gotta warm up your voice just like your muscles for a run. Your voice sounds different after a few minutes of talking. Your demo (the audio sample they listen to to audition you) was undoubtedly done after half an hour or more of talking. Going in cold means they have to wait for you to be ready and “sound like you.” So, sing in the car on the way over, talk to yourself walking down the street (in big cities nobody will notice) but don’t practice your screaming in the waiting room or the bathroom. Bad form. (Hint – if you must practice screaming at the last second, you can get away with it in the elevator. But make sure it’s empty and do it right after the door closes. It’s best not to be howling as the door opens at the end of your journey.)
Now, the script, the studio, and the talent are all in one place. Along with, in many cases, a representative or two from the advertising agency and the client. They stand or sit on the other side of the booth wall and watch while your technician adjusts the headphones, makes sure the microphone is spaced properly from your face and takes levels. You are isolated and can only hear them when they want you to hear them. But remember, they hear everything you say. So don’t opine on their anything. Be quiet between takes unless you and the other actor are trying variations to see how it sounds. They’ll shut you off if they need to do so.
And, after x number of takes they have something they like (hopefully.) You are shooed out to the waiting area while they mix it and play it for the home office in some cases. Or, if things went badly, sent home and the whole thing rescheduled. Sometimes they change their mind about voices part way through the event. You still get paid but it’s not fun to get sent home.
You may have to repeat the recording and wait for them to do the same thing until they are sure they have the product they want. Once that’s the case you get to go home. Paycheck is in the mail.
Kind of sorta. Your agency will wait for up to 30 days to get paid by the advertising agency. And then you will wait up to 90 days (or more, depending on the agency) to get your check. Minus the agent’s fee. Your agency fee shouldn’t be over 15 percent in most cases. And don’t nag them about the check. Most agents that are reputable will tell you right up front how long you have to wait to get paid. ASK when you start with an agency. Then don’t lose the check. Actor are spazolli’s and lose checks. Many agencies will take another full 15% out of your replacement check if you lose the first one. And for Heaven’s sake, save some of it for taxes. Most of the time you are hired as a contractor and will get a 1099 as a result. You’re the one who has to deal with Uncle Sammy on the taxes. Mommy will not hold your hand.
And now, after months (and sometimes a year) of getting ready your first broadcast credit is ready for the resume. Congratulations – You’re a professional actor. I still have a copy of that check in a frame. It’s a big deal.
What’s next? Do you branch out and try for on camera work? Modeling (If I can, anyone can) or a play? You’ve opened the door, now walk through and be blessed in your travels. And try to keep that perspective: success in this business starts with a blessing. If God hadn’t given you that raw talent and drive to make it you’d still be just admiring the people in the business. He’s given you the gift, now go chase it!
Thanks for sticking with the series. And, as usual, another tuba video for your pleasure.
Thirty minute morality plays in color with a “buddy” subplot would be the best way to describe Adam 12. They were done in the 1960s and 1970s but the themes carry on to today. Perhaps more schmaltzy than the current era prefers but the underlying stories haven’t changed.
I’m most interested in their approach to two things on the show: drunk driving and domestic violence.
Drinking and driving fifty years ago was “bad” but not awful. The characters were usually colorful. Sometimes obnoxious, occasionally “whacky.” But that has changed over the years in how television portrays that crime and fortunately most jurisdictions have taken a similar stance. DUI is no longer a laughing matter. And in my mind that’s a great thing. I was one of those during that era who drove drunk. More than once. And I regret it. I quit doing it while I was in college. I never had an accident, never hurt anyone, but it was wrong. And thankfully the law is much more strict now than ever before with that crime. (Just for the record I truly haven’t done that in 30 years. That’s a story for another time.)
Domestic abuse is another story. They treated it but it’s obvious that it was a pain in the butt more than a serious crime as it was portrayed on the show. The cops didn’t want to deal with it, usually left without anyone in bracelets and generally just told them to work it out. I harken back to my days doing that job and I felt the same. The people who fought with each other every day and then involved the police were not fun to deal with. They ruined your day and took you away from other duties. Their houses were a mess, smelled bad, the people were unlovely and it as dangerous as could be. You never knew when one of the idiots involved would jump you or your partner. Or, worse yet, produce a weapon. Frankly we just hoped they’d quietly move to another jurisdiction before we had a murder on our hands. You knew a specific list of addresses by heart. You knew the participants by name and where they kept the keys to the car and the .44 magnum snubnose. (If it hadn’t been pawned to buy booze until payday.)
But up until recently *(relatively speaking)* nobody went to jail unless the other party demanded it.
That has changed 180 degrees. If there’s a problem and anyone is physically damaged many jurisdictions require an arrest to be made. The discretion has been eliminated. I have mixed feelings on that. I don’t approve anyone beating on anyone else in a marriage. Nor do I think that serious injury should be tolerated. But there is a very small gray area in these things that sometimes would best be served by not arresting people and getting them some counseling instead. There are clearly times when people are so emotionally overwhelmed that they need to be talked to, not cuffed. Sometimes a thrown plate is just that – not an attempt to hurt but a blown fuse and they will never do it again. Unfortunately, and usually, most of the violent ones have done it before and will do it again. Sadly many of the victims won’t seek help or press charges. I have one experience in particular that comes to mind and thirty years later it still disgusts me. But the laws have changed.
Perhaps taking away the discretion is more to get the cops off the hook than anything else. I think that’s what many officers prefer. I may have welcomed it myself. No second guessing in that case. But I’ve been on other calls where both parties were so at fault that arresting one of them was a statistic not a solution. And other times it was going to do more damage than good. It was clear that things had settled down, nobody was truly hurt (no bruises showing, an anger and hatred displayed that told you they might be lying just to get even and nothing else) and they would benefit from a talk but someone else had called it in. Now the police have a problem and somebody has to go.
Should it always be that way? And if not, when would that be? I’m not going to attempt to answer that one. Instead I’ll take the words of Officer Pete Malloy as my guide, “The only black and white thing in this job is the car.”
Again, I hope nobody misunderstands that sentiment. I’m against domestic abuse. I just don’t know what the threshold should be for adding an arrest record to the equation.
But if you watch enough episodes of Adam 12 you’ll see stories that haven’t changed in my lifetime. Or that of my parents. As a matter of fact they go right back to Adam and Eve… more than a bit of finger pointing there when they got busted for eating things they shouldn’t.
When you get a chance to spend a few hours turning your brain into a doughy substance, head over to Hulu.com and watch an episode. I know I enjoy them. And if you’re too young to remember the 1960s, make sure you have mom… or possibly grama… there to explain what hippies were. (You can still see them on display at Whole Foods on Tuesday afternoons. Check out the old people on the patchouli aisle.)
