More Christmas Gifts!

[EDIT: the songs below have expired from the site, but if you are interested in hearing them, just get in touch - ringrecords AT gmail DOT com]

Yup, you guessed it - cheery Christmas goodness for you and loved ones to enjoy!

  The holidays have arrived with gusto, and to tickle your highly-cultured musical tastebuds we have a couple of the more esoteric tunes which, due to time and other constraints, we failed to release last year on the highly-acclaimed 'Love >>> Begotten'. So, following the paragraphs below, which explain said delicacies, are links to each of the tunes where you can download (right-click and 'save target' if from PC, ctrl-click and 'save link' if on a Mac) or simply click to listen. We'd love to have your feedback!

Tune #1: How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
This reproduction of the Christmas hymn is a juxtaposition of familiar sacred elements with the more space-age-tendencies of modernity. Featuring the deep text of the original, the vocals of Cliff and Jen Lewis float over a bed of gossamer and silken yet edgy synthesizers following traditional chord changes (played by Matthew Monticchio). Through the music one envisions candy-coated consumerism portrayed by dancing elves in Christmas garb, yet in the words we are hauntingly reminded of the Child, the Son of Man who is the culmination of all creation - past, present, and future - and who delivers us from our selfishness.



  Download it here: http://www.hiramring.com/downloads/How_Brightly_Shines_the_Morning_Star-Pageant_Music.mp3

Tune #2: Once in Royal David's City
  Another re-done Christmas favorite, this arrangement evokes a sense of the earthiness and reality of our savior's birth. With the noises of a first-century village and the prophecy (in Hebrew) from Micah 5:2, we are immediately transported to the night in the stable with Mary and Joseph. Featuring the vocals of Katie Becker and the pitchy harmony of friends, travel back in time as we remember the One who fulfilled the law and the prophets, He who was what we cannot be - perfection.



  Download it here: http://www.hiramring.com/downloads/Once_in_Royal_Davids_City-Pageant_Music.mp3

Tune #3: O Little Child
  For those of you who missed this song a few weeks ago, you will have the opportunity to download it again on December 22 (Christmas Eve eve, eve) through http://www.itickets.com - a source of daily free downloads from all over the US!

Fig Central

On the last First Friday of 2009 (if you don't know about these monthly art and cultural evenings in Lancaster, you are sorely missing out) I had the pleasure of performing at a once-in-a-lifetime event... The opening of Fig Central! Their one-stop shop for information and events in Lancaster's downtown area is located in the shops on King Street next to Central Market and across the street from the newspaper's offices. I provided the background ambience for an evening of holiday cheer and excited gathering as most of the city passed through. Watch the clip below to catch some of the excitement!

Recording Sacred Songs Pt 2

The last few weeks (months, actually) I've been working steadily with my friend Matthew Monticchio on our albums of sacred songs. We recently recorded our friend Dan Kirby on the song 'I Hunger and I Thirst' - text that Matt put to new music. A really great tune that we are excited to be able to share with you - if all goes according to plan, we'll be able to do that early in January. Until then, check out the video below for a short voice lesson from Matt. =)

Brother James

The week of Thanksgiving my friend James from England was visiting. We visited the sites around Lancaster, including the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg. Watch as we ride the trains - James is a fun guy!

We also took a trip to the Constitution Center in Philadelphia - it was well worth the trip to see the exhibits and the theater presentation. Great reminder of the unique nature of our country. In the video below we're having fun with the metal dudes in the signer's hall.

An MP3 Christmas Gift from Hiram!

[ EDIT: The free MP3 download offered below has expired. However, stay tuned to this blog for more free Christmas music in the coming week, including this song on iTickets.com on Dec 22, 2009! ]

O_Little_Child-Hiram_Ring.mp3 (one week only!)

This Christmas I want to give you a song that is still very close to my heart - newly re-mixed and mastered for 2009. It's a song that I wrote in 2006 as the holiday was approaching. I had just read GK Chesterton's 'Christmas Poem' and was thinking about his last stanza:

"To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home."

Beautiful words from a gifted writer whose thoughts continue to capture us. I began to think about how God left His home to become homeless on the earth, to become a little baby, and began to wonder whether He knew what was happening when He was born, or whether He simply had to rest in the arms of his mother, to be and do what all little babies are and do. The wonder of God growing older from infancy, preparing for the sacrifice of the cross... through which there is full redemption and forgiveness of sins... I picked up my guitar and this song wrote itself that evening.

"O Little Child, o tiny babe, are these your hands that came to save?
Held in your mother's warm embrace, remember me this Christmas day.

O Little Child, your tiny feet will bear the cross toward calvary.
Now tightly wrapped on mother's knee, on Christmas day I think of thee.

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
That the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

O Little Child, you must be fed - you who will give us living bread.
The final Word is said, it's yours to say - do you remember Christmas day?

That God would come to us on earth, He who Himself did give us birth,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Now let us sing with one accord jubilant praises to our Lord!
Join with the angels' heavenly choir, proclaim this wondrous clarion hour!
That God would leave his heaven above to live with us a life of love,
that the Most High would choose to be a simple child like you and me.

Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men!

O Little Child, your eyes still sleep, your tiny form a mystery.
Come with the world on bended knee - on Christmas day I think of thee."

(if you would like a PDF chart of the words/music, please let me know - ringrecords AT gmail DOT com)

Musicians:
Hiram Ring - guitar, vocals
Alisha Ring - violin, background vocals
Matthew Monticchio - piano
David Green - bass
John Haughery - drums
Yolanda Mott - cello

New Recordings!

The recordings I did for 'Of Whales' are now finalized and mastered by my friend Mark Peteritas! Check out the Of Whales Myspace site to listen to the recordings! Feedback is ALWAYS welcome. =)

Recording Sacred Songs Pt 1

This past week I spent some time with my friend Matthew Monticchio. He came over and we worked on recording, mixing and trying new sounds for the collections of sacred songs we're working on. It was extremely productive on many levels. Here's some video of the process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTO3E_eNC4U

Mixing Sacred Songs

Another thing I've been doing over the last few weeks that I've been home (besides running my sisters around and generally 'being dad' while my parents have been out of town) has been working on recording and mixing with my friend Matthew Monticchio. We're working on what has now become 2 albums of hymns and new songs done in a folky/indie/poppy way.
The album features a host of other musicians, like the Christmas albums of 2007 and 2008 that you can still find on iTunes. My friends Joy Ike and Brooke Annibale both sing (we recorded them when they came through on tour last month with Garrett Heath and myself) on a tune, and below you can watch as I eat lunch and mix the track that Joy sings on.

Recording 'Of Whales'

Originally this post was simply going to be called 'Recording of Whales', but I thought that might be misinterpreted. No, I didn't go on a whale-spotting venture, and I didn't record whales... though I wish I did, because that would have been cool and GreenPeace would have been all over it.

'Of Whales' is the name of Josey Shawgo's musical endeavors - he's a singer-songwriter who approached me through a friend about recording some of his songs. The songs have a distinct folky sound, kind of Bob Dylan meets M. Ward. It's been cool working with him and the friends he brought along to the session last weekend - below is a video of us getting guitar parts, drums, and a last vocal take.

Touring my studio

In case you are wondering what I have been doing with my time since I've been back in Lancaster, I have been trying to relax with a vengeance. And failing miserably, unfortunately. But I have high hopes.

I recently set up my parents' garage as a recording studio and put myself out on the market under a record company (Ring Records), which was precipitated by some local musicians who found me on MySpace and wanted me to record them. The company has existed for almost 3 years (since I started doing music), but has never had its own web presence, so I created a free Wordpress blog and got it up and running.

I've been working with 'Of Whales', who is recording 3 songs on a budget - two of which might be on his MySpace site in the very near future. For the moment, you can check out my studio below.

What ELSE happened on Tour

So if you've read all the posts on this blog recently, you know I was out on the road for a 9-day, 9-show tour with 3 friends which included stops in all the major cities and even a radio interview. It was a lot of fun, as much for the people that came to the shows as it was for us to play them.
The order of performance varied depending on whose fans were based in which city, so every evening was different. Of course we would play songs in different orders, maybe throw a few different ones in the mix, even play completely new material - but this was mostly for the edification of the artists, since the fans didn't really know what was different, one night to the next (I don't think anyone came to more than one show, seeing as the cities were far apart). The closest shows we played were an hour from each other, and the farthest was 7 hours. It was pretty grueling, and it feels like it happened a lifetime ago.
What the fans didn't get to see, though, was how much fun we had hanging out with each other, teasing each other, and generally making fun of life. Points in fact are our trip to Huddle House and Garrett's comments at the Baltimore show. We really had fun. For an added bonus, check out the Scrabble(tm) game we played in Pittsburgh (via Joy Ike's YouTube site):

4 on Tour Day 9 - Baltimore

In Baltimore we played at The Light Gallery, north of the Inner Harbor. It also happened to be Ravens game day, so it took us 15 minutes to get through this one intersection coming north off of 395. We literally sat at a green light for 15 minutes because the one-way cross street was full of people blocking the intersection. You would think when the light turned yellow they would stay on their side, but no, they just blocked the intersection. BUT we finally got through because I stuck my nose out and kept them from budging.
I didn't get video of that, but I did video the gallery itself, which is also home to a church, and the current show they have up of work by MaryKate Newcomb, which is quite cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCeV5i63Af4
The space itself is pretty rad, and we had a lot of fun playing there for our final show. People were really into the music, and we played/sang on each other's songs for the last time on this tour. Great folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSkGzjJcYRo

4 on Tour Day 8 - Philadelphia

We had some downtime at my parents house in Lancaster, which we spent sleeping in and then visiting the Central Market in town. I showed the crew a bunch of the sights, but really they should have come for a First Friday to experience the buzz of people.
We drove to Philly in the afternoon, and arrived early at Circle of Hope's Broad and Washington location, so we hung out downstairs in Circle Thrift - the store that helps generate funds for ministry and provides cheap clothing for low-income individuals. It runs completely on donations. I love browsing places like this, but we were all still pretty tired. Soon to get better though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EJMaDtJtNc
Eventually folks showed up and we started setting up sound and merch and people started coming in for the show. The space at Broad and Washington is pretty cool. I think our performances were pretty good - some great energy and attendees were pretty into the music. There was a guy doing interpretive dance in the background, which I didn't manage to capture on video, but Joy might have on her YouTube page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydy8YUDiyY8
We went down to South Street after the concert with some of Joy's friends and sampled the Tattooed Mom and South Street Steaks. Then on the way home we got lost and I ran a red light and got pulled over by a cop - but unfortunately I didn't get that on video. Kind of a bummer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FsNZ5K3s-8

4 on Tour Day 7 - Lancaster

We drove from Pittsburgh to Lancaster, where my parents live and where we would spend the next couple nights. I called a number of people on the drive - several of whom didn't even know there was a concert, though they attend my church, Wheatland Presbyterian, where the concert was being held. Not only that, but two radio stations (WJTL and WXPN) were promoting the concert. I guess the people I called don't look at the church bulletin board or listen to those radio stations.
Despite those people not knowing about the concert, we set up at the church and had a really good turnout. Here are some clips of the evening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZuq3bLXp9o

4 on Tour Day 6 - Pittsburgh

We drove from Toledo to Pittsburgh in the night - Joy and Brooke were glad to be getting home for a couple days, so we decided not to stay overnight in Maumee. We all woke up pretty tired in the morning, but got ourselves ready for the evening and had a decent turnout at the Shadow Lounge. It was a lot of fun to play songs and tease each other from on stage, and we mixed it up a bit. Here's some video of the evening:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dutwMpI7A3k

4 on Tour Day 5 - Maumee, OH

It was great to have a few hours to hang out and relax at Joy's friend's house outside of Cincinatti. We hit the road around 2pm for Toledo, and arrived safely at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Maumee, OH around 5pm. Shaun is the guy who helped us set this concert up, and is one of the most enthusiastic people I have met. He and Steve, the sound guy, had set up a great stage in the foyer of the church and we put on a great show for some wonderful people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgmk8eo2-vc

4 on Tour Day 4 - Cincinatti

We woke up really early and drove from Nashville to Cincinatti, a 5-hour drive that crossed from Central into Eastern Time, so we got there an hour later. But we had planned appropriately and arrived at WNKU in northern Kentucky in enough time to get breakfast in the student union. We set all our things up in a large studio room and settled down for the interview with Michael Grayson, who had us each play a song and Joy two. Our sound engineer Bob was a hoot - you'll have to visit Joy's YouTube site for his stories, once she gets the video uploaded...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM0-p6WxXqI
We then drove to a friend's house to drop our stuff off and hang out - I took a much-needed nap, and then we headed to the show. Taza is a great coffeeshop in downtown right across from the University of Cincinatti, with friendly people and interesting decor (and great coffee). The stage was a lot of fun to play on, and the sound was great. The crowd was really into the music, as well, which was very cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CR4ifztxhE

4 on Tour Day 3 - Nashville

We drove from Greensboro to Nashville, where we got ready to play at Bongo Java. Brooke went to school at Belmont, which is right across the street, so we were able to hang out with her friends, who had a place for us to stay, as well. Bongo Java is a pretty cool place, and the after-hours theater was an intimate venue with great sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPqrCEzvUc8

4 on Tour Day 2 - Greensboro

Today (Sunday Oct 4) we drove from DC to Greensboro, NC, where Peculiar People were hosting us for a house show. There wasn't much to do on the 6-hour drive, so we talked and I read another hundred pages of Don Quixote and we listened to music. We also stopped at Huddle House, which was a totally new experience, as you can see from the video below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RChiNlbyVcA
Charlie and Ruth totally welcomed us and made us feel right at home - they are stellar people (and peculiar). So of course the concert was a lot of fun. We also visited Mellow Mushroom (right across the street) for some aMAzing pizza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAC2a6MT5NE

4 on Tour Day 1 - DC

Today (Saturday, Oct 3) Garrett, Joy and Brooke met me at my house in Lancaster, PA, we had dinner (groundnut stew with chicken and rice, MMMmmm) and then drove to Washington, DC to play at Busboys and poets. Here's a look at where we played.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz5m4DS6PaY
It was really good show - we hung out for quite a while afterwards, talking to friends and fans who came. After packing up, we drove to my friend Katy's house in Arlington at 1am. We got lost in DC's streets at night, even with the GPS telling us where to go. That city is really not laid out for motorists...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_tlu4rCm4

Massachusetts

Boston in the fall. This sounds like it could easily be a James Taylor album title. Or a line from that beloved Veggie Tales song. Take your pick. It was still fall when I drove to my brother's place in Easthampton, though it soon got warmer and then colder again. Still trying to make up its mind. I discovered that CSAs are quite the rage in New England, and we went to another where I picked raspberries with my nieces (2 and 4) and sister-in-law, avoided the big dogs and answered question after question about the world around us. That's one of the great things about kids - always curious!
I visited my friend Hannah at Gordon College, north of Boston, and had a great time wandering around the campus. She showed me all the buildings and talked about her experiences in school thus far. I forgot my camera while she was showing me around, so the video is a hurried return to a few of the main spots we visited.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YhmcLHDwLw
Back in Easthampton I went out with my brother's family for dinner at the Apollo Grill. Easthampton is undergoing a revitalization along with Northampton and surrounding towns, and just across the road from where my brother lives is an old factory that has been renovated. The Eastworks building holds numerous galleries and small shops, along with the Apollo Grill, which has some great food and really fun decor! Definitely stop by if you're in the area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj1hFzGEkB8

Vermont

I drove from Rochester, NY through the Adirondacks to northern Vermont, and just as I crossed the bridge at Crown Point I got my first whiff of fall breeze - molting leaves and peat moss mingled with cow's breath and the cool smell of fresh-picked apples. This state is beautifully rugged, with vibrant colors that pop out in the warm sunlight and far enough north that the threat of moose crossing the road is not taken lightly.
My first stop was The Bee's Knees in Morrisville, VT north of Stowe, where I ate some incredible food and imbibed local beverages before performing a laid-back set of acoustic music in a cosy atmosphere. I know this is going to sound like a write-up for a travel company, but somehow that doesn't deter me from trying to convey the sense of homeyness and friendship that I felt in that place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DabSvfB88s

So it was natural that the girl behind the counter, on discovering I didn't have a place to spend the night, offered me her lean-to while she slept over at a friend's house. What a great night to spend in my sleeping bag out in the woods! The following morning Karen gave me a tour of the CSA (community supported agriculture) farm that friends of hers run, near Morrisville, and of course that meant meeting a bunch of great folks and eating fresh carrots, among other things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEsE3TZ66e0

They directed me to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Cheese, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory (all just down the road), and I went on my way well-fed by a true Vermont experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqB9-ZXJ4o

Rochester, Mount Hope Cemetery

I spent a couple days in Rochester with friends, following a last-minute show at Geneva College with Joy Ike on Monday. Tuesday I drove up through Houghton (my alma mater) and visited with profs and old friends who are still around, though most of the student body and even some of the buildings have changed since I was last there 2 years ago. I stopped for dinner with Dan Gross and his family (great times) and then played that evening at Boulder Coffee Co in Rochester, which is a great venue and it turned out to be quite a reunion of Houghton College graduates. What fun! And Mike Zale, who I haven't seen in years, still has a really cool looping system that just sounds great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueE9OEPZP_c
The day after, I went to Mount Hope Cemetery with Hannah and Hudson, to look for the graves of Susan B. Anthony (women's suffrage) and Frederick Douglass (abolitionist). Along the way we ran into Hiram Sibley, who was buried next to David Hough. David and I were in Tanzania together and he's married to Hannah - their last name is Hough... but he is very much alive, never fear. Pretty funny to find your name on a gravestone, though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4I8tAPJkM

Travel, BK

I'm in Grove City, PA right now - spent the weekend with my brother and his wife and got to meet a bunch of their friends and church folks, which was pretty sweet. I also spent some time with my friend Ross who was in Uganda this past summer. We haven't been able to connect over the past few months, so it was good to see him and look at pictures and hear about his experiences in Africa - some pretty crazy stuff, like casting demons out of people and spending hours praying and dancing and praising God.
Tonight I'm playing with Joy Ike and Call of the Mild at Geneva College, which is about 45 minutes from here. It should be a really fun show - then I'm off to Rochester, NY tomorrow and then a couple shows in Vermont to round out the week. I'll probably be visiting Burger Kings along the way - just can't get enough of that Whopper Jr! Speaking of which, here's a video of me and Joy and a couple other friends visiting the ONLY Burger King in Pittsburgh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1--37ff1_I

4 on Tour Preview

Wednesday night we performed at Amani International Coffeehouse in Pittsburgh, PA. And when I say 'we', I mean 4 great singer-songwriters: Garrett Heath, Brooke Annibale, myself and Joy Ike. We'll be touring the eastern region together at the beginning of October - check out our Facebook group for more info: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63933549943
Below is a preview of what our 9-date tour will look like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1e1H2JtWb8

Baltimore and Xenia

Saturday afternoon, after packing my things in the car, I drove from Lancaster to Baltimore - an uneventful, hour or so drive on a beautiful day. I played at The Patterson, a renovated historic movie theater that is now home to The Creative Alliance of Baltimore. I was one of the artists/bands performing for Grace International Church's website release party, which was tons of fun. Also performing were Parris Bowens, Prayz1 and The Underdogz, and Failure to Excel. Here's a video tour of the building:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvxIt1G0hp8
Sunday morning I got up really early and drove to Xenia, Ohio (near Dayton) where I played at my friend Hannah's church, GracePoint. They meet in what used to be an apple restaurant, and there was a decent crowd - I was really blessed to be there, and the sound was some of the best I've experienced. It also happens to be near Yellow Springs, where my mom's cousin Bruce lives, so I got to spend Labor Day with family.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfb4bbXnLAQ

Atlanta... and Greenville via Cherokee National Forest

In Atlanta I met with Margie Ulsh, editor of Among Worlds, a quarterly publication for TCKs and ATCKs (Adult Third Culture Kids) that addresses issues such as transition, crossing cultures, and coping strategies for grief and the pain that accompanies being transplanted - issues that more people are finding common to their experience. You can learn more about the magazine by visiting Interaction's website: http://www.interactionintl.org/amongworlds.asp or Margie's Blog: http://amongworlds.blogspot.com
  I played at Covenant College as well, where rain forced us to set up the picnic in the dining hall - an enjoyable experience nevertheless. I then traveled to Greenville, SC, where I played outdoors in an amphitheater on a beautiful day with a good crowd, and received some excellent responses from the audience - it is wonderful to make new friends!
So here's some video of meeting with Margie and then my drive from Covenant College through Cherokee National Forest to Greenville, SC, where I played at Paris Mountain State Park's 'Music in the Woods', sponsored in part by WNCW. Good turnout, fun event.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDzPDp0sTc4
I'm in Lancaster at the moment, hanging out, working for MathUSee and getting ready to head out on the road again on Saturday. Fun times. Right now I'm wondering whether to install the ProTools LE 8upgrade, or simply let the disc sit on my desk until I get back from the road at the end of September. I'm leaning toward the latter, but I'm curious by nature, so having it sit there is rATHer tempting..

The MoSoul Poetry Festival

When Josephus Thompson III invited me to be part of the MoSoul Poetry Festival in Greensboro this year, I didn't quite know what to expect. Having now experienced it, I am totally blown away by the talent and abilities of those involved as artists and as organizers. When I came to Greensboro in March while on tour, Josephus was my first introduction to serious spoken poetry, and I can easily say that he is not the only one with mad skills in wordplay.
At the risk of making this a long post and expanding on the excellent post by Reason2Rhyme's blog, let me detail the talent represented by this month's (the final of the year's series) poetry festival. Keep in mind that many of the things I say about a single artist are true of every other artist - what I say here are simply what strike me from our first interactions. This post is too long to embed videos, but definitely check each of these artists out on their own websites, go see them live, and check out my YouTube page for performances from the festival weekend.
Here they are in the order that we performed:
Josephus Thompson III - one of Greensboro's premier spoken word artist's, he has been in the thick of the arts scene in this city for most of the last 8 years. He has started or is involved in numerous organizations to foster the arts and most notably to encourage young people in schools to express themselves in new and constructive ways. Along with T.I.G. and a core group of volunteers, Reasons2Rhyme was formed to continue this vision and bring poetry to Greensboro and elsewhere.
Keith Rodgers - a man of many talents who hails from Tallahassee, FL, where he formed Black-on-Black Rhyme, a network of many spoken word artists that has chapters in various cities around Florida. Keith is incredibly business-savvy (he carries a point-of-sale credit card machine with him on his belt), has a way with words both on stage and in everyday conversation, and can really work a crowd.
Hiram Ring - the one writing this post. Need I say more?
Ebony - part of Keith's Black-on-Black network, she is a serious poet dealing with social issues. Ebony is also the co-founder and marketing director of Yo-Talent.com, a social network for poets allows them to sell product as well as connect with other artists.
The One Sun Lion Ra - a musician and rapper as well as a poet, Ra went to school in Greensboro but now lives in New York city. His rhymes run the gamut of rhythmic and inspiring to contemplative. He is a committed family man and speaks from a depth of experience.
Will McInerney - a Chapel Hill, NC native with a political/social bent, Will's poetry often deals with what it means to be human. He is not afraid to tackle and speak his mind on issues such as land rights and political conflict of the past, present, and future. He's a member of Sacrificial Poets and took part in the Brave New Voices poetry competition recently documented on an HBO miniseries.
Justice - Antwidamala Justice Umbiya translates directly to, “He who greets with fire” and “Just and righteous champion of the people”. It's a fitting title for one whose poetry speaks so passionately about individual struggles from a personal perspective. Justice's life is a story of determined struggle, and he recently left his high-paying job at GM to continue pursuing his passion - sharing his stories with others.
Evin Gibson - an award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, Evin is tons of fun in person and on stage. He has traveled the world with his music and resides in Greensboro. Usually backed by dancers and musicians, this guy is an excellent singer and manages to pull off his songs a-capella as well.
Isaiah 11:11 - a teacher in Newark, NJ, Isaiah also pursues his musical passion as a hip-hop and reggae artist and started getting into spoken word poetry around the same time that he first met Josephus at a rap show. Originally from Liberia, Isaiah's words deal with social inequities and racial issues, and his knowledge of history and world politics deepens his expression.
Moe - another Floridian, native of Jacksonville, Moe's rhyme is pokes fun at himself and the world around him while capturing his audience with its depth and wordplay. His phrasing and expression is smooth yet complex. A favorite in his hometown, he regularly sells out shows at Jacksonville's biggest venue.
Andrew Tyree - another killer poet from Greensboro, Andrew has won numerous awards for his work. Most recently he was the 2009 Charlotte Grand Slam Champion. He deals with personal issues, relationships and nearly everything else, making his listeners think about life in new ways.
As I said, the weekend has completely expanded my horizons and makes me want to encourage spoken word events all over the US - hopefully this festival simply continues to grow. To find out what you can do to help the cause, visit the Reasons2Rhyme blog and become friends with them on Facebook and elsewhere. Lets spread the word and encourage people to write.

Germany Final Installment - Heidelberg

After Worms, we visited Heidelberg. Known as a university town and pretty central during the protestant reformation, it was a wonderful place to visit. We strolled around the grounds of the castle's gardens (the castle is mostly a ruin), which I video-ed for you to see below. It struck me how Germany was the center of learning for the whole world for quite a while.
We then went on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (quite a long name for a town, which actually just describes the fact that it's on the Tauber river), a town that has preserved its historical walls and remains much as it was during medieval times. We walked along the walls and toured a museum of medieval torture devices and law practices and punishments. It was interesting how much shame and public humiliation was used as a method of punishment. Very similar to village life in Africa - in the west now we would rather lock someone up than parade them on the street with a headdress and manacles that showed what they were being punished for.
Well, that's pretty much it for the Germany videos and blogs. I hope you've enjoyed following along with me!

Germany Installment #4 - Eltz Castle, Worms

The weekend after the second English camp, we traveled around Germany for a couple days, visiting some beautiful cities and other places. The very first place we went was Eltz Castle, a pretty little castle in a valley that served as the home of three noble families who shared ownership. One of the families has since taken over the whole castle and still lives in part of the castle. The other part is a tourist attraction very well-worth seeing. In this video you can see the castle as we walked down the hill toward it, and also some of the inside - the treasure chamber and the courtyard. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
After visiting Eltz castle, we went to Worms, where Martin Luther defended his 95 Theses. Our friend Marius lives there and we walked around the town with him and a friend who gave us a tour. We visited the cathedral of St. Peter where the Diet of Worms was held (rebuilt since being bombed out in WWII), wandered through a Jewish cemetery, and had some Italian ice. Back at the church where we were staying, Joella and James raced little karts around the halls. I got to race too, but Joella won. She must be built for this kind of thing! =) Joella, you missed your true calling...

Germany Installment #3 - Cologne

The weekend after the first English camp, we had a free afternoon, so the folks at Neues Leben took us on a day trip to Cologne (on German maps it is Köln). It was lots of fun. We toured the cathedral, which is one of the oldest in Europe, climbed to the top and had time to wander around on our own. Bex wandered around with me and we managed to fit in part of a mass at St. Mary's which was really beautiful. Other highlights were hanging out in the plaza listening to musicians (one guy brought a piano and was playing it for tips) and being accosted by bachelor/bachelorette parties selling trinkets for money so they could go and get drunk.
After dinner of Duerner (Turkish kebab, known as a schwarma in Spain), which was very tasty, we wandered to a store in the Turkish part of town, through a gate and generally around the city. It was fun relaxing and fooling around - here we have Bex and James enjoying themselves in a grocery store, and Dave imagining himself as Samson. Then back by the train station and cathedral we watched the guy with the maracas going to town. Here he gesticulates to a Beatle's tune - can you guess which one?
All in all, a good day.  

Germany Installment #2

I arrived in Germany in the morning on Tuesday after a long flight and a short connection from Paris. Olly, one of the counselors from Neues Leben, picked me up from the airport (she recognized me from the picture in the jacket of the CD I had sent with Tobias) and we had a good conversation on the way to the camp about Germany and culture and education. My goal was to stay awake until 8pm or so to combat jet lag.
The rest of the team was already there and had been since the previous Friday, so they kind of knew their way around and could show me the ropes. Camp had started on Sunday afternoon, so my job was simply to fit in wherever I could. English classes started every morning at 10:45am, and since I got there after they started, my job on arriving to camp was simply to settle in and wait until lunch. I figured I could do that pretty well. =)
Tuesday afternoon we had a bunch of activities for the kids where they were organized into teams and the leaders were given stations where two of the people in each team were required to do something. It was kind of like a scavenger/relay game. They told us to hide somewhere, but I think the translation from German was a bit off, because Bex (the other person at the station) and I hid, but then kids complained because they couldn't find us. We had the bobbing for apples station.
A bit later someone came and took our spot so we could go observe some of the other activities. I got some video of Dave McCulloch administering the 'Egg War' activity. He broke a raw egg into a rubber tube, and two of the group had to blow into it at each other - the one with the weakest lungs (or least unaware) would get egg in their mouth or all over them. =) What fun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5wZdLxYR1E

Germany Installment #1

I just got back from Germany a couple days ago, and so here I'm going to update (with video) what happened on the trip. Below is the video of the flight over, with more of a complete description and information below that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65XYvwAR4EI
I had never had Five Guys burgers and fries before I stopped at this shop in Dulles. Apparently they started in DC, but now have locations in Philly and NYC to name a few places. They have really good burgers and fries, and it was a great last meal to head off to Germany with. On the flight over to Paris the airplane food was actually pretty decent (go AirFrance!), and I had 3 seats on the side of the plane all to myself. I thought that would mean I'd get lots of sleep, but unfortunately the baby two rows up and the baby two rows back decided not to sleep at all, and to periodically let out piercing screams because (apparently) their parents weren't letting them have their way. Yay for undisciplined children. It makes me wonder how my parents managed to ferry all 10 of us (varying ages) from Ghana to the US and back - that's 2 8-hour flights in one stretch rather than just one.
So lacking sleep and stuffy from the flight, we landed in Paris where I had to hoof it to my connecting flight - through customs, out of security, to the other end of the airport and back in through security to catch my flight to Dusseldorf. Fortunately I made it with room to spare, but since I also didn't have a watch I wasn't sure until I got there that I would make it. Fortunately, the rest of the flight was uneventful.

English Camp

I'm still in Germany, and haven't been updating much, because, well... I'm pretty busy. I'm actually writing this instead of working out a lesson plan for tomorrow's English class, so this is going to be short.
Camp here at Neues Lieben has been lots of fun and very tiring. The first week I basically hung out and got to know the situation and helped out where I could. This week I'm in charge of teaching 12 highschoolers advanced English for an hour and a half every morning, playing guitar on the worship team, organizing American sports (football, baseball), teaching a worship band workshop and hanging out with the teens. So it's fun but busy. I have some great video from the first week, but unfortunately the internet connection isn't that great, so I haven't been able to upload any video, even the shortest clip. Maybe my friends Dave and Evelyn (they left at the end of last week) will upload something and I can attach it here. Otherwise you'll have to wait until I get back.
So that's pretty much it. I'll try to update again before I get back, and you can expect a more comprehensive blog upon my return.

Reviews

A friend recently got in touch with me on Facebook, saying he ran across a review of my latest album (Breathe Deep) on The Phantom Tollbooth. Intrigued, I went looking for it and sure enough found it was posted on June 16th, 2009. Here's an excerpt from the review, and you can link to the full review HERE:
  "What makes this album, Breathe Deep, so good is Hiram's penmanship. He is a great songwriter/wordsmith. Combine that with the airy guitar-based folk of his musical style, it makes for an enjoyable listen... It is poetic, musical, and honest. Hiram has put together an excellent album full of hope you can sit down and contemplate your navel to, or just play for enjoyment." 4/5 stars! - Robert Boynton, The Phantom Tollbooth
I just ran a Google search for 'hiram ring breathe deep review' and found another great review HERE on Adequacy.net - excerpt below:
   "Ring’s debut record suggest that there’s no suffering or turmoil that can’t be at least neutralized a little bit through some inspirational six-string strumming and a dose of hopefulness... there’s a heartwarming sincerity to be found in his fragile tenor and in the percussive beating of the guitar... If you feel like your life is in the doldrums, Hiram Ring’s music can probably help dig you out... His music, like his faith, is all about finding and embracing the light that can come out of dark places." Adam Costa, Adequacy.net
At the moment I'm packing for Germany, where I'll be joining a team from my church in teaching conversational English to German highschoolers for three weeks. I'll be video blogging on my YouTube site, and will try to keep this blog updated as well. When I get back, work will continue on the Sacred Songs project I started with Matthew Monticchio - we're also working on updating a Pageant Music blog, and I'll let you know when we get that up and running.

New Recording Project

The other day Matthew Monticchio and I went out to our friend George Yellack's house to record some drums for songs we are working on for a new collection of sacred songs. We wrote some of the songs and re-worked old hymns for this project, much like our last two Christmas album projects. This album will be released again under Pageant Music, and features a bunch of local musicians (Cliff Lewis, Katie Becker, Claire Battle, myself, Matt, others to be named) in a folk/pop/indie vein. You can download a rough demo of one of our original tunes, 'Communion Hymn' HERE. I'll try to keep you updated on our progress - here's a short video of our journey to George's and what we did when we got there.

Cornerstone Music Festival

I have been out of the loop for a few weeks, with good reason. I took some time off working for Math U See in order to go to Cornerstone Music Festival in Bushnell, Illinois this past week. The festival is run by Jesus People USA, an intentional community in Chicago that has been around since the early 70s. Last time I was there was in 2001 with the Wycliffe World Music Band as a roadie, and this time I just went to enjoy the festival. It was a blast!
I actually did end up playing at the Impromptu Stage to a crowd of 15 people, 8 of whom bought CDs (pretty good average since 5 of the people were friends who already had my CD), but the highlights for me were Stavesacre (back together after 6-8 years), Dave Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) and Rosie Thomas. Family Force 5, Anberlin, and Me Without You were pretty cool too. And Brian 'Head' Welch (former Korn rocker). I brought my video camera, but totally forgot to carry it around with me. I couldn't find the song I wanted on YouTube, but here's someone else's video of Dave Bazan's show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19oHHGfifgU
And in this video of Brother Red Squirrel's show you can see me dancing and clapping at 10 seconds with the black shirt on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW1103I46WU

Beat

I'm writing an essay on rhythm for a new book that my friend Ned Bustard is editing. It's coming along, and I'm encouraged thus far. Here's an excerpt:
"There is a... kind of music that surrounds us at all times and places. This is the music of the natural world, the language of plants and animals, wind and weather, even the chatter of mechanical things that humans use, cars, trucks, traffic, electrical appliances, tools and implements. Humans are beings that seek consistency, pattern, and dislike changes that interfere with that pattern. There are natural cycles that we engage in and respond to and that we observe in the world around us. It almost seems that if we could pull far enough back from our understanding of time, we would be able to hear all of these noises together and discern a larger movement of harmony or dissonance in the whole. Classically, this is akin to the 'music of the spheres'. We might also refer to these phenomena as 'rhythm'."

Of course, sometimes I need inspiration, which is why I was glad when my friend Ed turned me on to this classic clip from the muppets:

Lancaster City

It's really good to be home. Last weekend was Music Friday in Lancaster, and my friends Katie Becker and Cliff Lewis each played a set of music with their bands at Building Character, a neat grass-roots venue with a really cool vibe that started up just at the beginning of the new year. It was tons of fun to simply hang out with people and not have to play music - just enjoy it.
After the concert a bunch of us went across the street to The Belvedere, where our friend Matthew Monticchio was playing jazz with a bassist and drummer up in the martini lounge. I brought my video camera along and managed to get some footage of them playing (and riffing off of) Duke Ellington's tune 'In a Sentimental Mood'. It was a great night and it's good to be back in community again.

Things I've Learned from Tour

For 68 days, beginning on March 2nd, I was on the road - driving down the east coast and around through the midwest (as far west as Tulsa, Oklahoma) up to Chicago and back through Ohio to good ol' PA. I kept a log of each day here on my blog (scroll down) and took video as well. Some days I got better video footage than others.
I traveled 6,347.3 miles, according to the mileage I wrote down on my receipts when I filled up my tank in whatever place I happened to be. Some other data from those receipts (for you data-gatherers): the average price of gas during those two months was $2 per gallon, my car used 181 gallons of fuel and I averaged 35 miles per gallon. Not bad for a 1985 Toyota Tercel.
So what did I learn from the experience? Here's a few bullet points:
1. The United States is a big place. I never TRULY realized this until I started driving around on my own - the land itself is incredibly varied. Soil and land/elevation differences cause flora and fauna to change as you go south from PA through the hills of VA to the clay soil of North and South Carolina to the sandy and more tropical Georgia and FL. Tennessee is halfway tropical and then Arkansas starts into the plains and open spaces, which is what Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and most of Ohio is like - only when I crossed back into PA did I start getting back into mountain areas.
2. GPS is the way to go. I have to say that for this trip it was awesome to have a GPS to navigate for me - took a lot of the guesswork out of getting from one place to another. You do have to keep your wits and an eye on the road though - it's not a perfect system and there's lots of change in names of roads, etc... that still happens in the US.
3. Originality was not a strong suit for many of the early settlers. Everywhere I went I kept finding names repeated - of towns, cities, roads, etc.. I guess settlers were more concerned about having a name than that the name be unique. It makes me realize that our value of uniqueness may be a rather recent phenomenon.
4. NJ drivers are not the only bad drivers. Wherever I went this was pretty similar - there are always a few people on the road who are either completely oblivious to what's going on around them, or they aren't paying attention. There were a couple pretty hairy spots that I managed to escape from intact simply because I was paying attention to other drivers who obviously weren't paying attention and maybe didn't even care that they almost caused an accident.
5. People are friendly wherever you go. This was definitely true in every place I stopped, even when I was the only white person around - be friendly and direct, and people will return the favor. Probably my favorite part of the trip was spending time with friends and family along the way - sleeping over, sharing meals, helping out around the house, building community. It makes me realize how important it is to stay interested in people and to invest in each others lives, and that community only exists (and can even exist on the road) when you invest in it.
All in all, the trip was a great experience. I got some really positive feedback, played about 25 shows, sold about 250 CDs (10 per show on average, though some places I sold a lot more and some I sold a lot less). The average crowd was 20 people, which means I sold CDs to about half the people that came to my shows. It was extremely encouraging to me as a musician to have that kind of response, and it makes me think that I'm writing and performing music that really connects with people, which is exactly where I want to be.

Vlog Day 68 - Home

I drove from Grove City to State College, where I spent the afternoon with my friends Paul and Katrina and their daughter Anna. We went to the book sale (which I forgot to take video of, unfortunately - tons of books in a big agricultural arena) and then had lunch and I hit the road again for Lancaster.
On the way home my 1985 Toyota Tercel hit 100,000 miles! Pretty cool - it is now officially broken in to life on the road. I must say it is really good to be home, and I made it in time for Mother's Day!

Vlog Day 67 - Grove City

I arrived in Grove City, PA on my way home from Ohio. My brother Seth lives here with his wife, and I also have some friends that go to school here. My friend Rachel was in the youth group at Wheatland where I have been a leader for the last year or so, and she showed me around the campus, talking a bit about the buildings and interesting practices ('creeking' for example) that have become part of life at Grove City College.

Vlog Day 66 - Jim's Coffeehouse, Elyria

My friend Brandon grew up here in Ohio, near Elyria (it's his family I've been staying with). He told me about the open mic at Jim's Coffeehouse, so I stopped by. His friend Dan Sams shared some poetry and I played some songs. There were some other good acts too. Brandon's girlfriend Katie also made an appearance. The coffee is excellent, btw.

Vlog Day 65 - Bob Holmes

I'm staying with some friends in Amherst who work for Math-U-See. We went to watch Bob Holmes play volleyball against a couple teams by himself. Then he gave an inspirational message and the gospel. Here's some shots from the event.

Vlog Day 64 - Polymers, Quaker Oats, Wonder Bread

Jonathan Crissman showed me around the University of Akron and the town after his shift at the library. They have the science building sponsored by Goodyear (polymers used in modern tires were developed here) and down the street is the old Quaker Oats plant that has been turned into a hotel and tourist town. Apparently they don't get a whole lot of tourists anymore.
On the way home for dinner, we stopped at the Wonder Bread outlet as well - they bake bread here in Akron and it smells pretty good. Jonathan's favorite is Pumpernickel. I have to admit it is pretty good.

Vlog Day 63 - Akron

I visited my friend Jonathan Crissman in Akron, where he's getting his master's degree in guitar performance from the University of Akron. We hung out, made some rice and beans and celebrated the coming of Cinco de Mayo. We're not Mexican, but we celebrate St. Patty's Day too, though we're not Irish.
Jonathan's a cool guy though. We went to college together, and besides his classical training and hymn arrangements, he recently released an album of folk tunes. He also is finishing up a project with Kendall Ludwig called Stories of Clockwork in which they both play the Appalachian Dulcimer. In a couple weeks they'll be on tour in the Northeast, so definitely check them out if they get out your way.

Vlog Day 62 - Yellow Springs

Today I drove through Indiana to Ohio, where my mom's cousins (Carolyn's parents) live in Yellow Springs. I took the skyway from Chicago along the lake, and then headed south to Indianapolis. Once I got into Ohio, the landscape started to remind me of Pennsylvania, though very flat.
Yellow Springs is off the beaten path but near some major cities in Ohio. It's the home of Antioch College (which has closed recently, unfortunately) a really cool national park, and has a friendly small-town feel. I went to the horse barn with my Aunt/secondcousin (I always get confused by that kind of terminology) and got to hear the brass quintet that my Uncle/secondcousin is in practice for their upcoming Father's Day performance.

Vlog Day 61 - Lucha Libre, Moody Bible Institute

I took the elevated train in to Chicago city (the Loop) from Pilsen. Down below the track there was a block party going on, and Lucha Libre was just getting started. The Mexican version of WWF, part soap opera and part fight choreography, it would have been fun to see. However, I rode the train instead and met up with my friends Anna and Emma at Moody Bible Institute, where they're finishing up school.
They showed me around the campus, which is bigger than it looks, and took me through the tunnels and around and about. They seem to know everyone and kept introducing me to people as their friend from Ghana (we grew up as fellow MKs). There was a fair being put on by the student government for students and the community, so we partook of cotton candy and popcorn and watched people on the bungee swings. They mentioned they wanted to see 'Wolverine', the latest X-Men movie, and so we walked downtown to the theater to see it - a really good film, if you haven't seen it yet. I would review it, but this isn't the place. Or maybe it is and I'm just lazy. If you comment on this post, I'll review it. Afterwards, dinner was Go Roma, a great pizza/salad spot downtown.

Vlog Day 60 - Chicago

I drove to Chicago, from Gridley (the kids made me a really great card, so just for that I have to go back to see them at some point in the future) stopping in Peoria along the way to get an oil change at Firestone. It was probably good I stopped, because they also changed the battery, which was leaking acid. Ended up being a bit more expensive but not terrible, and now my car runs again like a dream.
In Chicago I'm staying with my cousin Carolyn, who lives on Peoria street in the Mexican part of the city. We had a great time catching up - visiting Kristoffer's Cafe (which has Tres Leche Cake - very good!) and generally hanging out. I haven't seen her in 4 years or so. I love reconnecting with people, which has been kind of a theme of the trip.
In the evening I played at Uncommon Ground in northern Chicago, opening for my friends Lucrezio. Jennifer and I went to college together, and they have a really great acoustic sound. I also got to see my friends Anna and Emma, whose parents were missionaries in Ghana as well. They go to Moody Bible Institute and kindly took some video for me. It was a really vibey place, but the sound was a bit hard to get used to. We (I and the sound guy) figured it out halfway through, fortunately, and ended strong.

Vlog Day 59 - Goat Fence

I helped Duane put up the goat fence today. It was pretty windy - I had to wear my knit cap to keep my ears from freezing. Beautiful day though. It's been rainy, but it hardly rained at all today. The goats will be coming next week - they're planning on milking them and making cheese.

Vlog Day 58 - Ithaka Fellowship

I slept in today, then got up and went with Duane, his son Calvin, and his father to pick up some things from Normal - fence for the two dairy goats they are getting next week, the PA system for tonight, and some bricks and mortar for repairs around the house. We drove four across the front seat through mile after mile of fields that are empty, waiting for the rainwater to drain so that the fields will be dry enough for planting to begin. Duane's dad is full of knowledge about the area and the process of farming, so I learned a lot on the drive.
On the way back we drove part way on Route 66, which goes right through here on its way south to St. Louis. Then we made preparations for the event tonight, and at 7pm people started arriving. Here's a piece of the event - my car song 'Steer Into the Curve'.

Vlog Day 57 - Illinois

I drove to Illinois today, through Springfield to Gridley where some friends of my friend Tom Becker live. Duane and Julie host monthly talks and discussion groups in their home under the name of Ithaka Fellowship. I am their speaker this Wednesday, and was able to meet them tonight for dinner with some friends who live down the road that spent a couple years in Ghana, of all places!
Gridley is in the middle of farm country, where corn is king. Duane is the 5th generation of farmers, and moved back to learn farming from his father, who has a lot of knowledge about the land and how farming has changed over the last thirty years.

Vlog Day 56 - Grandview

I wandered around Grandview, Missouri a bit today - had lunch with my friend Phil, visited IHOP's prayer room, which has teams that keep prayer and music going 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's pretty cool - you'd have to experience it for yourself. The facilities are a bit spread out within the town of Grandview (part of the sprawl that is Kansas City), but part of the land is located across the street from the Truman Farm, which is where President Harry Truman spent part of his life, learned to farm, and 'gained his common sense', according to his mother. I stopped at what is left of the farm and was able to take the cell-phone guided tour. Pretty interesting, and not super involved, which was nice.

Vlog Day 55 - IHOP Kansas City

I'm staying with my friends the Samuels south of Kansas City. They are part of the International House of Prayer, which is dedicated to praying for the nations and teaching the gifts of the Spirit to the younger generations. It is a really neat place full of people here to seek God and to learn from the scriptures. They had a guest speaker this Sunday, Bill Wiese, who shared his experience of a vision he received about hell. It was really interesting to hear about his vision, and to hear the scriptural references he found to back up the experience. He's a really good storyteller.
I went with the Samuels to their home group in the evening, and we sang some praise songs together, and I also played 'I Am Not A Thief'. It's a great community they are part of, and I was blessed to be able to spend time with all of them.

Vlog Day 54 - Lawrence Tornado

Today was a pretty chill day - I visited the Watkins museum briefly (did you know they made electric cars at the turn of the century? Milburn did, that is) and then spent most of it in Signs of Life Books (google search it, it's a cool place in Lawrence), and half the time they were playing my music. I spent the time editing video, writing a letter, and talking to people. I also wandered around the bookstore, which rose incredibly in my estimation when I discovered a Square Halo book on its shelves!
Square Halo Books is a publishing company that my friend Ned Bustard started (Ned helped design my album cover and does other great stuff through World's End Images) which publishes great books on art and music - look for a new book out soon, on the business of art/music.
After Rachel got off work, we decided to ignore the tornado warning sirens and walk to get something to eat, which was perhaps not the wisest move. As the storm clouds overtook us (with lightning and beginning to swirl ominously) we took shelter in Wheatfields, a local bakery/pastry shop, and ended up waiting out the storm with other customers in their pastry kitchen. I managed to document the event. Fortunately, the tornado didn't touch down in Lawrence, passing northeast through the city before developing into an actual tornado of swirling wind.
I left Lawrence around 9pm to drive to my friend's house in Kansas City, and the last couple shots in the video are me trying to document the incredible lightning show I received on my drive - miles away and safe enough to drive past. I tell ya - weather is no joke out here.

Vlog Day 53 - Signs of Life Books

My friend Rachel lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where she graduated from college, and she is friends with people that work at Signs of Life Books, a bookstore with lots of great books - both Christian and non - that has managed to become a center for the arts and music in Lawrence, combined with a gallery and coffeeshop - just a really cool place to hang out. They set me up with a show at the bookstore, so I arrived from Tulsa, rented the PA system at Mass Street Music, and played for Rachel, her friends, and others that stopped by. It was a great night. Afterwards we went to a friend's house and hung out around the campfire.

Vlog Day 52 - Tulsa

My friend Ben Walker is a fellow Wycliffe MK (PNG) who graduated from Houghton and lives in Tulsa at the moment, where he's finishing up a master's degree. He connected me with a group that he is involved with that has a lunch every Thursday for international students who go to the University of Tulsa. They invited me to come play for them, so I was able to stop by and play a few songs, which people really connected to - I think I've found my niche. =)
Ben showed me the newly renovated library on campus and then I wandered around the town for the afternoon. I visited Gardner's used book store, which is one of the biggest I've seen, and discovered the golden 'oilman' accidentally before Ben took me to Tally's Diner on Historic Route 66. It was a beautiful evening, so we meandered through downtown and walked along the river while Ben told me a little bit about the oil-rich history.