Video Collaboration: "I MIss Dating That Truck"
Recently I connected with a talented photographer in California named Thomas Black. He specializes in photography of what he calls the "abandoned art"of rural America. He has traveled all over the U.S. to capture unique images of old trucks, barns and other rustic images.
Tom and I decided to combine our arts into making a video for my song "I Miss Dating That Truck" (co-written with Scott Jarman) showcasing his exceptional photography. I love how the images support the story behind this tune, and it was a pleasure to work with Tom on the project. Here's the video- how do you think it turned out?  A Benefit for the "Heart and Soul" It's a pleasure to be asked to perform at charity events in Nashville, and I'm excited to be participating in the 8th Annual Heart and Soul benefit this year! The event will be held on Saturday, February 18 and I'll be playing from 7:00- 9:00 p.m. with Bill DiLuigi and Andrew Kugler. Heart disease is the number one killer in America, and it's personally hit members of my family in the last year. I hope you'll join me in buying tickets and supporting this important cause! Be sure to check out the Facebook event page for more information, too.  Master Session: Mike Chapman's on Bass! A-list session bassist Mike Chapman (above) shared some great wisdom about being a session player in Nashville in the form of a 'pizza' at The Fillin' Station in Kingston Springs, TN at Eric Normand's first Berklee Alumni Jam Session on February 7, 2012. Mike said that he believes there are a few key slices that make someone a great session player... Talent/Skill- You've got to have the musical talent and skill to be a session player. In Nashville, this includes knowing the 'Nashville Number System,' a numerical system used as a road map in the studio to tell players what the chords are regardless of the key. He said this is part of being what he called studio ready. Attitude- Be personable, positive and upbeat at sessions. Don't be 'that guy' that brings a negative vibe; ultimately you're in a service industry as a music professional. Work Ethic- Show up the session at least 30 minutes early, be responsible and be ready to start on time. Some publishers and songwriters will need to record up to five songs in a three hour session, so you have to be ready to play. Flexibility- Sometimes you have to read the minds of people that may not be able to give you concrete feedback in musical terms. It's good to be familiar with current hits in other genres in case someone says, "Can you play it like that Keith Urban tune or like the riff in that Lady Gaga song?" Tasty- Make sure what you play is creative but tasteful. You might be able to but your own little twist on a George Jones song, but it still needs to sound like George Jones. Be creative within the boundaries you have to work with. Mike grew up playing clubs in northern Alabama, when he and his friend Milton Sledge (drummer) hatched a plan to get out of playing in clubs to doing studio work. They worked locally doing demos for songwriters for free or $15 a song to get started, and over time, the songwriters they worked for ended up with publishing deals in Nashville. Those same songwriters hired Mike and Milton to come to town to play on their demos, helping them to begin to build relationships leading to more session work. "We played on songwriters' demos, then got to know their publishers and song pluggers. These folks would hire us for more sessions. And, as I tried to do my best with the slices I've shared tonight, work kept leading to more work," said Mike. It was during one of these sessions that he met Garth Brooks, then an unknown demo singer making $40 a song. They forged a friendship through playing sessions together, and when Garth was signed, his producer asked him if he had specific musicians in mind for his record. Garth asked for Mike to play bass on all of his albums (Milton was also recruited to play on the records by Garth's producer Allen Reynolds). A genuinely nice and down-to-earth guy, Mike Chapman is a versatile musician who doesn't believe that 'it's better if it's old or it's better if it's new'; as he put it 'it's all good.' And with Mike behind the bass, I can tell you that is indeed all good!  Now Playing: The LDS Film Festival Last week I attended the 11th Annual LDS Film Festival in Orem, Utah. The festival was founded by Austrian filmmaker Christian Vuissa (pictured with me above) to help independent filmmakers network and showcase their work. According to Christian, it was really surprising to see the growth in the festival in the first few years. But now, as the festival has grown to attendance of an average of 6,000 attendees and seven feature films annually, it's time to "plan the vision for the future." A vibrant filmmaker, Christian is also preparing to produce his next project- the story behind how the hymn Silent Night was written. The film will be called "Silent Night" and will air later this year on local networks. (I really enjoyed his film called "The Letter Writer" shown at this year's festival as well, though it's not quite available for purchase yet). While many of the films reflected Mormon history and culture, filmmakers Amy and Shawn Kenney are aiming to share Christian values with a broader market through film. "Stand Strong" is their first film- shot in an astounding 12 days- about a family learning spiritual priorities through financial hardships. The film has already been recognized among leading Christian films; it was just accepted into the 2012 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. I even had a chance to catch up with actor Chris Steele (pictured with me below) who gives a compelling and honest performance as the film's leading man, Matt Webster.  It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the role of music in film, directing and producing independent films and network with filmmakers. In short, I give the experience TWO THUMBS UP!  Lookout Country Radio, Here We Come!!! On January 26, "Great American Song" (DiLuigi, Ogden, Stewart) will be impacting at Country Radio! What this basically means in fancy music industry speak is that radio stations will begin adding the song to rotation and reporting spins each week. Will you please help? Contact your closest country station on this list and request "Great American Song." "It's about US, so raise your hands up!"  
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