Early in my life, I wanted to pursue a career in music education. I played clarinet and tenor saxophone in concert bands, ensembles, jazz bands, jazz combos, etc. throughout my entire secondary and post-secondary education and I wanted to do nothing else. But life took me down a different path.

This morning I remembered a project I started about 22 years ago. I was serving as an executive secretary in the bishopric of the Mesa College Third Ward (a student ward at Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ). In a bishopric meeting Bishop Burton mentioned that one of his favorite hymns was “Come unto Him” (#114 in the green hymn book) but that he wished someone would set the lyrics by Theodore E. Curtis to different music. I never forgot that comment and thought I might take a stab at putting this beautiful text with my own composition.

(1) I wander through the still of night, When solitude is ev’rywhere— Alone, beneath the starry light, And yet I know that God is there. I kneel upon the grass and pray; An answer comes without a voice. It takes my burden all away And makes my aching heart rejoice.

(2) When I am filled with strong desire And ask a boon of him, I see No miracle of living fire, But what I ask flows into me. And when the tempest rages high I feel no arm around me thrust, But ev’ry storm goes rolling by When I repose in him my trust.

(3) It matters not what may befall, What threat’ning hand hangs over me; He is my rampart through it all, My refuge from mine enemy. Come unto him all ye depressed, Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim, Ye weary ones who long for rest. Come unto him! Come unto him!

Over the years I have composed new music for this hymn on the piano, but I have never made a serious effort to arrange it or write it down.

This morning, out of the blue, this project came to my mind once again and I decided it was time to get these ideas out of my head and onto print. And also GarageBand (Apple's free music creation software). I even started thinking of some new musical ideas I could work into it.

Rather than compose it as a straightforward hymn, I want to make it a choral arrangement. This has all come about because of my recent discovery of VOCES8, the angelic-sounding vocal octet from the UK. I can't get enough of their music these days. And I've been imagining writing my own music for a group like them.

I'm not saying my version of “Come Unto Him” will ever be sung by any group, let alone the likes of VOCES8.

But I have been reminded of how integral music has been to my life and to my understanding of and faith in God. For me, music is one of the most beautiful of all of God's creations, and I believe He delights in good and sacred music. I can't imagine a Heaven without music.

I'm excited to see how this composition turns out. I'll be sure to share it with you when I finish it.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 146) #faith #Lent #music

The song is called “On the Nature of Daylight” and is performed by VOCES8 on their album “Nightfall” released in 2024. VOCES8 is an a capella octet from England and their music is, in a word, divine.

I decided to listen to the entire album today while I worked. And then I listened to two more of their albums!

But the song that brought me to tears is from that same album “Nightfall” and is called “Even When He Is Silent” by Kim André Arnesen.

Here are the lyrics:

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining I believe in love, even when I feel it not I believe in God, even when He is silent

Here is the recording by VOCES8:

And here is a beautiful performance of the piece by St. Olaf Choir:

This song was a desperately needed lifeline for me – a timely gift from a loving God. It resonated with me on a deeply personal level and expresses my current spiritual, mental, and emotional state better than words ever could.

The description of the St. Olaf Choir video says the text of the lyrics was found in a concentration camp after World War II. I wanted to know more about that, and a web search revealed many different stories and explanations for the text's origin. But I found a blog post that seems well-researched and says the original text – somewhat different from the lyrics of the song – was likely found in Cologne, scratched on the wall of an underground passageway that likely served as a refuge from the Gestapo.

I believe in the sun, though it be dark; I believe in God, though He be silent; I believe in neighborly love, though it be unable to reveal itself.

Whatever the circumstances or origins, the words and music are profound and moving. And exactly what I needed today.

I daresay it's also what the world needs today.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 143) #faith #Lent #Christianity #music

I recently discovered a label called business casual. Founded in 2013, they first specialized in Vaporwave but have since expanded to include a variety of electronic genres and styles. And they love to release their albums on cassette. I'm starting to focus more on that format since deciding to ditch vinyl, so I jumped on the sale and ordered a handful of tapes and a CD.

• Broadcasts by Sonnig 991 & Simple Syrup
• Twin Palms by GammaFlow
• Jewel in the Crown by Bart Graft
• In Place Of Power by Full Eclipse
• Lake Hiareth by Ghostmemory
• Rainbow Smears by maggie.wav

I also bought digital versions of a couple albums from Farfalla Records, a French label specializing in 70s and 80s Library music.

• Occhio Occhio by Eleven76
• Heatwaves by Pleasurewood

These are the first albums I've bought from either label and I look forward to exploring them.

I actually had to pare down my original cart for business casual – lots of interesting albums there.

I'll be playing the physical media on my Twitch stream hopefully soon.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 115) #music #libraryMusic #vaporwave #synthwave #electronicMusic #Bandcamp #physicalMedia #cassette #compactDisc

The seller said the CD player and cassette deck powered on, but hadn't been tested, and the receiver didn't power on. I offered $40 and he accepted. I figured if either the CD player or tape deck worked, it'd be worth it.

After bringing them home, I confirmed the receiver is dead. And neither of the players in the tape deck work.

The CD player works great. It's a model PD-5700, a couple years older than my other Pioneer CD player PD-102. They look similar, but have different button layouts. I will use both players for my Twitch stream. Now I can alternate between them and even do some radio-style DJ sets with them if I want to, playing specific tracks from CDs in my collection.

I was really hoping the tape deck would work, as the single cassette Sony player I'm using only sounds good playing tapes in the reverse direction. I have another deck in my closet that works and sounds ok, but it has a bit of interference noise that bugs me. It's also silver and doesn't fit with the style of the other equipment, which is black.

I don't know enough about electronics to attempt repairs myself, so I found a local electronics repair place. Their website says they repair audio equipment and consumer electronics, so I'm going to contact them and see if they will even look at these old systems. If so, and I feel their rates are fair, I might take a chance and see if they can get the tape deck and receiver working again. It'd be a shame to scrap them.

Mostly, I just hoped to have some redundancy in place if any part of my current HiFi stack failed. It's getting harder and harder to find good quality vintage HiFi components for cheap.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 109) #music #retro #nostalgia #hobbies #physicalMedia

Vinyl is Toxic

I knew vinyl should be kept out of landfills – that's one reason I justified collecting it. But after recently discovering a video by Ben Jordan from six years ago, I learned how toxic vinyl is to the air you breathe and how, with a few exceptions, the modern vinyl industry makes records pretty much the same way they have always been made.

You can watch the video on PeerTube or YouTube.

There is a lot of good info in the video, like what exactly vinyl is and why the vinyl in records is toxic. But the part of the video that really sealed the deal for me was when he got an industrial air quality monitor and stuck it next to a turntable. It showed that alarming levels of toxic particulates and gasses are released by vinyl records when they are played or even just handled.

It may just be a coincidence, but my allergies have been getting worse over the last two years, and wouldn't you know it, I started collecting vinyl records two years ago. At the very least, it's not helping. But this is just one of a few reasons I made this decision.

Vinyl is Expensive

Out of vinyl, compact discs, and cassette tapes, vinyl is the most expensive format. Of course it depends on the title. I've seen some rare CDs that are going for hundreds of dollars. But I've seen rare vinyl going for thousands.

New vinyl goes for $30-$50+ while new CDs go for around $15-$20. For the sake of my wallet, I'm focusing on CDs and tapes from now on.

Vinyl is Big

It takes up a lot of space and it's heavy. I can store 50-60 vinyl record albums in an IKEA Kallax shelf cube. But I can fit 120+ CD album jewel cases in the same space. By collecting CDs and tapes I can essentially double the amount of music I can store in my limited space.

Vinyl is Great and I'll Miss It

Despite all of this, it's difficult to give it up. I love each physical format for its unique quirks. Vinyl provides a delightful, intentional listening experience. Digging crates, and spinning and flipping records is something I will miss. But CDs have always been my favorite physical format for music and it just makes sense for me to focus on that again.

And so I've been sending vinyl mailers to my vinyl streaming friends on Twitch. I've also been taking stacks of 20 records at a time to trade in for store credit at my favorite record store and taking home twice as many CDs. It'll take a while to get rid of them, but I think it's a move that makes sense for me.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 104) #retro #physicalMedia #music #hobbies

May we always be grateful for God's incomparable gift of His Son. And may we always be looking for gifts of time, love, and service to give to Him.

What shall we give to the babe in the manger? What shall we offer the child in the stall? Incense and spices and gold we've aplenty. Are these the gifts for the king of us all? 

What shall we give to the boy in the temple? What shall we offer the man by the sea? Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising, Are these for him who will carry the tree? 

What shall we give to the man who was offered, Rising the third day and shedding his love? Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger, Bathing the infant come down from above.

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 93) #Christmas #faith #music

There are certain traditions and activities that embody the spirit of Christmas. Live performances of Handel’s Messiah are certainly in this category.

My wife had the opportunity to play violin in a community performance of this masterpiece and my son and I had the opportunity to enjoy it in the audience.

For a community choir and orchestra made up of volunteers, it sounded excellent. Singing along, especially with the Halleluja chorus, one couldn't help but feel the spirit of Christmas – the spirit of Christ.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

#100DaysToOffload (No. 83) #music #Christmas #faith

At the end, the entire congregation sang O Holy Night together with piano and organ accompaniment and it was quite a powerful and moving experience.

Traditions like these really help me get into the real spirit of Christmas and set the tone for the season.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 76) #Christmas #music #faith

The music and lyrics are brilliant and so beautifully echo my own desires at Christmas and all year.

I thought I'd share a lovely, little-known rendition I discovered some years ago.

Do you remember me I sat upon your knee I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well I'm all grown up now And still need help somehow I'm not a child but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish My grown up Christmas list Not for myself but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts And everyone would have a friend And right would always win And love would never end This is my grown up Christmas list

As children we believe The grandest sight to see Was something lovely wrapped beneath the tree

But Heaven only knows That packages and bows Can never heal a hurting human soul

No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts And everyone would have a friend And right would always win And love would never end This is my grown up Christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts And everyone would have a friend And right would always win And love would never end

This is my grown up Christmas list This is my only lifelong wish This is my grown up Christmas list

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 75) #Christmas #music

The music is sublime, as always. But the video itself is amazing and symbolic on so many levels.

It depicts a prison inmate being released. They intentionally never show his face, I think, because we are supposed to imagine ourselves in his place. Are we not all prisoners of sin and death? Do we not all need Jesus Christ to set us free?

“Christ the babe was born for you.”

Discuss...

#100DaysToOffload (No. 69) #Christmas #faith #music