I enjoyed this and realize I need to take more risks.

I finished this video last night. This video introduces you to some of the amazing folks with whom I’ll be traveling to Kenya.

I enjoyed working on the Production Team. I got to the church at 3:30 for the initial meeting. I met the stage manager and followed her around. Immediately I was given access to areas of the church most folks will never see. I walked through stairways leading to the baptism. I hung out in the green room where all the musicians are. I wore a headset where the producer gave us cues to lower the screen. That’s right, the stage manager holds the power of lowering the massive screen receiving Andy’s projection.

The band ran through all the songs to work out any issues. Then we do an actual rehearsal of the service from start to finish. After that rehearsal we ate. We had food from Moe’s.

Then it was time for the service. There was a little confusion because the stage manager and I did not hear any cues from the producer. We never got a cue for the campus pastor to go on stage but he just went for it. At this point the band has already done 2 services in the morning plus a lengthy Wednesday rehearsal. So there is no guess work.

When the worship set is over we lowered the screen. I watched the message backstage. It was difficult to hear. I did not have a monitor. The audio was bouncing from the back of the room to the stage. I still got the gist.

The band came back on stage for one more song. And then it’s over. I was there for 3 and a half hours but it went by fast. I enjoyed it I’m looking forward to learning more. Another bonus was I knew a few folks. My buddy Marcus ran the monitors. So I was hanging backstage with him.

There was a definite camaraderie on the Production Team. Everyone was nice and friendly. I’ll be back in a few weeks.

Today I start volunteering for the Production Team at church. I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing. Today I will be training with the stage manager. Then I can decide where I’d like to volunteer. I’m leaning more towards the video side of things, directing or switching.

I’m looking forward to getting involved behind the scenes. If you’ve been to my church then you know it is quite a production, a straight up rock show.

I just read this article on CNN.com about how blogging is viewed as group therapy. I can see that. I don’t get too personal on here because I am a big fan of privacy. Still it’s fun for me to write about what’s going on and that is therapeutic.

I’m working on a video from this weekend. Our Kenya Team had a great time getting to know each other.

The answer to the question, “Can the Internet hold you accountable?” is a decisive no. Good news is I’ve managed to find the motivation to workout again. Oddly enough I found it in Jesus. I hold strong to the truth that the body is a temple. So with that, keeping my body in good shape is direct obedience to God. So when I struggle to wake up in the morning I ask God for help to keep His temple strong. It works, I get up and exercise. I also have inspiration from my campus pastor. He has 2 kids and runs Buckhead Church. I read his tweets. If he can do it I can do it.

To me Scarlett Johansson is one of the most beautiful actors around. I am a fan. Today I checked out a few of the songs from her new record, Anywhere I Lay My Head and it’s what I’d thought it would be, lackluster. The only saving grace is that she chose wisely to cover Tom Waits’ songs.

Johansson is a fine actor but not a singer. Her voice is lifeless, with no character and after a few minutes, downright annoying. She double-tracked each vocal and covered it with reverb. The tracks themselves are interesting and atmospheric but once she starts singing I lose interest.

I applaud the risk she took but for me this record does not deliver enjoyment.

You may have heard that singer/songwriter Paul Davis passed away on Tuesday. As a kid I remember loving his songs, they were always on the radio. It’s fun to listen to these songs again. It’s been many years since I’ve heard them. Thanks for the memories Paul.

Ah yeh, “‘65 Love Affair.”

Here’s his biggest hit, “I Go Crazy.”

I am not an American Idol hater. I used to watch the show each week. However I haven’t bothered to watch the past 2 seasons. I’ve seen one show from this season. Granted this was months ago when a lot of the horrible singers were still on. Still, the “good singers” did not captivate me enough to continue watching.

Stories in the media say the ratings are down this year. I think the reason is there are so few people who are actually stars. Look at all the past winners of Idol. I’d say that only Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are true stars. Ruben Studdard and Talyor Hicks were dropped from their labels. I don’t think Jordin Sparks is a star at all. What about Fantasia? I don’t see anything groundbreaking happening from her.

The main reason for me to watch was to see what acerbic comment Simon Cowell would make. Paula and Randy use the same critiques over and over. At least with Cowell you never know what hilarious quip will emerge. Which leads to a theory I have for another post, Americans love to get bashed by Brits.

Every show must end at some point. I can see Idol sticking around for 2 or 3 more years. After that, I think we can say we’ve had enough of Idol.

JamSmooth out.

Back in December we shot a video for one of my songs. We shot it on a JVC GYHD100U camera. Unfortunately the firewire port on my friend’s camera is broken and we’ve been unable to import the footage.

Avril, the amazing director of the video, has been all over town looking for a place that can transfer it. Only one place can and it will cost $200. For some reason this particular format is not read by most decks.

I wanted to put the call out for a JVC camera. We can use the 110 or 200 series as well. All we need is to import the footage, using the firewire port to the computer. Then we can edit it.

So if you know of someone in the Atlanta area that can help please write me at jam@jamsmooth.com.

Thanks!

I used to be a personal trainer. It was a cool job but the hours were not for me, early mornings and late evenings. Add to the mix that the studio I worked at was in East Cobb and that created a rough commute. So I’ve had a commitment to fitness for a long time.

It’s not a secret that I loathe cold weather. It paralyzes me. I have the hardest time getting out of bed when it’s cold. I admit it, I’m a wuss when it’s cold. I still can’t see how folks tolerate places like New York City, Detroit, Chicago and Alaska.

My commitment to exercise was killed by the cold. This winter I worked out twice a week, Saturdays and Sundays. This pattern continues today and I’m not pleased. I want to be exercising at least 5 times a week. I’ve also noticed where my body stores fat and well, let’s say there’s more than there used to be.

The point of this post is I’m laying it out there, out for the world to see. I’m committing to exercising 5 times a week starting, April 21st. Spring is here and summer just around the corner so now is the time to get ready.

We shall see if the Internet can create accountability.