music

Music, Never Leave Me

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Right now it is Lauryn Hill. Stirring my soul.

Yesterday, Maroon 5.  Made me dance in the kitchen.

The day before, Watermark.  Ushered me in to a peaceful place and time, alone with my God.

I must have music as a part of my life. I have to hear it in the car while driving…more often than I have to have a beverage in my right hand. And that’s a lot. I have to have it on in the living room when the TV is not on. Music helps to remind me that there are more songs to be written. The arrangements, styles & experiences out there remind me of the boundless creative reservoir out of which music is born. It helps me to never give up. Music will always be my heart. Not in my heart. It will always be my heart. A key element that makes it keep beating…keep striving…keep believing that I have an irreplaceable purpose in writing and singing and expressing all that God has put inside me.

The week of Christmas, it was Brook Fraser I listened to for a just a few moments. She inspired me to write more, to keep it simple and pure, and to express my ideas with meaning. To write with a global perspective.

Two weeks ago it was Christina Aguilera. I was missing my band from the three years we lived in Austin. She pushed me to keep singing. To try to sing higher, and lower, and with more control. She helped me to keep my focus. And also helped me find my inner-sexiness when I needed to.

A month ago it was Casting Crowns – a Christmas song of theirs that reminded me of the names of God, right when I needed that to hold on to and give me hope.

Music, stay within me.

You help everyone believe me.

Awaken the places

That’ve fallen complacent.

Never leave me, please

Never leave me.

 

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Investing in Someone Else’s Dream

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Today I ran into my old boss, friend and musician in the worship team I was a part of years ago; his name is Jerry. As I think back to my 3 years working for him as a dispatcher for a commercial miniblind and drape company,  I recall one main event. Continue reading →

Our Sidewalk Dance Party Tribute to Michael Jackson

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Last night we drove to Walmart to let Bray spend his Gigi money, and after 20 minutes of indecisiveness, Ricky & Bray meet us girls at the self-check with … Michael Jackson’s #1’s cd (hmmm, could this be a gift for Daddy too? I think so).

With each song on the way home, we get more into the music and keep driving… past our street…just to keep listening. Finally, for the sake of reading time before bed, we turned around on 79 & headed home.

As we do, we approach our friends’ (whose kids LOVE Michael Jackson) and per Ricky’s (half-joking) idea, we stopped, hopped out and cranked it up loud! Bray knocked on their door and ran back to the sidewalk to join Angel & me for the street party.

The 3 Bosserman kids in jammies opened their front door & hesitantly came out into the chilly air, saw us bustin’ moves left and right, & before you could say a high-pitched, “Heee-Hee”, smiles spread & they all started dancin’ on the sidewalk, too.

We were 5 kids & a few grown up kids… just-a moon-walkin’, hat-tiltin’, crotch-grabbin’, and shoulder-shruggin’ to Billie Jean and Thriller. I think we all need random moments of silliness & reckless abandon.

Playing at the Symphony with Angel, & in the Creek with Braylon

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I am so thankful I’ve been able to spend some precious time with my lil ones lately. Week-in-Review! Monday we designated as date night, but not for Ricky & me…we split up with the child we were about to be away from for 8 days (while the boys traveled to the great NW)! So, I took Bray to the creek & (per his request) to Golden Chick where they served the best Diet Coke on tap that I’ve ever tasted Continue reading →

The Refocus of a Blog

Chelan1 Comment

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Ya know, I figure since I got this new, easy zoomed-in domain, it’s about that time to get my writing more focused. I don’t know why, but to me, it seems scattered (pretty characteristic of my self-diagnosed A.D.D. behavior).  But I don’t feel the need to branch out and cover a wide range of topics or to say my piece about politics or the latest headline. I don’t get a lot of traffic (and maybe that’s why), but I am so glad that God has helped me MUCHLY with not being concerned w/”how many & who” visits this lil corner. For me, I’ve found that that way of thinking can get dangerous and lead to…as silly as it may sound…an addiction to social media technolofame (did I just coin that Continue reading →

Last Night’s Jonny Lang Concert at the Paramount Theater

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Wow.

sign

Wow.

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Wow.

Last night, Jonny Lang, in his late 20’s, 6-string, western snap-shirt and torn jeans, took the stage & delivered one amazing show. The band seemed entirely different than it was when we saw him at the Rogue Theatre in OR  3 yrs ago, but still unbelievably rocked. Especially his only BGV, Mr. Jason Eskridge  who just blew us out our seats w/his pipes on the Stevie Wonder cover, “Livin for The City“.  Loved the songs, If we Try & Thankful, but one part of the show that was jus’ jaw-droppin’ was when Jonny shared the stage for a guitar duet with Austin’s own Eric Johnson (to see proof of this guy’s other-worldly musicianship, you gotta watch this vid of him playing “Cliffs of Dover” @ Austin City Limits in ’05). Crazy, mad skills. One legend along side one in the making.

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Ricky & I were dumb-founded as to why it seemed PC to stay in your seat during most of the concert. I was dancin’ as much as a white girl can dance and still be seated, every song. I think I’ll skip my ab workout today.

And alas, there was, during the encore, a bold declaration of Jonny’s faith in the Lord. My favorite part. Tears just welled up & my arm was raised to heaven like I had magnets in my fingertips, in gratitude that this young funky soul, in all his fame & glory, would play a song for the glory of JESUS & to share his Inspiration w/ultimately thousands of blues fans, during this tour. (BTW, here’s a cool clip of an interview w/JL about his “Turn Around” tour. And for a more extensive interview/article about his past written by Christian artist, Sara Groves, check out a previous post i wrote in October ’08, here.)

So, back to the encore. Before playing a raw, acoustic vsn of my favorite of all his sec’l songs, Breakin’ Me, he played my favorite & classic worship song. I heard a solitary, “Hallelujah!” & one “AMEN!” about half-way through & I know the song & the Spirit resounded in the hearts of many who recognized it. I bet they remembered it from growin’ up in the church & a desire to please & live for Him returned. Oh, my Jesus, may every word out of my mouth & every song I sing “be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear”.

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice

To worship you, O my soul, rejoice!

Take joy, my King, in what you hear, May it be a…

(These videos aren’t from last night, but they are from the same tour. I also found the song, “I Love You Lord” which is titled as “Breakin’ Me Intro”).  Here’s the worship song in its entirety. Praise God.

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bookin’ it!

Chelan2 Comments

illuminate has just been booked to play for 4 starbucks locations in the north austin area!

what’s even more exciting is that we have a great new website debut: illuminatelive.com! a special shout-out to talented and actually pretty hot webmaster, rresu.me for the extra time and sweet design. pray with me that God does His thing through every one of our 15 songs…not just at the coffee shops, but at the county jail and possibly a hospice home.

happy thanksgiving!

planning to fail ~ learning an instrument takes some dedication

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like a month ago i was complaining to my husband (not a rarity) about how little i actually play my guitar. there it stands in the corner, propped up, black & shiny with old tired strings, just beckoning me. yet i ignore it. ricky told me to be honest with myself. if i really wanted to play more, i’d make the time. every one of us makes the time to accomplish what we value the most. the more value something has to us, the higher it is on our list of priorities. i sat there desperately wanting to defend my desire – my dream to be this “singer/song-writer/guitar player” (which i still have) but could say nothing. when he’s right, i say nothing. i say i still have the dream. but it used to be a goal. but once again, a dream. no determination, no timeline, no plan of discipline or action (ya, ya, fail to plan, plan to fail)…kind of like the dream of a 128 lb., size 6 – me.

he said as an outsider lookin in, it seems i’ve replaced it with other things like scrap booking (doesn’t happen at all anymore) & blogging…(doesn’t happen much) and to which i might add i’m working part time now, focusing on singing in a Christmas band and writing more…i seem to spend a lot of time keeping the puppy trained, quiet & away from angel, & then there’s laundry, cooking, cleaning, playing with my fam…and i can’t forget to mention this beth moore study that’s kicking my butt.

they may all sound like excuses, but they’re just what i find myself doing lately…and there’s no denying it ~ what i choose to do with my every 24-hrs, is what i value the most.

i look at my guitar every day in my rock-n-roll inspired living room & it salutes me ever so patiently. i know my potential is far greater than i can imagine. i promise i will play you more one day, my friend.

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so tell me, based on how you allocate your time, what do you value the most right now?

what would you change?

what do you think you should promote from dream to goal & then to reality?