[Kid Inspiration]

Our 2008 Hillsong Kids album is called Follow You.

It takes Jesus out of an abstract belief and makes it concrete, a cultural shift from faith being a set of propositions you put your trust in.

A generation ago that album could have been called ‘Believe This’.

Witness the rise of social justice in the Church which (hopefully) gives equal footing to worship and justice in our faith.

Justice takes our abstract doctrine and makes it concrete… we are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet.

Amen.

It’s new music Tuesday! Which didn’t exist at this blog until I just wrote those words.

My Bro Nick is a brilliant graphic designer who works for a Church in Christchurch NZ called Majestic… (quick trivia, I was dedicated there in 1978, although it was in a different location).

I would link to his twitter here, but he seemingly likes to read more that tweet!

Anyway, with the help of Nathan Phillips (now back in NZ) who was with us in Hillsong for a couple of albums, notably Tell The World (2007) they have produced their first album- In The Future, and you can download it for FREE.

I love it!

It’s really cool, so you need to download it right now.

Melisa Bester is a part of our Hills Campus at Hillsong Church. She has sung on a number of Hillsong Kids albums and has now turned into a teenager with some serious talent… now I’m not saying I made her what she is today and that if it wasn’t for the opportunities to lead worship she had years ago she may not have even made it this far… just remember me when you’re famous Melisa!

The reality is, she has a gift from God and her family have nurtured it and developed it.

Here is her first music video Wanna Be Free

Her album is out soon… or may be out now… can’t seem to find anywhere to buy it?

I love seeing our kids grow up with confidence and pursuing their dreams!

GMA Awards were recently announced, Tell the World is nominated for:

CHILDREN’S MUSIC ALBUM
album; artist; producer; label

Absolute Modern Worship for Kids 4; Phoebe Ebensberger, Emily Ebensberger, Abbie Ebensberger, Joseph O’Brien, Timmy O’Brien, Mikey O’Brien, Abbie Chapman, Meghan O’Brien, Adelaide Bauer, Kristen Bauer, Karissa Selby, Emma Rose Williamson, Tyler Beiden, Garrett Williamson; Chance Scoggins; Fervent Records
All God’s Animals; TJ McCloud; Brandon Scott Thomas, Eric Wyse; Martingale Music
David: Shepherd, Psalmist, Soldier, King!; Bible StorySongs; Paula King, Catherine Walker; Bible StorySongs
Shout Praises Kids – I Am Free; Jeff Sandstrom, Kurt Goebel, Stephen Leiweke, Jeremy Redmon; Integrity Music
Sleepytime Lullabies; Praise Baby; Matt Huesmann; Big House Kids
Tell The World; Hillsong Kids; Julia A’Bell, Gio Galanti, Andrew Crawford, David Wakerley; Hillsong, Integrity Music

The awards are on April 32rd!

See the full list of nominations here

Follow You.

Album release is coming soon… due before Christmas in Australia, and in April 2009 in the US/UK…

But of course you could order direct from hillsongmusic.com even if you do live somewhere else in the world!

I really am excited about this album, some very different tracks and also my first vocal ever… with Dan Lee-Archer (aka Funny Man Dan), a hip-hop groove called ‘Love Never Fails’.

Album cover for Follow You

Didn’t have a camera!

So had to steal a couple of shots from some friends on facebook.

Kidsfest 2008… album recording… the whole day…

God is good. The event REALLY was a huge blessing to our kids and our church!

Hillsong Kids Album 2008 pit choir

Hillsong Kids Album 2008 rehearsal

So once I get a hold of our ‘offical’ photos from the album I will link ‘em here.

7am this morning, awoke and made my way to someone else’s house to start filming a music video for ‘Love Never Fails’, which just may turn out to be one of the most embarrassing things I have ever done.

Love Never Fails is a song written by myself and Gio Galanti, one of our kids album producers from Hillsong London. With help from Funny Man Dan in lyrics we have created this kind of Hip Hop track that talks about the fact that love never fails.

It’s not exactly praise and worship, so we are making a music video for it and including as maybe a little bonus on the album this year. But it was a whole lot of fun check out a couple of shots from the shoot with the ever imporessive Ben Field directing!

Ben peering into the little monitor to see what’s happening.

Dan filming last scene of day with a little help from our pro shaders

More studio goodness. 

The album maybe called ‘Follow You’. Which may just be the most rockin’ track we have ever produced.

Nigel Hendroff came and played with us for this one, and I can say that I have never seen him so excited about recording a song ever! I am sitting here with Gio editing this puppy into pop/rock goodness, but here is a shot earlier of Nigel playing and Gio recording.

Stay tuned for this song, it might just melt your brain!

So first night at the Grove Studio for 2008 kids album. Lots of work to do. But I am up for the challenge. There are a couple songs I believe will be VERY powerful for kids to sing. So next two weeks are spent getting ready for recording on 8th October. Pictured Andrew Crawford recording guru.

Now in my previous post Theophilus…

I did use the metaphor about giving birth, which I understand is a foolish thing for a male to do under any circumstance. But just read this quote from Ryan Adam’s;

What I do and what all musicians do is easy. All we have to do is sit down for a couple hours a week and write a song or two. That simple task is all the world asks of me, so I do it. The other musicians who don’t are just lazy, because again, we aren’t being asked to tar rooftops or clean out dumpsters. We just have to write a couple songs!

So true!

Read the rest of the post here