[Kid Inspiration]

So one cultural change is happening right now because of the changing face of the music industry — and I LIKE IT!

To our children growing up, music is FREE. You download it and chuck it on a iPod and it didn’t cost them anything. Sure they may have paid for it on iTunes, but the overwhelming majority probably got it from a friend who knows how to get it online.

Now that obviously leads to problems in the Music industry, their entire model of income is based on sales of music… an artist may never have to tour ever in order to make a good living!

But it has all changed, and now we are seeing evidence of that all over the place. Madonna clonidine 0.2 mg is no longer with Warner Brothers (Music Label) but with a touring/promotion company LiveNation.

So… in New Zealand where I grew up, it was a very rare occurrence to see a big name come to town. I remember Michael Jackson, and AC/DC… not sure what that says about my musical tastes. And forget about any Jazz musicians! It just wasn’t worth their while to travel to Middle Earth, when they could tour Europe and the U.S. and make a fine living!

So I am excited to see this change, a couple of weeks ago I saw Five Peace Band play at the Opera House, a group I could have never hoped to see even a few years ago! And in just one weeks time Brad Mehldau at the Basement in Sydney! My favourite Jazz pianist!

So I am excited, musicians and artists are touring more than ever before, which may not mean much if you live in the US or Europe with millions of people or you like Pop music whose big names can tour everywhere (i’m going to see coldplay when they get here, so I like me some Rock and Roll)… but for little old me who developed rather minority music tastes I am like a kid in a candy store!

In the future, the music may very well be free, and the experience may cost you!

What does this have to do with children?

It may suggest that culture in the future may place value upon the personal connection with those who inspire us even more than now!

In the fullness of time all will be revealed.

But… it does mean they think differently to me… and to you.

Follow You.

Album release is coming soon… clarinex generic 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

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!

cipro order width=”225″ height=”300″ />

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

It’s 10:51 PM Sunday night.

I feel like writing something down.

I feel a little quirky. It might just be the album I just bought (on the itunes store on my iPhone – didn’t even leave my bed) (the fact I just told you that makes me a little sad).

Medeski, Martin and Wood are one of my favourite bands. Hard to categorise… they are kinda Jazz, Groove, Funk etc.

They released a kids album at the beginning of the year… ‘Let’s go Everywhere‘.

I just found out about it!

It’s GREAT. Just a bunch of REALLY Flippin’ awesome musicians playing music their kids will love.

Very timely, as we write cialis softabs generic songs for this years kids album – don’t be surprised if this next album features some funk grooves.

GMA Dove Awards has gone and passed.

The Veggies win for Kids Album of the Year. Here is complete list of winners.

Children’s Music Album of the Year
VeggieTales Christian Hit Music; VeggieTales; Christopher Davis; Big Idea Records

Cool.

American idol sing ‘Shout to the Lord’ in the finale of their ‘Idol gives back show’. Although removing Jesus from the song. But hey, still a great way to include evangelical USA.

Harry Connick concert went OFF!

Terrible picture I know, but an absolutely brilliant concert. He is a BRILLIANT entertainer and got two standings O’s at the end. I have never seen him live before, mainly owing to the fact that I grew up in New Zealand, and the only musicians that made the trip were either buskers, or doing it for charity… (it’s expensive to get to Middle Earth).

So one of the perks of being in Sydney is that you get a few more acts come through.

The band played a bunch of stuff from his lastest album Oh, My NOLA. He did a bunch of songs from that, and a whole lotta New Orleans old school! (St James Infirmary Blues, Basin Street Blues…)

There is a great Wikipedia page up about the tour, check it out if you are into it!

A great finish to a BIG Easter weekend.

New from Citipointe Church in Brisbane Saturate their second Kids Album!

No samples up online???? But I can tell you the songs are awesome and the kids in the recording are ROCKIN!

[v. sach-uh-reyt] - to soak thoroughly or completely

Welcome to the rockin’ worship sound of a new generation. Saturate is a mega all in one worship pack recorded with over 1500 children in Brisbane, Australia. These songs are guaranteed to get your whole family’s pulse racing and heartbeat pumping to the sound of God’s praise. These disks professionally present something historic, powerful, and enthralling & when heaven touched earth amidst the prayers and adoration of a young generation. These kids were Saturated with God’s presence, no question & and we know that you will be too.

Each year Christian Music Today put together the ‘Best of’ Lists.

Back in 05 we were no. 5 in the best of list for kids albums.

In 06, made it to No. 2 for Super Strong God.

Now for the Best of 07… drum roll… Tied for No. 1!

Uh Oh… no where to go but down now! Will 08 bring heartache, or will we conquer the world with a No. 1 not shared with anyone else?????

But seriously, it is an amazing honour to be a part of this church and music that reaches all over the globe, and is used in churches to connect kids with their creator!!!!!

Yancy has a new album out called Rock-N-Happy Heart.

From Yancynotnancy.com:

Yancy spent five years at Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a congregational worship leader, overseeing worship in a variety of areas and for a multitude of age groups. From elementary ministry to youth to young adults to the main worship staff, Yancy has the distinctive skill to lead all ages in worship, which led to her most recent album, a worship album for kids called Rock-N-Happy Heart that also features a companion DVD. If rock-n-roll is your style and worship is your heart. This music will bring a smile to your face.

One of the coolest things is, (at least to me) is that she has a version of I’m Reallly Happy which is a song Beci (my wife) and I wrote from Jesus is my Superhero!

And it is a FANTASTIC version, waaay better than our 2004 version!

So thanks Yancy! And everyone needs to not JUST buy the album but buy the Ministry Combo for your Children’s Ministry.

I read a lot of stuff…

In fact in an effort to read more, I am currently reading a book on speed reading… its just taking a long time. (Ha!)

(I apologise… now back to your regularly scheduled program)

The music industry is something I have been studying for some time now. I am in some way a small part of it because of our Hillsong Kids Albums, and it along with the Media industries have a lot of cultural impact on our children and families.

So David Byrne’s Article for Wired Magazine is a fascinating read.

David Byrne’s Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists and Megastars

What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that’s not bad news for music, and it’s certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists.

Read on

There are so many implications for the kids we minister to. Here is a list of some of them… which may or may not have come from this article:

Dave’s List for a new world:

1. Unlike the consumer culture you and I grew up in , our kids are growing up in a participation/collaboration culture
2. Music is digital and free in our kids minds
3. The ‘experience’ (events, concerts, meetings etc) will only increase in importance
4. Most of the families in your church (and probably you) are breaking copyright law in some way — which suggests to me that the law needs to change.
5. We as ‘grown ups’ need to change NOW, in order to understand the natives in this new world (our kids).
6. The video screen is the 21st Centuries stained glass window
7. Media is being produced where an audience of 100 is success, not just the blockbuster million dollar movie
8. The cost of producing excellent media will only decrease (it’s practically nothing already…if I had the skill, my home studio could produce anything from a music album to a movie score
9. YOU don’t get it yet, (neither do I)
10. Sharing a song by email/or whatever comes/and will come as naturally as breathing to kids (thereby breaking current law)
11. One of the major file sharing websites in the world went down for about a 24 hour period late last year and internet traffic in Europe went down by 35% in the same period
12. Don’t EVER put a computer or a TV in your child’s bedroom, if you do so, you are inviting porn and violence into their lives — kids get lessons before they swim, they need to know HOW and what to avoid online.
13. As kids leave my ‘Children’s Ministry’ and move in ‘Youth Ministry’ I don’t just want them to know about God, and have a deep relationship with Jesus, but also HOW to filter the world around them. Recognise and understand the culture they live in. What is beneficial and what is harmful, and how to engage culture… not to picket and denounce it!!!!
14. Harry, the Compass, Da Vinci… don’t be scared by the boogie man. In fact having your child read the golden compass during their teenage years may be one of the greatest tools to help your child identify other world views and develop a healthy response to them!
15. (What ticks me off about The Golden Compass is that the books have been around for over ten years and yet it seems that cinema is still the great evil of the Christian world, as if other forms of art ie. books, don’t matter and aren’t relevant).
16. God speaks through a donkey, he CAN and WILL speak through Britney, Madonna, The black eyed Peas, Hannah Montana, U2 — any kind of Art can be transformational.
17. Please don’t let your kids treat ‘secular’ (hate that word), art as to be avoided, you just condemned them to a life of irrelevance.
18. I have connected with some kids better through Nintendo DS than any other way
19. Somehow help your parents, to understand that the eyes are the window to the soul.We must protect that window jealously, I still remember vividly remember the first ‘inappropriate’ material I saw as a very young teenager… who was in the room, where I was, who let me see it… your kids will too… especially your boys… PROTECT THEM.
20. I am out of thoughts…

You may be wondering how I got all that from 1 article, the truth is that it was a collaborative effort from the results of much reading and study… especially blogs.

Hey,

Quick update about Kids album 07 –

Tell The World by Julia A’Bell
Message from Hillsong’s Children’s Pastor about the project

Pre-Order Site
Now updated with a couple of downloadble items – Music video preview and ‘My Number One’ preview. You can also download the mp3 and mpegs! Check it out!

You’re the Answer – Video Preview
My Number One – Audio Preview

Enjoy.

P.S. Oh it seems the release date is the 8th of Dec, but I heard whispers it might even be quicker than that!

Like a flashback to my early high school days when I used to sing “can’t touch this” in a very white New Zealand kinda way I was pumped to find out that MC Hammer has a blog!

http://mchammer.blogspot.com

Now the thing is this information is probably only interesting to people who ever sang “I gotta pray just to make it today” in the shower, or wore a pair of parachute pants, it’s my blog I and I can write what I want!

Hammer is now an ordained minister and spends his time in ministry… so as a result I now have added a new goal to my life, to see Hammer preach!

Very excited today!

Unexpectedly “Jesus is my Superhero” has been nominated for Children’s Music Album of the Year at the GMA Awards in April this year! The nominations came out this morning and our first ever kids album is in the running for the equivalent of the Grammys in the Christian world.
This is a big deal – it is the only Hillsong Music album nominated this year!

There are six albums in the running, and Superhero is the only one produced by a local church, not a record label.

Anyway, definately a surprise, and I may just have to be in Nashville in April for the ceremony

For those of you who were asking:

The release date for Super Strong God in USA and South America is 28th February 2006.

Koch Records will release Too Hoot to Handle, the debut album from kid-friendly hip-hop outfit The Hootz on May 24.

Here’s what the producer says about the album:

“I went searching for a children’s music album that I could feel good about playing for my kids and enjoy musically, said Smith. When I could not find one, my sister and I went to the drawing board, and came up with The Hootz as a way to combine my experience as a father with my professional life as hip-hop executive.”

In addition to four original songs, the all-owl band offers a series of re-imagined children’s favorites including London Bridge Is Falling Down,” “This Old Bird,” “This Old Man and “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

Blog Link

Koch Records

It will be very interesting to hear the production on this album. See what kind of sound they come up with to target kids.