Patrick O'Connell

Them Be Drums I Hear!

My son Declan plays the drums now. Delcan has a kit of his own our house is filled with the racket of his practice. And I love every minute of it.

He started taking lessons from my friend Kenneth in the Fall. Kenneth also plays in the Restore band. I've dreamed that my kids would love music (check) and that they'd play an instrument of their choosing (check).

Declan and I talk about music all of the time. He's always asking me what are my favorite drummers. Hands down, it's John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. So now we listen to lots of Led Zeppelin together.

Kenneth not only teaches Declan how to play the drums but he inspires him. That's huge. There's only so much I can do as a Dad to inspire my kids. We parents need help from the people around us. I am grateful to Kenneth.

Who are the kids around you that need you to isnpire them?

Music Lessons

We finally have Bailie and Declan enrolled in music lessons. Ever since leaving Chicago we've been looking for new teachers and now seem to have found them.

Bailie is playing the flute. Although she is doing very well in band, we have have talked a great deal about challenging herself to do more with her instrument. She plays very beautifully and now has her eye on the district band.

Declan is picking up the piano exactly where he left off last year. He returned from his lesson tonight and showed me what he learned. I am sensing a new enthusiasm in him for the instrument.

Long before the kids were around, Nancy and I promised one another that we would urge them to play instruments. Both of us regret not having taken one up when we were younger. ( I mess around with a guitar but haven't made much progress.) 

We are a music-loving family and it's great that the kids are filling our house with music.

Tommy Bowman's Song for Community

Tommy Bowman is a gifted songwriter. Moreover, he and I have been on this amazing journey together at Restore and we have worked really hard at trying to determine how Restore can be a difference-maker in our community. 

And so I was thrilled when when we sang his new tune 'Together You and I' about God-community this weekend at Restore. Wow was it powerful. 

The cool part is that Tommy and I are part of this Theology Club that meets at Starbucks every Tuesday AM and we were discussing the Trinity and the fact that God was in community with himself long before he created man. Tommy took the idea and wrote this song. 

You ought to check it out. Better yet, tell your worship leader to do it during service because Tommy will get the royalties and he has a baby due and all.

Seriously, it's a moving song. Check it out here.

My New Alvarez Guitar

I bought an acoustic guitar last week. It was one of those impulse purchases that I usually have enough discipline to avoid. I took Bailie and Declan to a guitar shop in Parkville. This is a guitar lover's shop. Musicians coming and going. Rows and rows of beautiful guitars hanging on the wall. Well, after meeting Dave who took the time to explain everything I could ever want to know about guitars, I felt comfortable enough to ask that he identify one that I might begin playing on.

Well, after about an hour I walked out of the shop with a brand new Alvarez guitar. It is SWEET.

It's funny to me that I never bothered trying to learn the guitar. I love music. I can't go a day without it. I love many genres of music and truly appreciate fine song writing. You would think that I would have tried to create some of my own.

I am spending time learning some basic chord and notes. Holding the guitar and playing is rather relaxing. I am not planning on taking lessons nor getting too serious about playing at the moment. But as I progress on my own, who knows, maybe Tommy will ask me to play with his worship band. :)

GOD, Family, Music, SunShine and Cormac's Chance to meet David Crowder!

My family and I spent this past Saturday at Ignite Chicago. The weather was simply perfect (sunny and warm) and the festival was even better. This was the first year for Ignite and all went fairly well. There was plenty of room for the 7,000 people because it was held on the grounds of Alexian Field, home to a minor league baseball team. You could sit on the grass or in the stands, whichever you preferred. Outside of the exorbedent food prices ($5 slice of pizza anyone) and a few technical difficulties, it was a great time.

Best of all was the music. I mean with bands like Barlow Girl, Seventh Day Slumber, Rebecca St. James, DCB and Casting Crowns, what wasn't there to like.

My family and I were particularly stoked to see the David Crowder Band. Before his set was to begin all of us made our way into the pit in front of the stage and waited. We were jammed in there together and Declan was a little perturbed that he couldn't see anything. I kept lifting him on my shoulders but warned him that once the music started he was going to need to get down.

Well there was some technical delay and it was hot and we hadn't brought any water with us. Nancy said that she would stay in the pit for a few songs and then head back to the blankets with the boys.

That's when David Crowder came on stage to mess with the crowd. Our son Cormac, who was sitting on Nancy's shoulders starting yelling out, 'excuse me, David Crowder' to get his attention. And when David didn't respond at first, Cormac started yelling out, louder now, 'Hello David Crowder.' This went on for several minutes as David signed all types of things people tossed at him from the front row. The people around us found Cormac hilarious and so one guy started yelling along with Cormac. Then another guy, and another. Soon there was a group of people screaming David's name. Finally, David looked up, spotted Cormac on Nancy's shoulders, pointed, waved and Cormac waved back. Nancy (now Cormac is on her shoulders this whole time) started for the stage.

And that's when little Cormac has his chance to meet David. Once Cormac was on stage he told David that he was thirsty. He also requested that the band play You Are My Joy. David stood up and went and brought him back a bottle of water.

If you missed it, don't worry. I suspect that the promoters deemed the festival   a success and expect that it will be back next year.

Thanks to David Crowder who made one four-year old very happy!

 

 

 

 

American Hardcore

I've been traveling down memory lane recently. My friend Josh gave me a copy of American Hardcore to view. This is a documentary by Paul Rachman and Steven Blush on the hardcore punk rock scene in America from 1981-1986. The film is based on a book of the same name which I have not read.

I am not going to try and explain Hardcore Punk but I do want to recommend the film. (Even if you hate/don't know/or don't care about Punk Rock it's a good film.) The filmmakers have interviewed many of the players in the scene and did decent job of telling the story fairly.

The really cool part for me has been seeing the footage of all of the bands, many of which I saw when they came to Chicago.

But that's another story.

Notable Music of 2006

Here's my favorite albums of 2006. (These are albums I discovered in 2006, not necessarily first published.)

1. Illinoise, Sufjan Stevens. Once I heard this album I went out and bought all of his music. His Christmas collection was on heavy rotation in my iPod throughout the month of December.
2. Seven Swans, Sufjan Stevens. Ditto above
3. Muth Math, Mute Math. Great sound and positive lyrics.
4. Z, My Morning Jacket.Just plain cool music.
5. Add to the Beauty, Sara Groves. Smart and engaging songwriting. Wonderful melodies.
6. The Crane Wife, The Decembrists. Most interesting and inventive indie album of the year.
7. Phil Wickham, Phil Wickham. Enticing praise and worship music.
8. Trouble, Ray LaMontagne. That voice...folksy and lyrics filled with alot of life.
9. Everything Glorious, Passion Worship Band. Hard not to get excited about a new Passion CD.
10. St. Elswhere, Gnarls Barkley. Just raw talent.

Pandora

If you love music you MUST check out this site NOW! It's free and way cool.

David Crowder Video(s)

Here's something for any of you David Crowder fans. It's a video from their website about a group of college kids trying to get to one of his shows--without tickets. Kind of funny and cool at the same time. (Total viewing time about 3 minutes.)

If the link doesn't work you can try it from the website. There are a couple of other videos as well.

And I Almost Got Rid of the Piano...

Our middle son is now obsessed with the piano.

Several weeks ago a friend invited him to a lesson with her daughter. Since then our house has been full of music because our son won't stop playing the piano. We can't keep him away from it.

Fortunately, we do have a decent piano for him to play.

Two years ago a client of mine and I were talking. The topic of music came up. Well, by the end of the conversation I had agreed to buy her upright piano with the intention that I might take lessons. She would only take a modest amount for what is really a decent piano and the deal was complete.  But I never did get around to those lessons.

In fact, several times this year mentioned to my wife that we ought to sell it. She refused noting that it was a good place to display family pictures.

Fast forward to this month and that lesson. Now our son sits there for hours (really) and plays. He hammers out Ode to Joy and Jingle Bells over and over and over.

And to think, I almost got rid of the piano...