RockOm

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• Swing, Africa, Swing! - "To say that music is a part of life in Africa is an understatement. In many African cultures, music has a greater significance than human life. It is often believed to have predated the existence of man and remains the main conduit for communication with gods. With this emphatic beginning, author Graeme Ewens plunges us into a fascinating journey into the world of African music." (thepatrioticvanguard.com)
• Sing your stress away - "Whether singing in the shower, the car, with a choir or a small child, “sound therapy” is linked to health benefits for body and spirit. Since ancient times singing has been considered a healing tool especially chanting and we all know that countries have created national anthems to generate patriotism. Sound can influence brain wave frequencies and promote well-being by doing the following..." (examiner.com)
• Healed by the power of music - "It is one of the most remarkable and inspirational stories in music: how Philadelphia singer-songwriter Melody Gardot rose from a near-fatal car accident five years ago to become one of the biggest jazz artists in the world. How she got there is a story of perseverance, hope and the healing power of music. Not only did music enable her to walk and talk again, it has set her up with a career many would crave." (news.yahoo.com)
• Questing After Coltrane’s Messy Transcendence - "The dauntless, combustible energies of jazz’s 1960s avant-garde have long held a deep attraction for the guitarist Marc Ribot. His public profile may involve a great deal of tact and concision — he works widely as a gun for hire, often infusing low-gloss pop albums with a proper hint of twang — but as a bandleader he tends to reach for a messier, more transcendent ideal. In recent years he has expressed that impulse best through his band Spiritual Unity, inspired by the free-jazz firebrand Albert Ayler." (nytimes.com)
• Old Faith Innovates in a New Land - "About 50 singers had gathered on Sunday morning in the senior center across the street from the Ganesha Temple, operated by the Hindu Temple Society of North America, in Flushing, Queens. They would be performing on the busiest day of the temple calendar — the first day of the festival dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-headed god." (nytimes.com)

By Trevor Harden, trevor@RockOm.net

How we use or invest our time says a lot about what we value. Time can be utilized positively in worthwhile projects, compassionate outreaches or spiritually-enhancing activities. It can equally be piddled away or even overtaken by mundane, daily tasks. Sometimes, though, just knowing this isn't enough. It's just too damn easy to take the path of least resistance and let the time fly by without any regard to how we're spending it.

So for those times when you need some extra motivation, here are a few songs that might give you the "juice" you need. We invite and encourage you to leave additional song suggestions in the comments.

SONG: "One Day Too Late" by Skillet (Listen)

EXCERPT: "So much to do and so much I need to say / Will tomorrow be too late? / Feel the moment slip into the past / Like sand through an hourglass / In the madness I guess I just forget / To do all the things I said"

REFLECTION: Procrastination seems to be in our blood. We all do it to varying degrees, but it just seems to be inherent to continually put off what we don't feel like doing. What are you putting off today that could just be worked through and completed? Spend a moment contemplating why you're afraid or unable to tackle the task, and you just may see that putting it off is more painful than getting it done. "Tomorrow may be one day too late."

SONG: "Time" by Pink Floyd (Listen)

EXCERPT: "You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today / And then one day you find ten years have got behind you / No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"

REFLECTION: Much like the last song, these lyrics are hinting at the slow creeping of time. In looking back and seeing how much time has passed, we discover the feelings of either joy and satisfaction or of regret and disappointment. And yet, today is the only day we have. Don't beat yourself up over lost time, but at the same time realize that today is part of tomorrow's past. Live today so that when you look back upon it, it brings you the satisfaction in knowing you it to its fullest potential.

SONG: "Life Means So Much" by Chris Rice (Listen)

EXCERPT: "Every day is a bank account / And time is our currency / So nobody's rich, nobody's poor / We get 24 hours each / So how are you gonna spend? / Will you invest, or squander? / Try to get ahead? / Or help someone who's under?"

REFLECTION: As an experiment, cut out 24 small pieces of paper, representing the 24 hours of the day. Then tonight, before you go to bed, allot those 24 "bills" to what you're going to "spend" them on tomorrow. On each paper, write how you're going to spend that hour: "Spend uninterrupted quality time with my family," "Finish up the blueprints," "Call my hurting friend," "Rest and recharge through sleep," or otherwise. In the same way that credit cards and electronic transfers don't give us the same experience as spending cold hard cash, perhaps experiencing a tangible expression of your "time currency" may be a valuable experiment.

SONG: "Cat's In the Cradle" by Harry Chapin (Listen)

EXCERPT: "My son turned ten just the other day / He said, 'Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play / Can you teach me to throw?', I said 'Not today / I got a lot to do', he said, 'That's ok'"

REFLECTION: Relationships are one of the essential pillars of life. The oft quoted John Donne quote comes to mind, "No man is an island unto himself." Therefore, in our quest to spend our time wisely in meaningful work, let us not neglect those around us who are in need of our love and attention. No matter how "spiritual" or meaningful the activity or task is at hand, if we ignore our friends, families, and neighbors in the process, then what are we really accomplishing?

Your Turn: What songs motivate you as pertains to the use of your time?

"Music, in its higher state, for me, is worth living and dying for. It's worth traipsing around the globe, it's worth the accolades and the other side of the accolades... I always have sung to the angels and the higher parts of people's souls." [Cyndi Lauper]

RockOm Round-up is a quick glance at what's going on around the world in the areas of music and spirituality...

• KJ52 offers gospel music in a loud rap - "KJ52's music has been praised as the music Eminem would be making if he became a Christian. KJ has [even] written a letter to Eminem in song form, 'Dear Slim.'" (al.com)
• Grammy-winner Bryson to bring soulful vocals to jazz festival - "Two-time Grammy winner Peabo Bryson believes in the power of music. 'Music is spiritual... Every moment of our lives is marked to some kind of music,' Bryson said. 'There’s not a soul on this earth that’s not used music to try to make themselves feel better in some way, shape or form,' he said during a phone interview last week from his home in Atlanta. 'We use it to celebrate. We search it to find answers. It’s like, there’s the Bible, and then there’s music; it’s whatever you believe in, and then there’s music.'" (thecamarilloacorn.com)
• Bob Dylan's Christmas album to benefit charity - "Dylan's 'Christmas in the Heart' album is due out on October 13, nearly six months after the release of his last studio album, 'Together Through Life,' which topped the charts." (news.yahoo.com)
• Bulgaria's church deplores Madonna concert - "Orthodox Church officials are urging Bulgarians to keep away from a planned Madonna concert this weekend, accusing the pop singer of showing disrespect to Christianity." (news.yahoo.com)

At a meeting of the American Psychological Association, Jack Lipton, a psychologist at Union College, and R. Scott Builione, a graduate student at Columbia University, presented their findings on how members of the various sections of 11 major symphony orchestra perceived each other.

The percussionists were viewed as insensitive, unintelligent, and hard-of-hearing, yet fun-loving. String players were seen as arrogant, stuffy, and unathletic. The orchestra members overwhelmingly chose "loud" as the primary adjective to describe the brass players. Woodwind players seemed to be held in the highest esteem, described as quiet and meticulous, though a bit egotistical.

Interesting findings, to say the least! With such widely divergent personalities and perceptions, how could an orchestra ever come together to make such wonderful music? The answer is simple: regardless of how those musicians view each other, they subordinate their feelings and biases to the leadership of the conductor. Under his guidance, they play beautiful music.

[SOURCE: Today in the Word, June 22, 1992]

We all have our own preferences, ways, personalities and idiosyncrasies, but it is only by surrendering to the Great Conductor (whether you call that God, the Absolute, universal energy, nature, or otherwise) that keeps our lives in balance and all of our actions singing in chorus with others and our surroundings. We can try to struggle and fight to have our own way (and yes, there are times for solos), but the beauty of the music is magnified when there's harmony with those around us.

"For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him." (Tao Te Ching)

"I have my own particular sorrows, loves, delights; and you have yours. But sorrow, gladness, yearning, hope, love, belong to all of us, in all times and in all places. Music is the only means whereby we feel these emotions in their universality."
[H.A. Overstreet]

This week's (just released) podcast episode includes the behind-the-scenes audio of our interviews with John Cooper of Skillet and Jonathan Walls of Playing for Change. You've read the articles, now hear it all straight from the artists' mouths. CLICK HERE to visit our Podcast page to download this and other episodes of the RockOm Podcast. Download it for your drive home from work or school today!

You may recall that several years ago guitarist Brian "Head" Welch left the Grammy Award-winning rock band Korn due in large part to his newfound faith in Jesus Christ and desire to stay off of drugs. In fact, RockOm had an interview with Head back in Februrary where he talked about his faith and new album.

Now, according to this article and interview with Beliefnet.com, "another member of the band, bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu has come out publicly as a Christian and has co-authored a book, 'Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn.'"

As the article mentions, Fieldy has taken a different route in that his plans are to stay with the band.

"It's somewhat like peace, but it's not like you become a Christian and [your] problems go away. I still have my everyday struggles of life and situations that come my way. But I found the difference now is when difficult situations come my way, I'm on a strong foundation and I know how to handle the situation. I don't know how, but following and walking with Christ, He shows me how." (Fieldy)

Beliefnet entertainment editor Dena Ross spoke with Fieldy about "what brought him to embrace Christianity, how he plans to stay sober, and Korn's response to his conversion."

See the entire interview, "From Korn to Christ--Part 2: Interview with Fieldy," HERE at Beliefnet.com.

Or check out Fieldy's book on AMAZON.COM.

"[Music] symbolizes the yearning for harmony, with oneself and others, with nature and the spiritual and the sacred within us and around us. There is something in music that transcends and unites. This is evident in the sacred music of every community - music that expresses the universal yearning that is shared by people all over the globe."
[Dalai Lama]

By Sneak Attack Media

Yesterday, August 25, marked two major events for Matisyahu - the release of his third studio album Light and the launch of his "One Day for Change" campaign.

NEW ALBUM, LIGHT

On Light, fans will find a much broader sound than what Matisyahu has offered in the past. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime) and Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu's most diverse album to date. Billboard marveled at its ability to "Push musical boundaries... dipping into everything from guitar driven rockers to stripped down acoustic tunes."

It finds the musician from Crown Heights, Brooklyn displaying his one-of-a-kind voice in a variety of diverse genres, moving through his familiar reggae-soul stylings to dancehall, ska-influenced new wave, pop-rock and acoustic folk.

Links: Purchase Light on iTunes, Purchase Light (deluxe
edition) on iTunes, Purchase Light on Amazon

MATISYAHU LAUNCHES "ONE DAY FOR CHANGE" CAMPAIGN

Always looking to inspire and positively motivate fans - the socially conscious artist has partnered with Kenneth Cole to create an online movement via Twitter and YouTube encouraging people to share ideas to positively change their communities in one day.

One Day for Change asks fans, as well as celebrities, websites, and musicians, to tweet their "ideas for change" using the #ondaychange.net hash tag. Matisyahu will re-tweet his favorites on his own Twitter (which now has over 720,000 followers) and award a signed copy of Light to one tweeter each day. Participants are also encouraged to upload videos expressing their ideas for change to the "One Day for Change" YouTube page between August 25th and September 18th.

On September 25th, a grand prize winner from the video uploads will be announced on OneDayChange.net. The site, built by Republic Project, features all of the video submissions, tweets, and exclusive content for the initiative and can be visited to view the latest entries. The winner will receive a Matisyahu branded camera provided by Flip Cam, and Matisyahu and Kenneth Cole will donate $5,000 towards the charity of the winning entrant's choice. Other participants who upload videos will have a chance to win 1 of 4 Matisyahu branded cameras provided by Flip Cam.

"Consciousness and positivity spread like a wave." Matisyahu explains, "It starts with one person doing one good thing and links like a chain, going from one positive thing to the next."

Be part of the solution - tweet your ideas for "One Day for Change".

For more information on Matisyahu, please visit:

www.matisyahuworld.com
www.twitter.com/matisyahu
www.myspace.com/matisyahu
www.imeem.com/matisyahu