New Songs, Dad Songs & Don't Make Me Laugh Songs

I've been aware for a long time that bands get bored of a song just as the congregation is getting into it, but now Jamie Brown has done the math. Check it out, especially if you suffer from NSEW (new song every week) syndrome.


Want to know what your Dad was rockin' out to back in the day? (assuming your Dad was a mulleted headed Christian). Popdose of all places is running a Top 50 Contemporary Christian Albums countdown. Expect horror, cheese and the occasional hidden gem. And lots of big hair.


American songwriter have posted a PRS poll of the Top 10 songs that make men cry. I gotta say it's the list that made me cry. Assuming some of those guys may have been gay takes care of Candle in the Wind (no 7), but Unchained Melody???

Read it and weep.

Related Posts: The Answer is always Yes
New Song, Free Download - You Spoke The Stars (Mercy)

Free songs by Matt Blick

You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Cay-Pos

Jamie Brown has posted and excellent video about using a capo in keys you wouldn't normally think of. Go watch it now!!!

...but...as this is the Internet allow me a little rant.

I know England and America are two nations separated by a common language.

I'm prepared to cut our US brothers all kinds of slack when they feel the need to remove letters from words to make 'em easier to spell.

I'll turn a deaf ear to the stumbling over UK place names (Lie-sester-sheer?).

I'll even grit my teeth and remain silent when they invent new words with exactly the same meaning as a perfectly good words that already exists.

But I can't take hearing another worship leader say they use a CAYPO!

A CAYPO! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

It's a Ca - Po. Hard 'A'.

Please understand me my transatlantic brethren. It's not a UK vs US disagreement. Other nations are upset too.

The root of the word is Italian. It comes from Capo tasto meaning 'head fret,' sometimes also known as capo d'astro/capodastro. 

That's "capo tasto". Go on, say it with hard a's in your best Italian accent. 

"Ca-po Tas-to!"

 Even the name sounds musical! Isn't it beautiful. Fantastico!

Now say it in American.

"Caypo-taysto"

Sounds like a really bad fast food chain, doesn't it.

I rest my case.

Jamie could you please re-dub a version for the UK market?

Related Posts: Small Band Arrangement


Free songs by Matt Blick

The Answer Is Always Yes

You have you're Sunday morning set list nailed down and perfect. You may have even rehearsed it. Then your Pastor informs you that you need to cut a song. What do you do?

Jamie Brown has a great post on this. And I thouroughly agree with him on it.

Worship leaders can quickly become territorial and protective of the time of singing as being “their time”. When that happens, requests to cut a song and/or shorten the time can be viewed as personal attacks warranting extreme defensive measures. 

Check it out.

Related Posts: Dealing with criticism
12 ways to increase congregation participation

Homesickness, Criticism & Fighting

No it's not a report from the Together for the Gospel conference*, just 3 posts you might find helpful!

Dave Trout of (Radar Radio fame) has some good counsel for touring musicians

Jamie Brown is a font of worship leading wisdom who I need to link to way more often than I do. Ten things to say when someone criticizes you after a service is just one of the many great posts on his blog Worthily Magnify.

Lastly a great rap from Tedashii (& John Piper)



[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

* This is a joke.