A Little Repentance Never Hurt Anybody...
OK, last week I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, and a song (possibly a pretty cool one, if I can realize what’s in my head) came out of it. It summarized a lot of the feelings I’ve been having over the past six to ten months or so.
But then, the Lord kinda called me to task. He did it in a very nice way. I got this email, and I hope the authors don’t mind me sharing an excerpt of it with you.
“I just feel like I have to say something- my brothers and I are in a band and love to rock out, but we couldn't really find the direction we wanted to take our music until my brother heard about you and we got a cd. Your music has changed my life, and now I can't stop listening to it!”
It really struck me as a cool thing to read, but the real message that I think God wanted me to get wasn’t just this one. I started thinking back over some of the emails that I’ve been getting over that same time that I’ve been moping that I was a tree falling in the forest, and I’ve been realizing that there have been people listening. And they’ve been responding back to me. But I was in this dark kinda place and I wasn’t letting myself see them. It’s like I was being blessed, but not noticing, or being grateful.
Ouch.
Anyway, so I’m feeling much better today!
MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
Monday, January 30, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
A New Song
So Jake is back up in the hospital, and you can read a bit about that at one of my other blogs. I’ve been facing some other struggles and feeling kinda sorry for myself in other areas. As I look at it, I’m not altogether sure that all the moping is really merited, but the other night as I was on my way up to the hospital, this song came to me.
As I read it, I don’t like to think that I’m really this whiny and emo, but it did feel good to get it out on “paper” and the sound in my head is cool. So, we’ll see…
My Dreams
By Mark Hansen 1/22/2006 12:20 PM
Last night I dreamed two dreams…
I could hear the music playing
And I stepped onto the stage
I was blinded by the spotlight
I couldn’t see beyond the cage
And the words that I was singing
Sounded through the air
Echoed off the ceiling
And fell down on the chairs
And when the song was over
And I listened for the applause
I saw the house lights flicker
Lighting up the empty hall
Chorus:
Is there anybody out there
That is hearing what I say
Is there anybody listening
Listening anyway
I dreamed I saw a distant forest
In its depths there was a tree
Its limbs were growing, stretching, reaching
But there was no one there to see
It could feel the seasons changing
And the trunk and roots grew old
Its leaves flew in the new wind
The limbs too tired to hold
And in the end it tired of fighting
And fell broken to the ground
Since there was no one there to listen
It died without a sound
Chorus
Bridge:
So why isn’t it enough
To sing it just for me
Why can’t I just sing it out
And let the music set me free
Chorus
MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
So Jake is back up in the hospital, and you can read a bit about that at one of my other blogs. I’ve been facing some other struggles and feeling kinda sorry for myself in other areas. As I look at it, I’m not altogether sure that all the moping is really merited, but the other night as I was on my way up to the hospital, this song came to me.
As I read it, I don’t like to think that I’m really this whiny and emo, but it did feel good to get it out on “paper” and the sound in my head is cool. So, we’ll see…
My Dreams
By Mark Hansen 1/22/2006 12:20 PM
Last night I dreamed two dreams…
I could hear the music playing
And I stepped onto the stage
I was blinded by the spotlight
I couldn’t see beyond the cage
And the words that I was singing
Sounded through the air
Echoed off the ceiling
And fell down on the chairs
And when the song was over
And I listened for the applause
I saw the house lights flicker
Lighting up the empty hall
Chorus:
Is there anybody out there
That is hearing what I say
Is there anybody listening
Listening anyway
I dreamed I saw a distant forest
In its depths there was a tree
Its limbs were growing, stretching, reaching
But there was no one there to see
It could feel the seasons changing
And the trunk and roots grew old
Its leaves flew in the new wind
The limbs too tired to hold
And in the end it tired of fighting
And fell broken to the ground
Since there was no one there to listen
It died without a sound
Chorus
Bridge:
So why isn’t it enough
To sing it just for me
Why can’t I just sing it out
And let the music set me free
Chorus
MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
Friday, January 20, 2006
Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? -Mark 8:18
I’ve just spent a little time checking out a site called Latter Day Soul, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been interacting electronically with Shawn, it’s owner and chief proponent, on various internet groups for quite a while. I really admire his commitment to the gospel and his passion for both delivering the good message, and for soul and hip-hop music as his delivery method.
In fact, he recently called me and some others to task for our own more passive response to what’s happening to morality in the media. It really made me think.
But as I was checking out his site, my mind was reflecting on an interesting phenomenon that I’ve experienced as I’ve been working on my music.
In the LDS popular arts, there’s a very strong dichotomy that makes it very difficult to get your work in the eyes and ears of people who might enjoy it. On the one hand, members of the church preach to avoid the evil media of the world, and on the other hand, they reject the media produced by the church members.
The reasons are many. Some say that church art is bad. Syrupy, unreal, preachy. I agree. Some of it is. Much of it is. Even most of it. But just because I have to search a little more to find the stuff I like is, in my opinion, no reason to reject the whole lot.
Some say it is blasphemous. That it’s people making money off the gospel, or that gospel topics shouldn’t be carried in popular art forms. This reasoning frustrates me, because I hear this from people who frequent the worldly popular arts. Is a bad song by an immoral artist somehow less blasphemous? Is a PG-13 movie by Hollywood better than a Mormon PG-13 movie.
But there you have it. In many cases we’re too righteous for the world, and too worldly for the righteous. Will that stop us? I hope not! I’ll keep making music, anyway…
MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
I’ve just spent a little time checking out a site called Latter Day Soul, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve been interacting electronically with Shawn, it’s owner and chief proponent, on various internet groups for quite a while. I really admire his commitment to the gospel and his passion for both delivering the good message, and for soul and hip-hop music as his delivery method.
In fact, he recently called me and some others to task for our own more passive response to what’s happening to morality in the media. It really made me think.
But as I was checking out his site, my mind was reflecting on an interesting phenomenon that I’ve experienced as I’ve been working on my music.
In the LDS popular arts, there’s a very strong dichotomy that makes it very difficult to get your work in the eyes and ears of people who might enjoy it. On the one hand, members of the church preach to avoid the evil media of the world, and on the other hand, they reject the media produced by the church members.
The reasons are many. Some say that church art is bad. Syrupy, unreal, preachy. I agree. Some of it is. Much of it is. Even most of it. But just because I have to search a little more to find the stuff I like is, in my opinion, no reason to reject the whole lot.
Some say it is blasphemous. That it’s people making money off the gospel, or that gospel topics shouldn’t be carried in popular art forms. This reasoning frustrates me, because I hear this from people who frequent the worldly popular arts. Is a bad song by an immoral artist somehow less blasphemous? Is a PG-13 movie by Hollywood better than a Mormon PG-13 movie.
But there you have it. In many cases we’re too righteous for the world, and too worldly for the righteous. Will that stop us? I hope not! I’ll keep making music, anyway…
MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com
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