Easter Eggs

Yesterday, I read this blog post by a blogger (@Ta_RynRyn) in, I believe, South Africa (though that’s really immaterial to the topic), and she commented on Easter Eggs.

When you’re on an easter egg hunt, you walk along the lawn, and you glance at the bushes and you see a splash of color. You lean down and pick it up. Maybe it’s a colored egg, a real one, that’s been hard-boiled. Yum! A little salt and pepper and you’ve got breakfast. Maybe it’s a plastic one. You crack it open, and there you see a piece of candy or a dollar. Woo Hoo!

In life, there are easter eggs, too. You’re going along your “normal” life, working, caring for kids, or whatever you do, and something a little bit different happens. Maybe you planned it, maybe you didn’t. But it’s nice, and when you open it up, there’s something sweet.

I’m not talking about the landmark events that change the course of your life. These are wonderful, and powerful. For me, these are things like my wedding day, the birth of each of my children, serving a mission for my church, buying a new house, etc...

These are smaller things that enrich your life, that remind me that I have a life, and it’s a wonderful life.

I made a list, and this is not in any order, and if I were to make the list on a different day, it would probably have other items, and maybe more of them.

Jodi and I traveling to Yellowstone

Early in our marriage, Jodi and I planned a trip, by ourselves, to Yellowstone. It was one of the first of many that we’ve taken together, and one of the few without family or friends along. It was also one of those “I’ve grown up, now” moments for me.

Travelling to Mazatlan

We would often travel with her family to various locations, and one that we did several times was to go to Mazatlan, Mexico. These were always great times, and I got to use my mission spanish. These times really helped Jodi and I bond with wonderful memories, like when I got up early, ran to the beach to buy really fresh shrimp, and cooked it for her for breakfast.

Going to the Smithsonian

When I was a kid, growing up in Indiana, my dad had these 2-week consulting jobs with the Navy in Washington, DC. The whole family would go, and while he was doing physics stuff, mom, Ruth, and I would wander the halls of the Smithsonian. On our way there, and on our way back, we would also visit Civil War and other historical sites. It fueled my lifelong love of learning.

Performing with ROC

After high school, and after my mission, but before I moved out on my own, I spent a bit of time singing for a band named “ROC”. They were an actual working cover band, and I learned a lot from them.

Meeting Chance Thomas

Also early in my marriage and my adult life, I met another musician by the name of Chance Thomas. He introduced me to many people and opportunities in the Salt Lake are music scene. He went on to establish a great name for himself in the world of video game scoring. We don’t see each other as often as I’d like, these days, but I count him as one of my best friends.

Meeting John Newman

Another best friend that I don’t get to see too often is John Newman. We share so many connections, music writing, gaming, game design, thoughts and philosophies, etc... He inspired me to write my food blog, http://marksblackpot.com

Getting the publishing contract & holding my first book

Writing that food blog gave me the opportunity to become a published author! After writing about my journey learning to cook in my Dutch ovens, I was approached by a publisher, and we did seven cookbooks together! What a great time that was.

Gaming with my sons

As my sons have grown up, I’ve shared with them my love of gaming. This has led to the creation of our tabletop role-playing game, TheHerosTale.com. I’ve literally watched them grow from anxious and confused teenagers to capable adults, along with many of their friends, from across a table scattered with papers, miniatures, and dice!

Attending the temple with Jodi

This one isn’t so much a single event as just a process that we do. It’s always wonderful to set next to her in the celestial room and pray.

Something that will happen next year

Yeah, so, who knows what’s next, right?  Along the way, I’ll keep looking for those bright bits of color underneath the bushes.

Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: name post, name post,

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the Inauguration

There has been a lot said and argued about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing at President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Many have been angry, others supportive. One sister decided to resign the choir over the issue. I’ve seen others that seem to be questioning their testimonies over it.

This election cycle has been by far the most divisive and surprising ever. I never thought it would happen, and many are still in denial. There was talk about reversing it in the Electoral College, which didn’t happen. There were talk of recounts, which didn’t change anything.

Now we’re faced with the inauguration. The Trump administration, having a hard time booking more current and popular acts, has asked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes called “America’s Choir” to perform.

Here are my thoughts:

First, the choir has performed for many inaugurations of both parties in the past. This one is no different. Yes, I don’t like who’s being inaugurated. I voted against him. But it’s been decided, and so the Choir wants to go sing. The Choir’s primary purpose is outreach and missionary work. Someone posted that the choir would never sing for Putin or for Kim Jong Un. I think they would. I think they would jump at the chance to share a musical message in North Korea. The choir performs in many places and for many different peoples.

Second, the Church has not made it a requirement for the members to perform. One sister has chosen to resign the Choir rather than make the performance. I admire her for taking this stance. Were I a choir member, I would have to think and pray hard to decide to perform for an event that I, personally, find so disappointing.  However, I also don’t fault those that will attend. How often do any of us get to attend a presidential inauguration as an invited guest?

Third, and the part that I find most frustrating, is the fact that Mormons said they were upset by Trump and were not going to vote for him, but, in the end, did anyway. So, with 60% of the Mormon vote, Trump won most of us over. So, the choir singing for him should be no surprise, right?

Look. I’m gonna invoke the Mo’Boy Doctrine here. If Trump ends up being as bad of a president as we think he will, there will be issues far deeper than whether or not the Choir sang. And if he turns out to be a good president, well, I’ll sing, too.

But I’m not holding my breath on that one.




Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: name post, name post,

Stake Dances, Revisited

Several years ago, I was on an LDS message board/forum, and someone posted a question asking about a mythical list of "approved songs" that BYU had supposedly compiled for church dances.  At the time, I mentioned that I was bummed that we, as a culture, couldn't produce our own music for our own dances.  Not necessarily to the exclusion of the music of the world, but mixed in with it.
I was shocked at the response I got.  It was not overwhelming in terms of numbers, but it was all negative.  The overall sense was that it was evil to put "church themes" to a danceable beat.  So, somehow, it was better to dredge through the muck that the world puts out to find a few innocuous tunes that are at least inoffensive rather than write our own positive songs.

I'm not saying we should necessarily set sacred themes to bouncy beats.  But we could write our own pop tunes about living the gospel in our lives.

Well, years later, we've got someone taking up this challenge.  Rachelle Call and Janine Laskey have written and recorded a great start.  Five tunes, available for listening at mystakedance.com. 

The two writers/producers are also featured in interview at yourldsradio.com, in the new music segment, hosted by Cherie Call.

I'm very excited by the project.  They're also looking for submissions from other artists as well, so if you make LDS music, please drop in and submit!





Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: 2010 IDOS Convention, Making LDS Music

More Hymns

So, I got this email today. It's from Shadow Mountain Records. They announced that they're working on a hymn-based project, and asked me to take a survey (basically where they asked me to pick my ten favorite hymns). It's kinda fun to do surveys, and I like to help out when I can. I also really love a lot of the hymns.

Unfortunately, the one question I wanted to answer, they left off the survey. That's the one where they ask if I really think we need another recording of hymns. The one where they ask how they could do this one in such a way that it sounds different from EVERY OTHER hymn project currently on their shelves.

But anyway, if you want to take the survey, too, you can.

Or, we can all join in, here at Mo' Boy. What are your favorite hymns?

Here are a few of mine:

• How Firm a Foundation - This is one of the few that can actually bring me to tears.
  
• Sweet Hour of Prayer - I used to sing this one to my kids as a lullaby
• If You Could Hie to Kolob - deep doctrine, way cool harmonies!

What about you?



MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

My Influences

Tonight, as I was waiting for my kids to be ready for bed, and I was winding down, I was watching a documentary that I'd Tivo'ed a long time ago, about the history of heavy metal. It traced its roots from working class England in the 70's, to the debauchery of 1980's LA, through the angst of the 90's, and on to now, where it's kinda become a montage of the whole.

It's really a big history of my own musical progression. I started to think about my own musical influences, and they are many. Some of them, you can't really hear in my music. I think that's mainly because they may have influenced me in other ways that music. Anyway, here they are, with some thoughts. I'd welcome your comments, and who were the bands influential in your life (not necessarily musically).

My influences

Steeleye Span was an old british folk band. They took old folk tunes, and redid them with rock instruments and arrangements. I liked them a lot. I didn't know that they weren't cool. I just liked them. And I likedy them even though hardly anyone else had ever even heard of them, and that was in the days before "indie cred"

Rush The first rock song I ever learned wasn't "Stairway to Heaven". That was the second. The first one was "Bastille Day" by Rush. Many years later, I still love to listen to then. I went with them through the progressive art rock years, the techno keyboard years, the guitar revival years, and I got to see them in concert again last year. I loved them for the musicianship, and the thoughtful lyrics. They weren't lewd or just another party band. They really made me think.

Cinderella, for the blues. Their first album was pretty pathetic. Just another flashy glam hair band. They coulda been one-hit wonders. Their second and third albums, however, were incredible. I loved it. They had nailed the concept of heavy blues, and it was great. Sadly, nobody else in the world seemed to think so, and so they faded off into obscurity. But each of my albums seems, somehow, to have a heavy blues tune. They helped me to realize how cool that sound is.

Queen, for the diversity. One thing I loved about Queen is that you never knew what you were gonna get. They flipped from bubblegum pop, to heavy rock, to arabic rai, to experimental choirs. Often within the bounds of the same song. Certainly every album was a bizarre mix of styles and sounds. But, it all seemed to sound like Queen. I've tried to do that in my own quest for a "Signature sound".

Queesnryche I am a totally unashamed 'Ryche fan. Everything they did in the 80's I loved. And even some of the stuff they did in the 90's. I think "Empire" is my favorite 'Ryche album. They had everything. Great writing, great vocals, great production. Thinking man's rock. Good stuff.

Yes, for the complexity. I remember going to see Yes on their "Tormato" tour. I was just into high school, and the only way I could get permission to go was to drag my dad along. My dad, "Mr Classical". Yes was probably the only band I could have ever gotten him to go see. It was an incredible show. I have always loved Yes for their musical complexity. I have to admit, though, that I don't get the lyrics. They seemed to be able to pull of obscure lyrics much better than later bands like Duran Duran would, however.

Slade, Twisted Sister, Georgia Satellites, Joan Jett, and a million others for the simplicity. Complexity and intellect is great. I love intricacies and subtleties. But sometimes, ya just gotta turn it up and make some noize. There's a certain cleansing power to loud, mindless, driving songs like "I Wanna Rock", "Run Runaway", or "I Love Rock and Roll". Somehow, when it's all done, you shake off your troubles and you feel all cleaned out inside. Yeeaah!

The Who, for the black eyes. I've often said that there are times when I feel like, in songwriting, if someone hears my song and doesn't get a black eye or a bloody nose, then I haven't done my job. Yes, there's a place for creating beauty and being inspiring. But there are other times when you've got to grab someone by the shirt collar and shake him up. The Who taught me how to do that.

Metallica, for the deep ugliness of art. And just the same, there are times in life that aren't pretty. And art shouldn't always be still lifes, florals, and beautiful landscapes. Sometimes we need Guernica and Jackson Pollock. When I was writing "Millstones", I realized that I couldn't treat that topic with any other sound.

AC/DC, for turning me away from the lewd and the lame. Sometimes, you've gotta come face to face with the extreme to see just how bad it is. For years, as I was growing up, I listened to a lot of hard rock, and I'd try to convince others (and myself) that the words really weren't all that bad. Then I came up against AC/DC, and I realized that, yes, it really was that bad. Add to that the fact that they're musically pretty lame, and I started to see that many others (WASP, Motley Crue) etc, weren't really all that uplifting, either. To this day, there's only one or two AC/DC songs I can tolerate.

Stryper and Petra, for helping me see what I'd believed for a long time, that you can sing about God in a rock tune.

I'm sure there are many others. I could keep going on and on. But I'll let it go. You pick it up. Let's meme this baby. Write in a comment or in your own blog, "What music influenced you growing up, and how did it impact you?"


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com/

Inner Circle, Outer Circle...

First of all, before you read this, to make any sense of it at all, go read this posting over at A Motley Vision. I could summarize it, but, frankly, not that well, and it would be just as long as the original, so just go read it. I’ll wait until you get back.

Done? Ok, then…

He mentions that he’s not sure how the analogy he makes all works in something as small as the LDS market. In fact, it does. I have seen all three schools of thought that he mentions in my own interactions with other LDS musicians. Heck, I’ve seen them all in myself, but I’ll mention that later.

A while ago, at an LDS musicians group conference (hosted by the FCMA), I heard a speaker lay out a different analogy that covers similar concepts. This analogy helped me to grasp the different approaches. It’s not directly comparable to William’s, but it has similarities:

There's a circle, and all of us, as LDS musicians/artists, are standing in it. Some face inward, singing to the church. Their goal is to strengthen and to uplift those that are already members. These make no attempt to cross over to the larger markets. The best of these artists are both thought-provoking and inspiring. The worst come across as Sunday-school lessons set to music.

Others face outward, to singing to the outside world. These artists rarely carry religious messages, but rather sing about being generally good and living a good life. They are more analogous to the “integrationals”. Many of them view their musical work as being more missionary-ish.

As a subgroup here, there are some of these within the LDS market which will produce music that is very religious, but is more generically Christ-centered. It will avoid overt references to anything specifically Mormon, in an effort to approach the broader Christian market. These artists often find themselves alienated, since they’re often not “Mormon enough” to capture the LDS market, and are outright rejected by the mainstream Christian world.

The last group in the circle just sing where they are, and tend to not pay attention to which way they’re facing. They’re comparable to the “Transformationals”. They just create, and let the art fall where it may. This tends to make some of the most artistically satisfying music. However, the artists often have a very hard time marketing themselves, as there’s not a clear direction or focus for their art.

Because of my tendency to sit on fences and not take strong stands, my own music has at times fallen in each of the three categories. I definitely consider myself primarily a clean entertainer, but I also write songs that are purely “transformational”. I also feel very strongly that I am providing an alternative, and I often mimic mainstream styles, directed at an LDS market.

As I have tried to figure out where I stand, I’ve realized that I feel mostly “called” to face the inner circle. My goal is to take the musical sounds that I love (hard classic rock), and use it to strengthen those members of the church that also enjoy it. Because that segment of our membership is underserved by traditional LDS music. That’s the music I make, that’s the music I like to listen to, and so that’s what I share.

One thing I’ve noticed among LDS musicians is that there is a higher degree of tolerance among the different artists. Those that have chosen to face inward in the circle tend to not cast aspersions on those that choose to face the world, and vice versa. My general experience has been that we all want to help make good music and if that uplifts a particular audience so be it. In my limited experience, for example, in the world of LDS film, I’ve seen a lot of bitter intolerance, as if each creator had some sort of direct connection to “the right way to be”, and everyone else was off “ruining it for everyone”. That was very sad for me to see.



MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Thoughts on the LDS Independent Music Fest 2008

Some background: In the middle of 1999, a lonely LDS guitarist and folksinger in Idaho was frustrated that he had no way to communicate with other church musicians. He started an email group called LDSmusicians. A few days later, I found it and joined. Soon after, there were others and we became quite a chatty and encouraging group. We shared our song, and helped each other get more points with their mp3 sites. We talked shop, and critiqued each other’s work. We talked about ways to get gigs and promote ourselves.

And that summer, in 2000, we set up a couple of traditions. One was producing an annual compilation CD, and another was the music festival. As many as could make the journey would gather together at the American Fork Amphitheater on a Saturday in late August. We would play music together all day long, and at the end, we staged a concert. We’ve been doing it every year ever since, with one exception.

It’s always been a lot of fun to see people year after year. You get to hear their new tunes, tell some stories and have a great time. It’s like a big family reunion.

So, last weekend, it happened again. This year, it was a three-day festival, with a youth night on Friday, an all day event on Saturday, and a Sunday evening devotional for the more sacred music. I attended Friday an Saturday, but wasn’t able to attend on Sunday.

Friday

Steve Brown, of the acoustic duo Border Crossing, was in charge this year, and was greatly assisted by Julie Keyser. I showed up around 5:00 and saw them both there, as well as a few others. The sound and lights guys were there, setting. I was glad, ‘cause I’d done that in years past, and I was very grateful that it was someone else’s problem this year!

All of us just hung out and talked for a long time. It was great fun. In the back of my mind, I can remember Gaylen Rust, of yourldsneighborhood.combeing there, but in retrospect, I’m not sure. The two days kinda blurred for me. He was definitely there on Saturday. He’d helped out a LOT with the fest, in terms of promotions and sponsorship. We talked a lot about what was going on in LDS music. He’s getting involved pretty heavily in promotions and marketing. Which is something our little group needs desperately to learn.

At about 8:00, Shawn Phillips started DJing. It was supposed to be a dance, but there was hardly anyone there, much less dancing. Still, it was really cool to listen to the way he’d blend the music and the samples. At about 9:00 we decided to start the live performance part of the show. I went on first, and did what I felt was one of my best sets in a long time. I was feeling really confident in the show.

Then Arhythmatik took the stage and he had everyone dancing and shouting along with him. What a performer! He’s solid! It was exciting to me to see the few people that were there respond so well to two performers (he and I) that are so far out of what is normally mainstream LDS music.

It was a lot of fun, and I left that night thinking how lucky I was to be involved in such a great group.

Saturday

The next morning I was slow getting started. I had my two boys with me, and it wasn’t easy getting them ready to go. Still, we managed, and when we arrived there were already a number of other musicians there. I was surprised to see Greg Hansen there. Greg and Gaylen have been teaming up to get the yourldsneighborhood jukebox going to help provide promotional outlets for indie LDS artists. It was fascinating to talk to the two of them. Greg has been involved heavily in the LDS music industry for a long long time. We talked a lot about trends, like the imminent death of the pearl awards, the future of the LDSBA and its convention, the way the internet is taking a bigger and bigger chunk out of retail… Fascinating stuff.

Early in the afternoon, we set up for the “Songwriters in the Round”. Four of us had been asked to sit up on the stage and take turns playing songs, with just our own acoustic guitars. I was both very honored to be asked to participate, as well and very nervous. I enjoy unplugged gigs, but I don’t do as well at them. I have a struggle remembering the words while I’m trying to play the guitar as well. But I did OK. I got Sam Payne, another participant, to scat along with me on “Thank You”, and Brendon came up to pound out a beat on my guitar case during “Superman”.

Neil Owen, Julie Keyser, and Sam also participated. Julie sang one about when she lost one of her babies after only a few hours of life. That one hit very close to home and got me teared up. It was very well written. Of couse Sam is an incredible writer, and Neil is the consummate bluesman. He does one (I don’t remember the title) based on some New Testament scriptures. Very gospel. Great stuff.

After the Songwriters, we had the open mic. A number of people had sort of stumbled onto us and they got up and performed. I was quite impressed with them, too, but I didn’t remember their names. My two boys got to sing a couple of primary songs, and everybody loved that as well.

As the stage guys and the bands for the evening began setting up, Julie and Steve stepped forward to present the first annual “Green Jello” awards. That first year that we had the fest, there were some in the LDS industry that whispered that our little show would be like a “Roadshow on Steroids”, or that it was all very “green jello”. Some of us got a little miffed, but others said that being “green jello” meant we were music of the people, not of the machine. In honor of that, they created these awards.

I was pleasantly surprised when they announced me as the “lifetime achievement” award. We all kinda chuckled over that one, but there are very few of us in the email group that have been with the group since the beginning, and stayed with it. I guess that’s an achievement! Anyways, I was touched. It sure made me feel good. And I got a cool little trophy, too.

In the Early Evening show, there were three ladies that had formed a group called “Musically Inclined”. They played some up-tempo tunes to minus tracks. Great job, and crystal clear harmonies.

Lindy Kerby did some tunes that I think were off her new CD. I love her voice. She did the solo at the end of “How Beautiful”

I did two tunes, too. I had planned on doing three, but my tracks CD had gotten scratched, and so that last tune kept skipping.

The evening show started with Jen Handy and her group. She’s got a killer voice, and her sound is a very strong Contemporary Christian vibe. Did I mention her voice is amazing?

Then, we got to hear more of Neil Owen, this time accompanied on the Dobro by Ryan Tilby and a bit of harmonica from Sam Payne. What a show.

Then, Sam took the stage. I always love watching him perform. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more animated on stage than this time, though. They started with their version of “Route 66” and he was all over it. It’s fun to watch him dance, too. He’s the ultimate hick jazzman! Great set.

Finally, Alex Boye. Another consummate showman. But with a lot of heart and testimony. And another killer voice.

Overall Impressions

I’ve had a rather tough time these last two-three years trying to figure out what my place is in the LDS music world. And, it all sort of came together for me this weekend. I got a lot of encouragement from speaking with Gaylen, Greg, Alex, and Sam, and to suddenly be recognized so much by the group made me feel like I actually have a place in it.

I’m starting to see that my focus of writing, recording, and releasing mp3 singles is a great model for me to follow in promoting my site and my music. I’m not in a position where I can do a lot of touring or performing. Pressing thousands of CD’s is also beyond my limits. But I can put together some kickin’ tunes and share them on the ‘net.

I’m very excited about the ones I’ve been working on lately, as well. I’m collaborating with Arhythmatik on a rock/rap crossover tune, I’ve got some rockers and ballads both coming along, including one I wrote a few years back for my anniversary.

Come along for the ride with me!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Mark on TV!

On Monday, I had an especially fun morning! I got to go to the KJZZ studios up in Salt Lake and participate in the "Home Team" morning show, hosted by fellow LDS musician Julie Hanks (De Azevedo). The program was about the good and bad of technology, and we got to talk about our internet group of LDS musicians and the festival coming up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Springville.

So, check out the video and come see us at the fest! I'll be performing Friday and Saturday.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

LDSBA Again

William, over at A Motley Vision, mentioned that the LDSBA (LDS Bookseller's Association) Convention is going on this week. I actually got to attend this a few years back, when “One United Generation” was getting distributed. It was a great time. Lots of fun, and I got to see and meet a lot of cool people.

It’s basically a place where owners of LDS bookstores gather and find authors, publishers, musicians, and creators of LDS-oriented products. They buy their stock for the year, party, hobnob, find out what’s cool and new, and then go home.

The show is closed to the public, meaning that only members of the organization can attend. The only reason I got in was because my distributor got me in. It’s whole purpose is for product creators and distributors to get their wares seen and bought by retailers, who then stock their shelves with it.

This is a pretty common model in industry related trade shows. One of the biggest one that I know of is NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandisers). They have a huge show that draws all kinds of industry people every year. It’s also closed to the public.

AMV was commenting on how the attendance (and value) of the convention is dwindling. Partly, I imagine, due to the fewer and fewer LDS retailers out there. William was speculating that opening it up to the public might be a good idea.

A part of me agrees. I think it would be a lot of fun! I’ve been to some LDS product expos in the past, and I’ve always enjoyed them. I get a kick out of it. I love walking around and seeing what people are coming up with. I like seeing our own popular culture in action. I don’t always like what I see, but I like seeing it happen.

Another part of me has seen the low attendance that these shows tend to draw. Maybe it’s because they’re undercapitalized, and don’t have the budgets to do the heavy advertising. Maybe it’s because they’re usually held here in Utah, and we’re pretty saturated already with LDS products. Maybe it’s because a lot of Mormons see that sort of thing as the over-commercialization of our faith.

I’m not sure what the real reason is. The fact is, that without people coming and shopping, the vendors can’t justify the effort and the expense of setting up a booth. Without vendors, of course, the expos die.

As a creator, a musician, I would love to have the opportunity to present my wares, my CD’s directly to a buying public. Let them choose. I also realize that it makes me a willing participant in the ongoing overcommercialization of my faith. Oh, well… I can’t please everyone. I’m just making tunes that I wanna share, ya know?

Nonetheless, I do like to see situations and events that celebrate our members creating our own popular culture. I do like to see us celebrating our faith and our uniqueness. That doesn’t seem to be too wrong, either…


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Whither the Listener?

Over on the LDS Musicians yahoogroup we’ve been having this discussion as to how important the audience is or should be to the musician. Should they target their writing to a particular audience, or should they create independent of who’s listening?

I’ve talked and written about this one a few times, like here and here, but I thought I’d share here, the post I made to the group:


Writing for the Audience v Writing for Yourself


This has been a really interesting discussion. Like I do on so many other issues, I find myself sitting on the fence on this one as well.

John Newman and I used to have this discussion, based on the old question: “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s nobody there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

At first, my argument was to the effect that it doesn’t matter if there’s anyone there to hear it. As it falls, it still creates waves. It’s simple science, and there’s no discussion nor philosophy involved.

But John countered that those waves are nothing but changes in air pressure, until it gets picked up by an ear and re-interpreted as sound. He said that it doesn’t become “sound” until it is heard.

The philosophical implication there is that without a hearer, there is no sound, only pressure waves. That means that it has to be a communication. It’s not just an outpouring of noise. The D&C kinda talks about this, too. In section 50, starting at verse 17, He talks about how the preacher and the listener both need to be in tune with the spirit for the communication to happen.

Now, there is some value in writing songs that are very personal. They help us sort out things in our minds. They are truly self-expressive. Sometimes, I write songs like this and I know that nobody else is ever gonna “get it”, and I’m fine with that. I’ve written some songs that are so personal that I’m not sure I’ll ever share them. Sometimes, I do, and it surprises me how many other people can find meaning in it. “Toy Soldiers” is a good example of this. I’m constantly amazed how many other people find themselves in what was originally a very personal song.

Other times I write songs that are intended to go out to particular groups. “He’s Out There” is a good example of that.

Most of the time, I write what hits me. While I’m writing or editing, I try to be clear enough that my audience can understand it, because I think it’s important to communicate. I AM thinking of my audience, but I’m usually not driven by it. Does that make sense?

Perhaps the real question that we should be asking is: “If a singer sings in the woods and there’s no one there to hear him, does he make a difference?”


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Songs of Zion

Live Out Loud

Looks like Deseret Book (in the form of Shadow Mountain) is picking up on the pre-teen pop craze. I just got this email encouraging people with kids from 7-13 to go and fill out a survey to help pick the cover for a debut CD from a new group they’re promoting. They’re called LOL (for “Live out Loud”) and it’s three young kids. I have NO idea what they sound like, as the CD hasn’t been released yet.

A part of me just wants to LOL, myself, and just roll my eyes. But then another part of me remembers that I had thought of the idea myself a few months ago, and I just didn’t have time to pursue it. I think it would be a blast to produce a project like that.

I also think of my two boys, and how much they'd love a cool project like this, if it's done right.

If I hear any news when it’s released, I’ll let you know.

So, FWIW, here’s the links to the surveys. One of them is for grownups to fill out, and the other one is for kids.

Grownup Survey

Kids Survey


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Songs of Zion

Ryan Shupe and The Rubberband
“Last Man Standing”

I was lucky enough to get a prerelease copy of this CD to review from Ryan’s Publicist. Unfortunately, I lagged so far behind in doing the review that it’s no longer “pre-“.

Oh, well

Previous to this, my only experiences with Shupe and Co was owning “Simplify” and seeing him live a couple of times. “Simplify” is still one of my favorites of all the Utah/LDS artists I know. Even though the band’s music is not LDS-specific, it does address life, and often from a clearly religious perspective.

In the meantime, they spent some time as a major label artist, touring and recording, and even had a video in rotation at the CMT channel.

I enjoyed listening to this one over and over as I drove to and from work. It’s a fun CD, that really holds up to repeated listenings. It’s really hard to categorize Ryan’s music. Years ago, at his website, he attempted to do it and I still remember the phrase: “Post Hee-Haw hip hop funkadelic newgrass” Honestly, that’s the best label that could possibly describe the music. It’s got bluegrass and country roots, but the branches include rock and rap, with folk in the leaves. It’s a crazy lookin’ tree. But the sound is great.

Even though I loved this CD, I have to admit I didn’t love it as much as “Simplify”. It’s fun, and quirky, and the production was impeccable. Perfect really. Actually, a little too polished. I think the desire to make it really accessible made some of the writing a little less original. Songs like “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” are fun and bouncy and memorable (I can hear the hook in my head as I type), but just not as lyrically cool as, say, “1000x”.

Still, there’s some really good stuff on “Standing”, like the title track. This one not only shows off the bands flawless musicianship, but the the dynamic blending of styles. Who knew you could rap over a banjo? “If You Could Live a Different” is a really cool exploration of what people go through in life, hidden from the rest of the world’s view.

Overall, a great job!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Fifteen Minutes?

I found this article in the LDS Newsroom to be really interesting. It talks about how church members handle fame. It’s come about, of course, by having so many church members, active and not so much, being in the public spotlight.

One of the things that intrigued me about it was that the church would put out a statement about it in the first place. I mean, the church certainly knows that there are members out there living lives in the spotlight. But I haven’t seen the church be so publicly aware of things going on in popular culture. It’s kinda cool. Or maybe I just didn’t travel in the right circles before.

Another thing that I found interesting was how the article acknowledged that many who are members of the church don’t hold fast to their beliefs over time in the public eye. There are a lot of church members who have long abandoned their faith in the road to fame. There are others that left it afterward. The article seems to remind me that they are all human.

What if, for example, David Archuleta, the golden boy du jour, were to leave the church. That would be his choice, wouldn’t it?

It made me think of how I was so judgmental of Tal Bachman when he left. Part of his appeal to me, in addition to the fact that I really liked the songs he was writing, was that he was a staunch church member. Once he left, and left so publicly, I was taken aback. I don’t think I’ve listened to his CD since then. I certainly haven’t followed any of his newer releases since then. I just haven’t felt the same connection I did before.

At the same time, maybe I shouldn’t have thought of him so harshly. I certainly don’t know what led him to abandon his previous faith and find a different path. The same is true of filmmaker Richard Dutcher. I’m not in his head. I’m not in his heart. How can I know what he’s been through?

For those that are in the public’s eye right now, I should pray for them. Not so much so that they can make us all look good, but just so that they can handle it themselves. I know that if I were there, I would want all the help I could get.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

The Dollmaker

I had an interesting experience as a songwriter the other day.

Some ten or so years ago, my mother-in-law was approaching her 60th birthday. At that time, my wife and her sister (among others in the family) were planning a big celebration for her. They came to me and asked me to write a song for her. I was intrigued by the idea and jumped right to it.

I started by brainstorming a lot of ideas of things that, in my mind, identified her. One of these was that she was very involved in making porcelain dolls. She and her husband operated, at the time, a shop where they not only sold the supplies, but also taught the skills. They poured the slip into the molds, they taught people how to clean the greenware, and how to paint it after the firing. They helped them to assemble the doll bodies, and helped them to get the costumes.

As I was contemplating the song, it occurred to me that the way she worked the dolls was very similar to the care and attention she gave to her kids as she was raising them. So, that became the focus of the tribute song. Here’s the lyric:

The Dollmaker

She cradles the delicate head in her hands with so much care
With the skill of a master she smoothes out the lines in the greenware
Later when she takes it out of the kiln
She'll paint it and bake it all over again
'Cause she knows it's the fires that make the clay strong
And give the doll beauty to make it last long
As she shapes it and turns it and works it all day
In her dollmaker's masterful hands

She cradled the delicate head in her hands with so much love
And she knew down inside that this sweet little child was sent from above
Later when this one was feeling the pain
She smiled and gave laughter all over again
'Cause she knew what it takes to make children grow strong
And help them stand tall and know right from wrong
As she shaped them and turned them from year to year
In her dollmaker's masterful hands

The seeds that she's planted
Have blossomed and grown
Because of her sacrifice
And the love she has shown
Can one life make a difference with the good it imparts
It can if that someone gives straight from the heart
Like she does when she turns you and holds you so safe

In her dollmaker's masterful hands

In her dollmaker's masterful hands

I worked up an arrangement, and the family got together and performed it at her birthday party. I recorded the song and released it on my mp3.com site at the time. You can download a copy of it here, but only if you promise not to cringe at the singing. It’s been ten years since then, ya know?

So, last week, after a long and grueling fight with Parkinson’s, my mother-in-law passed away. Yesterday, the family gathered again at the funeral and one again sang the song.

Afterward, many people commented to me how beautiful the song was, and what a fitting tribute it was to the lady herself. I might not sell a lot of CD’s, or get a lot of song downloads, or have a screaming throng of fans. But once in a while, I like to think I got a hit!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Et Tu, Disney?

So, when I wrote that posting yesterday, I thought that would be it on that topic for a while. Then I happened to look up some things that I'd been hearing about teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus.

I wish I could say I was surprised.


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

The Gospel Vision of the Arts

Greg Hanson asks, “Is the Gospel Vision of the Arts No Longer Valid?” What he’s referring to is a talk (and subsequent Ensign article) given by Spencer W Kimball in 1977. The talk has been an inspiration for years to LDS artists everywhere. In a lot of ways, as I read it, I’m also reminded of John F Kennedy’s inaugural address where he promises to send a man to the moon and bring him home safely. Pres. Kimball’s tone is in that same order. He wants artists to push themselves and reach beyond ourselves to achieve greatness.

I read his words, and I find them inspiring. I want his vision to happen as well. I want Zion to put on her beautiful garments and arise and shine forth for the world like he does.

And then I look around at my own life and I face reality. Here are a few of the realities we face. I realize that many of these will sound like me just making excuses. Still, these are things that need to be overcome.

1. Not everything will be great

I look at the music that I create, for example, and I realize that there are many flaws. Am I creating greatness? Many people have responded to my songs with enthusiasm, and told me they found the songs inspiring. But is that lasting “greatness?” Not really. One thing we have to realize as an artistic community is that even though we strive for excellence, not everything that we produce, as a community will be “great”. Some of it will only be “really good”. Some of it will even be “pretty lame”. But if those that are making “lame”, or even “just good”, art decide to quit because it’s not “great”, then no-one will ever grow and learn enough to achieve greatness.

So, we, as an artistic community, should do our best to foster effort, and assist in that growth, rather than to cut down and reject less-than perfect efforts. The natural market forces will sort out what’s good and bad on their own. It doesn’t need our help.

2. Test of time

Much of what we currently define as “Masterpieces” have been around a long, long time. In western civilization alone, we have in our museums samples of works of art that are hundreds and even thousands of years old. Time has helped us to sort the good from the bad. President Kimball says that Bach and Mozart defined their musical eras, and are often revered in the same way that founders of religions are. I’m not saying that’s not right, or that it shouldn’t be that way. But Bach lived and worked in the 1700’s.

Considering that the church was founded in the early to mid 1800’s, that gives Johann quite a few more years to develop a following. And even he didn’t have much of a fan base in his own lifetime. Much of LDS art is relatively new, and I don’t think there has really been enough time to sort out the great ones just yet.

3. Need to define “Greatness”

Another challenge comes when we try and define what is great and what is not. “Artistic” greatness is such a moving target, and sheer popularity can be quite fleeting. It also doesn’t necessarily define what is a truly well-crafted masterwork. Would “Saturday’s Warrior” qualify as one of the masterpiece that President Kimball is envisioning? It was a key piece in the mormon cultural landscape, and in it’s context, was very influential. It was extremely popular, and in many ways, still is. Is it great art? I’m not sure I want to get in on that debate… What about the works of Janice Kapp Perry, or Michael McLean? Or the now-iconic Arnold Friberg paintings that were included in the paperback Book of Mormon?

What role do the popular arts and folk arts play in this continuum?

4. Should the Church itself support it more?

Many years ago, as the Salt Lake Temple was nearing completion, there were a number of people called and sent on missions to France. Their purpose was not so much to preach the gospel, but to learn to paint. Their goal was to be able to come back to Salt Lake and paint the murals on the interior walls of the temple.

Throughout the history of the church, there have been times when the church has needed a particular artistic thing created, and at that point, they either call or hire someone to create it.

Should the church commission more works of art? I’m not sure of that, either. On the one hand, it’s great to be free to create as I please. On the other hand, few members of the church can make a full-time living making art for the church or its members (on the open market).

5. Overcoming ignorance and apathy

A final challenge is one that I’ve encountered in the LDS music world, and have seen in other artistic genres as well. That is the fact the church is currently at about a dozen million members. That’s big. But how many of them know the names of any church musicians, authors, or artists? How many of those only know a few?

We, as the artistic community, have a lot of work ahead of us to let our audience know that we even exist before they can decide if we are “great” or not. Greg Hansen cites the internet as a wonderful tool for advancing the arts. I agree. But even though we now have power saws and pneumatic nail guns instead of a hand saw and manual hammer, we still have to build the house. And that will be a big task.

The Big Audacious Goal

I know this has been long, but let me end with a story. A long time ago, I was working at an elementary school, and in our start of the year training, the principal came to us with the idea of setting a BAG (a Big Audacious Goal). She cited Pres Kennedy and his “Trip to the Moon” speech as a great example. She said that it was crazy for him to set that goal, but look where it got us, in terms of technology and world prestige. She wanted us, as an educational team, to find and set a similarly audacious goal for ourselves. She stressed that even if we failed to achieve that dream, we would still have progressed much farther than we would have had we not set the goal.

One suggestion was that our goal be to have every child reading at grade level. For a poorly-funded, inner-city school, that was pretty big and audacious for a BAG. In the end, the faculty couldn’t get behind it.

Still, I think of Apollo, and President Kimball’s vision, and I think of how big and audacious those goals were, and are. I want to be up to the challenge. I want to take it on.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Mark in Meridian!

Exciting news!

When I saw that "Lost and Found" was about to be done a few weeks ago, I had an evil idea, and got in touch with my old friend Bruce Forbes. He's written a few articles for Meridian Magazine, and I thought it would be fun to do an interview. He was open and even eager to join the fun, and did a great interview and writeup.

So, today, Meridian magazine is running the article. Bruce did a great job, so check it out!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

The Songs of Zion, Shameless Edition

Mark Hansen
"Lost and Found"


Hello, friends! I’ve worked hard and long getting my newest CD put together. The writing and production is some of the strongest stuff I’ve done to date! I’m really proud of it, and I’m proud to announce that it’s available!

Let me run down the tunes for you (the ones with links have samples available for download):

1. Turn it Up Matt 19:16-21 – This one’s a kickin’ rocker, opening up the set. It’s all about turning your life up a notch.
2. Dance With the Devil 2 Nephi 28:21-22 – We don’t pray to the devil, we don’t serve him, but sometimes we dance with him a little too much. This is a heavy tune about that moment when you decide to stop the dance.
3. Today and Yesterday Isaiah 1:18 – Another one from the “Lost” side, this one has a cool retro/contemporary feel to it.
4. I Will Sing This Prayer D&C 25:12 – This is a beautiful ballad that builds and grows.
5. Play the Cards Matt 25:14-23 – Everyone is dealt a hand of cards in the pre-existence. For good or bad, how we play those cards determines how well we live.
6. Where’s My Soul 1 Nephi 8:23 – Ever have those times where you just feel like you’re missing something? Where’d it go?
7. Torocagua Eph 2:12 – My mission was in Honduras, and I started in a little suburb of the capital called “Torocagua”. This song is a tribute to the place that changed my life.
8. Two Houses Matt 10:35 – A mother and a daughter can’t see eye to eye. A sad but memorable ballad
9. The Things I Do 2 Nephi 4:17-19 – Why do I do the things I do? And why do I do them over and over? And why do you still love me, even when I do them?
10. Rejoice 2 Nephi 2:25 – One from the “Found” side of things. This one’s a bouncy little rocker about how wonderful it is to be married to my wife.
11. How Beautiful Isaiah 52:7 – A big, powerful gospel ballad. “Your God Reigns!”

The CD can be purchased online for only $11.00 + $2.00 shipping. Or just click into markhansenmusic.com and go to the CDs link.

I want to thank all of my blogger friends for reading my blatherings and for supporting me so much in my efforts. You guys are the ones that really rock!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

The Songs of Zion, sort of...

New LDS Music Finder

I’ve recently become involved with an exciting new website called “yourldsneighborhood.com.” It’s primarily an advertising site for LDS-Member-oriented products and services, but it’s also got a lot of cool blogs, interviews, and other features.

One of the features that I’m particularly excited about is one called “The Jukebox.” This is a growing collection of indie LDS artists. As a visitor, you can login, listen to, rate, and comment on the songs listed there. This is exciting primarily because this is being spearheaded by Greg Hansen (no relation, unfortunately), who is a major player in the LDS music industry. His idea is that producers looking for songs and artists can come here and see/hear who and what is new and great. If the public comes in and rates the songs, they can check that as well and see if an artist or song already has some traction with potential buyers.

Plus, you get to hear and sample a lot of great music.

Now, unfortunately, this system is still in beta and so it’s a little clumsy to navigate. So, here’s how you do it.

1. Go to The Jukebox.
2. Click “Join the Jukebox”, and fill out the form. It’s free.
3. Login
4. When you’ve logged in, you’ll see some grey tabs across the top. Go to “Rate Music”. Then you can check on the ones that are already rated high, as well as do a search and see the whole list.
5. Click on a song title. If it doesn’t start playing immediately, click the play button on the player. Read the lyrics, the comments, etc…
6. Click the “Rate This Track” link in the upper right hand corner, and give it a rating.

Now this system will work better and better as more and more people use it. I’d love to encourage you, of course, to give my songs a good rating. Obviously, I’d like to promote myself. But keep in mind that the system is designed to give honest feedback to producers. So, if you don’t like a song you hear, either give it a bad rating, or, better IMHO, don’t comment at all.

Those that are running the jukebox are talking about making a compilation CD available with the songs that end up with the highest ratings, so, forgive my shameless plugs, but I’d sure appreciate it if you good folks gave me good ratings!

Also, I’m going to be going through and doing my own ratings of songs I hear, and I plan on reviewing, here in Mo’ Boy, some of the good tunes I hear. I’d also like to encourage you to go in and give them good ratings too, again, if you like them.

Most of all, just give the system a spin, and see how you like it.

For starters, here are a couple of recommendations:

“Tempted” by Julie Keyser

This one has a really cool minor key groove. It feels contemporary, almost R&B, like a girl group with a hot dance track behind it could really take it places. The current recording is really just a demo, however, so you have to listen with a bit of imagination. But the lyrics are strong and the melody’s hooky. It’s really great!

“Today and Yesterday” By Mark Hansen

Yeah, that’s me. Like I said, I’m not above shameless self-promotion. This is probably my favorite from the new CD “Lost and Found”. It’s got a hooky modern/retro groove and possibly the best mix and arrangement on the CD. Check it out!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

A Moment of Shameless Self-Promotion

Over the last few weeks, I've been working really hard on two creative projects. One involves my music, and one involves my game.

On the musical end, I'm very excited. I've completed the music for my next CD. I mentioned a few entries ago that it would be called, "Lost and Found", and that I would send a free copy to any blogger that wanted to review it with a linkback. I'm currently working on the cover graphics.

In the meantime, there's two cool additions to my website that I'd love to invite you all to check out. One is, I've released that last song! It's called "Rejoice", and you can get it for free download!

Another thing that I'm very excited about is that I've also found a cool site where I can upload sound samples and provide them to fans as ringtones! So, I cropped out a couple of hook riffs, and I put them up on the site. You can find them here or the link off my main page.

I'm very excited to hear any feedback about either of these two efforts!

On the game side, I've been doing a lot of work on the game itself, and there really isn't any visible new stuff yet. Still, those that have been following me for a while and know of my efforts and my commentaries about games in the LDS community might be interested in following along.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com