Parting is such sweet sorrow. CAROLYNARENDS.COM/NEWSBLOG, thou hast served me well. But in just a few short hours I shall bid thee adieu, because, well, I found a new blog. You’ll live on in my memory (and website archives). But this is goodbye.
Visit www.carolynarends.com to visit the new blog. It’s just a few hours away now.
See you soon,
Carolyn
Ok, as I explained in tweets yesterday, we’ve just sent up an official Facebook “Musician” page, called, originally enough, “Carolyn Arends”.
Many of you very obligingly tried to go join said page, only to find getting there via normal Facebook methods is quite confusing. So, try this — and let me know if it works!!
Here’s my original note about the new page:
Carolyn Arends
Welcome to the Carolyn Arends Musician Page. I was quite happy with my Carolyn Arends Human Page, but it turns out you can’t add audio or the like to a regular profile, and thus we’ve had to go “all Hollywood” and do a fan page. … Can you please do me a favour and become a fan? Otherwise I will be so lonely over here.
As soon as we get our official “facebook verification” (I think my retinas have to be scanned or something) we’ll be previewing audio from my forthcoming project here. That should be within the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, anything you can do to spruce up this here page would be deeply appreciated. Got a pic/video/anecdote? Post it here. Got chocolate? Send it to my house.
Many Thanks!
CA
We’re working madly to finish up LOVE WAS HERE FIRST — which will be my 10th CD and, I do believe, a pretty accurate document of what’s on my heart and mind these days. We’ve just launched a pre-release site today, and if you chose to order in advance, you’ll actually help us finish things up. I was trying to think of someway to say “thank you” to the folks who support us and we decided to include the names of everyone who pre-orders in the liner notes. Wacky eh?! Hope you think it’s as fun as we do.
You can pre-order here. I hope you will!
Thanks,
Carolyn
Hi All! It’s very hectic here in Arendsland, but in the midst of the craziness I forgot to mention that I did a 40 minute radio interview with Chris Fabry on Moody Radio. He had read my CT column about the importance of The Arts (even — especially — in tough economic times) and we had a grand old time chatting about all sorts of things loosely connected to creativity and the Creator. We even took calls and email from around the nation. You can listen to it here.
I came out of our conversation remembering how essential it is that we intentionally feed our souls — so please, look at or listen to something beautiful today!
Carolyn
I’ve already shared the results of the Word Guild Awards Gala via Twitter, but we thought we ought to do it officially here as well. So … drum roll please:
The results of the 2009 The Word Guild Canadian Christian Writing Awards have been officially released. Here is an excerpt from the press release:
British Columbia is home for two multiple winners. Author and singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends of Surrey, B.C., who was shortlisted in five categories – the most of any writer this year – won two awards, for “book: life stories” and for her columns in Christianity Today magazine. Her book is Wrestling with Angels: Adventures in Faith and Doubt (Harvest House Publishers). John H. Redekop of Abbotsford, B.C., won for his review “Is Punishment All Bad?” in the Mennonite Brethren Herald and tied for his short feature article “Buying Two Farms” in Stillwood, the First 50 Years 1958-2008.
“Thanks be to God for the gifts of language, meaning and spell-check,” said Arends in her mailed-in acceptance speech. Redekop, a veteran writer who was present at the ceremony, thanked God for the gift of words.
Apparently John Redekop and I are on the same wavelength!
Wrestling With Angels also received an Award of Merit in the Book-Christian Living Category.
Cool, eh?
Blessings,
CA
File this one under “Aw, Shucks …”
Yesterday, The Word Guild (a national association with the mandate of connecting, developing and promoting Canadian writers and editors who are Christian) announced their shortlist for the 2009 Canadian Christian Writing Awards. The press release included the following information:
“Proving her versatility, singer/songwriter Carolyn Arends of Surrey, B.C.—who is a contender in five book and article categories—received the most nominations of any writer.”
Cool, eh?
My work is nominated in the following categories:
Book – Christian Living (Wrestling With Angels)
Book – Life Stories (Wrestling With Angels)
Article – Review (“Blindness” – ChristianityTodayMovies.com)
Article – Personal Experience (“Bigger Than The Both of Us“ – Today’s Christian Woman)
Column/Editorial/First Person Essay Series (“Theology in Aisle 7” and “Our Shalom Vocation” – Christianity Today)
The winners will be announced at the Word Guild’s annual Awards Gala on June 17 in Mississauga, Ontario. (I think the prize should go to whoever can spell “Mississauga” correctly without looking it up!)
By the way, I would strongly encourage any Canadian writers to check out The Word Guild. Since joining their ranks a couple of years ago, I have been consistently impressed by the wealth of information, support and encouragement members give each other through a variety of means, including their remarkably active email group. Check out membership info here.
One other bit of news: I discovered recently that the Evangelical Press Association (an American professional association for the Christian periodical publishing industry) awarded my article “Bigger Than the Both of Us” fifth place in the “First Person Article” category of their 2009 Higher Goals Awards. Although I spent a few days chanting “I’m Number Five! I’m Number Five!” rather weakly, I am told that the 300 eligible publications populate the “first person article” category rather heavily, so 5th place is, you know, cool. So thanks, EPA!
I feel genuinely encouraged as a writer, especially by those of you who have taken the time to comment on the various blogs or write me personally. This week I’ve been quoting:
“They can be like a sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field.” – St. John of the Cross
Thanks for your words and the way they encourage mine. And thanks for your friendship.
CA
Hey All,
My November CT column is now online. You can read it directly at CT’s site or on my Wrestling With Angels blogspot. Either way — I’d love to hear what you think!
Shalom,
CA
My review of High School Musical 3 is up at CT Movies, as well as my interview with actress Kaycee Stroh.
Peace,
CA
Days 1-6
I know, I know … new releases are not, strictly speaking, “records” any more. More like “audio files”. But they are still recordings. So I’m sticking with that terminology. At least I am not calling them “eight tracks”.
Anyway, I’ve mentioned here and there that I am recording a new project. I haven’t quite documented the process to date the way I’d like, so here’s a bit of catch up.
We were slated to begin August 6th. My last disc, Pollyanna’s Attic, was released back in May, 2006, so it’s been a while. I’ve had a restless, antsy urge to get back to the studio for months. But as of this spring, I only had two new songs (“My Favourite Lie” in 2007 and “Willing” in Feb of 2008). This was a problem.
(I did have a reassuring conversation with my hero, singer/songwriter Steve Bell. He called about something and asked incidentally, “Are you writing these days?” I lamented my paltry two songs. “Two songs!” he exclaimed. “Well, aren’t you God’s favourite!” Turns out Steve’s been writing even less than I have.)
I decided to book some studio days anyway, on the “If you build it they will come” theory. As the time drew nigh, one more song materialized (“I Am a Soul”, which I blogged about here). That brought the grand total to … three. I wasn’t totally panicked, however. I’ve been wanting to do a hymn/old gospel tunes record for ages, so I started working up covers. That was going OK, but I liked the 3 originals I did have, and I wasn’t sure if they would fit in with the vintage material. I was in a quandary.
Then, about 8-10 days before we were to begin recording, songs started pounding on my door, arriving pretty much as fast as I could write them. That never happens. If I recall correctly, they came in this order:
Something Out of Us
Be Still
Roll It
Nothing Can Separate
According to Plan (which I blogged about here)
The Last Word
So, for those of you keeping score at home, that was 3 songs in 3 years, and then 6 in 10 days. For those 10 days I was a manic insomniac, but a happy one. I was just so darn grateful to see the muse again. I had thought maybe it was gone for good. I got a brief chance to jam a few of the tunes with Spencer … he gave them the thumbs-up, and he’s not one to waste thumbs. So I was relieved.
Anyway, I am now recording 9 originals, along with 2 favourites from the covers I had been working on: A reinvention of the old classic, “Standing in the Need of Prayer”, and my best attempt at my brother’s brilliant tune “After the Flood.”
We began as scheduled on August 6th with Jonathan Anderson on drums. Jon plays most anything and is not known primarily as a drummer, in fact I know him better as a producer/engineer. (We collaborated on a Keith Kitchen project … Jon produced 8 tunes and I produced 3.) But I had heard Jon do some drumming in pre-production for Keith’s project and I LOVED the way he played. (It reminded me of Jon Brion, the multi-instrumentalist/producer who drummed on some mighty fine Aimee Mann records.) I asked Jon if he’d be willing to take a run at a few of the songs for my project and he was game.
Jon came in for 2 days and played on 5 tunes. I love his instincts — he has a great way of dialing into my guitar rhythms and playing off them (probably comes from being a guitarist himself.) Very fun. While Jon was in, my co-producer/engineer Roy Salmond played guide bass parts … and though I am planning on sending the tracks to Chicago to have my long-time bassist Adrian Walther do his thing, Roy did a darn fine job. Adrian’s got his work cut out for him!
After our days with Jon, we had a couple of revered session guys come in — Phil Robertson on drums and Miles Hill on upright bass. Phil played on Pollyanna’s Attic, but I had never worked with Miles before. Phil and Miles have played together for years, and they have a freaky musical ESP; they feel monster fills and grooves at the same time without discussing them. Definitely goosebump — and grin — producing. Phil and Miles were in for 2 days and played the remaining 6 songs on the record. We also had Phil play some of the same tunes that Jon had played on, just to give us the too-good-to-be-true luxury of mixing and matching great drum parts. I love my job!
A bonus on the Phil/Miles sessions — Miles had just returned from several months working with Van Morrison all over the globe, and he had some very strange and entertaining stories to tell. Wish you coulda been there!
Here are some blurry pictures from the Phil/Miles sessions:
After the four days of tracking, we spent a couple days cutting decent guide vocals and acoustic guitars and experimenting with various versions and approaches. All just enough to make me fall in love with the recording process all over again … but then we were out of time. We didn’t get back into the studio until this week, which I will write about in my next blog.
Right now — gotta sleep. Have to be able to play in the pocket tomorrow!
Thanks for reading …
CA
Just returned from a quick trip to Wichita. Jim Smith brought me there.
James Bryan Smith is the head of the religion department at Friends University. He is also a thoughtful author who has collaborated extensively with Richard Foster and is currently preparing to launch a massive (and potentially life-altering) spiritual formation curriculum/book release called APPRENTICE, based on chapter 9 of Dallas Willard’s THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY. I can’t wait for it to be out (early 2009, I think). They’ve been testing and tweaking it in church and college groups for 5 years!
Jim and his family were Rich Mullin’s landlords when Rich was living in Wichita attending Friends. (“Landlord” is likely way too formal a word — Rich lived in their attic, a very iconic attic if you’ve ever seen the music video shot there.) Rich wrote a moving song about Jim’s daughter Madeleine (which you can download for free here). And, when Rich died, Jim wrote the biography. So, when I go to Wichita and hang with Jim, I kind of feel like I’m not only getting to spend time with a fascinating professor and author, I’m also getting a second-hand hang with Rich. Which is nice. Even got to eat a messy-but-delicious chicken salad sandwich at La Galette, an old haunt of Rich’s (even Brennan Manning has written about dessert at La Galette.) And best of all, we stopped by Eighth Day Books, which is, I do believe, a little preview of what heaven’s library will be like.
Friends (est 1898, but the main building was built even earlier, in 1886) is an exquisite campus. I’m always so impressed with brick, and oldness. Everything where I live in the Pacific Northwest is new and made of wood. (I think of Steve Martin giving a tour of Burbank in LA Story: “Some of these buildings are over 20 years old!”)
I played for a Friends “Faith and Learning” class (500 freshman and sophomores). Before I came I had to give Jim’s sharp young administrator, Ashley, a list of questions that the students would have to fill out based on my concert. (For example, “What poet inspired Carolyn’s song Reaching?”) It was hysterical to drop an answer and watch 500 pens click into action.
I also played a midweek concert at Chapel Hill UMC, which has the most amazing building (like a Whistler chalet with stain glassed windows.) I learned that every Sunday, in both services, the congregation ends their service with my song Go With God. How cool is that? Pastor Gannon told me that once they tried to end without the song — it was a Christmas service, so really, it seemed reasonable to make the benediction something more Christmasy — and the congregation just stood there, confused. Their services aren’t over unless they sing Go With God. Once again, I’m astonished by the way God will use tiny fishes and crusty bread to make lunch.
As a bonus, I got to see Matt Johnson, who was a young roadie on the Mullins tour I did in 1995, and is now a slightly less young spiritual director and general good guy. Matt was talking about “six degrees of Rich Mullins”–all the people who’s lives have taken utterly different courses than they would have had they not met Rich. Quite a legacy for one little ragamuffin.
It was good to be in Wichita. I want to go back soon.
CA
