This is what I published on Facebook:

"I have sung in groups before when we stood very still the entire concert like stick men. Not only does the current Acappella sound fantastic, but their stage presence is "off the charts." Just check out this photo album and you'll see how they keep their concerts alive and hoppin'!"

I posted the gallery from last night's concert here.

We are adding some exclusive material to Acappella's online radio. Go to Acappella.org After you turn off the auto audio player, click Acappella On Line radio in the "What's Hot" section.

When God Sings

“Music to my ears”.

No one ever says, “that was a lecture to my ears”, or “that was a sermon to my ears” or even “that was a class to my ears”. It is always “music to my ears”. There are some words so delicious, so heart-poundingly felt, news so glorious and inspiring, that hearing it can only be likened to music-to our ears.

Good news is music to our ears. It is best heard sung, not announced, taught, nor even preached.

David is the only person labeled as one “after God’s own heart”. Heady title. How did that happen? He was a warrior- killed a Giant in an unorthodox way, and many thousands more. God is a bit of a warrior but I don’t think that earned David God’s highest compliment. David was also a king. Israel had many of those and he stood out. Yet his moral foibles were among the worst of any religious leader they ever had. David may have been the very first “wise guy”. As you read his advice to his son, Solomon, on how to “consolidate” his kingdom it reads like a script from a mafia movie. “Wise up son and get rid of the competition”. And he proceeded to snuff them all out.

But his first gig was as pastor, of sheep, not a church. David spent his formative years outdoors, and except for the sheep, he was alone. Alone and listening. That is where his heart was cultivated. Listening, quiet, silent.

David was a composer/musician/singer/poet. Those attributes, I firmly believe are what made him God’s “heart messenger”. Music is the best expression of God’s own heart. All heart language has melody. And no one has ever expressed God’s heart language more movingly and accurately than David. He captured, elevated, and penetrated God’s own heart and sang it back to us, in hymns, in poetry, in song.

Music to our ears.

Since His words are living, active, and penetrating, they are never more marvelously so than when they are put to music. God doesn’t shout nor lecture nor preach His heart language. He sings it. With so much noise around us, clamoring for our attention if not for our souls, music, exquisitely and enthrallingly, even charmingly invites us to listen. Stop, listen. There is something vastly richer going on and your heart needs to pay attention.

Music to our ears.

Shakespeare, in “The Twelfth Night” wrote: “If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it”. And in “Merchant of Venice”: The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not mov´d with concord of sweet sounds…Let no such man be trusted.

Music pumps life into our tone-deaf souls. The lyrics are essential, but elevated by the rhythm and melody of the composition. As Shakespeare says, it moves us, and it is in us. Musiclessness is not to be trusted, neither in life nor religion. Words, His words, especially when sung, become transcendent. It is what nourishes our relationship with the divine.

Arthur Rubinstein, the greatest pianist of the last century, said; “You cannot play the piano well unless you are singing within you.” There is a song to be sung within each of us. And it is the original composer, poet, and musician, God who not only conducts that music, He sings to us.

And it is like music to our ears.

“Music is God’s gift to man. It is the only art of heaven given to earth and the only art of earth we take to heaven”. Charles W. Landon

And so Acappella, 8 days, 5 concerts, 4 worship services, and 14,000 miles traveled. It’s not only about the numbers, it’s about the music, the hearts, our hearts, and the hundreds and hundreds of exuberant, young, expectant, longing, weary, old, quadruple-by-passed, barely pumping, vibrant, vivacious and barely under control hearts. You gifted us. You touched, renewed, provoked, penetrated, CPR´d, and pumped life into our hearts. We were made more alive and have been changed. We will never think of or experience music the same way again.

Poets, musicians, composers and singers. You are music to our ears. And hearts. A group after God’s own heart. And ours also. We hear Him in your voices.

God sings to us.

Jerry, his son Kris and wife Gail barely survived three
exciting, invigorating, fascinating, hilarious, moving, inspiring, profound, silly, transformational, sensational, unequalled, harried, soothing, emotional, unbelievable, eye-opening, heart-rendering, tender, unforgettable, unregrettable, beautiful, grateful days with Acappella in Brasilia as a part of their tour of churches in Brazil this past summer. They served as guides and translators for the group and their wives. He wrote the above as a tribute to their voices and ministry. And to the original Singer.

Join Acappella for some "heavenly harmony" on September 12 in Edmond, Oklahoma. Check out this link for details.

I received this encouraging note from a young Mom, sharing the impact of our music on her children:

"I just wanted to write a quick note of thanks. I'm sure you hear stories like this all of the time... I grew up listening to Acappella and the songs always uplifted me and gave me such hope. I now have a 3 year old boy and a 1 year old girl, and we listen to Acappella all the time (especially in the car). He has learned so much from the songs about the Scriptures and can sing them all. He sings at the top of his lungs in the backseat ("angels wong to wook into these fings"), and really loves the music! I even catch him singing when he's playing by himself with trains or cars. It means so much to me that we have music to listen to that uplifts the soul and plants good seeds. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

This letter made my day! "Angels wong to wook into these fings?" How precious to hear the way this three year old quotes Scriptures that he learned through our songs. I never tire of receiving these kinds of encouraging notes and appreciate every single one.

What city served as the background for this shot?


How do you know?

What a refreshing and rewarding experience to travel to Brazil, not at the behest of professional concert promoters, but to connect with Brazilian churches.

Our friend, Jerry Heiderich, who assisted with hosting and translating duties during our Brazilian trip, shared this on his Facebook account:

Acappella Ministries is searching for an extremely gifted and spiritual lead vocalist with a tenor range.  Deadline is quickly approaching (next week).

The Brazilian Acappella fans are unsurpassed!

The morning after our Saturday evening concert, we enjoyed worshiping with the church family at Itu', Brazil.  Our daughter, Melissa, is serving as the sound engineer for this entire tour.  Having engineered Acappella's two most recent albums, she is no stranger to mixing music.

What a treat to sing with Acappella CLASSIC this week!  All of us were participating in a private gathering of believers for a special week of renewal.

Acappella will be singing in Brazil later this month and in early August.  Here is the new church building in Itu' - one of the places Acappella will be appearing.  The tour will also include Recife' and Brasilia.

Several have asked about the AVB reunion concert song list, so I thought I would post it:

AVB REUNION CONCERT
       
KEITH/RODNEY/GML GROUP
    Keith/Rodney talk & song snippets
    Bring out Give Me Light group
    Atom Bomb
    More Than A Friend
 GIVE ME LIGHT
    Somewhere To Lay My Head
    Lighthouse
    Friends
    Jesus I'll Never Forget
    Give Me Light
STEPPIN' ON A CLOUD
    Steppin' On A Cloud
    Here We Are
SONG IN MY SOUL
    Song In My Soul
    I Know A Man
    Father
    Won't Let Go
    Heaven
    Roll The Stone Away
    The Victim
WHAT'S YOUR TAG SAY
    Joy To The World
    Accept One Another
    What's Your Tag Say
    Changin'
    Growin' Up With King James
    U Can't Go 2 Church
REAL   
    We Have Come
    Don't Be Overcome
    Broken
    Worlds Apart
    Percussion Solo
    Give   
WAY OF LIFE
    Alrighty Intro/Without Love
    Who's That Man
     The Ones
    Your Love Is More
     We Will Stand (both groups)
CELEBRATE & PARTY/U & ME & GOD MAKE 5
    Celebrate and Party
    Kyrie   
    My Heart
    Nothing in the World
    Ignorance Ain’t Bliss
    My Love Won’t Die
    I Need You
    Anything 4 U
    Goot Foot
        Bring out entire reunion group
REUNION GROUP
    The Victim (reprise)
ENCORE - REUNION GROUP
    Open My Heart

Over twenty former members of AVB vibrated Alumni Auditorium with song and dance on Lipscomb's Campus yesterday in an incredible three and one half hour concert (with no breaks!)  Tim Corder did an amazing job of running sound for this multiple combination of groups as Corey Callis ran the lights, with assistance from several outstanding technical support team members.  Tim thought it was hilarious that Rodney and I "opened" for AVB, as AVB originated as an "opening group" for Acappella.

ACAFEST photos are starting to come in.  Here are some shots taken by Randy Glover at the 8:30 A.M. class.


Check out the ACAFEST gallery here (we'll be updating it.)
We also have some great shots taken of the Praise & Harmony recording by my friend, Mary Lewis.


Check out the entire P&H recording gallery here.

These past couple of days, singers from around the nation descended upon Music City to record our next Praise & Harmony CD.  There is nothing like the sound of this many voices and hearts joined together in beautiful harmony and praise!  I'll post pictures soon.

In addition to the AVB reunion concert, we'll be hearing from so many other Christian artists throughout the week.  Hosting the Thursday artist showcase (2:00 PM in Alumni Auditorium) will be none other than the very talented and energetic Paul Williams.

Look at the right side of my blog and you'll see a count down notice, "___" days until ACAFEST.  It has been counting down for the past year.  It now says, "1 Day Until ACAFEST."  Below that, you'll find a playlist of favorite Acappella songs, including many from the brand new album, Find Your Way.

Pray for all those who are traveling from far and wide to join us during this week, celebrating the human voice, the power of song and the One who created us.  Eclectic styles will be represented in special concerts.  The AVB reunion benefit concert will be the icing on the cake.  If you can't be here this year, we hope you'll make plans to be in NashVegas next year for the family-friendly, Summer Celebration / ACAFEST.

The Acappella Company is looking to hire a full-time Office Assistant to handle tasks including answering the phones, shipping, etc.  If you know someone in the Nashville area interested in applying, please contact Brent Vaughan.

It was a pleasant surprise to come across this connection to one of my songs on Bobby Valentine's blog.