Free tickets to the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, KY were offered to my dad and me so we went. I had never been to a NASCAR race before but had watched it on TV. I started to get interested in it a few years ago because I had a lot of friends that were Dale Sr. fans. But he died shortly after my interested began and so I didn’t really watch it anymore. However, after seeing a race first hand, I really enjoyed it! I am new to NASCAR so I thought I would pull for the other guy who was new, Joey Logano. He set the record this weekend for the youngest winner in a Nationwide Series race. Here is a clip from ESPN2.
It has been crazy around here lately and I have had little time to think about blogging, much less do any. So, I have not fallen off the edge of the earth, just really busy. So for all of my readers–yes, both of you–I will post something soon.
I always been a fan of Caedmon’s Call and when I heard a few years ago that Derek Webb was leaving them, I honestly didn’t like the idea. It wouldn’t have juse been losing an addition to their sound. In my opinion, it wasn’t as much of band losing a member as it was a body losing an arm. I was saddened…….at first.
But Derek Webb has become one of my favorite solo artists. His writing has taken new form with new liberties that he has as a solo artist. It is nice to see a person on a record label that can write as if they were not. His first cd, “She must and shall go free” was very Caedmon’s-esque. After learning the story behind “Wedding Dress” I knew that I was going to like what he would have coming in the future of his solo career. Recent songs that have influenced me are “A love stronger than our fear”, “I repent”, and one that has caused much reflection, “Lover”.
Derek’s writing in particular has influenced my writing. He can put phrases together in such a way as to get you to think. His application of the gospel to his writing is a huge draw for me when most music, like the most of the Christian culture, is void of being impacted by the gospel on a daily basis. Here is a clip.
I have been throwing around the idea of writing a book for a couple of years now and have finally committed to it. My wife is pregnant and getting tired much earlier in the evening than usual leaving me with a couple of hours every night to work on things. I have decided to use this time to start my book. So far we have an introduction and I’m working on the first chapter. The book title……yep, you guessed it….”Encouters with the Gospel: More than a Stepping Stone.”
It’s a book about how the gospel affects a person after conversion. Sanctification and change in light of the gospel. It’s about how the gospel practically works in our lives after we have been converted. It may only be an e-book that you can download but I’m hoping to get it into printed form. I will let you know how the first chapter is coming as I work on it some more this week. The Together for the Gospel conference has greatly helped me in this first chapter specifically by Mark Dever’s message “Improving the Gospel”. My first chapter is called
“Clairification: The Gospel and it’s implications are not the same thing”. This is to make sure that the implications of the gospel are not mistaken for the gospel itself. I am sure to quote Dever in this chapter. His sermon was very helpful. I’ll post a little more this week.
I remember the first time that I heard James Taylor (or at least knew that it was him). When I traveled with 180 Degree Ministries several people would come up and say, “you sound a lot like James Taylor”. Of course, it seemed like everybody would tell you that you sounded like somebody so at first I just chalked it up to…..whatever you would call that. But after about the third time I had determined to find out who this guy was.
I had actually heard several of his songs but didn’t realize that it was him. I caught a commercial on CMT about a blended concert of James Taylor and The Dixie Chicks. I made arrangements to watch it. I didn’t get to see much of it for some reason. But the first song I heard was “Carolina in my Mind”. All I could think was, “I have got to have a copy of that song.” I had a tendency towards folk, storyteller type music to begin with and when I heard this song, I became a James Taylor fan for life. Contrary to what I had been told, I don’t think I sound like James Taylor. In fact, his voice has a pure quality to it that I don’t think I have heard in anybody in any genre.
Needless to say, as an acoustic player I have learned several of his songs. It’s just good music. If I were stranded on an island with a cd player and could take only 3 cds one of them would be James Taylor’s greates hits.
Since these posts are about musical influences I guess I should talk about how he has influenced me. I think the influence is found in songs that we do as a band that are just my guitar and the vocalists. Songs like “What I couldn’t do” and “Mexico Breeze”. I’ve got a new one called “Sweetest Taste” that is definately being shaped by the doctor of acousticology. Here’s a clip. I hope you enjoy.
If you have had any conversations with me about who I think the top songwriters of our day are, then you have heard me talk about Steven Curtis Chapman. When I was in my teens, Steven Curtis Chapman was the first contemporary Christian singer that I had listened to. All of the youth kept referring to this new song that they called, “Saddle up your Horses”. Come to find out, the title was “The Great Adventure”. This was a watershed moment for me musically. I had only been familiar with southern gospel music as far as christian music goes and this was something I was attracted to immediately.
Contemporary music was still considered “heathen” in the rural areas in which I lived but this heathen was going to have more impact on me than I realized. Obviously I am not alone when I say that he writes music that relates to people. I am not the only person who thinks so. Steven Curtis Chapman has won so many Dove Awards that they have been jokingly called “The Stevies”.
I have patterned much of my songwriting after this guy. The way that he takes thoughts and phrases them. Some of them are elaborate and others very plain and powerful. I think our words, whether common or colorful, need not get in the way of the message. This guy excels at both. I have never talked to Steven Curtis Chapman but if I had the opportunity, I would thank him for the hours of thoughtful phrasing that have made the gospel clear and made the glory of God central.
Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the most overlooked guitarists in the music industry. His playing has been overshadowed by his writing and singing. But he is a fine musician. If you arent’ convinced, try playing his stuff like it is suppose to be played. It’s not your common 1’s, 4’s, 5’s, and 6 minors. You have to know your instrument well. Here is a clip of one of my favorites.
No, “The Roots” is not referring to a new age “earth” band. I simply mean where my love for music began. I grew up in a home where Southern Gospel Music was heard almost nightly. My parents sang in a gospel group known as “The Franklins” for about 20 years and then my father went on to sing with a group called “The Noblemen”. He now sings with a group called “The Garry Polston Family”. My home church in those days would have southern gospel concerts every couple of months and I got to meet a lot of up-and-coming singers and musicians. Several of them sing on those Gaither videos now.
If I wasn’t hearing it live, I was hearing it on tapes, 8 tracks, or records. That’s right, records! But to be honest with you, I hated it for much of my childhood. That is no surpise to me now. Before I became a Christian, my heart was at odds with the Creator and his Gospel. It would have been strange to like hearing such messages in song. But as the Lord began to convict me of sin and change my heart I learned to love some of the things that I would hear in those songs. I came to love a song called “First Day in Heaven”. Not the fast one, but the slow one. Some of it went like this:
“And God’s own hand shall wipe
Away the tears from every eye
And death itself shall lay down and die”
I went through a spell where I thought that Southern Gospel music only sang about heaven and it bothered me that the songs were so consumed with it. I thought that they should be about more than that. There are a lot of SG songs about heaven. But when I compare them to what I hear on contemporary christian radio these days, I think that theologically, SG has the edge. I never thought I would say that but it’s true. Specifically talking about the radio and specifically in the last 4 or 5 years. The good, the bad, and the ugly exist in any genre of music. But while thinking about my muscial influences, I have noticed I like people from a little bit of everywhere.
At age 16 I began to play bass guitar with a southern gospel duo (later trio) called “Willing Heart”. I have also sang in a gospel quartet known as “The Captial City Boys”. So my love for those rich harmonies has influenced what I write greatly. Many songs in the Josh Martin Band lend themselves to SG harmony. It makes for a unique sound. Rock guitars and SG harmony–can they work together? I think so. We’re doing it either way!
One group in particular that I have grown to love and have influenced my music is the SG group “Gold City”. I’ll leave you with a video.
I have been thinking a lot lately about who I listen to and how it affects my own writing. It has gotten me listening to some old CD’s that I haven’t heard in a long time. Some of these CD’s are the first CD’s ever made by an artist in the early 90’s. Yes, that’s right, I’m getting old! But not as old as Doug and Danny. Anyway, I will be posting a little about some of my musical influences here in the next few weeks so stay tuned (no pun intended).
About 2 weeks ago my wife and I found out that we are going to be having a child! We are pretty excited to say the least. We’re are praying for the child’s salvation and health and would appreciate your prayers as well. I think Martin Luther Martin would make a good name. My wife…..not so much. Arelius Maximus Martin would be pretty cool too……….
