WOW. Lifest was absolutely AMAZING. It was SO awesome to finally see so many of my favorite bands in concert, and see a few new ones as well! There is so much to talk about with Lifest, I'm going to have to make two separate posts about it. This week, I'm going to be talking about my favorite performances of Lifest 2015! Next week, I will talk about the rest of them. (They were all good, but the ones talked about today were my favorites!)


Matthew West

Matthew West is tied for first place of my favorite performances! He is a great singer, and he is hilarious! He even had to improv and just talk for about 15 minutes after power went out on half the stage, and he did it so well, I didn't even know that the power went out until later, I thought it was planned!  But it was awesome to see one of my favorite artists for the first time, and to hear the stories behind the songs! That was a really cool thing he did that most bands did not. But it makes the songs even more powerful when you hear their stories (at least for me!).


Skillet


Tied for my favorite performance! Skillet. Was. AWESOME. Their pyrotechnics were incredible, almost all the band members played multiple instruments, and they find a way to incorporate a violin and a cello. Who else can do that? No one that I know of! I liked Skillet before, but I like them even more now. Especially their drummer, she is incredible, and she sings at the same time. Another super unique thing about them, and really cool thing too! (Random question: John Cooper said Lifest 2015 was the best audience they had all summer. Does he always say that? Just curious) Can't wait to see them again next year!


Newsboys

Another toss-up here, Newsboys tied with another band (come back next week to find out which one!). The Newsboys were great! I don't really like the way Michael Tait changes the melodies when he does them live, but overall it was still awesome! Also: seeing bands in person is so much better than listening to recordings, especially when you have the crowd's energy! (Side note: Watching Duncan is hilarious, he is so funny when he is drumming.)


Were you at Lifest this year? Or any year? What were your favorite performances this year, or favorite performances of all time? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

I've been thinking about and working on my YouTube channel lately. And I was thinking about how it all got started. I already talked a bit about my motivation for creating the channel, but today I just want to talk about some artists in particular that have inspired me. These bands both have meant a lot to me and are some of my favorite bands of all time.


The Newsboys are the first band that really inspired me. I really admire them for how unashamed they are of what they are singing about. I want to do what they do: be able to write awesome songs about God, and be proud of it. There are people that HATE the Newsboys because of this, but they just keep writing songs like "God's Not Dead" and "We Believe." I want to be able to write songs that are as great as theirs are and still be unashamed of my Lord and not worried about what others think of me for it.


Paul Baloche is great teacher on worship. I have done multiple workshops that he teaches, about vocals, songwriting, etc. And there are more that I have will have to check out I'm sure! But his workshops are really helpful! I really enjoyed both workshops I have done so far and learned a lot from them.


Matthew West is the latest artist to inspire me, just because of the music he writes. For example, one of his songs, "Strong Enough", is probably my favorite song by him, both because it is a great song and because of the meaning behind it. It talks about how we can't do it alone, but when we ask God to help us, he is faithful, and will always pick us up when we fall. I definitely recommend checking it out! It is in his album "The Story of Your Life." And check out the rest of his music too, they all have great meaning and are very thought provoking!


--Who are some artists who inspire you? (Maybe not for music itself, but inspires you for anything!) Share your thoughts in the comments!

Starting this week, I will be doing a new type of post on the last Monday of each month. I'm calling it my Artist of the Month. This monthly post will be about a great artist that I have been listening to a lot that month and has some really great music, but doesn't necessarily have as many listeners/fans that other, more well known artists do.


This month's artist is: Seventh Day Slumber!


I first heard about Seventh Day Slumber at my church's Youth Group. Our youth pastor, Greg Hahn, had been talking about having the group go and see a concert. I was all for the idea. And then I found out the band would be Seventh Day Slumber. I had no idea who they were and that kind of made me less excited. However, the concert was free, so I was like, yeah sure, I'll go I guess. And I went... and they rocked it! They have some great music with great meaning behind it.


SDS's lead singer's name is Joseph Rojas. He had a terrible life as a boy. He was drinking, doing drugs, you name it. Then, he tried to commit suicide and failed. On an ambulance on the way to the hospital, Rojas got saved.


Now, Rojas has committed his life to help as many people who were like he was as he can. His music focuses on the issues of drugs and abuse mostly, and his message is for kids to not be who the world thinks they should be, but who they are in Christ.


Another really cool thing about SDS is their drummer, Blaise Rojas, who is Joseph's son. He is only 13, and he is AWESOME at the drums! Even though I don't know him, I really look up to him, because he is already in a band at the age of 13, and he is really good!


--Have you heard Seventh Day Slumber before? What did you think? Do you like the "Artist of the Month" post idea? Let me know what you are thinking in the comments!
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A few weeks ago, I made a post about my favorite 5 artists/bands. At the end of the post, I asked what artists/bands you guys liked, so I could check them out! I got 4 responses (thank you!), and I have been listening to them! Here are my thoughts on 3 of these bands (more to come later!)


For King and Country (suggested by Jenny Veldkamp)


This is a really cool band! This (actually, all of the bands I am talking about today) is one of those bands that I had heard a few of their songs and liked them, but didn't know who wrote them. Well, when I received this suggestion, I went and listened to their music and I found out! "For King and Country" is a great band that writes music with a great purpose. And my favorite part: The two members of the band are brothers! So basically, they are living out my dream right now! My favorite songs by them are "Shoulders" and "Fix My Eyes".


Lauren Daigle (suggested by Angie Doughty and Jen Veldbloom)


I first heard Lauren Daigle on the K-LOVE radio station. I really liked the song, and she has a beautiful voice, but again, I didn't know who wrote the song. But when I started listening to her music after the recommendation, I got to listen to the rest of her music! She is a great singer, but I'm not sure how much I will be listening to her, cause it isn't really the type of music I usually listen to (I generally listen to songs that are more upbeat, and with more instruments). My favorite songs by her: "How Can it Be?" and "Trust in You".


Kutless (suggested by Eirik Nelson)


I am definitely going to keep listening to them! Kutless is exactly the type of music I like to listen to. I have actually heard a lot more of their songs then I realized. Kutless is definitely a band I will continue listening to, I have added a bunch of their songs to my playlist! My favorite songs by them are "Strong Tower" and "What Faith Can Do."


--Have you heard any of these bands? What do you think of them? Let's talk about them in the comments!

This week we are taking a look at MercyMe's album "Welcome to the New". This is a new type of post I haven't done before, but if it is successful, then I will do some more! So let's rewind to about a year ago.


So, we were going to the state fair that summer. Sounded cool. We were going to see Hillsong Young and Free and MercyMe. I was pretty excited for Young and Free, but I had never really listened to MercyMe. Sure, I'd heard of them, but I had really only heard a few songs, and I didn't really like them that much. But when we were walking out after the concert, I was blown away. They were awesome! Their lead singer, Bart, was really funny, and their music was really good! So, when we got home, I started to listen to some of their other albums and music, and this new album was really a step up from the others. Now, "Welcome to the New" is one of my favorite albums. Now, before I begin the rankings, I just want to say: Just because some songs are at the bottom of the list, doesn't mean I don't like them! Usually, when you get an album, there are at least one or two songs that you just don't like. This is one of the rare albums that I really like all of them!


So, here are the songs, with my favorites at the top and least favorites at the bottom.


1. Gotta Let it Go
--Love the instrumentation in this song!


2. Welcome to the New
--Great way to start the album. Pretty awesome!


3. Shake
--A really fun, catchy song!


4. Burn Baby Burn
--Talking about being the light of the world (burning). Another fun song!


5. New Lease on Life
--Singing about how we are changed in Christ.


6. Finish What He Started
--Great song with a great message. We must finish the work God began!


7. Greater
--I love the lyrics on this one! God is greater than anything in this world...


8. Flawless
--God is perfect, and he made us the same way through Christ's death.


9. Dear Younger Me
--Very thought provoking...


10. Wishful Thinking
--It's not about us!


Have you heard the album? What do you think of my rankings?  Do you agree? If not, what do you think they should be? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Music is my passion. It's something I think about all the time. I'm always listening to new artists and new songs. I love playing for our church worship team, and I love just jamming out to music in the basement (where I keep my drum set). I'll just shuffle my playlist of songs and go downstairs and play along with the songs, and I really enjoy it. I spend hours of my time with things involving music.


Honestly, being a drummer or a singer is my dream job right now. There is nothing I would rather do. There are so many different jobs out there to consider, but when you can take something that you enjoy more than anything and turn it into a job? That's a dream come true. And it is possible to do, with a lot of hard work and talent.


Another thing that I want to spend time doing is reaching people for God. I don't want to be just another guy on this earth. I want to be someone who can make a difference for the Kingdom. I want to take the talents that God has given me and use them to the best of my ability.


YouTube is constantly growing. I hear the question "What did we do before YouTube?" all the time. You can look up pretty much anything on YouTube and find what you're looking for. And it is a great way for music lovers to go and listen to their favorite songs.


And that's why I created this YouTube channel. I think it is the perfect way to use my talents for God's glory. I'm performing these songs and putting them out there so anyone can see them. And I want those songs to be able to speak to people's lives and have an impact on them. I think that YouTube and the musical talents I have been given combine perfectly to help me do what God has created me to do: Use the talents he has given me for His glory.


"Each of you should use whatever gift you have been given to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace." --1 Peter 4:10

I listen to music a lot. With that said, it was really hard to choose all these songs and artists. It is so hard to choose which band you like better than another, especially if you like multiple different types of music! But here we go! Here are my Top 5 favorite artists, and a few of my favorite songs by each!


--Note: Chris Tomlin would be on this list, but because he is part of the Passion band, I decided not to include him.


1. Passion


Passion is an AWESOME band. Basically, what it is is a bunch of worship leaders from all over the place (like Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, etc.) writing songs together. They have GREAT worship music. My top 5 songs by them:

• Even So Come (from the album "Even So Come")
• Shout Hosanna (from the album "Even So Come")
• The Cross of Christ (from the album "Even So Come")
• My Heart is Yours (from the album "Take it All")
• Jesus, Only Jesus (from the album "Let the Future Begin")

2. TobyMac


Everyone has heard of TobyMac, right? He has a few different styles of music, usually changing the type album to album. Sometimes rap, sometimes rock, sometimes something else. He is extemely talented and probably one of the most well-known Christian artists. My top 5 songs by him:

• Tonight (from the album "Tonight")
• Get Back Up (from the album "Tonight")
• City on our Knees (from the album "Tonight")
• Captured (from the album "Tonight")
• Ignition (from the album "Portable Sounds")

3. Matthew West


I just started listening to Matthew West about two months ago. He is a great artist that I have begun listening to more and more. His songs always have a really great message, and they are very inspirational! I'm very excited about seeing him at Lifest this year! My top 5 songs by him:

• Into the Light (from the album "Into the Light")
• Hello My Name Is (from the album "Into the Light")
• The Motions (from the album "Something to Say")
• You are Everything (from the album "Something to Say")
• Strong Enough (from the album "Story of your Life")

4. Newsboys


Newsboys is probably one of the first bands I ever heard, back when Peter Furler was the lead singer for the band. However, I didn't really listen to them much and didn't listen to much music at all at that point, so I have mostly heard the Michael Tait Newsboys. They both are very good though! Here are my top 5 favorite Newsboys songs.

• Breakfast (Furler Newboys, from the album "Shine: The Hits")
• Shine (Furler Newboys, from the album "Shine: The Hits")
• We Believe (Tait Newsboys, from the album "Restart")
• Escape (Tait Newsboys, from the album "Born Again")
• God's Not Dead (Tait Newsboys, from the album "God's Not Dead")

5. Skillet


Another great band. I have probably listened to them the second longest, next to Newboys. I've started listening to them more and more as well, they have really good songs! Here are my favorite 5 songs by them:

• Monster (from the album "Awake")
• Awake and Alive (from the album "Awake")
• Hero (from the album "Awake")
• Circus for a Psycho (from the album "Rise") (weird lyrics but instrumentation rocks!)
• Sick of It (from the album "Rise")

Honorable mentions: Disciple, MercyMe, Red, Lincoln Brewster


Who are your favorite artists? Share them in the comments below! I would love to see what you guys like!

I have made more progress on my YouTube channel this week! I have interviewed at multiple companies to get a job for the summer at least, hopefully longer. And my music list has grown! Here is our current list of possibilities for songs, organized by artist, then album, then individual song.


Chris Tomlin
--Burning Lights
    --White Flag
    --Whom Shall I Fear
    --Crown Him (Majesty)
    --God's Great Dance Floor
    --Sovereign
--How Great is Our God-The Essential Collection
    --Indescribable


MercyMe
--Welcome To The New
    --Welcome To The New
    --Gotta Let It Go
--The Generous Mr. Lovewell
    --Move


Passion
--Even So Come
    --Even So Come
    --Lift Your Head Weary Sinner
    --Shout Hosanna
    --The Saving One
    --The Cross of Christ
--Take it All
    --My Heart is Yours
    --Almighty
    --Come as You Are
--Let The Future Begin
    --The Lord Our God
    --Jesus, Only Jesus
    --Once and For All
    --Come to the Water
    --In Christ Alone
    --Shout


Phil Wickham
--The Ascension
    --This is Amazing Grace


Lincoln Brewster
--Oxygen
    --Let it Be Known
    --On Our Side
    --You Never Stop
--Let the Praises Ring
    --Everlasting God
--Today is the Day
    --Today is the Day
    --Salvation Is Here


Newsboys
--Restart
    --Live with Abandon
    --Fishers Of Men
    --We Believe
--God's Not Dead
    --God's Not Dead
--Born Again
    --Save Your Life
    --Escape
    --Born Again
    --Miracles
    --Jesus Freak
--Hallelujah For The Cross
    --Hallelujah For The Cross
--Shine: The Hits
    --Breakfast
    --Shine


Matthew West
--Into the Light
    --Hello, My Name Is
    --Into the Light
    --Restored
--Live Forever
    --Heaven is the Hope
--Something to Say
    --The Motions
    --You Are Everything


Big Daddy Weave
--Love Came to Life
    --The Only Name
    --Overwhelmed


Toby Mac
--Tonight
    --City On Our Knees
    --Tonight
    --Get Back Up
    --Hey Devil


DC Talk
--The Millennium Collection: Best of DC Talk
    --In the Light


Vertical Church
--The Rock Won't Move
    --Found in You


Elevation Worship
--Wake Up the Wonder
    --Great Things (Worth it All)
    --Already Won


Kristian Stanfill
--Mountains Move
    --Day After Day
    --Always
    --Over All the Earth


Jeremy Riddle
--Furious
    --Furious


This list will probably grow, as we are going to Lifest for the first time this year (YAHOO!!) and we will probably find a few new bands and songs that we like! What do you think of my list? Do you have any suggestions? Feel free to comment and let me know, and I will check them out! Thanks for reading!