The Hurt & The Healer
So check it out. This record is easily MercyMe’s best record. I’ve had a blast doing all sorts of different projects on it from filming the entire process, art directing the packaging, filming the photo shoot, designing merch, and now working on what’s possibly going to be a music video. These guys are some of my favorite out there, and it’s a blast working with them.
Pre-Order this record now. Trust me.
A Streaming Debate
Let me start by saying, I already know that several of you will disagree with me and that’s fine. This is my opinion on how I have decided to spend $10 a month and you can feel free to spend your $10 however you want.
It took me a long time to jump on the subscription based music thing. I’m honestly still trying to wrap my head around not “owning” music anymore, but that’s another thing. For months now I have had the free versions of both Rdio and Spotify. I played around on both of them this whole time and enjoyed playing ‘free’ music…. until I was on a plane and didn’t have the new NEEDTOBREATHE record that I wanted to listen to.
I have this weird thing in my brain that almost instantly categorizes whether something is a “PC Version” or a “Mac Version”. Wal-Mart = PC, Target = Mac. Almost everything can be divided into these two categories…. except Starbucks. Typically, the PC version is more popular, more manufactured… like an assembly line. It’s usually more cost effective too. And then the Mac version is a little better quality, more expensive and typically that’s done intentionally. The more you think this way, the more obvious it becomes. Toyota = PC, Lexus = Mac. Kroger = PC, Whole Foods = Mac. Foursquare = PC, Gowalla = Mac, Winter Jam = PC, Roadshow = Mac. Applebee’s = PC, Chili’s = Mac. I could do this all day.
So here we are back at subscription based music. In my opinion, Rdio =Mac, while Spotify = PC. Sure Spotify is massive. It’s everywhere and everyone is using it. That’s fine. It’s the PC. It’s the Internet Explorer. And I don’t really want that. Now I’m not saying that Spotify is bad, and I don’t think that everyone should stop using it, but the design and functionality of Rdio has a much more thought out ‘feel’ to it. Both pay roughly the same to labels, (which may or may not trickle down to the artists) both have the same playlist capabilities, offline playing ect. Rdio just ‘feel’ cleaner to me. So that’s it. I went with them.
Now, I also am using iTunes Match, but I don’t know if that will last. I think that’s just iTunes moving into the subscription game. And at that point we’ll have a clear “Mac Version” so we know where I’ll go.
Thoughts?
Tree Rings Into Music
Ok, if this is legit, it’s pretty awesome. Check out the whole article here.
Experts Agree…
My friend Todd Tweeted this today and it got me thinking:
I ran into a social media pro this weekend and he said I needed to tweet 15-20 times a day. Seems high to me. What do you think?
Well first off, yes, that does seem high to me as well. It’s high for me, because I don’t talk that much. It’s not high for some friends of mine that talk quite a bit, or are more clever than myself, or have something more important to say….or…. You see where I’m going right.
See there’s these ‘experts’ out there that are basing all of their belief and ‘strategies’ on what worked for someone else. The first time I met Todd, I think he said maybe six words. They were polite, nice words but there were only about six. I don’t think someone like that is going to be Tweeting all day… and that’s okay.
Here’s the thing. To some folks out there, I might be considered one of those ‘social media pros’ and that’s fine. I’ve had plenty of people asking me how many times to blog, Tweet, update Facebook, ect… and I tell them the same thing, ‘As many times as you want’. Sure, the more content you are producing the more it can be consumed, but what is it you want your followers consuming? If you’ve got 15-20 things to say in a day, go for it. If you don’t Tweet at all today, that works too.
Try this. Next time you are at a social gathering start asking around and see how many words you will need to speak at that gathering to make the most friends. Try it at church. Try it at Christmas parties. Your kids sporting events. Any place social. Let me know how that works out for you.
It’s called SOCIAL media. Sure it’s a marketing thing, but at the end of the day it’s a way for your fans/followers to connect with YOU. No expert out there is going to be able to tell you how to be a better version of yourself and the reality of it is, none of your fans/followers want that.
The Hurt & The Healer
Check it out. This is officially the cover of the new MercyMe record called “The Hurt & The Healer”. Thrilled to be working with the very talented Nate Farro on the packaging for this project. It’s going to be a great record and I’m honored to be a part of it.
Justice
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham jail
Pushing The Envelope
So, this morning I noticed a little storm brewing on Instagram. I commented pretty early, but now that it’s been a whole day there are over 50 comments on a photo. There was no text other than a hashtag but it apparently got some folks heated.
Now, most of you folks will know who posted the image, and it’s fine if you do. He’s a big boy and can take the heat from the folks on his comments and here too. Also, this is not throwing this guy under the bus by any means, but more of pointing out something that I thought was interesting.
Here’s the image:
I made the little black box over the “U”, but I’m pretty sure you guys are smart people and can figure out what that spells.
So here’s the thing. This guy tries to push the envelope. He tries to poke at the Conservative Christian and that’s why this image was posted. If there wasn’t an F-Bomb in there, it wouldn’t have been funny or worth posting. Simple as that.
Well, one of the first comments was an unhappy follower saying that he was going to unfollow because this was the last straw. Fair enough. That guy has his opinions the same as I do. But this post isn’t about the guy that posted the picture… or the guy that decided to unfollow.
This post is about the 45 commenters that are saying that the guy who posted this is so “honest and real” and the offended should just move on.
Honest and Real? Seriously? A screen shot of wireless networks? Honest and real? How’s that again? See I get being called honest and real when you’re admitting to a struggle in your life and you open up to the public about it. I don’t think it’s always appropriate, but I see it. I get opening up online about a part of your life you aren’t happy with, or something you are deeply hurt about. I get being open about your love for your family, or hate for injustice.
What I don’t get is being called “honest and real” for posting a photo of wireless networks. What about that is honest and real other than him being honest about looking at wireless networks?
See, our culture likes to throw around these words like “brilliant” and “epic” and I think sometimes the words “honest” and “real” get lumped into that. News flash. 99.9% of music coming out these days is NOT brilliant. The shirt hanging on the rack at Urban Outfitters is NOT epic. And sometimes things just aren’t “real”.
So, that’s my thought for the day.
All you commenters that want to attack someone for having an opinion by saying, “he’s just being real and honest and if you can’t handle that you can leave”, that’s ridiculous. There’s nothing honest and real about a photo of wireless networks and the guy that posted this was not opening himself up as a broken human being or anything like that. It was a photo intended to push the envelope and nothing more.
Oh hey, welcome to 2012.
The Instagram Theory
I’m working on this theory in my head, that really has basis for anything, or even really any merit, but here goes.
I think you can tell a lot about a person and what they love based on their Instagram photos. I know, shocker right? People take pictures of things they like and it’s somehow a massive window into their personality. Call me Dr. Freud. Seriously though. Above are four different Instagram feeds that I follow…. Well, one is mine and there are three that I follow.
Top Right: I’d guess traveling, reading, somewhat healthy guitar player.
Bottom Left: Family person who loves the holidays and nature.
Bottom Right: They have this for one reason. To capture moments with their family.
Pretty interesting isn’t it?
So here’s my thoughts. This photo-technology (like most recent social networking technology) has allowed us a window into people’s living rooms. This is what they are hanging on their walls. This is the stuff that is important to them. The stuff they find beauty in. Maybe one stream is only different plates of food. Maybe it’s all only pictures on themselves. Maybe it’s groups of friends. Maybe it’s photos of their cat dressed up in different costumes. Who know’s. It’s amazing how much you can learn about a person just based on the photos they take.
Anyone else noticed this or am I the only weirdo paying attention to people’s photo habits? And while we’re at it, leave your Instagram name in the comments so we can all see what you’re into.
It Used To Be All About Me
My parents never told me Santa Claus was real. I always knew it as them that put the presents under the tree. Even when other people in my family would write “From Santa” on the cards I knew. I played along, but I knew where those gifts were coming from. Later my parents explained to me the reason they did that was because they didn’t want me to find out later in life that they had been lying to me this whole time making me believe in something that was made up. As I grew up they didn’t want me confusing the imaginary Santa that they had lied about with the real Jesus that they had also told me existed, but I couldn’t see him and he did nice things for us. That’s always seemed to make sense to me.
This post has nothing to do with Santa.
Over the past few months I’ve seen, read and heard countless “influential” bloggers, authors and musicians suddenly come to a realization that for “so long it’s been all about me, but this time it’s different”. It’s typically coupled with some request for something or right before explaining some new venture they are about to embark on. They’ve come to their senses and this time it’s really not about them. This time it’s about the children, or the church, or the ministry, or the outreach. This time it’s different.
Well good Mr. Influential Blogger Guy. It’s nice to know that for however long you’ve been doing this that you’ve been lying to me and the masses that are following you. It’s great to hear that the campaign that you did last year that I supported was really just a ploy to get yourself attention and it turns out the whole thing was ‘all about you’. But at least now that’s different. It’s good to see that you’re coming clean now and I can fully trust your motives this time.
See, saying something like that doesn’t make you more authentic to me. It doesn’t make me want to support your cause this time around. It makes you someone I don’t want to trust again. It makes me feel like you burned me already by thinking that you were authentic last time. So, all you folks thinking that the best way to get someone to believe you is by saying that you lied last time, that’s not the case. In fact, I don’t need to hear it at all. Just start making things not about you and we’ll be just fine.
Anyone else notice this ‘tactic’ or am I the only one?
