Life lessons?

Understandably, there has been much discussion over the past several days regarding the passing of superstar entertainer Michael Jackson and the life he lived...and the legacy he'll leave behind.

And, as is so often the case, a lot of that speculation is being done by people who never even MET the man, let alone knew him well enough to speak authoritatively about him.

Well, I certainly don't know Michael, nor was I ever privileged to meet the man who was perhaps the biggest star of my generation. All I know about him is what most everyone else knows...his music, and the things he said and did before the public eye.

But having seen that much, I think I can make a few salient observations about the life of a man who never knew what it was like to life a normal, regular human life.

What do you mean by that, John?

Look, I realize that Michael Jackson grew up in a fairly "typical" American home...with two parents, several siblings, and maybe even 1.5 pets.

The major difference in Michael's childhood and say, mine...was that he was black and born into a black family. At that time, even though Gary, Indiana(where the Jacksons lived)has had a large black population for years, blacks were quite disavantaged in terms of opportunities in the United States. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, those opportunities they ought to have had all along weren't always there, for one reason or another. Then, as is still the case in some respects today, there were only two places that young blacks could "get around" the artificial and unfair restrictions that mainstream American society was still placing upon them....entertainment and sports.

As it was, the Jackson youngsters were unusually gifted musically...especially Michael, who was pushed out front in the family singing group when he was but six years old...and he was the featured singer on the group's first big hit records in the early 1970s. It was undoubtedly Michael's skill and charisma(manifestly evident even then)that was the primary factor in the family's huge success.

But much like Elvis Presley, who went from being dirt poor to amazingly wealthy almost overnight, when you're working constantly at the age of SIX, it's hard for me to believe that young Michael would have gotten the time to live the life of a normal six-year old, which would include such taken-for-granted pursuits as playing, making friends his own age, and going to school and experiencing the things that all kids going to school experience(social interactions, tests, report cards, etc.). Michael Jackson probably never got to live those experiences as a child the way most of us did. His childhood was in a sense robbed from him, and that is a critical thing to lose in one's life.

I'm probably now indulging in the same kind of speculation I was critical of at the outset of this post, but I think it's possible that Michael's loss of childhood combined with his ability due to his acquired wealth to fulfill any material wishes he may have had caused him to want to relive his lost childhood feelings by creating Neverland near Santa Barbara, and developing the interest in children that he did in his later adult life.

In any case, it's possible that Michael Jackson's life was cut short in part by not being able to life the kind of life most of us live, and most of us need...and being unable to come to grips with that reality.

I don't know, but that's what I think. The one thing I know is that Michael Jackson's passing at a relatively young age is most certainly a tragedy, and a sad thing. I can only pray that certain things happened at the end of his life to enable him to finally have the joy that all people can have if they only allow it to happen.

Worth A Listen

As I'm sure many of you who happen by this little corner of the web are aware, I'm not the most enthusiastic consumer of current gospel music releases.

Most of the gospel music I enjoy most is of older vintage, primarily from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

There are many reasons for this, ranging from stylistic preference to the fact that like most people, I tend to enjoy most the songs and recordings that have made the biggest impression on my life. And when we're talking gospel music, we're talking songs that most reach my heart and soul. I've always maintained that music is far more than merely pitches and notes, or technique and technology. The recordings that mean the most to me are the ones that have made the biggest impression on my heart, soul, and senses. And I know all of you feel the same way.

It's just that with me, the particular music doing that may be different than the kind that does that for you...and that's OK.

For the purposes of this posting, I refuse to exalt "my" sort of music over yours or anyone else's...I'm just going to point out a few new releases of music that I've long enjoyed.

I'll admit the details of these releases are a little sketchy here...I only heard about them today, and not seen the packaging of them nor am I aware of how they're being marketed.

From what I've heard and read about then, it seems that the Daywind company(one of today's biggest Christian recording labels)has reisuued a number of older albums from the vaults of Skylite Records(the company formed by the Blackwood Brothers and the Statesmen that gave them and other top gospel quartets of the late 1950s and early 1960s an outlet to issue product), one of the most preeminent gospel music labels of all-time.

The albums are issued in pairs featuring some of the top artists and releases by them. Five of the first ones are composed of the following artists/albums:

Blackwood Brothers...Give The World A Smile/Sunday Meetin' Time
Statesmen...Statesmen Encores/The Common Man
Speer Family...Family Favorites/Keep A Happy Heart
Oak Ridge Boys(Quartet)...River Of Life/Sing For You
Masters V...Classics Of Yesteryear/O What A Savior

All of these were fine albums, featuring some of the best material each of these artists recorded. And since they have not been readily available for some time, it would behoove people who profess to truly love gospel music to obtain some or all of these releases.

It is not a new idea to "go into the vaults" and pull out vintage material and rerelease it for consumption(and certainly edification)of a new generation of fans wondering what we who grew up musically on this kind of gospel music get so excited about when we either hear it or reminisce about it. The new Canaan Records has done something similar with a number of classic rereleases from the vaults of the original company, which flourished in the 1960s and 1970s.

But why is there this urge to rerelease all this classic historic product? Is there a desire to start a sort of "retro" movement in the southern gospel genre? While there would seem to be a legitimate need to reacquaint today's audience with the heritage of the pioneers who are directly responsible for the gospel music we all enjoy today, I don't think these companies are trying to "reinvent" the genre or roll it back to the days in which the older styles predominated.

Call me naive, but I simply believe that Daywind and Canaan know that the basic gospel music audience still respects and yes, enjoys the music and artists from its' frankly glorious past, and they want to make it available again to people who want to buy it. And there's nothing wrong with that. There is no reason for those who prefer more contemporary material to become concerned or defensive about the existence or marketing of this material(not that anyone so described is).

We study and absorb our history and heritage to learn from it, and to enable us to use it to make the world we live in and are entrusted with a better place. And in the case of our gospel music, may we continue to enjoy, revere, appreciate, and learn from our pioneers.

These recordings would be great places to start that process. There is much there to enjoy, and learn from.

Phil Cross and Crossing, Northwest Church, Fresno, CA 6/12/09

Yeah, yeah...I know...I've been relatively absent from my little corner of the web of late!

But hey, I've got life to live too, just like all of you...but this past Friday night, I was able to slip over to my home church(Northwest in Fresno)and see one of gospel music's most prominent songwriters and movers in concert with a new vocal configuration.

Phil Cross was here, not with Poet Voices(the male group he's performed with for the past decade and a half or so), but with Crossing(two female singers)..consisting of Phil's wife Rebecca, and noted songwriter Paula Stefanovich("Jerusalem" and "Yahweh", the two Hoppers hits). This appearance is part of a special tour Cross is conducting nationwide(the "Song of a Lifetime" tour).

Appearing with Phil and Crossing was the Golden State Quartet from Bakersfield, who appear often in Fresno, and have quite a following here. They did a fine and energetic opening set. Cross was inspired to borrow some of the quartet members to make an impromptu, scrap-iron quartet to perform a couple of his old quartet hits, borrowing Golden State's tenor and bass to help with "When I Get Carried Away" and "Wedding Music". Stefanovich was used as the baritone for these songs(singing it an octave high, of course). Not only did Cross prove that he loved true southern-style gospel music(which as we ALL know is quartet-driven...j/k), but both he and the audience had a lot of fun presenting some of Cross's fine songs in an unplanned, iimpromptu manner. Maybe Phil would like to re-form Poet Voices as a quartet?:-)

After that bit of levity, Cross and Crossing performed a mixture of new songs(written by Cross or Stefanovich or both together), and more older songs written by Cross.

The highlights for me were when the group performed Stefanovich's "Jerusalem", a HUGE hit for the Hoppers. We've all heard the Hoppers sing the song hundreds of times, but Stefanovich(a fine singer in her own right)and the group did it better! There's something about the writer of a song bringing out the song in a fresher way than anyone else, and Crossing did that! Phil Cross and Crossing should record and release "Jerusalem" as a single...it would have a real shot at being a hit for them.

Cross's stage manner was much like him, folksy and unpretentious. I'm not sure that everyone there was aware of all the well-known songs Cross has written, but if they didn't know before the concert, they certainly did after it...especially when the group concluded the program with Cross' "sugar stick", "Champion Of Love", performed in a compelling way by the group.

Cross comes to California often, and the central part of the state appreciates him much, and he them. I expect he'll be back many more times in the future.

Mixed trios generally don't "turn my crank", but I enjoyed seeing and meeting Phil Cross and Crossing. They sing well, they're personable, and they represent what is really good about southern-style gospel music.

Wrong place and time?

I occasionally get this way sometimes...I'm sure we all do. There are those days when, even though we know better and know we should be thankful for everything we have(trust me, it's ALWAYS more than what we don't have that we think we should)...that we wonder why certain things seem to happen to us...and I am working my way through yet another of those tiresome life cycles.

Even though it's in the shop, getting mandated smog repairs(mandated, that is, by my state), I am very thankful to own a mostly reliable and well-running automobile to get me from not only point A to point B, but all points all around and in-between.

And even though one of my favorite objects of interests(and pastimes), namely discussing and trading thoughts about gospel music, is one that's becoming more difficult to discuss due to contraction(and sometimes wondering if anyone really cares about my thoughts about it), and realizing that I work in a field that is going through monumental change(and contraction of its' own), I wonder exactly which way my life is going these days, I can always take solace in the fact that (1)gospel music as I've grown to love it will NEVER die, and (2)I am still in my job, celebrating my 26th year in the career field I always wanted to be in.

So as Bill Gaither wrote in song just over 40 years ago, "I believe...so why should I worry or fret?"

And why should any of you?

Much food for thought

I want it to be known that I check out ALL the new articles on the main Southern Gospel News website every month, but one I(and apparently many others)check out especially closely is Nick Bruno's.

For nearly six years now, Nick has graced the site with his direct and pointed observations on the state of the southern gospel music industry, which he has been a longtime veteran of. And as a performer with such noteworthy groups as the Eastmen Quartet, the Rebels Quartet, the Kingsmen Quartet, and JD Sumner and the Stamps, he certainly contributed musically to the genre.

And in subsequent years as a producer and mentor to young and new artists, he has tried his best to give back to this genre he obviously loves a great deal.

His articles in SGN each month since 2003 are intended to inform the readers about the southern gospel industry, and provide practical advice for aspiring artists on how to prepare and equip themselves to reach their goals.

Now this sometimes can involve some fairly direct and blunt assessments of the industry as well as the aspiring artists themselves. And, as might be expected from his background as someone hailing from New York City(as Nick does), some of Nick's analyses can be quite matter-of-fact.

A good example of what I just described can be found in Nick's latest article this month, which can be accessed from the main page on the SGN site.

Nick's primary concern this month appears to be the identity and heritage of the southern gospel music genre. He seems to be concerned that, since there is so much stylistic variety among artists purporting to represent the genre, that the basic identity of southern gospel music could disappear, and in so doing, an important part of our American cultural heritage could be lost.

Now it is not for me in this particular installment of my little corner of the web to analyze Nick's comments. I have already addressed a lot of his concerns in previous postings here, and I share many(but not all)of Nick's concerns, mostly where they deal with the stylistic and musical identity of the genre.

I simply mention Nick's article because 1)like all Nick's articles, it's well-written and put forth, and 2)it has inspired a LOT of response, on every possible side of the issue...and that alone is worth recommending it and all the comments thus far to it, if you're inclined or curious about the issues yourself, and want to have a good basis on which to make up YOUR mind about it.

The response was such after just two days of being up to peruse that Matt Felts wrote what would appear to be a direct response to it, and that article can be accessed as well from SGN's main page.

So do I have thoughts on both articles? And if so, what are they?...I hear some of you asking.

Well, for now(and maybe for good)I'm going to stay out of this one. I think many of you who know me and have discussed those issues with me personally have a pretty good idea where I come down on the matter...but I don't think that what I think about the issue is that important.

Rather, I ask you all to check out Nick's article, check out Matt's article, and then decide for yourselves how YOU feel about it all. The thinking will do you all good. I may choose to weigh in further at some point, I'm not sure.

But one thing I AM sure of...when it comes to interesting, substantive discussion of gospel music issues...Southern Gospel News is still the place to go first!

Trials and tribulations of a talk show producer

Before I begin this well-meaning rant, a little disclaimer...

I love all the people who call our talk shows at my radio station.

With that out of the way, let me say that it can be frustrating at times to deal with some of our callers, when I am trusted to help put together an interesting and entertaining talk show.

There is a thought among some in our audience on occasion that callers have some First Amendment rights to be heard, and those who feel that way will call in with an attitude that they're expected to be on, regardless of what they intend to say.

This is incorrect. NO ONE has the right to be on the air, anywhere. That is a PRIVILEGE that is granted to a caller by the grace of the station.

If that is not understood, talk radio could become more chaotic and cacophonous than it already is. And people who so urgently insist on their right to be heard seldom ever are thinking of the legal and moral implications that their words can have on our station if they're broadcast. Since the station has those responsibilities(and the callers don't), it would make sense to realize that the station has final say over what is broadcast over their airwaves, for their own reasons. And as the representative of the station, I have the authority to decide who is suitable and who is not for our program, based on what I understand as the best interests of our station.

People don't always understand that we're doing a show...a program of entertainment and sometimes enlightenment that is designed to appeal to as many as possible.

And no, it is not the height of insight or creativity to call a talk show simply to profess agreement with everything the host has just said. The host is a trained professional who is there because he/she has the gift of communication in a striking and unique way. Why do some feel that they can be as compelling simply by rehashing what somebody else said(and likely better)?

And when asked the simple question of what you intend to say to the host, why are some people not willing to do that, but preface their response by saying time-wasting things like, "I just wanted to comment on what the host had to say about -----". OK...you want to comment...no kidding! So what do you want to say? Our philosophy is to put callers on the air that will be interesting and entertaining, and we can't always determine that unless we know what they intend to contribute.

Or we get the occasional caller that will say, "I don't want to go on the air with this, but..."...and go on and actually say what they would like to say. WHY ARE YOU CALLING? These are talk shows...not message shows, and I am not the host's secretary! I'm there to give you a chance to say something meaningful and important on the radio...don't keep it a secret between me and you! That doesn't serve anyone...and only wastes my time and yours.

Or we(and probably every show in the world)get people who want to filibuster, and preach their own agenda regardless of the topic of the show or whether anyone else cares about what they have to say. Hugh Hewitt(one of my favorite national hosts)calls these callers "hobby-horse" callers, who only want to talk about what THEY care about. That's great if it fits the program, but more often than not those callers pull the show off point, and ruin what our hosts are trying to do to make the show work.

Now, in total fairness, most callers to our shows understand those things when I explain those concepts to them. But there are always those who don't(or won't)accept those things, and take out their frustrations on me...usually calling me any name they can think of, or threatening me in some other way...it's amazing how brazen some can be when they're on a telephone as opposed to being in the same room with you.

But on those occasions when the callers are good(and polite), and the host is on top of his/her game, that the resulting product is a good bit of radio, and that makes all of the above worth it...for me.

More nuggets

My last post here in my little corner of the web(back when I was younger, and less tired)was an ought-to-be-more quoted bromide from erstwhile Dallas Cowboy Duane Thomas about the relative importance of pro football's Super Bowl in life's overall scheme.

I intend to post a long overdue tribute to a good friend here soon, but for now, another couple of "pearls of wisdom", heard on yesterday's Rush Limbaugh radio program...for what they may be worth to any of you.

"Diamonds are only created under pressure."

"If everyone you know is thinking the same thing, someone's not thinking.":-)

One of my favorite all-time quotes

The sports world has long been a source of entertainment and inspiration to me.

Although recently, sports has assumed a place of prominence that might be a little exaggerated in relation to its' relative worth to society.

In light of that, I want to share this quote of Duane Thomas, a former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, a talented player with a well-earned reputation for sulkiness when he was asked prior to an appearance in the Super Bowl, pro football's annual championship game. A reporter asked Thomas how it felt to play in football's "ultimate game". Thomas' answer is a classic gem, and can be applied to many other areas of life besides just football.

Thomas answered, "If this is the ultimate game, how come they're playing it again next year?"

Why Bill Gaither?

While watching a tribute to the songs of Bill Gaither on the Gospel Music Channel this morning, I was struck by several thoughts.

How did a low-key schoolteacher and his wife become such icons in an industry that perhaps shouldn't be, but is, known for charismatic and flamboyant stylists?

Make no mistake, Bill and Gloria Gaither are in no way natural performers. While the quartets that were the "rage of the age" in their day all featured either powerful, ringing tenors or dynamic lead singers or earth-shaking bass singers(or various combinations of all three), the Bill Gaither Trio had a couple of shy but sincere teachers who were gifted with the skill of communication via words, and a lead singer who was just as shy, but at least had a memorable style of singing....and performing-wise, that's about it.

Well, you'll say...it's the songs. And true enough, those quartets and that trio were both singing some of the greatest songs ever written("He Touched Me", "Lovest Thou Me", "The King Is Coming", "Because He Lives", and many others)...but that's only part of the overall story as to why the Gaithers rose to such stature in the gospel music field.

After all, lots of other people wrote many great songs...Mosie Lister and Lee Roy Abernaqthy come to mind. And each of them were arguably better performers than any of the Gaithers.

So what is the rest of that story? Well, both Bill and Gloria spent a lot of time mentoring other artists, people, and their families. And one cannot watch either of them on TV or in person and not come away with the feeling that these two are genuine people who never put on "performers' airs"(not that any of the aforementioned did, either)to especially impress anybody, but were just being the people they were.

Oswald Chambers has written numerous times that the point of Christian life is not mere service for God, but abandonment to God...letting Him have His way with us in every part of our lives. And it's quite possible that audiences sensed that Bill and Gloria Gaither(and their various musical ensembles)were abandoned to God, both in their musical presentation and the songs they wrote, and they were "the real deal".

Real gospel music never has any easy, formulaic shortcuts...any more than real life does.

Another year older…now what?

Well, it's that time of the year again where I'm reminded of how long I've been part of this earth, and that those days are ever dwindling away.

You see, I have now been alive a half-century plus one year. I have to laugh when I see that time of life referred to as "middle-age".

In my case, I don't think so. I mean, I doubt if I will live to the age of 102!

In fact, if my lifespan is typical for males born in this country, my life is almost two-thirds over now!

Only God really knows how long I'll remain here...as I get older, I get the distinct feeling that He would want me to stop being concerned about how long it's been, and simply relax and enjoy what I have left to live. For I believe Jeremiah 29:11 still applies to me, too!

In fact, tonight as I sit here reflecting on it, I can't help but consider my life thus far to have been not just merely blessed, but EXTREMELY blessed!

I say that even though I know my life has not been substantially different from anyone else's. Consider...

Like all people, I've been given outstanding gifts...and I have liabilities that keep me humble(in my case, those liabilities serve to remind me how reliant I am on God to even exist and do ANYTHING meaningful!). I have known great joy, have experienced sorrow and loss, been extremely happy when I've been involved in anything good or meaningful for anybody, and extremely sad(or angry)when I've realized how my disobedience, thoughtlessness, and stupidity have hurt other people and enterprises I was charged with making better or a positive difference in this world.

I am not particularly famous, but I have a degree of personal recognition that has given me joy and fulfillment. I am CERTAINLY not rich in earthly goods, and in fact don't have many of the things other people my age have, but I don't care in light of the fact that I have been blessed with the very best set of friends and loved ones any man can possibly have, and that solely because of the mercy and grace of God. It's certainly not anything I earned on my merits! I honestly don't believe anyone in this world has better friends than I have...God's allowed me to have the very best, period!

I was a well-regarded radio personality for many years, but now, I am perhaps better known for what I do here and in my other writing for Southern Gospel News. Am I content with that, or can I do more? And do I want to do more?

If it turns out that I never get to do anything more than what I do now, I can be content with that. For me, as long as I'm where I believe God wants me to be, then what more can I do than that? My life has been His now for nearly 34 years, and I sure can't improve on what THAT will be.

But there may be more....and I think the odds of that are better than even. I once read that approximately 80% of the people listed in the famous reference book Who's Who(in all its' myriad forms)are in there because of something they accomplished AFTER the age of 50!

Wow...maybe I haven't even "grown up" yet! And if that's true for me(not necessarily making "Who's Who" but accomplishing my greatest feat after 50), then in my case, my best is still yet to come!

And I have learned in living these years that no circumstances can keep me from being what I'm supposed to be, provided I'm committed to doing and being my very best. And I am blessed with the greatest Enabler imaginable to help me do and be just that!

So why despair about what I don't have, or haven't done? I've learned that God wants to enable me to be the very best John Scheideman possible...and that ONLY He can do that!

So on this milestone day for me, I'm reminded that I have a LOT more going for me than against me, and that the best is still yet to come in this final third of my earthly life, if I'm just willing to commit myself to what(and Who)I know best, and not allow myself to be deterred(or detoured)by circumstances or other undue influences.

And because I'm no different from the rest of you, so can all of you.

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