Last Friday, I left for Nashville and met Kristin at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta for dinner. I arrived at my hotel within a stone's throw of the Grand Ole Opry around midnight. I was pretty excited about my recording session, so I did find it a little difficult to get to sleep. This was my fourth trip up to Nashville to work on my 10 song, hymn CD,
Be Thou My Vision.
You'd think after 3 times before in the studio, that the gold records on my producer, Dave Pomeroy's wall for his work with Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood would be old hat, but they impress me anew everytime. Dave is a remarkable bassist with the type of personality that makes you forget he's shared the stage with Steve Winwood, Don Williams, The Chieftains and a host of other musicians of great renown and great talent. On Saturday, his attention was on li'l ol' me and my hymn project. We spent about an hour getting set up and waiting for a session musician to arrive.
Around 10:00am or so, Andy Leftwich came in wearing a ballcap and carrying a fiddle and a mandolin case by his sides. Anyone who has ever listened to Ricky Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder has heard Andy. Ricky is one of the most respected musicians in the world for his genre of music, so the fact that Ricky, a remarkable fiddle and mandolin player in his own right, would select Andy to play fiddle and mandolin with him on the road and in the studio really says it all. In fact I've been listening to Andy for years and didn't even know it until reading the liner notes in retrospect. Andy and Dave caught up discussing a recent show that he played on the Opry stage, and talking about a recording they were working on with their all-star Nashville group, Three Ring Circle. Andy gave a listen to my title track,
Be Thou My Vision, and went into the booth without a note one for reference. His tune up alone was beautiful, so I suggested he do a solo intro for my song. With almost no hesitation he nailed the concept nearly on the first run through. Dave had recorded a bass line on an earlier session, so the tune was already "complete" or so I thought. After hearing what Andy put down, I don't think I can imagine it without his fiddle...absolutely beautiful. As soon as he started, it was over and down for the record.
I thought about Dave's and Andy's talents, and about my own gift as a musician. I couldn't help but recognize the parallel between music and the Body of Christ. We're each given our own special part to contribute. Too often we don't realize our gift, our part, and too often when we do, we let it stand alone. What we have to offer may be fine by itself, but when we work within the Body, sharing our gift with the gift of others, there is a magnifying effect completing the composition in a way that lies just beyond our own vision. Together we are an orchestra, and God is our Maestro. I thank Him for conducting
Be Thou My Vi
sion last Saturday, and for allowing me to have a part in His orchestra. It is indeed a dream come true.
You'd think after 3 times before in the studio, that the gold records on my producer, Dave Pomeroy's wall for his work with Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood would be old hat, but they impress me anew everytime. Dave is a remarkable bassist with the type of personality that makes you forget he's shared the stage with Steve Winwood, Don Williams, The Chieftains and a host of other musicians of great renown and great talent. On Saturday, his attention was on li'l ol' me and my hymn project. We spent about an hour getting set up and waiting for a session musician to arrive. 
Around 10:00am or so, Andy Leftwich came in wearing a ballcap and carrying a fiddle and a mandolin case by his sides. Anyone who has ever listened to Ricky Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder has heard Andy. Ricky is one of the most respected musicians in the world for his genre of music, so the fact that Ricky, a remarkable fiddle and mandolin player in his own right, would select Andy to play fiddle and mandolin with him on the road and in the studio really says it all. In fact I've been listening to Andy for years and didn't even know it until reading the liner notes in retrospect. Andy and Dave caught up discussing a recent show that he played on the Opry stage, and talking about a recording they were working on with their all-star Nashville group, Three Ring Circle. Andy gave a listen to my title track, Be Thou My Vision, and went into the booth without a note one for reference. His tune up alone was beautiful, so I suggested he do a solo intro for my song. With almost no hesitation he nailed the concept nearly on the first run through. Dave had recorded a bass line on an earlier session, so the tune was already "complete" or so I thought. After hearing what Andy put down, I don't think I can imagine it without his fiddle...absolutely beautiful. As soon as he started, it was over and down for the record.
I thought about Dave's and Andy's talents, and about my own gift as a musician. I couldn't help but recognize the parallel between music and the Body of Christ. We're each given our own special part to contribute. Too often we don't realize our gift, our part, and too often when we do, we let it stand alone. What we have to offer may be fine by itself, but when we work within the Body, sharing our gift with the gift of others, there is a magnifying effect completing the composition in a way that lies just beyond our own vision. Together we are an orchestra, and God is our Maestro. I thank Him for conducting Be Thou My Vision last Saturday, and for allowing me to have a part in His orchestra. It is indeed a dream come true.
