Inspiring

  • Encouragement,  Grace of God,  Healing,  Inspiring,  My Musical Journey,  Suffering,  Worship

    Blessings

    November 22, 2021 /

    This is one of 2 songs I consider anthems of my life. After learning to live with pain that cannot be resolved in this life, I remember God’s purpose in it all and that makes my world make sense again. And the clencher phrase is ”This Is Not Our Home!!” We pray for blessings, we pray for peaceComfort for family, protection while we sleepWe pray for healing, for prosperityWe pray for Your mighty hand to ease our sufferingAnd all the while, You hear each spoken needYet love us way too much to give us lesser things ‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindropsWhat if Your healing comes through tearsWhat…

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  • Inspiring,  Lyrics as Poetry,  Mentor,  Piano

    Tiny Dancer – Elton John

    September 28, 2019 /

    My piano inspiration in the 70s. This is his classic song Tiny Dancer. He sang this live when my sister Alice and I saw him in Berkeley, CA, October 1972. I became a big fan of his that year. I played a lot of his music in the 70s and continued to train my ear to play by ear as I did. I suppose I have him to thank for that. After years of practice, I was able to sit down and play any song by just hearing. At any rate, Tiny Dancer was one of his first hits when he and Bernie wrote very poetic music. His first music…

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  • Inspiring,  Piano

    Elton John – a musical inspiration

    June 7, 2019 /

    I discovered Elton John quite by accident in 1972. I saw an obscure movie entitled “Friends” and he did the score. It is quite good. The music was very fitting, emotional and inspirational. I became an immediate fan when I found he played the piano. How about that. A rock musician who plays the piano. From then on, he was my primary inspiration at my own keyboard. He remained so until 1980. I’ve also attended more Elton John concerts than any other artist. He puts on a fabulous show. Even now as he is much older and can’t sing the high notes any longer, he still puts on an amazing…

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  • Children,  Daughters,  Inspiring,  Vocal Harmony

    Chinese

    September 6, 2018 /

    This is Capital Childrens Choir choral tribute to Lily Allen who wrote this song for her mother, Alison Owen.Video by chorister Alexandra Berglof; Orchestrated and Arranged by Rachel SantessoTo like the choir on facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/capitalchoirRecording engineers: Andrew Dudman and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studiosstudio footage filmed by Nick Marangoni

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  • Inspiring,  Lyrics as Poetry,  Mentor,  Music

    John Denver, a poet and balladeer and an inspiration

    February 16, 2018 /

    In my Sacramento years (1975 on), my musical taste became a bit less rock and a bit more folk and country. I fell in love with John Denver’s music. I think  at this time I started taking more of an interest in the lyrics of songs. Up until now, my interest in music was melody, harmony and beat. I never paid much attention to lyrics.  Denver’s music was two things to me; beautiful acoustic guitar duets and lyrics about nature. No one could sing about nature like Denver. Here is a good example. I’ve often wondered why I love this song about a misunderstood nature zealot. That is not really…

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  • Faith,  God,  Inspiring,  My Musical Journey,  Organ, Hammond

    Believe

    October 16, 2017 /

    There is nothing like a simple song to convey the simple message that God is real, that His plan of the ages is real, that the plan focusses on the salvation of sinful man and that all the human intelligence in the world cannot gainsay or resist the message. The renowned theologian Karl Barth was at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago during his lecture tour of the U.S. in 1962. After his lecture, during the Q & A time, a student asked Barth if he could summarize his whole life’s work in theology in a sentence. Barth said “Yes, I can. In the words of the…

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