I just returned from my buddy Kevin Shaw’s shop. Every time I go over there I get in a heap of trouble. Kevin’s amplifiers are so beautiful and sound so great; I usually return home infatuated and start dreaming of a new Shaw acquisition!!

Kevin and I have been talking about a Marshall JCM 800 type of an amp configuration. I’ve been looking to acquire one which majors on classic 70s Marshall crunch tones. I am a Foreigner/ Mick Jones fan, and also appreciate the guitarist in Loverboy and his killer tone (“Turn Me Loose,” “The Kid Is Hot Tonight”). So, Kevin took the challenge and created this purple beast for me. Mr. Shaw is a genius! My son Josh and I went to the shop this morning, plugged in a humbucker guitar and cranked it up. WOW–it was all there: the beautiful harmonics and overtones were inspiring!

I am currently doing several recording projects in my studio: some for me and some for other folks. This new monster adds the ingredients to the soup that, so far, I’ve only gotten from using pedals. I am back to just a guitar, a cable and an amp for my Marshall tones…just like the old days when I first started playing in a band!

Here’s Kevin’s own description from his Facebook page of this yet-to-be-named beast:

“I just finished a custom amp for Jamie Harvill: a JCM800 preamp (with a few tweaks) feeding a 6V6 power section. He wanted some high gain crunch without killing the neighbors. This one measures out a little less than 20 watts. I added a 6 position tone contour switch in the preamp, which is amazingly effective at high gain, and a second stage “fat” switch. Sometimes I feel like Burger King where you can “have it your way!” Now it is off to shop to finish the case.”

Thanks Kevin! Check out his website. I am going to do some audio samples of this amp in the next few weeks. They will be posted on Kevin’s website at SHAW AUDIO.

Its been thirty years since I lived in the Midwest. Last week, Brenda and I made a loop from Nashville to Columbus, Ohio, then to Cleveland, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and back home.

Taking the trip helped confirm the affection I’ve always had for the heartland, ever since I first arrived in Columbus in January, 1980. The hard-working, clean-living people of the this part of the country left an indelible imprint on the heart of a bright-eyed 19 year old from southern California. When I first came to Ohio (our production company was based in Columbus) to play music, I was not only enchanted by the beautiful farmland that rolled on forever, but I was also impressed by the generosity of the people. I was astonished at how these tough folks could endure the unpredictable winters they were given, year after year. I learned several things during my three-year stay in Ohio. One of the most valuable was: don’t let challenges define you, but allow difficulties to refine you and make you a better person. I witnessed a tough, resilient people make a beautiful life out of struggles with the earth, the weather and the gamble inherent in farming.

Even when we would travel through the Canadian heartland back in the day–to play fairs and exhibitions in the remotest of places one could imagine–the people were so gracious. I remember that Canadians, especially, would be very reserved during our performances but would stun us afterward when they gushed and expressed how much they loved our music. They adored country music, especially the old stuff.

Our trip last week was unforgettable. I am pleased that I could share the experience with my bride–I had yet to meet her until 1983 when I relocated to Mobile, Alabama to play with the group, Truth. Brenda took some great photos and is as impressed with the beautiful Midwest as I am. Thanks to our dear friends Wes and Heidi Turner, and my old boss, Gary Henley, for showing us such generous hospitality while in Columbus. We’ll be back!

The The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines an icon as an image; a representation; an important and enduring symbol. Indiana Jones’ whip is iconic; Michael Jackson’s glove is iconic; Paul McCartney’s Hofner left-handed bass is iconic. When thinking of the early Allman Brothers Band, its hard to separate Duane Allman from a Les Paul guitar and his Coricidin glass bottle slide.

I met Jeff and his wife, Beth, after I moved to Mobile, Alabama in 1985 and married Brenda. We had Josh a year and a month after we wed. I knew a lady from my Truth days who introduced Brenda and I to Jeff and Beth. Like us, they had a newborn and had only been married for a short time too. Jeff played keys and sang beautifully. Brenda and Beth were both raised in Mobile and shared much in common. We all hit it off quickly and Jeff and I started a band. Some time after, Beth brought me a 4″ x 2″ x 1″ box containing a glass guitar slide. She proceeded to tell me that in her pre-Jesus years she traveled the country with the Allman Brothers and for a time was engaged to their tour manager, Twiggs Lyndon. She made a huge life-change in the years since Twiggs. With her new marriage and child, Beth felt the need to make a break from her past, so she gave me the Coricidin bottle as a gift.

Beth told me that some years after Duane died, she and Twiggs went to Duane’s mother’s house and traded a `38 Ford Coupe for one of Duane’s Les Paul guitars that, for years, had been quietly laying under a bed. After the trade, Twiggs had the guitar re-fretted. And in the company of Beth, he took the old frets and pounded them into the back side of the guitar to form Duane’s name. In that guitar’s case were found a bottle slide and a hairband that Duane used to pull his hair back into a ponytail. Twiggs gave these items to Beth as a gift. At some point Beth and Twiggs broke their engagement. She carried the slide and hairband with her across the country where she eventually met and married Jeff in California.

Beth felt that, as the items held a connection to her past, she’d do better to give them to me. So when I opened the box, needless to say, I was speechless.

Brenda and I toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio yesterday and came across this very guitar that Beth and Twiggs transformed years ago. Over time the guitar changed hands and at some point was owned by guitarist Steve Morse. It finally made it’s way back home to Duane’s daughter, Galadrielle. She has generously given permission to display the guitar in Cleveland.

I feel very blessed to have that slide in my possession. I have been asked since if I would donate it to the Hall of Fame Museum. I guess its selfish, but I don’t want to part with it. Maybe I will in the future. I still relish the fact that I have the missing piece.

I had a great evening with an old road buddy here in Columbus, OH who has opened up his photo archive to let me do some scanning. I unearthed these photos displayed here. I can can’t believe its been over 30 years since these photos were snapped. Notice the Eagles-esque picture of our First National Band. It was during the Urban Cowboy craze. The other photo is the show group called Life. We were going overseas to Germany and Iceland in 1980 with the USO and this was the promo shot. My friend Wes gave me one of these funky flowered costumes that one of us guys wore to take home with me. Lots of fun and memory lane walking here in Columbus, Ohio!

I used to wince growing up as my family watched TV and my dad would point to the old black and white TV and say, “That movie is full of dead people!” He was raised in the 1930s and 40s, and all of his movie heroes were getting up in age by the 1960s. He’d also look at old photos like Lincoln’s 2nd inauguration and say something similar. The eerie thing about Lincoln’s photo is that every single person walking and breathing in that picture is truly dead–no exaggeration!

Yesterday I saw that Clarence Clemons, the iconic sax player for Bruce Springsteen, succumbed to a massive stroke over the weekend. He was 69. The beginning of June carried some sad news to many, myself included, that singer/songwriter Andrew Gold, 59, died of a heart attack in his sleep. Gold was a musical hero of mine and is best known for writing “Lonely Boy.” I followed him years before as he became the wunderkind multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Linda Ronstadt’s band in the 70s. Just a few years ago another personal hero, Dan Fogelberg, passed away too soon at 56 from complications relating to prostate cancer–an illness he had been battling for some time. I am understanding my father more and more lately as I witness the demise of folks from my generation.

It makes one think about mortality and the promises we heard in school like “we can be all we want to be.” The sad thing is most of the folks who pass away relatively young probably weren’t ready to go; they had more dreams to fulfill and more songs and records to record. One thing I know for sure, we are never promised tomorrow. Some of us, like my dad, are blessed to live long lives (85 this year!). My grandmother lived to be almost 100. Sadly, my mother passed away at the young age of 67. No one knows the day or the time.

Life is finite…at least here on earth. I believe in eternal life after death, though–that God exists and a real heaven awaits those who are redeemed in Christ. I know that seems old-fashioned to some reading this, but I really have a deep, anchored trust that when it is my time, I will pass into eternity with my Lord. A Christian isn’t guaranteed a longer life than a non-Christian. But the Bible does teach that if we live good, faith-filled lives–trusting in God for our future and being content in Him–we can make provision for our lives and enjoy the resultant health benefits of a positive attitude (Proverbs 17:22, 1 Timothy 6:6).

Even with all that being said, I am saddened when I read of the deaths of life-long heroes. Most of my musical mentors are 10 years older than me; that puts them in their sixties these days. But even as death is real and possibly eminent, I want to live my life to the fullest, even to the end.

Thanks for the music Clarence, Andrew and Dan. Your lives have certainly enriched mine!

There’s nothing worse than getting into a shower, ready for a rejuvenating 20-minute sauna experience, only to find there is just enough hot water available to fill a tea cup. The next sucky thing is that the pressure coming off of the shower spigot is about as powerful as a vegetable irrigation system at the local grocery store. I like to travel, not because I adore crowded planes and shuttle buses, but for the fact that most decent hotel rooms have hot water and pretty serious water pressure. In other words, to get a good shower, I have to leave home! That’s just plain wrong.

Because of this serious problem in our home, growing increasingly worse over the past two years, it was finally time to get my beloved shower back in working order. A few years ago I had a plumber come out and survey the problem. Of course when mechanics, electricians and plumbers see me coming, their eyes usually light up with matching jackpot symbols like a Vegas slot machine (they put two and two together: musician equals idiot with zero fix-it skills). They immediately start to plan their Redneck Riviera vacation at Gulf Shores as they add-up the potential financial damage they’ll be creating for me.

The plumber who came over on this occasion let me off fairly easy and suggested a simple water heater flush. “Okay?” was my ignorant reply (he could have said “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” from Mary Poppins and I would have said, “Cool..sounds great!!”). He proceeded to hook a garden hose up to the water heater sitting in the back corner of my garage. After the better part of an hour, he bled that cylinder dry (what he did while the water water was draining is still a mystery). When it was through, the guy pointed to the runoff in my driveway: I couldn’t believe the amount of sand that made its home in my water heater over the previous eight years. Its bowels were exposed, transforming the concrete drive into what looked like the Sahara Desert!

He snapped a bubble on a huge chuck of pink gum then proceeded to suggest I get a new water heater. After tallying-up the charges, he plopped a piece of paper into my palm that read: $750. “And we’ll even haul the old one away,” he said offhandedly while simultaneously checking text messages on his cell. Snapping his flip-phone shut, he zoomed-in for my idiot-musician response. I surprised him with, “Maybe next time…” He shook his head with disapproval, rolled up the garden hose and threw it in the truck. It landed right next to the brand-new water heater that he hoped to offload on me.

So, two years later, its time to replace that dinosaur in my garage. My buddy Kevin is coming over this morning to help me. No, let me rephrase that…Kevin is coming over and I’m gonna help him…errr…get in his way. Hopefully, after the problem has been corrected, tomorrow morning I can lean up against the corner of my shower to let that scalding hot water cascade down my back and wash another “honey-do” off the list. Next item: the upstairs air conditioner drain isn’t working. I guess I better see if my buddy’s available…

So, where else do you go when in Cleveland other than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Ralphie’s house from “A Christmas Story.” Yes, it still stands, as well as many of the other sites that were used in the filming of the movie, including the Chinese restaurant and Higbee’s Department Store (pictured: Ralphie’s house today).

Since the movie opened in 1983, it has snowballed into a must-see Christmas movie for many Americans. It is surprising to learn that when it was released a week before Thanksgiving in 1983, it was received to moderate success. By Christmas, a few weeks later, it was only being shown in a few theaters across the country. Because of television reruns, the movie has had a chance to percolate in people’s hearts, enough so that by December 2007, AOL ranked the film their #1 Christmas movie of all time.

The movie is endearing to me because it depicts an imperfect family, quirks and all. Even though the characterization of many of the people in the film are cartoon-like, their faults were redeemed by the end of the movie. The father’s “cuss like a sailor” dialogue and the mother’s overprotecting qualities made it real for many. I wasn’t raised in the mid-west in the 40s like Ralphie, but I grew up in the 60s in Orange County, California where many of the same characters were scattered throughout my neighborhood: bullies, wild dogs, mythical school teachers and best-buddies. The biggest character in the movie was Christmastime…and we all love that time of year. Thanks to Ted Turner, “A Christmas Story” is always on during the holidays.

After the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Brenda and I are going across town to pay a visit to Ralphie’s house. Christmas will come a little early this year.

I have said it before: songs from our youth are like soundtracks to our lives; when hearing them as older people, we are transported back to those days–the feelings, sights and smells all come rushing back. No group is better than the Eagles at contributing to the soundtrack of my generation.

The songs that came from the Eagles truly bathed my life with the wonders of the American West. They painted images of the desert–replete with cactus, mountains, and mesas–along with mythical mansions where you can check in but never leave. All of these pictures created a fantasy that I longed to set out and find like a musical Don Quixote. When I left home and started my musical career, I eventually realized that those images were all marketing ploys. But man, do I ever love the thought that somewhere out there a place exists where all of those fables are true!

Isn’t it crazy how we are transfixed by songs from our youth? I fell in love with the music of America, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for the same reason: they sang of a place where I wanted to live. I wanted to join them–sing and play along-side them. The dream sort of crumbles when you find that your musical heroes are made of flesh and blood–that they can sing out of tune–just like you.

But sometimes the magic is suspended for a few moments, just like it was Friday night when Brenda, my brother Jon, his wife Beth and I saw J.D. Souther in concert at Work Play in Birmingham. Many may not recognize his name, but J. D. Souther helped the Eagles sculpt those images as co-writer on many of their songs. “New Kid In Town,” “Best of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “The Sad Cafe,” to name a few. You probably remember his voice on James Taylor’s “Her Town Too.” As a performer, his own recording charted #7 on the pop charts called “You’re Only Lonely.” Souther’s voice and writing also graced Linda Ronstadt records with songs such as “Prisoner in Disguise” and “Faithless Love.” J.D. is a powerful performing artist in his own right.

I was looking at new releases a few weeks back when I saw that Souther had a new CD coming out called “Natural History.” The recording covers several of the songs mentioned above in a stripped-down, acoustic fashion. The CD is certainly one to purchase, especially if you are a fan of Ronstadt and the Eagles. I searched online and noticed that the concert in Birmingham was just weeks away. I had to go see him.

So, as we sat there in that booth Friday night watching him sing those songs live, I was carried back to my teen-aged years of unbridled dreams and musical passion. I still have that drive to play and sing, but I’m wise to the fables that my musical heroes spun back in the day. After the concert my brother bought the new CD, exchanged words with Souther and procured a silver autograph. I walked away from Work Play that night full–full of great memories and the passion to get back to writing the songs that are waiting to be birthed in my own heart.

Musicians are driven. We will endure poverty, rejection, bad gigs, stuffy, smelly buses and vans, sketchy motel rooms, junk food, long stretches away from loved ones and long stretches with some people who we can’t stand. There is a primal need to keep pressing on to the nebulous goal of the perfect gig. We always tell ourselves, “It’s right around the corner!” The reality is, we don’t have a destination. Yes, we have the rehearsals, the gigs, the promise of a new audience in a new city, but the true reason we endure is hidden in the deep recesses of our psyche.

Something about music reaches the mind, heart and emotion of a musician differently than the normal person. I can remember, even as a child, deep feelings of love, sadness, longing, etc., when I heard a song on the radio or stereo. Distant memories of “Happy Together” by the Turtles, “Yesterday” by the Beatles, and “When I Was Seventeen” by Frank Sinatra come to mind. I don’t know exactly when I decided to play the guitar, but I knew that when I heard music I wanted to re-create the emotions I felt when I listened to it.

My ability to hear harmony and sing on pitch caught my mother’s ear as a youngster. She had an incredible musical ability herself which she applied to singing harmony and playing the piano. I guess since the guitar was the preeminent expressive instrument of my generation, I opted for one of those. I got my first one around 1967, and after fiddling around a bit, I realized I took to the 6 strings like I took to singing harmony.

Something in music keeps driving me. All through middle school, high school, and college I kept playing. Even when my band mates fell away because of a girlfriend, a job, or because they were sick of it all, I decided to keep on. I’m 51 in a month and I’m still on course! So many folks like me end up here in Nashville. We all look like refugees, carrying our instrument on one shoulder and a sack full of broken dreams on the other. Most of us are way past discouragement, so we keep walking.

I love my profession. It has taken me through 31 years of joy, sorrow, world travel and new vistas. The most valuable gift that I have from my travels is my beautiful wife, who decided 25 years ago to join me on this crazy journey.

So, it’s time for a road trip for me and Brenda. I was too busy doing Christmas rehearsals last December to properly celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (I deeply regret that!). So we’re gonna pack it up and take a trip to Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where a new Beatles exhibit opens. We will also visit some of my old stomping grounds where I once lived in Columbus, and stay with some dear friends. Then we will go to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to visit Sweetwater Sound to see Alan Parsons give a lecture (yes, the Alan Parsons of Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Alan Parsons Project fame!).

I look forward to being with my bride and making this pilgrimage, of sorts. It’s not to replace a spiritual trip to Jerusalem–but pretty close. My journey as a music guy won’t end until my heart stops beating. Until then, I’m gonna be playing, singing, writing and listening–trying to create the same emotion that put me on this road in the first place.

A friend called the other day to tell me he was just offered the job of worship leader in his church. Apparently, the person who held that position for several years abruptly decided to move on. My friend is a wonderful musician and singer, a Godly man, and a great husband and father. With past worship leading experience, he seems to be a great candidate. But with this opportunity, he now faces the challenge of holding down a regular 40-hour-per-week job while handling the demanding leadership duty at church. He is hopeful but I sense his anxiety.

These days, with a tough economy and limited budgets, churches, like for-profit businesses, are having to pare down their operations to accommodate income challenges. Volunteers are being called upon more and more to fill positions once occupied by paid staff. If you are one of those people invited by the pastor to take a worship-leadership role in your church, I have a few suggestions that might help you decide. Some of the questions my friend asked me may help illustrate:

What am I getting into as a worship leader? What should I expect?

Being an effective worship leader isn’t just a title. It is a great responsibility that requires character, leadership and skill.

First, it is a people related job. If you are not excited about leading, equipping, serving or generally being around people, this job isn’t for you. It is a team sport!

Second, It is a spiritual role. Your positive Christian testimony and your walk with Christ are very important to the job. People are watching you on and off stage. Do you behave one way at work or home, and another way at church? As a spiritual leader, you are an extension of the pastor’s pulpit and care ministries. Many of the people in your church see you at the pulpit almost as much as they see the pastor. Are you ready for such a task?

Third, it requires musical and technical abilities. It takes a basic knowledge of instrumental and vocal music, plus some performing skills. It helps if you know some technical basics like how sound, lighting and video systems work. You are essentially the “producer” of the service; you pull it all together. You don’t need to be an expert, but you need to know how everything cooperates in the service. If you don’t have experience in some of the areas mentioned, you need to be willing to learn.

Fourth, It is a leadership role. You prepare, come early, stay late, solve problems and usually take the blame when things go wrong, even if it’s not your fault. Your professional demeanor is contagious (start on-time–end early, if possible!). Sometimes your experience in production and performance is greater than the pastor’s. So, to make sure you both are on the same page, understand what the pastor expects from you as a leader. Since most of your work will be done at home and after your work day is through, you will have to manage your own work habits. Have the pastor draw up a “big picture” view of the product he/she wants from you each week.

After you know the expectations, and the time it takes to complete these duties, create a weekly time budget and present it to your family or spouse. If your family can live with the arrangement, move to the next step and take the offer. If they are not on board with it, do yourself and the church a big favor and decline the offer from the pastor. If the time budget is too costly for you to fulfill as a volunteer, you may suggest some kind of financial compensation (If these things are not open for discussion with your pastor, you should think again about taking such a position. This is fair warning as to how the future of such a position will most likely end up–a disappointment).

Fifth, It is a servant role. The job of worship leader isn’t to showcase our wonderful singing abilities, our incredible songwriting or smoking guitar licks. The ultimate aim should be to help facilitate a one-on-one encounter between each participant and God. If we serve with skill, excellence, love, encouragement, patience, humility and grace, it’s a success!

Ask the pastor: “Is this position temporary–to fill-in for a while until you find a permanent replacement– or do you expect me to be the leader indefinitely?” If so, you are entrusted with the responsibility of creating and maintaining this ministry from which you will operate, make decisions and grow. This will demand an incredible amount of time, made more challenging with a full-time job elsewhere. It’s fair to let your pastor know your time limits. Put your job description and the time requirement in writing! In the process, you may find that it’s too much for you to take on. If it all seems overwhelming in the discussion stages, pass the opportunity to someone who can better serve your pastor and the church.

Is it important to maintain weekly communication with the pastor?

Yes. It may be impossible to meet on a weekday since you have a full-time job. But it is important to establish some kind of weekly meeting (breakfast, lunch, evening) as a forum for the worship leadership. Maybe just you and the pastor need to meet weekly to discuss technical needs, staging, video use, sermon theme support, special events, set lists, stage transitions, etc.. It’s also a good time to evaluate last week’s service and to make changes and improvements.

I have a saying that holds true in most church situations: “You can’t go faster than the pastor!” That means we as worship leaders take a subordinate role to the pastor. We are there to serve, encourage and support. They set the pace–we follow.

Where is the best place to find new music and resources?

I get this question from a lot of people. It is incredible how much time it takes just to pour over songs, CDs, music books, etc., and choose worship music. The best place I have found is on the CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International) website. Your church should consider establishing a relationship with CCLI for several reasons:

First, to procure a church copyright license. This covers over 200,000 worship songs for congregational singing. There are licenses for special events and mobile licenses for traveling ministries. The reality is, churches must pay for the rights to project words on a screen and provide lyrics in printed form.

Second, one of the greatest values in using CCLI is their SongSelect® service. This subscription service features lyrics, samples and transposable lead sheets, chord sheets and hymn/vocal sheets for churches to customize and print.

Third, CCLI lists the top 25 worship songs in the U.S. (and all over the world) right there on the website. That’s a great place to find popular songs. Of course your church’s music style will dictate which of those songs you can use, if any. But the top songs–the ones used the most in churches–are listed there. For more information, including permission to make photo copies, internet streaming and rehearsal CDs, visit CCLI, or another great licensing resource, my friends at Christian Copyright Solutions.

Where can I find other helps in my new position as worship leader?

I have written several installments in this series that may be relevant to your needs. If you want to learn about building a ministry from scratch, or just taking it to the next level, here are some helpful topics:

-A worship leaders spiritual task

-Wearing proper worship attire

-Building a worship band

-Leading with excellence

-Celebrating our successes

-When things go wrong in a service

-Rehearsal tips

-Preparing for rehearsal

-How to flow in worship

-Choosing team members

-Planning a service

-Creating great moments

I would love to personally help you and your church find solutions for your worship ministry. I am available for consultations. Contact me if you have any questions or comments at: jamie(at)jamieharvill.com