Want this one!

I have too many plans methinks, but here is number two [of many hopefuly!]

At the moment there is nothing wrong with my guitar & yet because it cost little monies, I feel that when I have established myself in suitable employment, I might actually get around to purchasing my first guitar. Having thought & researched it a little, I have an inkling that this might be the way forward. I think it will do the job, but I will wait until I can actually play properly.

Idea Factory

Now this sounds a little far-fetched, however, a random idea came to me the other day & I thought I should blog as such. The simplest way to describe this is that I wish to create some form of studio. To grow this as an idea, I shall expand on what I mean.

At the moment I'm still living at home & have wheat I call my lounge downstairs which at the moment just has a TV & DVD surround-sound system in it. I also have a large Apple iMac in my room which has some limited music making capabilities. I've also got my guitar set-up in the lounge. Now my father has offered me a Roland keyboard & another USB MIDI keyboard.

What struck me was that with all this kit, why not put it all together. The potential is that I could get more kit & then get the boys [Nate, Hobbit, AJ/PeteE] round to jam & record some random worship/rock stuff.

Contemplation of the heart

Again having another day to contemplate the meaning of life, love & the universe....ok well one of those at least, it begs me to say how things go in my life - outside of my ministry.

Ahhhh matters of the heart - what can I begin to say?! Forgive this old man for giving into being all lovey-dovey, but hey, it's just what I'm feeling lolz!

My heart overflows with love for my girlfriend & this love grows stronger every day. All I can say is I love you Maddie King...& I always will.

G-rad-thoughts

Graduation is fast approaching for Brainshare & as such, randomly I have some thoughts [there's a surprise!]. It means that I finally get a piece of paper & probably about 1000 photos telling me that I have passed through the Centre for Youth Ministry degree course [relatively!] unscathed & qualified as a professional youthworker.

The only problem with this scenario is that currently I have no job!!

Now although tempting to blame the establishment for this small/minor problem, I feel that I cannot. It's not for lack of trying mind you, I have so far been to 7 interviews so far & have just 1 more lined up so far [St Paul's at St Alban's]. However, it does beg the question - if God has put Youth Ministry on my heart - is it right to give up trying to find a ministry at the present season & try again next year?

I know that with my degree I had to wait a year & this was right as it meant I was more prepared for ministry training. So is the same thing true for the beginning of my full-time ministry?! Even when I've been my best [St Lukes at Brighton, WinVin] I've still not managed to get a ministry at the end. The feedback was that I'd done nothing wrong but one of the other candidates were stronger.

SO how do I progress - keep my hand in at my home church, with the possibility of ministry there when the current youthworker finishes in the summer, & work temping or in an office for the next 6-8 months. Or do I keep trying for places in ministry until I get somewhere. It is a big dilemma for me & one which I cannot answer at present.

Those who understand my calling & ministry would tell me to keep going, those who do not [i.e. family] would suggest coming back to Youthwork later on. It does make one want to scream more than just a little bit!

Comments/suggestions are most heartily welcome on this post!!

Musical Wizz-kidding

Hey bloggites, time for some more random musical stuffs this time it's the Silversun Pickup's aka SSPU.
Now if I've talked rock music to you this year, you'll probably know that this is my band of 2008! I first heard one of their tracks whilst sat, doing some reading for my dissertation, in a Starbucks in Woking - but not, strangely listening to rock - actually listening to the man Freeland - specifically GU32 [see here for my thoughts on that album]. The track was Lazy Eye & I'm not sure why but it definitely struck a chord with my musical tastes.

As I do, I went hunting for that track & to see if there was an EP or an album about on the interweb, strangely there was nothing, so I actually purchased their debut album Carnavas iTunes. From the first play I could tell I was going to love the band, it was great track after great track; here's their track listing:

1. "Melatonin"
2. "Well Thought Out Twinkles"
3. "Checkered Floor"
4. "Little Lover's So Polite"
5. "Future Foe Scenarios"
6. "Waste It On"
7. "Lazy Eye"
8. "Rusted Wheel"
9. "Dream at Tempo 119"
10. "Three Seed"
11. "Common Reactor"

Lazy eye was great, I knew that, but also Well Thought Out Twinkles, Little Lover's So Polite, Future Foe Scenarios, Dream at Tempo 119 were stand-out tracks. I found that the more I listened to their album, the better I liked it! In fact I even got a copy of the album for Maddie for her birthday back in July [see I remembered darling!].

Their sound is often compared to Smashing Pumpkins - which is no bad thing, but for me it just sounded like if I could make/be in a band - that would be how I'd love to play. They have great control over their instruments [especially their pedal work] & such a great energy - this band is one that I really would pay to see live. I mean come on they even supported to Foo Fighters during their last tour - that's a big recommendation to me! They're like a new-wave of grunge & seeing as how much I'm digging that at the moment - is no bad thing!!

All-in-all this is a band that I cannot recommend highly enough - if, like me you're into a bit of rawk - this is the way forward.

Here's a quick vid of them on Jules Holland - check it out:

New Family Guy Feature-Length Episode!!!

First there was Stewie: The Untold Story, next it was Blue Harvest - now it will soon be the time for Something Something Something Dark Side - the second exciting episode in the Family-Guy-does-Star-Wars Saga - am I excited - YESS!! Here's their preview poster:

Sunday Update

Hey blogger-fans, it's time for another update, I've had a very lazy day today as it had been a busy few days! It's been good to chillax & play a little guitar, eat a little food & kick back. The guitar is going pretty good, got my 4 basic chords sorted & now got a full chord book do am starting to get to grips with the ways of the force...oh wait no ways of making chords!!



We continue............slowly!

Hmmmmm

OK now this is aimed at nobody in particular, but check out the trailer for this forthcoming film called The Proud American. I saw the trailer to this upcoming through the great Dave's Trailer Page website & was frankly appalled at what we being presented. Needless to say that I found the self-congratulatory elements almost arrogant. Check it out & see for yourselves.

Freeland Bio

If you want more of Adam Freeland's actual biography [rather than some random musings] check this out

The Man...Freeland...Part 2

Next in this most bizarre of history lessons is the good old GU32.

OK so by this stage I was now hooked on Freeland's style of mixing & choice of top choons! Saw this in HMV in Woking town & it's through this that I got plugged into my band of the year - the Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye!! It's a stonking mix & has some classics like Nowhere Girl, Half an Edit, Floating, Phantom & Paris 400.

My last part of the tale is the last mix I heard from him - his [now legendary] essential mix on BBC Radio 1. It's 2 hours of pure joy - there's stuff from his new album & unreleased stuff & some band called Autolux - which is awesome as it's sprung in a grunge revival for me - excellent!!

So if you've not heard this mix, then you really do need to. Here's the track-listing from Radio 1:

Billy Nayer - Ship Alarm (BSG Records)
Siriusmo - Girls Rock (Bungalow)
Unkle – Restless [loop] (Surrender All)
Evil Nine – They Live (Marine Parade)
Rogerseventytwo – Imagination (Tiger Trax)
Grinderman - No Pussy Blues [Adam Freeland Edit] (CDR)
Adam Freeland – Glowstix (Marine Parade)
Boys Noize - Let's Buy Happiness (Boys Noize Records)
Autolux – Blanket [Adam Freeland Mix] (Full Time Hobby)
Junkie XL - Cities in Dust [Glimmers Mix] (Artwerk)
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor [Soulwax Mix (EMI)
Shadow Dancer - End Hit (Boys Noize Records)
Alan Braxe – Addicted (Vulture)
U.N.K.L.E. – Restless (Surrender All)
Blake Baxter/Mark Romboy - House Ya [Bootleg] (CDR)
Alex Metric – Pins (Marine Parade)
Crookers - Love To Edit (Crack Crack Records)
Bloody Beetroots – Butter (Crack Crack Records)
DJ Shadow - Right thing/Ztrip - Set off the party (Island)
Freeland – Do Ya (Marine Parade)
Map Of Africa - Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys (Whatever We Want)
Black Strobe - Shining Brightstar [Phones Mix] (Playlouder / Beggars France)
Sebasien Tellier - Sexual Sportswear [SebastiAn Mix] (Record Makers)
Breakbot – Happy Rabbit (Moshi Moshi)
Tepr - Midniut Jacuzzi [Data Mix] (Wall of Sound)
Soulwax – Krack [Nite Version] (Play It Again Sam)
Midnight Juggernaughts - Road to Discovery (Siberia Records)
Adam Freeland – Hate (Marine Parade)
Freeland - How To Fake Your Life (Marine Parade)
Splitter - All Alone [Alex Metric Mix] (Eye Industries)
Can – Mothersky (United Artists Records)
Swayzak - Smile & Receive [Apparat Mix] (K7!)
Simple Minds - Theme for Great Cities (Sanctuary)
Caribou – Niobe [Adam Freeland Edit] (CDR)

All in all - he's a legend & I'm awaiting his next album with baited breath!!!

The Man...Freeland

OK this is a random musical shout-outs, for my favourite DJ's of the past few months/year: Mr Adam Freeland!

He's a DJ & producer who I'd link strongly & usually with the breaks scene. When I started to get into Breaks back in 2006/7 [thanks to Oli Long & First Contact, aka Ed Steele & Kostas from Fresh out the Box for that] one of my immediate favourite's was Freeland's "We Want Your Soul". For me this epitomizes the breaks scene & began to really get me into the whole genre. I then heard his Now & Them album. Check out one of the wicked tracks from it: Mind Killer [choon!]:



Next comes the most bizarre crossovers - I got given a CD, called "Back to Mine" mixed by Adam Freeland. Now this is my most listened to of all the music I own - no word of a lie - over 400 plays on some of the tracks. Now the reason for this really floating my boat is due to the chilled nature of the mix. Also it turned me onto a number of bands, such as Interpol, Autolux, And You Will Know us by the Trail of the Dead, TV on the Radio, Jape, Elliott Smith & Boards of Canada. Some of which I heard of but don't own & some which I was totally unfamiliar with.



To be continued!!

Failing, you have to love it sometimes - it's really funny!!

& one of my all time favourites [stick with it to the end]:

Guitar plea's!!

Oh & I now even have a list of stuff I need for my guitar so if you're getting rid of an amp, pedals, stand, case or even your old electric guitar - let me know!!! ;o)

Guitar Hero?

Don't worry not really succumbed to that fad of playing along with hero's on the 360 [phew!], no in actual fact I have begun to....learn to play the guitar!!

I came across a little electric guitar with no strings & in desperate need of some love, & I asked my good buddy Nate to fix it for me....well he didn't so last Monday me & Hobbit went to go get it, restring it & have a play & check it's all still in working order!

We went on a little jaunt to PMT [no seriously!] on the Cowley Road, just near where I've been having lectures for 3 years! Here I was advised to get some Ernie Ball strings & Hobbit suggested some Jim Dunlop plecks & then we say la piece de resistance a really, really, REALLY small, amplifier:

This is made by VOX [duh!] & is intended for personal practice, without disturbing your room-mates, neighbours, parents, siblings, pets, badgers, etc. & I have to say [even though I truthfully am a total n00b at this] that I was astounded as to how good it was - even through reasonably cheap & nasty headphones. The cool thing is I can practice without people wanting to garrote me with my shiny new strings & it actually sounds like an amp! IT runs with 2 batteries & lasts for like 15 hours [apparently].

Anyways, I've also got a tuner [as I can't tune properly yet - so will have to cheat for now!] & found [literally] a phono cable & dug out my old Absolute Beginner's Guitar book & have learned 4 chords now [so far]. Also Hobbit has been kind enough to chuck me his old guitar strap & has loaned me his beloved Marshall practice amp & a magical effects pedal - so it's a good start - I'll update this bit when I get reasonably reasonable & when I have a little money, but for now this, as it were, rocks!!

P.S. I have to mention my prime coercer into this - dearest Maddie - it's your fault methinks!!

D'oh well!!

Hey blog-peeps, it's been some time so it seems another update is required. You know I don;t think this would be so sparse if I spent any considerable time in Oxford or near my house!! Anyway I digress [meh!]...on with the blog:

OK didn't get the WinVin job, the feedback I got was that I did everything right, checking out the church before the interview, meeting the appropriate people, being communicative with the young people, having a sharing my vision for youthwork & working in Winchester, but in the end there were 3 really strong candidates [including me] but they went with one of the other 2.

I was a little disappointed, as you can imagine, but not terribly so, because like they said there's nothing I did wrong. I take this as meaning that it was down to a simple choice of personalities. When I am being interviewed & throughout this whole process, I've tried to remain as honest, as open & as 'myself', as possible & I don't believe this should change.

However, the issue is not just that I didn't get this one, it;s that it's now coming to the end of rather a long list of places that I have applied for. I now have just one egg left in my youthworker basket - St Alban's.

Or to be more specific St Paul's in St Alban's. This was a big challenge both the application form & the interview are simply huge - the app form was just under 3500 words & the interview is a 3 day affair. All-in-all a big deal. I will keep you posted as to what happens, but I'll also send round more prayer requests.

Chin up...as they say!!

Spore(k)

Ahhh Spore - the new game from the producers of the vastly successful Sim City & the Sims series of games. It's new & it's awesome - got a copy at the slightly reasonable £33 from Morrison's & it works of PC & Mac - shiny.

Basically you create a race of infinitely customizable creatures, from single celled organisms, all the way through to exploring space - it's a vast game, with large elements of individuality - I've not been able to recreate the same creature twice!! It's highly, highly addictive & my buddies over at X-Play have described it as the game of the year - probably the decade. I'm not 100% sure about that but it's definitely one of the best I've played recently. So go check it out!

Job Update

Hey all you bloggerites - here's an update on my job situation.

Went for an interview at Winchester Vineyard Church [WinVin] on Wednesday & it went really well, will hear about it after the weekend, but if you read this pray for me - as I'm really stoked about this one - it appears the best yet!!! It's a spirit-filled place & the crew seem great, as do the facilities & most importantly; the youth seem friendly & fun!!

We continue

Ministry Vision

Check it people!!

I would like to work with various young people from any cultural background & by the process of listening, get to know & understand their individual cultures. Then from a place of relevance & understanding, bring these young people to the knowledge & love of God, actively seeking Him & wanting to be saved.

If they already know & love God – fantastic! I want God’s grace to shine through my ministry & have a real impact on the lives of other young people, encouraging them to pray for their friends & begin their own ministries to the wider world.

Over a period of months & years, I want to grow in my own spiritual life, fulfilling my calling to Youth Ministry. I believe, wholeheartedly, that I can do some really good Kingdom work in this place.

EVEN moar update

KO moar updating - this time it's teh job hunting scenario!

Riiiight this is what's happening in the world of [or waldorf] me trying to find my first post-grad job in the field of youthwork.

So far...how shall I put this - I've looked at a great many with no success so far. I have a long old list of interview places, applied to & yet to be applied to places - predominantly from that old classic - Youthwork Magazine.

It all gets a little depressing if I look to see how many times I have 'failed'. However, as some very wise people [Maddie, Val, Phil, Jane, Julia & Matthew - you know who you are ;o)] have pointed out - each of these places are unique in that they are looking for an very specific type of person to be their youthworker - just because I'm not necessarily it should not dishearten me.

To be continued....

JNC Winning

I can haz JNC now k thnx bi?!