Episode 59: Interview with Dave Fitzgerald
On this first edition of 2011, Wisdom opens the podcast with a special rap dedicated to our listeners all over the world.
Additionally on this episode, we…
-talk to Tom Metz from WorshipPlanning.com about the new Facebook app for WP and a special iPod Touch giveaway. Go to worshipplanning.com/contest to enter.
-share about our new sister podcast, The Songwriter’s Cafe, a monthly podcast hosted by Wisdom Moon and Mandy Thompson. It’s a podcast dedicated to Christian songwriters.
-share about a brand new website/resource we’ve been working on: WorshipDevotional.com kicking off in March.
-feature an interview with Dave Fitzgerald, worship leader/songwriter with Kingsway Music.
-announce the Songwriting Webinar with Dave Fitzgerald on Feb. 22nd at 8pm CST. Visit thesongwriterscafe.com for details and to register.
-share about the All About Worship Retreat coming up May 19-21 with Brenton Brown, Pocket Full of Rocks, Sarah Reeves, Dave Fitzgerald, and others. Visit worshipretreat.org for the details. Listen for the special promo code to receive 25% off registration.
A special thanks to Dave Fitzgerald, Kingsway Music, and WorshipPlanning.com.
QUICK LINKS
- Hosts: Wisdom Moon & Ben Abu Saada — check out their blogs
- Dave Fitzgerald
- Hope of Heaven on iTunes – Dave’s debut album
- Dave on Twitter and Facebook
- Songwriting Webinar w/ Dave Fitzgerald
- WorshipDevotional.com
- The Songwriter’s Cafe
- WorshipPlanning.com
- All About Worship Retreat – join us May 19-21, 2011 in Overland Park, KS for a special time of connecting with other worship leaders in an intimate setting. Listen to the show for a special promo code available to the first 5 people to register!
- All About Worship Plus Membership
- Factor7 Agency
Connect with us:
Stream or download this episode:
TSC Episode 1: Kathryn Scott – Show Notes
We are so excited to launch The Songwriter’s Cafe Podcast, a brand new monthly podcast created with the Christian songwriters in mind. Whether you’re just starting out as a songwriter or have been doing it for years, we hope you will find this podcast and community inspiring and helpful.
On this first episode of the podcast we…
- introduce ourselves
- share about an upcoming songwriting webinar with Dave Fitzgerald
- discuss songwriting with our featured guest – Kathryn Scott
- give you a sneak peek at our original songs
- announce our Songwriting Challenge 2011
QUICK LINKS
- Subscribe to The Songwriter’s Cafe on iTunes
- Our Twitter Handle
- Our Facebook Page
- Songwriting Webinar with Dave Fitzgerald
- Kathryn Scott’s site
- Kathryn’s Twitter Handle
- Kathryn’s Album on iTunes
- Wisdom’s blog
- Mandy’s blog
- Wisdom’s Twitter
- Mandy’s Twitter
- Factor7 Agency’s site
We would love to hear from you! Email us at share(at)thesongwriterscafe.com or leave us a message on our comment line: 913.735.4229
A special thanks to Kathryn Scott for stopping by our show and sharing her insights. Also, big thanks to Jared Anderson for providing the intro music to our show.
The Songwriter’s Cafe – Launch News
We have some exciting things planned for 2011 here at the All About Worship headquarters. We will be revealing them as time goes on. One of those exciting things is the launch of a brand new monthly podcast that we’re calling - The Songwriter’s Cafe.
The Songwriter’s Cafe will be hosted by Wisdom Moon and Mandy Thompson. It will be an extension of All About Worship, all under the (new) umbrella of Factor7 Agency. This monthly podcast will feature discussions, resources, and interviews all focused on songwriting. It’s a podcast for Christian songwriters, by Christian songwriters. It won’t be just for worship songwriters, but for Christian songwriters in general.
In no way do we claim to be experts on songwriting, but we hope to bring insights on songwriting from some of the most respected Christian songwriters today. Whether you’re an experienced songwriter of 20 years or just starting to dip your toes in it, we hope this new podcast will be a great resource for you.
We’d love to hear your ideas for the podcast. How many minutes should the podcast be? What songwriters would you like to hear from? What topics would you be interested in?…etc.
If you have any input, you may either TWEET US, post it on our Facebook Discussion, or leave a comment on this post.
Looking forward to a great year!
Jesus Culture “Come Away” – CD Review
Mandy Thompson and Wisdom Moon both wrote a review of Come Away by Jesus Culture. The album released today and is available on iTunes.
REVIEW BY MANDY THOMPSON
I recently heard that if Jesus Culture picks up a song soon the whole world will know it. With a handful of songwriters in the credits of their songs, I anticipate that the same is true for many featured on their latest album. Come Away is a beautiful blend of dramatic ballads and rocking pop songs, all lifting your soul to the presence of God.
A few songs that caught my attention:
-Misty Edwards’ “My Soul Longs For You.” I’m so glad they put this on the album. It uses the dramatic metaphor of God coming like the rain. And the song cries “Let It Rain! Let It Rain!” with passion and fervency. It’s a powerful song to use in worship.
-“Freedom Reigns,” by Michael Larson, follows “My Soul Longs For You” and there’s something about it that pulled me in on first listen. We love to sing songs based on 2 Cor 3:17, but this one encourages listeners with something new: “If you’re tired & thirsty, there is freedom.”
-“One Thing Remains” caught my ear before the first word was sung. I could tell this song was going somewhere dynamic and inspiring. It didn’t let me down. The song contrasts God’s love with difficulties in life. I anticipate this song will be sung by many.
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REVIEW BY WISDOM MOON
It is always exciting for me when I hear that there is a new Jesus Culture project underway. So much of today’s worship projects sound alike, so I’m always on the lookout for an album (like many of Jesus Culture’s) that not only has songs that are corporate worship friendly, but have a unique sound.
Jesus Culture’s new album, Come Away, is that perfect combination. The passion and desperation for more of God clearly comes through in this live recording. The album contains songs that are not just great for corporate worship, but for personal worship times.
Featuring the songs and vocal talents of Jesus Culture worship leaders Chris Quilala, Kim Walker-Smith and the full Jesus Culture band, this album was recorded live at the Jesus Culture Encounter Conference in Redding, CA earlier this year with a full house of passionate youth and young adults.
Some of the songs that stood out to me are:
Track 5: “My Soul Longs For You” – I’m very familiar with the live version done by Misty Edwards, the writer of this song, but I have to say I am liking this version better.
Track 7: “Let It Rain” – This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and written by a friend of mine – Michael Farren of Pocket Full of Rocks. A very simple, yet powerful song. Every time I listen to it, a hunger is stirred inside of me.
Track 9: “Show Me Your Glory” – Another song that stirs my soul. That’s what I love about Jesus Culture’s albums; they pick songs that stir up a hunger for Jesus. They don’t settle for radio-friendly songs.
Come Away is not just another worship album; it is an experience that beckons you to engage. It’s a continuous flow of powerful worship that draws you to a fresh new encounter with God.
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Track List:
01. Come Away
02. Rooftops
03. You Are My Passion
04. I Want To Know You
05. My Soul Longs For You
06. Freedom Reigns
07. Let It Rain
08. Mighty Breath of God
09. Show Me Your Glory
10. One Thing Remains
We’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section. And, if you missed it last week, we are giving away two copies of this CD/DVD combo HERE. Deadline is approaching, so hurry!
Episode 56: Interview with Kathryn Scott
On this episode, Mandy Thompson interviews Irish worship leader/songwriter, Kathryn Scott. Kathryn has been an influential worship leader and songwriter of songs like “Hungry”, “At the Foot of the Cross”, and many others. We also get to hear Ben’s amazing embarrassing moment of 2010 when he attempts to thank one of our closest friends.
Listener Feedback
- We received a note from Mike S. about our recent interview with Meredith Andrews. Sorry Mike…no high heels.
- We also received an email from Angie Brenning. We all here at All About Worship agree…Wisdom has the hippiest name EVAH! Thanks Angie for letting us know how Meredith’s interview impacted you!
Toolbox
- Worship Stream. Wisdom Talks to Nate and Joey from Worship Stream. This great tool helps churches with affordable solutions to provide online streaming to their church body. If you’re thinking about ways to easily stream your services online, be sure and check out this great resource.
Sponsor Love
- WorshipPlanning.com – Our friends at WP are offering YOU, our faithful listeners, an extra free month of administrative goodness. Instead of the regular 30 day free trial, you can get an additional 30 days FREE.. Sign up now using this special code: AAWHOLIDAY10.
Quick Links
- WorshipRetreat.org – Have you registered yet? DO IT…RIGHT NOW! We’d love to have you join us in
Overland Park, KS this coming May. - All About Worship Plus – If you’ve not enrolled in our AAWPlus side, check it out. We have a special interview with Kathryn available exclusively to our subscribers on songwriting.
- HungryWorshipper.com – Visit Kathryn’s official website..
- Kathryn on Twitter – Follow Kathryn on Twitter.
- “We Still Believe” Album on iTunes – Check out Kathryn’s latest release. Awesome live worship!
Contact Us
- Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom, Ben and Mandy
- Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
- 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.
Listen
Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.
Thanks
A special thanks to Kathryn for being a part of the show! Thanks also to our friends at Integrity Music for permission to provide our listeners a glimpse of Kathryn’s album with “We Still Believe”. Thanks once again to our friends at WorshipPlanning.com and WorshipStream.
And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!
Click below to listen and/or download this episode.
Worship Leader Highlight – Mandy Thompson
1. When and how did you know you were called to ministry?
When I was in high school, I told my parents that I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do in life, but I knew that someday when I hand someone my “business card” they’d know I work for God. Then college came, and I found myself leading worship – and leading a band of upperclassmen. The summer before, my college pastor sat me down and told me that he saw a gift in me – a gift to lead worship – to understand how it worked and how to lead others. He’s not the only leader in my life who has had that talk with me. I guess I looked up to them enough to believe, despite my own fears and nervousness and hesitations, that they saw what God has placed in me.
2. What do you do to keep yourself fresh as a worship leader and/or songwriter?
1) As an artist in general, I find that listening to new music and reading song stories, informative articles, etc, really help me keep a finger on the pulse of worship music.
2) As a worship leader, I like to play “under” other worship leaders. I get a chance to sit back and soak up their styles and fortes. It challenges and inspires me.
3) As a songwriter, I write. There’s no other growth edge than to constantly write write write. If I’m not writing, I’m not growing in my craft. Of course, I also listen to amazing music and study up on songwriting techniques.
3. What are five worship songs you are really connecting with currently?
Top pick: Miriam Webster’s “Made Me Glad” – I’m absolutely amazed at how well she puts scripture to music.
Also, Lehman’s breathtaking hymn “The Love of God” – this song is nothing short of a lyrical and poetic masterpiece.
John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves” – “if grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking” is unquestionably the richest and most profound lyric to rise out of the bulging anthology of our generation’s worship songs.
Townend and Getty’s “In Christ Alone” – the theology and authenticity of this song is a must-have for every congregation.
Matt Maher’s “Christ has Risen” – this is more than a song; it’s an experience.
4. What is the most important thing you would share with an up-and-coming artist or worship leader?
“It’s never about you. It’s always about them.”
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Ephesians 4:11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
5. Could you share one of your most embarrassing moments while leading worship?
Wow. Well… This is more sad than embarrassing, but it’s all I’ve got: I can think of three moments when I’ve started singing a song in the wrong key. Once when I just hadn’t practiced (lesson learned). Second time was a noticeably shaky start to “Mighty to Save;” even though I quickly recovered and climbed into the melody, my heart does that funny nervous flip whenever I utter the first syllable in “everyone.” The worst time – well – this is much more sad-embarrassing than funny-embarrassing. It happened on Mother’s Day a year ago. A nice lady at the church said hello to me, and asked if I had any kids. I tried to smile as I said no. What she didn’t know was that this was supposed to be my first “Mother’s day” but we had a miscarriage instead. The Sunday was hard. Then there was that question. I tried to shake it off as I stepped up front and grabbed my guitar, but our pastor’s sincere prayer for all the mothers in the room wasn’t helping. So we hit the first few chords of “How Great Thou Art” and my mind and voice did not land in the right key. I could not find the note. I couldn’t. I looked at our pianist, we stopped, she tapped lightly on that starting note, and we launched back in. I’ve never felt more exposed while leading worship.
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Mandy serves as Director of Congregational Services at The Chapel in Brunswick, GA. To find out more about Mandy, visit our Leadership page or her blog.
Episode 54: Interview with Keith Getty
This week on the All About Worship Podcast, Wisdom and Ben take a moment to semi-celebrate two years of podcasting partnership between the two. Wisdom remembers his favorite moment with Ben on the podcast. Our UH-MAZING field correspondent, Mandy Thompson, talks to worship leader, songwriter Keith Getty, co-author of “In Christ Alone” about the songwriting process and more. Stay tuned for their song “By Faith” on the show. We also hear your feedback and share some worship leading tools. Stay tuned for a brief sleeping aid recording with Ben and Wisdom after the listener feedback.
Listener Feedback
- On the AAW hotline is a voicemail from Ben in Germany sharing his answer to our question about how worship is led in his church in Berlin. Thanks Ben for taking time to call us! Sorry we woke you up!
Toolbox
- Ben shares one of his favorite tools as an acoustic guitar worship leader…the capo. If you’re tired of coveting the electric guitar player’s gear…just remember…you have the amazing capo. Ben talks about these capos: Keyser, Dunlop, Rolling, G7, PlanetWaves Duel Action, Keyser Cut, and Keyser Drop D Capo.
Sponsor Love
- WorshipPlanning.com – Check out WP101 on WorshipPlanning.com. A great way to get one on one training from Tom Metz and crew on how to use
their site. Just another example of the heart and desire to help worship ministry leaders and team members from Worship Planning. - “Avoiding Burnout” Webinar with Tommy Walker. WorshipPlanning.com is hosting this webinar and making it available to you FOR FREE. Wednesday, October 27. Learn more.
Quick Links
- WorshipRetreat.org – Early Bird Registration extended!!!!! Have you registered yet? DO IT…RIGHT NOW! We’d love to have you join us in Overland Park, KS this coming May.
- GettyMusic.com – Visit Keith and Kristyn’s site and catch up on some of their amazing music and resources.
- GettyMusic on Twitter – Follow the Getty’s.
- Getty’s Music – Visit their online store for their music.
- Awaken the Dawn on iTunes – You can listen to samples from the album & download it.
Contact Us
- Twitter – Follow AAW on Twitter. You can also follow Wisdom, Ben and Mandy
- Facebook – Join us on Facebook.
- 913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.
Listen
Check us out on iTunes; subscribe via RSS Feed. Or, stop by our Archive page and listen in.
Thanks
A special thanks to Keith Getty for being a part of the show! Thanks once again to our friends at WorshipPlanning.com!
And of course…THANK YOU for listening!!!!
Click below to listen and/or download this episode.
Episode 54: Keith Getty
Episode 49: Interview with John Mark McMillan
This week on the All About Worship Podcast, Ben and Wisdom talk about their recent 
experience at the National Worship Leader Conference, hear your feedback and talk with our field reporter, Mandy Thompson. You also hear Wisdom’s retaliation for Ben’s “ID10T” comment on the previous show. It’s true…one of Ben’s many dreams was to one day become a rapper. And on this episode, we quickly find out why that dream never came true.
Quick Links
WorshipPlanning.com – Please check out our AMAZING sponsors who make this little podcast possible. Tom Metz and crew have a fantastic resource available for all you worship leaders. Stop by and check try out WorshipPlanning.com today! Check out their new Twitter handle: @worshipsense
MandyThompson.com – Visit Mandy’s website.
Mandy on Twitter – Follow Mandy.
TheJohnMark.com – John Mark’s official website.
The Medicine – Get the John Mark’s new album on iTunes.
How He Loves Us – Link to the single on iTunes.
John Mark on Twitter – Follow John and keep up with what’s happening in his world.
All About Worship on iTunes – Visit us on iTunes and PLEASE leave some feedback! The smart folks at iTunes deleted our page by mistake recently along with all the listener reviews we had. We would greatly appreciate your leaving a review!
WorshipRetreat.org – The next All About Worship Retreat is on the calendar and space is limited to just 65 attendees! Early Bird Registration ends soon.
Giveaways
We are doing two big giveaways!
1. A FREE Registration to the Forge Conference. Sept 30 – Oct 2, 2010 in Ocean Grove, NJ.
2. A FREE Registration to National Worship Leader Conference East. Oct 5 – 7, 2010 in Lancaster, PA.
Just leave a comment on the shownotes for “Episode 48: Darrell Evans Q&A” to be entered to win. Deadline is Aug 18th.
3. Free music! Don’t forget, during the month of August, visit our blog once a week you’ll have a chance to win free CD’s!
Contact Us
Follow AAW – Follow our tweets for regular updates and news.
Like AAW – Join our growing number of friends on Facebook.
913.735.4229 – Leave us your own voice message.
Thanks
We want to say a BIG thanks to WorshipPlanning.com for sponsoring this episode. Start your 30 day free trial today. Be sure and follow them on Twitter at @worshipsense right here or find them on Facebook.
Thank you to Integrity Music for letting us play a clip of “How He Loves”! And HUGE thanks to John Mark for sharing his heart and time with us on the show!
And as always….THANK YOU for listening!!!!
Listen
Check us out on iTunes. Feedburner. Or stop by our Archive page and listen in.
Episode 46: Interview with Miriam Webster
On this edition of the podcast, Mandy catches up with Miriam Webster who is an influential songwriter and worship leader. You’ll hear her heart for worship and her new song “Made Me Glad” on the show. We also hear from you in our “Listener Feedback” and we talk to Tom Metz from WorshipPlanning.com about some new features coming down the pike. Don’t forget to take part in our giveaway!!!
Quick Links
WorshipPlanning.com – Stop by our kind sponsors and try them out. There are some fantastic features that Tom and crew continue to roll out for worship teams. One of our favorite features mentioned on the show is the “Songbook” feature. Creating online books with sheet music that you can assign team members to. Check them out and be sure to thank them on Twitter for being a part of the show by tweeting “Hey @wpupdates Thx for 
sponsoring the @allaboutworship podcast!”
Livestream.com/GraceVideo – Wisdom said it, here’s the link. You can watch Ben lead worship at his local church.
MandyThompson.com – Visit Mandy’s website and learn more about our AWESOME correspondent.
MiriamWebster.com.au – Visit Miriam’s website.
Miriam on iTunes – Check out Miriam’s latest recording “Made Me Glad”.
All About Worship on iTunes – Visit us on iTunes and PLEASE leave some feedback! We’re always looking for ways to improve the show and we’d love to hear from you. (Plus we need some good ego stroking)
AAWPrayers – Follow and request prayer on this new Twitter feed.
Giveaway
We want to hear from you. Call us at 913.735.4229 by July 1 with your answer to this question: Wh
at are the top 5 songs your church is currently connecting with this year. If you leave an answer, we will enter your name into a drawing for Paul Baloche’s latest CD “Glorious” along with the worship tools set with instructional DVD and song charts. Make sure you leave your name, the name of your church, the songs and the authors of the songs. Call us at 913.735.4229 (please note, Darth Tater and Spud Trooper are NOT a part of the giveaway)
Contact Us
Follow AAW – follow our tweets for regular updates and news.
Like AAW – join our growing number of friends on Facebook.
913.735.4229 – leave us your own voice message.
Thanks
We want to say a BIG thanks to WorshipPlanning.com for sponsoring this episode. Start your 30 day free trial today. Check out their new uploading feature allowing you to upload multiple files simultaneously! Be sure and follow them on Twitter at @wpupdates right here.
Thanks to Miriam for stopping by the show! And special thanks to Kingsway for permission to share “Made Me Glad”.
Listen
Check us out on iTunes. Feedburner. Or stop by our Archive page and listen in.
Show Notes for October 1, 2009: “Manly Worship” Round Table
The topic at hand is “Manly Worship”. What is “Manly Worship”? Is there a need for worship songwriters to focus more attention on music that ministers more to men? Is there a trend in worship music within churches that connects more with the heart of women vs men? Or is this issue moot and the hearts of men need to be challenged in this area? Listen in on our first ever Round Table and drop your comments or thoughts:
Mandy Thompson. Songwriter/Worship Leader, Mandy Thompson, will be joining us. Visit www.MandyThompson.com to learn more about her ministry. Mandy will be joining us live from her home in New England. By the way…Mandy created those KILLER podcast intros for us!
Troy Kennedy. Songwriter/Worship Pastor from Kansas City will be joining us. Troy hastaught classes on worship leading ministry in conferences around the nation including the recent National Worship Leader Conference 2009. Log on to www.NewWorship.com or visit his blog to learn more about Troy.
Fred McKinnon. Songwriter/Worship Leader from St. Simmons Island, GA will be joining the roundtable discussion. With the “Sunday Setlists” and TheWorshipCommunity, Fred has become an influential member of the online worship community. Visit www.FredMcKinnon.com and www.TheWorshipCommunity.com to learn more about Fred.
Shoot us a note at podcast@allaboutworship.com or leave a voicemail at 206.426.7119. Let us know what your thoughts are on this important topic.
Listen on our archive page here.
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