God Breathed

God Breathed to breathe, blow, sniff at, seethe, give up or lose (life) (Qal) to breathe, blow (Pual) to be blown (Hiphil) to cause to breathe out blow 4, breathe 2, seething 2, blown 1, lose 1, snuffed 1, give up 1     Today is April 30, 2007. April 30, 2007 is my Birthday. April 30, 2007 'Twas the time before my April 30, 2007 prophetic assignment. when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. I yearned for the new breath of God to cyclic through my nostrils. I yearned for the promised kiss of springtime. The promised breath of springtime did blow through my nostrils. I knew it was the breath of God. It was the crystal breath more powerful than the 100 lifesavers. More powerful than the fumes of the Vicks Vapor Rub. More powerful than the cyclone, hurricane torrid winds of life's storms. Job 37 It's God's breath that forms the ice,    it's God's breath that turns lakes and rivers solid. And yes, it's God who fills clouds with rainwater    and hurls lightning from them every which way. He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that—    commands them to do what he says all over the world. Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love,    he makes sure they make their mark Breathe upon us, Lord, from Heaven, Fill us with the Holy Ghost; Promise of the Father given, Send us now a Pentecost. Refrain Breathe upon us, breathe upon us, With Thy love our hearts inspire. Breathe upon us, breathe upon us, Lord, baptize us now with fire. While the Spirit hovers o’er us, Open all our hearts, we pray; To Thine image, Lord, restore us, Witness in our souls today. Refrain Lift us, Lord, O lift us higher, From the carnal mind set free; Fill us with refining fire, Give us perfect liberty. Refrain

Diagnose: Is the church a praying church?

Diagnose: Is the church a praying church?
Dr. Chuck Lawless

Prayer is the means by which we get the power to grow a God-honoring church. Most leaders are well aware of this truth. The problem, though, is this: most churches pray reactively rather than proactively. That is, they respond in prayer when a need develops, but they seldom take charge in prayer by seeking God's face before a problem develops. Even our prayer lists reflect this tendency, as we include on the list primarily those who have made known their need for prayer.

In my book, "Discipled Warriors," I compare "churches that talk about prayer" with "churches that really pray." Perhaps this comparison is a starting point to evaluate whether a church is a praying church:

Churches that talk about prayer . . .

* tell people to pray.
* announce prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer.
* may have a prayer list.
* may have a prayer ministry as one among many.
* have leaders who talk about prayer.

Churches that really pray . . .

* teach people to pray.
* actually pray at prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer and pray during preaching.
* intentionally pray through the prayer list.
* have a prayer ministry that covers every other ministry.
* have leaders who model prayer.

Here are some other ways to determine whether a church is a praying church:

1. Ask the pastor about his personal prayer life. This question is often difficult to ask, since you are putting the pastor on the spot. Nevertheless, we know from research and consulting that a church seldom prays more fervently than the pastor. If the pastor struggles with prayer, encourage him to secure an accountability partner who will hold him faithful. If he does not already have partners who pray with him weekly, invite him to enlist several prayer warriors who intentionally cover his life and ministry in prayer.

God brings ministers and congregations together for a purpose. Discerning that purpose should be the top priority of every congregation with a new leader. This goal can be achieved by observing a 40-day season of devotions and dialogue during the first year's honeymoon phase.

2. Conduct a church-wide survey about prayer. How will you know if the church is a praying church unless you ask the members abouttheir own prayer lives? Two possible resources are the Church Health Survey and "Serving in Your Church Prayer Ministry," a small book that includes a reproducible prayer survey.

3. Determine if the church has a prayer "point person." The titles for this role differ (e.g., prayer director, minister of prayer, prayer leader, prayer coordinator), but churches that really pray typically have someone overseeing an intentional effort. If no one is in charge of keeping prayer on the church's agenda, it almost always gets pushed aside.

4. Ask if the church has a prayer room. Obviously, having a place for prayer is no guarantee that members pray. The church might have a prayer room that is seldom used. Still, churches that intentionally set aside a room for prayer tend to be more committed.

5. See if each of the church's small groups have assigned prayer leaders. The small group is the place where most relationships develop. It is in this context that many members share their prayer needs. If, however, no one in the small group is responsible for recording those needs and encouraging members to pray, they often fall on inattentive ears. Each small group should have a prayer leader who takes responsibility for recording needs, inviting others to pray, and reporting the results when God answers.

6. If the church has a membership class, ask how much attention is given to teaching new members how to pray. Most membership classes are not long enough to do much in-depth teaching, but some time should nevertheless focus on helping new believers and members to develop their spiritual disciplines. Seldom are members more ready to take on these tasks than when they first become a believer or a new member.

7. Determine how often the church gathers solely for the purpose of prayer. Every church I know prays together at some point, but those prayer times are often simply an expected part of a routine worship service. We pray simply because it is time to pray in the order of worship. A praying church, though, gathers often solely to pray- to focus on God, the needs of the church, and the needs of non-believers in the community. Prayer is by no means a routine in these churches.

As you consult with churches, don't ignore this vital component of prayer. Instead, challenge churches to begin their work in prayer, support it through prayer, and praise God in prayer when he blesses their work! Keep in mind these other resources that might help you: And the Place was Shaken by John Franklin, A House of Prayer by John Franklin, The Praying Church Sourcebook by Alvin Vander Griend, and The Praying Church Idea Book by Douglas Kamstra

Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens

Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opens

By TOBY STERLING

AP

Rob Keeris, AP

It's about two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house, but the Ark described in the Bible was five times larger than this ship.

SCHAGEN, Netherlands (April 28) - The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday - you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years - drawing a crowd of curious pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.

Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

Reckoning by the old biblical measurements, Johan's fully functional ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.

"The design is by my wife, Bianca," Huibers said. "She didn't really want me to do this at all, but she said if you're going to anyway, it should look like this."

A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine - biblical scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.

On the uncovered top deck - not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats. And one camel.

Visitors on the first day were stunned.

"It's past comprehension," said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape.

"I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big."

In fact, Noah's Ark as described in the Bible was five times larger than Johan's Ark.

But that still leaves enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater, where kids can watch the segment of the Disney film "Fantasia" that tells the story of Noah.

Another exhibit shows water cascading down on a model of the Ark. Exhibits on the third level show ancient tools and old-fashioned barrels, exotic stuffed animals, and a wax model of an exhausted Noah reclining on a bed in the forecastle.

Genesis says Noah kept seven pairs of most domesticated animals and one breeding pair of all other creatures, plus his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law together on the boat for almost a year while the world was deluged.

Perhaps it was only logical that the replica project would be the brainchild of a Dutchman: fear of floods are ingrained in the country's collective consciousness by its water-drenched history.

Lois Poppema, visiting from California, said she thought the Netherlands was exactly the right place for an ark.

"Just a few weeks ago we saw Al Gore on television .. saying that all Holland will be flooded" due to rising sea levels, she said.

"I don't think the man who made this ever expected that global warning will become (such an important) issue - and suddenly having the ark would be meaningful in the middle of Holland."

Under sunny clear skies Saturday, Huibers said he wasn't worried about another biblical flood, since according to Genesis, the rainbow is the sign of God's promise never to flood the world again. But he does worry that recent events such as the flooding of New Orleans could be seen as a portent of the end of time.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where churchgoing has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. He also plans to visit major cities in Belgium and Germany.

Piano Series Art Tatum Lessons

Art Tatum Lessons Click here: YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

Art Tatum Music Click here: YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

Oscar Peterson and Andre Previn About the great jazz pianist Art Tatum  Click here: YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 

 

Valley of Fire

 

 

 

Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest State Park. It covers an area of 34,880 acres (141 km²) and was dedicated in 1935.

Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas at an elevation of between 2,000 and 2,600 feet (610 and 790 m). It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a basin 4 miles (6 km) wide by 6 miles (10 km) long, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Overton, Nevada.

The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.

The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape. Other important rock formations include limestones, shales, and conglomerates.

 

 

Ohio Church Noise Bothers Neighbors

Ohio Church Noise Bothers Neighbors April 27, 2007 - 5:50pm

MASSILLON, Ohio (AP) - Is it worship? Or disturbing the peace?

Neighbors of Worshippers of Christ the Warrior King Church have petitioned the city, saying screams and sounds of glory and praise coming from the building are a nuisance. But church members contend they're being harassed because of how they worship.

"Sunday morning is God's day of worship," the Rev. Troy Sowell said. "I'm not going to tell this congregation, 'You're being too loud.'"

Sowell says he's open to finding a solution but is not going to forfeit his right to worship God.

Police responded to noise complaints three consecutive days during a revival last year, after the congregation moved in.

"They have a sound system over there that is very loud," said neighbor Reginald Winters. "I'm in my house with the door shut, and literally, my windows are vibrating in my house. ... This year, it's started right back up."

The church closed its doors and windows, but the complaints have continued, said Jerena Copeland, associate pastor.

Sowell said light bulbs have been stolen from the building and beer bottles have been wedged beneath the tires of members' vehicles.

Church members recently met with Police Chief Robert Williams.

"I'm still hoping for an amicable, diplomatic solution," said Williams, an ordained minister and the son of a pastor.

View more photos

CHURCH CONFLICT The Rev. Troy Sowell, senior pastor at Worshippers of Christ the Warrior King Church in northeast Massillon, claims his congregation has been targeted because of its loud worship style. Some residents who live nearby say the sound emanating from the church frequently is excessive. REPOSITORY MICHAEL S. BALASH

(Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Neighbors to church: Turn down volume
Thursday, April 26, 2007
BY CHARITA M. GOSHAY
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER

MASSILLON, Ohio (AP) - Is it worship? Or disturbing the peace?

Neighbors of Worshippers of Christ the Warrior King Church have petitioned the city, saying screams and sounds of glory and praise coming from the building are a nuisance. But church members contend they're being harassed because of how they worship.

"Sunday morning is God's day of worship," the Rev. Troy Sowell said. "I'm not going to tell this congregation, 'You're being too loud.'"

Sowell says he's open to finding a solution but is not going to forfeit his right to worship God.

Police responded to noise complaints three consecutive days during a revival last year, after the congregation moved in.

"They have a sound system over there that is very loud," said neighbor Reginald Winters. "I'm in my house with the door shut, and literally, my windows are vibrating in my house. ... This year, it's started right back up."

The church closed its doors and windows, but the complaints have continued, said Jerena Copeland, associate pastor.

Sowell said light bulbs have been stolen from the building and beer bottles have been wedged beneath the tires of members' vehicles.

Church members recently met with Police Chief Robert Williams.

"I'm still hoping for an amicable, diplomatic solution," said Williams, an ordained minister and the son of a pastor.

(Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

< Back  

MASSILLON How loud do you have to be in church for God to hear you?

Some members of a northeast neighborhood want the congregation that attends Sunday services there to tone it down when they praise the Lord, and they've petitioned the city to do something about it.

But church members claim they're being harassed because of the way they worship.

The Rev. Troy Sowell, senior pastor at Worshippers of Christ the Warrior King Church at 1133 10th St. NE, wants to find a solution, but says heis not going to forfeit his right to worship God as he pleases.

"We're not going to whisper, but we're not going to blatantly disregard the law," he said. "It's not 'noise.' We're going to praise the Lord and worship. We're talking 50 members. We plan on filling it up. What are they going to do then?"

The nondenominational church conducts worship services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays, a Bible study and prayer meeting on Wednesdays, and chorus rehearsals on Fridays.

"Sunday morning is God's day of worship," Sowell said. "I'm not going to tell this congregation, 'You're being too loud.' "

Volume has been an ongoing problem since the congregation moved into the church in 2006, said Associate Pastor Jerena Copeland. She said that last year police came to the church three consecutive days during a revival in response to noise complaints. Copeland said the church closed its doors and windows, but the complaints have continued.

"Sunday was 75 degrees," Sowell said. "The neighbors' doors and windows were open; (from) some you could hear what they were watching on TV. With 50 members, we're one of the smallest churches, but yet we're the noisiest?"

Copeland said a member was threatened by a neighbor with a baseball bat last year for asking neighboring children to stop playing in the church's yard. Sowell claims that spouting has been pulled from the building, lightbulbs have been stolen, and beer bottles have been found wedged beneath the tires of members' vehicles.

Neighborhood resident Richard Laase, who signed the petition, said he welcomes the church in the neighborhood, but contends that sometimes the worshippers get too loud.

Regarding last year's revival, Laase said, "I live half a block away; I thought there was a fight outside. There was screaming going on. I have no problem with their religion, but when you can hear it half a block way, you the need to close the windows. I've been a resident here 15 years. It was kind of disturbing to me, but if that's their belief, that's what they want to do, that's fine by me."

Copeland said Christ the Warrior King's effusive style of worship is "not disrespect, but glory to God."

"I get excited about what Jesus has done for us," she said, adding that God healed her from a stroke. "I'm not ashamed of what Christ has done in my life. We've invited the neighbors. They've judged us before they knew anything about us."

AMICABLE SOLUTION

Church members recently met with the city's police chief, Robert Williams.

"I'm still hoping for an amicable, diplomatic solution," said Williams, an ordained minister and the son of a pastor.

Williams said one problem is, unlike newer buildings, the church, which was built in 1954, does not have a "buffer" such as a large parking lot separating it from the surrounding houses. It previously was occupied by a wedding chapel, and the Souls Harbor Baptist Church.

Williams said he didn't know how many times officers have been to the church, but that following up citizen complaints is standard police procedure.

The problem appears to be unique.

Nisha Mohammed, a spokeswoman for the Rutherford Institute, a religious-freedom advocacy group in Washington, D.C., said the issue has not been one the agency's encountered.

"Most of the cases we've dealt with have been zoning issues, such as parking lots, or church expansion," she said. "To my knowledge, we haven't come across such a case."

is it a race issue?

Church administrative assistant Gerald Woods argues that the city's noise ordinance is violated every time a canon is set off to celebrate a touchdown made by the Washington High School football team inside Paul Brown Stadium.

"It's a predominately white neighborhood. We're a predominately black church. That's the problem," he said.

Laase takes issue with such a characterization.

"No one's trying to pick on them because of their race, creed or color," he said. "It's not a racist neighborhood. We have a mix of people here."

"It is not a race issue," said Reginald Winters, who lives across the street from the church. "It's not the way they worship. It is simply respect. They have a sound system over there that is very loud. I'm in my house with the door shut, and literally, my windows are vibrating in my house. ... This year, it's started right back up."

Winters said he recently spoke with another associate pastor, the Rev. Eugene Copeland - Jerena's husband - about the issue.

"He's a very nice guy," Winters said. "I explained to him, 'I'm an African-American myself; this is not a racist neighborhood.' I told him, 'Nobody dislikes you because you're a black congregation. It's nothing like that. Just turn down the volume a little bit.' "

Winters said he tries to keep a watchful eye on the church, and has seen no acts of vandalism, apart from some children banging on the windows.

Church members say they have no plans to leave the neighborhood.

"This is 2007," Jerena Copeland said. "We're not running."

"The only way we'll move is if we outgrow the building," Sowell said. "If they want us out, come on over and help fill it up."

Readers Digest Best Lasting Logo

Best Lasting Log

This advertising icon has endured since 1916.

An advertising icon since 1916, the Sun-Maid Raisins girl was based on the late Lorraine Collett Petersen, a seeder and picker from Fresno, California, where Sun-Maid began its operations. Though she's undergone some slimming and trimming over the years, she's still the image of outdoorsy good health that raisins, high in antioxidants and natural sugars, represent.

 

Photo: Courtesy Sun-Maid

Last Updated: 2007-03-23

Fortifi@ Recent Entries 2007 04/29/07

Nahum 3:14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.		Fortifi@ Recent Entries 2007
Click here: Fortifi @ Humor Insufficient Fiends for Withdrawl Click here: Fortifi @ Mourning The Smoking Gun 32 Click here: The Hare/Hair that rocks the cradle rules the Word Dueling Metaphors: The Tortoise and the Har   Click here: Forifi @ Humor Out of The Box? - Out of the Tomb! Easter He is Risen		Click here: Music Ministry Revival part132 4/29/07 Music Ministry Revival part132 4/29/07 D-Tone Pianistic Decent Dethone 4/29/07 Dixie Hummingbirds Founder Has Died 4/28/07 Yamaha's High-Tech Piano Pays Off 4/28/07 Congratulations Psalmist Sonya 4/27/07 Fortifi@ MusicDiaspora Prayer and Fasting - 02:03:04 05/06/07  and  07/07/07 4/27/07 High fidelity takes backseat to portability 4/27/07 Ethiopia: Artists Voice Anger Over 'Impracticality' of Copy Right LawEthiopia: Artists Voice Anger O 4/27/07 Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich Dies At 80 4/27/07 New Orleans Jazz Fest: A celebration of a city reborn 4/27/07 Building a One-Stop Arts Center 4/26/07 Watch out: Here comes $4 gasoline 4/26/07 Aretha Franklin To Help Cast Musical 4/26/07 High fidelity takes backseat to portability 4/26/07 Singer revives golden era music 4/26/07 James Brown's band plans series of shows 4/26/07 Yahoo expands its online music section 4/26/07 Russell Simmons : Three epithets should be banned from rap music 4/25/07 South Africa: Musician of Goodwill 4/25/07 Whitney Which Way 4/25/07 Don’t Blame Hip-Hop 4/24/07 Music of the Spheres and the Pain of Earthly Matters 4/23/07 Hallelujah Indeed: Debating Handel’s Anti-Semitism 4/22/07 Gang of clueless Leaders 4/22/07 Imus fallout: Music execs discuss rap lyrics 4/22/07 A Mass by Committee, and a Test of Belief 4/21/07 'Pipe organ' plays above the Sun
Nahum 3:14 Store up water for the siege.    Shore up your defenses. Get down to basics: Work the clay    and make bricks.		4/25/07 Max Lucado Stepping Aside as Senior Minister 4/25/07  Black Megachurch Launches Most Ambitious Outreach Thrust 4/25/07 Boom in Christianity Reshapes United Methodists 4/25/07 Christian 'Idol' Contenders Move Past Sanjaya4/25/07 Va. Gunman Forces Evangelicals to Question Church Outreach 4/25/07 Churches Recognize Large, Underutilized Baby Boomers 4/25/07  Charges Against Breakway Megachurch Pastor Heats Up Dispute 4/23/07 Dissatisfaction Makes Churchgoers Switch 4/23/07 To Know as We are Known, Parker J. Palmer 4/23/07 The Art of Showing Pure Incompetence at an Unwanted Task 4/23/07 Crystal Cathedral Knievel's Good 4/21/07 Creation Museum's 1st visitor? Bill Maher 4/20/07 Fortifi@ Mourning The Smoking Gun 32 4/16/07 What is important to God 4/12/07 Actor Roscoe Lee Browne dies
“We fortify in paper and in figures, Using the names of men instead of men, Like one that draws the model of an house Beyond his power to build”		4/25/07 Potentially Habitable Planet Found 4/25/07 Colored Hockey League 3/30/07 Fortifi@ Humor Break Through 3/29/07 Black Aviators to Be Honored by Congress 3/23/07 Superfoods: The Next Frontier
		Fortifi@ Entries 2006 2006 Review December (87) November (197) October (162) September (106) August (70) July (107) June (73) May (64) April (39) March (34) February (36) January (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Ministry Revival part132

Music Ministry Revival part132 I (We) prophesy to the 4 winds of the heavens. Revival Angels come into the Music Ministry. Come,  Spirit of Music Ministry Revival. The Spirit of awakening come.  Come, Music Ministry Revival, Music Ministry harvest angels come. Music Ministry...angels of revival come... awaken Lord. Send your glory. Send your glory... send your glory and change the atmosphere in the Music Ministry. Fire of God come. Light of God come. Go forth Light of God. Breathe ... wind of God, breathe into the Music Ministry, now in Jesus name.  Music Ministry Revival has arrived. God has made an appearance in the Music Neighborhood. His appearance in the neighborhood has caused the adjustments in the Music neighborhood. Their has been adjustments in the The Music Industrial. The adjustment includes a new playlist. The Industrial complex has controlled the lurking  "boomboxstic" (boom box) misogynist, sexist, racist, derogatory sounds. The Industrial complex sounds lurk on the satellite radio, cable TV, CDs and DVDs music neighborhood. Music Ministry Revival means that God has introduced new sounds in the Music Neighborhood. The sounds from heaven signal a sonic invasion in the Music neighborhood. Behold, God has made an appearance in the Music Neighborhood through the electronic Revolution. The Music Ministry Revival in the Music Neighborhood has arrived! God has made an appearance in the Music neighborhood. The Music Ministry Revival has arrived. God has made an appearance in the Music Neighborhood. Gods appearance is accompanied with a sound from heaven. There is a celestial sound that lurks in the Music Neighborhood. God has made an appearance in the Music Neighborhood. God is making a divine intervention in the Music Neighborhood. The evidence of the Revival in the Music neighborhood is: The Sovereign has a prevailing voice and message The Sovereign has a prevailing pray The Music Neighborhood and the Music Ministry has evidenced weeping and repentance The  Music Industrial Complex has been dethroned. This is significant because the Music world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever. ...   The kingdom of the world is now       the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah!    He will rule forever and ever! The Twenty-four Elders seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, and sang, The Technological revolution has birthed the Democrazation of Music. Mp3, Ipod, wireless technology. Hence the dethroning of the Industrial Music Complex. This dethroning of the Industrial Music Complex may evidence the Music Technological revolution that has invaded the homes of America. Click here: High fidelity takes backseat to portability MP3 players now preferred means of listening to music • Stereo system, CD sales way down • Some audiophiles unhappy, but most people like MP3 devices Democrazation of Music The Technological revolution has birthed the Democrazation of Music. Mp3, Ipod, wireless technology has designed a music currency that gives equal music access to every member in the Music neighborhood. Every member in the music neighborhood can publish, document and distribute music.  The Technological revolution makes custom music formatting affordable. Previously, the Music Industrial Complex has controlled the marketable play list on CD and DVDs. Presently, the Technological revolution allows every member of the music neighborhood to design a personal play list on their CDs and DVDs. The personal music play list and reality formatting rules. There is no Music Mogul or executive declaring your project marketable. Visual Parable D-Tone Pianistic Decent Dethrone. Click here: D-Tone Pianistic Decent Dethone The Massachusetts institute of technology Piano Drop may be a Parabolic reminder of the Music Industrial Complex decline-the acoustic Piano decline.  Music Technology  has presented the Music Ministry with an unprecedented opportunity to deliver the Song of the Lord behind Music Neighborhood curtain. This technological  development is unprecedented since the Gutenberg Press. The Music Musical Industrial complex is slowly now dismantled by viewer choice and selection.  Prior to the Industrial revolution, the Pope-Church controlled the production and the distribution of Music in the Church. Before the Industrial Revolution, books were copied – mainly in monasteries, or, as in the 13th century, by paid scribes. The Gutenberg press diminished the scarcity of books by enabling at least 700 – 800 books to be printed per year, despite the fact that many materials that were printed still had to be fed by hand, and the process of printing was very time consuming.  The " 21st market place Organ Grinders" will have once again invaded the music neighborhood. But the Lord has raised a standard against the Organ Grinders sound that lurks in the Music Neighborhood. Some of the lurking Organ Grinders sounds are "boomboxstic" (boom box) misogynist, sexist, racist, derogatory sounds. The "boomboxstic" pied pipers with be rivaled by the invasion of the ground troops of Organ Grinders. The Organ Grinders will herald the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage... Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on. The future of Music Ministry is likened to the Organ grinder. The organ grinder was a musical novelty street performer of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, and refers to the operator of a street organ. Market place Music Ministry in the community, in real time. This Organ Grinder marketplace music is directly in contrast to the pipe organ ministry of the church. Only accomplish practitioners could play in large forums.           According to Ord-Hume the disappearance of organ grinders from European streets was in large part due to the early application of national and international Copyright laws. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century European publishers of sheet music and the holders of copyrights to the most popular operatic tunes of the day often banded together in order to enforce collection of performance duties from any musician playing their property in any venue. A fairground organ is a pipe organ which is not played from a keyboard, but rather by mechanical means such as music roll or book music, and designed originally to be used on a fairground or in the United States on a carousel or in a dance-hall or skating rink. In the US, fairground organs are usually referred to as a Band Organ. Fairground organs were popular as a means of playing music in public venues before the invention of devices for recording sound. They were most popular around the end of 19th and into the 20th century, until sound recording and broadcasting technology edged them out. The Music Ministry Revival will sink or swim based on its teamwork. Could teamwork among the Music Ministry solve: The music Ministry assignment The Music Cosmos World Hunger A common agenda for Music Ministry Convention-leaders Lower the increasing divorce rate among Music Ministry couples in their 40s, 50s, 60s and even the 70s Music Ministry and AIDS and drug dependency Control, Distribute , Produce CD for the general Music Ministry Sexism, classism, racism in the Music Ministry Affordable Senior Housing for the Music Ministry Music Ministry pension funds Retooling the the Music Ministry from Industrial Pipe Organ, organic Piano to electronic instruments Institute Remedial music education program for the Music Ministry Updating resume service for the Music Ministry who is out of work Redeem rap music into Christ-centric rap Music

D-Tone Pianistic Decent Dethone

I viewed the MIT Piano drop this morning 4/27/07.

massachusetts institute of technology

  Click here: YouTube - MIT Baker House Piano Drop

The annual piano drop marks the

massachusetts institute of technology

spring semester's drop date. Here, the piano begins its descent from the top of Baker House.

The Massachusetts institute of technology Piano Drop reminded me of the acoustic Piano decline. In 1991, about 110,000 pianos were sold in the United States, down from 282,172 in 1978, according to the Piano Manufacturers Association International and the American Music Conference, a nonprofit group in Chicago that collects data on instrument sales. that we are in the midst of a technological revolution.

 

Dixie Hummingbirds Founder Has Died

Dixie Hummingbirds Founder Has Died

New on Black Voices

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - James B. Davis Sr., who founded the gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds, has died. He was 90.

Davis, of Philadelphia, died on April 17, the group said in a statement.

The Dixie Hummingbirds were introduced to a broader audience in 1973, when they collaborated with singer Paul Simon on "Loves Me (Like a Rock)," winning themselves a Grammy for their own rendition. They toured for many years afterward at churches and music festivals.

Born June 6, 1916, in Greenville, S.C., Davis founded the Hummingbirds at age 12 and remained its leader until his retirement in 1984. The group, often referred to simply as the 'Birds, influenced singers from Jackie Wilson to Stevie Wonder.

The group first recorded in 1939 on the Decca label. In 1942, Davis moved the group from South Carolina to Philadelphia, where they had a daily radio show that led to a long-running stand at the New York City club Cafe Society Downtown.

Briefly renamed the Jericho Quintet, the group performed alongside acts including Billie Holiday, the Golden Gate Quartet and Paul Robeson.

Dixie Hummingbirds founder James B. Davis dies at age 90

By Adam Bernstein
The Washington Post

04-28-2007

<NP=COLUMN1>

WASHINGTON — James B. Davis, a singer and songwriter who at age 12 founded the Dixie Hummingbirds, an electrifying gospel group credited with inspiring such entertainers as James Brown, Jackie Wilson and the Temptations, died of a heart ailment April 17 at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. He was 90 and a Philadelphia resident.

Davis, a tenor, organized the original Dixie Hummingbirds in 1928 from members of his church choir in Greenville, S.C. He helped cement its later reputation for dazzling harmonies and elaborate dance moves borrowed from spirited church services.

He remained leader, manager and chief disciplinarian of the group until retiring in 1984. By that time, the group was regarded as one of the most venerable of the pop-gospel entertainment partnerships of the past century.

The Dixie Hummingbirds — a sextet that included an electric guitar for much of its life — continue to perform. Long called simply the 'Birds, the group became the subject of a documentary and a biography and the recipient of many professional awards highlighting its influence on sacred and secular music.

Not the least of its fans was singer Hank Ballard, who led the group the Midnighters, known for its raunchy lyrics. He told 'Birds biographer Jerry Zolten that he so enjoyed the Dixie Hummingbirds' melodies that he would borrow heavily for his own songs and, “instead of saying 'God,' I said 'baby.”'

For the Birds, a career highlight that brought national attention was backing up singer-songwriter Paul Simon on his 1973 hit “Loves Me Like a Rock.” This recording, among the group's rare secular offerings, was among the top pop and adult contemporary songs of the year.

The Dixie Hummingbirds won the 1973 Grammy Award for best soul gospel performance for its own recording of the song.

James Bodie Davis was born June 6, 1916, in Greenville, where he formed his earliest acappella quartet at the nearby Church of God Holiness.

The next year he formalized the name to the Dixie Hummingbirds because “that was the only bird that could fly backwards and forwards, and that was how our career seemed to be going at the time,” he later told a writer.

The Dixie Hummingbirds made their early reputation on the rural church circuit and had their earliest recording date with Decca in 1939.

The group performed on the radio in Philadelphia and then was hired in 1942 at the Manhattan nightclub Cafe Society Downtown as a crossover act in the mold of the Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers. It was temporarily renamed the Jericho Quintet.

Advertisements for Cafe Society Downtown said the group specialized in “Swinging the Spirituals” and featured it on a bill with boogie-woogie pianists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson.

Within the next few years, the group went back to religious music and settled on a core of performers that consisted of Davis, William Bobo, Ira Tucker, Beachey Thompson and James Walker, with Howard Carroll on electric guitar.

The Dixie Hummingbirds appeared with Sister Rosetta Tharpe on gospel caravan shows and at major venues such as the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Their main work came from church events.

The group recorded for a series of independent music companies and was largely affiliated with the black-owned Peacock label in Houston. Davis composed several of its songs, including “The Inner Man” and “I'll Keep on Living After I Die.”

The group had a well-received appearance at the Newport, R.I., Folk Festival in 1966 and the Newport Jazz Festival in 1972. The next year, the 'Birds accompanied Simon on “Loves Me Like a Rock.”

Biographer Zolten once told a jazz journalism Web site that the Dixie Hummingbirds “could have made a lot of money touring with Simon but turned him down because they had commitments to perform at a string of little churches.

“They weren't going to make nearly as much money, but they had commitments and they didn't want to abandon their core audience,” he said. “That is one of the things that made the Dixie Hummingbirds so highly regarded within the gospel community.”

In 1999, the House of Blues music label released a Dixie Hummingbirds album, “Music in the Air,” commemorating their 70th anniversary and featuring such entertainers as Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Davis' wife, the former Hortense Eddings, whom he married in 1937, died in 1993.

Survivors include five children, James B. Davis Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Harold Davis of Willingboro, N.J., and Arthur Davis, Betty Chambers and Janice Watlington, all of Philadelphia; and 17 grandchildren.

Davis was known by many Dixie Hummingbirds aficionados as the chief authority figure. After some early stumbles with band personnel matters, he set down strict rules regarding the prohibition of alcohol and women while the band was touring. He instituted hefty fines for tardiness, looking less than elegantly groomed and playing secular music.

He once told The Washington Post that he was equally hard on himself, noting the time he accidentally played a Muddy Waters blues tune on a jukebox in Texarkana, Ark., instead of a religious song. “I got fined $20 — and $20 was like $500 to us then,” he said.</NP=COLUMN1>

Yamaha's High-Tech Piano Pays Off

Yamaha's High-Tech Piano Pays Off

 

By EBEN SHAPIRO

Published: April 4, 1992

Since the Yamaha Corporation introduced the Disklavier, a high-tech version of the player piano, in 1988, it has gone from an expensive novelty to a major new form of home entertainment.

The Disklavier now accounts for 25 percent of Yamaha's acoustic piano revenues worldwide and has become a major source of profits for the company, the world's largest maker of musical instruments.

The Disklavier is an acoustic piano equipped with a computer that allows it to record and precisely replicate performances. The same 3.5-inch floppy disk used in personal computers can deliver every touch, every nuance, even the exact pedaling of a performance.

A remarkable 54 percent of the Disklavier's buyers do not even know how to play the piano. Four months ago, Carl Anthony, a Long Island chiropractor, bought a $22,000 baby grand version.

"It was a choice of buying a whole new CD setup or getting this piano," said Dr. Anthony, who can play the piano's computer disks but not the keyboard. "It's an entertainment center. We always have it on."

Over the year-end holidays, Dr. Anthony had several parties that revolved around the Disklavier, amusing his friends with flamboyant performances by Liberace.

The Disklavier has also attracted fans among the more musically gifted. Kathleen Battle, the opera soprano, said, "I'm considering getting a second one" for her second home. She often sings along with the one she has in her New York home. "I love it," she added.

Although some musical sophisticates still regard Yamaha as an instrumental arriviste, some of the most venerable piano makers are ready to follow its lead. The Baldwin Piano and Organ Company plans to bring out its version of the Disklavier next year, and even Steinway & Sons is studying the technology.

With the Disklavier, Yamaha has demonstrated how to rescue a faltering product line by adding a new twist. United States piano sales have been dropping steadily since 1978.

"This is a classic case of a sort of tired and over-the-hill product category," said David A. Aaker, a business professor at the University of California at Berkeley. By providing new ways to use a piano, he said, the Disklavier is "going to revitalize the entire category."

The tempo of piano sales needs some quickening. In 1991, about 110,000 pianos were sold in the United States, down from 282,172 in 1978, according to the Piano Manufacturers Association International and the American Music Conference, a nonprofit group in Chicago that collects data on instrument sales.

The emergence of new forms of home entertainment -- electronic keyboards, video games and videocassette recorders -- has contributed to the decline in piano sales. So has the durability of the 17 million pianos in the United States; they tend to last about 50 years. A New Type of Buyer

The typical piano buyer is a 35-year-old woman with some musical training and a household income of $35,000. The Disklavier is attracting a new type of buyer: older, wealthier men with no musical background.

"The Disklavier overcomes the ultimate objection on the piano dealer's floor," said Terry Lewis, general manager of the keyboard division of Yamaha Corporation of America in Buena Park, Calif. "You need not refrain from buying it just because you can't play it. Now Chick Corea can play it."

The computer technology does not come cheap, adding about $4,500 to the piano's cost. The Disklaviers range from $7,700 for a basic upright to $40,000 for a grand piano. It Records More Than the Notes

The Disklavier computer digitally records not only what notes are being played, but also the volume and tone, through a sophisticated fiber-optic system that measures the speed of each keystroke. Piano students and performers can record their performances and then hear them instantly and precisely replayed, clinkers and all.

"I can put my own piano playing in there and see how bad it is," Ms. Battle said.

In addition to playing back performances, the instrument can, at the touch of a button, change tempos or keys. Ms. Battle said her singing coach used this feature to allow her to experiment with passages in different keys.

"It's a practice device that I've come to depend on," Ms. Battle said.

Music retailing experts said the Disklavier is providing some badly needed activity in piano showrooms. "Dealers really fight for this product," said Paul Majeski, publisher of The Music Trades, a Ridgewood, N.J., trade publication. A Kit to Convert Pianos

Congratulations Psalmist Sonya

 

Fortifi@ Music Diaspora Prayer and Fasting - 02:03:04 05/06/07 and 07/07/07

		Music Ministry Prayer and Fasting   Today's FACTOID: At Three minutes and Four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be: 02:03:04 05/06/07 This numerical order will never happen again in our lifetime. I thank God for calling the Music Ministry to prevailing prayer and fasting for Music Ministry revival. I praise God and I decree and declare  that he is calling for the Music Ministry from , every nation, urban, burghal, municipality, village, hamlet, from every state and every city, country, area,  belt, territory, tract, zone, neighborhood, vicinity; division, part, section, sector  ...a call for 500 musicians in every city for prevailing prayer and fasting...Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out Music laborers into His Music harvest...Lord bring Music Ministry  revival.

High fidelity takes backseat to portability

High fidelity takes backseat to portability

• MP3 players now preferred means of listening to music
• Stereo system, CD sales way down
• Some audiophiles unhappy, but most people like MP3 devices

POSTED: 1:50 p.m. EDT, April 23, 2007  SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Music lovers remember a familiar advertising image from the past: a man reclined in a chair, head back, blown away by music from his high-fidelity sound system.

Like the Marlboro Man before him, Maxell's pitchman is now a relic.

With their ability to store vast libraries of music in your pocket, sleek digital music players have replaced bulky home stereo systems as the music gear of choice. But the sound quality of digital audio files is noticeably inferior to that of compact discs and even vinyl.

Are these the final days of hi-fi sound? Judging by the 2 billion songs downloaded from Apple Inc.'s iTunes service, the ubiquity of white iPod "ear buds," and the hundreds of thousands of folks file-sharing for free, the answer is yes.

"In many ways, good enough (sound quality) is fine," said Paul Connolly, an art installation specialist and longtime audiophile from Sugar Land, Texas, who's now in the process of digitizing his 2,400 CD collection in Apple's lossless digital audio format.

"The warmth and the nice distortion that the album had was beautiful," he said. "But do I long for the days of albums? No. Do I long for the days of CDs now that we've gone digital? No. It's a medium."

Justin Schoenmoser, of San Francisco, also traded in his rack system for an iPod. Currently working abroad and toting along his iPod, the convenience of carrying thousands of songs in a gadget smaller than a pack of cigarettes outweighs the sacrifice of quality.

"The last time I had a full-blown home stereo system was in the mid-90s, and it was a gift from my parents," Schoenmoser said. "As I converted most of my stuff to digital over the last 5 years, I finally got rid of all my old equipment."

A song ripped from a CD at 128 kilobits per second -- the default setting for most software -- retains only a fraction of the audio data contained on the originally mastered disc. Whether you downloaded the track from iTunes or copped it off LimeWire, the song remains the same. The small digital music file is a highly compressed shadow of the originally mastered recording.

And regardless of how advanced your home audio setup is, if you're pumping a low-rate MP3 or iTunes file into it, you're getting a low-rate rendition of the original song out of it. It's listenable, but still lacking the luster of a CD played on the same system.

'It doesn't compare'

Some experts say the sound quality lost in the process is undetectable to most untrained ears. But Michael Silver can hear the difference.

Audio High, his high-end stereo shop in Mountain View, sells things like a $5,000 needle for your turntable and stereo cable at $2,700 a meter.

"It doesn't compare," Silver said of the sound quality offered by today's portable digital music players and their compressed audio files.

If his high-end gear is like a Ferrari for sound, and run-of-the-mill stereo equipment is a Honda, an iPod is "a moped," Silver said.

That difference in sound quality, perceptible or not, hasn't saved some of the bigger traditional stereo and music sellers.

Tweeter Home Entertainment Group Inc., a Canton, Massachusetts-based retailer of mid-to-high end audio equipment, is closing 49 of its 153 stores nationwide. Slumping sales at Sacramento, California-based Tower Records led that former industry juggernaut to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August.

And Circuit City, the nation's No. 2 electronics retailer, is laying off 3,400 of its most experienced clerks.

Year-to-date data from a recent Nielsen SoundScan report shows sales of prerecorded CDs in the United States down 20 percent from last year.

"Everybody has a certain amount of money to spend. It's not that they're choosing not to spend it on the old-style audio. It's that something new came along," said James McQuivey, principle analyst for media technology at Forrester Research Inc.

"The MP3 player integrated the collection of the music with the playback of the music," he said. "Now all of it's seamlessly hidden away on a hard drive somewhere."

With the networked household ready to fill the void left by the demise of rack stereo systems, McQuivey sees a steady stream of new devices on the horizon that will erase any lingering drawbacks to going all-MP3.

Santa Barbara-based Sonos, Inc., for example, sells a system that allows you to use a handheld device to navigate streamed music from your PC to an existing amp and speaker or home theater setup, sort of a hybrid between the old guard and the new.

"A CD is not relevant to me anymore," said John MacFarlane, founder and chief executive of Sonos. "The iPod and that type of portable music player has even accelerated that trend."

Even when consumers do buy CDs these days, "the first thing you do is rip your CDs and put them on your iPods," MacFarlane said.

MacFarlane isn't even convinced that casual listeners can hear the difference between CD-quality sounds and the dumbed-down MP3 files, which he calls "good quality, not perfect."

"When Philips and Sony first made the CD, they didn't cut any corners because they were careful to preserve everything that was there, even if you couldn't hear it," MacFarlane said. "That 128 is pretty darn good. A lot of Ph.D.s went in to making that 128 kbps work well and sound well.

Schoenmoser, the globetrotting Californian, agrees.

"I honestly can't really tell the difference between CD, tape and digital," he said. "I'd even accept a lower quality as long as it's digital and portable."

Fortifi@ Humor Insufficient Fiends for Withdrawl