In Action: Ty Andrews

Extremely sweet and extremely stylish, Ty Andrews brings contemporary savvy and rhythm to his music, without ever losing the heart.  Flavors of hip hop and today's pop run throughout his music, along with the solid gospel and R&B background you'd expect from a proud PK (preacher's kid).

Ty is an active media consultant, on staff at Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta, while also leading the choir there. When he's not performing, he assists husband Rev. David Ault at SLCA and with Khmer Child Foundation, the school in Cambodia which Rev. Ault founded in 2009.  

More info at http://www.tyandrewsmusic.com/

SHAREABLES: Songlist

Unity of Albany's music page has a handy dandy listing of hundreds of songs appropriate for New Thought services, all linked to mp3's and samples.  

Need ideas?   Try this page.

Need sheet music for these?  Try Musicnotes, which has transposable digital downloads, or of course Empower Music & Arts, if it's a very New Thought-specific songwriter.  

And here's a Unity NW region music ministry resource page.  We're finding and sharing more and more resource material, so if you've got a good one in your files, please email and let us know!  

NW Region -- Leadership Empowerment Training Event

Seattle Unity is now hosting the regional Unity leadership meeting, and this time, it's expanded it to include an all-New Thought music ministry leadership track.  While the board, youth, admin and other leaders are having their meetings downstairs, Erin McGaughan is leading a full roster of music ministry leaders from all over the Pacific Northwest region's CSL's and Unities as they present a range of topics:

-  help with singalongs
-  Q&A panels with expert leaders from churches small and large
-  experiential sessions on charismatic worship
-  a mini-TED session with talks from local sages
-  a concert with mystic rock phenom Rafe Pearlman,
-  an improv session designed to demonstrate the main concepts of the Board track presenters.   This conference is titled "The Jazz of Leadership" and this demo turns that metaphor into real music.

Food, swag bags, and great networking guaranteed.  Presenters include Becca Palm, Laura Berman, Rafe Pearlman, Erin McGaughan, Eric O'del, Beverly Daugherty, Matt Corey, Tricia Sikes, Edree Allen-Agbro and more.  

Here's the full schedule.  Here's Facebook page with more details.  

Register today!  

Special Event - New Thought Music Festival in Riverside

Saturday, March 8th, 2014

Community Center for Spiritual Living
In Riverside California

Now in its fourth year, the festival promises another great event with powerful performances of positive music from major New Thought artists Eddie Watkins Jr., Harold Payne, Gary Lynn Floyd, and Denise Rosier, plus a few surprises - hosted by Al Yankee.

This year includes a workshop from Eddie Watkins Jr. called "I Sing My Prayers".

Find out all about it here.

Shareables - Songs from Denise Rosier

This award-winning LA-based singer/songwriter is making wonderful waves on the national Posi music scene, and no wonder.  Her music is perfectly suited to New Thought services and a treat for any listener, as well as anyone jumping in to sing them.  Denise embodies a spirit of service, not only as an active touring artist to CSL's all over the country (check her calendar) but also as a staff writer for Songs of Love, a foundation supporting terminally ill children. 

But here's the kicker:  she's giving away a sampler set of songs right here.  Have a listen and find yourself singing along gladly.   Spirit is in this Place is a great welcoming tune; Everything is Sacred is an anthemic energy-builder;  We Are and God Within Me are both solid prayer tunes - all super singable and aligned with NT principles.    And here are the charts, so you can use them in your community! 

Thank you, Denise -- 
         This is what "Shareables" is all about!  

Learn more about Denise here, where you can donate to support her work, buy albums, tracks and more.  

In Action: Nathen Aswell

This Canadian delight tops the "musician's musician" list as a favorite person to have in your band.  Nathen's a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with mountains of experience in sacred and secular gigs of all kinds, and well as decades of walking the NT talk.

Though he's based in Vancouver Nathen travels extensively doing services, concerts, and conferences all over the hemisphere, this week at the Posi Fest in Orlando, then back to BC for kirtan with the Sufi Order of Vancouver, and then back to Orlando for the CSL Leadership Conference.

Nathen has a long term commitment to SEVA which restores sight and prevents blindness in the developing world, and sends fond shout-outs to three great spiritual centers:  CSL White Rock, CSL Eugene, and CSL in Columbia MD (wow, I didn't even know they had one there!)

Find out more at www.nathenaswell.com.

Shareables - 5 Crucial Techniques for Songleading in New Thought Services

From your NT Artist page admin Erin McGaughan:   
I wrote this paper on songleading, with input from some of the best songleaders I know, including Karen Drucker, David Roth,  Daniel Nahmod, Thom Lich, Christopher Fritzsche, Thaddeus Spae, Becky Thatcher, Richard Mekdeci, Penelope Williams, Sydney Lehman, Amy Steinberg, Rev. Daley Worley, and the late Rev. Sky St. John.

Read and pass this on to songleaders, service planners, ministers and music directors. 

I'd love any feedback you have on the topic, too.   More freebie papers on music ministry, voice and other topics are available at http://erinmcgaughan.com/links.aspx.