Sounds For My Soul (Present Favorites), Pt. I

Every Saturday morning, after my ritual dose of cartoons, I’d race down to my parents’ bedroom where I could be alone with their radio and there I’d sit for hours tuned to the local (traditional) Christian radio station. This part of the morning was the station’s music request time and I’d stay glued to the speakers, armed only with a blank tape, ready to record my favorite songs and new tunes I’d hear and would want to keep with me/listen to all week long until the following Saturday. I was a committed 10-11 year old. There’d be times I’d hear a song I didn’t know and wouldn’t think to record it until after the first verse was over, completely bummed that I didn’t capture the song in its entirety. However, I became familiar with the song enough to call in a request the next week.

I may have mentioned it before but I love music. It’s been a huge part of my life growing up and continues to play in the background for most of my memories. A lot has changed since the days of my huddling in front of a radio, taping songs all morning long. For one, it was years later before I even discovered the Contemporary Christian Music station which took me in a whole new musical direction altogether. (The other station played/plays hymns, classic worship songs, songs re-recorded for a more traditional audience. It was all I knew – I loved it.)

From recording radio I moved on to actually buying artists’ tapes (hello, Acappella and Sandi Patty), then collecting CDs to currently stealing purchasing mp3s. The music has changed, my tastes have evolved, my musical appreciation has broadened.

Playing music has also been an incredible aspect of music in my life and one I know will constantly reinvent itself. While I miss that side of it (or playing as much as I did a few years ago) as Roommate Tanner reminded me yesterday, music is always playing around me.

In honor of the melodies that I hold dear I thought I’d share with you some of the songs or artists who have meant a lot on my musical journey. I’ll try and avoid some of the more popular choices because I’m sure everyone is already familiar with them, but some I can’t avoid so I’ll try and find some less popular songs to share. I hope in the process you can maybe discover some fun music that will play alongside your journey.

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First up is Andrew Osenga. A little backgroud, first: Andy was the lead singer of the band The Normals until the band ran its course several years ago. I heard a couple of their songs on the radio (the Contemporary Christian station, of course) and I liked it and picked up their debut album from a Half Price Book Store. It was a decent album but I didn’t give it much credit so I sort of dismissed them. A couple of years later I read a review for The Normals’ second album Coming to Life praising the record as a great accomplishment. I decided to check it out. Consider me wowed. I played that CD to death, I loved it so much. There was a drastic leap in writing and performance between the two records that sold me as a fan of the band and of Andrew Osenga’s writing/singing. They released a third album, which was also excellent, and then split up.

One day, at a Caedmon’s Call concert I attended on a whim, who did I notice playing guitar with the band? None other than Mr. Osenga. Apparently he had taken the available spot in the band when Derek Webb left to pursue his solo career. I was thrilled he was back playing music but even more thrilled that he was playing a solo show that night after the concert. I learned he released his own record and was doing his own solo records alongside his day job with Caedmon’s. His four solo albums since have been played over and over and over again in my car. I can really go on and on about his music. In fact, I will.

Last year, Andy released a record called Letters to the Editor, Vol. I. What’s unique about this album is that all the songs were inspired by stories, pictures, lyrics – whatever – all submitted by readers of his blog. He took the audience interaction idea one step further: he calls it Webground vocals. He offered to anyone interested to record an assigned portion of a song and submit it and he’d try to include it in the track. A very fun idea. Very cool results.

Andy Osenga announced a few weeks ago that he was taking suggestions for Letters to the Editor, Vol. II and just yesterday he offered the chance to participate in Webground vocals, round 2. He’s expanded the participation to singing and playing now. This should be entertaining and impressive to hear him pull it off.

[Okay, I promise the next songs I share won't be accompanied by such a long spiel.]

Here’s a taste of Andrew Osenga – “Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates” from his e.p. Letters to the Editor, Vol. I. The “choir” in the background at the end of the tune is the Webground vocals at work. Yes, I participated. Yes, I’m proud.

If any of these artists remind you of someone you love to listen to, please share – leave comments! I’d love to discover your tastes and favorites.