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Accelerate the Impact is a one-time support opportunity through December 31, 2013, to relieve the financial burden we have incurred over the years from ministry events like the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences. These events have had exponential impact on thousands of lives, but they have left us with a financial burden that inhibits us from certain ministry possibilities. Though powerful ministry continues today through private lessons and worship leading in churches throughout the Bay Area, we are limited in some ways because of this current weight of debt.

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Your gift will propel Heartfelt Music Ministry to touch more lives and encourage more people toward a greater faith in Jesus Christ. The sooner this is paid off, the sooner more enhanced ministry opportunities can take place.  CLICK HERE to get started!

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The total below represents what has been given directly through Indiegogo.com.  However, some have chosen to give cash or checks directly to Heartfelt and some have contributed through PayPal.com making the total almost $4,000.00 by Christmas day.  We are so grateful!

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A Season of Giving!

Christmas is coming and there are reminders everywhere, all over the world!  Jesus is the center of our celebration and relationships are what He’s about.  More than “loving things,” Jesus has demonstrated His deep “love for us” by becoming one of us, giving His very life, and making a way for us to be with Him forever.  This is a season of giving as we recognize and value the relationships God has brought into our lives.  May this be a most meaningful Christmas for you, your family, and your friends.

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As a special gift, we’d like you to enjoy a free MP3 Download of the song “Flame” from the new album Here & Now (CLICK HERE).

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We are holding a one-time opportunity for you to give to Heartfelt Music Ministry called Accelerate the Impact.  We have never done something like this before and will not be doing it again.  Unlike most non-profit ministries who hold yearly giving campaigns, we have not chosen to do that. People have volunteered one-time donations and some give monthly or bi-monthly. This is how we thrive.  The Accelerate the Impact opportunity is a way to help Heartfelt Music Ministry start fresh by paying off the $21,000 debt from the past Christian Guitar and Bass Conferences.  See details below and visit the Indiegogo site for more information.

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My new album, Here & Now, just came out last week!  You can hear excerpts at iTunes, CD Baby, Rapsody, Amazon, and you can order physical CDs at our product page or CD Baby.  I continue to teach about 30 guitar students, lead worship at various churches, and train through workshops.  I’m setting up January events now, so let me know if I can join you or your church in some way.  Wrapping up a semester at Valley Christian School which has been a rewarding ministry experience.  Our Christmas concerts will be all next week, Tuesday through Friday at the California Theatre in San Jose.

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Get involved and share your thoughts on:

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Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We had a great day being together as a family.  Sherri cooked a turkey for the first time which came out so nice…Yum!  Then we went to see the new Hunger Games movie. We all enjoyed it very much. May this whole weekend be filled with relaxation and thanksgiving.

New Album is Here!

Even though I just came out with my first instrumental album in March Instrumental Guitar Volume I, I haven’t had a vocal album out in a while.  Finally, Here & Now is available in CD and MP3 format. You can go to the Product Page on our website to order either a physical CD or immediately download a digital copy. All the stories and lyrics are on our blog (click here to see them).

Accelerate the Impact

We are raising $21,000 to further Heartfelt Music Ministry. Inspired by “Accelerate the Impact,” some have contributed to us through Indiegogo ($850), some have given by check ($2,300), and some through PayPal.com ($400).  We have a total of $3,550 as of Thanksgiving Day!  We’ll keep it open through December 31 which is great for year-end giving and receiving a tax write-off for 2013.  Thank you for considering helping us.

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I’m very excited to announce that the Here & Now album is now available!  It’s available on this site (of course) under Products, but after December 1 it will also be available at 20 different online venues including iTunes and CD Baby (You can hear an excerpt from each song on either of these two sites).

Here & Now is my 15th album.  My previous 14 albums are Living In Jesus, No Greater Love, Take It to Heart, Radically Committed, Shout for Joy, Sing to the Lord, A New Song, Heartfelt Celebration, Intimacy, Confidence, A Christmas Gift, Heartfelt Praise, Here to Worship, and Instrumental Guitar Volume 1).  I hope you enjoy it!

This album has a variety of styles with a variety of guitar techniques.  I wrote eight of the songs and two of them were written by others, but have meant a lot to me throughout the years.  The acoustic guitar I use is a Taylor 815ce and the Electric-Synth guitar is a Godin LGXT (the pan flute solo on Here & Now and the electric guitar solo on Flame).  I use the Voice Live effects by T.C. Electronics for harmonies on Calm Down, O My Soul.

Here are the stories and lyrics for each song:

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Here & Now – The most important truth that has ever captivated my life is the reality that Jesus is alive and lives in me. The first line of the chorus in this song is my frequent prayer, “Here and now I need You to live out Your life in me!”  Jesus reveals the main desire of His life in the last three words of His prayer in John 17:26, “And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” Paul makes it clear; this is the good news, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), and “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20).  It’s true, I am not adequate to live like Jesus.  I need Jesus to live His life through me, giving me His strength. “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).  I wrote this song while I was ministering in Albania one summer visiting villages and churches, training musicians, and doing concerts.  The Albanian flag has a two-headed eagle on it, which for them represents strength.  As Christians, the eagle also represents strength to us, as it says in Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” This song is a prayer to have wings like eagles living in the strength of Christ.

[Standard tuning]

Here & Now
Give me wings to fly
And a heart that’s bold
With Your Word awaken
Every heart grown cold
Like the wings of eagles
In Your strength I go
May the Wind of heaven
Stir each longing soul

Here and now I need You
To live out Your life in me
Every word that You inspire
Will implant the melody
I will sing the Song of Ages
And let everybody know
They can taste Your love and mercy
And drink the grace You’ve shown
How I want each person here to feel
Your love

Copyright © MM, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Worthy & So Wonderful – We are called to worship only God (Deuteronomy 6:5, 13).  He is worth the highest honor, the greatest value, and our deepest love.  I was in Illinois for one of the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences, late at night and alone in my room. I was so overcome and moved by God’s greatness that I wrote this song. Worship is to give ultimate worth to something or someone (to “worth-ship” them). God deserves this place in my life!  I long for a lifestyle of giving God the worth and love He deserves.  I was working on a trilogy on “worth” but never finished the first two songs. I started with I Don’t Feel Worth Anymore, which gave words to those who don’t feel they have any value.  The second one, I’m Worth It, took a look at John 3:16 and how God thinks we are so valuable, that He sent His Son to save us. That night, I did finish the third one in the trilogy, Worthy & So Wonderful, but it’s now a stand-alone. The more we worship Him, the more we realize how much worth and value He gives us. He deeply and unconditionally loves us.  It makes me want to praise Him continually. One thing that influenced this song is when the prophet Isaiah was lifted up to heaven, seeing Jesus in all of His glory and hearing the angels shout to each other “Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-8).  What a scene, to see Jesus in all of His glory and hear all the angels praising Him. He is worth all the praise and, one day, every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:11). Let’s start now, lifting Him high with praise!

[I use a capo on the 2^nd fret only on strings 2-5 so it sounds like a double dropped-D tuning]

Worthy & So Wonderful
In the wake of all eternity
I dwell upon Your majesty
Creation is the gallery
Displaying Your glory

In the beauty of Your holiness
I think about how You have blessed
Showing me Your faithfulness
And sharing Your glory

Your worth, O my God,
Is far greater than anything
Your value to me
Is beyond any measuring
Whole and complete
Perfect and pure
You’re holy

Holy, holy, holy
Worthy and so wonderful
Glory, glory, glory
Mighty and so powerful
Holy, holy, holy
All the angels praise Your name
Glory, glory, glory
Forevermore Your love will reign

Holy! Lord, You’re so worthy

Copyright © MMIV, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Flame – At times it feels like we’re living in a world where we don’t fit.  There has to be more. This song uses the metaphor of living in deep water, cold and dark. Water is nice, but we were never meant to stay in the water. We are meant to live on land and experience warmth and light. In reality, we are to thrive in God’s world, the heavenly spiritual world, living in the spirit while we’re on earth. God saved me from a world I wasn’t intended to be engulfed by. With Him, I experience abundant life and the source of the flame (John 10:10). His fire burns in me and draws me to His abundant life and brilliant light. Now, I want to be a flame illuminating Him and attracting people to His Name, His very character, the wonderful God He is! Following the theme of Jesus living in me, I want to let Him shine His light through me even in the darkest places.

[Standard tuning]

Flame
Swimming in the chaos
Of this world I’m in
I take a dive to find
If there is one solution
There’s no answer there
Only dark despair
I surface knowing
There’s no resolution

Flame, I want to be a flame
To be a light to Your name
I want to be a flame
To be a flame

You pulled me from the water
Put me on dry land
Cold, but then you warmed me
With Your holy fire
Now You burn within
Dealing with my sin
You are my Savior
And my soul’s desire

I want to be Your light
Shining in the darkest night
I want to live my life
For Your glory

Copyright © MMVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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I Can Fly – This song was written during a very difficult time in my life along with a couple of other songs, like Jesus Lives in Me and Every Moment with You (the next song on the album).  Like the song Here & Now, I use the metaphor of an eagle which represents strength and the ability to live gracefully. Before I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was pretty selfish. Now, slowly but surely, God is making a change in my heart, giving me a heart like His. Sometimes, people try to put others in a box and put labels on them. This can mess with our identity and make life confusing, stressful and unsatisfying.  Yet, putting our confidence in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:4) gives us a freedom to live life to the fullest without the worry of what others think. Some time ago, Bob Munger wrote a little booklet called My Heart, Christ’s Home. It was a story of someone letting Christ into His heart. He was welcome to live in the living room, kitchen, and all the rooms except the closet. Jesus wants to have access to the whole house, even the closet. This reference is in the line, “In my heart Christ made a home.” Right after that, I switch to another analogy, where Jesus lives in me like blood – flowing continuously in my veins. God is committed to drawing me closer to Him through Jesus and through His Spirit in me. Let God’s love give you confidence, stability, and the ability to live life gracefully, giving you wings to fly.

[Dropped-D tuning]

I Can Fly
There was a time I couldn’t fly
Caged in pride and selfishness
Then Jesus saved me with His life
Trading sin for righteousness
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
I’m no longer seeking my fame
Whoa

By God’s grace I can fly
I can hold my head high
I can sail on the wind
Of His deep love for me
I can fly like the eagle
He wants me to be
I can spread my wings and fly

In the love of Christ I know
There has been a life exchange
In my heart He’s made a home
Now His life flows in my veins
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
Drawing me into His name
Whoa

Confidence in Christ I know
Yes, I feel like I can fly

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Every Moment with You – We were meant to have a close relationship with God. The more time I spend with Jesus, the more I see things from His perspective, an eternal perspective. By this, I don’t mean we can see the future or anything like that. I mean, when we let our thoughts be influenced by Jesus, we see things in reality. We see the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  Reading God’s Word is a great way to spend time with God, getting to know Him better and learning more about ourselves and how God wants us to live.  I’ve experienced some hard things in my life with my parents dying when I was young, damaging my the nerve in a high School track & field accident, and other challenges. There are anxious times, sorrowful times, and even lonely times. But, God knows; He sees and feels what’s going on, He comforts us, and He loves us through it all. Choose to spend time with Jesus!  Every moment you do, you’ll experience true life which only comes from God.

[Standard tuning]

Every Moment with You
Every moment with You
Opens my eyes to Your eternal view
Every moment with You
Opens my heart to the life only from You

Bringing every anxious thought
I know You clearly see
All the sorrow in my heart
Your Spirit comforts me
You know every move I make
Each feeling that I feel
When others don’t have time to care
Your love for me is real
Your love for me is real

You’ve given me the love I need, Lord
You’ve given me the joy I need, Lord
When I’m troubled You put Your peace in my heart

Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You
Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You

True life only
True life only from You

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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You Are My God – This simple song is like a Psalm. It’s a prayer of commitment and resolve while sharing emotion experienced.  Jesus is my God. I recognize Him as the only true God. There are plenty of little gods in this world that sometimes take the place that only God should have, but God deserves first place, the best place, because He is the one and only God. There have been times of pain and hurt in my life, times that compel me to look to God for comfort and healing. There have also been times of joy and hope that motivate me to look to God in praise and thanksgiving.  Sing with me as we let Jesus be Lord of our lives.

[I use a capo on the 4^th fret only on strings 1-5]

You Are My God
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You

When pain comes crashing through
And hurt consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

When joy comes crashing through
And hope consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

Copyright © MMXIII, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Calm Down, O My Soul – Have you ever had times where you feel overwhelmed and out of control? This song is for you. Well, it’s actually for me. Yes, I have times when I’m moving too fast, unsure if things will work out, and forget that God is in control. One of my favorite verses is a great reminder, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Similar to my song Slow Me Down, I’m reminding myself that God will work things out for good (Romans 8:28) because He is in control of all things and loves to lavish us with blessing.

[This song is a capella and I use the Voice Live by T.C. Electronics for the harmonies]

Calm Down, O My Soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul

Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul

God is in control
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Copyright © MMXIII, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Sherri, My Love – My wife Sherri has been my best friend and companion over the 29 years we’ve been married. She is such a complimentary part of my life, such a blessing!  When I went to Russia for the second time in 1996, I took a chord book with me by the legendary Ted Green and learned some beautiful jazz chords over the two weeks I was there.  One of the best ways to learn something is to apply it in song, so I wrote this song for Sherri celebrating our Anniversary using chords and progressions I learned. “Bear, you are my love!  Thank you for who you are and all you do.  You are captivating!”

[Standard tuning]

Sherri, My Love
Sherri, my love
I can’t believe we’ve come this far
And time flies by
All the times we laugh, the times we cry
Oh Sherri, my love
Your faithfulness, it makes me so strong
I want to thank you for the years you’ve been loving me
Thank you for loving me

Oh Sherri, my love
I couldn’t do all the things I do without you
You lift me up and pull me through
Oh Sherri, my love
You are my love and my best friend to the end
And forever we will grow in love
Forever we’ll grow in love

You’re so beautiful
Like a rainbow in an April shower
How your children love you
Call you a beautiful flower
And I want you to know
That I love you so

Oh Sherri, my love
You meet my needs
I promise as before to meet your’s
In the strength that only Christ can give
Oh Sherri, my love
Through all these years we’ve had so much fun in God’s love
And together we will be as one
Together we’ll be as one

Copyright © MCMXCVI, Reggie Coates. (BMI) ARR, UBP

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Water Grave – This is one of the most significant cover songs from my past. Asking Jesus to come into my heart and take over my life was more than just a one-time wish. It meant dying to my old self and rising to the new life Jesus promised. The best symbol of what happened is baptism where we are buried in the water to our old sinfulness and come alive to Christ as we are raised out of the water. It brings back memories of my baptism in a pool in southern California and of Sherri’s baptism in the Pacific Ocean. In this song, the person who wrote it was so excited to show his heavenly Father his desire to change that he’s going down to the river to be “buried alive.”

[Standard tuning]

Water Grave
In this house there’s been a mercy killing
The man I used to be has been crucified
And the death of this man is a final way of revealing
In a spiritual way to live I had to die

Now if I let this dead man linger in me
I might get a little idle in my ways
So I’m going down to the celebration river
I’m gonna lay this dead man down in a water grave

I’m going down to the river my Lord
I’m going to be buried alive
I’m going to show my heavenly Father
The man I used to be has finally died

When I think of where I’m going
In terms of where I’ve been
It makes me glad to know my Lord
That I’ve been born again

Copyright © MCMLXXIX, Steve Chapman c/o Mrs. Kari Stewart, Warner/Chappell Music, 10585 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025-4921, Phone: 310-441-8600. (SESAC #53600) ARR, UBP

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Make My Life a Prayer to You – Another one of the most significant cover songs for me is this one, written by Melody Green and sung by Keith Green.  Keith was a pianist, songwriter, concert artist, and passionate follower of Christ. He was probably the most influential musician for me during my college years. His Last Days Ministries offered powerful direction and encouragement toward being a Christian musician with integrity. I first heard Make My Life a Prayer to You on Keith Green’s album, No Compromise. It became my prayer during that season and continues to resonate in my heart even today.  I remember meeting him at one of the Christian Artist Music Seminars in Colorado. He was remarkably intense as we talked about his music and my music, yet he was very encouraging. May we have a spirit of boldness as we lay down our sinfulness, live for Christ, and share the hope and love of Jesus to everyone God puts before us.

[Standard tuning]

Make My Life a Prayer to You
Make My Life a Prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I want to shine the light You gave
Through Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there

I want to thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust
And just believe what You say
You’re coming again
Coming to take me away

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free
I want to tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairytale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son
You’ve risen from the dead

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free

Copyright © MCMLXXVII, EMI April Music, Inc. ARR, UBP

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If you’re interested in downloading this album (or individual songs),  go to Gumroad ($9.00).  If you’d like to get a physical CD, go to our Products Page and order through PayPal.

People Matter!

People are what God cares about most (John 3:16).  Even though the schedule seems a bit hectic sometimes, valuing people the way God does makes it all worthwhile. Autumn is here and the pace has really picked up for me.  Waking up at 5:00am is something I may never get used to, but Valley Christian School is a tremendous ministry experience where I daily see God moving.  I have 20 private students in San Jose, Los Altos, and Mount Hermon which I look forward to mentoring each week.  I continue to lead worship at various churches and provide concerts and workshops throughout the Bay Area.  Let me know if you’d like me to come to your church.  For more information, go to the Heartfelt Music website.

My most recent album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is available on iTunes, our product page, as well as other venues (like Rhapsody).  The stories behind the songs are on the Heartfelt Music Blog.

Heartfelt Music Ministry has been carrying a financial burden for a few years now primarily because of the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences we held for 15 years.  We really can’t do some of the projects and conferences because of this burden and much of the time I spend is donated time.  We have been faithful to pay toward this burden each month and will have it completely paid off in 18 months.  For now we are greatly limited because of it.  The next eNewsletter will include an opportunity for you to help.  Thank you for your prayers!

New Here and Now Album

I’m still progressing on a new album called Here and Now.  Three songs can be viewed on my You Tube Channel (Similar versions that are on the album): Worthy & So Wonderful, You Are My God, and Here and Now. I’m writing a new song called Calm Down which is replacing the song He’s Alive.  The songs are developing very nicely. Six of them are completed, but I need to put the finishing touches on the other four.  I’m not sure when this new album will be released because of current financial limitations. All of the recording has been done on the Roland VS-1680 shown above.

Music Training at VCS

Ministry at Valley Christian Schools is thriving!  In the High School, I’m teaching two worship bands, a music technology course, a beginning guitar and bass course, and private guitar lessons.  In Junior High, I’m leading the worship band and teaching private guitar lessons.  In the Elementary school, I just began an after-school course for beginning guitarists called Guitar For Fun (As you can see in the picture above).  Mentoring and empowering these students to serve God through music is a passion of mine that is so fulfilling.

Music in the Mountains

Last Saturday, I did a concert for the community off of Summit Road in the Los Gatos mountains.  The view was beautiful as we had a BBQ dinner before I sang.  Many of the people had lost their homes in the fire a few years back and still are struggling to get back to normal.  I shared about God’s deep love for them and how I’ve experienced Jesus through a number of tough situations.  It was an encouraging evening as 30 of us were packed into the living room.

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Shine Like the Sun!

The sun is shining here on the coast of Northern California.  I hope you are enjoying your summer and getting time to relax!  I have a couple of weeks left of summer making the best use of my time to balance vacation and exciting projects.  I am preparing to let Jesus shine this fall as I’m working on a new album called Here & Now, a new eBook called Leading Worship Effectively, and a new Guitar and Bass Course for Valley Christian High School. Please pray that God would use these tools for His work and His glory.

Challenging & Relevant Private Lessons

This fall, I’ll be holding private lessons in Los Altos, San Jose, and Mount Hermon.  Now is the time to sign up as we’ll begin August 19th.  Lessons are available on Skype and FaceTime as well.  Each lesson is filled with personal intensive education following your goals and specific interests.  A Lesson Summary Video is recorded at the end of each lesson for you to download (usually within 48 hours) to have audio and visual examples to remember the assignment.  You will receive a Private Assignment Page (which is password protected) for details of each assignment.

Music Training & Concert in Brentwood

On Sunday, August 4, I’ll be leading Leading Worship Effectively & Team Building workshop.  This three hour dynamic workshop for musicians and leaders is designed to develop the skill of the musicians and leaders, enhance the corporate singing of the church, expand understanding of group worship dynamics, motivate a lifestyle of intimate worship, inspire confidence and expression, and build “team” unity with good communication.  Workshop at 3:00pm and Concert with Band at 7:00pm.  All the informaion, registration and cost for each workshop is found by clicking HERE. All these workshops will take place in the main auditorium at Brentwood Bible Fellowship in Brentwood.

New Album, Here & Now

I am working on a new album that has both vocal and guitar on it.  It’s almost completed.  Songs that have not been recorded such as Worthy & So Wonderful (you can check it out on YouTube), Flame, Wings to Fly, You Are My God, and Sherri My Love.  I will also have some songs that have shaped my life such as Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.  Plus, the album Confidence is discontinued, so I will redo 2 of my songs from that album. You can view two of my song on YouTube.com here:

• Here and Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jg6UjuvxHc
• You Are My God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kW-Hgnu26Y

Coming Events

August 4  (Sunday)

Leading Worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville (Sanctuary). Services are Sunday, 9:00am and 10:45am.

August 4 (Sunday)
Holding the Leading Worship Effectively and Team Building workshop at Brentwood Bible Fellowship in Brentwood (3:00pm-6:00pm): Find more information and registration by clicking HERE.

August 4 (Sunday)
Worship concert with band at 7:00pm at Brentwood Bible Fellowship in Brentwood.

August 18  (Sunday)
Leading Worship at First Baptist Church in Watsonville. Service is Sunday at 9:30am.

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Here and Now

It’s been a good summer so far!  The biggest news is that I’m busy recording my new album called Here and Now.  It should be out by next month.  Check out two of the songs on YouTube.com.  Hope you enjoy them!

• Here and Now
• You Are My God

I’ll be leading worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville July 27 & 28 and August 4.  On July 27 & 28, I’ll be leading in the Multi-Purpose Room with the more “emerging” services.  On August 4, I’ll be leading in the Sanctuary with the more “blended” services.  Both are vibrant and contemporary!  They are located at 375 Diablo Rd, Danville, CA 94526 if you get a chance to come join us.

Also on Sunday,  August 4, I’m holding the Leading Worship Effectively and Team Building workshop at Brentwood Bible Fellowship in Brentwood.  It’s open to everyone.  Find more information and registration by clicking HERE.  I’ll be doing a concert with band at 7:00pm.

The album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is out on iTunes.com, our product page, as well as other venues (like Rhapsody and Amazon.com).  Or you can download the album at this link at a discount:
Instrumental Guitar Volume 1.  The stories behind the songs are on the Heartfelt Music Blog.

Get involved and share your thoughts on:

The New Here and Now Album

I am three songs into recording my new album that has both vocal and guitar on it.  The album is called Here and Now from the chorus of one of my songs, “Here and now I need You to live out Your life in me.”  Some songs have not been recorded yet such as Worthy & So Wonderful (check it out on YouTube), Here and Now, Flame, You Are My God, and Sherri My Love.  I will also have some songs that have significantly shaped my life such as Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.  Plus, there are two songs that were on the Confidence album (no longer available): Every Moment with You and I Can Fly.

Teaching Private Guitar Lessons

I am giving private guitar lessons to 22 students this summer in San Jose, Los Altos, and Mount Hermon.  It is so exciting for me to coach and mentor these fine musicians, inspiring them to reach their goals and become masters at their craft (1Chronicles 25:7a). Contact me if you are interested in learning the guitar or know someone who does.  All the information is on the Heartfelt Music website with quotes by students young and old.  Every lesson includes a short Lesson Summary Video on YouTube.com which illustrates how to play what was covered in the lesson.

Worship Leading Training in Brentwood

On Sunday, August 4, I’ll be holding a Leading Worship Effectively and Team Building workshop to equip church musicians and worship leaders to be skillful and relevant in leading others in worshiping our great God.  It is 3 hours long, from 3:00pm-6:00pm and only $15.00 per person. For detailed information and registration CLICK HERE. I will be giving a concert after the workshop from 7:00pm-8:15pm with a stellar band sharing songs and stories from the new album to encourage you in Christ.  Both the workshop and the concert will be at Brentwood Bible Fellowship.

Coming Events

July 21 (Sunday)

Leading Worship and doing the National Anthem at the Sonoma Raceway . Come enjoy the Nhra Division 7 Drags

July 27 & 28  (Saturday & Sunday)

Leading Worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville (Main Auditorium). Services are Saturday, 5:00pm, and Sunday, 9:00am and 10:45am.

August 4  (Sunday)

Leading Worship at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville (Sanctuary). Services are Sunday, 9:00am and 10:45am.

August 4 (Sunday)

Holding the Leading Worship Effectively and Team Building workshop at Brentwood Bible Fellowship in Brentwood: Find more information and registration by clicking HERE.  Concert with band at 7:00pm.

Summer Is Here!

The weather is beautiful and summer is in the air.  Barbeques, beach days, family fun, movies with friends, time to catch up on things, summer is an exciting time we’ve been looking forward to.  I just finished up a year at Valley Christian School which was a tremendous ministry experience.  Leading the Worship Bands for Jr. High & High School, Coordinating the Chapels, and teaching Music Technology and Cadet Band kept me busy.  Now, it’s come to a screeching halt and I have some time to read, relax, record, and do things I’ve put off for some time.  I hope your summer is off to a good start and you get extra time to be refreshed and renewed.  For a personal update on my family, go to the Heartfelt Music Blog.

Check out what’s happening in the columns below which are significant events for June.  I’m working on a new album which I wasn’t sure whether to call Flame or So Wonderful.  I think I’ve settled on Here & Now which is a line in the song Wings to Fly:  “Here and now I need You to live out Your life in me…”  It refers to the new covenant lifestyle where Jesus empowers us to live life to the full as He lives through us.  I will be sharing these songs in concerts throughout the Bay Area this summer.  Let me know if you’d like me to set something up in your area.  I’ll be in Morgan Hill Sunday June 30th and Brentwood Sunday August 4.

The album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is out on iTunes, our product page, as well as other venues (like Rhapsody).  It has a variety of styles with beautiful guitar techniques.  You can listen to excerpts of each song at iTunes.com or CDBaby.com and purchase individual songs if you’d like.  Or you can get the whole album at this link at a discount:  Click this link to purchase & download
Instrumental Guitar Volume 1.  The stories behind the songs are on the Heartfelt Music Blog.

Leading Worship at Redwood Chapel

This Sunday, I’ll be leading worship at Redwood Chapel Community Church in Castro Valley.  I was on staff with them for a year ago as the Worship & Arts Director until I took the full-time position at Valley Christian School.  It will be good to be back and see people again and encourage them in Christ.  They are in a four week teaching series on the Holy Spirit.  They are at 19300 Redwood Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546 if you get a chance to come join me.

Music Training in Los Altos

On Saturday, June 22, I’ll be leading three intensive guitar workshops specifically developed for your skill level.  Each workshop will be 2 hours long.  You will receive the book The New Complete Guitarist and will be able to play “hands-on” for the whole time.  On Saturday, June 29, I’ll be leading four intensive music workshops specifically developed for your interest.  You are welcome to attend all of them.  Each workshop will be 1 and 1/2 hours long. Creative Songwriting, Worship Infusion, Improving Your Singing, and Leading Worship Effectively. For details and more information, registration and cost for each workshop, click HERE. All these workshops will take place in the choir room at Bridges Community Church in Los Altos.

New Album

I am working on a new album that has both vocal and guitar on it.  Songs that have not been recorded yet such as Worthy & So Wonderful (you can check it out on YouTube), Flame, Wings to Fly, You Are My God, and Sherri My Love.  I will also have some songs that have shaped my life such as Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.  Plus, there are two albums that will no longer be available Here to Worship and Confidence, so I will redo 4 of my songs from those albums.  Pray that the recording, mixing, and mastering process will go as fast as it did for my instrumental album.

Getting Truth into Your Heart

Having a head full of truth is wonderful, but when truth hits your heart, something ignites.  It’s not just words on a page, but relevant and practical insight on reality.  It affects your whole life.  Jesus said He is the truth (John 14:6) and He wants to be in both your head and your heart.  One of the most creative ways to let truth get into your heart is through music!  Music is so powerful, it can transform someone in three minutes where a spoken message can take 30 minutes.  I try to write songs that touch the heart.  Songs like Take It To Heart, Stand Firm and Be Strong, and Worthy and So Wonderful have provocative words and passionate music born out of my own journey…lessons learned with Scripture applied.  May you enjoy the music and may it deeply touch your heart.

The New Instrumental Album

The new album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is out on iTunes, our product page, as well as other venues.  It has a variety of styles with beautiful guitar techniques.  You can listen to excerpts of each song at iTunes.com or CDBaby.com and purchase individual songs if you’d like.  Or you can get the whole album at this link at a discount:  Click this link to purchase & download Instrumental Guitar Volume 1.  The stories behind the songs are on my blog.

What’s Up for May

At the beginning of this month, I had a wonderful experience with Brentwood Bible Church, leading them in worship, seeing old friends, and sharing some “small world” stories with a few folks.  Just a couple of days before that, the Junior High bands at Valley Christian High School marched down main street of Disneyland which I was one of the band directors…very fun!  This week, I will hold the Spring Recital for my guitar students in Los Altos.  Twice a year I have these recitals in order for my students to perform in an encouraging environment and display what they are learning.  Their ages range from 8 to 60 years old and they range from very beginning to advanced.  I’ve began a new recording project called Flame which incorporates the songs of mine I haven’t recorded yet such as Flame, Worthy & So Wonderful, and You Are My God; it also will include three powerful songs that have significantly shaped my life over the years Make My Life a Prayer, Water Grave, and He Is Alive.  This album should be out the end of June.  Over the Memorial Day Weekend, I’ll be leading worship with Peninsula Bible Church in Willow Glen during their two Sunday morning services.

Coming Events

May 26 (Sunday)

Leading Worship with Peninsula Bible Church in Willow Glen

June 22 (Saturday)

Leading guitar workshops at Bridges Community Church in Los Altos: Beginning Guitar, Intermediate Guitar, and Advanced Guitar.  These are open to everyone!

June 29 (Saturday)

Leading music workshops at Bridges Community Church in Los Altos: Creative Songwriting, Worship Infusion, Improving Your Singing, and Worship Leading Effectively.  These are open to everyone!

More workshop details are found at https://heartfeltmusic.org/academy/workshops/

Empowering Others for Ministry

Let us continue to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection as He empowers us for life!  This is a time in my life for investing in others to equip and empower them for ministry.  I was involved with 5 worship services this past weekend inspiring many to worship God as a lifestyle.  In early March, I led three workshops for the BASS Convention on playing guitar for worship, putting together a worship ministry and what makes a worship band effective.  I brought the Valley Christian High School Worship Band to be the demonstrating band for the Band Interactive workshop.  They were outstanding!  It was a double blessing, as I was able to empower the high schooler’s for ministry, they helped me empower the conferees for ministry.  Another form of investing in others is through private lessons.  I have 25 regular students and truly enjoy teaching them…not only music but important aspects of ministry and life.  Teaching at Valley Christian is so fulfilling and a means of mentoring many young christian musicians.  Your support and encouragement empowers me for ministry.  Thank you!  Keep it up!

The New Album Is Ready!

The new album called Instrumental Guitar Volume 1 is finished and out on iTunes, our product page, and many other venues.  This is my newest album (number 14) and first instrumental album.  It has a variety of styles with beautiful guitar techniques.  You can listen to excerpts of each song at iTunes.com or CDBaby.com and purchase individual songs if you’d like.  Or you can get the whole album at the link below at a slight discount.  The stories behind the songs are on my blog.

Staying Connected