Last month, my wife Carol spent about ten days in Ireland on a ministry trip with Fire Ministries. In the midst of all the busy activities, she managed to find the time to select a very special gift for me: a handcrafted Bodhran made by Michael Vignoles.

This instrument is no tourist-shop knock-off, either. It’s the real deal, with a tunable goatskin head and a warm, rich tone.

As providence would have it, the gentleman who owns the Forge House bed & breakfast where Carol was staying also runs The Forge, a recording studio right there on the property! Carol got to talking to him about where she could find a Bodhran and, as it turns out, he knows someone who builds them (professionally). Before long, he had produced a few for Carol to choose from – and let me tell you, she “chose wisely” (please pardon the geeky Indiana Jones reference).

So, I suppose you might be expecting to hear this beast on an upcoming recording – and, Lord willing, you will. But it will likely be awhile before you do, as there is a tiny little hitch: I need to learn how to play it properly, and without the tipper flying out of my hand!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, I’ve uploaded a few more pics of this wonderful instrument. Just click on the thumbnails at left to see the full-size images.
 
In the meantime, I’m off to look for that guy’s email address. Carol gave his card to me and I need to send him a big THANK YOU for helping my wife find the perfect birthday present for me…
 

Are you a musician, using your gifts to serve God in ministry?

If so, you might want to check out DevelopingWorship.com. This site apparently started up earlier this year, but is steadily growing in membership.

The forum is shaping up to be a great place for “worshipping musicians” to connect, share experiences, discuss relevant topics, keep in touch with old friends, and make some new ones!

So, be sure to drop in and tell Sam I said “hi”!

Well, what a surprise! They told me that the “Life Designed” release wouldn’t show up in iTunes until May 30th.

So, imagine my double-take when, just this evening, I stumbled across it at the iTunes store – six weeks early! I guess they’ve learned the secret to customer satisfaction: commit to a date far beyond what you know you can really make. Then, when you deliver early, bingo! Happy, satisfied customer.

So this, then, is my official announcement that “Life Designed” is now available at iTunes. And, of course, I want to encourage each and every one of you to go on out there to iTunes and download your favorite selections.

Or, better yet, why not download the whole thing?

*** END OF BLATANT SELF-PROMOTION ***

Wow, what a collaboration! Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny has long been known for his pair-ups with great musicians around the world, including singers, but IMHO this particular collaboration is *really* special. Polish recording artist Anna Maria Jopek is one of those rare vocalists that so beautifully complement’s Pat’s unique sound. I could easily listen for hours!

Here they are, doing live versions of “Tam, Gdzie Nie Siega Wzrok (Follow Me)” and “Are You Going With Me?”, from their studio collaboration, “Upojenie“.

That’s the name of my boy’s blog. Okay, he’s not so much a boy anymore, but he always will be to me! Anyway, he’s got this ambitious plan to walk every street in Manhattan, snap some photos along the way, and document his journey in blog-like fashion. That’s a lot of miles! I wonder if he’s taking a pedometer along with him…maybe he could put some kind of mileage counter on his blog.

I’m not sure how he manages to find the time, what with his career and all, but I was just over there, and in a short time he already has a fair amount of content. Hmmm…I don’t seem to recall him being such a prolific writer back in the “push-him-to-get-his-homework-done” days…ah, but I digress. Anyway, he’s got some great shots of the city (from the inside) – you’ll definitely want to take a look…

Okay, so, what are you still doing here? That was your cue to go check it out!