Phil's Blog

Passion Week is ready!!!

2009-03-26T15:56:00Z

If you regularly read my blog, (both of you) I bet you have noticed I it hasn't been regular.

Here is what is happening in Phil-ville.

I had the chance to talk to some junior high music students about worship ministry and songwriting on career day.

I bought a MacBook Pro computer and have been co-writing songs over iChat with my writer friends.

Arranger Dave Williamson (who arranged by musical) is coming to our church this weekend for a seminar for our choir on becoming a "Worsip Leading Choir". I have been looking forward seeing Dave again and for our church to get to know him. He will be working with our choir and directing them on Sunday in the worship time.

Next week is our final week of rehearsals for the musical. Things are going really well. The kids choir who is doing the triumphal procession on the second song "He Will Rule the World" rehearsed with us last night.

I spent Sunday and Monday painting a huge backdrop (20' x 40') for the big resurrection song. It's a surprise! But if you come you will see it. My Dad, Paul Mehrens used to do all the displays for the Preaching and Teaching Convention decades ago. One time we built a grapevine 45' tall with giant clusters of grapes out of chickenwire, paper mache' and spray paint. It turned out amazing. Another year we built a big Bible with a 30' foot sword that came out of it. Another year a globe with a huge hand haning above it and a spotlight shining out of the finger on the world. Painting the backdrop reminded me of all those times working with him and my brothers up to our ears in flour paste and paper.

The musical "Sovereign Lord" will be Palm Sunday April 5 at 9:15 AM and 11:00 AM in the College Heights Worship Center. There will also be a repeat performance April 11 (Easter Eve.) at 6 PM in the same location. This performance will combine our choir with the choir from Northside Christian Church in Springfield, MO. What a blast!!!

Easter Sunday morning the choir will be singing another song I wrote with Lee Black and Lyn Rowell called "Settled at the Cross". It was great to hear the choir and orchestra put it together last night. It's getting fun!

I love what the Lord lets me do with Him!

Grandma and Grandpa Mehrens

2009-01-12T03:50:00Z

Yep, that would Jodie and me this summer.

"Sovereign Lord" Premiere

2009-01-08T03:52:00Z

We just got back from Florida yesterday and I needed to hit the ground running to catch up today. I finally have some time at the end of the day to blog about our trip to Florida and my musical premiere.

We got on the plane last Friday and arrived in Orlando in the evening. We had a great time catching up with my niece and her family who lives in Orlando and another niece who came to visit. After a night at their house and a beautiful Florida morning breakfast on their patio, Jodie and I headed to Cocoa Beach for a few days. We stayed at the Holiday Inn, on the beach front. The weather was just perfect and we ate at some great restaurants there. There is nothing like sitting at the beach to let the tension all drain out. The sounds, the sensations, the sun. It was wonderful.

On Monday, we headed back in town to the church were Music Florida had started. After scouting things out were made a trip to the Florida Mall to eat and hit the shops. They have a place there you can surf indoors. It's wild...water jets shooting up a ramp where you can hang ten. If we had more time...

We headed back to the church and saw stacks of my musical right next to Sue Smith and Lee Black's octavo. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to them. It was cool to see the names of friends on the covers of different projects. We got a call from Dave Clark, my publisher who was on his way to meet us there. Donna Norton also came down from Georgia to see the premiere. Dave introduced us to George Baldwin from Lillenas when he arrived. Then I got to meet Derek Johnson who is the director of the Disney "Voices of Liberty" who were singing the musical that night.

After the sound check George asked me to come backstage to pray with the singers. Then I went back to sit with Jodie, my nieces, and their family who came to the concert.

I remember hearing this group when I took a group of campus ministry students to Epcot one year. I was greatly moved by their acapella patriotic numbers back then. I don't know if any of the members were the same but the voices were wonderful. They didn't have much time to work up the musical so they used their books but I could see that the songs touched them as they sang. Dave made note that the spiritual atmosphere of the evening was strong. The soloists on "Sovereign Lord" were so moving there was one of those expressions of delight a crowd will make on occasion at the end of the song as well as the applause. My niece turned to me in tears at that moment and said, "You wrote that?" That warmed my heart.

Both Dave and George had prepared me a little saying the crowds at these things could be a little tough. I tried not to be nervous and just sit back, enjoy the program, and watch the reaction. When they stood to applaud at the end of the program we could see that the music and the message had resonated. What a blessing to experience the whole process. I am just praying now that the Lord will use it to touch the lives of those who sing it and hear it's message. We have a great King. He is the only one who deserves the throne. He will come with all the host of heaven. He will finally get the glory and honor due Him. What a blessing it is to serve Him. I am filled with gratitude tonight.

Kindness

2008-12-16T21:27:00Z

Sunday night we had the performance of our Christmas Musical. It was a blast! The orchestra was the bigest and best we have ever had. They sounded so good. The choir was animated and also sounded so good. This was our first musical in our new worship center. What a blessing to be able to use all the lighting, staging, and AV systems. So many volunteers spent so many hours on everything and it ran so smooth. I was pinching myself when it was over because we didn't have to haul all the equipment back from the college auditorium we usually rent.

Afterwards we went to our friends' house for our annual "after the musical unwinding party". After a wonderful dinner and sharing a bunch of memories, they announced they wanted to give Jodie and me airline tickets to see the premiere of my musical in Orlando. What a sweet blessing.

Premiere (more info)

2008-12-04T02:06:00Z

Here is the link for the my musical premiere at Music Florida.

It will be located at Center Pointe Community Church in Orlando, FL

http://www.kempke.com/Kempke/site/MFSchedule.html

Premiere

2008-12-03T04:55:00Z

I was trying to go to sleep but I have had too much coffee and excitement today. I'm in Nashville writing songs this week. I was writing today with my publisher, Dave Clark. It was cool that while were "in the thick of it" he happened to get an e-mail from the director of Lillenas saying that they are doing a premiere of my musical "Sovereign Lord" at Music Florida in Orlando, on Jan 5th. And...it will be sung by the Disney Singers. Whadayaknow!!!!

I'm thinking Florida sounds good in January.

Somewhere in Zimbabwe

2008-11-15T00:59:00Z

Today I hold in my hand a finished CD of my musical...sweet!

My friend Darin, who maintains my website, www.PhilMehrens.com, put some software on the site a while back that tells me what searches bring people there and what country they are from. Today someone in Zimbabwe, Africa searched for one of my lyrics.

I'm trying to figure out which makes me happier.

"Sovereign Lord" Musical Release

2008-11-05T20:18:00Z

My Easter musical for '09 from Lillenas has just been released and is in stock ready to ship.

Preview packs and listening CDs are also available.

It is here!

The Power of One

2008-10-29T19:16:00Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwLY_HRt-AM

New Release

2008-09-29T03:27:00Z

Yikes! It's been a month since my last post.

I went to a writing retreat for my publishing company "Sunday Best Music" in the Smokey Mountains a few weeks ago. It was a great time to build relationships with our team...ala go carts and mini golf...as well as writing, eating, writing, times of worship and lots of conversation. What a joy to part of this creative community.

"Settled at the Cross" was just released by Brentwood/Benson in a choir octavo...yea! check it out :)

That's Y

2008-08-27T17:52:00Z

The workouts are feeling great now!

Had a date with my daughter last night...she is growing up.

Starting orchestra rehearsals for Christmas tonight.

The next few weeks will be slammed!

Y...oh...Y?

2008-08-24T00:25:00Z

Phil joined the Y

Phil is sore

Phil's not 16 anymore

Pray for Simon

2008-08-16T18:36:00Z

Please lift up my friend, Simon and His family in England. His father just had a massive stroke.

To join him in his prayers, here is today's post.

http://shhhmusic.spaces.live.com/

First Listen

2008-08-14T10:48:00Z

My publisher, Dave sent me a link to download the musical yesterday. I was on a staff retreat so it was late when Jodie and I got to my office at the church to listen to it. The first time through I was listening to the mix and running the recording process through my mind, remembering the different parts and analyzing the details. I think I had to get that out of the way. This morning I woke up at about 4:30, talked to the Lord about it and just listened to it like I was hearing it for the first time. I let the message soak in and just worshiped with it. I wept through the whole thing. So moving, So triumphant! My heart soared. I am so grateful to You, Jesus! It all belongs to You.

Estes 2

2008-08-08T11:28:00Z

Highlights of yesterday

Lunch with Sue and the Wajonians (Write About Jesus Workshop people)

Travis Cotrell's session on inter-generation worship. Travis's heart really comes across in his teaching...a lot of wisdom here.

Hearing the song competition finals...Keep an eye out for Shelly Johnson. Great writer, singer, piano player, arranger. She took 2 first places in the semi-pro division. Give it up for Christopher Kai who placed in the competition with "Truly Jesus".

I managed to write a song, and turn it in for an upcoming kids project.

Eddie DeGarmo (head of EMI CMG) did a great workshop on all the changes going on in music industry. It's amazing the statistics he can cite off the top of his head.

I played another round of miniture golf with Jubi. Her form is coming along.

The concert was great last night. A little more acoustic. Shane and Shane (love these guys), Bethany Dillon, Joy Williams and Ben Glover. Jon Foreman (Switchfoot) is now in a trio called "Fiction Family" with Shawn Walker (guitarist). Such a cool, folky, slighty bluegrassy vibe. What melodies, progressions, and lyrical crafting this guy can come up with! Such a fresh sound. Hope they put out a CD soon.

I got to meet Chris Sligh (American Idol) last night at Cafe Estes and talk with him for a while about his new recording. Tony Wood wrote a song with him on the project. He has a #7 on the charts now. He is singing in the concert tonight.