Hey Everyone -

It’s kinda last minute notice – but I’ll be featured on tonight’s live recording of the “All About Worship” podcast!

If you’d like to participate in the live recording, you can join Wisdom and Ben, the “All About Worship” gurus on their live, video broadcast at:

http://www.mogulus.com/allaboutworship

I’m not quite sure when the actual podcast will go live on iTunes, but you can stay tuned and keep connected at:

http://www.allaboutworship.com

Tonight we’ll be focusing on TheWorshipCommunity.Com during the Worship Toolbox segment … so come join the fun!

Hey Ya’ll -

How ’bout that title … basically, this is a quick update to let you know what’s going on with several things I’ve mentioned (or meant to mention!) ….

1. O Holy Night – the saga continues. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with the REAL “O Holy Night” singer yesterday. I’ll post the interview here this weekend. Plenty of people “claim” to be the real “O Holy Night” singer … and the fact that more than 15 YouTube vidoes alone have people “claiming” to be the real person and the dozens of “urban legends” surrounding it … well, that fact is what made the real person decide to break his silence and step forward.

As far as the big question – “was the singer for real, or just cutting up” ….

… you’ll have to wait.

2. Highest Praise Worship Podcast:
I released a new Highest Praise Worship Podcast last week but was too busy to announce it here. It features 3 cool songs for corporate worship by Barry and Terri Collecutt, Will and Crystal Yates, and Mark Condon, so check it out:
web | iTunes

3. Amazon.Com Saga:
Thanks to everyone who contributed their input regarding the Amazon.Com situation. For now, I’ve decided to run BOTH accounts simultaneously. You CANNOT list the same products in both accounts, so the products that are automated by my inventory source provider are in the original Marketplace account, and the products that I physically ship and sell are in the new “ProMerchant” area. The “new seller” logo is gone, I have my first official 100% positive feedback (thanks, Chris), and have sold 31 items already – so I think it’s moving along nicely.

4. New Blog Alert:
“Thinking Out Loud“, a new blog by the Technical Director of SSCC, Travis Paulding (known on TheWorshipCommunity.Com as dtpuga). Travis and I share an office and he’s always talking about how he has too much work to do for “blogging”. Well, he’s eating crow. Travis is now Blog Boy #2. And it’s a good thing – he’ll talk about life, his baby girl (eta about 3 mos), technical stuff, ministry, and whatever else he feels like discussing. So go over and leave a comment on his first post, and give him some link love. I’ve added him to my blogroll.

5. Christmas – Be Still
I’m very blessed by the strong encouragement I’ve gotten from everyone about recording the “Be Still” album. After publishing this blog, I hope to finish up the final version of “Away In A Manger” and start on Silent Night.

Speaking of Christmas and music – stay tuned, because we’re about to do a CD/DVD blowout on Worship Under the Stars that you won’t believe. (Can you say Abe Lincoln?). Seriously, watch the blog for a package sale that will be an incredible deal.

OK – so regarding, “Be Still” … It’s your turn to contribute - what peaceful, (slower) Christmas songs would you like to see “make the cut” and get on the album?

Have a great day – I may be back over the weekend, but will be at soccer tomorrow AM and the UGA/FL game tomorrow afternoon!

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everyone -

October 1 – it’s here! The last quarter of 2007 – I can hardly believe it.

Just a quick peek at the week ahead:

1: PRAYER ANSWERED – I’m back online with Amazon.Com – thanks for all the prayers from this previous prayer request last week.
2: MileStoneWorship.Com blogged about the recent Worship Interludes podcast with McKendree Tucker – Thanks!
3: Worship Confessional: hope to get it out today – we had Church in the Park – it was awesome.
4: Staff Retreat: I, along with the rest of the SSCC staff will be MIA on a staff retreat Tues-Thursday … no internet, no cell phones. A time to sloooowwww down. Pray for us.
5: Divine Romance: the title of a new instrumental I’ve almost completed – it’s a piano solo that I’m very excited about, and will be released on the IH FanFave Chart very soon … so stay tuned.

Finally – thanks to those who have answered the “Why Blog” entry over the weekend. If you didn’t catch it, please check it out and leave your response.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everybody -

Just a quick plug to announce the release of Worship Interludes Podcast, Episode #7. It features one of my favorite guys on the planet, McKendree Tucker (website). McKendree sent me this track earlier this week … a creative way to meditate on God’s Word … and I knew it was a perfect fit for the Worship Interludes podcast.

WorshipInterludes.Com Site: www.worshipinterludes.com
1-Click Subscribe on iTunes:

If you listen, please leave a comment here or @ WorshipInterludes so we can encourage McKendree to keep creating!

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everybody!

Just released the Highest Praise Worship Podcast, Episode #20 … so fire up your iTunes or Podcast app and check it out!

(iTunes Link | Web Link | RSS Feed)

Episode 20 features new music from:
Calvary Chapel, Jupiter FL
New Life Worship
Jon Shabaglian

plus, some resource plugs for this blog, TheWorshipCommunity.Com, WorshipSpice.Com, and more!

Can you hear it now?
Fred

Hey Everyone!

Thanks a million again for everyone that prayed this week for me. It’s been a long week, but a successful one. I’m sorry that I had to be so vague, but that’s how it goes sometimes …

I’ve got an announcement to make … and it will probably deflate a bunch of you who expected something spectacular or flashy … but the truth is, I think this is pretty spectacular and is a huge “God thing” for me.

If you paid attention to the “Categories” I clicked for the “pray for me” posts … I was giving a little hint … one of the categories was:
“The Entrepreneur In Me” …

As of the stroke of midnight this past Wednesday, August 30 … HPP Christian Web Hosting Solutions, my web hosting business for the last 10+ years, was acquired by Advanced Online Solutions of Tulsa, OK.

You see, life has been spread way too thin for me … I embraced a new full-time position as the Worship Director at my church back in March … all the while, continuing to service and support my full-time web company, not to mention some of the additional ventures I have in online e-commerce and the worship-related side of my main company, Highest Praise Productions.

I have to confess, reading “Good to Great” did me in .. if you’ve not read it, I highly recommend it. As much as I fought it, “web hosting” just wasn’t in my “Hedgehog Concept”. I began to pray that God would either bring me “self-disciplined” people to hire to run this business, or that He would provide a buyer for it.

Long story short … a Christian company in Tulsa was very interested in purchasing the company – not just my customers, but the name “HPP Christian Hosting”, the site, the identity, the vision … all to take it from “good” to “great”. I actually spent a couple of days with the President of the company who flew here from Tulsa. After spending our time together, I knew God had provided the right person to pass the baton to.

So, what does this mean for me?

More time to focus on the things I’m passionate about!

… more focus for my role as Worship Director at SSCC
… more focus on my passion to equip the Kingdom of God in worship …

How does that look? Well, for starters – I hope to finally have time to write and record. I’ve got some incredibly exciting stuff happening in the “culture of worship” at church … more on that soon. I hope to be more intentional about blogging and podcasting. Starting this weekend, I hope to finally release a new “Highest Praise” podcast.

I’ve unloaded a major responsibility … one that has been rewarding, but at times was immensely stressful, especially the past few weeks leading up to this transition.

So, as “non-wow” as this announcement may be to you … it’s a big deal for the McKinnon Family. I feel 10 years younger and 100 pounds lighter.

Now, I’m curious … all this vague “pray, something’s up” talk surely got some of your minds wandering …

What did you THINK this was all about?

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everyone -

Episode #19 of the Highest Praise Worship Podcast is now live.

iTunes: (the best way to go!)

Web: www.highestpraise.com/podcast

Hope you enjoy!
Fred

Hey Ya’ll,

A good buddy of mine, Ben Harrel, came in a couple of weeks ago and recorded the first “guest worship leader” segment for WorshipInterludes.Com. Ben is an anointed worship leader and is sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit. Hope you enjoy the ministry time as much as I did!

Web: www.worshipinterludes.com

Or, subscribe for free in iTunes:

(as sent to the mailing list for Highest Praise Productions, HighestPraise.Com) 

Hey Everyone!

Hope and pray that you’ve had an awesome week. I wanted to send a quick email update to all those on the “Highest Praise” mailing list about a few things, so … check it out!

#1: Worship Artist of the Year, 2007 – THANKS!

First, I’d like to express my gratitude to those of you who graciously gave your support to me in voting for my songs and music at IndieHeaven.Com. Because of your support, I was honored with the “2007 Worship Artist of the Year” Momentum Award a few weeks ago in Nashville, TN at the Christian Indie Alliance Summit. It was a huge honor and I am forever grateful, and give God all the glory for it.

As you have been reading, I’ve been using IndieHeaven.Com as my “home base” to make my personal worship and instrumental music available. They have now launched a brand new, redesigned site. One of the coolest features is that you can now play ALL of my music on my page by pressing ONE SIMPLE PLAY BUTTON. The first songs on my page are the newer piano/instrumental compositions, followed by some worship music. I hope you’ll consider bookmarking the site, and listening to the music each day while you are at work. To make it simple, here’s how it’s done:

* go to my IndieHeaven Artist Page

* click the “play” button on the top left to begin playing all songs.

* leave this window open in the background or minimize, and open a new browser window to do your work!

Also …. my version of the very popular praise song, “You, You Are God” as recorded on Worship Under the Stars is currently on IH’s “Fan Faves” chart. Today it was at #8. Would you consider going to Fan Faves and rating it? Thanks a ton! You can rate it once per day from each computer you have.

#2: The Worship Community

In our last newsletter, I mentioned a new forums site that we’ve launched called “The Worship Community”. It’s located at:
www.theworshipcommunity.com

This place has been amazing, and it’s still in pre-launch. Already we’ve got great relationships being forged great discussions and networking. We’re discussing everything from favorite worship songs, albums, worship leading, in-ear monitors versus headphones, how to best mic or shield real drums, band rotations, etc. Will you come check it out and join our community!?

Currently, the Featured “Sticky” Thread is:

“Why Men Hate Going to Church” – it came from some discussion some people were having about some of the more “sappy, passionate/loving” lyrics found in today’s contemporary worship music. We’d love your input. All you have to do is:

* Register as a New User at www.theworshipcommunity.com

* Post your responses, or create a new discussion yourself!

#3: Worship Interludes

I recorded a new worship interludes podcast last week. If you’d like about 20 minutes of quiet, spontaneous worship, ministry, prayer, and meditation, I hope you’ll check it out. You can listen on the web at www.worshipinterludes.com or the best way is to subscribe through iTunes.

#4: Personal News

I’ve really fallen off the wagon in blogging. I love it. For those of you who have enjoyed emailing back and forth and following the more “personal side” of HPP, my own life as a Music Minister, Father, Husband, etc … I’d encourage you to check out my personal blog at:

www.fredmckinnon.com

If you’re familiar with subscribing to blogs or “RSS” feeds, you can do so from my “feeds” page. You can also add my blog posts to your Google Home Start Page, your Yahoo Home Start page, your AOL Home Start Page, etc … all from the “feeds” page. Below is a little “ticker” of recent posts that you can click on as well:

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Until the next update – may God bless you incredibly!

For the Kingdom,

Fred F. McKinnon, Founder/President

Highest Praise Productions, Inc.

Worship International, Inc.

Hey Everyone -

FYI, I’ve been in the studio over the weekend, and released a new “Worship Interludes” podcast … so, download it in iTunes, find a quiet place, and worship with me!

The theme that came forth on this episode was:
“The Restorative Character of God”

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everyone -

“Worship Under the Stars” 2006 is officially moving forward. For those who don’t know, this is a large, outdoor worship event that I produced and led last year (which was forced indoors due to a Hurricane). I’ll be leading this event again this year on Jeykll Island, GA.

No need to post everything twice, so if you’d like to stay in touch about “Worship Under the Stars”, visit today’s announcement and feel free to subscribe to the blog update list.

>> Announcement at Worship Under the Stars

For the Kingdom,

Fred

(for those who may get multiple copies … this is cross-posted at worshipunderthestars.com and myspace.com)

Hey Everyone -

Hope and pray all is well with you. I’ve celebrated the birth of my 4th child this month. It’s that time, and plans for “Worship Under the Stars” 2006 are beginning to pick up.

For those in the area, thought you’d like to know that I’ll be “on air” tomorrow morning (Friday, April 27) in the early “drive time” on WECC 89.3 FM with Paul Hafer. We should be on the air somewhere between 7:15 – 7:45 AM. We’ll be giving away a Worship Under the Stars DVD and talking about WUTS2006.

Hope you can listen!

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

For those who may not be in touch with the “Worship Under the Stars” blog – I’ve just posted an official announcement there regarding WUTS 2006!

CHECK IT OUT!

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

I don’t normally post twice in one day … it goes to show how crazy things have been. I logged in this morning to “blog” and noticed that my “Worship Under The Stars CD’s are Here!” entry was saved a few days ago, but never published. I didn’t even realize I’d failed to hit the “Publish” button.

So, if you are getting both of these entries at once – don’t forget to check out the other article – my worship CD, “Worship Under The Stars” is finally here! Woo-Hoo! Here’s a testimony I got just this morning:

Hello there Fred and staff! I just received the CD today and have listened to it over and over! I was in Valdosta today and as always visited the bookstore, “The Potter’s House” and bought 4 new CD’s. None of them capture the “Spirit of Worship” the way that this CD does. What an awesome and sweet prescience of the Lord!!! I most definitely want to purchase the DVD, so please send it on! I’m so much looking forward to this year’s “Worship Under the Stars”!

I was out of town all last week visiting Pensacola, FL. I went on my annual “January Sabbatical” – a time of prayer, fasting, and retreat. I’ve been going for 11-12 years now and it’s so awesome. I hook up with a group of about 10 guys each year and we have a serious time of getting close to God. It’s always a time of seeking and receiving. This year was no different.

While in Pensacola, I was privileged and blessed to both lead worship AND teach the Word in two churches:
Coast Community Church [church site | Pastor Robert's blog]
Harvest Outreach Church [church site | Pastor Bobby's blog]

Both of these men of God have awesome churches (and awesome blogs). It was a privilege to minister in their churches and I felt warmly received and blessed. I got to stay with Pastor Craig Walker and his beautiful family while I was there – Craig and I ministered together for 2 years in Vicksburg, MS back in the 90′s.

Lots more to share – but rather than make this a long entry, I’ll just try and be more disciplined to blog more often. Please send this blog to your friends, and recommend it to them. I always enjoy hearing back from you in the “Comments”, too.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

PS: Joy, my gorgeous (and pregnant) wife celebrated her 36th birthday this past Monday. Happy Birthday, sexy!

My Other Blogs, Podcasts, and Sites:
Highest Praise Worship Podcast
E-Business Online Podcast & Journal
MySpace

Dear Family, Friends, and Visitors:

It’s with great pleasure that I announce that after more than 12 years of leading worship and producing records for other artists, I’ve finally released my first, live album –
Worship Under The Stars” 2005. I’m very critical of my own music, but I can honestly say that I am very pleased with the outcome of this record.

The album was recorded “live” on Sept 10, 2005 on Jekyll Island GA. It has a companion DVD that was also made (should be shipping in 2-3 weeks, althouth the CD’s are shipping now). I produced and led this evening of worship which included a world-class band and more than 2,500 excited, passionate worshipers from all across the Southeastern United States. There are 12 songs including 4 originals! (The DVD includes a 5th piano solo as well).

You can listen to samples at HighestPraise.Com.

To purchase, use these links:
CD ($12.95) – shipping immediately
DVD ($17.95) – shipping in 2-3 weeks
CD/DVD Combo ($24.95) – CD ships immediately, DVD ships in 2-3 weeks

DOWNLOAD VERSION OF CD – get it instantly!
The download version of the CD is $10.95 and has all (12) songs encoded as high resolution, 192kbs MP3 files. To purchase the download version, it’s recommended that you have broadband as the file size is over 100MB.

I appreciate your support!
For the Kingdom,
Fred F. McKinnon

I’d be blessed if you’d consider purchasing a copy today!

Hey Ya’ll -

phew – I’ll have to make this one quick … so much happening – but have to take off for a wedding!

Let’s see – HAPPY NEW YEAR, now that we’re nearly 1 full week into 2006. We spent most of New Year’s Eve in the EMERGENCY ROOM at St. Joseph’s in Savannah, GA with our 3-year old, Will … it’s a long story, but suffice it to say … he fell off a cow (yes, a real cow) and busted his forehead open on the side of a big hayride trailer. He’s a tough rodeo boy, for sure.

The CD master for “Worship Under The Stars” is officially IN REPLICATION at DiscMakers … CD’s should be released the week of Jan. 24 – stay tuned!
[more info at worshipunderthestars.com | preorder the CD and/or DVD]

I’m headed out in a few minutes to McRae, GA … my hometown, to play piano in my buddy’s wedding – Chuck Hutcheson … a great friend, great musician, and great man of God. Chuck is one of my “friends” on MySpace – check out his page!

I just launched a new podcast today called the “E-Business Online Podcast & Journal” – crazy as it sounds, I’ll continue doing the “Highest Praise Worship Podcast” – leading worship, sharing ministry and music, etc. Then, I’ll change hats and do this “E-Business” blog and podcast to share insights and commentary on some of the things I’ve learned in doing business online, including a few things lately that have proven QUITE LUCRATIVE,, thankfully! (thanks to God, who ultimately provides all things, right!?)

Wish I could say more … I’m really disappointed that Georgia lost to West Virginia this week. Thrilled that Texas beat USC, although I wish it would’ve been by more than one touchdown, ’cause everybody knows that one of the Texas touchdowns shouldn’t have counted, much as I hate to admit it. And Robert Pooley … before you leave “ha-ha” comments about Georgia losing on this blog, just remember FSU lost, too, bro! We’ll drown our sorrows in prayer and fasting in a few weeks together in Pensacola.

More to come – press in, and get close to God.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve – as we say in our household! Can you believe it’s almost here!?

This Christmas season has been far to crazy for me, and I sure hope I can learn from this year, and plan accordingly for next year. Too many projects were all coming together at the same time. Of course, none of the projects were SUPPOSED to still be on the “burner” this late into the year, but it always seems that things drag on and on and before you know it – it’s supposed to be time to relax and enjoy the holidays, and you’re overwhelmed with STUFF.

I’d hoped “Worship Under The Stars” would be completed and “for sale” by now … but instead, we’re not even in replication. I’m supposed to get the final Audio Master CD tomorrow, and my cousin, John McKinnon, is about 1/2 way finished with all the video post-production. I’m having to wrestle around with getting the graphic design finished – at this point, I’ve had it in the hands of 3 different designers, but have yet to go to press with anything. Today I had to write out all the credits, copyrights, and all the “copy” that goes in the CD cover.

One thing I did get done today was a new “Highest Praise Podcast” for Christmas – check it out!

I suppose the thing that has kept me the busiest is the Christmas buying rush – not for my music CD’s … but for all sorts of games and toys that I started selling last year. I’m just a entrepreneur at heart, and even though I know I should be spending more time doing music/ministry – the practical need to pay the bills and attempt to put a little cash in savings now and then seems to popup and grab my attention. Last year, just prior to Christmas I launched into “e-tailing and dropshipping” – where I have products for sale on two of my own retail sites, and then Amazon.Com (hppenterprises) and Ebay (hppenterprises). The two retail sites are www.discountkidsgames.com and www.thekidmall.com.

Last year, I sold a few things but this year, with 200+ positive feedbacks from previous buyers, folks seemed confident to buy from “HPP” and each day I’d have to process tons of orders. Most everything is “dropshipped” — meaning I get the order and then have a wholesale distributor ship it to the end-user/customer on my behalf – complete w/ my return address and everything. It’s been a blessing to make the extra income, etc.

Speaking of extra income – I’ve also found another “venture” that is quite crazy – yet profitable – for now … it’s called “auto-surfing”, and although there are tons of scam sites that offer “commissions for surfing web sites”, this particular one has been true blue and has been paying out for months. I have devoted a “business blog” to journal my experiences with this, and you can read more about it at “The Entrepreneurs’ Blog“. If you’d like to get involved, all I can say is to “READ MY RULES OF ENGAGEMENT” before doing so. Nevertheless, it’s been another source of provision that has been helpful in helping us “make ends meet” around here.

One of major studio hard drives crashed this week – I prayed for a miracle and received one – the drive itself still had the data on it, and I was able to crack open the firewire drive enclosure, remove the drive, and get all the contents off the drive before sending it back to the manufacturer to be repaired (and formatted/wiped clean) under warranty. All of the “Worship Under The Stars” video footage was on this drive, along with my audio edits and 4-days worth of recording a local praise band from Brunswick in the studio.

So, getting that record mixed, some websites updated (I’m grateful for a few specific clients of HPP Web Hosting who have been more than patient in waiting for their sites to be updated), and some administrative business work finished – maybe I’ll be able to catch Santa in his sleigh and go for a ride. I know Jon Michael, Will, Rebekah, and “?” will think that was cool … and yeah – even though I posted it before on this blog … I’ve been surprised how many folks didn’t know there was a Baby McKinnon #4 on the way – due May 10.

That’s all for now – much to do … we’re having a Christmas Party tonight with our homegroup from church.

God bless, Merry Christmas!
For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Everybody -

Happy Thanksgiving … a little late. I hope that you had a great time of thanksgiving. We certainly have much to be grateful for. We traveled to McRae, GA for some time with my family and had a great time. I was able to go deer hunting 3 times, and got 2 deer … so I was thrilled – time for some venison stew, chili, and burgers!

Lots is going on … and I just wanted to take a brief moment to say “hello” to everyone. The trip to Dallas was great – it was a massive learning experience. When all was said and done, we did not finish mixing “Worship Under The Stars“, but we should have the final two songs mixed this week. Hopefully, the same progress is moving forward on the video editing and DVD authoring up in Atlanta.

On the agenda this week:

Staff meeting at my church, Christian Renewal Church, SSI
Trip to Dublin, GA to discuss “Worship Under The Stars” in Middle Georgia.
Finish approval of “Worship Under the Stars” mixes.
Coordinate graphics/menus with DVD authoring team.
Complete 3rd Quarter Royalty and Consignment Sale Payouts from HPP
Staff Christmas Party Friday Night

And that’s only the beginning – so like all of us, the world can get pretty crazy and busy. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, Amen!

Speaking of “Fixing Your Eyes” – consider subscribing to the Highest Praise Worship Podcast – that song (from the Worship Under The Stars event) will be featured in this week’s podcast, hopefully to be released today or tomorrow.

Finally – do me a big favor – someone showed me a really cool site called “Frappr.Com” which lets you create a map for people to “push pins” and show where they are located. Would you take a moment and “push a pin” to show me where you are!

Below is the current map (I’m the only pin pusher right now!) … this should automatically display with the most recent updates, even after this blog entry has been posted.

***PUSH YOUR PIN ***

God bless ya!
FRED

Hey Ya’ll -
I’m about to leave for Dallas, TX where I’ll be spending the rest of the mix doing the final “mixes” for the Worship Under The Stars recording. I’m still a bit overwhelmed, and feel like I’m not prepared to do the “finals” yet, but hopefully I’ll like the sound of things when I get out there.

I’ll be staying on campus at Christ for the Nations and working with Randy Adams. Please pray for safe travel and for super-productive times in the studio this week. Hopefully, I’ll come home with the “master” on Saturday evening which will be used for mass replication.

If you’ve not yet pre-ordered a CD, DVD, or CD/DVD package, please consider doing so at http://www.worshipunderthestars.com/products.php

Pre-Order income will help offset the cost (about $10K +) of the studio time this week, mastering, royalties, and replication.

Also, pray for Joy and the kids while I’m gone. Her mom and dad have come down from Gainesville and will be here for a few days!

God bless ya!
FRED

Hey Ya’ll -

Man .. is it beautiful outside today, or what!? It’s been so hot (which isn’t unusual for where we live) … but today is a cool 65 degrees with a light breeze and a high, clear blue sky. I only wish I weren’t trapped in the “studio”.

I’m hard at work finishing the final overdubs for the “Worship Under The Stars” recording. This morning was very productive, as I replaced all my vocals on “Restore My Heart”, “How Great Is Our God”, and “Though I Can’t See You” … just finished a salad on the back porch enjoying the beautiful weather, and now getting ready to finish the rest of the songs. I know … I know … you’re thinking “hey – wasn’t that a LIVE recording?” … Ha, yeah, well of course it was. But that doesn’t mean we won’t recut some of those tracks again in the studio – although some of it sounded pretty good “live” – when you isolate those tracks in the studio – sometimes they can sound pretty rough. It’s a common practice, believe me. The good news is … we’ll be keeping live tracks, too – and those will also be used when applicable. The drummer, sax, flute, percussion, etc., are all 100% live and don’t have ANY overdubs at all … and of course … the audience mics … all SIX of them have all the live sound on them as well.

All the other vocalists have finished overdubbing their parts – Shannon Lewis has about 5 spots to fix tonight, and Mack Tucker (his father-in-law) the acoustic guitarist has a few punches, and I’ll be “all done”. I’ve been FedExing audio files to Randy Adams all week as he’s already working on the tracks prior to my arrival next week.

Yep – next week I head back out to Dallas for the final mix – I’m really looking forward to it.

By the way – did I mention … I have a beard now? Crazy – I just didn’t shave for a few days, and since I had last Sunday “off” at church (we had some guest worship leaders in town, so I just sat back and ran the sound!) … I didn’t have to shave – and now it’s quite full. Haven’t decided if I’ll keep it or not … but it’s been fun seeing everyone’s shocked expressions when I show up somewhere.

Oh well – this was a nice break, but time to start singing again …

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

A couple of quick notes for ya:
1) I’m off to Midland, TX for the Annual Keyboard Extravaganza Concert at St. Lukes United Methodist Church. This is a concert featuring four grand pianos with pipe organ. I’m one of the four pianists …

I’ll fly out early in the morning (Thursday) and we’ll rehearse Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and will perform in the Sunday Am service at St. Lukes and the concert will be Sunday night. Typically, we get either piano/organ duet music, or “double piano and organ” music, arrange it, and play together. Some of us read the sheet music as is … others improvise … it takes a few days to figure out the best arrangements, but it’s always lots of fun.

Also – I mentioned that I may be doing something “different” with my Highest Praise Worship Podcast a few days ago … well yesterday I did JUST THAT … releasing “World Wide Worship, Volume 1“. This is a simple, 22-minute podcast of me “leading worship and ministering”, just as if I were at your church or sitting in your home, bringing you a ‘personal’ worship time.

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Pray for Joy, Jon Michael, Will, Rebekah, and Baby #4 (eta May 2006!) while I’m gone.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

Hope everyone is well. I wanted to take a minute and tell folks about what I’m doing with “podcasting” these days, explain it a bit more, and then ask for your help.

I’ve mentioned “podcasting” in previous blogs – it’s the craze online these days. Basically the word “podcast” comes from “Ipod” (Apple’s portable media player) and “broadcast” (we know what that means already, right!?). A podcaster would typically do the following:
1) create media (whether audio, video, text, or a combination – on any type of subject, etc)
2) upload media to a web server that supports “RSS” (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

The end-user has a variety of options for enjoying a “podcast”. They can:
1) visit the website and listen to the podcast online (only if the podcaster puts a link or “play” button referencing the audio file – most do)
2) subscribe to the podcast with special software that receives “RSS” syndication (ie. ITunes, IPodder, or web-based content systems such as your My.Yahoo.Com page).

For the end-user, the advantage to podcasting is that:
1) you don’t have to keep checking a web site to see if there is new content – when the new content is published (broadcast), you automatically receive the content.
2) after receiving the content, you have many choices of what to do with the content (ie. listen to it on the website, listen on your computer, burn a CD and take with you, or transfer to your portable media device, such as an IPod, Rio, Palm, etc).

OK – so much for the tutorial. I’ve been doing a “Highest Praise Worship Podcast” for a while and have really enjoyed hearing back from those who listen. It’s like having my own “radio show” for the whole world to subscribe to. Sometimes listeners will return to the “podcast page” and leave comments about the episode.

Personally, I think this is a golden opportunity for the church. It’s been my experience that the church, for the most part, usually slides into last place when it comes to utilizing technology. I would guess that the overwhelming majority of church leaders have never even heard of a “podcast” or what it’s all about. Then again – because “podcasting” is so popular online and is quickly becoming one of the best methods of media delivery, the church should be jumping on this like crazy!

That’s where HPP Christian Web Hosting comes in. I’ve just created a new web hosting account that is targeted for those in the ministry who wish to get involved with podcasting. It’s very affordable, and has all the tools someone would need to begin a successful podcast. Churches could do a “podcast” of their sermon each week. Laypersons who have the gift of teaching, but no pulpit to teach from – can have the world to teach to. Musicians and songwriters can “podcast” their new songs and ideas to everyone.

The HPP Podcast Plan (view details) is $9.95/month, and has plenty of storage and bandwidth to do the job. I’d like to ask for your help – tell your friends about this. Tell your church leaders about it. Help rally the Kingdom so that they can take advantage of this technology. Sure, this is a business appeal too … we could really use the business right now! At the same time, nothing would make me happier than to see all the “podcast directories” on the internet filling up with Christian-oriented content.

For a limited time, we’ll be offering a free $10 Gift Certificate to the ITunes Music Store for new customers on our podcasting plan as well!

I have several ideas of things I’ll be doing w/ the Highest Praise Worship Podcast – and because the two main ideas are so vastly different, I’m not sure if they’ll be the same “podcast” or not – I may have to create a new one. I’m already doing the podcast that features praise, worship, and instrumental music. I’m also considering a more “personal”, intimate podcast – where I’d simply sit down and play the piano and “lead worship” (singing and playing, ministry) for about 15 minutes. That podcast would be for no other purpose than to take myself into your living room, and assist you … your own personal “worship leader” (ha!). Subscribers could listen on their computer, or burn a CD and have their “worship session” on the way to work. Interested in your feedback and comments on that idea.

Thanks for helping me spread the word. I hope you have a great week.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey Ya’ll -

October is here already – can you even believe it? I think it’s absolutely amazing, for sure!

Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year. I especially love Fall because of college (and highschool) football. UGA (University of Georgia) has done pretty well so far, and they remain undefeated, but I don’t have much faith that they’ll make it through the rest of their games with that record – they have some serious teams to play next.

It’s been a while since I posted – I was up late tonight – I have some heavy things on my heart, and have to make several big decisions soon – I could really use your prayers!

On a lighter note – podcasting .. man, I’ve sure been having fun with it! If you haven’t tuned in, please visit the Highest Praise Worship Podcast and check it out, and leave your comments.

Well, it’s late and tomorrow is a full day of ministry. Hope you are all doing well – more to share soon, but for now … just stay tuned, stay connected. He is the Vine.

For the Kingdom,
Fred

Hey ya’ll

Hope you’re doing well. I’ve spent the last few days messing around with the live “program tape” of the Worship Under the Stars concert. I dumped it into Apple’s “IMovie HD” program and added some titles, music video text, etc. Then, I saved some clips of individual songs and thought folks may enjoy getting a sneak peak.

It’s important to say that the quality here isn’t that great – this is the live video mix, and there has been no color correction or editing done. Also, the audio is the “live mix” from the house PA – again, no overdubs or editing. The final CD/DVD product (pre-order it!) will be much higher quality!

Here are a few “stills” taken from the video – to watch the videos, visit the Worship Under the Stars – Media” page.

GO TO VIDEOS

For the Kingdom,
FRED

“Back in the saddle again …”

That’s how I’m slowly beginning to feel now that we finished the “Worship Under The Stars” concert last weekend.

Rather than go into detail about the concert and all that happened, I’d simply invite you to visit the Worship Under The Stars site and read the “Post-Concert” review blog entry. Enough to say that it was totally incredible and I can’t wait to do it again.

It took nearly a week to sort through all of the administrative stuff involved in the “post-concert” review – we learned that the whole way we handled product sales, donations, and pre-orders was pretty confusing … at least, to us! Folks who pre-ordered or purchased products were supposed to pay “Highest Praise Productions“, my “for-profit” corporation … and donations were payable to “Worship International“, the non-profit corporation who produced the live event. We had single checks for pre-orders, product purchases, and donations – some made payable to HPP, others made payable to Worship International. Also, we failed to collect S/H on the pre-orders so that was a “hit” I wasn’t expecting.

Nonetheless, I’d gladly have those sorrows over the sorrow of having NO RESPONSE, and PRAISE GOD – we had response.

So what’s next – just trying to get back in the saddle … several things upcoming:
1) the Highest Praise Worship Podcast (3rd issue should be produced this week)
2) adding two new artists to InstrumentalWorship.Com
3) complete revamp of HPP Christian Web Hosting (packages, pricing, design)
4) post-production of “Worship Under The Stars” CD and DVD. (pre-order here)

Today I’m in the studio doing some work on #4 … Randy Adams (our recording engineer at WUTS) has well over 40+ tracks of audio for the WUTS CD. My ProTools recording system currently only handles 32 simulataneous audio tracks (which is usually PLENTY), so I’m having to create “submixes” of the drums, percussion, and house tracks to make room for the other important tracks and the new tracks that we will “add” that either weren’t live or were live and need “fixin”, as we say here in south Georgia.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

God bless ya,
FRED