We had a great time up at Lifest. There were a lot of people and some really great shows. There was a cool spirit there as well... it seemed like the artists and groups really felt a response from the crowd.

Two great shows for me were Superchick and Stephen Curtis Chapman. Superchick was really impressed with the crowd and they had more fun. I can relate to that - you play a show and if you don't get much response, then you don't play as well even though you have to be the one leading everything. Things just do a 180 when the crowd is really into it.

The Stephen Curtis Chapman show was amazing because it was his first show after his daughter was killed. I think it maybe helped him that he was playing at a festival instead of just a show that was just for him. It maybe took some of the pressure off. The crowd did a candle light vigil type of thing for him, which was cool, too.

We did have to weather 2 pretty strong storms out in our tents. Kinda crazy. The 2nd one was worse which had 70 mph winds associated with it. We nailed down our tents and got in our cars for that one as we watched it come in on radar (cell phones are great that way). The cool thing was, the storm actually broke up before it hit Oshkosh and then joined back up after it got past us. It went right around and we only got the mild part of it.

I was kind of disappointed with the selection of artists and bands this year. I remember last year, we'd rush back to our camp, eat and then have to rush back to catch the next big show that we wanted to see. That was definitely not the case this year. You'd think with a 10th anniversary, they would have had more. It was still good though. I just expected more.

-T

I'm so glad that I get LCC's 97x station here in the east side of Madison. It's great music, hardly any commercials and it's music that I like and wouldn't have otherwise had much exposure to. It's helped me realize how great Christian Rock really is. It's like nothing else out there.

I'm talking about groups like Alabaster Box, Eowyn, Illia, Two Empty Chairs, Mute Math, The Afters and many others. Some of this is a little harder rock that I've normally listened to, but they're really good and a lot like classical music.

I'll be heading up to Oshkosh, WI for a few days of Lifest this week. Some of these groups will be there, so I'm looking forward to seeing a few groups that might not be on the main stage. My favorite show last year by far was Skillet. I've been a fan of theirs for years but I was just blown away by their sound. It was so full. The strings they threw in, even though on a synth, just filled things up and it was borderline classical music if you ask me. The sound was so good, it was like having headphones on and the venue was basically a horse stable - minus the horse apples, thankfully.

Last year it rained a few times so hopefully things will be a little drier this time - although the rain wasn't bad at all and things dried out quickly. I'll give a report when I get back.

-T

Yeah, I was impressed by that, too. Maybe they're starting to recognize the Christian music market more. Interesting.

Check out the article: Something to Shout About by Russ Breimeier in this week's Music Connection newsletter at ChristianityToday.com. Good article, Russ! I like your point of view on this.

-Tony

Ok, we all love "Idol", right? I love these first episodes showing all the people who tried and didn't make it. I'm just so surprised every year how it seems like someo of the people there haven't even seen the show or don't get it. So for all of you, here are some tips:

1. The music business is a business. Duh. This is first and foremost because just about all the other points here relate to this. If you get this point, this will all make sense.
   
   They want someone who they can market - meaning, someone that they want to invest their time and money in and get a very sizable return on that investment. This person has to fit in with the current pop culture and also stand out amongst that crowd.
   
   If you don't have a beginner or intermediate understanding about business, you might not make it, sorry.
   
   
2. Don't wear crazy costumes. They want to see you and your singing, not you as something else. Be yourself. If you're hiding something, then you're probably not ready for this... but keep doing it, it's very entertaining for the rest of us.
   
   
3. Don't trust your friends and family. Ya gotta love them, but they have a tendency to tell you what you want to hear sometimes - mainly, your singing voice. Parents are always proud of their kids, which is great, but they're biased. It's their job to encourage you, which is good - we all need that but after they've done that, go to a vocal coach, take at least one lesson just to get their opinion.
   
   
4. You must be able to handle rejection. To get to the top, you must be able to keep going when someone tells you that you stink. Everyone that's up there now can handle rejection. If blowing up in a tyrant of colorful speech is your reaction to someone telling you that that you need to improve on your singing, then you're not the kind of person that they are going to want to work with. Would you do that at a job interview and expect to get the job?
   
   
5. Sing and be entertaining, but be professional about it. The best singers on the show grab your attention and aren't dancing around trying to distract you from their voice. Let your voice do the work but also just don't stand still - get into it.
   
   
6. Look your best. Don't try to make a point that pop stars don't need to look good right now. Save that for later. This is an interview, so look your best. Don't go too flashy on your clothes because, again, they want to see you. A little makeup, tanning and facial scrub can do wonders. You're competing against others, so you need to shine. Look at what Clay Aiken did - he improved his image (kind of) and that did wonders.
   
   
7. When they say stop, just stop. If you act desperate, it's way past over - forget about it.
   

 -T

Also: Read "The Idol Life" by a guy I know, Russ Breimeier.