Posted by Bryan Moyer Suderman on Aug 30, 2012
Here are a few recent links that feature my music: You’ll find a new article from the Sojourners blog about my music here. This was based on an interview-and-lunch conversation with Lisa Daughtry-Weiss of Sojourners, just after the “Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity” conference in Washington, D.C. last May, where I co-planned and co-led the worship sessions. There are now several free podcasts posted of some of the plenary speakers from that conference (Brian McLaren, John Westerhoff). My song “New World Coming” (from the “Detectives of Divinity” album, and the “New World Coming” compilation album) is used as the intro and outro “theme music” for the podcasts. There are also some videos from the same conference, featuring words from folks from all over, many of whom I also had the pleasure of meeting (Dave Csinos, Shane Claiborne, Joy Carol Wallis, Melvin Bray, Brian McLaren, Ivy Beckwith, Danielle Shroyer, Joey Mitchell, Rachelle Martin, and others)… with the sounds of “Take Good Care” (from the “My Money Talks” album, and the new compilation as well) weaving in and out… What a time it was… so good to see those faces and hear those voices and know that the conversations are continuing all...
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Posted by Bryan Moyer Suderman on Jul 18, 2012
25 years ago Chuck Neufeld did a concert at my high school, and blew me away, and got me thinking that maybe I could write songs that others could sing along to. I spent countless hours hitting “fast forward” and “re-wind” and wearing out cassette tapes (yes, those), learning to play many of his songs. In the next few years, Chuck Neufeld joined Bruce Cockburn as the two musicians that impacted me the most at that time, as I went to as many concerts as I could, and listened and learned as much as I could, from both of them. Who would have guessed that a quarter century later I’d have a chance to do a series of concerts together with him? (with Chuck, that is… haven’t had a chance yet to perform with Bruce… GRIN…) What an inspirational time it was – not just to play and sing with Chuck, but also to enjoy his and Bonnie’s hospitality, and to hear much wisdom from so many years of ministry-infused-with-music in so many intriguing ways. It was particularly amazing to me to see how, in his current role as “conference minister” in Illinois, the songs he has written (and continues to write) have so obviously been embraced and treasured by the community(ies) that he serves and gently leads. Every concert was different, but in each one we had “solo” sets and then played some songs together. Although we sang different songs each time (and learned some of each other’s newer material), we began each joint set with “My Voice Alone” – an old Pete Seeger song that Chuck adapted (“One Man’s Hands,” by Pete Seeger and Alex Comfort), and that I recorded on my first solo CD. There’s quite a story (many stories, actually) behind that song as well, and its many adaptations (including how it almost had to be dropped from my CD, until I received a hand-written permission note from Pete Seeger himself, just in the nick of time). I may tell that story here sometime as well. But, for now, suffice it to say that it was quite an experience to be able to sing together – and with that song in particular, I felt like I was singing with two of my biggest musical heroes and influences at the same time. Two people who are among the very best at expressing profound things in simple and powerful ways that young and old can sing together. My voice alone can’t sing a song of peace Your voice alone can’t sing a song of peace But if two and two and fifty make a million We’ll see this world come ’round We’ll see this world come...
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Posted by Bryan Moyer Suderman on Jun 27, 2012
How are we formed by the stories we tell and the songs we sing? Do the stories/songs matter? I think they do, and over the past few weeks I’ve seen some vivid examples of this process in action. In fact, seeing “how it’s done” at The Alamo in Texas gave me some new eyes to see “how it’s being done” right here in Stouffville, Ontario. The second-to-last stop on my spring USA tour was in San Antonio – home of “The Alamo.” As a Canadian prairie boy whose first decade of life coincided with the 70s, I have a mental picture from our black and white TV of some guy with a rifle and strange ‘coonskin cap and a little ditty (which I can still sing) “Daveeeey, Davey Crockett, king of the wild frontier!” I’m familiar with the phrase “remember the Alamo!” having something to do with being brave and bracing yourself to face impossible odds in a hopeless situation (“last stand”) of some kind. And that’s about all I knew, until a few weeks ago. Spending a couple of hours at the Alamo site in San Antonio is a tremendous education in how history itself can be enlisted to form identity, character, and behaviour in powerful ways. The Alamo is called a “Shrine” (with a capital “S”) and a “sacred place” (“Welcome to the Alamo, the Shrine of Texas liberty.”) Colonel William Travis’ “Victory or Death” letter from within the besieged Alamo, calling for reinforcements (“I shall never surrender or retreat… the Lord is on our side…” – Feb 24, 1836) Guides in period costume, explaining and demonstrating everything from weapons to medical techniques to games played by soldiers of the time. The (historically uncertain) story of Travis taking his sword and “drawing a line in the sand” has become familiar language denoting bravery and resolve and decisiveness in any conflict. So many ways of drawing us into the story, with the sense that we continue to be not only heirs of this legacy (“freedom vs. tyranny”!) but participants in the ongoing struggle (“When Colonel Travis called for reinforcements, you’re exactly who he had in mind… Cross the line. Join the Allies of The Alamo today…”) I didn’t get a picture of it, but in the gift shop I jotted down over 30 different kinds of “take-home” items commemorating The Alamo – everything from keychains, mugs, and postcards to movies and toys and dolls and cardboard cut-out model sets to re-enact the siege at home. In one corner of the gift shop there was a movie trailer playing (“Alamo: The Price of Freedom”) – another vivid example of what I’m talking about. As a songwriter for the church, who cares deeply about the songs we sing and the stories we tell and how they help to form us, I found all of this fascinating. And having rolled past...
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Posted by Bryan Moyer Suderman on Apr 12, 2012
Yes, it’s true! Just 7 months after the release of “Detectives of Divinity” – the “latest and greatest” SmallTall Music release – there’s ANOTHER new CD in the works. How can this be? I’m glad you asked! We are putting together a “compilation album” of songs drawn from my 5 CDs released over the past 10 years. Brian McLaren and Dave Csinos have written a wonderful introduction to the project, and we look forward to sharing it with a broader audience! You can pre-purchase the CD here. This project was sparked in conversation with Dave Csinos, organizer for the “Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity” conference in Washington, D.C. on May 7-10, 2012, which will include speakers like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, the Wallis family, Ivy Beckwith, John Westerhoff, Tony Campolo, and many others. I was delighted to be asked to lead music at the conference and to be one of the co-planners/leaders for the worship times, and in our conversations the idea for this project bubbled to the surface. Of all the songs that I’ve written and released over the past 10 years, what would be the “top 15″ that Dave Csinos and Brian McLaren would want everyone at the CYNKC conference to know and to share with their communities when they returned home? Well, the selections have been made… we’re calling the compilation “New World Coming,” and it’s available for pre-purchase here… These are the tunes (and their source albums), including a brand new recording of “You’re Not Alone,” with the inimitable Charlene Nafziger on piano… 1) New World Coming (from Detectives of Divinity, 2011) 2) God’s Love is for Everybody (from God’s Love is for Everybody, 2002) 3) Peace Meal (from Detectives of Divinity, 2011) 4) You’re Not Alone (new recording, featuring Charlene Nafziger on piano) 5) I Will Bless You (from A New Heart, 2009) 6) Disciples-In-Training (from God’s Love is for Everybody, 2002) 7) A God Who Makes Friends (from God’s Love is for Everybody, 2002) 8) Take Good Care (from My Money Talks, 2007) 9) Enough For All (from My Money Talks, 2007) 10) When You Learn to Follow Jesus (You Will Act A Little Strange) (from God’s Love is for Everybody, 2002) 11) Thank You (from Can’t Keep Quiet, 2005) 12) Infiltrating the World (from A New Heart, 2009) 13) No Longer Strange (from Detectives of Divinity, 2011) 14) Peace Be With You (from Can’t Keep Quiet, 2005) 15) Detectives of Divinity (from Detectives of Divinity, 2011) You Can Shine (from Can’t Keep Quiet, 2005) What do you think? What would YOUR “top 15” list look like, from the past 10 years of smalltall...
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Posted by Bryan Moyer Suderman on Apr 5, 2012
The mystery, horror and hope of this season – so central to Christian faith – is something that I have struggled to find ways to sing. How to understand the meaning(s) of the cross… how to SING this… continues to be a challenge for me. On Monday we had a great session in the studio, recording a new version of “You’re Not Alone” with Charlene Nafziger on piano. The timing of the session hadn’t really struck me until we started recording this song, all about solidarity in suffering – our solidarity with each other, and God’s solidarity with us. Doing this at the beginning of Passion Week was especially moving for me, and especially with the recent awareness of new suffering and pain in the lives of a number of people I know. I received a note this week from someone saying that she and her family are spending time with my song “For You All Things Are Possible” – a setting of Jesus’ words during his time of struggle in Gethsemane, just before his crucifixion. The conviction that “for you all things are possible,” and yet the intense wrestling match between “please take this cup from me” and “not my will but yours”… “Lofty Words,” the last track on my latest CD, is a setting of 1 Corinthians 2, and includes these words: I have decided that I know nothing Nothing but Jesus, and Jesus crucified. What kind of wisdom is this, you may ask me What kind of power can be revealed in one who died? There is power revealed in weakness There is Spirit in this mess This is far from human wisdom It’s the power of God I guess… And I hadn’t really thought of “Infiltrating the World” as an Easter song, but as I wrote an e-mail today, and debated what to say, I realized that this lyric said it: I pray that you’ll be strengthened for all that lies ahead And I pray we’ll pay attention to what the Spirit says As we’re not-so-secret-agents in the ancient urgent cause Of the One who died and rose again, infiltrating the world with the love of God… Those lyrics represent a little bit of my struggle, anyway, and my prayer for you, and for all of us, this...
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