Vatican Fires Observatory Director

george-coyne.jpgSince 2005, the head of the Vatican Observatory has been very vocal against intelligent design, saying it belittles God. He has been fired. Only recently – in 1992 – did the Church officially announce acceptance of the findings of Galileo. Those are the facts, I’ll keep my opinions to myself. Below are links to various viewpoints on the issue, including input from James Randi and also Catholic.org
Wikipedia info on George Coyne

Intelligent Design belittles God – from Catholic.org
 Excerpt:
Science is and should be seen as “completely neutral” on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results, says Father George V. Coyne, director of the Vatican Observatory, while noting that “science and religion are totally separate pursuits.”

Christianity is “radically creationist,” Father George V. Coyne said, but it is not best described by the “crude creationism” of the fundamental, literal, scientific interpretation of Genesis or by the Newtonian dictatorial God who makes the universe tick along like a watch. Rather, he stresses, God acts as a parent toward the universe, nurturing, encouraging and working with it.
Skeptic article by James Randi
Excerpt:
The Vatican Observatory, now under new, safer, and much more reliable direction, has an interesting history. It began as a simple observational tower erected by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578. This was the Gregory who brought about the drastic changes in the Western calendar, appropriately now named, the Gregorian Calendar. By 1800, the tower was being used for real astronomy – rather than simple positional work, and a century later it was formally established as the Vatican Observatory. The Jesuits now operate it, working both from facilities south of Rome and from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Want to talk about it more? Join the discussion on this topic at:
Creation Talk Forum – Vatican Fires Observatory Director

Server Four Launched

My fourth server launched today, launching a secondary e-commerce network to focus specifically on audio. I’ll also be bringing back additional forum communities that were not brought back in the last two server launches.

The Server Four backend will use three different software applications for e-commerce. I don’t have any immediate plans to bolster forum-related features – the forums are running smooth and have been stable for quite a while, will leave them be until the next milestone software release (which should be by Christmas).

From the front end most communities will not notice much of a change, but our online customers will notice a whole new set of services and options when ordering online. So for me, it means the freedom to continue pursuing music endeavors full time while the backend of the empire provides all those boring, tedious things needed in life, like food.

I used to say “the empire” would never reach the height of it’s former glory. I do not currently share that opinion anymore.

🙂

Is Music a Gift FROM God or TO God?

Is music a gift FROM God or TO God? I’ve been grappling with this question in particular this week. I was asked last week at church choir practice if I thought music was created by God as a gift for man, or if it was created by man as a gift for God.

I instictively answered that I believe music is a creation of man. After saying those words I felt odd, as if I had said something wrong. There are some things that are easy to say as a facade, but may not actually be a true representation of our inner motivations. Of course, there is the possibility that neither option is true, but we’ll leave that out for the sake of discussion.

If music is a gift from God for man to worship God, then we would be commanded to only use music for that purpose. I am all too aware that many people subscribe to this school of thought. But I am struck with the not-so-popular thought among church folk that this situation is exceedingly boring. I try my best, with my feeble human mind, to picture God listening pleasantly to the first hundred or so songs in his praise – and in time I would think he would long for a change of pace. But who am I to pretend to know the mind of God.

But I do know my OWN mind a bit – and I grow tire of the same fare. If I listen to all Baroque music too much, I can’t help but turn on the classic rock station for a while. And when that gets old I want to hear some Jazz, then some country, then I am back at Baroque again. Sometimes I want to hear songs that teach me, and sometimes I just want to be in a mood. Sometimes I want to be challenged, and sometimes I just want to get lost in a thought.

Music is a tempestuous mistress. It serves different purposes at different times. Anytime it is put into a box with firm borders I become a little restless.

Music is soundwaves – we have a Western scale of half steps, where the 13th step is an octave above the first step. And to us this is “music” – in other cultures there are 24 steps, using quarter tones. And in some music there is only 5 steps making a pentatonic scale. What is “good” or “bad” depends on the ear of each culture – what Western ears might describe as being out-of-tune might be absolutely delightful to an Indian or Eastern ear.

So then, which does God prefer? That answer might safely be “whatever glorifies his name” or something along those lines. Well then, we aren’t talking about music anymore, we are talking about intention and lyrics. And when it comes to instrumental music without lyrics, we are left with only intention. Is God less pleased when instruments are out of tune? Suppose the musicians do not have the skill to know they are out of tune, is God less glorified? Would be difficult to answer that question with a “yes”.

So I submit to you that music is a non-issue when it comes to praise – it is the intention of the heart that is most important.

Jesus said to give unto God what is God’s, and give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. So when it comes to praise music, let the intention of the heart be the gift to God. Let the music be for man.

And I would humbly ask that if I have to listen to you during this process, please tune your instruments and play them well. And THAT, is the point of all this rambling. God will have an eternity to enjoy the intent of your heart; I would like to spend my short time on earth hearing music performed well. 🙂
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Luther saw music not as a liturgical act but a natural talent to be used in the world. Writings of Martin Luther:

Music is an outstanding gift of God and next to theology. I would not give up my slight knowledge of music for a great consideration. And youth should be taught this art; for it makes fine skillful people (W-T 3, No. 3815).

Nor am I at all of the opinion that all the arts are to be overthrown and cast aside by the Gospel, as some superspiritual people protest; but I would gladly see all the arts, especially music, in the service of Him who has given and created them (W 35, 474).

Song: If I Could Go Anywhere

Song: If I Could Go Anywhere

I wrote this song in 2003. On this demo track vocals are by Cherish Whisner, Background vocals by Fred Reliford, Guitar parts by Sean Clavin. The rest of the track I sequenced on ProTools.

I’d like to pick up the tempo a little more in this song and let the beat slide a little more for a looser feel. I feel it would work equally well as a country or R&B/hip hop arrangement. For a country arrangement I can definately hear the pedal steel.

My personal inspiration for the lyrics were my friends at the time in Southern California. At the time I had a job with a very small church and was being approached by a larger church to join them. This song was my statement to the smaller church about what they meant to me. It was a great core group of people. The memory of those people is strong and an inspiration to me. Although my personal religious conviction has changed since then, I value that time with them and what is has brought to me.

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I purposely left the lyrics a bit ambiguous so it would appeal to different relationships in different situations. Better to let the listener fill in the details with their personal life to better connect with the piece. It has been performed three times, two times for a church service and once at a wedding. To me it is not simply a love song, it is a statement of conviction between peoples that have endured the long race together.
If-I-Could-Go-Anywhere-Final.mp3

Verse 1
After all this time
After all we’ve been through side by side
We’re still standing strong
Holding on to the love deep inside
And I wouldn’t trade it for the world

Chorus
If I could go anywhere
Anywhere in the universe
And if I could have anything
That my heart desired
I know where I’d want to be
And I know what I’d want to have
If I could go anywhere, have anything
I’d be here with you

Verse 2
I can cry a tear
And you’ll always be there holding me tight
So I’ll take a chance
And wear my heart on my sleeve by letting you know
Just a bit of how I really feel

Chorus

Bridge
There may be other places more beautiful than this
But they’re not the same without you by my side
There may be other people who try to catch my eye
But they don’t know anything about what moves me

Chorus
So if I could go anywhere, have anything
I’d be here with you
Tag
With you
With you

QandA – How Do I Backup MySQL Databases?

How do I backup mysql info for my forum? I read that you run a lot of forums so thought you might know.

Jeremy (Last name omitted)
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Hi Jeremy,

If your forum is fairly small you can use built in database backup features from the admin section. PHPMYADMIN also works, but only for smaller database sizes (it will time out with larger databases). I’m assuming you have a dedicated server and have a larger database.

I have several forums with over 100,000 member entries, so the built in MySQL backups and PHPMYADMIN don’t work for those. You’ll have to buckle down and use your command prompt via SSH.

A good SSH program is WINSCP – You can find it easily via Google or currently at download.com

SSH into your server, open the command prompt:
1. Change to the bin subdirectory in the directory where MYSQL is installed
For instance, typd cd /urs/local/mysql/bin

2. Type the following:
mysqldump –user=accountname –password=password databasename >path/backupfilename

*********

accountname – is the name of the MySQL account that you’re using to back up the database

password – is the password for the account

databasename – is the name of the database that you want to back up

path/backupfilename – is the path to the directory where you want to store the backups and the name of the file that the SQL output will be stored in.

May seem a little confusing, but you’ll get used to it real quick.

Music Related World Records

When I was a kid I had a copy of Guinness Book of World Records and I wore that book out. We didn’t have the internet back then, so to find all the strange and bizarre in one place was a treasure trove. Wouldn’t it be great to know you had the world’s record in something, no matter how ridiculous? I was looking online for piano related world records and didn’t find what I was looking for; like the most hours playing a piano without stopping (that would be a fun one to try). But I did find some other fun music related world records, so here they are as of August 2006.
Check out the Guinness World Records Website

Oldest Symphony Orchestra
The oldest existing symphony orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, of Leipzig, Germany, was established in 1743.

Youngest No.1 Classical Artist
Welsh soprano Charlotte Church was just 12-years and 9-months old when her debut album, Voice Of An Angel, reached No. 1 in the UK classical album charts on November 9, 1998. It went double platinum in the UK within four weeks of release. Church first appeared on stage at the age of three at a Welsh holiday camp.

Most Prolific Conductor
The Austrian conductor, Herbert von Karajan (1908–89), made over 800 recordings. He was conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera, and La Scala Opera of Milan, and founded the Salzburg Festival, in 1967.

Most Prolific Symphonist
The most prolific symphonist was Johann Melchior Molter (1696–1765) of Germany, who wrote over 170 symphonies.

Most tour tickets sold in a day (concerts)
A total of 1.6 million tickets, valued at £80 million (US$142,825,258.47) were sold in the first 24 hours (November 19 2005) for Robbie Williams’ 2006 World Tour.

Most Valuable Cello
On June 22, 1988, a Stradivarius cello was sold for a record £682,000 ($1,213,960) at Sotheby’s, London, UK. The cello, known as “The Cholmondeley”, was made in Cremona, Italy, in approximately 1698. The instrument is called the Cholmondeley as it is known to have been in the possession of the Marquess of Cholmondeley in the middle of the last century, from whom it passed to an English amateur, Mr Drury, and from him to David Bittner, a Viennese dealer.

Most Valuable Music Manuscript
The record payment for a musical manuscript is $4.1 million, paid by James Kirkman at Sotheby’s, London, England, on May 22, 1987, for a bound volume of nine complete symphonies in Mozart’s handwriting. Consisting of 508 pages, the book was sent in for auction by a private anonymous collector. Sotheby’s reportedly described it as “the most important music manuscript to be auctioned this century”.

Oldest Jazz Club
The Village Vanguard cellar jazz club opened in New York City, USA, in 1935, and has hosted mainstream jazz concerts ever since. Artists who have appeared there include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, and Thelonious Monk.

Longest Album Title
The album with the longest title to reach the US chart contains ninety words. ‘When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He’ll Win the Whole Thing ‘Fore He Enters the Ring There’s No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz You’ll Know That You’re Right.’The album was by Fiona Apple, a singer from New York. It was released on November 9, 1999.

Loudest Drummer
A peak reading of 109.1 decibels was recorded during a show by the French one-man show The Jerome Experience (aka drummer Jéróme Dehèdin) at the Celtic Warriors 10th Birthday Bash at Woodgreen Animal Shelter, Cambridgeshire, UK on April 12, 2003.

A peak-level sound meter was used to record Dehèdin’s drumming, which peaked at a volume equivalent to a propeller plane taking off and louder than a pneumatic drill from 3 m (10 ft) away.

Most Drumbeats In A Minute
The most single-stroke drumbeats played in one minute is 1,026, achieved by Johnny Rabb of the USA, on April 28, 2000, at the Nashville Music Institute, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Most drumbeats in a minute, hands
The world record for the most single-stroke drumbeats played in one minute is 1,507 and was achieved by Alberto Arias Pellitero (Spain) on the set of ‘Guinness World Records – El Show De Los Records in Madrid, Spain on May 25, 2006.

Largest choir
Excluding sing-alongs by stadium crowds, the greatest choir assembled contained 60,000 singers who sang in unison at the finale to a choral contest held among 160,000 participants in Breslau, Germany on August 2 1937.

Largest Concert Audience For A Rock Artist
The largest paying audience ever attracted by a solo performer was an estimated 180,000–184,000, in the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at a Paul McCartney concert held on April 21, 1990.

Largest Orchestra
The world’s largest orchestra consisted of 6,452 musicians from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and music students from throughout British Columbia. They played at BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, Canada, on May 15, 2000.

Largest Trombone Ensemble
The largest trombone ensemble consisted of 289 musicians, who gathered to play for 9 minutes 28 seconds at Café-zalencentrum, Broekhuizen, Netherlands, on June 8, 1997.

Largest Violin Ensemble
On June 15, 1925, at Crystal Palace, London, UK, 4,000 child violinists gathered to play Recollections of England – Selection by Mareston, conducted by Arthur Payne and assisted by HM. Grenadier Guards Band.

Highest Paid Pianist
Wladziu Valentino Liberace earned more than $2 million per 26-week season with a peak of $138,000 (then $49,285) for a single night’s performance at Madison Square Gardens, New York City, USA in 1954.

Farthest Distance Traveled By A Human Voice
The normal intelligible outdoor range of the male human voice in still air is 180 meters (200 yd). Silbo, the whistled language of the Spanish-speaking inhabitants of the Canary Island of La Gomera, is intelligible under ideal conditions at 8 km (5 miles). There is one recorded case of the human voice being detectable at a distance of 17 km (10.5 miles) across still water at night.

Fastest Rap MC
Ricky Brown (USA) rapped 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds on his track “No Clue” at B&G Studios, Seattle, Washington, USA, on January 15, 2005.

Fastest Playing Of The Sailor’s Hornpipe
Trombonist Peter “Fats” Baxter, of Hove, England, played The Sailor’s Hornpipe in 8.5 seconds at the House of Commons in Westminster, London, England, on December 15, 1998. The Sailor’s Hornpipe is a well-known English folk tune, often performed to accompany a dance, which is believed to have been invented by sailors of the English navy.

Biggest-Selling Christmas Song
Bing Crosby’s recording of White Christmas (1942) has sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles. White Christmas has been reissued annually since 1942. The latest chart success with the song was in December 1998, when it charted for three consecutive weeks in the UK, reaching No. 29.

Seussical Cast List 08/06

Seussical Cast List

Jojo-Ireland Woods

Cat in the Hat-Mike Marlin

Horton-Matt Olsen

Mayor-Nate Young

Mrs. Mayor-Paige Woods

General Genghis Khan Schmitz-Cody Thompson

Gertrude-Bianca Campbell

Mayzie-Ashley Henning

Bird Girls:

Zoey Kypuros

Mary Witt

Lynette Cole

Corinn Holberg

Savanna Woods

Lydia Randall

McKenzie Willis

The Sour Kangaroo-Falon Calderon

The Grinch-Jayme Craig

Vlad Vladikoff (the Eagle)-Kaylah Golub

Yertle the Turtle-Sam Mitchell

The Wickershams:

Karina Grech

JessieJo Huizinga

Trevor Hansen

Michael Giles

Tiffany Richardson

Kayla Watson

Anna Oomen

Citizens of Whoville-

Katie Arthur

Selena Tibert

Brittany Schmidt

Sela Shepard

Nathaniel Voth

Robert Summers

Mariah Schmidt

Adelle Clark

Jackson Dillard

Olivia Pedrosa

Zoe Whidden

Elle England

Anissa Burke

Cadets-

Faith Shepard

Seth Lawrence

Tatum Sprouse

Jahldi Merritt

Whitney Lindquist

Jungle of Nool Dance Captains-

Lauren Riley

Makenzie Fox

Citizens of the Jungle of Nool/Circus Characters/and more…

(specific creature identities to be announced)

Courtney Bunnell

Devon Fair

Kiara Landi

Taryn Aldridge

Drew Evlandson

Magdalena McGuire

Blakelee Clay-McBee

Bailey Hodges

Elena Olefke

Nicole Trepus

Cydney McFarland

Emma Johnson

Emily Watilo

Katie Keck

Sarah Bamba

Chamidae Ford

Angela Uptain

Susie Pollino

Jensen Weynandas-Mains

Miranda Uptain

Summer Sanders

Paris Sanders

For more information visit the META Performing Arts WebsiteÂÂ

Theatre: Know Who You Are – Or Get Off The Stage

I was having dinner with a couple directors tonight and we started talking about character motivation and how to teach that to young actors. They said their acting coach taught them “If you don’t know what you want – get off the stage” or “If you don’t know why you’re on stage, get off.”

I love that. It’s so simple. If you don’t understand your character’s motivation, then you cannot adequately add to the movement or motivation of the play. The last play I worked on, the director would say “Don’t move unless you know why you’re moving” – another great way of relaying a similiar thought.

If you brush your hair, why are you doing it? I see often times actors that don’t know what to do with themselves – they will often just thrust their hands around while they talk. We usually don’t naturally do that too much (well…..maybe if you’re Italian!)

The reason I brought up motivation with them, is that as a young actor I didn’t understand motivation. Music is my thing, so usually I have a reason for every note. I had great music instructors. In composition my teacher used to pick random notes on my score and ask “why is that there”? If I couldn’t answer that question, I had to erase it. I think this kind of methodical training is fantastic when starting out. Always remember – you have to learn the rules before you can break them. But when it came to acting I didn’t draw the parallel.
For me as a young actor (and I feel funny writing that, because I am certainly no actor, but was in many plays as a child, including a paid professional musical), I knew who my character was, but I never really connected it in my head to integrate that background into my own, and to also use my own personality as development for how I would react to things. I mistakenly thought that if I didn’t have lines, my job was to be unnoticed until my lines came. I moved where the directors told me to, without really understanding the depth of my character.

So know who you are, know why are you doing what you are doing, and understand your character’s past as if it was your own – easier yet: pull from your own experience so your character becomes real.

Just what you needed, acting advice from a non-actor.
🙂