Learning

So I got back from Falls Creek about a week ago, and to talk about that week alone I would need a different blog. So many great things happened and are continuing to happen. Praise God.

So right now I'm working on expanding Pt. 2 of the project I'm working on (right now named "To Realize You Can Move".....but I want to change it to something, just not sure what.) and redoing Pt. 3. I haven't even really thought of what Pt. 4 will be, but I'll just have to be patient with that.

What's really going on with me though is that I'm learning to trust. I have no idea what I want to do with my life, etc, but the fact of the matter is, I don't really need to know. I just have to trust God that he's got things lined up for me. Now, that doesn't mean I get to sit on my butt all day and do nothing, but it does mean that if I rely on Him, I'll go where I need to go. It's tough to actually have faith in something outside yourself, especially when you cannot see it. But that's the definition of faith, isn't it?

We'll see where things go from here. I should have my project done by the end of July, so check out my myspace to hear what I have so far. myspace.com/silenceisimpossible

Thanks for all your support.

Jeff

Listening, or at least an attempt at it.

So I'm going to be out of town for a week, which means no creating in the sense of recording. Hopefully while I'm out I can still jam and get some ideas. Whether those ideas come to fruitition or not, we'll see.

Lately I've been listening to lots of music, sermons, and people. Or at least, I've been trying to. The thing that seems to keep coming back to me is the fact that if I try hard enough, there's always a way to get to where you want to go. I do not know where I want to go in life, but I know two things: I want to create music, and I want to love and help people. Right now, I'm not great at either, but I would say I'm more consistent at making music than loving and helping people. I'm great at loving and helping people I know, but not so much people I don't know. Anyways, food for thought.

Be grateful for what you have. If you're reading this, it can probably be safely said that you are in a house (or have a home to live in), you have a computer, and probably even a car. Those are material possessions that somewhere around 5% of the world owns (maybe more own a car, and more live in "homes", some of which are nothing more than little lean-to's). You probably also have family who loves you, and a decent education, and might be pursuing more education. Please remember what you have, and what others don't, and try not to take things for granted. I know, much easier said than done. But we at least gotta try.

I'll be back in about a week. Love you guys, whoever is even reading this blog....

Jeff

Friends and Penguins

So today I finally started working on my music project. I had created parts 1 and 2 and had ideas for part 3. Today I finally sat down and, with help from my friend Braden McMurphy, managed to virtually finish part 3. There are still some things that need to be cleaned up, such as the guitar tone used, possibly adding a bass part, and adding a solo guitar or synth line on top. But the main ideas are there.

If you want to check out this project, go to myspace.com/silenceisimpossible.

My mom and sister just got back from New York, and my mom brought me a penguin. Penguins are my favorite, and I kinda collect them. This one walks. Exciting, I know.

Anyways, I'd better be off to bed so I can work in the morning. Adios

Jeff

Inspiration from Victor Hugo and a clean room

So this is my first post on my new blog, encouraged to be set up by my friend Hailey Ray. The purpose behind this blog is to create an venue with which I can express inspiration and progress in my musical adventure. Hopefully I will not make it a place where I waste time and procrastinate, because Facebook does enough of that too me as it is.

A little about me: I will be a sophomore at the University of Arkansas this fall majoring in Music Education and pursuing a minor in Business with an emphasis on Marketing. I play saxophone, piano, guitar, a tad of drums and bass, and am attempting to learn how to sing (we'll see how that goes), and I have no idea what I want to do with my life, except that I want to be in the field of music.

I have a tendency to be very anal about music or musical preferences, but I am learning that just because a genre has a different style and might seem "simpler" than another genre that I might be more used to does not lessen it's validity as good music. I have come to realize that music should speak to people's souls, and the music that I love does exactly that. Whether it has lyrics or not, my favorite songs and pieces all move me in a profound way, sometimes in ways I cannot describe.

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to remain silent"- Victor Hugo

I am in the process of cleaning my room right now and creating space to set up a small "home studio", if you will, to create music. I am also in the process of learning how to use Logic Pro, so it might be sometime before I get music out there for whoever reads this blog to hear, but I will, don't worry.

I encourage you to listen to music, and especially to listen to music that you are not used to listening to. I am learning that there is great stuff in genres that I thought I wouldn't like. Folk music to be more exact.

Thanks for reading my blog, and I look forward to hopefully maintaining some creative accountability on this site. Thanks for joining on this journey with me. Let's see where it goes.

God bless,

Jeff Payne