creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties

This year at Bayside we hosted 10 Easter Services.  We wanted to keep it simple and focused on celebrating the meaning of Easter.  We had a blast!  Lincoln and team did an amazing job leading in worship.  Our setlist was: Today is the day (Lincoln Brewster), I belong to you (parachute band), Mighty to save (Ben fielding), Amazing Grace (tomlin version) and then closed the service with You are good (Israel Houghton).

We produced 3 videos for this service 1 at the front end, 1 during Amazing Grace and 1 for Ray’s sermon.

Our stage and production team did a great job with the set and our lighting guy, Dave as usual did an amazing job.

We even pulled out the confetti canons for 3 of the services and shot them off at the end.  I have an amazing team!

This was a fun project which enabled me to wear a couple different hats making it an exciting challenge for me to over come.  First, the deadline to get this one complete was very tight.  We had roughly a month to get it all designed, tweaked, built and rehearsed.  Second, the team was made up of all in house staff and volunteers.  We had to organize a team with diverse experiences.  Some with lots of tour experience and some young guys with none but they did not let this get in the way of executing with excellence.  Thirdly, the set had to be constructed in a way that could handle a 3 week tour.  Fourth, the concert was dead smack in the middle of a TMS conference which the staff was also a part of.  In the end, the event went extremely well and the team performed amazingly.

Lincoln Brewster’s long anticipated Instructional DVD for guitar is finally here! Sit down for a private guitar lesson with Lincoln Brewster, former lead guitarist for Steve Perry (Journey) and chart topping CCM solo artist.

Snyopsis:

What if there were no such things as accidents? Scott has just seen the supernatural invade the natural world and is coming to grips that he may be more than just a man. Now he has to convince his wife…

Starring Scott Parks and Jenn Parks

Directed by: Andrew Gutierrez

Music and Arrangements: by CJ Alvarado

Cinematography by: Scott Coones

Produced by: Andrew Gutierrez, Scott Coones and Peter Coulter

The Into piece to the movie.

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The Outtro piece just before the credits.

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This Project was recorded at the Annex Studios/Shamigo Productions in Menlo Park CA.  At the time the whole idea behind the “Soul Rock” genre had yet to really be catagorized.  One of the bands (highlighted here), Samo Praze, fused a very unique blend of rich harmonies, with agressive beats and distorted guitar takes.  A fun band to work with.

“Still Amazing”


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Nero is a four-piece rock band from Dublin City, Ireland. They formed in late 1997 and over the past four and a half years have played the Irish club and college circuit to critical acclaim and an ever-increasing fan base. They have played to packed houses in many of Ireland’s premier live venues, both North and South of the border, including frequent sell-outs of Dublin’s 600 capacity Temple Bar Music Centre. Currently, Nero are in the US for an extended tour. Nero is currently based in San Francisco and touring all around California.

“Community”

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“Dissolve”

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How To Sleep With A Snorer In The Room

Not long ago, I was on another business trip, where I could expect to work long hours and also share a hotel room with a fellow co-worker. Traveling is fun, but sharing a hotel room with someone you hardly know, for more than a week, can be a complete drag. There are so many variables that can come into play. One that has always plagued me and left me completely frustrated, and at a loss for words (until now) is sharing a room with someone who snores. I don’t care what anyone says, people who snore always fall asleep first. My theory never fails! It’s also no one’s fault, and that’s a very important thing to remember here. Don’t blame your friend; instead be prepared. Below are five tried and trusted things I discovered on my last trip, that may help you get to sleep, which is in fact the goal here. Amazingly enough, you can do all of these without getting out of bed!

1. Make sure, regardless if the person says they snore or not, that you always look for the bed that is closest to the room thermometer! This is a simple preventative step folks. Read on.

2. Once you hear the snoring hit the airwaves, try boosting the AC for 10 minutes. Doing this causes your rooming buddy to roll over off of their back (which many times is the problem), and assume the fetal position. All this, without you laying a finger on them. This should stop the snoring powers that be, just long enough for you to dose off into happy land.

3. Turn the television on and increase the volume gradually. The trick is to act like you guys might have fallen asleep with the TV on. This way, if your snoring buddy wakes up, he’ll turn it off and not suspect you of foul play. This will buy you a few minutes to catch the train to sleepy town. Also, I have found that the added noise makesthe snorerquiet down for a few minutes. In any case, you may find that the sound of the TV is something that you can fall asleep to. If this is the case having the TV on may do the trick.

4. The Alarm clock. Especially in a hotel room, the alarm clock may be one of your greatest defenses against a snorer. Though it is small, it can pack a devastating blow to your snoring opponents. Beware! Setting the alarm clock too loud may cause your buddy to violently wake up, thus leading to an altercation of sorts between the two of you. Remember the goal is to get some sleep, not to get into a hotel brawl. Usually setting the alarm buzzer to a nominal level does the trick. Be patient, they will eventually wake up. If you get to edgy, you may cause your buddy to wake up,exposing your attemptto pump up the volume.

5. Last but not least, ear plugs! In 1962 Ray and Cecilia Benner created the first silicon earplugs. Although earplugs have been around for quite some time, most historians admit to not being able to pinpoint the first originator(s) of the earplugs. Whoever you are, we remember you and salute you today. Although most people don’t carry these around, most hotels have small stores, where they are sold.. Why? Not because of the airplanes that travel above, or the cars that move below, but because they know people snore. Anyway, earplugs help as long as you get them in before your buddy starts to dose off.. You have a better chance of getting to sleep with those in your ears, than trying to plug up your ears after having listened to the symphony of snores.

In my travels I have found that these tips have helped me in getting a good night’s sleep. Remember don’t be angry with the snorer, it’s not entirely their fault. Also, keep in mind that you may snore too. Just be prepared!

view article on Relevant here.