Sense of Purpose

Getting Started

I've been dreaming of making an album for over fifteen years now, and though I've made several recordings along the way, I've never really been satisfied with the result, nor was I willing to shell out the cash needed to make a professional recording (mainly because I wondered if anyone would really want to buy the thing!).

Sometime in the Advent semester of 2001, Fran McKendree came to Sewanee to help us get a worship team off the ground and heard some of the songs I had written. He asked if I had ever recorded any of them, and when I said that I really hadn't done anything major, he suggested that I consider coming to Hendersonville, NC, to record in his studio.

I jumped at the chance, and with the blessing of both my wife and the Dean of the seminary, I loaded up my car and set off for Hendersonville in January of 2002.

We spent about a week recording the vocal and acoustic tracks on all twelve songs (Fran coaching and encouraging all along the way), and on one of those days, Eliot Wadopian (bass guitar) and Byron Hedgepeth (drums) came in and added their work to the recording (they were downright fabulous to work with -- incredible musicians and funny as all get out). I left on Friday (and good timing -- we were gettin' slaaaaaaaaaap happy), and the following Monday, Mary Ellen Bush came in to record the female vocal tracks, and Fran added some additional guitar and percussion. Finally, Mike Barnes came to the studio to add the final tracks -- electric and slide guitar and a touch of mandolin to top everything off.

I took the concept of wanting to convey encouragement to my friend Wendy Smith who went right to work on the album cover and layout design work. Wendy is amazing -- I am always blown away by her work and was so blessed that she was able to take the time to create the design.

From there, we took the recording through the various processes necessary to get it to the production stage, and did so just in the nick of time. I picked up the CD's (1000 of them) from Nashville on Friday, and gave my release party and concert on Saturday. Now that's what I call close!


View this wee mpeg video taken in the studio!
(232 KB)