August 2010 Archives

In July I had the chance to rent a Taylor 314ce acoustic guitar (it was more out of necessity, really - the electronics on my beloved Ibanez acoustic, "Amber", were busted). I wanted to see what the guitar would sound like recorded, and the result is this demo. I mentinoed that I would make it a free download on the podcast, so here it is.

Download Open Strings (3.40 MB)

Earlier this summer I had the chance to go to Vulcan Fest along with my friend, Keith Skrastins as press. I was there to document the event so I could talk more about it on my podcast, and Keith, of course, was there to take some awesome photos.

They had a side stage set up for acoustic acts. The idea was to get some people playing short acoustic sets in between bands and setup. I asked if I could play, and not only did they let me play, they liked me so much they let me play 3 sets! It was awesome just to be able to perform at such a prominent event.

In an earlier blog post I mentioned that I felt God was leading me to be a camp counselor at the AYF youth camp this summer. My finances were a little strained at the time, having just returned from a 2 week vacation to Portland, OR and SoCal. At first I wasn't sure that I would be able to pay my way, but my grandfather offered to cover the costs. Even so, I was feeling a little skeptical about the whole situation. I asked God for further confirmation. Then something amazing happened. One of my guitar students offered me exactly the amount I needed, cash in hand! At that point it was undeniable; I was going to youth camp.

Camp was a challenging yet affirming and validating experience for me. I felt a sense of belonging among the youth, but also a sense of discernment, having already lived through my teen years with my fair share of struggles. Still, I was astounded by the number of teens who attested to being physically or sexually abused, or have/had suicidal tendencies. We truly do live in different times.

Throughout the week, we discussed these hard topics with the youth. Suicide. Alcohol. Drugs. Sex. My cousin Conrad shared about the death of his brother Mitch, someone who was also very close to me. It was the first time Conrad had shared about this event publicly, and I'm glad I was there to hear him talk about it. In fact, I believe that is one of the reasons I needed to be there - to mourn the loss of my cousin. I've been through counseling and grief & loss groups, but sometimes we need a more appropriate time and venue to mourn our losses.

All in all it was a demanding experience, but one that was memorable and worthwhile as well. I will definitely continue to work with youth, should God lead me to.