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After leaving Wynndel, we drove to Invermere where we would make our return to Angus McToogles. With last year's tour, we made a stop in Kimberley instead of Wynndel, but other than that we basically performed at the same venues.

McToogles has always been good about feeding and watering us, and this time was no exception. With that out of the way, we could hit the stage for our final performance on tour.

The stage at McToogles has enough room for no more than three people. They have a great setup, especially with the sound system, but we were a tad cramped on stage. Still, Jonathan's performance went off without a hitch.

Andrew Riches followed Jonathan, and again due to circumstances, there was some extra time to fill. I was asked to take the stage again, so I was happy to accommodate. Finally, Luminé's Connor showed up a little behind schedule to wrap up the night.

The tour, at least for me, was kind of like a work vacation. 3 performances in the span of 2 days can take a considerable amount of energy to accomplish. However, playing music for great audiences, seeing the sights, and hanging out with friends was refreshing.

From Creston, BC we traveled onward to the small town of Wynndel - a mere 10 minutes away - but not without first paying a visit to our favorite breakfast place, Renee's Mainstreet Diner. They happened to have a Sunday brunch set up, and that was good with us!

We arrived in Wynndel shortly before our scheduled performance time of 11 AM at the Rutabaga Country Market. They had a medium sized outdoor stage set up for our performance.

Due to circumstances, one half of Luminé had to leave the tour early. This meant that there would be some extra performance time to fill. I was asked to do a set at the end, so I graciously accepted and got to play some of my songs for the onlookers.

We couldn't stay for long, as we had to move on to our next stop; Invermere, BC!

The Snoring Sasquatch is likely one of the most acoustically pleasing venues I've ever played in. You can actually hear every little nuance of a performance, up to and including stage banter which is usually only heard by the performers (or we just like to think that you can't actually hear us). Add to that a captive audience that likes to listen, and you have a venue that's a real pleasure to perform in.

Andrew Riches, Luminé, and Jonathan Ferguson each performed two 30 minute sets over the course of the night. Riches - in case you don't know - plays his unique brand of instrumental music on acoustic guitar (mostly 12 string guitar). His two-handed tapping style (also known as 'dinosaur hands') is influenced by a variety of virtuoso players including Sungha Jung.

Luminé is comprised of a guitar and piano duo. Their music is moody and beautiful. And, of course, Jonathan Ferguson's folk styles are rooted in songwriting greats like Paul Simon and Jackson Browne. I played lead guitar and sang backup vocals for Jonathan.

In all, the performances went swimmingly. They were taped and recorded, so I'm sure there will be a video (or several videos) coming out of the Ferguson headquarters.

We have safely arrived in Creston, BC. It seems like we always manage to have more fun than you're actually supposed to on the road. Maybe the connotations attached to road trips are actually true. This will be my third time coming out here to play music. Everyone is so pleasant and supportive here - not that Calgary is any different - but it's a different kind of vibe. A small town vibe.

For example, there are posters all across town, in every store window, advertising the tour that we're on (the Bearded Folk tour; I'm a special guest). Supposedly there is a digital sign on the other end of town that has been promoting the tour as well. I have yet to see it, but I'm sure we're going to go take a look at some point.

There are people here that know us by name and we've probably only seen them or talked to them a couple of times in the last year. We've been on the radio station three times (technically I was not on the third time, but again I am a surprise guest). It's a cool feeling to be the headlining entertainment in town.

First show on the docket is at the Snoring Sasquatch tonight! It's a larger but intimate coffeehouse with a stage spanning the entire length. The acoustics are really quite good and the audience is usually captive; not a peep in the room while you're playing a song. It's going to be a fun night!

I realize that there has been an obvious lack of updates on this end of the site. If you go over to the podcast blog you can check out a fair bit of new content that I have been developing, but it's no secret that my focus has changed considerably over the last year.

Last summer, not only did I perform at the Fringe Festival with my band, I also went on my first tour with Jonathan Ferguson. Although I have done a fair number of performances this last year, and I am on tour with Jonathan Ferguson again, my focus has gradually shifted from music to entrepreneurship (not that either of them are mutually exclusive). And even though entrepreneurship has taken a front seat, about 50% of it is still pertaining to music, even though my role is a little different.

I have started working with a company called TuneCity (particularly with the blogging side of things). TuneCity is a new concept that is one part online music store one part word of mouth marketing. Independent bands can promote their music to a larger fan base, and fans can also financially benefit from referrals. If it sounds confusing, that's only because there isn't anything else like it. I am really excited about this opportunity.

Regardless, I think there is a good chance I will be rebranding this site. Not that I want to make it an online brochure, but I'm not sure how much I will be able to update it. I don't think that this will be a permanent arrangement, but I know for the next 2 - 10 years I will be working towards the attainment of my dreams. Moreover, I'm excited about the people I'm going to be helping along the way.

It is a bit of an odd feeling as I embark upon - what might be - my last tour in a while. This does not mean that I won't be performing locally, nor does it mean that I won't be playing the occasional out-of-towner. What this does mean is that longer, extended tours of half dozen or more cities may not be part of the picture for the next two to five years.

As I enter a new season in my life, I look upon my 20s as a time of growth and development. Many of the skills I learned, picked up, or developed seem all the more relevant today. I have not stopped writing; if anything, I am writing more! I have not stopped playing music; I may be involved in a different capacity, but I am very much involved. I have not stopped working on websites; online business is now one of my main focuses.

It probably shouldn't come as any surprise; as life picks up pace, the seeds we've planted earlier in life have to bear a harvest. The countless hours of practice I put in to guitar now pay dividends; more than I ever thought it would! The time spent in the studio recording has now translated into becoming an engineer and a producer. I am beginning to surprise myself with the things I can do in the studio. The time spent creating websites and writing content has gradually turned into a means of making a living.

I could look upon those years of development as being scattered or disconnected. I feel like I was unfocused; I would sink my teeth into entirely too many projects, cut back, then rinse and repeat. In a way, I still do that. However, my goal, now more than ever, is to give the projects and businesses in my life the attention they deserve. I want to hear "you're still doing that?" and answer "yes" every time. I think that's what integrity as all about; fulfilling your commitments, and standing behind something you believe in.

For a long time, music trumped everything else in my life. I would choose music over just about anything and everything else. When I really started to think about the future that I wanted, I began to realize that there might be other ways of getting there. I began to concede that maybe there might even be better ways of getting there. I've decided to make a run at it.

Another project that I've had the chance to participate in (besides Andrew Rich's 12 String Monster) is Jonathan Ferguson's Sweeter After Difficulties. I was invited to be a part of Jonathan's band as lead guitarist and backing vocalist over a year ago, and have been working with him ever since.

Once a part of his group, he asked me if I would play lead guitar on his album. He had been encountering some personnel issues (doesn't sound familiar at all), and once aware of my virtuoso-like guitar skills (just kidding), he asked me to be a part of the project.

The album has been out for a couple of months now, and as of June, it has been available through Jonathan's website.

Jonathan is a fantastic songwriter who cites artists like Paul Simon and Jackson Browne as his influence. If you enjoy folk music, this is definitely an album for you.

Although it has been out awhile now, I wanted to make you aware of a new project I had the chance to work on. The album is called 12 String Monster by Andrew Riches.

Andrew and I met at Café Koi where I used to hang out every Tuesday night at the Singer/Songwriter open mic. He became aware of my studio, and asked me to record his project.

So, when all was said and done, I recorded, co-produced, mixed, and mastered this project. The cool thing about this was the fact that Andrew was very prepared when he came into the studio, and that made my job easy. Moreover, all of the songs consisted of a single guitar, so the mixing/mastering bit was relatively simple.

However, it was my first time taking on all of those roles for someone else's project, and I am proud of the end result. I think it's definitely worth checking out.

I'm not sure if you've had the chance to listen to my appearance on Inside Home Recording yet, but suffice to say there was a little bit of thought that went into my conversation with Dave Chick.

I don't say this to brag. I think it is sort of in my nature to be over-prepared for opportunities that I consider to be grand. I can certainly recall instances where I was over-prepared for concerts and workshops before. I don't think it is a waste of time to be prepared for an event, as there is always the chance it will be your last.

You may have picked up that Dave actually provided me with a list of things he was going to talk about, so I spent some time researching those items, and, more importantly, jotted down some notes. I think having those notes helped me to touch on the more important points in our discussions.

So, in conclusion, a lot of what I said on the show was actually premeditated or planned out beforehand. Does that take away some of the brilliance of the moment? I can't answer that.

Have you ever had one of those? Today has been one of those for me. I don't really mean it in a negative way, however. Somehow, just having a break from the norm is exactly what I needed.

You just know that you're going to have a "different kind of day" when you don't even make it through your morning routine before texts and calls start to flood in. Suddenly, you're in the trenches, doing damage control instead of easing your way into the day.

I think it has caused me to realize some things about myself. Some things aren't easy to see from your own vantage point. You have to hear it from someone else so you can take it into consideration and think about how you can do better next time.

I was recently asked to be on the Inside Home Recording podcast! This was a real honor for me, and a vision-come-true. Check it out!

Inside Home Recording | Episode 97 with David Andrew Wiebe

David Andrew Wiebe lets us know what's going on in his life and online world. Subjects include: blogging frequency, Inside Home Recording, current projects, and more.

This is something I've thought about a fair bit as of late. As I've shown my friends the work I've done with Back on Solid Ground, and the more recent work I've done with Demos 2010 and beyond, it seems like people are leaning more towards the new stuff.

I suppose you can't hide what you really are; in my case, a hard rocker. Some friends have said that while Back on Solid Ground feels a little tentative, my new music better reflects who I am and exudes more confidence.

Certainly, we are taking steps as a band to move more in that direction. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before the electric side was going to come out.

The big question here is whether or not to put out Back on Solid Ground. I think I will still move forward with it, even if it just gets released in a very raw form. I think there are a lot of great songs (I think they're all great) on it even if they don't match my personality or musical inclinations to a tee. I'm seeing more potential as a concept album as well, though it may be wise not to get too carried away in that direction.

God showed me something interesting today. I found myself feeling kind of negative this morning, and I've come to identify that this usually starts with my thoughts. As I begin to figure out what thinking has led me to whatever negative emotion I'm feeling, I can usually dismantle and revise in a matter of minutes. I've come to realize that feeling bad is usually a result of a thought process that's incorrect.

Certainly there is nothing the enemy can pull on us that's unfamiliar. If you've been under attack before, you know exactly what that looks like or feels like. I've come to the understanding that the enemy's plan is to keep us powerless over our situations. This is disempowering.

Taking full responsibility over our situation is empowering. This may sound controversial, because modern Christianity has started to resemble (at least in my opinion) mysticism - believing that an outside influence has complete control over everything. Certainly, God is in control. However, we have to realize that we DO have power over our circumstances and situations. Don't get caught up in the terminology here; my point is that we need to take responsibility for where we are in our lives.

There are things within our control, and then there are things which are in God's control. Take responsibility for yours, and leave the rest for God. Realize the power within you to change your present, and relinquish your inability to change things outside your realm to God.

Because I listen to so much personal development material (especially in my car), it seems like I've been listening to less music. Certainly I do keep a few playlists on hand, like the one labeled "Power Songs", when the opportunity arises. However, it is pretty safe to say that my "productive" or "attentive" listening time is dominated by educational, informative, and developmental audio.

However, there is one album that has really struck me as something great recently. While I'm not going to suggest that everyone should listen to this album (make your own decision), it has certainly tweaked my ears as of late. That album is Masterpiece Theatre by Marianas Trench.

I was originally hooked by the Power Pop or Pop Punk numbers of the album, like "All to Myself" and "Cross My Heart". Then I was reeled in by the conceptual scope of the entire album.

For one thing, there are more ballads or "slow songs" on this album than I would have originally thought. My original perception was that Marianas Trench was just another Punk band, but listening to the album has demystified that original opinion.

This album has got it all - string sections, acapella detours, layered harmonies, catchy hooks... I am really impressed at how well this thing is put together. Josh Ramsay's vocals are really awesome too.

The David Andrew Wiebe Band performed at Caffe Crema last night! We had a lot of fun, and it was a great environment for us to share our music. Here's a special send out to all the staff at Caffe Crema!

Special thanks to James John Slater!

As I was sitting down to write today's blog post, I reflected on how this particular blog tends to be the last one I update out of the 3 others I regularly post to. I suppose this is because I have yet to work out a system of exactly what I post to this blog.

Still, it seems like I have been talking more about personal development and success principals than anything, and today's post is no exception. I heard someone I respect say these words before: "successful people make decisions before they know how it's all going to work out."

I've come to realize how much this philosophy has come to affect my life. There have been many major decisions that I could have shrunk down from. There have been many opportunities that I could have said "no" to (and honestly, there is value in saying "no" sometimes). Still, I find myself acting in spite of the uncertainty. I don't know how it's all going to work out - I'm just taking action. I've seen some really cool things happen as result.

I know I've talked about the fact that I've got some great episodes coming up on the podcast, but I've just added to the list of great interviews the show is about to be bombarded with.

I'm not going to announce any names just yet, but I am very excited about these upcoming interviews. The only thing stopping me from releasing some of the back logged episodes at this point is the fact that I have my studio's FireWire interface out for repair. I can't wait to get things up and running again!

Keep a lookout for the band at Caffe Crema this Friday! We will be going on after 8 PM, but things get started around 7:30, and I hear there will be a couple of other groups performing, so come on out for a great night of music!

There will be a voluntary cover of $5 - $10, so make sure to come cash in hand!

I always get a lot from reading or listening to John Eldredge, so I couldn't really go without mentioning Eldredge's latest book, Beautiful Outlaw.

So, what is so amazing about this book, you might ask? Well, first I should clarify: I've been listening to the Ransomed Heart Podcast, which has been featuring the Beautiful Outlaw project in a significant way. In fact, Eldredge himself is reading each chapter, and adding it to the podcast stream. In other words, I've been listening to the book.

Now, as to the content, it is a book about Jesus. In the back story, Eldredge talks about how he wanted to release this book before he went ahead with Love & War. However, his publishers didn't really think that a book about Jesus would sell. So, against his best judgment, he went ahead and released the book about marriage.

I guess at times it can seem a little stuffy to talk about Jesus. However, that is the very thing that this book interprets for us. Eldredge talks about the character, the person, the realness and humanness of Jesus. He talks about how playful he is, and how it is easy to misinterpret the person of Jesus from the vantage point of religion.

I've burst out in laughter many times listening to Eldredge describe Jesus. It is amazing to see Jesus as he really was, and really is.

I've finally started working on the extras for Demos 2010. First off, if you haven't had the chance to check out Demos 2010 yet, make sure to download your copy now!

Now, on to the good stuff: I've decided to add a bit of a narrative to the Demos 2010 project. Not quite a commentary, but I might do something like that down the line. I've been meaning to do something like this for quite awhile; in fact, I think I may have announced that in a previous podcast episode.

In any case, if you were ever curious what went in to the making of Demos 2010, what inspired the songs, how it all came together, keep a lookout on the podcast blog!

I just recorded a bit of bonus material for my podcast. This time, I talk about all the projects I've been working on recently. Check it out at the link below:

DAW Universal Update #1: November 8, 2011

I was telling a student of mine about my recent business and entrepreneurial efforts. Having realized how much I do, she asked, "Do you ever do anything besides work?" I promptly replied with, "I don't really think of it as work."

While it is absolutely true that everything takes some form of effort, it doesn't have to be an energy-draining, mind-numbing, frustrating experience to be productive. In fact, my experience is mostly the opposite.

I should also note that I generally get 8 hours of sleep every night (generally), get to bed around the same time and wake up around the same time, eat at least 3 square meals a day (sometimes I break them up into smaller meals), spend about an hour reading, 2 hours listening to informative or inspiring audio, 30 minutes to an hour exercising, and so on and so forth. I could go on, but I think you get the point. My work habit may be "extraordinary", but my lifestyle is "balanced". I don't see it as anything to brag about.

I do some forms of "multitasking", but for the most part that is when I am driving and listening to audio. In general, I like to keep my focus on the task at hand, so when I am reading, for example, I don't get distracted with other things.

I am excited to learn more about the habit of keeping work enjoyable. I will be reading The Game of Work in the near future.

A button came off on my suit pants a week or two ago. I am heading out to Portland this weekend, and I'm pretty certain I'm going to get some use out of the suit, so I determined to get the button back on.

Fortunately, it was a relatively simple affair. It is times like these I am grateful for my elementary education in Japan (we were provided with a stylish sewing kit). Grade 9 was probably the last time I'd done sewing in any capacity, but grade 5 or 6 was the last time I was likely productive with it. My suit pants have other issues (the legs were "adjusted" upon pickup, but they were really just folded back with a shoddy thread job), but at least I got one of the issues fixed.

Now I can do something about the buttons piling up on my dresser. ;)

I figured it out from this video:

DAW: "Hey, what up?"

"Not much. How about you?"

DAW: "Plenty."

"Really? Like what?"

DAW: "Well, you know, I just finished a new podcast episode, I've got a couple of shows coming up, doing a guitar workshop this weekend, teaching guitar... What else? I'm definitely missing something."

"Wow, that does sound like a lot. You have to let me know when your next show is."

DAW: "Definitely. I'll be suiting up for that one."

"Cool."

DAW: "Party."

"Party."

DAW: "Well, I better get going."

"OK, see you later."

DAW: "Alright, word to your mother."

"What?"

DAW: "Peace."

Most credit goes to Wayne's World, Vanilla Ice, and How I Met Your Mother.

"Some days you choose to pay the price for success."

I've found myself saying this more and more recently (and is often met with laughter). What does it mean? Well, I'm certainly not saying I'm better than anyone else. However, it is said that successful people do what others are generally unwilling to do. Sometimes that means giving up TV, or driving for hours, or giving up some sleep, or dropping what you're doing so you can help someone else.

I'm pretty sure I've done all those things in the last week or two. Again, I'm not trying to elevate my status or toot my own horn. If you want to create success, however, you have to look at things a little differently than you're used to. If you want things to change in your life, you have to change the things in your life.

Another important point: focus on helping others rather than focusing on success (or the byproducts) itself. Success is created by solving other people's problems. As Zig Ziglar says, if you help enough other people get what they want, you can have anything you want.

Earlier this year, God spoke to me and said that this would be "the year of transition." That may seem a little abstract for some of you, especially the God speaking part. This is actually almost a daily occurrence for me. There are times when God speaks, and then there are times when God speaks. The particular time I'm referring to is one of the latter.

At the time, I wasn't sure what that meant. It had been prophesied over me that my dreams were coming true sooner than expected at my baptism last November. I fully believed that God could do that. Meanwhile, my circumstances weren't exactly reflective of this newfound hope. I was broke. There were multiple unexpected expenses, debt, and bills that my income just wasn't covering.

I remember one Sunday in particular where I pleaded to God that if He didn't do something, I was going to give up, and, most likely, lose my home. Not that that would be the worst thing in the world; I'm sure I would have sorted that out. But at the time it still felt devastating. On that Sunday, God did provide an answer. It wasn't entirely what I might have expected, but it was an offer to do janitorial work at my church.

I decided I would take on this duty, even if just for a season. I continued teaching guitar, and I was just starting to work at a laptop outlet retailer as well. This cemented my multiple job status (5 jobs if you count the music lesson agencies I was working with). Realistically, I was pretty certain I wouldn't be able to sustain that kind of pace for long, but I figured that if I could at least catch up with my bills, it would be worthwhile.

In the midst of that, I had an unreasonable cell phone bill to fight as well. I'm not going to go into too much depth with that, as I've talked about it at length on the podcast and the blog. Needless to say, I wasn't terribly impressed with my cell phone provider (or my car dealership, at one point). As I look back, however, both circumstances worked out in my favor.

Sure enough, the work started to take its toll. Surprisingly, not on me so much as my friends who were helping out. I think God was testing my heart. He wanted to know that I would follow his leading, even if it meant working at something that was neither my passion nor my future. And I had the assurance that it would only be for a season, even if I didn't know exactly how long that season would be.

In June, things started to happen. God gave me some new business ideas. I started transitioning out of jobs that were no longer my role to fill. I still worked 2 jobs over the summer, but I also started a couple of new businesses that got me excited.

I didn't find that my financial situation was improving, however. Then another opportunity came along. It hadn't occurred to me before, but I started talking to my bank about refinancing my home. I didn't realize I could do anything in that regard, but it sounded like a good thing to do while I worked at getting my businesses off the ground. Ultimately, it allowed me to pay down my credit debt, much of my personal debt, and even go on vacation for a week.

My ongoing training in business (mostly audio and books), caused me to realize that being an employee or self-employed just wasn't for me. You can exchange dollars for hours, and while that is perfectly respectable and I'm not mocking it, I was starting to realize that my heart was in becoming a business owner.

In September, I officially transitioned out of a teaching job and my retail job, both of which proved to be lacking in terms of hours and reward for effort. Currently I am still teaching guitar, but there's a solid chance I will be transitioning into other ventures very soon. God has lined up some divine connections for me, and it is likely that I will be going into business with some of my new acquaintances.

While this may seem like an overnight process, it took time and it took perseverance. I believe that today I am on solid footing with my finances, and my walk with God. I wasn't sure what to expect but overall, transition has been a welcome process, one that has brought hope, joy, and newfound faith.

In fact, if anything the last couple of months have been amazing. There is so much to tell... But it's going to have to wait. It has been a very long day of teaching, running around, and performing at a local Halloween event. I am quite tired out, to put it bluntly. If I were you, however, I would keep an eye on upcoming updates to the podcast.

You've probably heard the expression, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" before. In business this usually means you should diversify, because if you put all your efforts into one thing, you will be devastated when that thing tanks. You don't have a backup plan.

I find this philosophy to be pessimistic, because it makes the assumption that the thing you're putting your efforts into is going to fail. What you expect to happen generally happens. That isn't to say that you should be naive, or think in unrealistic terms, but it's not productive to premeditate failure either.

On the flip side, I'm not suggesting that one should put their entire focus on one thing either. Focus is definitely important, and determining your individual focus is immensely powerful. However, I think it is more realistic to assume that you have multiple areas of focus.

I feel like I've finally arrived at a happy medium with this motto: take the eggs in your basket and run with them.

I will be perfectly honest with you: I've had a hard time deciding on a focus for myself, despite knowing the importance of that action. Every time I thought I had left something behind never to look back, I would often come back to it. And every time I thought I had my priorities in order, I would have new brainwaves and new ideas that would distract me. I finally came to the realization that I could move forward with everything I was doing, even if it was only baby steps.

You may have heard it said that it takes roughly 10 years (or 10,000 hours) to master a particular instrument, craft, skill, trade, or profession. Mastery is not an overnight process or instant gratification. It takes time, effort, and perseverance.

Robert Kiyosaki says that one should put at least 5 years of effort forward in any business venture you undertake. A lot of people think that you would be rich if you struck oil. Kiyosaki thinks in terms of a business owner, so he raises funds to hire more people to do the work. He sometimes doesn't see any personal return on the business until 5 to 10 years down the line. Sometimes he doesn't see any return, and the business venture doesn't work out.

In my life, I've decided to give my major projects at least 5 years. I'm going to spend less time trying to assess my progress day-to-day or month-to-month, and see where I am in 5 years. Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a month. At that 5 year mark, I will take a look at what I'm doing and decide whether or not to continue, revise, or purge completely.

This philosophy is exceptionally freeing to me. Commitment is the beginning of freedom.

I looked at the instructions for my brand new WD Elements external hard drive, and I laughed. I had to take a picture to share this with you.

As you can see:

Step 1: connect the USB cable.
Step 2: connect the power cable.
Step 3: you're done.

It's hard for me to imagine a cooler pairing than Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) and Marty Friedman (Megadeth). Check out a video of them jamming and playing together below.

Marty Friedman is easily one of my all-time favorite guitarists, and he has been an active celebrity and musician in Japan in the last few years. He loves the freedom of combining his fluid guitar playing with every style of music. I love that about Japanese music too.

In a previous post I talked about a T-shirt you can purchase to help support Japan. I thought you might be interested to know that there are a bunch of other T-shirts out there besides the aforementioned one available at Engrish.com, so if you do a Google search you can pull up a bunch of other options that may be more your style.

Additionally, MTV has got a list of other ways that you can help support Japan: How You Can Help Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami Relief Efforts.

You might remember that I hosted a concert at Calgary Life Church earlier this year, benefiting the Japanese Red Cross Society. We raised roughly $53 on that occasion, which may not be a lot, but it's nothing to sneeze at either. With that in mind, my personal goal is higher than that. MUCH higher.

I think I'm finally coming to the realization that there are other ways to raise money besides hosting concerts (like this blog post, for example). As a matter of fact, I came across something interesting just the other day. You can get a "Don't Give Up, Japan!" T-shirt over at Engrish.com. I did! All profits go to Red Cross Japan. It would be great to know if you purchased a T-shirt as result of this blog post, but I'm not going to make that a rule. It's just good to know that we can all make a difference.

Here's a video from Goemon047 talking about the T-shirt in question. Skip to 4:08 to hear him talk about it.

I am currently on tour with Jonathan Ferguson & Friendly Fire, so I am writing this from the road. We are about to rehearse for tonight's gig in Invermere, BC and the guys are waiting impatiently for me to finish updating my website so we can get on with it.

I am definitely excited to be a part of this mini tour in BC. For as long as I've been a musician, I have had dreams and aspirations of going on the road, and this will be my first time doing something similar to this. However, this is a very short tour, and it is almost as if I am riding with training wheels. That's not a bad thing though, as I am sure there will be many takeaways from this experience.

In any case, I should wrap this up. Make sure to follow our progress on the Jonathan Ferguson & Friendly Fire blog. Blog again soon!

Until very recently, I didn't even have a band. I had the occasional accompaniment, but not a full, dedicated band backing me up. That has changed rather quickly in the last couple of months. Although we are still on the lookout for a drummer/percussionist, the rest of the lineup has basically solidified. The band adds an entirely new dimension to my music, and I am very excited about that.

We have several shows coming up this summer that we would like to invite you to.

On June 25, we will be performing at The Lutheran Church of Our Savior for the Get Your Praise On event. There will be a dozen or more performers at this event, and it is an honor to be invited to be a part of it. We will be performing 2 or 3 songs for this particular show.

On July 2, we will be opening for Selina Boland at The House Coffee & Sanctuary. We will be playing a 30 minute set.

Last but certainly not least, we are scheduled to perform at the Calgary Fringe Festival (July 29 - August 6). We will be performing every night from 7:45 PM at Nine Café (1319 9 Ave. SE Calgary, AB).

We look forward to Folk-Rockin' your socks off!

This weekend, I will be performing at Calgary Life Church (2685 36 St. NE Calgary, AB). I am definitely excited for this event, so I thought I would take a moment to tell you a little bit more about the night.

Firstly, Daniel Guy Martin will be opening up the night with a set of his own. Daniel is a terrific guy with extraordinary talent, and is sure to entertain, uplift, and inspire. He will be performing his own material (inspired by the environment and atmosphere) on acoustic guitar. His virtuosity and improvisational style cannot be easily described; it has to be seen.

Secondly, I will be performing with a group of musicians, most of whom have only just recently started working with me. Anna Mae Alexander will be backing me up on backing vocals. Violinist Joshua Park will be joining me onstage once again, something that has been a rarity since my CD release party in 2006. Patrick Zelinski will be providing atmosphere on acoustic guitar as well as keyboards, something he has been doing particularly well in recent performances. Last but not least, percussionist and drummer Blair Scott is also set to perform with us.

Thirdly, we will be raising funds for the Japanese Red Cross Society earthquake relief. I spent most of my formative years in Japan, so this cause is very close to my heart, and it would be an honor to help out, even if it is in a small way. 10% of the evening's proceeds will be going towards this cause. This is a free event; however, we will be passing the hat for a free will offering.

Fourthly, the audience will be given the opportunity to pre-pay for my upcoming solo album, Back on Solid Ground. I have experienced a lot of setbacks in the creation of this album, especially with regards to personnel. However, with the proper financial backing, it would only be a matter of a few well-organized studio sessions to complete the tracking. There are several added bonuses to pre-paying for the album versus waiting for its release. First, you will be among the first to hold a copy in your hands, and second, your name will appear in the album credits!

Finally, this event, at least for me, is about outreach. I will be sharing my stories and life experiences and the hope that I have in Christ with everyone in attendance.

I'm sure there are many of you who will be going away for the long weekend, in order to get outside and enjoy the rain (have you seen the weather report?), but for those of you who are coming, I'd like to say an extra "thank you" for putting some time aside during these holidays. I look forward to seeing you there! God bless.

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up and I heard this loudly in my spirit: "Rest is in restoration".

For a moment, I wondered what this meant and then my brain started to fill in the blanks. In actuality, it probably wasn't my brain. God was showing me what it meant.

Firstly, the word "rest" is within "restoration". You can't spell "restoration" without "rest". I think I even read this somewhere... Perhaps in a Joyce Meyer book.

Secondly, we cannot have restoration in our lives if we are not positioned to rest. We have to be seated in Christ in order to experience restoration.

Our circumstances have very little to do with our ability to stay rested. In the last 6 to 8 months, I've encountered all kinds of difficult situations. And yet, I've experienced more peace and more rest than I did before. Only God can offer this kind of peace, and only God can offer the kind of restoration we are looking for.

I liked how Pastor Anthony told the story of how he had to carry two mortgages this last Sunday at CLC. He said that he tried everything he could think to do to sell the home. He even emptied his ministry account and sowed into other ministries. No matter what he did, the house would not sell. As he was telling this to him mom, he even told her that this was happening because God didn't like him.

However, that's when he turned to Jesus. He began to worship Him, and the following day the house sold. What a beautiful story.

With some of the situations that have come up in my life recently, I have to admit that my tendency would be to get discouraged as well. Try as I might, I can't stop life from happening.

However, I've decided to turn my attention to Jesus. Unsurprisingly, music has been a source of encouragement for me. Usually I listen to various teachings and podcasts in my car, but yesterday something compelled me to put some music on.

I pulled up Hillsong Unitied's a_CROSS//The_EARTH - Tear Down The Walls on my iPod. The song that really spoke to me was "More Than Anything". This verse in particular really spoke to my situation:

Our future in Your hands
Our lives with purpose
Sins now erased
Our past behind us
Never looking back
We know ourselves as Yours

Recently, as I was reading Joseph Prince's Destined to Reign, God spoke to my heart. He said, "You will always have enough to give".

My bank was broke when God spoke to me. In fact, it still is. However, I was determined to put this to the test. One of my new goals is to be generous, and I figured that if I always have enough to give, I will always have more than enough for me too.

As I started giving what little I could in the offering plate (or bucket, if you go where I go) every Sunday, I noticed something. I was rarely without money in my wallet. No matter what my bank account looked like, I still had enough to pay for gas, buy a little food, and drop something in the offering bucket.

Even when a particular source of income stopped (I was getting paid in cash), I've still been able to give. I had a friend hand me a handful of cash just the other day, and again, I've been able to pay for gas, and have a little extra left.

God is truly amazing.

Tonight I had the chance to watch Yanni: A Living Legacy on KSPS (public broadcast, for those who don't know). As a musician I am often taking notes of other musicians and concerts that I go to. I thought I would share with you some of the things I picked up while watching Yanni.

Now I should point out that I don't usually watch TV. All of that kind of changed when I was offered a free DVR. The ability to skip through commercials is rather essential in my opinion, and the ability to record what I want to watch and watch it when I want to is also a nice feature. But I digress, let's move on.

Whether or not you're a Yanni fan (I've never identified myself as such), there are some important lessons that could be learned from his music.

You can see that it makes him come alive. He feels every note and every beat that's played. He's always involved in the music, whether he's actually playing or not. That in itself could be a big lesson. Sure, he has an entire orchestra backing him up, but knowing when NOT to play is just as important as knowing WHEN to play.

Yanni is indeed a great musician himself, but the musicians backing him up are equally so. Yanni isn't the only one that gets a solo; many of the musicians and singers playing with him have the opportunity to be in the spotlight as well. You can see that he gets great joy out of letting others shine.

Now this might be a little harder to duplicate for us independent musicians. However, there is something to be said about the venue you play in. Is the venue interesting? Does it engage your audience? Is it easily accessible? Does it have plenty of parking? There's a lot more to picking a venue than we usually tend to think about.

Orchestral, New Age, Middle Eastern, Instrumental, whatever you want to call it, his music has a particular quality to it. He doesn't pretend to be anything he's not. He's not a Punk Rocker. He's not a Blues Crooner. He does what he does.

I think this is often overlooked in music. All too often we're caught up in trying to engage everybody, when we should be focused on who we are and the people that are attracted to our music. Everything from your hairstyle to the way you play your instrument plays a part in who likes your music.

I think I've already touched on this, but Yanni has some incredible musicians backing him up. Not that everyone and anyone should aspire for virtuosity, but rather we should aspire to be the best that we can be. We should get comfortable enough with our instrument and what we're playing that we don't stumble over ourselves in the process.

Any thoughts?

If you weren't at my Bijutsu event on October 29, then you missed out on some wonderful music, beautiful art, and a truckload of fun! There were those of you who never got a chance to see my art (and wanted to), so here's a special posting for you! You can now scan all the art I had on display that night (plus a few extras), below.

Click on the thumbnails to view larger images.

I've often found it difficult to delegate tasks as a musician, but promotion is a hard thing to do alone. Sometimes I've asked for support, but it's been a little scattered, so I've decided to come up with something more tangible that you can do. I've put up some concert posters on my website. You are free to download them, print them up, and post them up where you go (don't forget to ask if you can put them up first). It may seem like a small gesture, but developing awareness of our performances means a lot. Head on over to the Street Team page for more information. I will try to keep the aforementioned page updated with the latest posters. Thanks in advance for all your help and support.

On November 22, 2010, my grandpa David Wiebe passed away. He woke up at quarter to 5 AM complaining of chest and arm pains and was taken to the Camrose hospital where he had a heart attack. He was then taken to the heart hospital in Edmonton. The doctors did everything they knew how to do, but it wasn't enough to save him. My grandpa had a secondary heart attack and passed away.

As I look back, I was very fond of my grandparents as a young boy. I would often beg my parents to take me to "grandpa & grandma's" after church. At church I would often ask my grandpa for the keys to the car so I could sit in the driver's seat and pretend to drive. The steering wheel would inevitably lock, and I wouldn't be able to play anymore.

My family decided to move to Japan when I was 5 years old, and I remember being sad that I would have to leave my grandparents behind.

In the following years, we would return to Canada every summer. I was very pleased to see my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins again. I remember that grandpa liked to keep active, and often got involved in the family baseball games and tennis matches.

Things started to change a lot when my dad got into a motorcycle accident. I was 13 years old at the time. My grandparents and several other family members came to Japan to be there with us, but ultimately he didn't make it. He was in a coma for 10 days.

Subsequently, we moved back to Canada. It was nice being close to family again, but it was also difficult. At the time, my grandparents lived in Rosebud (a little bit outside of Drumheller), and I remember visiting them over the summer and New Year's. I remember that grandpa got a kick out of Royal Canadian Air Farce and the Red Green Show.

Fishing had become a favorite pastime of mine while still in Japan, and when we returned to Canada my grandpa took me on a few fishing trips. He told me how he used to fish as a kid, and how easy it was to catch fish. Although we never caught many fish on our trips, I was usually able to send him home with a mid-sized Northern Pike or an impressive Rainbow Trout.

As I started to become an adult, my grandpa played a big part in my finances. He was my tax guy for many years. He always told me that I didn't need to pay him, but requested that I take him to breakfast. I remember meeting the grandparents for breakfast on a couple of occasions, but unfortunately that became increasingly difficult with my schedule.

Eventually my grandparents moved in with my uncle Kevin. My grandpa started wrestling even more with hearing loss, and he seemed to have a hard time with that. Over time, he seemed to get a little distant, and didn't talk as much.

Although grandpa always talked of retirement, I'm not sure that he ever really got there. My grandparents did move into a home in Black Diamond a couple of years ago, but they always seemed to be on the run, home sitting here, helping out with churches there, babysitting over here...

This year, grandpa started getting a lot more conversational and involved in our lives. He gave me the "Fathered by God" book (by John Eldredge) to read, and was looking forward to our discussions. I don't think we ever got around to discussing it in depth, but I appreciated the gesture nevertheless.

I think he must have known his time was short. He wanted to make an earnest attempt to connect with his family, which he cared about very deeply. My grandma says that he would celebrate every little victory - however small - that any family member had. It is sometimes said that a public victory is followed by a private victory, but in this case that's very true. My grandpa was celebrating and talking about our victories for days or even weeks.

For someone with so much life in him, his death seems untimely. He was looking forward to my baptism, but I guess he'll be seeing it from a different vantage point. We know he's in a better place, but he will be sorely missed.

My friend Daniel suggested that I post a pic of the new fridge, so here it is!

So far I haven't had any problems with it. Although it is smaller in size than my previous fridge, I'm the only one living in my house right now so it works for me.

(The fridge pictured in the background is the one that broke down. The photo was taken last winter.)

It's Monday morning, and I'm trying to get organized for the week. I'm attempting to process my email, tie up some loose ends, finish the latest podcast episodes, and follow up with some friends. However, things are very chaotic right now.

First off, I'm looking for work. My current income simply isn't enough to sustain my current lifestyle, and despite the fact that I'm working extremely hard, I'm not making what I need. Fortunately, there's a lot I can leverage besides my musical talents to find work right now.

Secondly, my fridge broke down last week. I didn't really have any food at home, so I was going to go grocery shopping. That's when I got the call that my fridge had broken down. Fortunately, with the help of my parents, I now have a replacement that should work for the moment. They even brought me some emergency supplies (praise God!). The only catch is that I can't plug it in for a couple days, because it had been laying on its side for awhile. I don't really know the science behind it, but apparently the chemicals or gas (or some such thing) needs time to settle before it can be plugged in.

Thirdly and finally, my roommate - who is also one of my best friends - is getting married this weekend. It's definitely an occasion for celebration, but I'm also having to shift and move around some of my commitments in order to be there. This was mostly an oversight on my part, because I've had a gazillion other things to do, and I've been having a hard time keeping up with it. As result, I'm also reevaluating my current commitments to figure out what needs to change.

All in all it seems like a time for change, and I don't know exactly what's going to happen. I've been connecting with some awesome people who I hope to continue working with, and the shows I've been playing have been going terrific. Keep me in your thoughts and pray for me. I'm currently looking for clarity as to what my next move should be.

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.

I spent the last week putting a lot of effort into my podcast. Fortunately, my efforts are starting to pay off. After some tweaking, I managed to get the show listed on iTunes. This required some fine-tuning on my part. Although I already had a logo designed for the podcast, I had to revise the RSS Feed so it would actually include the image. I could go on, but it's a lot of technical stuff I'm sure you're not particularly interested in. Moving right along...

I also decided to set up a Facebook fan page for those who are interested in interacting that way. Facebook, of course, is one of the most popular social networking sites on the Internet, and it just so happens that it's a great place to get the word out about a project as well. Make sure to 'like' the podcast!

Finally, I also got roped into creating a Flickr account. I will be uploading some day-to-day photos as well as candid shots from the studio. I will be putting a widget up on my social network page, if you'd like to check it out.

I'm still on the lookout for sponsors, affiliates and advertisers for the show, but I'm sure it will come in due time. Right now I am simply attempting to build listenership through word of mouth. If you haven't already, go have a listen, and make sure to leave a comment. Thanks!

This last week was rather eventful. I was preparing for a fundraiser performance on Saturday and concurrently writing some new material. It's not that I don't like playing my older songs, it's just that they don't always reflect where I am in life right now. Songs like "Six Sides" and "Clay to Mold" have long been staples in my set, and I'm sure they will continue to be, but on Saturday, I did not perform any material from Shipwrecked... Instead, I unleashed 3 brand new songs on fans and onlookers.

But let's get back on track. Amidst writing new material and preparing for the performance, I was also looking for work. I finally visited CrossIron Mills and dropped off a few resumes. On Friday, I recorded a new podcast episode with Keith Skrastins. You may want to check out the podcast blog if you haven't subscribed yet, so you can keep up-to-date with current episodes. In any case, this only added to the chaos that was already a busy week.

On Saturday, I went to a Stampede breakfast. I decided that I wanted to visit some old friends, and, well - let's face it - I needed to eat. From there I proceeded to my favorite music store, Long & McQuade, to rent a Taylor acoustic guitar for the performance. Then I went to a friend's wedding. Then I spent the rest of the day helping my friend organize her event until I hit the stage. The event ran until l2:00 AM and suffice to say I was not in bed until 1:30. But I'm a trooper, and still got up at 6:30 to play on the CLC worship team for the Sunday services.

Anyway, I think you get the idea. Things have been a little slower today, so I've been working on things around the house and organizing the mailing list. You can expect the latest newsletter some time this week!

My backyard was starting to look like a nature preserve, so I decided it was time to take care of the lawn. All I have in my arsenal is a hand push mower and weed-eater. I don't believe a weed-eater was ever designed to cut an entire lawn, but there was no way I could force my way through 3 feet of growth with a hand push mower. Naturally, I ended up using the weed-eater for the entire job.

I like to listen to a bit of music while I do yard work, so I put my iPod on shuffle and went about it. I usually put it on shuffle when I can't decide what to listen to. While I was cutting the grass, a song by Kutless came on. The song really spoke to me, so I decided to listen through the album.

This is going to sound like a bit of a detour, but I promise it will all fit together at the end (maybe). While I was working outside, I got to thinking about my current financial situation. I've seen God work miracles in it, but I've also hit a couple of lower points in the last 10 months. I am currently in the middle of another low point.

It's easy to feel discouraged when things aren't going exactly as you planned. I am thankful that I have a roommate who pays me rent, and I still have students to teach (at least until the end of June), but in the mean time I'm not sure how I'm going to pay my bills.

I got to thinking about how a lot of people are in a tough place financially right now. Certainly, my family is struggling at the moment. Those of you who know me know that I've been shrugging this economic recession off as the "imagined recession", but I know that's not entirely fair to those who have lost their jobs, or are struggling to make ends meet. I am also facing that reality.

While I was listening to the Kutless album, a song called "What Faith Can Do" came on. Here is an excerpt of the lyrics:

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It's important to keep your faith in God - even when things are tough - because that's what He works with. My problem is very real, but I believe that God can turn it around.

Another detour. Earlier this month, I was talking to God about what to do with my summer, and I believe this is what He told me:

1. Go and work at the AYF Youth Camp
2. Go fishing

At this point, I'm not sure how I can do either of these things without the finances. Now I'm getting to my point.

I'm going to be looking for summer work in the coming weeks, but I would also ask you to prayerfully consider hiring me this summer. I've been told I'm pretty decent at guitar, so if you are having a BBQ, a birthday party, a house party, a corporate function or any kind of event that requires music, please consider bringing me out. I promise my rates are reasonable, and it doesn't even need to be a formal concert format. I could simply mingle among your friends, and add a little atmosphere to the party. Send me an email and we can talk more.

Additionally, I will gladly do some of your grunt work for a fair price. If you need to get your lawn mowed, fences painted, or anything to that extent, you can email me. I'm also pretty good with computers. Is your computer running slow? Do you need a website? Graphics? Just email me, and we can work something out.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a blessed summer. If you're the praying type, please continue to pray for me and keep me in your thoughts. There are a lot of things going on right now, and I could certainly use the support. Thanks!

I've written some new music for the latest Adorable Andrew episodes.

Part 14 features revised versions of "Tower" (Project 365), and "Depths of the Cavern" (Project 365).

Part 15 features a brand new track entitled "Forest".

Part 16 incorporates "Melodic Symmetry" (Project 365) and a brand new track, "Power Propeller".

Part 17 begins where 16 left off with "Power Propeller".

The latest "Adorable Andrew" episodes feature some new music I've written.

Let's Play Sandora no Daibouken part 11 features a song called "Embarking Upon an Adventure" that I finished very recently.

In part 12, you can hear "Whitewater", a song I wrote as part of Project 365.

Part 13 prominently features a brand new song I wrote called "Ecstatic". You can also hear "Ecstatic" playing in the background in my latest podcast episode.

I had a little bit of spare time today, so I decided to record another audio update. Please take a listen!

There's too much to try to cram into one blog post, so I thought I would fill you in aurally.

Click here to hear my audio update!

Just a couple of milestones I reached recently...

6999 profile views on MySpace...

And 333 tweets on Twitter:

It would have been even cooler if I had 33 followers and 33 following. Oh well.

2008 has been one of the most intense years in recent memory. I've had my fair share of challenges, obstacles and trials to overcome. I've made a lot of changes in my life for the better. I feel like 2008 has been the year of change.

The most important change has been my relationship with God. I feel like it has really been strengthened in the last year. I've never spent more time reading, listening to audio programs, sermons, and podcasts in my life. Without a doubt I still have my fair share of challenges. But I truly believe that God has good things in store for me, and I have better expectations for life.

This has had a significant impact on my personal relationships and how I interact with the world. I've seen my friends rise to new levels in their lives, ready to take on new challenges; ready to take ownership of their current situation and willingness to do something about it. Of course, I can't take credit for that. God has been doing a lot of work in their lives as well.

I've been learning a lot. I've decided that education doesn't end with High School or College. I've decided to continue my education, and I believe that this will be a lifelong process. You don't have to be going to school to be learning. There are plenty of great articles, books, podcasts, and audio programs out there.

When my health took a dive in February I had to make the decision to take better care of myself. I have learned better eating habits and have been exercising regularly.

I could keep going, but I think you get the idea. 2008 has been the year of change.

Whenever I bring out Hailey (click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image), people often ask me if she's new, but the truth is that I've had her since 2003. She was my primary electric axe for Lightly Toasted Touche, the recording on Shipwrecked... My Sentiments and I've been using her extensively with Angels Breaking Silence. One of the great things about her is that she keeps tune really well because of the double locking (Floyd Rose) bridge. She also has fantastic tone, but it took awhile to find an amplifier that compliments her (my Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier seems to do the trick).

I had a clear plastic pick-guard put on her, to prevent damage to the body. In actuality, it's inevitable, but it will protect the finish from pick scrapes for the time being. I can't say I'm too concerned, because guitars always get dings and scrapes over time. It just adds to the character.

I suspect that Hailey will continue to be my main axe for work to come. Of course, when it comes to recording, it's good to have as many different options as possible so she won't ever be my only guitar. As I continue to learn more about recording and guitar tone, I've figured out that it's rare for most guitarists to use a single guitar on any particular song. People always notice a difference when I switch from Hailey to my Mexi-Strat (a.k.a. R3), if that's any indication of the difference in tone.

Earlier this year I ordered an audio program called The Science of Self-Confidence. I started listening to the CDs yesterday, and I must say I wish we would have studied this program in grade school. I recall spending an inordinate amount of time on math and science, neither of which I enjoyed, and neither of which I use in my day-to-day to any great extent. The principles and ideas contained within this program would have been of more use to me.

I wish we would have spent more time studying budgeting and managing finances as well, but that's another story for another time.

Can you think of things that would have been more useful to you in your education?

While I was living in Japan, I learned how to draw mazes from my classmates. Pretty soon I figured out that there were a variety of different methods, but there was one process in particular that really fascinated me. It looked so intricate and visually complex that I had to learn how to do it. I must have been in grade 3 at the time, and because I was learning how to draw mazes from a girl, I was getting teased a lot. However, because I was so determined to learn, I didn't mind too much. I was able to pick it up relatively quickly, and it wasn't long before I was producing many mazes of my own.

Back in those days, drawing was a really big thing for me. I drew Japanese comics (manga), superheros, swords and weapons, fishing lures... Typically whatever fascinated me at that given moment.

Over the years I've adapted this particular maze drawing method to my own style. In summer 2004 I started a new project. I decided to draw mazes and get them published. I've drawn nearly 100 mazes to date, though I have not been actively pursuing the publishing end of things. Still, I wanted to share some of these mazes with you, and I figured the best way to draw attention to this project was to showcase some samples. I hope you enjoy these labors of love. I think you will see why I was drawn (no pun intended!) to this particular style of maze composition in the first place.

If I have the opportunity, I would like to share more of these mazes with you in the future.

Click on the thumbnails to view a larger image.

Hi, everyone! I apologize that updates have been rather scarce. It's been a really crazy year but I've been growing closer to God and the band has been doing really well! I know you may not see me doing a lot of stuff out there, but I assure you there's plenty going on behind the scenes.

In the first week of October I had the chance to go to Hawaii for a much needed vacation. I had a great time, and had plenty of time to relax and recoup. It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to go on vacation.

Over the last couple of months I've really been trying to get things in order. I'm going to be making some changes to this website, not to mention the 3 other websites that I'm working on. I just launched DavidAndrewWiebe.com (now defunct) a short while ago, and this website will feature guitar lessons, articles, CD reviews, and a variety of other content relating to guitar. I will be making some changes to Arctic Sunburn as well, which will primarily feature video game and movie reviews; an entertainment site of sorts. The Angels Breaking Silence website (now defunct) is also a work in progress, but once I get used to the new system it will look much prettier. I've also been contributing the occasional article to Mission Bell (now defunct), for those reading types.

Summer seems to be a great time for writing, and since August I've written a couple dozen new songs. "So when is the new album coming out?", you may be asking. Unfortunately I can't even ballpark it. Suffice to say, a lot of new stuff is on the way and it's definitely the best material I've ever written. Still, I know it's been taking a long time and I hope to make the wait worthwhile.

The band's next show is on November 1 in Sylvan Lake (see poster). I hope to see you there!