When Creativity and Spirituality Collide Video...

"Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God, 'Cause I'd Really Like to Meet Her"

Do you remember this song from the '90's? The lyrics were ringing in my head this morning when I woke up and couldn't remember the one hit wonder who wrote it. "Tell me all your thoughts on God, cause I'd really like to meet her. And asked her where and who we are." Apparently Dishwalla wrote it, but no one cares. However, their words lived on in my memory this week as I thought about how people are always trying to spread their beliefs to other people. In Christianity, this phenomena is often called Evangelism, the spreading of your faith to others. First off, do not associate the word, "Evangelical" necessarily with that either, because I know the baggage that comes with a word like that, especially after just going through election season. Sorry about the Religious Right to people who are not followers of Jesus. Know that they mean well, even if sometimes it comes across as loopy. Enough on that though, that is not where I want to head with this...

Since this week at church we were talking about world missions, it was interesting to me to be thinking about what is more important, spreading your faith, or assisting those with greater needs than our own (or those in conjunction with one another). What I'm referring to by saying, "needs greater than our own" is people who do not have clean water, have HIV, the genocides, sex slavery...we know the terrible list of all the indecencies in the world. Something that one of the members of our group at church said this week though, specifically in regard to sharing our faith with others, is to remember that we are both learning from each other when these dialogues happen. So often I see evangelism as a "me trying to convert you to exactly how I view the world". Now I want to be clear that I'm not trying to water this down either. I believe, even if some consider it narrow minded, that accepting Jesus Christ into your life and following him is the only way to receive salvation. However, when "sharing my faith", it is not that I am going around looking for people who think differently than me so I can then convert them. It is that I develop relationships with people who maybe are followers of Christ, and then some that are not, and then learn from both of them. I usually learn more about how to follow Jesus much better when I am around people who do not consider themselves believers in God.

The words from a song on Relient K's new album (which I don't really recommend buying, but has a few good songs) say, "I'm not saying I'm right, I just want you to know". They repeat this phrase over and over, screaming it at the top of their lungs, as if to get their point across. Here are select words to the rest of their song, "I Just Want You To Know":

"I'm a human being, Being happy and sane
Oh, but human beings, We all need to quit, Being inhumane

Yeah I don't wanna say I'm right
I just want you to know (x2)

To know that there was a man, Who lived one day
With holes in his hands, as some do say
And I believe we'd be friends, if we talked and we prayed
So we do, that's right we do.

Yeah I don't wanna say I'm right
I just want you to know."

I think this approach sung by Matthew Theisson is right on. It is an approach of creating awareness, but not being over the top with it. So that is my challenge of the day: Learn from every person around you and never look at it as just a mission to "convert" the other person, but to show the person why God has you excited with your life, and let them show you the same. Remember that nearly every person on this Earth thinks that they have the truth, but really we are all a bit off the mark.

Go. Love. (Matt. 28:19, 1 Cor. 13:13)

PS - Here is the song if you are interested in it (and no its not the best of songs, but buy it if you like it...):
http://www.box.net/shared/n7oue0m6mf

Signature Entertainment Inquiry

True Story: A couple of weeks ago, "HollaXandertheGreat" sent me an email looking for me to sign him. Here is what he said:

"If your looking for some rappers holla back at me...

I also be writing rock songs but I cant really sing but I can always rock...

but w\e jus let me know what the deal is..."

I responded that I would like to see his grillz...





Ok. I actually was very polite and said I had all the artists I would like to work with signed already. I gave him a good luck and said, "Always strive to be creative and as perfect as you can be."

Oh man.

Joshua James story for yah

So. My life is a little out of control. But it usually is this way and I like it.

I've been working at Starbucks and its been around 35 hours a week. That doesn't sound like much, but almost all of my days off have been for the 3 weddings I've had in three weeks. So, getting started on my own business has been so hard, but I'm still moving forward. I'll try to do a life update on this blog deal soon.

But I am choosing to tell of the Joshua James concert I went to a couple of weeks ago. You probably have never heard of him, but he is an awesome singer/songwriter from the Midwest. Joshua posted a Myspace bulletin asking for any fans to give him and his band a place to sleep (a total of 6 guys). Since this is his first tour with a full band, they are not really reeling in the cash (by any means) and can't afford a hotel, so they just sleep in their car. It sucks that musicians have to do this, but that's the way it is. So anyways, my buddy Owen and I decide to contact them and tell them they can stay at my place. Well, my place is actually my parents place, so after my mother's approval we were golden.

The day of the show I worked from 8-430 at Starbucks. I came home, ate a quick meal and headed down to Baltimore. The venue was called 8 X 10 and was a really cool place. The concert was great. There were 3 openers, who all played great sets, and then Joshua James played an entertaining show. But here is where it begins to get interesting.

Now I had just gotten back from a wedding a day before and had worked the whole day (as I said). I left the concert immediately after the show and had Owen stay and make sure the band knew how to get to my house. The reason for this is because I was working the next morning. At 4:45am. Yikes. So I got home at 1:30am, in bed at 2 and was back up at 4 so I could leave at 4:25 to go to work. It seems many of my "night's sleep" are naps anymore. And there is more drama. Joshua James' van and trailer ran out of gas on the way to my house, so Owen had to go back and get them gas. They didn't end up getting to my house until around 3 in the morning. I tried to get up to say hi, but it didn't work out so well. But more...

That MySpace bulletin that Joshua had sent out had some good responses. So Joshua had a notebook with everyone's names and numbers for when he gets to the town. The problem: someone in the band lost the notebook. So, the band just plays the show and hopes that someone will show up to say "hey are you guys coming over tonight??". Hilarious.

I worked from 4:45am until 10:15, so I was home at 10:30. Everyone was still sleeping except for Owen, who looked like he had died and gone to Heaven. He was so excited to be sleeping under the same roof as Joshua James. When I got home, everyone was still asleep. So I fell asleep for 45 minutes and sent Owen out to get breakfast. I woke up to everyone hanging out in my kitchen and Owen and I served some killer omelets and toast for the guys. We chilled for a few hours and had a lot of fun. My parents found it hilarious that they left for work around 8:30 and there were 7 men in their house who they did not know at all. Beds set up everywhere. What a great time.

So the point of this blog is just entertaining, but also just to realize how hard it is for quality musicians to try and make a career. So many people I know always complain that there is nothing to do. Here is my attempt to tell you to go to concerts and have a good time. Has anyone ever been inspired by a random blog story though? Well, let this be the first.

“Why I love Top 40 Music”

Reason number 542: Because of the creative lyrics. Below is a list of a few of the top songs on iTunes, their place on the chart as of today, and snippets of their lyrics. Some of the songs are repeated on the “Top Singles” chart because they are sold in different formats. You may notice a common theme throughout the lyrics and find out how sarcastic the title of this blog is.

Note: THIS BLOG IS EXPLICIT.

#2 song: Katy Perry “I Kissed A Girl”

“[Chorus] I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong, It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

[Verse] No, I don't even know your name
It doesn't matter
Your my experimental game
Just human nature
It's not what, good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey”

#4 Lil Wayne “Got Money”

[Verse 1: Lil Wayne]
Now I was bouncing through the club
She loved the way I did it but
I see her boyfriend hatin' like a city cop
Now I ain't never been a chicken but my fitty cocked
Say I ain't never been a chicken but my semi cocked
Now where your bar at?
I'm tryna rent it out
And we so bout it bout it
Now what are you about?
DJ show me love
He say my name when the music stop
Young Money Lil Wayne
Then the music drop
I make it snow I make it flurry
I make it out alright tomorrow don't worry
Yeah Young Wayne on them hoes
A.K.A. Mr. Make It Rain On Them Hoes (Young Money)

[Chorus: T-Pain + Lil Wayne]
Got money (yeah) And you know it
Take it out your pocket and show it (then)
Throw it (fly), This a way (fly), Thata way (fly)
This a way (fly), Thata way, Gettin' mug
From everybody who see that
Hang over the wall of the VIP
Like (fly), This a way (fly), Thata way (fly),
This a way (fly), Thata way”

#9 – Lil Wayne feat. Kanye West “Lolipop”
#10 – Lil Wayne “Lolipop”

[Intro: Lil Wayne]
“Ow…Uh Huh No Homo…
Young Mula Baby
I say he so sweet
Make her wanna lick the rapper
So I let her lick the rapper

[Hook: Lil Wayne]
She she lick me Like a lollipop
She she lick me Like a lollipop
She she lick Like a lollipop
She lick me Like a lollipop

[Chorus: Static Major + Lil Wayne]
Shawty wanna thug
Bottles in the club
Shawty wanna hump
You know I'd like to touch
Ya lovely lady lumps”

#16 Usher “Love in This Club”
#47 Usher feat. Young Jeezy

Chorus: “I wanna make love in this club” [repeated over and over]

#21 Ray J “Sexy Can I” [Explicit]
#49 Ray J “Sexy Can I” [Clean]

“[Chorus:]
Sexy can I, just pardon my manners.
Girl how you shake it, got a player it like (ohhhh)
It's a kodak moment, let me go and get my camera
All I wanna know is, sexy can I.
Sexy can I, hit it from the front,
then I hit it from the back.
know you like it like that.
then we take it to the bed, then we take it to the floor
then we chill for a second, then we shake that ass some more
Sexy can I, just pardon my manners.
Girl how you shake it, got player it like (ohhhh)
It's a kodak moment, let me go and get my camera
All I wanna know is, sexy can I.”

I can’t even get read anymore of these frickin lyrics. This is why I have to dedicate the next portion of my life to helping others make quality music. Music should always be about creativity; if we ever get away from that, we have ruined one of the greatest gifts mankind has received.

It’s no wonder that every girl in America is singing Danity Kane’s single, “Damaged”.

“I thought that I should let you know
That my heart is
Damaged, damaged
So damaged (so damaged)
And you can blame the one before
So how you gonna fix it, fix it, fix it?”

Attempt at a Podcast??

I am going to try and figure out podcasting. It seems interesting and a heck of a lot less time than typing. I am still figuring out how to do it, but it seems cool. I am also going to learn how to publish it in an RSS feed. My first goal is to figure out how to do it. Then I'll decide the direction I want to take with it. Technology is way to fun and interesting.

The link below is to my online file sharing service: Windows Live Skydrive. It's free and pretty sweet. You can store files online and then post them with a URL like this. It is my favorite site for online file sharing that I've found (and I've tried out around 6 - ha!).

When you click on the link below, it may just let you download or it may take you to the file sharing site. If you are on the site, click on the white document right in the center of the page. Let me know if you can access it, if you had any problems, or any other ideas you have.

You must have iTunes in order for this to work. For a free download, go here.

First Podcast from Jon Sigmon

"Changes" - The Longest Blog Update of My Life

I posted this on MySpace a few days ago and decided to throw it up on here...

April 25^th. I packed up my stuff and was gone from the Contemporary Music Center. The place was the most incredible place I have ever been. I learned about/gained experience in sound engineering, management, booking, live sound, production, publishing, stage management, marketing, graphic design, and record labels. But I learned so much more than the typical education. I found out my quirks and my strengths, my likes and dislikes, and whom I want to become paired with what I'd like to do. This doesn't even include how my eyes were opened religiously, politically, analytically, and the inspiration I received to impact my world. The CMC shaped me.

May 2^nd. I left my home in Lancaster, PA to head back to Geneva. Lancaster was a good time to see my family and digest the CMC. I set up a desk in my basement and got to work. One day I helped out at my church on a fully handicap-accessible playground. They had over 1,000 volunteers come through and build this thing and it was incredible. It is called Daniel's Den, dedicated to a handicap child named Daniel who inspired the project. The different aspects of this park were actually chosen by kids and are part of a community park that includes a couple of open fields and a baseball diamond. It is a really neat idea for the church to create the park on their ground for open community use.

May 9^th. Kelly and I decide to call it quits after almost two and a half years. This is the sad part of the story. We both still loved each other, but need time to grow apart. There are a lot of details here, but out of respect for her, I am not going to type that on a blog. There is a chance that we could end up back together, but as for now we have decided to split. At first it was very hard to deal with, but I know that it is for the best and have a peace about it. Kelly is an awesome girl and I wish her the best.

May 17^th. I officially graduated! The ceremony was great and as expected it was a bittersweet experience. I will never forget a lot of the memories from Geneva. From Little Bat to Showtime, from best friends to my first beer, from Fred Webb to Bill Pearce, it was amazing. Of course it was hard to say goodbye to my friends, but I had already experienced this once in December and again on the island. If I didn't get a chance to tell you, I love you my Geneva friends.

May 22^nd. Here I sit on my last night in Michigan. I have been visiting my family up here and it's been real nice. I started at my father's mom's house and saw that whole side of the family. Normally I only see them once a year at Christmas, so it was nice time. I went golfing with my grandma's husband, Chuck, and my parents came along. They planned to just walk, but were forced to play or not come at all. My mom planned to only hit off the first tee, but both of my parents had good first drives. It was pretty hilarious considering neither of them had ever really golfed. But then they got addicted. My mom used a tee for all of her shots and did pretty good. My dad also played well with the junky set of clubs from the clubhouse, but I don't think either of them will be taking up the game anytime soon.

After a few days at Grandma Sigmon's, I drove with my parents to my mom's side of the fam. The first night I saw my cousins, some of which I had not seen since middle school! It is pretty sad actually, but it was good to catch up with them over dinner and see what they are doing with their lives. I also got to meet my adopted cousin from Russia, Isabella, who is now 4 years old. There is a whole neat story of how that adoption happened, but it was neat to meet her. She is a whipper-snapper of a kid and a real doll. I kept throwing her up and down and taught her how to walk on a treadmill. All she kept saying while I was playing with her was "again, again, again". So cute.

So now what? I thought I had a good lead on a job as a production manager/marketing assistant in Chicago. I was talking to a girl who I thought was the person doing the hiring. I sent her my resume around two weeks ago after she sold me on the job. It turns out that the manager at the venue was the real person in charge of hiring. He met a person who used to be on the Smashing Pumpkins management team and before he even saw my resume, hired him. The frustrating thing is that my resume was in two weeks before that point, but I guess that is life.

When I finally get back to Lancaster in a few days, after a bachelor party in Pittsburgh with Joel and friends this weekend, I plan to get started on the job search. I want to do something in the music business industry. I love doing the business side of things and I want to help be a part of creating music that helps to shape who we are and helps us cope with the struggles of life. Because of this passion, I would love to be the manager of artist's or bands. Of course I have a broad list of interests: business (including entrepreneurship, finance, and marketing), computer/internet technology (I read around 30 articles a week online and spend countless hours reading and learning about this online), booking, being the manager of a recording studio, working for a creative company and doing their marketing, working for a publishing house, working at a venue, doing market research for a worthwhile company, or many other things.

For right now though, I am going to start my own company called Signature Entertainment. It is still in the formation, but I am starting it out as primarily a management company. There are around 7 artists or bands that would already like to work with me and another one that I would like to work with on top of that. This could be a full time job, but I won't make enough money to support myself starting out. So, my plan is to apply to Starbucks when I get back in town and try to get a job there. I'm actually really excited to work at a coffee shop, as weird as that sounds. I am ready to meet some different people and get out there in the "real world" (because no, Geneva is not the real world). I'm also helping a friend, Bryan Harada, start a web design/graphic design/photography company. This also could take up a lot of time, but I'm going to focus on the things I need to get done first before I take on too much. If it is one thing I learned in college, it is the ability to say no, so I'm feeling pretty good about all these possible commitments. To start, it is looking for a job that will pay those school loans.

As for personally where I am at, I am ready to get going. I feel like I've been on a vacation for over a month and desire to be productive. I've been working with dial-up internet and may kill myself if I don't get a wireless connection soon. Come Monday morning, I will be ready to go.

Go Pistons. Go Pens.