As a side note, I let my wife Dana see this first video promo and she says, “Why did you use that voice?”

“Because it’s cool.”

Chirp. Chirp. (crickets chirping)

“Don’t ever use it again.”

So…expect a different voice on future videos.

A perfect opportunity to talk about theCRICKETtoy®. Anytime there is an awkward pause in a conversation, push the button on theCRICKETtoy® and you will hear “Chirp. Chirp.” (crickets chirping). A fun little invention of mine. You’ll LOVE it in rehearsals!

It was at Burger King.

The week after Easter our family went down to Pensacola, FL (hometown) for Spring Break to stay with my folks and let them get their ‘grandkids fix.’ While we were there, Dad and I had opportunities to go out to breakfast a couple times. Dad, as he described, survived two of the widow makers. He’s had triple bypass surgery and colon cancer. He’s told me that God has made it clear that He has more planned for him, so Dad is just enjoying life to its fullest.

Near the end of the trip, we went to Burger King for breakfast. Both of us normally eat Cheerios or oatmeal and such, but while I’m down there, we usually go out for breakfast and eat what we normally wouldn’t eat. We sat and talked for about an hour and a half. Just hanging out. Laughing. Sharing stories. We talked some about him growing up on the farm in Minnesota. We talked about how he retired from US Customs and then worked for the Sheriff’s Department. He then retired from that. He’s now had 2 or 3 different job opportunities with one of them paying 1.5 times what he retired from US Customs making. It seems every time he tries to retire, he is offered another job(I am now going to try and retire and see if that works for me). BUT, I’ve realized a lot of that has to do with the kind of man he is. He is honorable. He is honest. His word is true. He does what he says he will do (and more). He is dependable. He is unbending. And you should see the way he plays with my kids. So much joy. So much fun. So much happiness. And plenty of goofiness too. That’s one of the strong traits I aquired from him and I am grateful for it.

I remember growing up and having those moments talking with Dad. I remember a couple of times coming into their bedroom late at night when I wasn’t sure what to do about something (usually a girl). I specifically remember a moment in college where I was working at a church and I was absolutely miserable there. It was really a horrible situation for me. Dad could tell in my voice that I was at that point. “We’re getting in the car. We’ll be there as soon as possible.” We still talk about that moment. It was a defining moment for me. With the wisdom of my folks, I resigned from the church and within a week I was hired by a bigger church to do the same thing (for better pay) and with an amazingly Godly staff that helped me develop as a man of God.

The cup of coffee at Burger King was another one of those moments. As I get older, I find myself enjoying those moments as often as possible. I know that many people are not blessed with two parents, still married to each other, and both amazing people. I get that. As to why God has blessed us so greatly, I do not know. But I am grateful.

There is no question that the man I am today has been greatly defined by my Father. It is evident in His life that our Heavenly Father lives through my Dad in a strong and mighty way. I say this once in awhile, but it is so true:If my son thinks of me the way I think of my father, I will have succeeded in a huge and mighty way.

Situations are all different. Maybe it’s your mother. Maybe it’s your father. Maybe it’s your wife/husband. Maybe it’s your children. Maybe it’s a dear friend.

So what about you? Have you had your ‘best cup of coffee’ this year? Go and look for it. You may find it at Burger King. Mine was amazing!

answer:JAC Redford

Fast forward a few years. I’m going to LA for a trip and a good friend of mine, Keith Getty (In Christ Alone, The Power of the Cross), talks about his friend JAC Redford. I send an email to JAC saying Keith Getty said I should talk with him (which Keith did), and JAC graciously obliges. We talk on the phone and he offers to have lunch while I am in LA. Let me say the lunch conversation in LA was ‘brilliant’ as Keith would say. Inspiring, challenging, motivating, humbling and a powerfully spiritually moving discussion transpired. We talked film scores, orchestrations, TV shows, living in LA, music publishing, business and family.

As our friendship grew and we discussed publishing and letting churches know about some of his music, JAC told me of an arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul he did for the Westminster Brass. If you want to sell it on your website, you can he said. I said “Yes!”. I was recording “A Season for Brass” the next month (our Christmas Brass Ensemble project) and we decided to make a recording of the arrangement so folks can hear it.

So I have an arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul for brass quintet by JAC Redford. It is powerful, it is strong and it’s NOT for 7th grade trumpeters. If you have a solid brass group and want to give them something to play to challenge them AND inspire them, this is the arrangement for you.

A quick sample bio of JAC Redford:

Avatar (YES, THAT AVATAR!)-orchestrator for James Horner
Revolution Road (Leo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet)-orchestrator for Thomas Newman
WALL-E-orchestrator along with Thomas Pasatieri (this score nominated for 2 Academy Awards)
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas-orchestrator for James Horner
The Perfect Storm-orchestrator for James Horner

Nightmare Before Christmas-Danny Elfman composer/conducted by JAC
The Little Mermaid-conducted by JAC

Composer for:
Newsies
Oliver & Company

D2:The Mighty Ducks
D3:The Mighty Ducks
The Trip to Bountiful
One Night with the King

Oh..and a ‘couple’ TV Shows:
nearly 500 episodes of TV (including Coach and St. Elsewhere)

arranged music for Joshua Bell’s Sony release “At Home With Friends”. These were duets of Joshua Bell with Sting, Carel Kraayenhof and Kristin Chenowith.

As a composer, his works have been performed by Cantus, The Debussy Trio, Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Los Angeles Master Chorale, St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, Utah Chamber Artists and Utah Symphony. He has been featured on programs at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., London’s Royal Albert Hall and St. Peter’s Basilica (YES THAT ONE!) in Rome.

JAC’s autobiography, Welcome All Wonders:A Composer’s Journey tells the moving story of his faith and music.

More importantly, JAC is a Godly man with great wisdom and encouragement. He is unintentionally challenging when you speak with him. You just can’t help but want to work more at your craft. He is an amazing musician and a dear friend. I hope you enjoy this arrangement of It Is Well With My Soul for brass quintet.

Click below to hear a recording of this arrangement:

To order, click on this link

     What exactly are these Instrumental Resources Routines on the website?

     Instrumental Resources are play-a-long CD Routines created to improve the playing ability of instrumentalists around the world, whatever their current level. A professional plays the exercise and then you play the exercise back to a click track. By utilizing the top industry professionals, you have the amazing opportunity to hear and emulate some of the greatest musicians in the world on YOUR instrument.

     These first call studio musicians and symphony musicians are highly regarded as both performers AND educators. They have played on over 10,000 (YES 10,000!) recording sessions and performed live with the likes of Elton John, Matchbox 20, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Amy Grant, The Dixie Chicks, Maynard Ferguson, Glenn Frey, Brooks and Dunn, Big & Rich, Kenny Chesney, Michael W. Smith and hundreds of others.

     With the highest quality players and recording techniques, this process allows individuals to hear the exercises played with a solid tone and pitch center, and provides an excellent sound to imitate.

     These valuable resources are ideal for private instructors desiring to give their students daily assignments, and for individuals wanting to build a solid musical foundation.

     Each CDRom contains the audio for all exercises which can be played in any consumer CD player (such as a home stereo system). All of the sheet music for the exercises is on the CDRom and can be printed out or simply viewed on the computer screen. For those computers with speakers built-in, you can play the CD through the speakers and watch the music onscreen. The sheet music is in pdf format and can be printed out with Acrobat Reader (free program).

     There are Disk 1-Daily Routines currently available for:Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Horn, Trumpet and Trombone.

     For trumpet, there are 5 routines currently available:

     Disk 1-Daily Routines

     Disk 2-Daily Routines Extended

     Disk 3-Scales

     Disk 4 Tonguing and Articulation

     Disk 5-Extensions (Range)…Yes..how to play high. YES, there are double Cs on this routine you can hear recorded by an ex Maynard Ferguson lead trumpet player!