Wade in the Water (I Think I Know What You Started)

Always For Me

Zach Trandum Presents: I'm So In Love With You

Just a couple years ago I composed this little ditty.  Coffee in hand, surrounded by the walls of our cozy little apartment, my 12 year old Mac working it's tail of to do pretty much anything.  This isn't even close to a finished product, but I came across it in my archives fairly recently and fell in love with the song all over again.

What You Can Do: Breaking the Creative Box

Being a student of vocal jazz, I was exposed to one of the more creative sides of the genre.  I can't put a label on exactly what drew me to vocal improv (or "scat").  I fell in love with jazz at an early age and have been border line obsessed with it since then.  As I began developing my abilities as a vocalist I started listening to artists like Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy, who are known for their incredible scat skills.

One of the reasons I love vocal improvisation is the fact that it is insanely creative.  What would happen if we included aspects like this in to worship music!?  Awesome is what would happen.  If anything it would be a venture outside the normal box that so much of worship music is stuck in right now.  I'm not dissing on what the current popular sound is, I'm just saying that we weren't created to be creatively limited.  So how can we bust out off the box?

Here is a cover I did of an oldy that I'm sure you'll recognize.  I put my own spin on it.



But Seriously, what are your thoughts on creative worship music?  What aspects and cross genre sounds could you incorporate to usher in a new sound?

The bible tells us that we are created in His image.  This means that God, being the ultimate creative being, made us with the ability to be hugely creative.  But how do we get those creative juices flowing?   How do we take old songs and make them feel new?  Here are a few thoughts I have on this subject:

1. Listen like crazy.  Not just to the stuff you usually stick to.  Venture away from your DC Talk CD's and branch out.  Charge your creative batteries by listening to other creative people.  David Crowder is a great example of a massively creative writer.

2. Play with what you're playing.  Try taking the worship tunes you're used to playing one way and take them in a different direction with a different feel.  Who knows, maybe Mighty To Save would sound awesome as a Ska song. 

3. If you're a songwriter, get together with other songwriters and bounce ideas off each other.  Let creativity inspire creativity!

4. Make time for yourself to sit down and create.  Even if nothing of real substance comes out of the time spent, you're still working those muscles.  Creativity takes practice!

I Don't Care: A Hymn is a Song is a Pslam

Ok kids, lets either agree to disagree or at least play nice... This probably isnt really that violent of an issue in the church but it is one that I've run in to countless times in churches of every type, size, and age group.

"Zach, why don't you do more traditional hymns?"

"Man! We need to stay relevant and get down with the newest Jesus Culture album!"

"I'm afraid of change... Can we just sing Shout to the Lord again?"

As a worship leader it can be a HUGE challenge trying to please every audience.  Some church cultures have a very contemporary feel, City Church (Pastor Judah Smith) is a great example.  They have a very contemporary and cutting edge sound but that sound doesn't appeal to everyone.  Nor does the traditional hymn appeal to the contemporary worshiper.  So how in the name of Pete (whoever Pete is, he must be important) can we please everyone?  Let me tune you in to a little secret I've learned to operate on...

I. Don't. Care.

That's right!  I threw care to the wind years ago when I realized something.  King David is one of the more famous musicians and songwriters we've heard about right?  He's known as the psalmist.  Well, that being said, doesn't that make any worship leader who writes songs a psalmist?  That means that, new and old, these songs are modern day psalms.  So why would I, as a worship leader, limit myself to one particular pocket of songs?  I want to experience the full spectrum of the music available to me and that means tapping in to everything from Phillip Paul Bliss, to David Crowder, to Robert Lowry, to Israel Houghton and so many more!

So my friends, this is where my "I don't care" attitude comes from.  i just refuse to box myself, as a worship leader and songwriter, in to the personal preferences of a few when there is such a massive tapestry of psalms available to us. 

A hymn is a song is a psalm.
They are the same.

Trent Dabbs - Believer

There are a few resources I use to find new and interesting music.  Amazon Prime is one that I'm test driving at the moment and I'm pretty happy with it so far.  I also tap in to magazines like Relevant for some great insight in to new tunes.  Being as picky as I am when it comes to my music library I can be a bit hard to please but today Relevant pleased my musical pallet.

Check out Trent Dabbs album Believer.  The sound is definitely singer/songwriter, sporting an extremely raw and honest sound and all the acoustic deliciousness my little heart could handle. I'll let you be the judge, but take a look at Relevant's article and be sure to listen!  My favorite songs on the album are "Goes Without Saying" and "Here On Earth".

Believer - Trent Dabbs  (Via Relevant)

Prince Covers Christian Song from Renowned writer Nicole Nordeman

I'll NEVER be the type of man who tells a Christian artist that they would be leaving behind their roots if they were to branch out and write/perform in the secular industry.  Frankly, that's a total load of something stinky.  Why would God, who is the most creative being in all the universe, create you in His image, as a creative being yourself, and then say, "Oh, well about that artsy thing you do... You can only do it in the church."  Riiiiiiiiiight (insert sarcastic vocal inflection and eye roll here).  God never designed our gifts to be used strictly inside the church.

That being said, I just listened to a very interesting song that I heard years ago from a fantastic writer named Nicole Nordeman.  You've probably heard of her as she's been on the Christian music scene for years and had her hands on many different projects.  Well kids, you'll never guess who picked up one of her tracks.... Prince.  Yep!  Good ol' Prince grabbed Nordeman's tune, What If, and produced his own, rock tinged, take on the ditty.

What did I think of it?  Well first of all, let me say that I LOVE hearing about circumstances like this both because of the creativity that goes in to taking someone's song and making it your own with your own spices and flavors added in.  And secondly, it's a song that was written with a Jesus centered core and has been picked up by someone playing in the secular industry. 

As far as the new sound Prince has given the song, I thought it was good, but I actually like Nordeman's original version much better.  I'm a big Prince fan, have always loved his music, so I was kind of surprised when I responded with a "meh".  Anyway, I'll let you be the judge.  Here is the original version from Nicole.  I did some digging to try and find an audio file I could post for Prince's version, but he's rather finicky about having his music available online.  So enjoy the original, and the Easter egg hunt you'll be on looking for Prince's version. (It's funny cuz it's almost Easter.  See what I did there!? *Awkward laugh wheeze*)






Here's a great article from Billboard briefly talking about the new release.

In Their Shoes: the Hurricane Demo

I'm re-posting this today because I truly am excited about it.
I believe that the ability to imagine oneself in the shoes of another, writing from that perspective, is a gift that can make you an incredible force to be reckoned with in the music industry.  To empathize with the person you're picturing, what they're feeling, emoting that in to your music and lyrics.  It's one of my greatest challenges but also one of the most rewarding.

I wrote "Hurricane" in this manner.  I've had only a small handful of relationships, leading up to meeting my incredible wife, Sarah, and none of those were anything like what the song describes.  Because of this I had to sit back, close my eyes, and imagine what a man in those shoes may be feeling.  I actually would listen to other songs that talked about similar subject matter, and even tuned in to some movie clips that showed the pain and frustration of a failing relationship.

All of that to say that I am excited about the tune and will, at some point in the near future, be releasing an official version.  This current recording is a demo for all y'all to sample (is it weird for a guy born and raised in Washington state to use "y'all?)

Zach Trandum Presents: Wash Us All

3 Tips For Building A Worship Set List

I guess it is possible to over think your set list, but good planning can lead to some great benefits and a fluidity that will only add to your teams experience.

Here is a fantastic video from Logan Walter and he has some great input for you!

Read on...

Hurricane: A demo by Zach Trandum

Here is a fun little demo I put together sitting in the back seat of my car.  Yep, the back seat of my car.  You do what you gotta do when you need a quiet space to write.

Best Apps for the Songwriting Worship Leader

I don't know about you, but I get really excited about really cool apps that feed my songwriting addiction and aid me as a worship leader.  When I say "excited" I mean I genuinely geek out probably more than I should.  I've become rather skilled at containing myself... Most the time.

Here is a list of some of the best apps on the market and they're sure to become priceless gems in your arsenal.

Read on... www.chrisfromcanada.com/best-apps-worship-leaders/

The Daily Tune: Ridiculous Deliciousness. It's Dirty loops.

In past posts I may have mentioned Dirty Loops and all their ridiculousness, but I just had to do it again because they are deliciously ridiculous.  With a lead vocalist who not only smokes the keys like a cuban, but also pulls out vocals reminiscent of Stevie Wonder, a bass player who looks like he should be playing angry punk rock but throws down some of the most incredible bassiness you'll ever hear, and a drummer that can literally play anything, in any time signature, probably hanging upside down or floating in space.  These guys will melt your face off with their brand of Fusion.

The fact that they've covered such a great song makes this even better.  

Dig in kids!

I'm So In Love With You

Sometimes I stumble across old songs I recorded samples of years ago and then completely forgot about. Well here is one of them.

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Breath You In

Sometimes the best ideas for a song come from just singing, worshiping God, letting whatever comes out come out.  I'm not saying that this song is the ultimate achievement of my life, but it is intimate and genuine, and I happen to like some of the lyrics.  It's good when you like your own lyrics.
I will likely do some refining, but the songs message will stay the same.  God's presence is substance.  It's tangible.  Something to bask in, or breath in.  And the best part is that He wants to be near us just as we want to be near Him.
The chorus of this song simply says "Oh".  I believe that we sometimes just don't have words to express all that's on our hearts.  I didn't in that moment so I just let my heart groan.

With all of that said, I hope you are refreshed by "Breath You In".

Acapella is my heart

I was raised in a home where music was held at very high value.  My dad has experience running sound and developed a rather large and eclectic mix of everything from Boston, to Hank Williams, to Steely Dan, to Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass.  I don't think it's ever been possible to nail down my dads favorite because he has WAY to many!
My mom got me hooked, and I mean HOOKED, addicted, completely head over heals in love with Jazz.  She got me started with groups like Manhattan Transfer, and Take Six, and I gradually dipped in to the seemingly bottomless well of big bands.  Pretty soon my disc man (yes, I still remember the old thing.  Used to skip if you looked at it wrong) was spinning CD's packed with music from the Count Basie Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr, John Pizzarelli, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, and countless others.  But, while I loved and absolutely craved that stuff, there was just something about the human voice and the things it could do that pulled me in more than anything else.
I found myself soaking in and mimicking artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Kurt Elling, and Mark Murphy.  Soaking in and listening to every inflection, every consonant, every quote in every shade of any color they chose.  Then I dove in to the incredible, and masterful stylings of Bobby McFerrin.  He used his voice in ways I had never heard before and had explored the farthest reaches of his instrument.  He had gained an understanding of how the human voice could be manipulated, stretched, shaped, colored, painted, and however else you want to describe it.  McFerrin is simply one of the most, if not the most, gifted and skilled artists on the planet.  And don't argue with me because I'll just slap you in the mouth with my old disk man.

With all of that said,
The human voice, Acapella music, anything that truly showcases what the vocal chords can do.  THAT is what truly excites me.
So here's a little song I wrote... (Pun completely intended.)

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A Re-refreshing

I believe I've already shared this song in a previous post, but I felt like sharing it again.
Sometimes it's good to go back and let certain things refresh you.  Today, this song is exactly that.  Yeah, I am that guy that goes back and listens to his own stuff over and over again, sometimes obsessively.  Today is a little different though because I wasn't listening with the intention of changing anything.  I was instead settling back in to the memory of the moment I sat down for what was supposed to be just another songwriting session but morphed in to an intimate time of worship.
As I sat here on my lunch break, letting the sounds pour over my ears again, God began to whisper away thoughts that I've given way to much authority to.  He was refreshing me all over again.

My prayer is that this song serves as a refresher for you as well.  I cross my heart, and promise to record a high quality version for you later.  Right now, you'll just have to put up with fairly decent iPhone mic quality.

Love is Not a Fight (a Warren Barfield Cover)

There are some songs that touch your heart in a special way.  They literally reach inside to the things you believe in and hold strong to, and stir those things up.
This song is one of those for me.
A HUGE thank you for Warren Barfield for writing this!

Vlog (venting blog.)

Do you ever start to feel that fire under you?  The one that makes you want to jump up and complete every single project you ever started and have yet to finish.  Well that's me lately. 
My mind seems to be running at a constant pace.  I'm always writing little things in my handful of note books and various digital devices.
I'm constantly going back over my songs, finished and unfinished, In the works, our on pause.  What ever it is, I feel like I'm jumping all over the place!
So what do I do in times like these?  Maybe I should consider dancing all that extra energy out with some digital dance game that makes me look like a total goob...
Our I can simply tackle one thing st a time...yeah.  That sounds way better than shaking my bonbon in front of the tv  to the tune of auto tuned songs that alli sound the same.
*Sigh* Ok.
I think I've vented enough for one day...maybe...i might find myself winding down tonight with random youtube videos of people being stupid.  Or maybe just funny pictures of cats.