My 1st Orchestral Piano Composition “The Day You Came Back”

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Release Day! I am excited to announce my 1st composition for piano, strings, and euphonium “The Day You Came Back”. I have included a link to my Newsletter for you to read the story about this release. It is available on all formats including AppleMusic, Spotify, Amazon, and more, links are provided below. This song features the beautiful sound of “The Felt Piano”.

~ Rhon

Thank you for listening and supporting my music and enjoy!

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Amazon

www.rhonvanerman.com

 

 

Whack! Uh oh, that’s not good…

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Amazon, Christian, Christian Music, Facebook, Faith, God's Word, Hymns, iTunes, Jesus, Music, Music Blog, Music Video, Piano, Recording, Songwriting, Studio, The Bible, YouTube

Not the sound you ever want to hear from your guitar!

Video with the Euphonic & String parts to “Like A Child” c. 2018 Rhon Van Erman

Well, it’s been an interesting few weeks to say the least. Man, I was truckin’ along (yes, I’m older) with my BluesGrass, 80’s riff induced version of “Amazing Grace” and on the last day of rehearsing some final changes, it happened. In my enthusiasm of the sound of the Hymn I got up fast from the couch and started to hold my guitar high in an old stage move I did when I was on the road and “Whack”….  time stood still….that was really stupid Rhon….what were you thinking? I had banged the back of my guitar with my knee. “Well dude, you really did it now”, I mentally beat up on myself for what seemed like an eternity and I looked it over and to my surprise didn’t notice any visible signs of damage. Well, that’s a relief. So on I went and recording was tomorrow, so I thought I was good.

The next day I recorded a few takes and got a good one only to hear some distortion right at the end of the track. Hmm, wonder if I just had to much signal? I listened back, pulled down the fader and there it was…the thing I’d craved for all my guitars when I was 12 years old…Distortion!…but, this wasn’t the type of distortion I wanted any part of. It was just plain hideous. Now what?

Some things work themselves out in the long run and the plans we make don’t always turn out the way we wanted. Honestly, as a Christian I know this and need to be humble to it, but as an “A” personality and “let’s get it done” type, I thought I had done something wrong or God was shutting me down. That’s the problem with my way before His way.
So after a bath in frustration I forged on. I had purchased some digital samples back in November of ’17 and had been wanting to get to this sound called the “Soft Piano” or “Felt Piano”. This was my chance! It is the most beautiful piano I’ve played. I got it loaded into the computer and upon the first chord played I was transported into the happy place I haven’t been in quite some time sonically. I played for about 20 seconds and there it was….my next single. It had a childlike sound with a very intimate character, which just happened to tie into a Bible reading I’d had a couple days before when Jesus said ”  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Perfect! And it reaffirmed for me that I must do my best to please my Father in Heaven especially when things don’t go as planned. Yes, easier said than done but this has become my next offering. I would love to hear your stories of “Plan B” and how it shaped your relationship with Him. I will be posting more video and updates until release of this very unique and intimate song. As always, may my words and notes be a blessing to you!

Rhon

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Euphonic & String Parts to “Like A Child” c. Rhon Van Erman 2018

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iTunes Link – https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rhon-van-erman/305540533

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“Abide With Me” Now Available!

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Amazon, Christian, Christian Music, Classical Music, Crucifixion, Faith, God's Word, Google+, Guitar, Hymns, iTunes, Jazz, Jesus, Music, Music Blog, Presbyterian, Songwriting, The Bible, The Cross

Announcing my latest Single for the ongoing project #HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar is now available! “Abide With Me” is now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, and all other major music retailers. There are links below to listen, purchase, and share or you can Click this link – Newsletter – for the story behind this release as well as artwork and more. I pray that this release is a blessing to you!

iTunes

Amazon

Spotify

Hymns For Solo Acoustic Guitar Webpage

CD Baby

Release Date 1/29/2018 for “Abide With Me”

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One week from today my 2nd release for #HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar will be available worldwide!

The 2nd release is “Abide With Me” and will feature a stark guitar tuning that weaves through an emotional ride of several styles. This Hymn is a standard song that speaks truth and peace to the soul and I am very excited about this version.

I have included the Artwork for this release in this Blog Post so be on the lookout for this picture one week from today.

All my Newsletter subscribers get all release details, videos, artwork, and more before Social Media. You can sign up here Newsletter Sign Up to get the Newsletter delivered to your email inbox so sign up today!

Your prayers of blessing for this release are appreciated!

Blessings,

Rhon Van Erman

• iTunes 
• www.rhonvanerman.com 
• #HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar – Webpage
• Spotify 
• Amazon

First Performance of “According To Thy Gracious Word”

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Acoustic Guitar, Amazon, Christian, Classical Music, Faith, God's Word, Guitar, Hymns, HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar, iTunes, Jesus, Music, The Bible, The Cross

 

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A man, a guitar, and a Hymn. A simple combination that came to fruition with the first sharing of “According To Thy Gracious Word”, a Hymn For Solo Acoustic Guitar.

It was my honor and privilege to play my first release of the ongoing project #HymnsForSoloAcoustic guitar at the Presbyterian Chapel of The Lakes in Angola Indiana. This was the first sharing of the first of these Hymns live and apropros that it should be done at the place that it all started! The Hymn was played in both the morning service and the second service in the old Crooked Lake Schoolhouse where the idea for this project began. It was great to play “Live” again, especially in God’s house!

One of the great things about this day wasn’t that it was 33 degrees and snowing outside, or that the only thing heating the little Chapel/Schoolhouse was a very stoked wood burning fireplace, it was that is was just real. People gathered to hear God’s word and worship and me to share the gift He gave me with just an Acoustic guitar. Simple.

And that is where God has been hitting me lately, in the simple. Thank you Lord! I, and maybe sometimes you, seem to complicate each day by a list of “got to do’s” and “must get done’s” only to find ourselves wound up so tight that we’re missing most of the goodness of each day! I read in my Daily Devotional the other day to “Give thanks when you’re in line and in a hurry and give it to God. Say “thank you God for this time I can turn to you instead of turning into a piece of work because someone is not fitting into what I planned today”!! There was a nice slice of humble pie for me : )

As the old acronym states – K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid. Like, just a Hymn and an Acoustic guitar. Not a chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100 but a place of peace to concentrate on things eternal.

I will be doing just one more sharing of this first Hymn over the Holidays and then releasing the second Hymn “Abide With Me” with more special music dates to come in 2018! If you know of a Church that would like to sponsor me to come play my guitar and share this story please contact me at rockin@rhonvanerman.com . In the meantime please share this blog and your playlists on iTunes Music, Spotify, and wherever else you play these Hymns with your family and friends. My hope is not only that this project gives a place of peace from the chaos but also reaches those who need to hear it at just the right time!

Blessings! – (Pictures below)

www.rhonvanerman.com – Hymns Page Link

#HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar

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Acoustic Guitar, Amazon, Christian, Classical Music, Faith, God's Word, Google+, Guitar, Hymns, HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar, iTunes, Jesus, Music, Music Blog, Recording, Solo Acoustic Guitar, Songwriting, Studio, The Bible, The Cross

Yep, that’s a hashtag. A virtual way of following all the releases, videos, photos, and more for the singles I’m about to release digitally. I’ve even started a special page on my website dedicated to this release here – Hymns For Solo Acoustic Guitar. So we’ll call this a virtual CD. There will be new Hymns released about every 60 days or less in an ongoing project that I hope will add peace, clarity, and a fresh listening experience for you! Please bookmark, share on social media, and add these songs to your playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more! And if you’re a bit nostalgic, you can buy each track too! I will be creating a video soon about the story behind this project.

The first Hymn will be “According To Thy Gracious Word”. A hymn that we sing A Capella quite often at Presbyterian Chapel of The Lakes Church. The guitar is tuned differently to give a Celtic drone with the melody being played at the same time. The dynamic starts low and builds to the 3rd verse with an intimate verse 4 that builds to a harmonic peak. It was quite cool to arrange! The release date for this first Hymn is Thursday November, 2nd and will be available on all digital retailers and streaming services.

One of the unique qualities about this adventure is I’m doing it all from start to finish. Like cooking from scratch. The arranging, recording, mastering, artwork, copyrighting, licensing, upload, and PR! (I’m tired already!) Not so I can wave my flag, and not only to keep costs to a minimum (although that’s awesome!), it keeps everything real, like it is in Church when we sing it, or when I sit back in the Lazy-Boy and put in my earbuds to just listen and get two minutes and thirty-nine seconds of peace! This allows me to be even closer to God because I’m laying everything in His hands on these releases. That…is the place I need to be!

I truly hope this music will be a blessing to you and hope that you will write to me and let me know your thoughts. Here’s my email rockin@rhonvanerman.com 

As always thanks for reading and listening and blessings to you!

– Rhon Van Erman  www.rhonvanerman.com

 

 

“She Cries Love” for #ThrowBackThursday

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Hard to believe I can use the song “She Cries Love” for a Throw Back Thursday feature but this song has been in release for 18 years next month, which I think puts it into the aforementioned category as well as makes me not feel 20 anymore!

This song was released in November of 1996 and is from my first CD that is self-titled. This was back in the ages when we were using what is called ADAT, a tape based digital format for recording, that was “cutting edge” for it’s time and the CD was still in it’s infancy. My, my, how far we’ve come in such a short time! As far as the throw back goes, back then there were only huge, rest on your shoulder types of video cameras. Or at least, a hand held 8 mm cam that was a bit awkward to negotiate. So for this #TBT I’m using the CD cover pic as a static image and letting the song play in the back round of the video to give it that “older” vibe, and besides, I just didn’t have the gear or budget it would’ve taken 18 years ago to make a video like the award winning “Revolution” video done in 2013. The cool thing with new technologies is that I will be able to upload all the songs to YouTube from this CD so you can listen to the songs in their entirety! If you have a YouTube account please add them to your playlist. And if you haven’t purchased them, all the songs are available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and at http://www.rhonvanerman.com

“She Cries Love” was written in third person about falling in love and doing everything you can to make it happen, keep it happening, and not getting your heart broken along the way. The focus is a from a woman’s perspective, but as we well know, it takes two to tango and make it work. So this song can relate to either gender. My main writing influence for this song musically is the band Journey. Their sound is something I naturally gravitate to.

Sit back on your Thursday and watch, listen, and reminisce. And if you have this CD (record), or saw me perform it live, leave me a comment and share your memory!

– Rhon

New Music Player!

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Amazon, CD Baby, Guitar, iTunes, Music Video, MusicBlog, Revolution, Revolution The CD

I am pleased to announce a new music player on my website that streams full length versions of all the songs from the Revolution CD! You can purchase from the player or go to the iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay links and purchase there as well. Or, if you buy from me direct I’ll sign the CD for you. Thank you all again for supporting my music and stay tuned, I’m videoing new footage this month for an upcoming release that is about a place that is very special to many people including myself. You can also find out more by email at rockin@rhonvanerman.com Enjoy!The New Revolution Music Player

Telly Award #3!

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I am very honored to announce that the video for the title track “Revolution” has received the Telly Award! This is the third award for this release. I want to thank The Telly Awards for the recognition of this work and the gentlemen pictured in the attached photo. From left to right, Darrell Powell, Rhon Van Erman, Jared Powell, and Garrett Matney. Darrell is the owner of Studio D where Revolution was recorded. Jared and Garrett are owners of Cabin 14 Films. It’s great to be honored by your peers and supported by fans like you. Thank you!

– Rhon Van Erman
http://www.rhonvanerman.com

The Reason And You

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Amazon, CD Baby, Christmas Music, Christmas The Reason, iTunes, Rhon Van Erman

It’s worldwide! An amazing occurrence any time I release a CD is with just a few taps or clicks and someone can buy my music anywhere on the planet, that’s amazing. When we start to take for granted, or lose the awe factor, we’ve become something I’m not interested in being, complacent and ungrateful.
Being worldwide gives extra meaning to me for this release because of The Reason. My hope is while listening to these tracks you will be doing many things. Cooking Holiday meals, driving to family get together’s, falling asleep in the chair by the tree, but most of all, that you will have some quite time to contemplate the reason for this celebration. If I am led to shout my conviction on a street corner I would do it, however I have been blessed with the gift of music as my vessel of communication. I pray that this recording blesses you and lifts you up to know the reason for this time and that it’s meaning is eternal in your life. In addition to this hope is my gratitude for knowing people like you who support my music and read this blog to give us a chance to share thoughts on this journey. My hope is that we will continue on, into many more years of celebrating the gifts that are amazing. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Rhon