Whack! Uh oh, that’s not good…

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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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“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!

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Hymns For Solo Acoustic Guitar Webpage

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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
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It’s Live! #AccordingToThyGraciousWord

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

Today is Release Day! My first “Hymn For Solo Acoustic Guitar” is available digitally at all major retailers and streaming services. This is a day I’ve been looking very forward to because of one of the great benefits of this release is – Peace from the chaos. 

In a time where we have busied ourselves with whatever we can crunch into 24 hours that seems important at the time, we are losing one of the most important things to our health, well being, and eternity – Quiet Time. 

It it my hope that the Hymn “According To Thy Gracious Word” will make you pause even for 2:40 of your life to reflect, reset, and focus on what’s most important. Even though music is what I do for a living, the power of these great old Hymns has been very moving in their creation. A time of purpose, re-dedication, and taking in what is now.

Let me know how this song blesses you. You can email me at rockin@rhonvanerman.com. There will be a “Behind The Music” video soon and more releases in the coming months. There are links below to some of the major digital retailers and Spotify. Other companies will be added in the coming days. As always, thanks for listening and supporting my music!

Blessings,

Rhon

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/according-to-thy-gracious-word-single/id1296625188 

CD Baby – https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/rhonvanerman5 

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/user/rhonve/playlist/0KdY4Ah7dDhtYIMCwFU1mo

Website – http://www.rhonvanerman.com/Hymns-For-Solo-Acoustic-Guitar.html http://www.rhonvanerman.com/Hymns-For-Solo-Acoustic-Guitar.html 

 

 

Good Friday Spent “In The Quiet”

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Today is the day. The day that we call Good Friday. A day to be quiet and remember. Remember what The Cross is all about and my reaction to it. I am posting the Official video of In The Quiet because this is the day the notes were written for. To take time today to reflect on the crucifixion in a quiet place. The inner me, my Spirit. May it be a blessing to you!

– Rhon

“Shouting About The Quiet”

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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rhonvanerman4

Yes! Yippee! Thank you God! Woo-Ho!

Well, that was my first reaction when my song In The Quiet finally posted to iTunes and CD Baby five days after the release date. A lot of hard work goes into every release and it’s always a dichotomy of excitement and unknowing that floods the day. So this was an occasion to shout about something that was meant for quiet time. Hmm, that’s an odd statement, but this release has been just that, not a “normal” release, so I will expound a bit.

First of all, thank you! Thank you to a patient God who’s wisdom is beyond the thoughts of man. It was His patience in which I had to rest because mine was about spent. Every time I’m challenged to it, my “A” personality rears it’s ugly…. (no pun intended). To a my Engineer Daryl Powell (Studio D), who always comes through in the clutch. One phone call and a master CD was made and sent over night to my distributor. A woman named Sally, who works at CD Baby, and whom I will probably never meet or speak with personally, but who loaded the full length version of my song to be available to the world. The fans who purchased the song on the original day of release, you are my “Super Fans” that fuel my inspiration further! And to my Angel In Disguise, my wife Tonya. Your embrace and words of encouragement are a blessing I can never repay.

Second of all, I have to say that this has been one of the oddest things I’ve been through. Not only musically, but Spiritually. I have come away with something that my “A” personality really struggles with, but I believe over time is making me what God wants me to be. – “To put my head down and run, only to look forward on the path I’ve been given. Not of it’s outcome, but the wisdom gained that puts me closer to the One who is wise. To let gratefulness over rule expectation, for in this I have truly been blessed”.

Good Friday is April 3rd 2015. I have attached the CD Baby player of the song In The Quiet above for you to contemplate this day and your reaction to the crucifixion of Jesus. I pray that it is a blessing to you. The iTunes player is below (the full version is available but the player only plays a clip), and other digital music retailers will soon have this song available. You can always email me if you have questions about where you wish to purchase this song. I am hoping to have a video of this song by Good Friday so stay tuned. Please share this blog with others and comment below. Thanks for reading and listening!

Blessings,

Rhon –

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-the-quiet-single/id976161054

Quiet – Need Some?

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We live in a very interesting time don’t we? I’m sure all generations have said this, however, that little rectangular thing you can’t leave home without has changed everything we will ever be. Albeit good or bad. And as always, we are daily given a choice to use it for something good or bad. Kind of like a volume control, loud or quiet? With the previously mentioned device I could use a little of the latter in my life. How ’bout you?

Several years ago I was in my kitchen prepping a music lesson with an old sight reading book I hadn’t looked at in quite a long time. The morning sun was shining in, and the anticipation of Spring was filling my bones with overwhelming exuberance (that means I was fairly excited). The neighborhood dogs weren’t barking, the phone wasn’t ringing, and my little rectangular thing was turned off. Quiet time. The world was on pause for a bit and that was good.

Teaching music enables me to give back but it also allows me to look back. The excitement of first’s. The first time playing a chord that moves my very being. The first time being able to confidently play a solo with all the notes I was thinking at the time I was thinking them (musical conversation). And the most important thing this time was, playing three chords that transcended me into an event that I yearly commemorate, but I was never able to express the emotions until the notes came out. It was very moving. And once again I was the instrument playing the instrument for the emotion to have sound. Anguish, tension, abandonment, weeping, torment, hoping, on a level that we most likely will never know. The quiet had given me the time to reflect on something that was done for me that I’ll never be able to repay. Good Friday.

I want to encourage those that are not Christian, or are Christian, not to click off right now. This is not a post to preach to you, but, to engage you to take a quiet moment and ponder for yourself what Good Friday is. I’ve often looked at paintings of this horrific event and had to turn my head at the shear brutality. How can this be “Good”? But the question that really hit me this time was, what was Jesus going through? The personal side of Jesus. Not what I thought, but what he felt. And how do I react to that? It is said to know another’s life you must walk in their shoes. The thoughts of Jesus on this day I will only read, and never fully understand. And this is the story for the “Inside the music” of the song, “In The Quiet”.

Today all the things that needed to be done for the release of is this song were finished. The uploading of audio, artwork, and distribution. The biz stuff. So now all is good with the technical world, and on the release date you’ll be able to purchase something called an mp3, load it into that little rectangular thing you can’t leave home without, and take a moment from the spinning of your world and listen. “In The Quiet” is an all instrumental of just piano and guitar. Just the intimacy of the two instruments speaking the emotion of the song. My hope is that when you listen with no distractions, the song will help you reflect on Good Friday and it’s true meaning. This will be a digital release only, no CD (yet), and available at all the major music retailers like iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc. The date will be posted in my next blog. If you have any comments or thoughts you’d like to share you can leave them below or email me at rockin@rhonvanerman.com 

www.rhonvanerman.com