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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#HymnsForSoloAcousticGuitar

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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

 

 

Christmas – The Reason EP

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As the saying goes “It’s all in the timing”. I would have to agree with that most of the time. So I’ve always struggled with prepping, arranging, and being in the mood to record Christmas songs in the middle of August. For whatever reason this year it fell into place. And not only has it been a blast to record, but, the Spirit in these songs has been moving.
First of all this will be an EP (Extended Play) release. Longer than a single but shorter than a CD. There are five songs in which I played all the parts of this all instrumental work. Some Jazz with “What Child Is This”, “Away In A Manger” for solo piano, and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” with the vibe of driving down a city street on a snowy night. “Silent Night” has a dreamy tone as that reminds me of when I was a kid and I’d sleep by the Christmas tree until Mom woke me up. One departure from the reflective mood of the EP is “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”, which started out acoustic and slowly manifested into a rocker. The main focus in this recording is to give the melodies and arrangements the opportunity to create a time to reflect on the reason of Christmas, where-in the title of the EP came about. Personally, one of the things I enjoy during Christmas is sitting by the tree late at night when it’s quiet and reflecting on the blessings of this miraculous event. To look up at the sky in the cold of Winter and know there is a divinity of this creation that gives me peace on a silent night. A reason I feel at rest in a place that is bigger than my mind can imagine.
My hope is when you listen to these songs you will take some time to reflect. Your blessings, your journey, and the mark you make on those around you.
This EP is scheduled for release around Thanksgiving. You can subscribe to this blog with your email address, or email me at rockin@rhonvanerman.com to keep up on all the details. And for events and daily goings on you can follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RhonVanErmanFanPage and Twitter https://twitter.com/RhonVanErman
As of this writing (11-8-13), the picture below is a copy of the artwork for the cover. I will be posting more about the EP the closer we get to release. Thanks for reading and for supporting my music. Time to get back to it, the Christmas clock has started!

Rhon –
rockin@rhonvanerman.com

“The Vacuum That Sucks”

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Hmm, quite a title eh? The only vacuum that sucks and does a great job is my sweeper. It does a great job of making the carpet look and feel so nice and I like that. However there is another vacuum that can suck the life right out of you, being or thinking you are an island. I will refer to the saying “No man is an island”. When I was a kid I had no idea what my teacher was talking about but as I started to work with others in sports, rock & roll bands, etc, it all became very clear, even the greatest of my talents need the inclusion of others to really make them shine. The other saying that has gotten a lot of shout lately is “There is no I in the word Team”. Yea, there may be some great things someone can accomplish on their own but they really miss out on the entire experience of life when they don’t involve others and will never achieve their best potential. Besides, sharing the victory with others is a richer experience compared to patting yourself on the back. That makes your arm hurt just reaching around to try it anyway!
I am dedicating this blogpost to all those that have helped me with the pre and post production of the Revolution CD. For most of you that read this these people are total strangers, and at one time, some of these people were total strangers to me as well. And there you go, the vacuum. If I didn’t talk with others, ask questions, involve myself with them to be the best I could be, I never would have met some of these vibrant people. So I’ll just settle for the only vacuum I need, and that’s the one that sucks dirt, not the breath of life I receive from others.
I’ve also included in this post a picture of The Telly Award that was given for my video “The making of She’s Everything I Need”. This was produced by Cabin14films and recorded at Studio D. Always good to be recognized for your work! Now I give
my deepest gratitude and thanks to –

My Father in Heaven, my Wife & Son, my parents, Lynn Graber at the Recording House, Andy Symons (formerly at The Lodge Recording Studio), Darrell Powell at Studio D, Jared Powell & Garrett Matney at Cabin14films, Randy Melson (Bass), Dane Clark(Drums), I miss playing with you guys more often but it’s great being able to pick up where we leave off, Phil Maxwell (Back Round Vocals), the wonderful people at Disc Makers and CD Baby & Greg Chupp. I would also like to thank my Wife for the perfectly packed cooler with my lunch and treats to sustain me for my drive to the studio and the hugs from you and our son that got me there and back! And you, my fans, you give fuel to the fire on this journey. When I complete a song one of the things I can’t wait to do is share it with you. I am blessed and grateful 🙂

Rhon –

Revolution – The Song

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Deep, to the core of your soul kind of passion that fuels the fire of your dreams. An embrace that has not yet been felt.
Finding your soulmate. Not the same experience for everyone, and for some can be a road of highs and lows that almost make you lose hope. But it’s still there. A spinning in your soul that looks for that momentous change that is a “Revolution”.
When the music and lyrics to this song came I didn’t have a particular person in mind but I felt it had to be written because someone, even just one person, needed to hear it and know there is hope. This song was written with a tuning on the guitar that matched the intensity of the music which helped the lyric come alive.
Verse 1 –
She had the hope inside, since she was a child
What was in her heart was always sacred
She gave it all away, just to be betrayed
With empty promises that always faded…
Can, she, hold on ’till

Hook –
She will find out, that what lies in her heart is not illusion
She will find out, that what burns deep inside, is a Revolution

The connection of Spirit and body is where all this connects. The journey to find your other half is often not what you would expect. And a lot of the time it ends up being better and different than you could’ve imagined. It’s the time searching that is very difficult. But the searching gets you ready for when it does happen. If this song is for you, enjoy each step and breathe deep, because you only get one at a time.

Blessings,
Rhon