all.that.jazz » Music http://blog.mattulrich.com Here you'll find whatever's on my mind... Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:59:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 11 Months http://blog.mattulrich.com/2009/05/04/11-months/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2009/05/04/11-months/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 04:01:18 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=278 It's been almost 11 months since my last blog post, so I figured maybe it was about time I reappeared from under the cloak of silence. I still haven't graduated from college. I still work at East Side Church of God. I still play in two country bands. So basically, not a whole lot has changed. I do live in a new house with a new roommate, however. Still only a block from campus, though.

Blogging effectively is tough for me. Maybe that's why I haven't attempted it in a while. Honestly, I'm not convinced anyone really cares about the chronicle of my life anyway. Plus, I'd rather experience life with people than tell them about it on my blog. That being said, I would like to come up with a purpose for this blog, rather than it just being a "here's what I did today." I suppose I could review music, but honestly I don't get new stuff very often. I could share pictures, but normally that requires a camera. I could share interesting articles, links, and tidbits that I find on the web, but that sort of thing is better suited to Twitter or Tumblr, both of which I have. Am I at a loss for ideas? So far, yes. Now's where you leave me a comment with your ideas for a purpose for this blog. Go!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2009/05/04/11-months/feed/ 1 Help? http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/08/help/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/08/help/#comments Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:56:00 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=259 Whisper to me
A story of yours
And please take your time
Each word I’ll absorb
Give me a chance
To write myself in
So I can be there
When you tell it again

If this were the chorus of a song, what do you think would be a good song title? "Whisper to Me"? "Write Myself In"? "Tell It Again"? Or some combination of those using a subtitle?

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/08/help/feed/ 2 You Must Be Bored With Me http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/04/you-must-be-bored-with-me/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/04/you-must-be-bored-with-me/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:44:45 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=258 Well, according to my blog stats, I haven't had a visitor to my actual blog site in quite a while, which makes me a bit sad. But maybe, just maybe, people are reading my blog on other sites like Facebook or Virb, which are set to import posts from this blog. Anyway, I recently got back from a trip to Florida with Cook and Belle. We played at the South Florida Fair...15 shows in 5 days. On the return trip, we detoured to Missouri where we played a show at the Missouri Association of Fairs and Festivals convention in hopes of booking summer gigs at Missouri county fairs. I'm pretty sure we've already got a pretty significant amount of summer gigs booked with a number of others in progress. In other related news, I've begun to play for another young female country artist. Her name is Casey Jamerson, and she's from Pendleton. We've played a couple gigs at the Moon Dog Tavern on 96th Street in Indy, and there are at least a few more shows coming up in the next few months. It would be nice if her shows started to pick up in the fall, about the same time as Cook and Belle's start to dwindle. That way, I could have a pretty solid few months of playing regularly. Anyway, I should probably get going. I'm hanging out with my friend Amy tonight (hopefully), and I'd like to run to Castleton and hit up Guitar Center as well as Best Buy. I need to replace a keyboard pedal at GC, and Best Buy has a great deal on an external hard drive.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/02/04/you-must-be-bored-with-me/feed/ 1 New Year, New Jam http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/01/11/new-year-new-jam/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/01/11/new-year-new-jam/#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:11:52 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=257 I've been learning Boston's "Foreplay" on the keys (so Micah, Cliff, Brad, and I can rock it out), so I created a funky jam to relieve a little stress (Foreplay ain't easy *snicker*). You can find it many places:

www.virb.com/mattulrich
www.myspace.com/mattulrich
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6614417606

The rhythm track (everything that's not keyboards) was created in Reason, and the rest came from my lovely Nord Electro 2 and my mind/fingers. Most of it is pretty unpolished, but I suppose that's what jamming is all about. Hopefully you enjoy it!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2008/01/11/new-year-new-jam/feed/ 0 Boring. http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/08/23/boring/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/08/23/boring/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 03:20:57 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=250 Hi. It's me again. That's right, another post less than 24 hours after the previous one. The way a blog should be, at least if it wants to attract and retain readers...if you ask me. But seriously, don't ask me, because I obviously don't practice what I preach. Anyway, I'm bored. I probably should just go to bed, but as you learned in the last post, that probably won't happen (although I am laying on my stomach on the bed while typing this, and I occasionally find myself laying my head down and closing my eyes while still typing). Let's run over everything I did today. First I woke up around 9:15. Then I showered and got ready for work. Then I went to work at 10. From noon to 2, Micah, Cliff, Eric, and I practiced in the sanctuary for a wedding reception we're playing at on Sunday afternoon. Then I worked some more until almost 5. Following that, I returned home to Pastor Mick's house and killed some time doing whatever kills time. A little before 7, I headed over to East Side Middle School to watch the Highland High School beat whoever it was that they played. There were a number of East Side people there. At halftime, I went to get some dinner at Taco Bell (don't tell). After the game, I came back home and hung out with Micah for a while before finding myself right here on the computer, contemplating whether I should currently be in bed asleep. (Here's a gap of time for when I put my head down after typing "asleep.") I kind of want to watch an episode of Arrested Development, but I'm not sure it wouldn't be smarter to just go to bed. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with Eryn Bowser, and in the evening, I'm going over to the Stuckey house for my belated birthday dinner with them. I think we're eating Italian, but I'm not sure what sort of dessert we're having because when Gina asked me what I wanted, I was pretty indecisive. I'm sure it will be great.

Ok, I think I must call it quits on this one and hit the sack. My head is currently down, and that is giving me great troubles while trying to type correctly.

Peace to you, my brethren and sistren.

Matt Ulrich (not #69 for the Colts)

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/08/23/boring/feed/ 0 Jon’s “Beautiful Disaster” is iTunes Single of the Week! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/04/04/jons-beautiful-disaster-is-itunes-single-of-the-week/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/04/04/jons-beautiful-disaster-is-itunes-single-of-the-week/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:23:55 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=244 Jon’s song “Beautiful Disaster” is Single of the Week on the iTunes music store! You should check it out.

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/04/04/jons-beautiful-disaster-is-itunes-single-of-the-week/feed/ 0 Um, Exciting News! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/03/10/um-exciting-news/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/03/10/um-exciting-news/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:30:25 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=241 Um, I have this friend named Ben Utecht. He plays football, but he also sings. So anyway, there's also this guy named Bill Gaither that does these concerts called "Homecoming" concerts. Well, it turns out this Bill fellow decided to ask my friend Ben to sing a song at his next concert in Indianapolis, which happens to be in the Conseco Fieldhouse (the stadium where the Indiana Pacers play), in front of 20,000 people. So that's great for my friend Ben. As luck would have it, Ben is needing an accompanist for this gig. Well, since we're friends, we have each other's numbers; and sure enough his name came up on my phone tonight. Long story short, I'm playing for Ben at the Homecoming show this coming Friday night. Scary, and yet...wow.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/03/10/um-exciting-news/feed/ 1 Everybody http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/02/09/everybody/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/02/09/everybody/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:17:51 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=240 ...who lives within 100-10,000 miles of Anderson should probably come to Contemporary Encore tomorrow night in Reardon Auditorium here on AU's campus.  Contemporary in this case means any song released after 2000, so if you know today's music, you should know the music.  Shows are at 8 and 10pm.  Tickets are $3 at the door.  The band and I have worked as hard as we possibly can amongst our busy schedules, so it should be a good show.  Come on out!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/02/09/everybody/feed/ 0 Reality http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/07/reality/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/07/reality/#comments Sun, 07 Jan 2007 07:57:10 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=237 It's funny.  No, I'm not referring to the fact that this is my second post of the new year, and it's not even a week in.  I didn't even make a resolution...  What I am referring to is how things change when one stops and takes inventory.  A moment ago, I came upstairs from hanging out with my brother, watching Scrubs, which, by the way, I find quite amusing.  Anyway, my e-mail inbox said I had a new wall post on Facebook from a friend of mine whom I knew was going to be gone for the next semester.  It turns out he's already gone.  Plus, a couple of my other friends will be doing the same thing quite soon.  They're all following different musical pursuits now that they've graduated.  You'd think that it would be no big deal right?  Well, not exactly.  You see, these guys have kinda been my musical compadres for the past while, and honestly, (pull out your tissues) I'm going to miss them.  Of course, they'll probably be back, and there's a good chance we'll be playing together again as early as this summer, but I guess I'm sad they won't be a part of my last semester of college.  In many ways, I've never felt as respected with anyone else as I have with them (which is strange because in many other ways, we are so different and would have never been friends had it not been for music, which speaks to the efficacy of the art), at least in the same way.  On some level, we understand each other unlike I feel I've ever been understood.

But to get really honest, that isn't the root issue here.  It's the combination of a number of things.  Have I accomplished anything?  Have I grown and changed?  Have I risked and invested?  Do I have any friends who will actually care at least a bit when I'm gone?  Will my life turn out like it should, or will I screw it up?  Was it worth four years of my life and thousands of dollars of my parents' money (and eventually mine once I start paying off loans)?  Does my family know I love them and owe them the world but don't really know how to show it?  Am I ready to move on into real life?  Maybe it's the fact that it's 2:30 in the morning, and I should be sleeping, but I guess you could say I'm in a pensive mood.  I just want to make a difference and live without regrets.  And more than anything, I'm scared of being alone, which is something I'd much rather share with a friend or a special someone who is more than a friend, but at this point, I don't have the latter, and I question the former.  My phone sits silent most of the time, unless someone needs something, and not very often does my computer make that fun whooshing sound, announcing an incoming instant message.  Man, it's a good thing no one reads this, or you'd probably consider this an invitation to my pity party and then slap me for being such an idiot.  I am being serious, but realize that I don't intend to over-dramatize it.  I just think about these things sometimes, and the closer I become to a college graduate, the more they shift to the foreground.  It is good to know, or at least to assume, that there are other people who process these same things.  And of course, if I could figure out how to surrender control, there is One who can take care of it and me.  I guess I'm not alone.

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/07/reality/feed/ 1 Pathetic http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/05/pathetic/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/05/pathetic/#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:50:45 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=236 Yes, I know I am. I have been quite unfaithful to you, my readers; and it feels like every time I write, I am only coming up with a different and more creative way to express that sentiment. Once again, I humbly come before you with an apologetic heart and a meek spirit to ask your kindest forgiveness for my absence. Anyway, I find myself pretty bored as this Christmas break continues on. I'm hanging out with the fam at our new pad in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Yes friends, I no longer call Holland, Michigan home, although I will still claim it as my hometown since it's where I learned about Jesus, it's where I learned about love, it's where I learned about working hard, and having a little was just enough. For those of you without country roots, that was a reference to "Boondocks" by Little Big Town.

Anywho, next semester is almost here, and not only is it the only thing standing between me and summer break (aka warm weather), it is the only thing standing between me and real life. Yes, folks, that's right. It's my LAST semester of college, and very likely my last semester of school ever. I'm not closed to the thought of going farther in my education if necessary someday, but for now, I think I'll be done.

As I mentioned in my last post, a number of my friends will be marrying soon, and since the writing of said post, I've thought of a number of more friends who find themselves victims of the same fate. Forgive my terminology; maybe I'm just bitter at my state of singleness. Anyway, I'll be playing for a few of these weddings and receptions, and probably attending most or all of them, so that will be one feature of my summer. Also, I hope to be touring and playing music so I don't have to get a real job.

If you get a chance, you should check out my website www.mattulrich.com. If you've ever visited it before, you will probably notice that nothing major has changed. Oh, but that's just what you notice at first glance. If you'll recall, clicking a link would simply take you to the desired website. Well, now you get the pleasure of a new experience. Click a link. It's sweet. You'll like it. I promise. :)

I'm a nerd...

Lately, I've had a strong desire to start a podcast. You laugh and think that if I don't update my blog, why would I ever update my podcast. You're probably right. Plus, I don't have a ton of hard drive space left, nor do I have very good equipment with which to make a podcast with any semblance of professionalism. Plus, who would care anyway? :) So on to other pursuits...

I've also had a realization that I might really like to get into scoring films or television shows. I just finished watching the 5th season of 24 on DVD (my Christmas present to myself), and one of the bonus features was a featurette about the guy who does the music and how he does it. I was very intrigued, but also quite sad that apparently you need to be rich to do something like this, because I could never afford the hardware and software with which scores for shows of that magnitude are produced. I suppose I could work my way up. It's another option for "real life" I guess...

Well, I've officially covered topics that allow me to file this post under every category, so I guess that means there's not much left to say. It's getting late, and I need to get out of the habit of sleeping in past noon. My Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes once again start at 9am next semester, and sleeping through them isn't really an option. Friends, thank you for your listening ear (or in the case of this blog, your reading eye). Happy new year, and God bless America!

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2007/01/05/pathetic/feed/ 0 Allow Me http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/10/15/allow-me/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/10/15/allow-me/#comments Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:23:18 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=235 to reintroduce myself. I am Matt, the narrator of this blog, located here at blog.mattulrich.com. Many apologies for leaving you hanging for so long. I wonder...how long has it been? Allow me to check when I posted last. (5 seconds pass) Alright, the verdict is that it has been a week shy of two months since my last post. I won't even bother trying to bring you up to speed because it would take too much mental energy for me to think of everything, and I know you wouldn't read that much anyway. This is assuming there are any of you left at all. Maybe I can pull a Mariah Carey and make a big comeback even after not releasing anything for a considerable amount of time.

Ok, I thought of a fun topic for this post. I will now attempt to list everyone I can think of that is engaged. Here goes:

Jon Mobley
Evan Gilmore
Nate Heironimus
Phil Larson
Tim Hollowell
Peter Smith
Dave Elwert
Ben Eades
Nate Brown
Curt Anderson
Mark DeLaVergne
Ryan Fancher
Jeremy Zerkle

Well, that's about all I can think of at this time, and that only accounts for guy friends from college. I have plenty of female and high school friends who are also engaged. Hopefully you enjoyed that list, and if you know of anyone I forgot, please feel free to leave your input. Oh yeah, I thought you'd like to know I'm currently listening to Foreigner, and what song should come on but "Waiting for a Girl Like You." Ironic really.

Much love,
Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/10/15/allow-me/feed/ 1 Summer Is Over http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/08/22/summer-is-over/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/08/22/summer-is-over/#comments Tue, 22 Aug 2006 14:42:35 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=234 I think it's about time for a new blog entry. Apparently Facebook now has a feature with which it can import whatever posts I have in my blog, so if you're reading this on Facebook, welcome to my life. You can always stop by blog.mattulrich.com to get the full experience. Anyway, the summer has been busy. I'm officially done at my internship/job, and I'm pretty much done with Paige shows for the summer. There's one on Thursday, but I'm not able to make it, so there's only two shows left--a two-day stint in Ohio on September 2 & 3, and another gig on October 7. I can't make it to this week's show because I'm doing the family group leader thing for new student orientation here at AU (check out AU's new website by the way). I might not make the October 7 gig now because I am tenatively the Encore music director, and that day is the first Encore of the year, which also happens to fall on Homecoming weekend, so it's pretty important that I'm there. We'll see...

Anywho, I'm gearing up to lead worship for Worship in the Valley on Friday night. It's a pretty cool part of orientation weekend, so I'm excited and nervous to be helping out in that capacity. Classes start on Monday, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle the load. My class schedule is pretty lop-sided, with four classes on MWF (9,11,12,1) and only one on TR (8:30). Well, technically there's Jazz Ensemble on MW at 5 as well, and Orangehaus usually falls on some evening. On top of that stuff, I'll hopefully be playing a lot of music with Paige, Jennifer Stanley, Melissa Sandullo, Chad Meadow's and my new band, or anyone else who wants to hire me. I'd love to make some more dough playing for weddings. Everyone seems to be engaged or almost engaged, so you'd think I'd have more wedding gigs. Oh well...

I should get back to planning Worship in the Valley. I think you're up-to-date on me now. Oh yeah...one more thing...I turned 21 this past August 6. Thought you'd want to know.

Bye.

Matty

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/08/22/summer-is-over/feed/ 0 Photos, Images, and Pictures…Oh My! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/06/21/photos-images-and-picturesoh-my/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/06/21/photos-images-and-picturesoh-my/#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:54:14 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=230 Hello friends. I know I haven't been really good about keeping you posted on here, so I have another plan. Go to gallery.mattulrich.com and check out my pictures. I've been taking some pictures lately, mainly at Paige shows, so those should provide the opportunity for you to stay up-to-date with my life. In case you've been out of touch for a while, I've got older pictures on there as well. Enjoy, my friends.

Matt!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/06/21/photos-images-and-picturesoh-my/feed/ 0 YES http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/05/24/yes/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/05/24/yes/#comments Thu, 25 May 2006 03:21:33 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=227 Taylor won.  I'm satisfied.

SOUL PATROL!!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/05/24/yes/feed/ 0 New Song http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/25/new-song/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/25/new-song/#comments Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:00:28 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=221 I wrote a new song. It's called "Back To You." My favorite line goes like this: "Like a dog returns to its vomit, baby, I'll be back to you." Great, huh? OK, I lied. I just came up with that in the shower. I think I stole at least the first part from the Good Book. Anyway, you can hear an authentic new song on my MySpace page. It's called "Find You."

Happy listening!

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/25/new-song/feed/ 2 So It Turns Out… http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/08/so-it-turns-out/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/08/so-it-turns-out/#comments Sat, 08 Apr 2006 16:02:05 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=220 So it turns out that one of the guys who runs sound at East Side (you know, my church here in Anderson) was the production manager for the Doves. That probably would have been great to know beforehand. Abundant connections here at AU...

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/08/so-it-turns-out/feed/ 0 The Doves http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/06/the-doves/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/06/the-doves/#comments Thu, 06 Apr 2006 07:00:11 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=219 So the Dove Awards ceremony, hosted by Rebecca St. James and Kirk Franklin, was a great time. On the way in, I saw Mike and Nathan from MercyMe, but apparently Bart wasn't there due to having another baby (there was a video of him sending greetings because he couldn't attend). Anyway, we were seat fillers, but we didn't have to do the usual - sit in someone's seat while they are gone to accept an award or whatnot. We got to fill in empty seats belonging to people who didn't end up coming at all. Therefore, we were in the same spot all night...THE FRONT ROW!!!!!!! I can't put enough exclamation points. So here goes again. THE FRONT ROW!!!!! NO ONE BETWEEN ME AND THE STAGE!!!! Aaron Smith and I were on the stage left side (next to no one notable, but not far from Jeremy Camp, Matthew West, Casting Crowns, Bethany Dillon, and many others), and AnnaLee Smith and Katie South were on the stage right side, literally right next to Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife. The GMA people did this huge tribute thing to Steven (complete with a video tribute and a SCC medley performed by Mac Powell of Third Day, David Crowder, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns, and Jeremy Camp), so AnnaLee and Katie were very likely in many video shots during that segment. I was really hoping Carrie Underwood would be there so I could get a picture with her and propose marriage, but no avail. "Jesus, Take The Wheel" was up for Country Recorded Song of the Year, or something like that. I don't know who won in that category...it must have been announced in the pre-show (before we got into the auditorium).

I am sad that I didn't really get any pictures from the Doves, but the memories are sweet anyway. I can't wait until next year. Now I must be off to get some sleep. Later, my friends and faithful readers.

Matt, The Dove Awards performer/winner wannabe

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/06/the-doves/feed/ 2 NashVegas!! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/04/nashvegas/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/04/nashvegas/#comments Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:32:48 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=218 T minus 5 hours until we hit the road for Nashville and the Dove Awards, which are Wednesday evening. Also, T minus 9 days until we hit the road for Nashville once again for Paige's pro tracking session. It's a different we each time, but I'm happy to be a part of both wes.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/04/04/nashvegas/feed/ 4 Time for a New Post http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/27/time-for-a-new-post/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/27/time-for-a-new-post/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2006 03:45:42 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=215 Well, I don't really have anything in mind to write, but I felt like it was time to check back in with my readers on a personal basis.  This week is going to be stressful, with two midterms and all, not to mention the projects and other stuff I should be working on...oh, and my job at church.  Summer, summer, here I come...  At least spring break is coming up soon.  I plan on going home and doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (well, other than being helpful to my Mom...kinda hafta do that).  Yes, that's right.  While many of my AU friends will be enjoying the balmy, tropical weather of Florida or one of those other states down in Dixie, I will be in Dutch Vegas, Michigan.  Maybe I'll record an EP with Ken.  I should probably have a few songs I like before I try to do that, though.  I should probably also make sure Ken has time to do that.  Chances are I'll call him and leave a message, and I won't hear back from him.  His phone is almost always dead or not with him.  We'll see, I guess.  Ok, the cd I was listening to is done now (and by cd, I mean iTunes album), so I will start up another one and hit the sack.  Yes, I know it's only like 10:30 at night, but little did you know that I have to wake up around 6:15ish.  With exception of one person I know, that's earlier than any of you, so don't you dare complain about how early it is tomorrow morning when you wake up.

G'nite!

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/27/time-for-a-new-post/feed/ 3 Name That Tune! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/13/name-that-tune/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/13/name-that-tune/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:09:18 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=208 So today in Business Law, we were talking about third party rights and were using terms such as obligor, obligee, assignor, assignee, delegator, and delegatee.  One of those words in particular caused a certain song from decades past (think John, Paul, George, and Ringo) to run through my head the whole class period.  Can anyone guess the artist (not hard) and the song?

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/13/name-that-tune/feed/ 3 Happy 1/2 Birthday To Me! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/06/happy-12-birthday-to-me/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/06/happy-12-birthday-to-me/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2006 22:45:33 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=207 Well, I officially turned 20 1/2 today. Yup, it's true. I know you're really excited. Almost as excited as me, I'll bet. Anyway, I celebrated by going to my 9:00 class and having a boring time, then getting a great hot chocolate in Mocha Joe's, then going to play for a voice lesson but finding out they didn't need me (break...yes!), then working on my recording tech project (mixing the song I did last semester, but this time in Pro Tools), then going to my 1:00 class and having another great time, then mixing some more. My, that was a long sentence. My apologies. Anywho, I "finished" my project just before 5:00 pm when I was supposed to have Jazz Ensemble. I put finished in quotes because I know it's not perfect, but it's due tomorrow, so I don't plan on being able to do much better. It's actually pretty good though. Anyway, jazz ensemble was cancelled (which I had previous knowledge of, but I had forgotten), so I am now back in my room waiting to go to another rehearsal, this time with Nathanael. He leads worship in chapel tomorrow (which he had forgotten about until today), and then we're playing at the next Cheap Thrills, so we'll practice for both of those events. After that, I'm pretty sure we'll take some time to relax in his family's hot tub, then I'll have to leave to go to an Orangehaus Publishing meeting at 10:15. After that, I will come back, do my homework, and hit the sack, only to wake up bright and early at 6:15 am tomorrow! Happy 1/2 birthday to me!

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/02/06/happy-12-birthday-to-me/feed/ 1 The Wait Is Over!! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/01/22/the-wait-is-over/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/01/22/the-wait-is-over/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:16:47 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=203 Now that I've lost about 50% or more of my faithful reader base, I will attempt to rescue this blog from the pathetic state in which it currently finds itself. This post could potentially be really long, but I'll try to be as concise as possible. So here we go!

Let's start with Christmas break. Wow, has it really been that long since I last blogged? I guess so. Anyway...so my church back home in Dutch Vegas, Michigan had a fancy Christmas Eve/Morning service. They asked me to sing and play in this service, which was exciting. It turned out that I played B-3 and keyboards on a few songs, sang the 2nd tenor part in a quartet, and sang "O Holy Night" as a solo also featuring my good friend Ken on the piano. I was fairly nervous, but it went off pretty dern well...nothing to go home and cry about. Um, what next? Oh yeah...I got a digital camera from my Dad for Christmas. He won it, but I convinced him that he wouldn't use it to its full potential (and he already has one anyway), so he gave it to me. I'm so naughty... Anywho, I've been taking pictures and will continue to do so, so hopefully I'll be sharing some of them with you right here on the blog. You can check out my complete gallery at gallery.mattulrich.com. Unfortunately, I've not found the time to get all my pictures up yet. I'll get around to it eventually.

Ok, now on to this semester. For starters, I saw Chronicles of Narnia with Doug Irving on the day it came out. It was super-dee-duper. It's a must-see for me and hopefully for you too. But let's back up for a bit. I came back to school a week earlier than almost everyone else for a couple reasons. I bet you'd like to know what those reasons are. Well, let me tell you. First of all, I now play country music. I'll let you take a minute to recover from that piece of news. (pause - only continue of you're ready) Mark Pay (president of Orangehaus Records) hooked me up with a country gig, playing keys for a girl named Paige, who is only 15 years old but you'd never know it by listening to her or looking at her. Anyway, she's very talented and has great potential to go far with this whole music thing. Anyway, back to why I came back to school early. Paige has been performing at fair conventions in the four surrounding states (OH, IN, MI, and IL...just in case you didn't know), and two of those performances were the week before classes started. So I came back early to practice and perform with her. But that's not all. My friend Nathanael is new Orangehaus Records recording artist, so he has been working on his new album. The recording process also started the week before classes. Check my gallery for pictures from both Paige shows and recording Nathanael's album.

Ok, last thing. I promise. I just started a position at East Side Church of God in the worship arts department. I'm not really sure what my title is, but I think it's something like Production Assistant. Basically, I'm acting commander of the band (sorta), behind Pastor Mick of course. I make sure that everyone that's scheduled to play is actually planning on playing, I make sure the stage is ready for the band by Sunday morning, I lead the 7:30am band rehearsal every Sunday morning, and I help develop players and integrate new ones into the band rotation. Sound fun? I think so. I get paid too. That's nice.

This post took way too long to write (distractions, distractions), so now I will close. That is all.

Adieu,
Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2006/01/22/the-wait-is-over/feed/ 1 Merry Christmas http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/25/merry-christmas/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/25/merry-christmas/#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2005 16:59:23 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=199 O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/25/merry-christmas/feed/ 1 Blue Like Jazz http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/05/blue-like-jazz/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/05/blue-like-jazz/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:39:13 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=196 If you haven't read it, you need to. I'm not even kidding. Chapter 7, which is about Grace, hit so home that I probably will never be the same. No matter how this new perspective manifests itself, my world was definitely rocked (meaning "shaken wildly", not in the sense that Steve Perry once rocked Journey fans' worlds). So anyway, I need to get going, but I thought I'd plug this amazing book.

Forever changed,
Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/12/05/blue-like-jazz/feed/ 2 WTH? http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/30/wth-2/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/30/wth-2/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:20:16 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=194 Let me define...What The Heck? Ok, now that we've got that cleared up, check out this site. Ridiculous. Whilst you're at it, check out this site as well. Anyway, I am about to embark on my third night in a row of 7+ hours of sleep. Aren't you proud? I thought you would be. Oh, in other news, Nathanael is officially the next Orangehaus Records artist. He decided for sure tonight. I'm not sure when he'll be actually signing, but I don't anticipate that it would be too long from now. Heck, we might even start recording over break. Well, I'm going to get at that sleepy-sleepy. I leave you with this challenge:

Comment on this post so I can know more than the usual 2-4 people are reading my blog regularly. This post could even be a guestbook of sorts.

There, I said it.

Goodnight.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/30/wth-2/feed/ 2 Back At It http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/28/back-at-it/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/28/back-at-it/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2005 21:10:16 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=192 Well, Thanksgiving break is over. Fantastic food, superb sleeping, stupendous shopping, and, of course, fun family fellowship made up my time at home--oh, and one rehearsal and two church services. Anyway, holy shnikes it rained today. After a class in the music building, a couple of fine freshmen females were wanting to traverse back to their distant dormitory. One, who is a friend of mine, asked me if I had my car conveniently anywhere near, to which I responded that I didn't. But I went on saying that I was heading to my car anyway (which isn't a lie) to retrieve my keyboard and transport it up three flights of Fair Commons steps to my room. I then offered to make a delightful detour through campus and transport them to their desired destination, safe from the terrible torrent. My friend said she felt like a cruel criminal by taking advantage of me, and the other said multiple times (and I quote), "I love boys." I felt loved and special. I say all this not to boast about a good deed done, but to say that I haven't felt so chivalrous in quite a while, maybe ever. Needless to say, though, I'm still single. But things might be looking up. We'll see...

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/28/back-at-it/feed/ 2 YAY http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/22/yay/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/22/yay/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2005 18:28:58 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=191 I just wanted everyone to know I got my iPod. Hooray. I'll be having to buy a firewire cable (USB 1.1...not so hot) and a case for it, but otherwise it's great.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/22/yay/feed/ 2 Excitement http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/21/excitement/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/21/excitement/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2005 01:38:06 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=190 Heck yes!!!

CLICK HERE

Yes, that is my iPod.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/21/excitement/feed/ 1 Slideshow http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/17/slideshow/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/17/slideshow/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2005 08:52:09 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=189 Ok, everyone...remember the days in elementary school when you'd watch a slideshow which was accompanied by a sound recording on tape? What's the part that everyone remembers about it? That's right, the beep, that annoying noise which happened between every explanation, indicating that the projector operator should continue on to the next slide. Well, we're going to try this technique here, except when you hear (see in this case) the beep, click it. Herrrr we go!

Slide 1 (Background): For the past year, I've been trying to get a free iPod from freeipods.com. In that time, I've seen them go from offering the 20 GB black-and-white-display iPod to the 20 GB color-display iPod to finally the 30 GB video iPod. When the video iPod was announced, I quite honestly probably coveted and lusted and likely broke a few more of the Ten Commandments and the seven deadly sins. Needless to say, I wanted one. A few weeks back, I finally acquired my final referral. It told me to check back in 5-7 days to see if my account was approved (they recheck each referral). Of course I checked back almost every day. A few days later, the ETA had changed to 7-10 days. I was a little disheartened, but I figured I'd waited a year, so what's another few days? Well, I'm pretty sure it ended up being much longer than 10 days, but maybe it just felt longer. I logged on not too long ago (like an hour), and found this:

BEEP!

Slide 2: I was pretty stoked (to reference a colloquialism from an earlier era). So I continued on into this journey. Next I got to select my prize.

BEEP!

Slide 3: Thank goodness I wasn't wanting an iPod nano...4-6 weeks??? Anyway...I continued on. I entered the address to which I wanted my video iPod to come. Of course this is my school address. Why would I want it to be sent home? Actually, now that I think about it, I'd better get it before Christmas break, or I'll be upset.

BEEP!

Slide 4: There was a "discrepancy" with the way I formatted the address, so I got this screen:

BEEP!

Slide 5: Upon fixing the problem, I was successful in submitting my address. All that's left is to click "Finalize." Here we go!

BEEP!

Slide 6: It's done! I hope I don't have to wait forever.

BEEP!

Oh, I get a free t-shirt too. I hope it fits, and I hope it's at least somewhat cool so I can wear it with pride whilst I listen to music and watch videos on my iPod! Thanks to everyone that helped out in this process. For those whom I bribed, let me know if you still want the cash. :)

Thank you for your attention, children. Class dismissed.

BEEP!

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/17/slideshow/feed/ 2 Random… http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/16/random/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/16/random/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2005 05:14:11 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=188 So here's what you'd call a hodge-podge of topics in one post, a potpourri if you will. Let's get it started!

First off, here's a song I wrote for songwriting class. It's called "All My Days (Surrender to You)." It was supposed to be a worship song suitable for corporate worship. Well, it turned out to be a great worship song, but better for a soloist. Oh well. The lyrics please...

VERSE 1
O faithful One, of Whom I sing
This simple song to You I bring
Accept my praise; be magnified
In You I will be satisfied

CHORUS
I sing to the One and Only
You alone are pure and holy
My sole Desire, I give you praise
I surrender to You all my days

VERSE 2
O worthy One, what can I do
To glorify and honor You?
Words can’t express how You love me
Only Your blood on Calvary

BRIDGE
I am unworthy
But You made a way for me
You run my direction
Despite my imperfection

I might record it someday so you can hear it and not just read the words.

Topic #2: I put a song up on my MySpace page. It was a project for my recording tech class. Here's the link: myspace.com/mattulrich

Thirdly, I almost died tonite. Well, not really, but I thought I might. There was supposed to be a huge storm of "historic proportions" coming through, but we got lucky. There wasn't much of anything.

Next, I must comment on this blog. As much as I love WordPress, there's no community like there is with Xanga. I don't think I'll be switching, but I do have a Xanga so I can keep tabs on my friends. I might redesign this blog so it has a little more relaxed look (like Xanga). We'll see what I feel like and what kind of time I have. That probably will have to wait until Christmas break at the earliest.

On the topic of webdesign, I am still waiting on graphics from my friend Dane Benton to design the SGA website. So when I finally get that stuff, that website will be going up. Also, I am the official designer of artist websites for Orangehaus Records, or at least that's the way I understand that part of my position. I also was resonsible for designing and getting out the first electronic issue of the Orangehaus SPIN, our newsletter. You can read it here. So yay...pat me on the back. Gosh, that sounded conceited. Sorry. I guess I'm just keeping you informed of what I've been up to.

Another fun thing about my life is that I've been reading through Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller. Every Tuesday morning at the slightly ungodly hour of 7am, Doug Irving (my adopt-a-parent at my Anderson church) and I have breakfast at Panera. We talk about life and the book and pray with each other. So far it's been a rewarding time. I feel like I've learned and grown a lot through this time with Doug. I've also discovered I love Panera's dark and vibrant coffee. You should try it sometime.

Hm...what else? Oh, I've been working a bit on helping a friend named Jeff Owen design his cd cover. He seemed to like one of my ideas should the colors be modified, so we'll see. By the way, in addition to doing his own singer/songwriter thing, he plays bass for Joy Williams. Two of my other friends (sort of...one's more of an acquaintance, and the other is somewhere in-between) also play for Joy. Dylan Williams plays lead guitar, and Darren Rayl plays drums. The latter two have played for Jon McLaughlin in the past, and I believe Dylan still does when Jon wants a guitar player.

Next topic: my "free" iPod. Well, it technically will be free, assuming I get it. Any money I've paid hasn't been directly for the iPod. It's more because I wasn't careful when picking an offer to complete and because I bribed a few people to do offers. :) Anyway, having gotten my 5 referrals, it is now currently in the verification stage wherein the company makes sure all my referrals are legitimate. It says to wait 7-10 days (I'm pretty sure it said 5-7 when I first requested verification), but I feel like it's been that long or longer. So I continue to wait... I'll keep you updated.

Finally, I have some great new friends this semester. Among these are Kalyn Yocum, Megan McDaniel, Mindy Parsons, Chelsea Travis, Joe Balbaugh, Glen Lovitt, Antoine Brown (who, in combination with me, makes up "Mantoine"), Nate Heironimous, Phil Larson, and many others. The first few are new to AU, and the others have been here, but I've just gotten to know them a lot better this semester. Still no woman for me, though. :)

Thus ends what I believe to be my longest post ever. I am out.

Verbosely yours,
Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/16/random/feed/ 1 Jealous http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/12/jealous/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/12/jealous/#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2005 07:29:19 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=186 I know it's not good to be jealous, but I am. You see, I went with some cool friends to a Jon McLaughlin show tonight at the Living Room in Muncie. It was pretty darn good, with Micah Dalton and Jeff Owen opening. But I digress. I'm jealous because Jon stole all the talent. Well, I mainly refer to songwriting talent. I suppose that if I practiced hard enough, I could play as well as he does in concert, but he's a natural songwriter, which I am not. On top of his songwriting talent, he's got a great on-stage personality, holding his audiences captive. Tonite, a lot of the audience was talking during the opening acts, but Jon's appearance grabbed them. Anyway, long story short...every time I see him play, I find it easy to wish that I was him, but since I'm not, I'm just happy with learning something new from him by watching him perform.

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/12/jealous/feed/ 0 R.I.P. Praise Gaithering http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/07/rip-praise-gaithering/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/07/rip-praise-gaithering/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2005 01:32:34 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=185 Well folks, it's over. After a good number of years, Praise Gathering is no longer. Let us now observe a moment of silence in honor of the timeless legacy that was Praise Gathering, affectionately known to many as "Praise Gaithering." ... ... ... Ok, that's enough. I am indeed sad that it's over, so don't take all of the dialogue you've just read in jest.

On a completely different note, I just got my final referral approved on freeipods.com. Now all I have to do is wait 5-7 days for them to verify all 5 referrals. If they all pass, then I can order my iPod. It's at that time that the people to whom I've promised a sum of money (aka bribed) will be getting their reward. Yes, you heard it right: I haven't forgotten you faithful friends. :)

More later...time to do homework and hit the sack. I've got my weekly early-morning breakfast with Doug Irving tomorrow.

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/07/rip-praise-gaithering/feed/ 2 AudioScrobbler http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/02/audioscrobbler/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/02/audioscrobbler/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2005 20:47:50 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=184 Hey everyone! It's been a while, and I'll probably update you later, but I wanted to recommend a great site for those of you that listen to music on your computer a lot. It's called AudioScrobbler, and it's found at last.fm. Sign up on that website and download the software. The software will send an update to the server everytime you listen to music, and it will keep statistics about what you listen to. It's pretty nifty, so I thought I'd share. Check out my AudioScrobbler page if you want to see an example of the purpose of this site.

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/11/02/audioscrobbler/feed/ 1 I’m Kilroy! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/17/im-kilroy/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/17/im-kilroy/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:44:14 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=183 Sorry for the random post title. I couldn't think of anything else. With 80s Encore in the not-so-distant past, those sorts of things stick with me. Anyway, I'm currently listening to some 80s Michael W. Smith...yeah Smitty! Anywho...that was awkward... Ok, on to why you're really here. Actually, it would be more like on to why I'm really here. This post is by request of my former roommate, Mr. Jon Mobley, host of Late Night with Jon Mobley, a new show here on the AU campus. It's quality, and I play in it when I can. So come if you're on campus Wednesday nights at 10pm. If you're not on campus, it's worth flying in and renting a car just to come. No joke. Anyway, enough commercials. What's been going on with me? We'll just say a lot. After getting back from a great time in Florida, I had one day of classes then Homecoming weekend, which basically meant I spent all of Friday night and Saturday on Encore stuff. In my opinion, it was a great show (especially the 10:00), but you can make your own judgement. My parents were down for two different weekends recently, homecoming being one of them, and they were able to see the show. I love them. Oh, and if you think about it, pray for my Dad as he's between jobs. He's waiting to hear back on one, so hopefully that will work out. Ok, back to the Strong's Exhaustive Update on my life since my last blog entry (that was for you Bible buffs). Well, I had a busy week of doing homework, playing for chapel, teaching Melissa how to play Mary Had A Little Lamb and Amazing Grace, taking recording tech quizzes, working on my recording tech projects, getting up for two early-morning breakfasts, and playing in church. Luckily there was a phenomenon called Fall Break. Give it up for the three-day weekend! I didn't do very much except a little laundry and reformatting my hard drive and restoring my system. Oh, and I found out Logic Pro won't run on my system, so I have to pick out a new DAW to purchase. I guess it's either Cubase or Digital Performer. Well, I do take donations, so if I could buy a new G5, I'd be able to run Logic Pro and create beautiful music for the masses to enjoy. Man, I wish rich people were reading this. Ok, I think it's time to get back to the homework. I know I need to be a more faithful blogger, so I'll do my best to keep you informed. I love you all. Goodnight.

Matt, aka Matthew, aka Matty, aka Melonhead, aka Mellonhead, aka Melonfoot

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/17/im-kilroy/feed/ 3 Florida… http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/03/florida/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/03/florida/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2005 20:55:05 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=182 Well here I am sitting in the Ritz-Carlton of Naples, Florida. The internet in the rooms is not free, but there is complimentary wi-fi in the lobby and pool areas. I'll take it... Anyway, the weather is great. I've been spending some quality time by the pool, so hopefully I'll be tan when you next see me. Doubtful though. I just don't tan well. There's a better chance of seeing me red. I hope to make it to the Gulf at least once on this trip. It's right next to us, but we've been going to the pool instead. The pool is salinated (I think that's the right word), meaning that it is filled with salt water. There's almost always either a solo pianist or a small combo playing jazz in the lobby, so that's been fun to listen to. Pretty soon, I need to go spifferize myself because we're playing a song tonight before a fancy dinner. If you didn't know, I'm here with Jennifer Stanley, an artist I play for on a pretty regular basis. So far on this trip, we've led worship in the Sunday morning church service, did one song before dinner last night, and played a small worship set this morning during breakfast. That's the only way I can afford to even be here...I'm not paying a single penny. I hear a normal room like mine costs like $400 a night. It's nice, but I'm not sure I'd pay that (actually I'm pretty sure the only time I'd even consider it is for my honeymoon...but that's a different story). The beds and the view are amazing though...Egyptian cotton and a down matress pad. In fact, I think I might go lay down on it for a small while before I get dressed up. I might post more later if there's anything to say and time to say it. I'm actually staying more busy than I thought I would be. :)

Matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/10/03/florida/feed/ 3 Thank God http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/27/thank-god/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/27/thank-god/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2005 06:17:01 +0000 Matt http://blog.mattulrich.com/?p=180 Well, with Sanctuary and now the songwriting showcase both behind me, I must say I surprised myself. Actually not so...I believe it was the Lord surprising me. Both events went surprisingly well for me, and all I can say is that it is not of me. I could have never pulled either of those things off had it not been for the hand of God on me. I have nothing else to say except to repeat what I wrote in my last post.

Soli Deo Gloria!

~matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/27/thank-god/feed/ 4 Finally… http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/finally/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/finally/#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2005 01:55:47 +0000 Matt http://s92337008.onlinehome.us/wordpress/?p=179 This has been a really good weekend spiritually. I think I finally know what it's like to be truly used by God, to step away from the controls and let Him take over. I led worship for a men's conference/retreat this evening. It was just me, a piano, a microphone, a water bottle, 45 minutes, 35 men eager for an encounter with God...and God Himself. I'll tell you, I didn't feel very prepared, but I'm convinced that is the place where God works. It's a place where I have to depend on Him because I know I'll fall utterly short, and I would have had it not been for His presence in that place and His grace on this simple vessel of clay. Despite there being no full band, no amazing sound system, no lyrics on the screen, and all those other things that have been what I've known as church for all these years, I can't say I've ever felt so sure I met with God. I went thinking I was helping a group of guys worship, but found myself experiencing God like never before. The men were blessed by the Lord, and I'm humbled that I was used in that. I too was completely blessed.

I've finally figured out that preparation of the heart far surpasses musical preparation in importance, despite how many times I've heard it over the years. I've been longing for an experience like this for quite a while, and now that I know it really happens, I look forward to the next time and pray that it's sooner than I can imagine...hopefully tomorrow morning.

Soli Deo Gloria!

~matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/finally/feed/ 1 Sanctuary http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/sanctuary/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/sanctuary/#comments Sat, 24 Sep 2005 17:53:36 +0000 Matt http://s92337008.onlinehome.us/wordpress/?p=178 I know it's been a while, and there's probably a lot more I could write on here, but I just need to say how amazing I anticipate tomorrow morning to be. The East Side worship choir along with Randy Vader and Jay Rouse will be presenting one of Randy and Jay's newest creations, "Sanctuary." It's powerful, and I'm excited to be a part of it. It all happens tomorrow morning in both of the morning services (9am and 10:45am), so if you can, come and be blessed.

_matt

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/09/24/sanctuary/feed/ 1 Sound familiar? http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/08/31/sound-familiar/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/08/31/sound-familiar/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2005 02:26:17 +0000 Matt http://s92337008.onlinehome.us/wordpress/?p=176 Click here

Do any names on that page ring a bell?

]]> http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/08/31/sound-familiar/feed/ 1 Restored in Diverse City! http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/08/12/restored-in-diverse-city/ http://blog.mattulrich.com/2005/08/12/restored-in-diverse-city/#comments Sat, 13 Aug 2005 04:51:12 +0000 Matt http://s92337008.onlinehome.us/wordpress/?p=173 So I just got back from Day 2 of Unity Music Festival 2005. Holy moley, it was amazing. Jeremy Camp absolutely rocked the stage, and after he was over, I wondered how it could get any better. Well, Toby Mac answered that. PHENOMENAL!! I haven't had that much fun anywhere, let alone at a show, in a long time. That's all I gots to say.

Out.

Matt

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