Raising The Roof At Woodbine

Susie and I rode together to set up for the service at Woodbine UMC last Saturday and
on the way she made the comment that one of the greatest things about what we do is getting to experience all these different churches. She's right, every church we go into has a different vibe, a different feel. Woodbine UMC was no exception, this is a beautiful church with a beautiful group of people worshiping there. Our good friend James Cole is the pastor at Woodbine, but he was out of town (in Guatemala) on a mission trip so we were walking into a church where no one knew us and we didn't know anyone, so we didn't know what to expect. We were met at the door Saturday by a wonderful lady Nancy Ezell who had agreed to be our host and we felt right at home immediately. She made us feel so welcome! Then when we saw the sanctuary of the church we new we were in for a wonderful morning. The sanctuary at Woodbine was built in 1915 and it holds all the charm and beauty of churches built in those times. I love the old churches that have a balcony and all the stained glass with each window dedicated past members. They knew how to build churches back then, the acoustics in the sanctuary were not to be believed, if we had not been using drums I would not have had any need to even bring in our sound system. You could hear a whisper from the front all the way to the back. The room also had a natural reverb that could make a quartet sound like a choir.


But I'm rambling, let's move on to Sunday morning.

The day was perfect, warm and sunny and when we entered the sanctuary the sun was shining through the stained glass, painting the room with a rainbow of color. We did a quick sound check and waited for the service to start. After a prayer with the lay minister we were introduced and kicked in with "Piggy Back Ride" from our CD "Rhythm and Praise" it was just the beginning of a morning full of praise.
Our worship set was made up of the songs "Amazing Grace/Peaceful Easy Feeling", "I Will Worship" and "Open The Eyes of My Heart". To set the feel for Tommy's sermon as the offertory song we did "No Place Like Home" (also from the CD), the old time church song "He Touched Me" was used as a song of invitation and then we closed with "Oh, Happy Day". It was a great service, we left feeling fulfilled and if the comments from members of the congregation are any indication they did too. Hopefully we will get to worship with them again sometime very soon, it won't be soon enough!
V

A few more photos and a few links

A few more photos from the KOA gig have floated in but first until I can figure out how to get these in the sideboard (yes I am computer challenged)I wanted to share a few links with you..

http://the-beat-goes-on.blogspot.com

This is the bolg of my good friend Tom Mulnix who is the minister of music for the Aldersgate Church in Texas, it was Tom leadership in the creation of the contemporary service at Belle Meade UMC that led me to start playing music again after having given up for many years and it is Tom who showed me the pleasure and edification that can come with playing for the Lord. He also stands in my mind as a person who truly practices what he preaches. The Lord has blessed him and his lovely wife Marcy with a gift, and they have been using that gift of music and words to push the message of God's love for many years now and there is no telling how many lives, like mine, that they have touched.

http://jennycoomer.blogspot.com

This next blog is for my good friend Jennifer Coomer, it is a true hodge podge of all that is Jennifer. It's a great read, written by a truly great person who has been going through a lot lately. Jennifer is a fantastic singer and song writer who hopefully will get busy with it again very soon.

so now on with a few more pictures...



We finally caught Michael standing still long enough to get a shot of him, as you can tell he is our trumpet player and is starting to add his talents as a singer and percussionist.


Here's yours truly doing my thing - no the picture is not blurry I just look that way.


And finally the wild man Tommy - hat and all!

That's it for today, we are at Woodbine UMC this Sunday morning - why not come worship with us?
V

Shaking The KOA

Last night we did the first of two nights at the Music City KOA campground - I camped with my family a lot when I was young and driving into the campground last night brought back so many memories...The smell of a camp fire, Kids running wild, people sitting outside their campers & RV's just looking relaxed and ready for anything. We pulled up behind the MUSIC BARN around 5:00 for a 7:00 show time and were impressed with what we found. A nice facility with air conditioning! A large stage and good sound system.

We started a little late, around 7:15, with 15 or 20 people waiting for us, the crowd grew as we played with a final count between 30 & 40. It was a good group that really seemed to enjoy the music and from all indications they went away happy and touched by the music. I remember at one point at the end of "Depths Of The Father's Love" we received a hearty "Amen" or "Praise the Lord" from someone in the crowd which really drove home the point that people can be touched by our music. These first three pictures came from our own Susie Reel, There were plenty more taken with Bryan's camera and when I get them I'll post them A.S.A.P.

This is the full X-ALT! Crew ... Front Row is Brooke, Susie and Katy, Middle Row is Eddie and Michael, Then then in the back row is Mark, Vince(me), Tommy and Bryan.

It was a great night and we can't wait till next month when we get to do it all over again.

V

I Am Amazed!

Being a fledgling band that really centers itself on playing churches and the occasional coffee house we were really wondering how our CD "Rhythm & Praise" would sell. It at this point it is only available from band members and we don't push it at services - you know that "Money changers in the church" stuff, that may not be exactly what Jesus was referring to but my belief is "WHY RISK IT!. Anyway the CD has been available for about two weeks, and through word of mouth only, we have sold over 60 copies! To some of you that may not seem like a lot but to us it is a reassurance that we are doing what God wants us to do and we are doing it the right way. I have said before we are doing this as a non-profit organization - this is our music mission - and it's a mission that we are proud to be on. The only reason we charge for these CD's is that unfortunately running a band has it's costs, most specifically we have to have a dependable sound system. Most churches don't have a sound system that is capable of handling a band much less one as large as ours. The Coffee houses are in many cases the same situation, they are used to two or three folks with a guitar or keyboard then here we come with 2 keyboards, 2 guitars, bass, mandolin, drums, a Sax and Trumpet and 7 vocalists. To say they are overwhelmed is a bit of an understatement. But it works and people are responding, and that is a GOD thing!

Another GOD thing is our own Tom Landers, he preached at Belle Meade UMC Sunday morning and really brought the message home, he has been blessed with a gift for speaking Gods word to the people that need to hear it!

We will be providing the music for the 9am service at Woodbine UMC here in Nashville this Sunday (July 16) and Tom has been asked to be the mornings speaker for that service as well, we are the lucky ones this will be twice we will be able to her his message "Extreme Makeover - Soul Edition"

Tomorrow night the band can be seen at the KOA (Campground Of America) on Music Valley Drive near the Opryland Hotel. We will be playing in their Music Barn beginning at 7:00pm. We will be doing at least an hour long set. If you need a pick me up on a Tuesday come on by we would love to have you. There's no cover - so what's stopping you. If you can't make it be sure to check back here I'll have plenty of pictures to share with you.
Until next time,
V

And don't forget to check out our website www.xaltband.com

Do Good Things and Good Things Happen

When X-ALT! set out on it's mission our goal was simple - To spread the Good News of God's Love and Salvation through Jesus Christ, to do this through our music, to have fun, and make it fun for those who cared to listen, and to do it in a non-profit manner. Jesus didn't charge for his gifts so why should we?

Well one of our members was approached at her kids baseball game last night by an older lady who's daughter had purchased one of our CD's, here is an excerpt from an e-mail she sent to the band members this morning....


At the ball game last night (which we lost) I had an older lady come up to me whose daughter had bought one of the CD's. I was intensely watching the game when I heard "You wouldn't let me get out of the car the other night".
I said "Excuse me?"...she said that she was listening to our CD and loved it so much she didn't want to leave the car until she had heard the whole thing! She is in her 70's...And she said they (she and her father who is in his 90's) especially LOVED Oh Happy Day...It really tickled me and I had to share...

What's the old saying, "That if you can touch the heart of just one person then you have really accomplished something". Well I guess we have touched at least one person. This is one person who is listening to music that celebrates God and all that he has done for us. This person has "Opened Up" to the message and is ready for that "Piggy Back Ride" that we all need from time to time. She has "Fixed Her Eyes On Jesus" and knows that "The Lord Is Coming Back" and is having a Happy Day.

As we start preparing for our outings in July it is my humble prayer that we can touch the heart or hearts of more people, and I ask for your prayers as we carry on with our mission.

If you have the time come by and see us at the

KOA of Nashville (near Opryland) Tuesday the 11th at 7:00pm
& at Woodbine United Methodist Church at their morning service on the 16th.

We are doing a very special show on the 27th for the residents and their family's at Claibourne & Hughes Rehabilitation Center in Franklin, TN. Unfortunately this is not an open show. We love playing in places like this because the people that are confined to nursing facilities always seem to be so appreciative and because there is no better place to be than surrounded by our elders, they have so much to teach us.

Until next time may God bless you and yours
V

Who is X-ALT!

So who is X-ALT!?

Well first off we are a group of singer/song writers who are dedicated to spreading the word of Jesus Christ, our personal savior through song. We are not preachers, we are not missionaries in the normal since of the word, we are not perfect - by any means, we are human beings just like you that deal with every day problems and temptations and just like you we managed to avoid about half of them. Which is probably why we do what we do, it's our way to give back to the God that made us and his Son who was willing to give himself on the cross in order for us to see an eternity of peace and love.

Let me introduce you to the band... In no particular order...

Bryan Cumming - Guitar/saxophone/Vocals/Producer

Brian is our ringer, a music industry vet, Bryan has worked with some of the best.

From Bryan's Web site www.bryancumming.com

"Bryan Cumming grew up in a musical family in Georgia. After a stint in the army, he got into the music business, and has spent over thirty years honing his craft as a songwriter, guitarist, singer, engineer, and producer.
Bryan has toured or recorded with a wide range of artists, including John Hall, Al Jarreau, Maria Muldaur, The Ohio Players, David Soul, Supertramp, Anne Murray, Al Kooper, The Pointer Sisters, Billy Vera and the Beaters, ShaNaNa, and K.T. Oslin."

Needless to say we thank God every day for Bryan, for his talent, his incredible attitude, and for his faith that pours out of him in so many ways that you can't help but be uplifted when you are around him.

Katy Seale - Vocals/Guitar

Katy is making quiet a name for herself in the music city, establishing herself as an incredible singer/song writer both in and out of the Christian music community. She has released quiet a few solo CD's with more on the way. If you are ever in Nashville and have a chance to catch one of Katy's solo shows - just do it! You might even catch a few X-ALT'ers there as some of us occasionally fill in as her back up band!

From Katy's Wedsite www.katysealemusic.com/

Katy moved to Nashville in 2001 from New York City, where she lived and studied voice and music composition for three years. While in New York, Katy formed the rock group Whispering Jessye. In the summer of 1999 they released the self-titled pop CD for which they toured the New York and New Jersey club circuit.
Katy starred in the Off-Broadway musicals "Nine" by Maury Yeaston and "Song and Dance" by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

She is classically trained in voice, plays the piano and guitar, and has had leading roles in numerous concerts and shows, which include "Phantom", "Kiss Me Kate", "South Pacific", "Starting Here Starting Now", "Gold Dust", "A lie of the Mind", and "Natalie Needs a Nightie".
In the summer of 2002 Katy starred in the Sondheim musical "Company" at the Darkhorse Theatre .

In 2003 Katy released Her first full length pop CD "Shine", for which she wrote all music and Lyrics. The album was in rotation on radio in Spain and Germany.

Mark Mills - Piano/Vocals

Mark comes to X-ALT! from a background of leading choirs in many churches and as a member of the Gospel Quartet "I-Witness" (Produced by Bryan Cumming). He is also an ace Piano teacher. Mark is X-ALT!'s musical Director and primary lead singer. He was the leader of the contemporary service at Belle Meade UMC that was the base of X-ALT! and he is instrumental in creating the X-ALT sound.

Tom "Tommy" Landers - Keyboards, Guitar. Mandolin, Vocals

Tommy is the wild man of the group. Along with being a multi-instrumentalist Tommy just can't seem to stand still and his energy is infectious. A little over 20 years ago Tommy formed the group "Blue Collar" (along with a bass player who will be mentioned later), "Blue Collar" was a group much in the style of it's time, with big guitars, progressive melodies and catchy songs that tend to stick in your head. "Blue Collar" released one recording back in 1990 titled "Just Begun". Tommy is also a preacher in the making occasionally filling in in the pulpit at the contemporary service at Belle Meade UMC.

Brooke Pinkerton - Brooke is one of our vocalists as well, her smooth vocals were trained in church choirs and as a member of her high school Madrigal singers. Her harmonies add that perfect touch to the X-ALT! sound!

Susie Reel - Susie is one of our other vocalists and un-like Brooke she grew up singing in in bands then became a christian in her 20's. Susie does occasional session work and works closely with Katy on her solo efforts.

Eddie Loper - Eddie is our drummer, and what a drummer he is. A fan of all music styles Eddie's versatility adds to the diversity of the band, and he is always good for a laugh! And look out ladies HE'S SINGLE!

Vince Pinkerton - Bass/Vocals and Weird Voices

Yep, That's me! I've been playing bass for close to 25 years and started the band "Blue Collar" along with Tommy back many years ago. I also work as booking agent for the band and "Sound Guy" - what can I say I'm multi-talented (Modest too).

Michael Griggs - I didn't have a picture of Michael handy but Michael fills out our horn section with his trumpet playing and he fills in on percussion and vocals from time to time. He is also the youngest guy of the group. Michael is a senior in High School and does a great job keeping up with us old farts!

So that us, so why not come out and check us out some time. Or buy a CD by sending a check or money order for $10 to ....

X-ALT

103 Gun Club Road

Nashville, TN 37205