I wanted to let everyone know that I recieved a recording and distribution contract from a recording company that I met through one of the songwriter websites.

It really excited me at first, because they promise to sell my music all over the world in every kind of music store chain and all the online sites. That part sounded really enticing, but when it came to the money split they wanted 85% of all the money made. Even CD’s that I bought from them they wanted 60% of that money. So the question is right now: ” What is the price of fame worth to me ? “

This is the same problem that has existed down thru the ages for artists and creative people alike. The business people can see how to exploit our creations for their gain and they don’t want to share the wealth with us. I believe I’m going to keep shopping for a better deal. Maybe I’ll find a company that wants to have more of a partnership between ” retail ” ( them ) and ” production ” ( me ). I’m going for a 50/50 split or maybe 60/40 at least.

By messaging back and forth I’ve gotten to know so many sincere,talented and motivated songwriters. This is such a great way to keep up with what’s happening in the creative aspect of the music business. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know those of you who’ve honored me with your friendship. I wanted to thank all of you who support my music as a fan or by judging in the monthly battles. Your comments on my profile have really encouraged me to go and visit different profiles and get to know what’s going on musically on this website.

I’ve heard the best and the worst songs imaginable, but through it all I’ve been blessed to keep meeting wonderful people who aren’t afraid to open up and share their feelings and thoughts with me. I’m a naturally outgoing person and I find it easy to meet strangers and mix with people I’ve never met. I feel like some of the artists I’ve discovered here are superstars in the making. I hope that the music industry is checking out all the great songs that are scattered around on this website.

Thanks to all of you who have become fans and friends on mine. I pray that God will bless you and use you in a meaningful way so that your hopes and dreams come to pass and bear alot of fruit for you and his kingdom. Success is all about how you take advantage of opportunities God provides. It’s not just about making money, but also it’s about relationships and growing up to become a mature child of God. It’s the eternal treasures that you save up that will always be there for you.

I hope to get to know each and every one of you better and better as time goes on. Please feel free to send me a message whenever you feel led to, because I appreciate them more than you know.

This is my second month on OurStage and I’ve gradually been starting to understand the way the battles rage on through the month until they get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals.

All of my songs are Christian, but I can only enter one song in that catagory so I’ve been posting my other songs in various catagories that seem appropriate to them. This month I posted HOLY SPIRIT in the Christian catagory and it went to the # 1 spot. As time went by it slowly eased on down until now it’s hovering in the mid-teens. I was thinking maybe if my fans would all judge the christian catagory it might help HOLY SPIRIT stay top-10 and so I sent out a short message to them and a few got back to me saying that they did what they could to help. Believe me, I really appreciate any and all the help I get from everyone !

But I’m starting to see that people are going to push their songs in every catagory in order to improve their standings and get into the top-15 or 20 so they can compete in the quarter-finals etc. This is the competitive spirit in all of us and it’s totally natural and to be expected. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Ha Ha !!!!

But wait ! I’m seeing things in a totally different light now. I think it’s a revelation from the Holy Spirit about having a servants heart in this competiton. We need to judge as many songs as we possible have time to judge and let the cards fall where they will. If people really appreciate my song, they will judge it accordingly. If your song is more to their liking than mine; then you will win the judgement. This is all really about one person’s opinion compared to other people’s opinions.

Now I say let the songs stand on their own merits. Judge each battle between two songs as fairly as you know how to and let the best songs rise to the top of the heap !!! Even if I really like your music and who you seem to be, if I like the other song better than yours then it needs to win the judgement.

I repent for using our friendship as a vehicle to further my songs in the battles for the prizes in each catagory. Please forgive me and accept my apologies for insulting your good judgement and free will choices that you need to make in order for these competitions to be fair and equitable. I should have known that my songs will have to stand on their own merits in every battle. My work was done when the song was completed, the rest is up to you the listener. MAY THE BEST SONGS ALWAYS WIN !!!!!!!

The greatest thing I’ve discovered here at OurStage is the importance of FRIENDS and FANS. Sometimes I want to be friends with somebody but they don’t respond to me or they let me be a friend but never talk to me. This is not how friends act ! We need to talk to each other and get to know one and other better and better.

The music is our art and the expression of our souls and the creativity of our spirits, but our friends are the fruit of all that expressing and creating. Good friends, and better yet, good fans are why we write songs and let people see right into our souls. We want to draw others to us, to increase our sense of community. If we get too caught up in ourselves we end up alone in the end. I want to help and encourage others because that’s what makes me happy. Please feel free to message me anytime you feel the urge. I will always answer as soon as I can and I’m so grateful for your friendship and for all those who are fans of my music. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

When I first started out on this experiment I was looking for a way to let people hear my music and get some feedback from everyone. Well that has surely happened, but what has really turned out to be the greatest blessing is getting a chance to listen to so many different peoples music. I’ve also had a chance to get into dialogs with many interested artists about our songs and what’s going on in our lives thru sending messages to each other. Thank you OurStage for providing an excellent platform for so many styles of music and artistic expression. Thank you to everyone who is listening to my songs and telling others to come and check them out.

I really thought that ” Holy Spirit ” was going to make a showing, but it turns out that people like ” Lift Up Your Heads O You Gates ”. So it just goes to show you how people percieve your work differently than you do yourself. All I know to do is to keep on writing songs that glorify Jesus; who he is and what he’s done. It used to be that I wrote all kinds of songs, but somehow I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing is more important than praising and worshiping my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Anything else seems to be just wasting peoples time. The sooner we all come to the realization that we must put Jesus first in our lives, before family, work, church, dreams and goals, the sooner our lives will change for the better. The bible says ” Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. ” He has a better family, job, church, dream and goals for you than you could ever imagine for yourself.

I would like to encourage all of you songwriters to start thinking about writing songs that glorify Godly principles. When you see people getting saved, healed, delivered and set free while you’re singing a song you’ve written, suddenly music takes on a whole new purpose in your life. I pray that you can see yourself doing just that.