Cd release: Thank you It was an awesome night!

I had an amazing night reuniting with so many people and meeting new friends. The band was awesome, the food was great, though some of you had never heard of Mellon wrapped prosciutto. :).

The most important thing was that Jesus was lifted up and we were reminded of the Call he has on our lives.

Please don't live another day without responding to Him and His purpose for you. You are too important and so is His Salvation of the world. He doesn't need us, but He wants to include us because He wants to reward us and draw us in even though it is He who does the work.

Respond! Have the conversation with Him today: Here I am, Send Me!

The Latest on the CD Release Party DEC 8

I am thrilled for this CD Release Party! We have such wonderful people who have come out of the proverbial wood work and become answers to my prayer before God. Quite a few of willing souls will be using the gifts and talents God gave them to help make this night a wonderful and special night!

What has been provided!

1. Gifts for silent auction (Kreative Haus - Lindy)(if you have something to donate, please contact me!) Proceeds will go to FACE of Harvest.
2. Photography (Shelly Young) - The more the merrier :) Amateurs welcome!
3. Event Planning (Jennifer Wallace)
4. Catering (John, Matt, and Lily!)
5. Helpers for CD Table and Auction Table (Brandi Bender all the way from Arizona! - there are others who offered, and still waiting to hear they are certain to come.)
6. Press Release/Communications Kreative Haus - Lindy)
7. Kenyan Tea - (Nancy of FACE of Harvest)
8. Sound System - Armor of Light
9. Graphic Design - Melissa Diaz and Karla!
10. FACE of Harvest Team coming out from Washington DC!

Still Needed

1. Videos of the event - videographers and smartphone amateurs!
2. Helpers still needed: Food, Silent Auction Table, Greeters, Spreading the word (anyone can do that) via your social networks and grabbing some invites from me to share with your friends.
3. Anyone with awesome lighting equipment for event night... :)
4. Printing Services
5. Silent Auction Gifts for FACE of Harvest Silent Auction


There are lots of other things I can't think of right now, but you may have a gift you can share that I haven't yet thought of!
This is going to be an AWESOME night. I really am thrilled to be sharing this night with so many of you who might come and bless us with your presence and time.
Lots of love, prayers, and music,
e

Dec. 8, 2011 - 7:00pm - Five O'Clock CD Release Party

I Asked

Lord, please send me help. I need people willing to share YOUR hands and feet in organizing this. Show me what YOU want for this CD Release Party. Where do you want to have it?

He Answered With People

Along came Jennifer Wallace, Event Planner, by recommendation of Massage Therapist RBODY Cassandra, who donated her gifts to help me run the Half-Marathon to raise money for the Medical Clinic with FACE of Harvest.

A handful of folks have also volunteered their gifts and abilities too.

With a Venue The Cove at Vanguard Univesity (Next to the Bookstore in the CENTER of Campus) Volunteers to make Desserts Desserts:My dear friends, the Brutlags, are amazing Foodies and volunteered to make delectable desserts! Kenyan Tea:My dear friend and sister who traveled with me to Kenya with FACE of Harvest is making KENYAN TEA!!!!! YAY! She ALSO is Kenyan, so this is LEGIT! I am STILL Asking for Help So HERE GOES

1. Photographers

2. Videographers

3. Set-Up

4. Clean-Up

5. Flash Mob (Singers/Drama) -- You come up with a "drama set to the music" and we'll hash it out at my house! :) Contact me with your video to one of my songs, and I'll let you know! :) Use your talents!

6. Sound Equipment and Sound person

7. Service napkins, plates, utensils

8. Gifts to Silent Auction off to raise money for the ongoing needs of the Medical Clinic in Kenya.

Other Foodies who are willing to contribute Hot drinks or appetizers for the evening.

Really excited about the opportunity to spend time with any and ALL of you whom God intends on being there! If you have a gift or talent and want to use it, this will be an amazing opportunity to do so. Lots of Love in Jesus and music, Elva

Calvary Chapel Pacific Hills Womens Retreat

This is the photo story I kept of my visit at Calvary Chapel Pacific Hills women's retreat. It was a beautiful time. There were so many amazing women that I was able to meet and talk with. My only regret is that I did not get to meet and sit and talk with everyone.

Love the time we spent as a group worshiping God. It was so sweet. It occurred to me, that though I was in front on the Piano leading, I was actually sitting in the audience to an amazing choir. This was all for God, and he let me sit in the front row. I felt very honored.

I stayed up late both nights talking and sharing, laughing and crying, but it was worth no sleep for what beautiful conversations and fellowship we had.

Sweet times.

A CD release party for 5 O'Clock!

I come to you now vocally by my iPhone. So if any of this looks a little weird, it's not me, it's me talking to my phone. My phone doesn't always know what I mean, but I'm not typing so I'm just speaking. It's a lot harder to do. But I digress.

I'm throwing a CD release party December 8, 2011. It will take place at Vanguard University of Southern California in The Cove. I am so excited and the event planner, Jennifer Wallace, is helping me to plan the event.

I have a few volunteers who have volunteered to help. I am hoping to find others who are willing to do the same. People who can get the word & invitations out, and bring a friend or two or three. I'll keep you posted on all that happens.

If you would like to help, yes you reading this blog right now, please send me an email. You can visit me on my Facebook music page, and let me know there too.

Www.Facebook.com/Elva Frye.

Not only will I be sharing some of the songs, but I will also talk about Face of Harvest and all that's happening there too. It's going to be a really fun night with a lot of fun people and great music, yummy desserts, and a lot of love to go around. I hope to see you there.

It's also close enough to Christmas, so if you want to pick up a few CDs for Christmas presents, you can do it there! We'll even have wrapping paper and bows for you to wrap your purchased CDs with.

I will be posting pictures of our last cd release party. It was a blast. So, put the date on your calendar December 8, 2011, at 7 PM in Southern California. Love, Elva

PS
I couldn't help myself. I went back and made a few corrections that my iPhone didn't catch.

Scheduling a Northeast 2012 Summer Tour! The DO-IT-Yourself Step by Step way.

If you are following along with me in this blog, then you may want to know how one would schedule a tour.  This is provided you are not using a Booking Agency.  I definitely enjoy the interaction I have with people before the event, so for now, I am reaching out prayerfully on my own.  

If you have any contacts or wonderful places for me to share the music and ministry entrusted to me, please feel free to share and I will prayerfully consider and reach out!!!

Booking a Tour  (Not a complete list, I am sure.)

  Step 1: Pray

  Step 2: Keep Praying and have others do the same.  (continue reading for hands-on practical steps)

  Step 3: Determine a few base nights with people and/or church families who have the a similar heart and mission as you do.  

  Step 4: Start filling in other nights/dates and try to schedule them so you are not back tracking between cities within 1 to 3 hours.  Contact churches, cafes, ministries you would like to come alongside and join for an evening or even a morning.

  Step 5: Request a host family or accommodations in the area so that you can get to know the people and community and share in their work.  (Unless you are able to accommodate yourself in a hotel or with people you know.) and  request a healthy MEAL possibly for before or after the event.

Step 6: Determine what kind of transportation you will need - car, bus, suv.

Step 7: If possible, carry most of your own gear and instruments.  Whatever you don't need, just leave in the vehicle.  Better safe than sorry.

Step 8: Have a press kit available for the Venue/Church/Group 2 months in advance for each venue or ministry night, so that public service announcements can be made.

Step 9: You haven't stopped praying.

Step 10: Purchase any airline tickets to far destinations.  (Preferably not with money you don't have.)

Step 11:  Be ready for changes, cancellations, broken sound equipment, break downs (Get AAA), difficulties, joys, confusion, clarity, and most of all, be ready to be used by God wherever He leads you.

Step 12: Make sure you have enough CDs, merchandise, a portable table, CD Sales Table Decor, Credit Card swiper (or SQUARE - free, and only 2.75% fee),  Change, Means of collecting emails and CONTACT info with people you are kindred with!, rules for selling in other locales (i.e. taxes), and anything else you can think of (i.e. water, granola bars, hand soap for laundry!)

Nothing happens in a vacuum, so trust that God is guiding your steps no matter what the circumstances are or become.  

Prayer will keep you remembering you can TRUST the Lord with all of this. 

Prayer is the WORK!  Oswald Chambers

So, I'll keep you posted on how the scheduling goes for the Five O'Clock 2012 Northeast Summer Concert Tour!  :)  Please help me pray!

e

Free Song Download: I Will Follow & Story behind the song.

I posed the question to "fans" of my Facebook Music Page: Which song would you like to receive as a free download?  The winner, I Will Follow.  So, for a limited time you can get a free download of the song.  I hope you'll take this opportunity to upload the download.  :)  As, the free download will disappear soon.  :)

All you need to do is visit my Facebook Music Page, click on the "Like" button while on that page, and you can get the free download.  :)



 I wrote "I Will Follow" in the midst of some very difficult and dark circumstances.  It seemed as though there might be no end to the trouble and heartache.  However, I remembered a promise the Lord made to me in the quiet of my heart when I committed to following Him where ever He led me.  This song was THAT reminder to myself of His promise that if I honored Him with my gifts, he would take care of me in doing so.  I know I am being a bit vague, however, if you and I ever have the chance to speak on a one on one basis, I'd be so happy to share the story.

Danny Donnelly is singing background vocals here, Sean Holt is playing saxes, and of course, everything by piano, is Danny D.  :)  

Anyway, I hope you'll download the song and that it too, will remind you that if you TRUST God, no matter what the circumstances say... if you feel like you will never get out of this, remember, trusting in God means you will follow Him, and He may not always pull us OUT of pain or a painful situation, but He will guide us through it, and through all of it, we will learn to TRUST Him because He alone is truly trustworthy.  He's God, He knows the beginning and the end.  Nothing is a surprise to Him.  Don't fear.  This is not cliche', it's truth and you'll know it once you walk in it. 

CD's Are HERE!

They are shrink wrapped and beautiful!  Five O'Clock is here, but not officially released yet.  We're working on the Official Release Party.  You can check out the CD Artwork here!  You can get the Digital Version right now.  We are doing a Soft-Release at the concert this weekend outside Baltimore, MD.

9/11 Rememberance and Memorial

I was at work in downtown San Francisco. My husband called me to let me know that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I logged onto the internet. Then came the second phone call and news of the second tower hit. All I wanted to do was go home and be with my husband. My work, however, would insist we press on and continue to work. Then tower 2 collapsed. Then tower 1. "Oh God, save them."

The shock I felt, sadness...prayers lifted up... when the horror of the news and pictures on the internet reached my eyes was inexplicable. I prayed that every single person in those towers would be met by Jesus and comforted by Him. Then the news of the Pentagon and Pennsylvania plane crash.

Then the news of my mother on an airplane coming back from Florida to Arizona, where she was helping her sister, rerouted to Texas early in the day when the President ordered all aircraft out of the sky.

In Arizona, at my mother's home, 1130pm, my younger brother, Richard, slept. He heard frantic knocking and screaming at the front door. It was a man warning the household that the carport, car in the carport, and outdoor laundry room were on fire. My brother, unsure if this were true, neared the carport from inside when he felt the heat of the fire. In his pajamas, he hurriedly picked up his car keys and ran out the front door. Just seconds after that, the car in the carport exploded shooting flames through the attic and engulfing most of the house.

Then came the phone call from my little brother. Alarmed at the late night phone call, calmly and uncharacteristically monotone, "Elva, the house is burning down." "What?" I was confused. We were still reeling from events of the day. My mother's mom had just passed away. My parents were recently divorced. Terrorism struck us that day, and NOW? NOW? The house is on fire?

When I spoke to my mother early that morning, her response, in a shakey voice that carried the sound of sadness and loss, "Elva, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

My mother has always shown EXTREME strength in the Lord because of her TRUST in the Lord. Even in spite of all she had lost. Emotions in my family ran high for our family on 9/11. Even though we did not know ONE NAME of the people in that tower, we felt like we had lost over 3000 of our own family. And the fire on that day brought the tragedy home, even closer to us.

Then, in the days that followed, people who had never walked into a church, began walking into churches to find comfort and solice in God.
People who didn't pray, began to pray.
Then, most cars on the road donned the American Flag.
Then, time passed.
People woke up later and later and stopped seeking comfort and solice from God.
Flags didn't don cars anymore.
Politics divided the country.
People who didn't know anyone in the towers began to forget.
Then, 10 Years Later... here we are again. Commemorating the 10th Year After this tragedy.

The Bible says in Isaiah 55:
6Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.

I wrote a song when my friends, the Hasenbalgs, were met by their own tragedy in losing their child. My prayer is that this song will be one to remind you that in whatever sorrow or loss, trial or difficulty, there is ONE who is NEAR to you. I am posting it on my FACEbook Music Page Band Profile. There is healing in tears, when you allow the savior and Light of the world to comfort you.

Dedicating this song to all those today, who are remembering 9/11. Praying for comfort for all.
Love, e

Releasing a CD is easier than producing it? Uh, yeah, NO!

I've been in deep preparing for Five O'Clock CD release.

website content and going back and forth with that
messages to friends and supporters of DA music and me
blogs (hi, there) :)
marketing help
social website news
accounting
sales prep
scheduling opportunities to share the music
spending hours upon hours researching
meetings
traveling
praying for God's guidance and my surrender
AND so many other miscellaneous things!

Why go through all this? To garner personal attention? Lord, no. It's too much work.

But I have something to say in a song that was spoken to me in my walk with God-- through life, experiences, trials, and joys and I can't help but want others to experience the peace, help, and joy I experienced in writing the songs... then it is all worth it. If you're a songwriter or artist, you understand what I am saying. These songs are REAL, GENUINE lessons learned, tears cried, depression conquered (that's a constant battle on some days, but the battle is already always won), joy awakened --- all put to lyrics and melody. The hours and weeks - heart and soul poured out as God healed me, taught me, disciplined me, comforted me -- through the songs while allowing me... and yes, now YOU, to know that I can, I should, I MUST trust Him NO MATTER WHAT the circumstance is.

As long as we are not stumbling into trouble purposely and carelessly --- we can trust that good and bad circumstances are for (as James 1 says) testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.


We should consider whatever we walk through in this life (trial or joy) AS A JOY.

He wants us to RISE and awaken to the LIFE He has for us.

So, this is why I am working so hard to get this CD and the message of it out. Not everyone will like the style of music or the sound of my voice, but my prayer is that the message resonates with ears that long to hear, and eyes that long to see. If you hear HIS voice today, soften your hearts, and HEAR!

You can hear FIVE O'CLOCK the TITLE TRACK RIGHT NOW on my FACEBOOK Music Page

New WEBSITE! and.... Five O'Clock: NEW CD IS HERE! Finally. :)

... For Download ONLY, to you who "LIKE" my Facebook Page. If you download, please shoot me an email, and I will be SURE to send you a PDF copy of the CD ARTWORK by my amazing Artist of a cousin, Melissa Diaz.

She is an artist, costume designer, brand expert, and website builder extraordinaire. I am so honored to have her as my cousin, and hope you'll look her and her amazing work up.

So much NEW content on the website, and new songs, and new concerts and events coming up.

We're in the midst of trying to plan a CD Release Party, so it would be AWESOME if some of you want to help out, volunteer, donate a great "laid back, kick back" space that can fit about 125 people. We'll have to keep it manageable. A cafe anyone? A blessing for your cafe, and a place for me to open up and share some music from Five O'Clock and then enjoy some listening.

Just shoot me an email if you think your gifts, talents, and abilities can be hands and feet for Jesus for the CD Release! Love it! I know you're out there.

I already received a call from an Event Planner who wants to help out, so... HERE WE COME!

Off to send some mail out, and get a disc to KENYA, Africa by request so folks at the Radio Station can play some tunes. Pray for that please. :) We all need a little Wakin' up to do!

Love and prayers,
e

FACE of Harvest Elva Frye runs Half Marathon for the Medical Clinic.m4v

If you have never run an official race, whether it be a 5K or marathon (26.1 miles) or a half-marathon (13.1 miles), then you are missing something. I wish that everyone could experience the feeling of knowing that you have trained for 4 months, endured pain, treatments, days when you want to train, days you dread that you have committed to something you're not even sure you can finish, and then rising early in the morning, downing a cup of 2 servings of oatmeal, drive and sit in a line of cars waiting to board a bus that will drive you 13.1 miles away only to run back the way you just came.

More than just running a physical race, the entire process was a spiritual learning experience. The parallel of running a physical race and a spiritual race make more sense to me, and has greatly broadened my understand when Paul in the Bible speaks about running a race. My NEW website touches upon this concept quite a bit, so I hope you'll go there and read about it.

Just running the race the half-marathon wouldn't be motivation enough for me. I set this goal as part of life goal that includes joining VERY SPECIAL people on the other side of the world who are working daily to help the people in their community by being hands and feet for Jesus. There are no spotlights or news cameras following my friends around. Few people in the world even know their names. But they are hands and feet for Jesus.

We at FACE of Harvest have been given the wonderful opportunity to join them and help them open a medical clinic. They are already sharing the Good News and giving medical care to those in need, and they would be so blessed with the gifts and talents, and blessings we've been given, to help them realize the medical clinic.

I've written much on Facebook about this Medical Clinic and this wonderful family so willingly giving of themselves to care for God's creation in this way. I hope you will JOIN ME in being HANDS AND FEET for Jesus WITH our friends, our family in Christ on the other side of the world. They are doing a MARVELOUS thing, and YOU get to be a part of it... should you join us prayerfully and some of you, financially.

Please visit www.faceofharvest.org and GIVE. Make sure you specify in the memo that I sent you and that you are joining us in opening the Medical Clinic.

This isn't to make us feel good! This is to be a part of something that God is giving us the special opportunity, blessing, and encouragement to be a part of! What an honor! For Him, and Him alone.

Half-Marathon - America's Finest City Marathon - San Diego, CA - Aug, 21, 2011 - Sunday

I will be running a half-marathon this weekend in our journey to raise money for the Medical Clinic we at FACE of Harvest want to open in Kenya. While we are already supporting our nurse with medical supplies and medicines, we want to expand and open the clinic.

In support of the efforts to help those suffering the famine occurring in that region of the world, we will also be hosting a Benefit Concert the following weekend in Gaithersburg, Maryland. You can read about the even on the FACE of Harvest Website.

I think the perspective we can all take in partnering with any effort, ministry, or non-profit is not one of pity or sympathy. We should take the perspective that God provides different people with different means, gifts, talents, and abilities, and then provides us with opportunities to use all that He's given us as HIS hands and feet. It is so important to make sure that your involvement, donations, and gifts are for Him and to Him. It is exciting to be included in God's plan in others' lives as they are being used in ours, at the same instance.

So, with that being said... you can donate at http://faceofharvest.org/give.html. We're excited for those of you who are to join us in opening this clinic!

I'll be posting video and pics from the race. So far as I know, we've raised about $4500 for the clinic since I started on this journey to run this race. My personal goal was to raise $11,000 for the first 6-months operating expenses.

I am not worried about the total. That's for God to be concerned with. Is He calling you and what He's given you to give? Only YOU know! :)

Until then, this training has reminded me how much I love running which is not unlike our Spiritual running. If you want to be a runner... you have to run. If you want to be one who seeks God in Spirit and Truth, then you have to run this spiritual race with endurance despite the setbacks and injuries which force rest on the runner. Then recuperation comes and you continue to running. You don't stop!

If you'll be in San Diego, my bib # is 4733.

Elva Frye: Meet the guys behind the scenes of Five O'Clock: Danny Donnelly, Louie Teran, Brian Steckler, and Sean Holt.

Elva Frye here. :) I promised behind the scenes, so here's more of it.

Danny Donnelly
Producer
Picture taken from www.dannydonnelly.com.

Danny D. is a worship leader, recording artist, singer songwriter, producer extrodinaire. He has a beautiful family and great church family in Northern California. Danny has also been on tour with other artists playing guitar. He has hosted the School of Worship of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa at THE BARN in NorCal. Danny D. shares his music as a special music guest at churches, retreats, and conferences. If you don't know his music, you must definitely give it a listen.
----------------------------------------
I met Danny when I attended Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa School of Worship years ago. Danny doesn't take on many projects, so it was definitely a God-ordained opportunity for him to produce Five O'Clock. I am so grateful for the heart and soul he poured out on Five O'Clock. You'll hear Danny singing backgrounds and most of the instrumentation is him. He even took the keyboard lead on some of the songs... and he is known for his killer guitar... no kidding.


Louie Terran
Mastering Engineer
Excerpt is taken from http://www.marcussenmastering.com/engineers/louie.html.

Louie’s career in the music industry started in 1992 as a staff engineer at Skip Saylor Recording in Los Angeles. During his stay at Skip’s, Louie engineering has been featured on several Gold and Platinum Albums, including artists such as D.J. Quik and Tony, Toni, Tone.

In 1994, Louie became an independent engineer and expanded his client base in the rock and pop world. Louie was now overseeing album projects from start to finish. After the mixing was completed, Louie would attend the mastering session where he was fascinated by the process. This led to Louie’s decision to develop a career in mastering.

Having been with Marcussen Mastering since 1999, Louie masters the entire spectrum of musical styles from popular music to classical scores including “Cold Mountain”, “The Da Vinci Code” and the Academy Award winning score of “Finding Neverland”. Louie strives to bring out a sound dynamic that enhances artist’s musical directions and his fine attention to quality can be heard on artists’ recordings including the Dave Matthews Band, Marcus Miller, Snow Patrol and Lamb of God.

Louie also enjoys applying his mastering talents to independent bands to help bring out the highest sonic quality in their projects.
----------------------------------
I spent a little time with Louie while he mastered Five O'Clock. It was a really cool experience watchin' him master Five O'Clock. He is top notch.

Brian Steckler
Mixing Engineer, in addition, he co-produced "The Savior (Will You Go)"
Picture and bio info pulled from www.stickhouse.com

Brian is a composer for film and television, and classical choir. He mixes, produces, and composes. He also is a guest at worship conferences. This is Danny D's goto man for mixing. While I have never met Brian face to face, I am grateful for his work on Five O'Clock. Thanks Brian!

Sean Holt
Saxophone
Excerpt take from Lopez Show Website.
Sean Holt was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana surrounded by the blues, gospel, and jazz artists of that region. He was singing by age 3, playing piano at 6, and saxophone at 12 years old. He has performed/recorded on saxophone, vocals and keyboards with artists Carlos Santana, "P. Diddy" Combs, Slash, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Kenny Loggins, Jeffrey Osborne, the Neville Brothers, Charlie Wilson, Michael McDonald, Arturo Sandoval, George Clinton, Carl Anderson, Don Felder Tyreese, Michael Bolton, Jamie Foxx, Michael Buble, Monica, Beth Hart, El Debarge, 50 cent, Sergio Mendes, and numerous others.

You can watch Sean's interview on the Lopez Tonight Show website. Here's the Link: Sean Holt's Interview Video
-------------------------------------------------
Sean recorded all of the sax parts on the CD and they are beautiful. I was not able to hang with Sean either, but SUPER stoked he was able to use his God-given talents on Five O'Clock. It made all the difference.

Five O'Clock Recording Journal

The following is a composite post of the journey I've been on in recording Five O'Clock. ONE YEAR in the making...

436pm August 10.

It’s official. I am sitting in “The Barn”. The flight from SoCal to NorCal was drama free. Smooth flying and my wonderful friend of old, Taylre Nelson, picked me up with her two beauties of children. That was a VERY welcome welcoming.

We are working on a song called, (Well, I haven’t decided on the title yet)… I Will Follow Where You Lead, maybe? I guess we’ll all find out once it’s printed on a CD cover.

We’ve got serious groove going on over here. I may not have started out that way, but we’re groovin’ now, thanks to Danny D. You’ll know what I mean when you hear it. ☺

Thanks for the many prayers and those of you who are partnering with me in this. I feel very honored to labor with others who are laboring with me though you are not here.

The road here has been filled with trials, tribulations, joys, sorrows, times of rest, times of wanting to panic, yet knowing I can’t if I trust the Lord, and times that I know the Lord is allowing me to know that I know I TRUST Him. He is SO trustworthy.

Some of you have communicated that you are moved to partner but haven’t yet done so. WOW! That is amazing. Thank you for responding to the update and request letter. It means so much.

Playing and singing amongst other things until He comes back for us,
e

831pm August 11, 2010

Today, DAY 2 of recording sessions at the Barn, was special. I started the day by enjoying a run downhill, very downhill, which includes a VERY uphill return down a mountain to the river and back. My hosts are Perry and MaryAnn and what a wonderful home and hospitality they share. Outside my home away from home, bedroom, is a valley filled with pine trees and a river that meanders through them.
My eyes awakened to a breaking dawn, but the rest of me tried to ignore the fact that morning was upon me as I forced my eyes closed after learning it was early enough to sneak a few more winks. Granted, I spent the whole night hoping in every dream, that I didn’t sleep in so I could take the jog, I was rather relieved that it was only 6amish.
I enjoyed three delicious cups of espresso too many, as they totaled four in all. Unfortunately, I was experiencing what four cups of espresso can do to your nerves in session for a few hours. I won’t be making that mistake again tomorrow. Between my morning routine and Session 2, I had the wonderful opportunity to hang with a dearest friend, Taylre, and her two beauties. It is one of those Anne of Green Gables moments when you reconnect with a kindred friend. I don’t have many, and I can count them on my fingers.
I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying nightly “Tag! You’re It” and “Hide-And-Go-Seek” with “The Barn” children, Ella and Miles, after a scrumptious meal by “The Barn” wife and mother, Rachel. Goodness gracious, we had grilled New York Steak, amazingly cooked peas (more on that in a second), fruits mixed in with green salad and blue cheese vinaigrette and JUST PICKED blackberries in a RIGHT OUT of the oven COBBLER!

Okay, back to the peas. These were the MOST AMAZING peas I have ever eaten. If you don’t like peas, you will LOVE these. If you like peas, um, you haven’t had peas until you’ve eaten them. These were sautéed in butter and then fresh garlic was cooked to perfection and mixed in and served hot. Wow.
After dinner, we continued (OK, I mostly watched/listened) with “I Will Follow Where You Lead” – remember that’s a temporary title. We’re starting on another song tonight, hopefully. That’s the plan…it’s 8:45p right now, SOoooo, we’ll see. The next song is dedicated to a very special family. I’ll share the story about Lexi Bender and the Bender family tomorrow.
Ciao, as they say in Italia,
e

UPDATE on last entry: I’ll update it later.

19 August 2010

We’re in our second week of recording. We’ve been working on the title track, Five O’Clock.

Can I say I am having the TIME OF MY LIFE. Danny is a serious bro who has been gifted with some SCHWEET (that’s “sweet” for those who don’t speak Elva speak) skills.

I really don’t have much to say outside of, “This is AWESOME.” The long hours from mornings till early mornings of the wee hours of the night tracking and recording have been but minutes. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Not to mention the continued awesome meals Danny’s wife, Rachel makes for dinner.

We tracked piano, vocals, backgrounds, and drums today. Goodness gracious, you’ll hear why I am so excited when you hear it. It’ll be awhile though. Good things come to those who have to wait. ☺ I would say “wait”, but you HAVE to wait. Sorry.

Say a little prayer for us: I need the vocals to stay healthy for the duration. Pray for Danny and the fam. Danny sits long hours behind the comp and they’re managing without their dad and husband for many hours a day while we record. The kids and I enjoy play dates every day. And pray for my honey back home, who has to eat dinners without me during the week. ☺

25August10
We are in our third week of recording and we started on Take a Ride on a Plane. I don’t know what I am going to call it yet, “Take a Ride”. It’s a serious song with a bit of whimsy and light-heartedness. God isn’t a killjoy, and therefore, this song is so fitting because we can live without a care in the world when all our cares are cast upon Jesus: so sweet.

Tonight for dinner we enjoyed homemade BLT and avocado sandwiches with “Fruit salad, yummy yummy.” If you have children or nephews or nieces, then you know what I am talking about when I say you might be singing that tune for the next few hours. If you don’t know the song, google it… you tube it, whatever it takes. That’ll be a classic if it isn’t already.

September 7, 2010
Tuesday

Okay. This will complete a full month of recording at The Barn. We’re trying to finish up as much as we can, because this is my last scheduled week here. Yesterday, a new friend, Michele Coomler came to The Barn to shoot some photos for me. I was really super stoked that she came out and later that day, her hubby and photographer assistant shot another series of photos. She is a great photographer. Let’s just hope her subject was cooperative.
Danny and Rachel and fam have been ultra rad, uber cool, and mucho hospitable. I have had the priviledge of enjoying the company of an ultra dear friend (I’ve mentioned her before) and her family, Taylre and the Nelson clan. They took me in these last two weekends and given me a happy home and warm food to retreat to on the weekends –not to mention the softest, most comforting bed sheets to sleep in. On Sunday, we shared a meal with her folks, the Miller Clan and had some good times playing a charade-ish game and Mad Gab.
I’ve been staying with some other rad friends, Perry and MaryAnn during the weekdays. They made their home my home and I have been treated like family and royalty. Mary Ann ROCKS and I hope to scour the world for the little lost sheep with her one of these days and to encourage the found sheep: “GO! Do what God is calling you to do!!! Let’s usher in His Kingdom by responding to His Call to find the lost sheep with WHATEVER GIFT He’s given you to use, and whatever He has told you to do!”
It’s a bitter sweet week as this season (Recording at The Barn) will close. But the sweet thing is: HERE COMES THE MUSIC! I am EXCITED to share what God gave us in the studio and how He used Danny D. to pull it all together. You’ll hear him on the record as he threw down some killer tracks and BGVs, instrumentals, keys, percussion, “gueetar”, and Lord knows all the stuff he’s done – arrangements, reworking music, helping with reworking lyrics and coming up with rad lines. NOTE: Studio linguo: BGV is Background Vocal.

Quotables: Keep the peace, hold your tune. Elva

September 8, 2010

Okay. TODAY, we reworked You are Near. We were getting pretty worked with the rewrite. Danny nearly put down his guitar three, four, five times… ☺ But everytime, the next thing he said was, “Oh, what about…” And so finally, we cut the track. We cut it LIVE here in the studio. I have a pretty serious migraine goin’, light sensitivity, pain in the brain, and so how appropriate to be singing a song about hurt. ☺

On Sunday, Pastor Cimeno spoke about John 11 where Jesus comforted Martha as she ran to meet Him with the proclamation, “Lord, if only you were here, my brother would have lived.” Jesus encouraged her with, “I am the Resurrection.” What profound words… Jesus IS Life… He is the RESURRECTION AND the Life. We have the promise of Life ever after. We get a Happy ending, so in our grief, in our pain, He says that He is near to us… near to the broken-hearted in the midst of trial and pain. What a reassuring Savior we have. How grateful I am that this song made it to the record. It is special in that I wrote it the week my friends experienced their wee baby going to heaven. We were almost running out of time, that I was concerned for the tenth song, because I didn’t know what it was supposed to be. When Pastor Cimeno was speaking at Metro, I heard him say the very things that were in this song. Granted, many of the lyrics have been since reworked, but it is what he said, that so resonated with this song, that it was like God was saying, “This is the song.”

I shared with Danny the story, and he got right to work with me on it. Boy, am I grateful he was willing to hash it out with me and rework this stuff. May it be a song that brings comfort and the so necessary reminding we need that Jesus is near to us, especially in the darkest trials of life. Oh, he is near with His strength in His Joy, comfort in His Love, and the promise of life everlasting.

September 9, 2010
After today, there is only one more day of being here at the studio. Basically, I am looking at duplication/replication services, taking final notes for the CD on who did what and who played what. There’s a lot of info that goes into the artwork.
As an independent artist, I get the privilege of doing everything an A&R exec would be responsible for. I also get to keep all the rights to my music and get to set an affordable price for my music for all to enjoy.
I am debating on whether I should open up the CD to artists to submit their art ideas. I only have so much time so we can release in time for CHRISTMAS!
So, here comes the fun part! More photo shoots, artist collaborations with graphic artists, finding a distributor, and going through all it takes to pass it on.

We’ve had some fun in The Barn. Lots of laughs and things we found funny that most likely, “You had to be there.” To laugh with us about. But, I started writing some down some of what I like to call, “Quotables.”

Enjoy.

Quotables: There are Tree huggers, and then there are Glockenspiel huggers. Elva (you had to be there. I think there is a photo somewhere).
Quotables: In Jesus, we have all the accoutrements we need for a wonderful, unending existence.

Quotables: Miles Davis is no longer living. Let’s try to get him to play on the record anyway. (Danny D. – partially borrowed from a comedy skit)



Sept 22, 2010

Just got back from a trek of the East Coast where my very talented friend and sister (I lived with her and her family as a teenager) who is a photographer (Desirea Rodgers at Pennybird Photography) and did several days of photo shoots for Five O’Clock, the website, and etc. ☺ I really am excited about all that is happening. I got a chance to meet up with some friends/family and spend some time in New York City on my quick trip back east. That was a blast. We rode through Central Park on horse and buggy, went up to the top of the Empire State Building,

and took a tour around the entire city. We were the quintessential tourists for a day.

Of course, I have spent very few days at home in SoCal over the last 2 months because of the travel, recording, and photo shoots. And now, with little sleep behind me and the business of travel and recording coming to a halt, my body gave in to a cold, sore throat and laryngitis. Better now, than while I was recording, I say. I am grateful God kept me quite healthy.


August 12

WOW, it has been EXACTLY slightly over ONE YEAR ☺ since I started recording this project. There have been UPS and DOWNS. Proof after proof, artwork after artwork… I have just seen the proofs for the website and CDs and download cards. This is a very exciting time for Blue Bead Records (my indy label). This is our second release but the musical direction is an exciting new direction for me as a singer/songwriter.

You know, I have a much deeper appreciation for the arts despite the fact that I have been through this process before. However, you think you pay $10-15 for a CD and you wonder “Why are they charging for something that didn’t cost them anything to write?” Oh contrare…

I play and lead worship at churches, meetings, coffee shops, and concerts.

Sometimes I am given a monetary gift, and many other times I am not. However, there are MANY, MANY HOURS put into one single ½ hour time of worship, just to prepare both musically and practically, and then spiritually and prayerfully. I truly believe and trust God for my needs to be provided, so I don’t, much, pay attention to whether or not I receive a monetary gift. However, I don’t refuse it.

Musicians and recording artists have poured over our songs with tears, time, practice, intimate worship, more time, more practice, more tears, money to record, money to travel, time of travel, set up (sound checks, equipment set-up), heavy lifting of instruments and musical equipment, purchase of instruments, lessons, music to practice…. And then there is the cost of recording. Studio time, extra musician pay, meals on the go, costs for artwork for publication of the CD, website costs and printing expenses, photography costs because people want to relate to who is singing a song… Goodness, there is so much that goes into what we do.

It hit me as I watched a PIXAR documentary of all that goes into making “FINDING NEMO” and other such movies.

I will never again complain about the price of a movie, movie ticket, music download, or CD cost. I understand why it is so important to make sure to buy and not steal copies of songs and movies. I watched Danny Donnelly work heart and soul on this project with neck and back pain, hours and hours of listening and playing instruments, listening and replaying. Not to mention the sacrifice his family made to host me daily for over a month. I received the multiple drafts from the artists, my cousin, Melissa Diaz, specifically, spent days and sleepless nights pulling together concepts and ideas from the music and my descriptions of what we hoped to communicate and created a website, download cards, and the CD Artwork that were cohesive and slammin'! My photographer also put heart and soul into editing the photographs after spending multiple days on multiple shoot sites. My husband spent much of the pre-production time as a sounding board and sacrificed time together during production time. The love and spirit of excellence, sacrifice of time, and heart of every individual who poured into this project and into my life poured, additionally, into every listener who will hear these songs.

We are dedicated to making the most of this opportunity to share such a wonderful message of hope, inspiration, and encouragement by laying down these tracks. May the FAME of our Lord be lifted up, and may I diminish, as these songs become the songs sung by many others to God!