Baby Bets

My daughter, Betsy, has surprised me at every stage of her life. She started out as a fighter: stubborn, and didn't want to go to sleep because she wanted to be in the middle of everything that was going on around her. I would have to hold her against my shoulder as an infant so she'd go to sleep. I had long hair back then, so she would lay on my shoulder and curl a strand of my hair until it wrapped tight around her finger. Unfortunately, right about that time, she was asleep. So I had to carefully take her to her bed, lay her down and untangle her finger from the lock of my hair without waking her and starting the dance all over again.

I have images of Betsy with almost white blonde hair, standing on the front porch in her mom's red high heel shoes, singing to the top of her lungs into a hairbrush. She has never been shy about speaking her mind to either of us. Maybe sometimes as a teenager, her wilfulness crossed the line from expressing herself to disrespect, but not often. She has a streak of her father in her DNA, so I know where that stuff comes from and I notice it quicker than anyone else. I'm not one to stand around and watch someone expel obvious B.S. without being confronted, and neither is Betsy.

How did these kids grow up so fast? How did they make it through unscathed? I know Brenda and I spent countless times praying for both Betsy and her older brother, Joshua. It isn't too early to start praying for them, by the way--for their spouses, their place in the world, their salvation and membership in the Kingdom of God. There were bumps and challenges along the way, but our trust in God for Betsy and Josh was not betrayed. He was faithful at every turn, and I want to encourage those folks who are reluctant to have children because of the risks that today's world brings: it is so worth it! As my dad always says, "What would life be if, at the end, there were no children to accompany us?" We wanted kids because we wanted to raise a family of our own and to leave a legacy. Children are so rewarding.

Betsy is a beautiful girl with a great husband, Adam. We are blessed that they have moved back to Nashville from Memphis after Adam's law school graduation in May. They are awaiting the results of Adam's bar exam last month.

I see Brenda shining through in Betsy. Surprisingly, they have become so alike in many ways. She still has that radical streak that her dad has though, God bless her!

Here's a video she made last week of 15 crazy facts about her--just a few answers to questions to get to know her. She has a wonderful blog, too. I'm a proud papa!

The Summer of Dad

Sometimes we have to change a tire on the way to work. To compound the frustration, it might be raining cats & dogs. We finally get to work soggy and frustrated, only to find out that an accident sending some to the hospital occurred at the exact time and on the same road you would have taken if not for the interruption. Thank God for flat tires! Who knows how many times God saves us and the blessings He brings us--while we're not paying attention.

Earlier this spring, my dad had a crick in his hip that caused him to limp when getting the mail at the end of his driveway, His across-the-street neighbor saw him struggle and suggested a chiropractor; dad made an appointment. The x-ray showed nothing wrong with his hip but, instead, revealed a possible life-threatening aortic aneurism. Dad's subsequent appointment with a specialist confirmed a serious condition which required immediate surgery.

At the same time, I left a position as a worship leader--one I had for almost seven years. Brenda and I trusted God for His provision since we had no other job to jump into. Thank God, as a songwriter, song royalties are a major source of our income. So we trusted God to show us a new direction. Frankly, the prospect of a new adventure was invigorating, but the flesh always craves physical proof that we'd be okay over the next several months. Through it all, my spirit always echoed the Lord, "I will provide!"

As I left my position and "financial security," dad's medical difficulties and pending surgery fell conveniently into my newly cleared schedule. As June marched on, I realized that it was God Who made it possible for me tend to my dad's needs and to spend the summer hanging out together.

Since the surgery six weeks ago, dad has miraculously recovered. He has since left his home in North Carolina to permanently moved in with Brenda and me. He has always been reluctant to intrude on anyone, yet dad's moving in with us has been anything but an intrusion. In fact, I have had the best summer in years! The opportunity has given us the time to spend long hours talking about my childhood days and his life before he married my mother. How can money buy any of the experiences I've had over the past three months? I look forward to many more years with my dad as we are now officially house mates!

Please take a moment and visit my dad's website, one that my son Josh developed several years ago. The site will introduce you to a real cool guy named Tom Harvill. I know you will see how great this summer has been for me.

Joshua

Just over a month after our first wedding anniversary, Joshua Arthur Harvill was born on January 30th, 1987. He was a hit with the nurses in the maternity ward because his smile created prominent dimples on his face.

When he was only a few weeks old, Brenda jumped (actually hobbled) at the chance to get out of the house for a dinner invitation at a friend's home. With a full belly, Josh fell asleep. So Brenda put him down on a soft place between two stereo speakers. At some time during the evening, the host wasn't thinking and cranked some music on the stereo. Josh never flinched--just kept on sleeping-- like he was at home with loud music!

His sister Betsy was born a year and a month after him in March, 1988. Brenda brought the disciplined, quiet, patient and stalwart aspect to our child-rearing duties. I brought the "crazy dreamer" to the game as I was still at college while my kids were born. Even though I was pursuing a bachelor's degree, I longed to be a musician and a song writer in the long run. My kids probably got a real balance with the both of us as parents. Thanks God for my sweet wife!

Josh was and is a true artist. He would always be drawing some kind of super hero or a human-animal hybrid (usually with huge claws)! He also loved music. We have a video of Josh and me sitting in our living room with our backs to the camera listening and singing to songs I had recorded. He was probably 7 years old then, and I said to Josh that someday he could work with me on a recording project. Little did we know then how true that would be in the future.

Josh told me one day that he wanted to play drums, not guitar, and hoped I wouldn't be disappointed. So Brenda set out pots and pans with wooden spoons on the kitchen floor for Josh to practice. His uncle Jon is a drummer and, for some reason, we had Jon's drums set up at my house. Joshua was so tempted to jump on them and start pounding away. We held him back from that so he wouldn't hurt his uncle's gear. Cookware had to do!

After my mother's death in 1997, we moved from Mobile, Alabama to North Carolina so we could live near my dad. We soon started a new church with a local pastor, Mike Snelgrove. The first drummer we had on our new worship team was dying of cancer and we turned to Josh as our drummer, even though, up to that point, he had no real "kit" experience. He just got up there, took the sticks and was incredible. He was a natural right away! He even had to stand up to hit the crash cymbals, but then he'd quickly sit down in a split-second to start grooving again between the hi-hat, snare and kick drum. That was when he was 13. We bought him his own kit soon after and he has since turned into a marvelous, professional drummer.

He has a great reputation for being not only a great live player, but also an excellent session drummer. He has the ability to read music, find the right part and bring signature licks and grooves to each song. I use him exclusively on all of my projects because he is so good.

A few nights ago I sat in the audience while he recorded drums for a live album. He did so well--every lick, groove and fill were expertly executed. No fixes, just straight through from the first song all the way to the last. That's-a-my-boy!

He's married now to a beautiful girl named Amber. They are starting out on a journey just like Brenda and I did 26 years ago. I pray he has the courage to blast through all of the naysayers who might try to talk him out of pursuing his dreams. The funny thing is, he has since learned to play the guitar and keyboards--he can sing, too. Now that he's graduated from college, I know he will set the world on fire. Maybe someday he will let me play on his project!

There Goes the Neighborhood!

My neighborhood is filled with musicians. Unlike most American communities, we have sound guys, managers, producers, arrangers, singers, songwriters, recording engineers, and musicians of every stripe and style making their home here. Thirty miles south of Nashville, we live in a small town called Spring Hill, just on the outer edge of what Music City offers in the way of shopping, food and entertainment. We just choose to live a little further out of the craziness in a quaint, sleepy hamlet. You see, those who play in touring bands with the big acts, along with all of the peripheral supply persons for the music industry, escape to somewhere...and they all seem to live here in my little town!

I say "they" but it is really "we." As a songwriter and a studio player myself, I am one of those crazy musician types who stand in line at Home Depot, or grab a bite to eat at Cracker Barrel. Its just that the folks I'm talking about have hairdos and tattoos that are hard to miss. Its not unusual to see a country or a Christian music artist driving around town or getting a to-go coffee at Starbucks. The locals don't do double-takes anymore because they are used to it. Its not uncommon for me to hear the muffled yet prominent sounds of a recording session emanating from a few of the homes on my daily walking route. Again, the neighbors kind of expect it. I have yet to hear my neighbors complain as I crank-up the guitar amps during recording sessions in my own home (Its amazing how many famous records have been recorded in neighborhoods just like mine).

I prefer the relative quiet of my little neighborhood. I also appreciate the inclusiveness that our town offers the many musicians here. I know I live in an unusual place. Its not strange, just not like anywhere else--except for maybe New York or LA. The big exception is that you can actually raise a family here with great schools, churches and amenities--all the while enjoying the wide-open spaces that middle Tennessee offers.

I'll miss it when "riff-raff" like accountants and business-types move in. Then we can say, "There goes the neighborhood!"

Nashville Amp Exo

For those of you in the Nashville area, its just a week until August 19-21 when Creation Audio Labs and Pedaltrain sponsor the third annual Nashville Amp Expo. It will be held at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Brentwood, off of Old Hickory Blvd.

Each person pays only $5 per day to visit the exhibitors who are set-up in hotel rooms lining several floors. There are no volume limits since the hotel will be taken over by tone freaks (not a place for the late-summer vacation traveler who is seeking peace and quiet)!

Along with exhibits are seminars and concerts to attend. My old friend, former band-mate and fusion guitarist extraordinaire, Denny Jiosa, will be performing on Sunday night the 21st.

The cool thing is meeting all of the makers of great guitar and studio gear, along with a plethora of accessories, and having the opportunity to ask delving questions about the designs, build processes, company philosophies and tone--straight to the owners and designers. This year I will be helping my buddy Kevin Shaw as he is exhibiting the great Shaw Audio handmade tube amps that I love and use.

I will be there for the whole show, so please come by and say hello. You never know who you'll see there hanging out in the hallways. And by the way, everyone is on an equal footing at the Expo, as opposed to the NAMM shows in Anaheim and Nashville, which are all about the retailers. This event is about the player and the product producer meeting one-on-one to talk tone. You can purchase and take home some new gear, too!

Below is a demo that I made for Kevin of the new Shaw JCM 20 amp. Its a tune I wrote and performed called "Shaw-Shanked," demonstrating the great classic Marshall-esque tones emanating from the brand-new amp. You have got to come by and check out this plus more of Kevin's amps next weekend at the Nashville Amp Expo.

Surprise Me, God!

I have taken a bit of a rest this summer. With the beginning of June commencing the hiatus, Brenda and I took a radical turn from a seven-year career trajectory. We made the decision at the end of May to embark on a radical adventure--one that many would call foolish. Mom always said, "Don't end something unless you have something to immediately take it's place." Well mom, this time I went with my gut and totally disobeyed your teaching.

I left my position as a worship leader and decided to hit "reset" on my career, life direction and the resultant future. This time I am leaving it completely up to God to redirect my steps. You see, I am very good at making my own way. I have a street-fighter hunger to dominate my circumstances so that things will go my way. I've been hungry enough at times to lean-in hard to get what I want--to do whatever it takes to get what I have my "tractor beam" desire set upon. The trouble is, with that mindset I usually meet with failure as my plans take a nose-dive and spiral out of control. Don't we all have the propensity to be lord of our own lives?

This time I want to be a complete fool and let God choose the direction for me!

What the world calls wise (calculating risks, cautious forward movement, get what you can while you can) doesn't ring true to me. I am tired of going for what I want and am willing to say, "God, surprise me!" If I sound like my life before May, 2011 was just a selfish journey, then I have not clearly communicated. God has been in most of what I have accomplished, even though I've made mistakes. What I mean to say is: I am tired of trying to figure everything out; I am throwing it all up in the air and, like Christ-following faith-walkers of the past, am willing to see what God has in store.

I don't believe that my creative endeavors of the past will be affected, although if God wants to make changes, I'm cool with it. All I know right now is that there are songs and books to write, music to make, a family to love and support, and most importantly, a Lord to trust, follow and worship. Beyond that, the sky's the limit.

Surprise me, God!

Stamp of Approval

I grew up in a home where approval was abundant--probably because both of my parents were raised in fractured homes where divorce carved a permanent scar in both of their hearts. Therefore, they knew the importance of encouragement, and I'm grateful for it. But just because we heard encouragement while growing up doesn't mean we don't need it anymore as adults.

The Bible speaks of encouraging words as gold and silver: Proverbs 25:11 states, "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. (NASB)" I believe we have the power to bless other people with encouraging words or curse with negative ones. One blessing that came to me in my early years helped to steer me forward into a music career.

It was Columbus, Ohio in 1980 or 1981, where I came in contact with a brilliant trombonist, and arranger named Stan Morse. He had played in several world-renowned big bands and had worked in television before he became the arranger for American Entertainment Productions. One day in rehearsal he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You've got what it takes; your gonna make it in music!" Those words gave me the courage to endure in the ensuing years when, at times, I felt like getting off of the rough and tumble road of professional music.

I recently heard Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Chris Hillman, from the Byrds and other assorted folk-rock and country outfits, talk of the importance of encouraging words in his own life. He was in LA in the late 60s and had just finished a show at one of southern California's premier country music performance venues. As his band was taking a break from their set, a tall, bear-of-a-shadow enveloped him from behind, and a large hand appeared on his right shoulder. Looking backward toward the source, Hillman was surprised to see his childhood TV hero, Tex Ritter, whom he had never met, looming over him. Tex said something like, "Keep it up young man, you're gonna make it in this business!" Those life-giving words helped drive Hillman forward as an architect of the country rock sound that flooded California and the world in years to come.

I don't know why some people refuse to encourage others. Maybe because they don't want to seem vulnerable or "soft." Maybe because they never knew encouragement themselves. I believe it is my duty to help others if it is in my power to do so. The Bible states in James 4:17, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (NIV)." I believe it is important that we, especially as Christians, give encouragement and mentoring when the opportunity arises. We will probably never know the blessing we deposit in the hearts of people when we are obedient to the opportunity.

Be a mentor to someone. There maybe a person out there today--and it maybe your own child--who needs your stamp of approval.