July 2009 – Ben Ward

July 31, 2009

Very Nice Verses

I was writing a song with a friend recently and we started talking about beautiful Bible verses. Today, as my recommendation post, I thought I’d give you a few of my favorites. These are meaningful for life as well as beautiful language — kind of how I’d like my songs to be 🙂 — that’s a tall order to live up to!

Romans 11:29
…for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 37:23
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way.

Psalm 121:1-2
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

July 29, 2009March 10, 2015

One Day I’ll Learn from Goodbye

This week I’ve got a new song that I wrote a couple years ago with my friend Chris Roberts. Chris is in the band One Flew South and is an all-around great guy. I’m actually going into withdrawl beacuse we haven’t written together in so long :).

Olivia and I love to go to estate sales, but they can be sad sometimes. This inspired us to write about “Pictures hanging on the wall.”

Make sure to comment!

Download the MP3 here. Play here:[audio:https://benwardmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/Pictures.mp3|titles=Pictures|artists=Ben Ward]

July 28, 2009March 9, 2015

I’m All For That

So the schedule is all messed up this week! It makes for more fun, though…normally you get a “YouTube Sessions” on Monday, “Just My Opinion” piece on Wednesday, and a review / recommendation on Friday. But I just finished the YT Session last night so it will be up tomorrow night. Oh the joys of fitting it all in!

Check out this quote from a Cameron Crowe interview with Joni Mitchell from Rolling Stone in 1978:

Had Smith (Elektra/Asylum Chairman of the Board Joe Smith), in the course of running the company, ever discussed commercial direction with Mitchell?

“You don’t tell Joni Mitchell what to do,” he said.

Oh my, how have times changed. The music business used to be filled with people who wanted to serve the ideals and even whims of artists. Now artists grovel at the feet of anyone who will give them the time-of-day. Don’t get me wrong, there were always businessmen who took advantage of musicians, but today, people who make deals are king.

Can’t we bring the artist back? I don’t devalue the work and talents of dealmakers and businesspeople. I think marketers are vital. But it should all be in service to the music. And where does the music come from? The artist. Let’s give them some room and some honor and see if we don’t get better music.

I’m all for that. How about you?

July 24, 2009March 9, 2015

Favorite Duet?

So it’s Friday and I need to write a review / recommendation today….I know you’re counting on me! 😉 The one tune that hit me on the way to work today was a Sugarland song: “These are the Days.” I had heard it before, but I had to listen to it twice because it was so good (that’s my measure of good). I love Kristian singing…it was a true duet.

Country music has such a rich history of duets: George and Tammy, Conway and Loretta, Kenny and Dolly, and on and on. There’s definitely something about the harmony, particularly when it’s a male and female.

Do you have a fav duet? Country or not. Maybe you can turn me on to some I don’t know about!

July 22, 2009

Mirrors Everywhere

Olivia and I lived in Boston for three years. We loved it: the city, our schools, the culture, all of it. One of the most famous buildings in Boston (and the tallest in New England) is the John Hancock tower in Copley Square. The architects said they could not improve on the beauty of the surroundings, including the amazing Trinity Church. So they built a building with mirrors so more of theat beauty could be reflected.

I must admit that it is striking. But as I was walking through New York recently I noticed that so much of the new construction is made of mirrors. There’s even an old, pre-war building close to Columbus Circle that is being renovated and covered in – you guessed it – mirrors. I got to thinking, “What if all the buildings are covered in mirrors?” “Would there be anything left to reflect?”

I find this as a songwriter sometimes. I get so busy observing and commenting on life that it seems like I’m not living it. I think the same goes for journalists, painters, photographers, etc. There must be something beautiful, something meaningful to convey in our work for it to have meaning.

So, calling all creators: mirrors can be effective, but only if they have something to reflect.

July 19, 2009March 10, 2015

The Big Reveal

A big shout out to my friend Arthur for inspiration on this new country (again!) song. We worked this very intense job back in March and we would try to make it bearable by talking through anything and everything. He was telling me about this new girl that he really liked but she didn’t quite know it yet. Now, we won’t talk about how it turned out…but, the inspiration he provided produced this tune. Enjoy!!

Download the MP3 here. Play: [audio:https://benwardmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Big-Reveal.mp3|titles=Big Reveal|artists=Ben Ward]