It all started sometime last year when I was still at Pepperdine. I sat strumming my guitar and thought about my repertoire of songs. The list comes to about two popular songs. I’m just not good at being motivated to use my time learning songs by hit artists like Ke$ha or Black Eyed Peas. I know people like to do that in the ironic/funny kind of way, but really, you have to sit and consider how much time people are putting into transposing semi-catchy R&B songs with subpar lyrics for the sake of a few laughs. I’ll be the first to say that I even fell into the trend a bit. I learned an Usher song or two on my guitar and received a few listeners; but, like cheap chocolate, it only leaves people with sugar sores and a stomachache. It was at this point that Jared and I discussed the idea of some type of folk/gospel, revival sound. “Someone should do that,” we said. We thought this would be a way to bring new life to old songs and seemingly outdated lyrics. I mean, who can understand all those old words anyway, right? Well, deep in all of these songs are expressions of powerful theology and that is something we can’t necessarily say about worship music today.
It was late September and I was sitting here in my apartment with no class for the day and I thought about that folk/gospel, revival idea. On top of that, I was feeling pretty low and unsure about my decision to be here in China. The previous day, Jared had received a hymnal in the mail from his parents and I started flipping through it when I landed on the song, Be Still and Know. I read the words and they made more sense to me than they ever had before:
Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. I am the Lord that strengthens thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee.
Simple and perfect. Those words say everything to a person who is unsure about where they are, who they are and what they are doing. Just stop, listen and know the one thing that is Truth. You can cast every other little detail out of your life and find that this is exactly what makes or breaks your happiness: Knowing that the Lord is God. For a moment, I felt triumphant; as if I had just been told a great secret even though I simply reread something I have always known. I picked up my ukulele and picked out the tune and decided to record the song so I wouldn’t forget it, the feeling I mean, I didn’t want to forget that moment of feeling so resolved. I recorded it with one cut and felt that the errors enhanced the quality. It felt real and playing it back I sung the harmonies but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sing bass or tenor so I jumped between both and recorded that too. I listened to the song a few times more and thought, I could add some filling ukulele picking to this and so I did. After two hours of recording, cutting and editing, I had more of a song than I originally set out to create. I mean, I don’t feel like I have any outstanding musical talent; that isn’t really where I shine. I do like creative endeavors though and this felt creative and playing back the music was fulfilling because the words were meaningful and had absolutely nothing to do with easy women, over consumption of alcohol or boys blowing up our phones.
To be truthful, the lost feeling we felt upon arrival in China affected all of our relationships. We didn’t develop the closeness that we thought we would back at Pepperdine when we spent time dreaming about being here. We all experienced various levels of insecurity, pain and confusion about what in the world we were doing and why we couldn’t feel like a real family with a real objective. Over time, the song, Be Still and Know turned into three more songs and then five more and after that, a few more. In the final tracks of what became an album titled, “Rough-cut Hymnals” you can hear the Harbin kids from Pepperdine, together, laughing and singing. These final tracks were completed in the last two weeks and I think you can get a sense of the progression of our growth from track one to track 14. Completely through the power of our Father, we have grown close and become a family – quirks, arguments, tears, laughter, Christmas traditions, warmth and all.
As a collective effort we decided to put the album on iTunes, not because it is musically impressive or Grammy worthy, but rather because it is a way for you to participate in our growth in a unique way. All money from this project goes to our community funds here in Harbin.
With one song written by Jared, several arranged by Miriam and myself and the final story and album art created by Rachel, this is the collaborative effort of us here in Harbin and we held to the beginnings and for almost every song, recorded in one take then added on top of that original (one take) track. Thus, they are all, rough-cut. I hope you enjoy it and know that He is doing amazing things here in this ice city of China.
With a grand total of four physical instruments (Guitar, Ukulele, Shaker and Voice), Rough-Cut Hymnals was conceived, directed and produced in apartment 402 at Ha Shang Da, Harbin China. With a songbook, their hearts and the crisp harmonics of the bathroom, this album was created to fulfill a need for worship and a desire to give tradition a new breath.
And now, straight from Harbin we present to you a Coxy production compiled by the efforts of Johnny (Alex), Jared, Miriam and Rachel.
All Proceeds go to the community in Harbin.
So, hop on iTunes and type in “Rough-Cut Hymnals.” We’ll be there.
~Johnny Young
It was late September and I was sitting here in my apartment with no class for the day and I thought about that folk/gospel, revival idea. On top of that, I was feeling pretty low and unsure about my decision to be here in China. The previous day, Jared had received a hymnal in the mail from his parents and I started flipping through it when I landed on the song, Be Still and Know. I read the words and they made more sense to me than they ever had before:
Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. I am the Lord that strengthens thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee. I am the Lord that strengthens thee.
Simple and perfect. Those words say everything to a person who is unsure about where they are, who they are and what they are doing. Just stop, listen and know the one thing that is Truth. You can cast every other little detail out of your life and find that this is exactly what makes or breaks your happiness: Knowing that the Lord is God. For a moment, I felt triumphant; as if I had just been told a great secret even though I simply reread something I have always known. I picked up my ukulele and picked out the tune and decided to record the song so I wouldn’t forget it, the feeling I mean, I didn’t want to forget that moment of feeling so resolved. I recorded it with one cut and felt that the errors enhanced the quality. It felt real and playing it back I sung the harmonies but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sing bass or tenor so I jumped between both and recorded that too. I listened to the song a few times more and thought, I could add some filling ukulele picking to this and so I did. After two hours of recording, cutting and editing, I had more of a song than I originally set out to create. I mean, I don’t feel like I have any outstanding musical talent; that isn’t really where I shine. I do like creative endeavors though and this felt creative and playing back the music was fulfilling because the words were meaningful and had absolutely nothing to do with easy women, over consumption of alcohol or boys blowing up our phones.
To be truthful, the lost feeling we felt upon arrival in China affected all of our relationships. We didn’t develop the closeness that we thought we would back at Pepperdine when we spent time dreaming about being here. We all experienced various levels of insecurity, pain and confusion about what in the world we were doing and why we couldn’t feel like a real family with a real objective. Over time, the song, Be Still and Know turned into three more songs and then five more and after that, a few more. In the final tracks of what became an album titled, “Rough-cut Hymnals” you can hear the Harbin kids from Pepperdine, together, laughing and singing. These final tracks were completed in the last two weeks and I think you can get a sense of the progression of our growth from track one to track 14. Completely through the power of our Father, we have grown close and become a family – quirks, arguments, tears, laughter, Christmas traditions, warmth and all.
As a collective effort we decided to put the album on iTunes, not because it is musically impressive or Grammy worthy, but rather because it is a way for you to participate in our growth in a unique way. All money from this project goes to our community funds here in Harbin.
With one song written by Jared, several arranged by Miriam and myself and the final story and album art created by Rachel, this is the collaborative effort of us here in Harbin and we held to the beginnings and for almost every song, recorded in one take then added on top of that original (one take) track. Thus, they are all, rough-cut. I hope you enjoy it and know that He is doing amazing things here in this ice city of China.
With a grand total of four physical instruments (Guitar, Ukulele, Shaker and Voice), Rough-Cut Hymnals was conceived, directed and produced in apartment 402 at Ha Shang Da, Harbin China. With a songbook, their hearts and the crisp harmonics of the bathroom, this album was created to fulfill a need for worship and a desire to give tradition a new breath.
And now, straight from Harbin we present to you a Coxy production compiled by the efforts of Johnny (Alex), Jared, Miriam and Rachel.
All Proceeds go to the community in Harbin.
So, hop on iTunes and type in “Rough-Cut Hymnals.” We’ll be there.
~Johnny Young