I've set up my recording studio

I posted in April 2020 about my dream to set up a recording studio and it took me one year to accomplish it. 

I said it would cost me RM2000 according to the video I posted, it was spot on except I had to add on more funds for a new laptop computer.

I didn't expect I'd actually set it up but I did! And I didn't mind that it is just a simple and basic studio: with just a condenser mic, audio interface, headphones and computer.

Compared to what I experienced during my trip to Seoul, it is a bare minimum but I am happy nonetheless. 

Here's the huge difference between the professional recording studio (with the recording room on the left) in Seoul and my mini home studio:

However, comparing what I have recorded in Seoul and at home, there is a huge difference too. The stint in Seoul was just a 2-hour visit and experience, and with my awful pronunciation of Korean, the song I recorded I wouldn't want to listen to it ever again. 

But with the time and constant recording and re-recording I am doing in my home studio, I am liking what I hear. 

Here's a recording if you'd like to hear what a mini home studio can produce. In case you are wondering, the accompaniment I used was purchased from Sovereign Grace Music.

So equipment is one thing, but time and effort is another. 

Pearlie

Setting up a recording studio at home

My church has been meeting online even before MCO began on 18 March, partially online before that and fully online after.

As per our duty roster, I wasn't my turn to worship lead until next week and with the team now up-skilled to run the weekly worship service seamlessly, it's now my turn to get myself set up for next week.

And I wondered if I need to get the proper equipment to set up a home recording studio and I found this video simple and informative. 

5 Things You Need to Set Up a Home Studio

All is good except that if I were to get the mixer pad and the condenser mic she recommended, it will cost me RM2000.

So looks like I will have to just settle for the bare basic that I already have: just my computer. 

pearlie

How Great Thou Art by Anthem Lights

How Great Thou Art by Anthem Lights

I was preparing for song leading for worship tomorrow and I was looking for video links to send to my musicians when I found this version of How Great Thou Art by Anthem Lights. 

I really like their arrangement, voices and harmony. 

The first verse sets the stage in proclaiming our great God who greated the universe, O how great Thou art. 

Then the second verse draws us into the work of Christ on the cross, I scarce can take it in, how great Thou art. 

They then lightly tread from verse three on Jesus leading us home, building up to a majestic then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, how great Thou art!

O how great are You Lord, whom I proclaim and worship and love. To You all honor, and glory, and majesty. Amen.

pearlie

Equip Music Ministry Conference 2020 Day 2

It is good Day 2 which began with a sermon by Philip Percival on 1 Corinthians 14: Singing in Mind and Spirit. The takeaway from the session is that singing is a ministry of the edifying word and when we think about what our giftings are, it will work better if we look at our church and see what needs to be done and do it. And in our song leading, it is an act of engaging the church with Christ.

After which the Emu Team gave us a Church Music Masterclass which was very helpful to me. I learnt about harmonic and rhythmic layering and a bit on texture and how to work all the vocals and instruments together to engage the congregation worship in music and songs. 

The electives I took today were Songleading and The Ministry of Sound. There were good sessions but too brief to cover everything. 

It's a good conference though I wished I was able to also attend the other electives as well.

pearlie

Equip Music Ministry Conference 2020 Day 1

I signed up for the Equip Music Ministry Conference 2020 and headed to Heritage Center today. It is a Friday and I expected that traffic will be bad and so I started quite early.

I signed up for these electives, the first two for today and the other two tomorrow:

1. How Do I Know If I Have Really Worshipped?

2. Songwriting

3. Song Leading

4. The Ministry of Sound

The conference began with a sermon by Rev Ong Meng Chai on True Worship based on John 4:1-26 and Mark 7:1-8. It is a good sermon that highlights on 3 characteristics of true worship. And if we have not worshipped in all 3 of these, we have worshipped in vain. And it also important to know that when there is true worship, there is also false worship.

Firstly, it's rational. It engages the mind, the intellect and understanding. Next, it's spiritual and not tied to any location. He warns us also not to think that spiritual is all touchy and feely but that the Spirit himself is the Spirit of truth and so it's back to the first point of being rational. And finally, it's moral. This is when Jesus asked the Samaritan woman in John 4 about her husband, which she had 5 and the man she is with now is not even her husband. Worship is a soul searching exercise, we are to repent and set our lives right in Christ. 

We then had a teaching session by Rev Andrew Cheah on what worship and church is. He spent a lot of time on Bible verses showing us how the Bible uses the word worship in 4 different ways (proskuneo, latria/latreuo, leitourgeo and sebaomai). In conclusion, the Bible stresses that worship is Gospel-centered, it's all encompassing in our lives in relation to God and in using music to help and love each other in church. 

The one thing I am not sure though is his interpretation of Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (ESV). He said that we are to sing songs to minister to each other in church but from the verse, I see that the "one another" refers to only teaching and admonishing, while singing is to God alone. I don't know. This is something I need to read up on.

For my elective, I was looking forward to the session on How Do I Know If I Have Really Worshipped? because as a worshipper, I have not always felt that I have worshipped. And as a worship leader, what do I need to look out for to lead and teach the congregation to really and fully worship the only true God. But the session was not as I had expected. The speaker spent all his time on the externals, like atmosphere and presentation and instruments, etc. I now need to do some reading and thinking to answer the question that they have stirred up in me. 

My final elective for the day is songwriting. I have not been trained on this before even though I have co-written two songs for weddings and so I had a good learning curve on this one. There is a lot to read up on, too many technical terms I need to check out. I found an online course on songwriting from Berklee College of Music and I might just sign up and attend. 

Oh, there is now even more to do in 2020 and it's just the second week!

But it's a good day of fellowship, of music and songs, of worship and adoration of the great Yahweh.

pearlie

Jesus taking the highest honor, the highest place

I was worship leading in church today when I used this song, Jesus Shall Take the Highest Honor. 

We sing it oh-so-easily, but do we take Jesus and put Him as the highest in our priority, in our lives?

More often not, it's ourselves we find there, in the highest place. 

pearlie

Hillsong worship songs in Korean

I was trying to connect with some young people in my church to get their thoughts about worship. 

And I've seen some of them with K-pop memorabilias and I thought I'd go check out some Korean worship songs to get them more exposed to Christian worship songs. 

It was then when I found out that Hillsongs do have this thing they called Global Project Korea, with their songs translated and sung in Korean. 

I listened to a few and found this one interesting.

I can only understand bits here and there and so in checking out the original English version, I found the lyrics quite creative and unconventional.

However, I find that it's more of a soloist song rather than a worship song because to me, it will be difficult for a regular congregation to sing it, only to find out later that it won worship song of the year and song of the year. 

Looks like my church congregation has a lot of catching up to do, in order to upskill our singing and music abilities. 

Back to the Korean version, I noticed that in my Apple Music app, the song was posted up as : 나 또한 (featuring Joseph Butso).

Okay, not a Korean singer but he sang it in perfect Korean, as far as I can tell, that is. 

So who is he?

It turned out that Joseph Butso is a young African exchange student in Korea who became viral when he went busking in the streets singing and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

He took part in a singing contest and wowed the judges too. 

I found this documentary. Too bad it's not subtitled, but for the parts he spoke in English, it's still a good watch. 

And it is a right and good thing that Hillsong got him to sing in their Korean album. 

Kudos to Joseph Butso both in bringing the good news to the Koreans and singing his heart out for the LORD. 

pearlie

p/s I am always mindful about lyrics in worship songs, and I'm not very happy with the part, "Where You lost Your life so I could find it here". Jesus didn't "lose" his life but laid it down and gave his life rather than losing it.

The composer got into problems too with the words, "And as You speak, A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath, Evolving in pursuit of what You said," (emphasis mine).

When I didn't feel like attending church

I've been getting quite stressed up lately and I didn't feel like going to church this morning, which doesn't happen in all my life. 

Well, not that it doesn't, just that it's very rare.

However, I made the decision to go anyway. I know I didn't feel like it but I know I had to. 

So I turned up for service, and it turns out it's a good thing I did. 

I have always looked forward to Dr Leong Tian Fock's sessions and I didn't know he was preaching today. 

His sermon on Psalm 44, A House of Prayer: Through the Psalms of Lament was what I needed. 

He said at one point that there is no point in hiding from God. Because if we do, we are denying the fact that he is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving. 

He knows anyway, and he has the power to do something and he loves me. 

That's all I need to know for now to get myself right again with him. 

pearlie

A sunburst of musical diamonds

I have always found public praying hard and would rather not do it, but I still have to as a worship leader, and so when I came across this book, I quickly bought a copy and began reading.

Leading in Prayer, A Workbook for Worship

by Hughes Oliphant Old

I have only just started but have already found it very useful. My next rostered duty will be a month away, which gives me enough time to finish reading it.

It will definitely become my reference book from now on when I prepare to worship lead. 

It is also a very good read. Whilst reading the chapter on The Psalms as Prayer, there is a considerable section on singing the Psalms. And I read this line, highlighted here:

I like how the author described it as "a sunburst of musical diamonds." 

Wow, it definitely makes me want to check it out. 

It is indeed lovely and I wish I'll be able to one day sing it in a cathedral with the most wonderful acoustics. 

Check it out, if you do appreciate 15th century high church music, that is. 

pearlie

Create in Me a Clean Heart

I was leading worship today, and with today's theme according to Psalm 51, I chose this song by Sovereign Grace and like most of their songs, it's timing is quite interesting. Take a listen. It's quite a good one.

pearlie

Late but forgiven

My church pastor was asking me today what he could pray for me as I prepare for worship leading this Sunday.

My request was simple: "To have my mind set and centered on him. I have too much many things crowding out God."

And the funny thing, or not so funny thing rather, was that I had so many things in mind today that I totally forgot about music practice!

Oh no, oh no, oh no. 

Thankfully I didn't have a band involved like before. I have one keyboardist who was kind and gracious to forgive me and I still turned up for practice. 

Late but forgiven. 

pearlie

A Sandwich from God. Bread/Epilogue: I surrender

This is the final portion of the sandwich God gave me when I asked him for a word. 

In my last account, this final song that God gave me was so unexpected that I had to pay close attention to the third song. 

The final song is last portion of the chiastic playlist God gave me. It began with Mighty to Save and it closes with Mighty to Save. 

This playlist of mine has 60 songs and I do not have duplicates except for Mighty to Save, one by Hillsong and one by a female vocalist. 

What are the odds that the only song duplicated, is both played? I don’t know how to calculate the probability to it, but I believe it is very slim. 

Mighty to Save - Laura Story

Everyone needs compassion 

A love that's never failing 

But let mercy fall on me 

Well, everyone needs forgiveness 

The kindness of a Savior 

The hope of nations 

My Savior He can move the mountains 

My God is Mighty to save 

He is Mighty to save 

Forever Author of salvation 

He rose and conquered the grave 

Jesus conquered the grave 

So take me as You find me 

All my fears and failures 

And fill my life again 

I give my life to follow 

Everything I believe in 

And now I surrender (I surrender) 

Shine your light and let the whole world see 

We're singing for the glory of the risen King 

Jesus, Shine your light and let the whole world see 

We're singing for the glory of the risen King 

Songwriters: Ben Fielding / Reuben Morgan Mighty to Save lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

All to you I surrender Lord. I surrender. 

pearlie

A Sandwich from God. Filling/Part 2: I firmly stand in the power of Christ

When I received the second song to the sandwich, I thought that was it. But l let my phone continue to play and this was the next song. 

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found 

He is my light, my strength, my song 

This cornerstone, this solid ground, 

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. 

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! 

My comforter, my all in all 

Here in the love of Christ I stand. 

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, 

Fullness of God in helpless babe! 

This gift of love and righteousness, 

Scorned by the ones He came to save. 

'Til on that cross as Jesus died, 

The wrath of God was satisfied 

For ev'ry sin on Him was laid 

Here in the death of Christ I live. 

There in the ground His body lay, 

Light of the world by darkness slain 

Then bursting forth in glorious day, 

Up from the grave He rose again! 

And as He stands in victory, 

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me 

For I am His and He is mine 

Bought with the precious blood of Christ. 

No guilt in life, no fear in death 

This is the pow'r of Christ in me 

From life's first cry to final breath, 

Jesus commands my destiny. 

No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man, 

Can ever pluck me from His hand 

'Til He returns or calls me home 

Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand. 

Songwriters: Andrew Shawn Craig / Donald A. Koch In Christ Alone lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group 

I wasn’t really listening to it and when the song finished, I let it continue playing. But what was next played surprised me so much that I have to now pay attention now. I need to look into the words of In Christ Alone. 

I know you are curious about the next song but I will only talk about it tomorrow. I am still on the central message of what God wants to tell me. 

In my life, I do rely and depend on a lot of things for meaning and purpose of life but they are nothing in the presence of God. 

It is only in Christ that my hope is found. And no power of hell nor schemes of man can ever pluck me from his hand. 

It is in the power of Christ that I stand, every minute, every hour, every moment of my life. 

Amen. 

pearlie

A Sandwich from God. Filling/Part 1: You hem me in behind and before

I was talking about how God gave me a sandwich yesterday when I asked for a word from him. 

As the first song—the bread—was about to come to an end, I tapped on repeat. But I felt an urging to let it play on. And so I did. 

And this song was played. 

Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)

You hear me when I call 

You are my morning song 

Though darkness fills the night 

It cannot hide the light 

Whom shall I fear 

You crush the enemy 

Underneath my feet 

You are my sword and shield 

Though troubles linger still 

Whom shall I fear 

I know who goes before me 

I know who stands behind 

The God of angel armies 

Is always by my side 

The one who reigns forever 

He is a friend of mine 

The God of angel armies 

Is always by my side

My strength is in your name 

For you alone can save 

You will deliver me 

Yours is the victory 

Whom shall I fear 

Whom shall I fear 

And nothing formed against me shall stand 

You hold the whole world in your hands 

I'm holding on to your promises 

You are faithful 

You are faithful 

Songwriters: Chris Tomlin / Ed Cash / Scott Cash Whom Shall I Fear lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group, Music Services, Inc

Even though I have this in my playlist, I was not familiar with it. But as I listened to it, I was strengthened. 

I was taught and ministered by Sunday’s sermon on Psalm 139 and the words in this song reaffirms that he hems me in behind and before. 

O God, nothing formed against me will stand. You hold the whole world in your hands. I will hold on to your promises. You are faithful. 

My story will continue tomorrow. 

pearlie

A Sandwich from God. Bread/Prologue: All My Fears and Failures

I asked the Lord for a word from him today. I really needed it: his presence, his faithfulness, his strength, his assurance. 

He gave me more than a word. 

He gave me a sandwich. 

I have always loved the chiasm literary device. A chiastic structure is one where the central message is in the middle sandwiched by passages before and after. 

I have a playlist of gospel songs and in asking for a word from him, I hit Shuffle and my phone plays Hillsong’s Mighty to Save. 

I felt this is not a coincidence but really a song God is giving me because I have been ministered by it a couple of days ago. It’s like him reminding me, “didn’t I tell you already.”

Mighty to Save 

Well, everyone needs compassion 

A love that's never failing 

But let mercy fall on me 

Well, everyone needs forgiveness 

The kindness of a Savior 

The hope of nations 

My Savior He can move the mountains 

My God is Mighty to save 

He is Mighty to save 

Forever Author of salvation 

He rose and conquered the grave 

Jesus conquered the grave 

So take me as You find me 

All my fears and failures 

And fill my life again 

I give my life to follow 

Everything I believe in 

And now I surrender (I surrender) 

Shine your light and let the whole world see 

We're singing for the glory of the risen King 

Jesus, Shine your light and let the whole world see 

We're singing for the glory of the risen King 

Songwriters: Ben Fielding / Reuben Morgan Mighty to Save lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

My prayer is that O Lord, in all my fears and failures, please fill my life with you, you are mighty to save and deliver me. You have and you will. 

This is the bread of the sandwich. Tune in as I write about the filling tomorrow. 

pearlie

The beauty and mystery of languages we don’t understand

We are planning for a more elaborated worship service tomorrow and it’s going to be a contemplative one with singing and Scripture and sermon all rolled into one. 

Amongst the special feature of the service will be the usage of different languages to instill in us the reality that God is mysterious and he will remain mysterious to us in his own way. And as much as he reveals himself to us, we should be in wonder and awe that he is so immense and wonderful we will never know him in full. 

Just like the languages we don’t understand, we still love to listen to the beauty of what we can only recognise as different sounds, in the same way when we could not understand God fully, we can still know and experience him as a good and great God who loves us immensely. 

We will be singing a song in Tagalog, Halina’t Sama Sama...

...and hearing Deut 6:4-5 in six different languages. 

Our church is so blessed in that we do have members who speak these languages, both native and learned. We could even have French, Spanish and Mexican but they weren’t around this week. And I would also add in Tamil, Malayalam, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and more if I do not need to worry about timing. 

Maybe the next round, we shall do this again!

pearlie

Jesus You Are So Good!

This is one of my best loved oldies of a worship song. And Jesus is indeed so good!

pearlie

Monterey Day 5: Full day out and it was a great weekend

I got connected with a church way before we came to Monterey. I googled for the nearest churches to the university and found two Methodist churches and a Presbyterian church. 

The emails sent to both the Methodist churches sadly did not garner any replies. But for the Presbyterian church, I requested the pastor from the Presbyterian church I am currently attending to email them. 

The church pastor, Joel Robbins and one of the church elders, Andres Czerwiak emailed us. 

And so off we went to Covenant Presbyterian Church today to attend their 11am service. 

The service is liturgical, using the hymnal. And for the first time in my life, I did not know any of the hymns and thankfully I can still sightread using the music scores. 



And I really like this hymn, Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven. The melody and especially the timing is quite unusual. 

We joined them for lunch after church and had a good chat with some of the members there, including Lois Deupree whom Pastor Joel connected me with before I came to Monterey because she offered to bring me around the city when I’m available. We couldn’t find a time before we met but when we met at church, we agreed to meet up on Tuesday. 

After church, I decided to take a drive to Monterey city, since I still have the car I rented yesterday. We started off with the 17 Mile Drive. 

The drive took us along the beach...



...to a restless sea...



...the woods...

...and a closer look at the Monterey cypress. 

The drive took about half and hour and we exited at Carmel and so we also drove around Carmel-by-the-Sea. 

My son then suggested we drive to Watsonville. It’s quite a nondescript town about 30km away and I wondered why he was so interested to go there. 

I found out why. 

My son had been quite obssessed with this crowd-funded food replacement called Soylent and the 7-11 outlet in Watsonville carries the breakfast version of it and he wanted some. 

The product claims to meet all nutritional requirements for an average adult, and you can apparently take Soylent all your life and have all your nutrients covered. Not sure how far it’s true but I definitely got fooled into going to Watsonville.

But it was alright, since it was a pleasant drive. 

It turned out to be a very nice weekend spent with my son before he starts his classes tomorrow. I will not have the car anymore for my remaining length of stay here. And I will only be able to see him again on Wednesday before I fly off on Thursday. 

I’m going to be a mess, so God help me. 

But this is also where I realised I made the right decision to extend my stay. My initial plan was to fly in with my son on Tuesday, send him off to college and fly off on Friday and arrive home on Sunday, back to work on Monday. 

Everyone I talked to advised me that since I am flying so faraway, I should stay longer. 

I am so, so glad I listened. 

I really treasure the time I spent with my son over the weekend which I will never have had I opted for a shorter trip. 

pearlie 

Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side

pearlie

Why was Jesus born?

We celebrated Christmas Eve today at church and it wasn’t the usual Sunday service. After praise and worship, there was a short skit where three men talked about what Christmas is in Starbucks...

...followed by the same three guys playing the three wise men having a discussion about the birth of Jesus in Starbeth Cafe in Bethlehem. 

Then pastor gave a very good sermon about Christmas. 

I didn’t get the chance to take any notes but I remember a couple of new things I learnt from him:

1. The Jews knowing that the prophecy of the coming of Messiah was about to be fulfilled did not welcome the birth of Jesus but the magi who weren’t Jews were so excited about it they wanted to not only go and visit and give gifts, but to worship him. 

2. The virgin Mary was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by sexual relations with a man, and with that  Jesus did not inherit the sinful nature of man. And what the Holy Spirit did to “overshadow” Mary—the same way he overshadow the world when it was created—was when he prevented the sinful nature of Mary to be passed on to Jesus. 

The birth of Jesus more than two thousand years ago marked the history where God became man to save us from ourselves, from our sins.

Even if you do not believe him, this happened in history and therefore you do need to ask the question, why?

pearlie