Broken Seal Project

 The Beginning
     

I began writing these songs quite some time ago.  I had lunch with my Pastor, about a year ago, and asked if I could write a play around the music for the Easter season.  Thankfully, he said yes, and that is when the fear really set in.  I truly wanted to do it, but I was terrified that my best effort would be a disappointment.  However, we can’t run away from everything that scares us, can we?  Everyone at my church, Grace Assembly of God, seems so comfortable staying busy and reaching out to others.  I have always been kind of backward when it comes to that, but I needed to do this play.

To me the great thing about this type of play is that it need not be pigeonholed as seasonal. Christmas carols don’t sing that well in April or July, but the cross and that whole event covers our salvation. We need to think and be thankful every single day for the blood of Christ. Our only true reason for being here is to Glorify God, and music is one of the ways that I can do that. The Broken Seal isn’t just a dramatic presentation. It is the truth about the blood of Christ and the power of atonement. That being said, I had to make sure that I did my best.

Making It Happen

I needed really great players. I had already been playing guitar weekly with my friend, Johnny Burbrink, and my church has some extremely great players on our worship team. Danny Royer plays drums and percussion, and Oscar Munoz plays bass. As we got started, I met the last part of the puzzle. His name is Steven Rogowski. Steven plays cello and guitar.  Each one of these guys has made a personal commitment that goes way beyond just helpful. They brought there own “sound” to the table, and once we started cooking, there was no looking back. It has been one of the most pleasant experiences, musically, that I have ever had. Instead of having to deal with some Nashville producer, I made this recording with laughter and the love of music.

The Goal

I hope that the play and the album are pleasing to people. I hope that people’s lives can be changed somehow when they hear and see the truth about the cross. One thing for sure is that this music has challenged me, and I needed that. I needed to think about everything that happened 2,000 years ago and how it applies to me today. I needed and appreciated that opportunity that Pastor Wayne gave me. I also needed the chance to work with other musicians. I hope they all know how much this means to me. I appreciate everything everyone has done to make this possible.

About the songs

The Broken Seal Album and Musical

I originally wrote "Nowhere to Run" for the Silver Spills album.  That song concept has always followed me around though.  Can you imagine being one of the guys that actually knew Jesus and turned him over to be killed?  Anyway, I spoke to pastor Wayne Murray one afternoon and told him about my idea of a musical drama.  He was very supportive and allowed us to have the play at his church, Grace Assembly. That facility is overflowing with people with fantastic talent and the show was a big success because of them.  Even though I was a nervous wreck, it still is one of my favorite things I’ve ever been a part of.

Real Slow/Nowhere to Run:  Johnny Burbrink, one of my closest friends and a crucial member of Reedy’s Dream, wrote the music to Real Slow.  He and I were in Florida together and each night we played guitar on the porch. That song just seemed to have a build up of excitement to it.  I wrote the lyrics as an afterthought.

A Few Miles From The Grave:  I wrote this song sitting cross legged in front of our fireplace.  It has a different type of rhythm to it.  Johnny helped make it gel.  My daughter Emily Sae does backing vocals.

One Out in the Crowd:  This song is about an eye witness to the crucifixion.  I have always been very happy with this song.  It kind of allows you to drift off and feel what was going on.

I Need You Now:  Imagine how Christ’s followers must have felt as he was taken down from the cross and put in a sealed tomb…Then again, imagine how they must have felt three days later!

The Broken Seal:  I worked really hard on this song.  It never came easy.  The lyrics were hard to write and the tempo was hard to work with.  It was very important to me that we told the story about the soldier as he awoke to find that empty grave. To me, that is a story that needs to be heard.

I Must See Thomas:  The Singing Cooke’s wrote this song originally. They are a great Southern gospel group that I have always loved. We have attempted to contact them several times about the song but to no avail.  I didn’t have access to the original lyrics, so I changed them to fit our need.  Johhny totally re-worked the music.  I love the end result because it shows you a little bit about what kind of a killer player Johnny can be when he sets his mind to it.

If the Stars Burn Out:  I ran out to the barn one afternoon to put our animals up before a storm.  By the time I got back in the house, I had this entire song in my head. It wrote itself so easily I wasn’t sure I hadn’t heard it somewhere else.

You’re My Light:  This is another song off of "As the Silver Spills."  It seemed like the correct song to end the album with again because I wanted people to have a moment to truly think about our Savior and all that He can be in our lives.