Ok - i am done feeling sorry for myself. I am done waiting for the ship to turn around. Have you ever got stuck in a rut...just could not find a way to get out? Could not change your thinking and it got you DOWN!! WELL, I have been there this last couple weeks...Really feeling like I need to give up on the "dreams" and become normal!!!

NORMAL - what is that anyway...

I have been shot with an extra shot of HOPE today! I don't know why, there was nothing I did different this morning...but I feel a renewed hope and a renewed passion for what it is that I have dreamed of...the music business! My specific career and the company that I have launched called SPF Music Group Inc.

I know that this will not happen overnight...(it's been 20 years, so no "overnight" success for me!!) I have been hearing my wife (the life coach) talk to all of her clients and talk to me...the underlying theme seems to be "believe". Now we just finished the Olympics and the theme for Canada was "believe" - well we believed right into the most gold medals EVER by ANY country in the winter Olympics...it makes a difference...I have always believed that to be true but allowed defeat to cripple me for a while...

NO MORE!! I serve a God that loves me and that, I believe, planted these dreams in me...HE is able to see them through!! SO - I will keep my eye on the prize...fight hard and we will see WHEN the dream becomes a reality!

When will I know it is a reality...I WILL JUST KNOW!!!

just thought I would share this...if you are feeling crappy...down...like you want to give up!! DON'T!!!!

"if you think you can YOU ARE RIGHT - if you think you can't YOU ARE RIGHT!!" (someone famous said this...i think it was FORD?)

Believe...dream...NEVER SAY NEVER!!!

kevin

I understand that American Idol is a “singing” competition. But what amazes me is that in order to be heard properly, you have to “bring it.” In other words, you must perform!

Stage presence, your ability to connect, your ability to draw the audience in – capture and engage, and create moments – in one song, makes all the difference.

Last night on American Idol, I heard the terms “performance,” “stage presence,” “the way I felt,” and others like that, all get bantered about by the judges.

I know they are looking for great singers. But the best singer doesn’t always win, right? The winner is that one person who can capture the voting public.

Many of these contestants are working on the mechanics and the “arrangement,” but they forget the most important thing: onstage performance. Communications is 15% content (in this case technique or mechanics), 30% tone or emotions, and 55% what people see with their eyes.

One contestant struggled with the mic stand last night. (He could have used the information on Tom’s DVD Don’t Fall Off the Stage.) One of the contestants was slammed online today because he “forsook his guitar this week” – he hasn’t learned yet how to be dimensional in his onstage performance.

Even the one contestant that Simon said had the best voice was told to stop slouching, stand and deliver the song. Great voice will not capture an audience by itself!

So if, in a vocal competition, the judges are talking about performance…don’t you think it is important to know how to perform? You need to learn the rules for the stage, learn how to capture and engage an audience, listen to Tom teach about how to create moments.

Then if you have a great voice, the audience will be able to hear it!

Kevin Pauls, Live Music Producer

OK - I like to be transparent...i like to live life on the edge and be seen for who I am...Well, in spite of having a wonderful weekend in Edmonton at Break Forth...my travelling - well let's just say - it was NEVER more adventurous!!!

So, last Thursday I am leaving my house with LOT's of time to spare. I left way earlier than I thought I needed and I was making one stop. I left my house @ 9:45 am - a drive to a friends office for a quick talk and a coffee and than off to the airport for my 1pm flight! no problem!!

The drive was going well, although I was starting to get nervous...the drive was taking a little longer than I was thinking and this was starting to make me nervous. I of course never thought of turning around and NOT going to see my friend...because I am pathetically relational!! SO - I thought...i will still have time! I also totally under estimated the time between their office and the airport...so to make a long story short...I saw them for about 10 minutes and turned around and booted it...I AM VERY LATE AT THIS POINT!!! I left the office @ 11:50am...my flight is @ 12:55pm - i thought I was about 20 minutes MAX away from the airport...NOT!!! It will on a good day take 40 - 45 minutes...now I have flown A LOT!! I am usually there more than an hour before (if it is a domestic flight!!) I do know that there is a little grace period and I had no bags to check and have my boarding pass already...I am good!! RIGHT??

SO - I am about 15 minutes away from the airport and it is turning 12:30pm...I AM LATE!! I am on the phone with Air Canada...they are telling me it will cost me $1500 to fix this...NOT PLEASED WITH THEIR RESPONSE!!! So I know I will have to throw myself on the mercy of the Air Canada ticket agent and hope for the best. So I am parking the car...10 minutes left before the plane leaves...I park, run to the ticket counter...no bags to check, show her my ticket and say, "I know that I am late, I know that I have to rebook, I do not have the money to rebook...I am throwing myself at your mercy...can you help me! PLEASE!!!!" I said all of this while winking and showing my charm...well OK - I actually looked very pathetic!!!

The ticket agent looked at me...looked at the ticket...there is 7 minutes before the flight leaves...she said to me..."RUN" Really?? You want me to run?, i replied...she said there is a 10% chance you will make it...I ran through security...they said nothing!! that was the fastest I was ever searched!! I ran through the terminal, and my gate...it was the last one at the END of the long hall!!! I got to the gate with no time to spare. They were closing the gate, when they saw me...did not event check my passport...allowed me to get in, they said..."RUN" and I ran down the gate...they closed the door of the plane seconds after I got on...I sat in my chair and was dripping with sweat and thinking...There is no way I should be on this plane!! WOW!! end of PART 1

Part 2 begins...
So...great time in Edmonton and I leave to come home...I land...excited to get home...the kids and Wendy are waiting up for me. We are gonna watch the GRAMMY's...my favourite awards show! I get off the plane, get my bags...pay for parking (another crazy part...for another day!!) and head to my van in the parking lot...get to my van...NO KEYS!!!!!!!

In the parking lot beside my van for 35 minutes...I look, I empty, I look, I empty, I look, I empty....I look again!!! NO KEYS!!!!! I call the hotel in Edmonton - there is no sign of my keys in the room and there is no sign of them in my luggage or pockets!!! The time is now 10:45pm...I called Wendy - told here to stay on alert, I was looking again!! I went in where it was warm...to look again...NO KEYS!!!!!

So @ 11:00pm I got to call my wife and tell her I needed her to come and pick me up in Toronto...we live an hour and ten minutes from the airport!!! SHE WAS PLEASED!!

She came dropped off my other keys...then she followed me home! I got 20 minutes down the road...forgot I needed gas...NO PROBLEM, we are only 10 minutes from the exit with all the gas...NO PROBLEM...except for the fact that I did not have enough gas to get to that exit!! I was so consumed with the fact that I FINALLY had a key, tired and just wanted to go home...the gas thing slipped my mind!! WHAT A DUFUS!!!!

So, Wendy had to drive me to the gas station, we bought a small gas tank and drove back to my van at the side of the road...filled it up...then i drove to the gas station and filled up more...than drove home and CRASHED in my bed...2:45am was when we got home...

OK - bottom-line...I AM A DUFUS!!! Can you believe that I am such an idiot!

That was my wonderful weekend...surrounded by CRAZY travel problems...I think Wendy will take the phone off the hook when she knows i am arriving from a flight in the future...in fact...i think all my friends will!!

Well...that is living out loud!!

talk soon....

Kevin

This blog originated HERE

Does Performance Have A Place in Worship

If I was smart enough, I would love to be able to coin a brand new phrase. In fact, that is my goal – to find another term that says performance without saying performance! Confused? Here is what I mean…

In the church, we have been taught that performance is wrong. That it’s arrogant, it is self-centred, and there is no room for it in leading worship! Well, I have a slightly different take on that.

We tend to look self-conscious on the platform. We often appear a little timid while we lead or sing in a church because we know we are not to draw attention to ourselves. The entire reason we act the way we do on stage is to deflect the attention to God.

However, the exact opposite happens. When we do not act as though we have authority on stage – when we act as though we are “too timid” – we appear nervous. Therefore, we cause the entire congregation to stop worshipping and start praying for us because we look so uncomfortable! (OK, I am being a little dramatic, but you get the idea!)

One of the definitions of “performance” in the dictionary says “the act of presenting a piece of music.” So how should we present our music? A few ideas come to mind…

1. Authority. Tom talks about authority a lot! Bono = authority on stage. Now, I know you are saying under your breath “…but I am leading worship.” Exactly! If Bono can have authority in a rock show, and Sting can have authority in a rock show…how much more authority should we have, as we attempt to lead the congregation into the Holy of Holies!

We stand in the authority of the One who created everything. The One who gives you breath has called you to lead your group of people into His presence. Now that is authority! We need to allow ourselves to act in HIS authority and actually lead the congregation.

2. Humility. True humility is taking on the authority given by God and standing in it! The tough part of leading worship is not singing well or playing well or picking the right songs. The tough part is acting in His authority. Being what He has called you to be is the difficult part. It’s easy and comfortable to stand and sing…it is not so easy to act in authority and lead!

3. Faith. It is a huge step of faith to act on the authority given to you. It is uncomfortable, it makes you feel uneasy, there is a little fear involved as well…but when you allow yourself to take risks and act on faith, not fear, you will be amazed at how the “singing of songs” is transformed into a time of worship.

By the way, another definition of the word “performance” is this: “the act of doing something successfully.” And, after all, isn’t that what we want – to successfully lead worshippers to God’s throne?

Kevin Pauls, Live Music Producer

In a moment of deep reflection i felt inspired to talk about the things that I have been wrestling with over the last few years.

There have been many "carrots" dangled in my life regarding music...many ups and downs in our personal life, challenges with "calling" - feelings of desperation, anxious moments, mountain top experiences...The gamut of emotions and of experience...The good The bad The ugly as I like to say...So how does this effect my faith? How do I relate to God in the good times? How do I relate to God in the bad times? Does my current circumstance dictate my faith, my joy or my state of mind???

I would love to hear how you have dealt with the ups and downs and what those experiences did to your faith.

Please get involved...this is very important dialogue!!

talk soon!!

2010 will see a new look to the "true musings" blog as well as a new look to the www.kevinpauls.com website! The new look will be fresh and will also take on the look of my new project ANOTHER LISTEN.

Another Listen is available on-line but we are also going to be releasing it nation-wide this spring via a hard copy CD. We will have it in all Christian Bookstores across Canada and via iTunes around the world. We will also be having a nation-wide tour...ANOTHER LISTEN!!

Well - I hope you are not sick of Wendy and I and the LOVEDARE We are not quite halfway...so a lot more videos to come and a lot more "fun" blogging! We are really enjoying it! I love the fact that we wake up every morning and we are supposed to work on our marriage!! It has it's challenges, but it is worth it!

So you are seeing us on 100 Huntley Street, but I am also on another TV show debuting on CTS (actually it debuted on the weekend) It will run for 13 weeks...see if you can find it and let me know if you do watch!!

also...sign-up for my e-newsletter - all people that sign up for 2010 will receive the first single from ANOTHER LISTEN, called Truth Is Marching On!! Spread the word!!

Take care...and be TRUE to those you love!!

Kevin