Darth Vader is not my first choice of musical collaborator.
If I needed to destroy a planet, or cut off my arm – believe me – he’d be the first Sith Lord I’d call.
Strangely though after writing “6 Things Darth Vader Would Say About My Album” [below] he showed up at my studio telling me he had always been misunderstood as a performing artist and that his velvet voice was just looking for the right opportunity to break out of his haunting helmet.
I protested but he started saying things like “I am altering the deal, pray I do not alter it any further” so I decided I’d just smile and hit ‘record’.
So …. ladies and gentlemen, Stormtroopers and Sith Lord’s … I give you Darth Vader rocking out my song “I Believe In You”!
To get the REAL version of my song sign up on the right.
6 Things Darth Vader Would Say About My Album
“You are unwise to lower your defenses!”
At this point, just about every musician knows that writing songs and recording them to share with the world is not just some 9 to 5 gig. You need to be prepared for the things that people are going to say about your songs – it’s too loud – it’s too quiet – why didn’t you use ukeleles – what’s with all the guitars …
Although you may feel a strong desire to use The Force to make sure everyone likes what you do (however handy that would be) there are plenty of Midi-chlorian in the sea … umm, did I just confuse two sayings?
Regardless, the Bible guides us to “guard our hearts” “they are the wellspring of life”. So the first step when you’re baring your soul and sharing your creativity with strangers is to understand that people will be disinterested or even down-right rude about it.
But as Mother Teresa put it “Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.”
“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
I have to agree with Mr V. on this.
It’s taken me over 20 years to get my “a” into “g” and make this recording. For most of those years I’ve settled for the status quo. I haven’t taken a risk and put my money where my mouth is – literally, I didn’t put my (or anyone else’s) hard earned cash on the table to pay for recording.
Let me say that you are, in fact, allowed to think that it really is just too big and too hard to do what God is asking you to do.
But I guess we all come to a point where we ask ourselves if we’re going to believe God or settle for what we can imagine. You’ve got to “gird yourself with the belt of truth” and tell yourself that “courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear; the brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all”.
“You don’t know the power of the dark side!”
We all have to deal with doubt. Even during this recording I have had times when I’ve thought “who am I kidding, no one wants these songs”. I’ve wanted to give up and run away. It’s a long hard process and it can feel very lonely.
Life can feel like you’re in a death choke struggling to breathe (queue DV’s laboured breathing).
But when I’ve realised that lies I’m listening to have got me by the throat I’m suddenly let loose.
I’ve reminded myself that so many people have been bugging me for so long to record these songs for them. It’s never a bad time to “put on the helmet of salvation” – the renewed mind – rather than a E-3778Q-1 helmet in gloss black finish.
“Impressive, most impressive.”
If it wasn’t for the amazing group of talented people who have turned this recording from an idea into a reality there would be no songs.
Watching Andy Mak craft the songs in the studio, or Tez Mercer let loose the lighting during the photo shoot, or Al tweak the album graphics is something amazing to witness.
God has gifted everyone with talents and abilities and to see people bring those together is awe inspiring … we’re not made to go it alone so get together with others and let yourself loose to do your thing!
“Only now at the end do you understand.”
When I finally made the decision to record the album I had no idea how big a task it really was, how it would make me grow, the amazing people I would meet and work with, or the incredible thigns that would happen along the way.
Looking back over this project I can see what God was up to but I’ve got to be frank and say that if I had known what He was going to orchestrate I would probably been too terrified and would have just done what I did for the previous 20 years – nothing.
Now I see the wisdom in a little poem I loved as a young Christian:
My life is but a weaving between my God and me
I cannot choose the colours He weaveth steadily
Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper and I the underside
Not ’til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas and reveal the reason why.
“As you wish.”
Aka “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” rolls easliy off the tongue …
But once I faced the fact that I hadn’t charged the hyperdrive or got lessons with my lightsabre but had instead spent the years sitting around on Tattoine looking up at the night sky expecting God to change the orbit of the planets to “make it happen” then I found myself reciting the rest of that poem:
The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.
If God had told me to record these songs all these years and I hadn’t then how could I say I was seeking to do His will with my life? Knowing His choice what was I doing about it?
Swallowing hard that day I could almost hear that cold metallic voice repeating “as You wish …”
Darth Vader has taught me much about making an album – in fact it was his idea to record a quick demo of one of the songs off my album to showcase his velvet voice … c’mon … I know that you’ve been reading through this saying Darth’s lines with your hand cupped over your face so why not have listen to ‘DJ DV’ rocking out my song “I Believe In You” right here and leave your comments below 🙂
May the 4th Be With You!
To get the REAL version of my song sign up on the right.
