Here's What's Happening
Events
CONTENTS:
March 26-28, 2014 - Real Evangelism Conference, Wheeler Grove Baptist Corinth MS
July 19-26, 2014 - In Touch Alaska Cruise with Dr. Charles and Andy Stanley
September 2-12, 2014 - In Touch Israel Tour with Dr. Charles Stanley
October 27-30, 2014 - Senior Celebrators Conference with Phil Waldrep Ministries, Pigeon Forge TN
November 3-5, 2014 - Great Smokies Praisefest, Sevierville TN
Everlasting Praise 4 for Download!
We are pleased to announce that not only will all Everlasting Praise 4 products be in the warehouse and ready to ship by February 28, but they will also be available for download! Please visit www.lillenas.com for more information.
Posted on February 11, 2014.
Posts
COMMENTS:
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Everlasting Praise 4 almost done!
As I sit here and listen to the final mixes of the 19 Medleys and 67 songs that make up Everlasting Praise 4, I was a little concerned that by now some of these songs would not minister to me as they once had months ago when we began this project. I was wrong….so very wrong. This production lives up to the Mike Speck brand in every way. It successfully combines some of our most beloved hymns with inspirational and current choruses seamlessly. After the thousands of hours put in by so many people, our prayer continues to be that this Choral Collection is mightily used by the Lord to share the Gospel of Christ and minister to the Redeemed. There is something in here for everyone. I can even hear the children and youth choir singing these just as much as the older saints of the Lord. Isn’t it great when the whole family has their favorite when we gather around the table together? This collection is that type of meal. There is something for everyone. I will keep you posted as the mastering process begins next week and then we’re off to manufacturing! If you want to order your free preview pack, go to www.everlastingpraise4.com.
Posted on October 10, 2013.
Progress on Everlasting Praise 4
We’re almost done! We have a few more solos to record and then it will be off to mix and mastering. For those of you wanting to hear it as soon as it is available, you can get a free preview pack by going to www.everlastingpraise4.com and entering your information. Can’t wait that long? Email me at thespecks@mikespeckministries.com and I will send you the final song list. The Everlasting Praise series is designed for corporate worship of all ages. We also include some arrangements that can be used for choral performance. If you can’t afford but one collection this coming year, this is it. There is something for everyone. Everlasting Praiase 1, 2 & 3 are still available at www.mikespeckmusic.com.
Melody Speck/VanNus
Posted on September 17, 2013.
Progress on Everlasting Praise 4
As I listen to the latest round of edits made by Mike and Bob “B Dub” Williams to the tracks and vocals, I am reminded how much we labor over every transition to make sure the vocals sound natural as a congregation would sing it. We have learned that in order for us to catch as much as possible in the vocal and tracking, it’s important to step back and live with a piece to the puzzle before moving on. I know to some it seems like we take forever to put out a new project but we’ve learned that taking the time to make sure every single piece of the production is right usually yields a much better product! Onward!
Melody Speck/VanNus
Posted on August 6, 2013.
Vocals for Everlasting Praise 4 Completed!
We have now completed the vocal recording for Everlasting Praise 4. It took three days and a little over 21 hours to get finished. Everlasting Praise 4 will have 19 medleys in it with a total of 67 songs. While in the studio, we made final corrections to the vocal charts for print. Many don’t know how we sweat over the vocals being easy to sing but still having a cool sound.
We don’t treat the Everlasting Praise series like we would a choral performance collection. We are constantly thinking of what will make it the most singable for congregational worship as well. In addition, we do our best to choose keys and tempos easy to read/play for the average church musician. A lot of thought and preparation go into the arrangements but we like to think that’s what sets these projects apart.
That said, there are some great choral arrangements you won’t want to miss in this collection. In Everlasting Praise one, two and three, we attempted to add a few medleys that would be excellent for special music too. Everlasting Praise 4 is no exception. Add that to the fact choirs of various ages can connect with the songs in this collection. We are driven to make this product as broad in its use as we can.
Next up is orchestration! This large project takes several weeks to orchestrate and we usually utilize multiple individuals to accomplish the task. The orchestra recording is set to take place in August.
If you are not interested in using the tracks for Everlasting Praise 4 or the orchestration but just want a copy of the rhythm charts, contact me. I am curious to know how many of you might utilize that type product.
thespecks@mikespeckministries.com
Posted on July 22, 2013.
Progress on Everlasting Praise 4
After four days, the tracking for Everlasting Praise 4 is complete! Next up is vocals July 8-10. The vocal charts are being written now and a group of us will get together and go through them prior to the studio date. We will also make corrections during the studio session to make sure it is up to the “singable” Mike Speck standard. We always try to offer music that is interesting and fun but not too hard to sing. That’s tough!
With any Mike Speck collection, we often hear “Oh yeah, he’s the southern gospel guy” I urge them to listen to Everlasting Praise 1-3. These projects represent a very balanced approached to congregation music. They can also be used for choir performance as well. The ultimate goal is to incorporate everyone in the worship service. We have long believed the style of music should be like a buffet. You may not like the beets on the buffet but you do like the green beans.
We are so very glad to hear of the different ways this particular product can be used to further the Gospel of Christ. These projects are being utilized overseas by Military Chaplains. They are being used by prison ministries and bible studies also. Sometimes people don’t think outside the traditional church setting for our products and it is a blessing to hear about the many different applications for the Everlasting Praise series.
It took about 40 or so hours to lay down piano, drums and guitar for Everlasting Praise 4. Prior to that Mike estimates he has spent close to 1,000 hours listening and crafting each medley to be its best.
Melody Speck/VanNus
Posted on June 24, 2013.
Hello from Nashville
It begins today…Everlasting Praise 4!
Mike Speck and Stan Whitmire team up once again for the fourth installment of this Dove Award Winning series! This product will be available late fall 2013 with its official launch in January 2014. If you have a congregation hymn or other worship song that’s a favorite of your church, please email it to us at thespecks@mikespeckministries.com. (You may want to check through Volumes 1-3 to be sure we haven’t already used it.)
The first thing is the song list. Content, Tempo, and Keys of the songs are a priority when putting together a project like this one. They strive to make things as playable as possible. Sometimes that may mean leaving a song out that sounds great on the radio but would not be easy for most church folks to sing. Mike and Stan spend a lot of time working through each song to get the perfect mix for each medley. While the work is grueling, they have the opportunity to spend time worshipping the Lord as they sing through thousands of songs old and new.
Your prayers are coveted during this important part of the process. If you feel led, drop them an email to thespecks@mikespeckministries.com and it will go straight to them. Knowing they are being lifted up in prayer will be a real encouragement.
Melody Speck/VanNus
Posted on April 8, 2013.