I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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My name is CA Murray,
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and allow me once
again to thank you
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for sharing
just a little of your
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no doubt busy day with us.
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To thank you once
again for your love,
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your prayers, and
your financial support
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of Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
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We are convicted and convinced
that we could not do it,
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we're called to do
without your partnership
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and your assistance.
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So when we say thank you,
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we mean that from
the bottom of our heart.
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Got an exciting program today,
because of the subject matter
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because of the
people that are here.
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Sometimes you meet people
that are just really neat,
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cool kind of guys
who do what they do well,
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and who are special
people, fun to be around,
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good sense of humor
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and yet dedicated
to the cause of Christ,
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and bring a
certain elan to their craft
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that makes it just fun
to be in their presence.
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I'm talking about
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Jonathan and
Benjamin Burchfield,
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who we will call air
from now on Jon and Benji
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because Jonathan and Benjamin
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are just too much to go through.
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That is, I agree, I agree.
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And I already got their
permission, so it's okay.
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But two really neat guys,
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who've been here I guess
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a year or two or three
or four or five or six?
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Many times, several times.
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And who always bring
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such a beautiful
skill set to their work.
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These guys play well,
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and rather than have
them compliment themselves,
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I will
compliment them gelatinously
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because they are
good at what they do.
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And nice guys.
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You know, before we get started
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and I wanted to
go back to because,
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when I hear you talking
not long in your conversation,
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your mother comes up,
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who had a great influence
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on who you are and what you do.
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Now, let me ask
you one of those.
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I must say to get this
tough stuff out of the way.
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Okay, I'm gonna
ask you one of those
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high concept
ontological questions
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that we toss it now and again,
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because of the
skill set you bring.
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Answer this from or wrestle
with this for me if you will.
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Is there a difference
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between
performance and ministry?
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And is there an
intersection between the two?
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Does performance
ever meet ministry?
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Is performance one
thing and ministry another?
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I know those when a person
gets up in a secular setting,
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he is performing.
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When a person
gets up to minister,
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there is an
element of performance,
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because you got
to bring your best.
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So is there a difference
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between
performance and ministry?
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Do they ever
intersect at any given point?
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In your minds, since you
guys are such good musicians,
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you're technically
good at what you do.
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Is there a intersectional
performance in ministry?
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Great question, I
think they do intersect.
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I really do, I
think even evangelist
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who speak are performing.
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I think people sometimes
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get more out of the presentation
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when there is a little bit
of performance in the aspect.
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That's my take on it.
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When we were
living near Chicago,
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we were influenced heavily
by our organist and pianist
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at our church, Alfred
Young, and Steve Nelson,
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and they were performers,
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say all over the
world they toured.
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And they told us
as very young children
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whether you are
performing for an audience
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or evangelizing, just join them,
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just bring someone to Christ.
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They said, "If
you're performing,
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do the best that God
gave you the ability to do."
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It'll be absolute best
because that's your witness
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to do the best you can.
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God doesn't
want anything sloppy.
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And so, I think it's a
great idea to just, you know,
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polish things and
present them clearly
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so the person understands
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what you're playing
or what you're saying,
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what you're doing.
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See that's, that's,
that's sort of co...
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I cosigned that
because I think your job
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is to do the best
technical job that you can.
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You've got to practice,
you've got to rehearse,
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you've got to
bring as much skill
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as God has given to you.
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Your job is to perfect that,
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and do the best you
can with what you have.
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And then you just put it out
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and let God turn
it into ministry,
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but you've got to do your best.
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I mean, you're
playing the instrument,
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you're plucking, you're blowing,
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you know, you're doing that.
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You've got to do
the best you can.
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Absolutely. Absolutely.
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There's no
shortcuts either, there is...
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You know, and it's an
honor to pour yourself into it.
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Nobody wants something
that you've sort of do halfway.
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Who would want
that, just do a good.
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God did it good,
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let's just honor God
and do the best we can do.
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Do the best you can.
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And I say that
because both of you
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but particularly you, Jon,
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when you play, you
sort of leave the planet.
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You know, there's this if
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to watch your face when
you're playing is a treat
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because you
really get wrapped up
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in what you are doing.
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That comes with
a price, I played,
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we did a concert at
Colorado, and a lady said,
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you know since you
get into that other place,
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it's unfair to your audience
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that because
you're leaving them out,
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you're disappearing.
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Yeah.
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And I said, "Well, no,
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I think I can do a
better service to you,
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if I really get
into what I'm doing."
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And that she
understood after that,
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but she thought it's
rude to close your eyes
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while you play for instance.
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Well, I close my eyes a lot.
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You do. Yeah. Yeah.
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The good news is she said,
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"I understand, I see
where you're coming from now."
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Yeah.
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To my mind when
I see you do that.
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I want to go with
you, you know, okay,
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he is going somewhere
and I'm coming, you know.
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So if you enter into
the spirit of the music,
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you actually transported me.
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And I think that's what you're
trying to, you're there...
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That's right.
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And your job is
to bring me with you.
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So if I, if I listen, if
I imbibe what you're doing,
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I'm there with you,
you're taking me along.
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And you do it too, Benji,
not as much as your brother.
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Your brother kind of just,
he just kind of floats away.
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Yeah.
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He is the floater.
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For me, I just take aim
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and try to hit
a few right notes.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And you do it well.
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Let's walk back to growing up.
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Smoking on guys as you said.
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Give me some of the
flavor of your home growing up
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because three of you are
now professional musicians.
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Mark joined you in that,
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but a lot of this
stems from your mom I'm told.
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Lots of, both of our
parents were musicians.
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They were evangelists,
so dad played his guitar,
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mom played an accordion
and they had tent meetings.
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They had a big tent they rented,
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and they had sawdust everything,
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but in the Smoky Mountains,
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and the reason we were
there is our dad had a calling
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to minister to the folks
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where he grew up in a
place called Happy Valley.
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But the first home we
lived in, there was no...
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I think there was a floor
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and if I'm not mistaken
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it's Ben was just
visiting it the other day,
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it's an old cabin
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and when I was
actually born at the time
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when we lived there,
but there is no bathroom,
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so there is no
running water in it.
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I mean it's very primitive,
there's no electricity.
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So for two years is a
really a primitive place.
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However, our dad
was in the meantime
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building a nice little
place up the mountainside.
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So by the time I
was two years old,
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we had a place, even that,
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that had no bathroom
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for another
couple of years in it,
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but much nicer than
the way we started but...
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Yeah, so mom
influenced us classically,
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and dad influenced us
in the Appalachian music.
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So we try to mix
and intertwine those.
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And you can feel
it in what you do.
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But your mom was college change
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or school
trained in what she did.
00:09:05.91\00:09:07.64
She actually went to
the conservatory in Chicago
00:09:07.68\00:09:10.68
studied piano, classical piano.
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She is a Norwegian lady,
00:09:12.65\00:09:15.45
of Norwegian
descent from Wisconsin.
00:09:15.48\00:09:18.92
So dad being
Appalachian and Bluegrass,
00:09:18.95\00:09:22.66
mom was classical,
00:09:22.72\00:09:24.49
but they met in Chicago.
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How did Wisconsin
get down to, yeah.
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Thousand miles apart
and somehow they met and...
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Must have been a
blind date or something.
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It was, we were
told that was blind date.
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But they realized
they both love music
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and have a great camaraderie.
00:09:42.68\00:09:45.31
But they were both teaching
there in the Smoky Mountains
00:09:45.35\00:09:48.55
in a two room schoolhouse.
00:09:48.58\00:09:51.39
Mom taught one through four,
dad taught five through eight.
00:09:51.42\00:09:55.09
Oh, my soul.
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Yeah, that will challenge you.
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When did you...
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What are your earliest memories
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of picking up
something and playing?
00:10:01.16\00:10:04.30
And did they
encourage it all because
00:10:04.33\00:10:06.20
and I say that because
I wanted to do violin and,
00:10:06.23\00:10:09.74
but I didn't want to
practice, and my mom said,
00:10:09.77\00:10:11.54
"Okay, you don't
want to practice.
00:10:11.57\00:10:12.91
We're not going the
throw those anyway."
00:10:12.94\00:10:14.28
I could see you playing violin.
00:10:14.31\00:10:15.64
But I just, so I just got,
00:10:15.68\00:10:17.01
I've got an 1889 German
violin sitting in my closet,
00:10:17.05\00:10:20.18
I don't know
how much it's worth.
00:10:20.22\00:10:21.55
I picked it up years and
years and years and years
00:10:21.58\00:10:23.59
but I didn't
practiced so she said,
00:10:23.65\00:10:24.99
"Oh, we're not
gonna throw them anyway."
00:10:25.02\00:10:26.35
Obviously, you
guys weren't enforced,
00:10:26.39\00:10:27.79
it's something that
was kind of in the DNA.
00:10:27.82\00:10:29.92
It was in the DNA and
my first noise that I made.
00:10:29.99\00:10:36.50
We didn't have much money
00:10:36.53\00:10:38.03
to buy actual
instruments in that day.
00:10:38.07\00:10:41.27
I was like seven years old,
00:10:41.30\00:10:43.94
and I just started
banging on pots and pans.
00:10:43.97\00:10:47.21
Anything I
could get my hands on.
00:10:47.24\00:10:49.34
Later in school, I
would play the school desks,
00:10:49.38\00:10:53.21
and we'd get in
trouble from the teacher...
00:10:53.25\00:10:56.82
Playing the desk.
00:10:56.85\00:10:58.19
So my first audience,
00:10:58.22\00:11:00.26
you were talking
about performing earlier.
00:11:00.29\00:11:01.62
I was performing in
second grade for the class
00:11:01.66\00:11:05.86
on the desk making drum beats,
00:11:05.89\00:11:07.76
but my first
calling though musically.
00:11:07.83\00:11:12.43
It was around second grade
00:11:12.47\00:11:14.87
was when Jon
brought home a snare drum
00:11:14.90\00:11:19.11
and he bought it from his friend
00:11:19.14\00:11:21.64
for like three dollars.
00:11:21.68\00:11:24.21
And I was so
mesmerized and drawn to that
00:11:24.25\00:11:28.72
and I started hitting
that and that's when I said,
00:11:28.75\00:11:32.12
"Mom, I want to become
a professional drummer."
00:11:32.15\00:11:35.92
This was in second grade.
00:11:35.96\00:11:38.56
From there it stemmed
out, then piano lessons.
00:11:38.59\00:11:41.43
I'm thankful for
my piano teacher.
00:11:41.46\00:11:44.53
Clarinet, fifth grade.
00:11:44.57\00:11:46.80
It was a Christmas
time, he took that snare
00:11:46.87\00:11:50.04
and then you tied it around you
went Christmas caroling and...
00:11:50.07\00:11:53.51
I did, I did
00:11:53.54\00:11:54.94
The little drummer boy.
00:11:54.98\00:11:56.34
The little drummer boy.
00:11:56.38\00:11:57.71
I used my dad's
leather belt to tie it around.
00:11:57.75\00:12:01.35
It's same belt
he used to give me
00:12:01.38\00:12:02.72
a whipping with but...
00:12:02.75\00:12:05.75
You know, we did a
live nativity scene
00:12:05.79\00:12:08.96
for one Christmas when
we were little children.
00:12:08.99\00:12:10.76
He was the drummer boy
00:12:10.83\00:12:12.16
and we had a hound dog
from the Smoky Mountains,
00:12:12.19\00:12:15.20
and we put tape
cotton all over it
00:12:15.23\00:12:18.70
so it became the little
lamb that I held, you know.
00:12:18.73\00:12:21.80
My dog hated that.
00:12:21.84\00:12:24.47
But there was always music
involved in all that stuff.
00:12:24.51\00:12:28.44
But to answer your question.
00:12:28.48\00:12:30.51
The rooms that mom and dad
00:12:32.91\00:12:36.35
were living in
were lined with guitars.
00:12:36.38\00:12:38.89
Dad had so many guitars,
00:12:38.92\00:12:41.46
so as a little
child I would go around
00:12:41.49\00:12:43.19
and just hear the sound of,
00:12:43.22\00:12:44.59
I would rake my
fingers over the strings.
00:12:44.63\00:12:47.50
And I remember the
sound of a vibrating string
00:12:47.56\00:12:52.07
did something to my heart.
00:12:52.10\00:12:53.57
I just, there's something
about that it was soothing.
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.44
I loved the way it sounded,
so I could play anything,
00:12:56.47\00:13:01.34
but I would just
go around and just,
00:13:01.38\00:13:03.38
just hear all
these sustained notes
00:13:03.45\00:13:07.02
and that was many years before
I ever played a note on them.
00:13:07.05\00:13:12.29
Just the sound
of it captivated me.
00:13:12.32\00:13:15.69
When did it occur to you
00:13:15.72\00:13:17.06
and both if you
take a stab at this
00:13:17.13\00:13:18.86
that this is something that
00:13:18.89\00:13:21.53
you're either
called to do with that,
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.03
you were going to
kind of make your life,
00:13:23.06\00:13:24.60
it was kind of in
your soul and you realized.
00:13:24.63\00:13:27.60
Yeah, this is what I'm gonna be.
00:13:27.64\00:13:29.14
Oh, for me was when
I was a band director.
00:13:29.17\00:13:31.51
I was teaching grades
five through 12 in Nashville.
00:13:31.54\00:13:36.81
And Jon was solo
guitarist at Opryland Hotel,
00:13:36.85\00:13:42.02
and the doors just
seemed to keep opening for us
00:13:42.05\00:13:46.49
to do conferences and concerts
00:13:46.52\00:13:49.92
as a duo, that's how it started.
00:13:49.99\00:13:52.73
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:52.76\00:13:54.10
I was going to ask that
because you play well together,
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.13
you've been doing it
all your life of course.
00:13:56.16\00:13:58.03
Was that something
planned or just the fates
00:13:58.07\00:14:01.10
and I use that term advisedly,
00:14:01.14\00:14:02.74
kind of push you together
to work together because,
00:14:02.77\00:14:04.24
you work together so well.
00:14:04.31\00:14:05.64
You got another brother
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.01
who is married
to another musician
00:14:07.04\00:14:08.41
who had his own thing going.
00:14:08.44\00:14:09.78
But you guys are
kind of in tandem.
00:14:09.81\00:14:11.58
You know what?
00:14:11.61\00:14:12.95
I don't think we
planned it to be honest,
00:14:12.98\00:14:16.02
I think it was all in
our soul the desire for,
00:14:16.05\00:14:20.16
but when we first
moved to Nashville
00:14:20.19\00:14:24.06
over 30 years ago,
00:14:24.13\00:14:25.99
I was recording classical
guitar works for a company.
00:14:26.03\00:14:31.03
One was called a
Classic Christmas.
00:14:31.07\00:14:32.97
All Christmas with a
lot of Spanish influences.
00:14:33.00\00:14:36.40
And with no
intention of performing it,
00:14:36.44\00:14:40.04
in front of
anybody, they just said,
00:14:40.08\00:14:42.38
we want an hour's worth
00:14:42.41\00:14:43.75
of beautiful
classical guitar stuff.
00:14:43.81\00:14:46.38
Well, I did that,
00:14:46.41\00:14:47.75
but then we were asked
to do a wedding for somebody
00:14:47.78\00:14:50.85
and they said,
00:14:50.89\00:14:52.22
while you're doing this
wedding for dear friend of ours.
00:14:52.25\00:14:55.32
Could you stay over and play
00:14:55.36\00:14:58.69
for our church the next day,
00:14:58.73\00:15:00.43
which I did
00:15:00.46\00:15:02.43
and by playing a couple
little tunes for the church.
00:15:02.46\00:15:06.20
Their radio station said,
00:15:06.23\00:15:07.64
"Do you mind if we play
your songs on radio station."
00:15:07.67\00:15:10.14
I said, "No, that's fine,
I got a couple of CD's here."
00:15:10.21\00:15:14.01
And then churches
began to call, say,
00:15:14.08\00:15:16.44
"Do you do concerts?"
00:15:16.48\00:15:17.81
Well, we said, "We never
have, I guess we can do that."
00:15:17.85\00:15:21.82
So that suddenly they just
began calling because of that.
00:15:21.85\00:15:25.52
Yeah. Wow. Wow.
00:15:25.55\00:15:26.89
Well, let me walk
you through something
00:15:26.96\00:15:28.29
just before we
go to our first song
00:15:28.32\00:15:29.66
because I'm anxious to play it.
00:15:29.69\00:15:31.23
Because you both
have piano background,
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.26
that was kind of your base
and we discussed this from,
00:15:33.29\00:15:36.77
from the little I know
people who tend to master piano
00:15:36.83\00:15:41.27
can go off in
many, many directions.
00:15:41.30\00:15:43.41
And I don't know why that
is but it seems to be that way.
00:15:43.47\00:15:46.17
And I want to
walk through because,
00:15:46.21\00:15:48.68
Jon, you started on
piano and then moved to guitar.
00:15:48.71\00:15:51.15
Yes.
00:15:51.18\00:15:52.51
And that was for what reason?
00:15:52.55\00:15:53.88
I was 14, when I was
really getting into the piano
00:15:53.92\00:15:57.25
and I thought I had
00:15:57.29\00:15:58.62
the greatest
teacher in the world.
00:15:58.65\00:16:00.09
Oh my goodness
that I love my teacher.
00:16:00.12\00:16:02.72
And she was showing
me such wonderful things,
00:16:02.76\00:16:05.79
and then suddenly she
came with the announcement,
00:16:05.83\00:16:07.73
"I'm moving out of
state," and I was just, I said,
00:16:07.76\00:16:11.37
"I'll never get a
teacher like this again."
00:16:11.40\00:16:13.44
And I just didn't want to
go and look for a teacher,
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.80
and so I thought, I got
all these guitars around,
00:16:15.84\00:16:18.34
I think I'll just
start playing guitar.
00:16:18.37\00:16:20.58
And that's how I started this,
00:16:20.61\00:16:22.64
because I lost my piano teacher,
00:16:22.68\00:16:25.01
but the minute I started
00:16:25.05\00:16:26.58
at the age of 14
to actually play.
00:16:26.61\00:16:29.42
I just used my piano
books to learn my guitar.
00:16:29.45\00:16:33.66
It's all the same
notes, different fingerings,
00:16:33.69\00:16:36.76
it's all the same notes.
00:16:36.83\00:16:38.16
Did you ever do
any formal studies
00:16:38.19\00:16:39.53
or just, just you just...
00:16:39.56\00:16:41.00
No formal studies,
00:16:41.03\00:16:42.63
the piano books especially like
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.97
when I get sheet music from mom,
00:16:46.00\00:16:48.27
her repertoire like
you know her songs like,
00:16:48.30\00:16:51.11
"Claire de Lune" for instance.
00:16:51.14\00:16:52.47
I just took that and well,
a C chord is still a C chord
00:16:52.51\00:16:56.91
and it made sense.
00:16:56.95\00:16:58.58
Yeah. Yeah. You know.
00:16:58.61\00:17:00.05
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:00.08\00:17:01.42
Very natural.
00:17:01.45\00:17:02.78
Benji, you play so many things,
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.39
piano bass again,
00:17:05.42\00:17:07.69
but let's begin to
stack up, you play...
00:17:07.72\00:17:10.66
Jack of all trades. Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:10.69\00:17:12.16
Master of all trades
00:17:12.19\00:17:13.83
And you also play,
00:17:15.96\00:17:17.80
is it's the
pennywhistle it's called?
00:17:17.83\00:17:19.27
Good question.
00:17:19.30\00:17:20.64
One of them is a pennywhistle.
00:17:20.67\00:17:22.27
Then there's a low whistle.
00:17:22.30\00:17:23.74
The low one is the
Howard Low D whistle,
00:17:23.81\00:17:26.88
but we re-titled it to
the river dance whistle,
00:17:26.91\00:17:30.85
because when I
saw the river dance,
00:17:30.88\00:17:33.35
they were playing the same one
and I did some research on it,
00:17:33.42\00:17:36.79
I saw, I was
absolutely mesmerized
00:17:36.82\00:17:41.22
with the sound of it.
00:17:41.26\00:17:42.59
The sound is, it's so haunting.
00:17:42.62\00:17:43.96
I mean he was so incredible
so I found it and ordered it...
00:17:44.03\00:17:46.80
and just I'm
self-taught on those whistles.
00:17:49.00\00:17:52.40
Yeah.
00:17:52.43\00:17:54.84
The clarinet had a
little, that helped a little bit
00:17:54.87\00:17:59.01
'cause a clarinet
is harder to play.
00:17:59.04\00:18:02.08
But and then on
the mallet instrument,
00:18:02.11\00:18:05.05
the mallet thing I play it's
called the malletKAT and it's,
00:18:05.08\00:18:09.65
it's got to sound modules
00:18:09.68\00:18:11.32
with over a
thousand different sounds.
00:18:11.35\00:18:14.29
So I can even make an oboe sound
00:18:14.32\00:18:17.26
like it's playing in tune.
00:18:17.29\00:18:19.09
You know,
00:18:19.13\00:18:21.66
the reason I'm playing that is
00:18:21.70\00:18:24.20
when I was in college,
Alfred Young, the professor,
00:18:24.27\00:18:29.20
their music professor said,
00:18:29.24\00:18:31.37
"You know, you
would be better off
00:18:31.41\00:18:33.38
learning all the
percussion instruments
00:18:33.41\00:18:36.38
instead of just playing drum set
00:18:36.41\00:18:38.71
'cause I wanted to
just be a drum set player.
00:18:38.75\00:18:41.92
Yeah, so that's how it happened.
00:18:41.95\00:18:43.28
I say how much the
world would have missed
00:18:43.32\00:18:44.65
had you gotten your wish.
00:18:44.69\00:18:47.86
We will be bereft
but indeed we do not.
00:18:47.89\00:18:50.53
I want to go to
Claire de Lune just now,
00:18:50.56\00:18:52.23
so that we can
actually hear these guys play
00:18:52.26\00:18:54.36
because they do
such a beautiful job.
00:18:54.36\00:18:55.70
I've heard this over the years,
00:18:55.73\00:18:57.57
because you've played it
here before some years ago,
00:18:57.60\00:19:00.37
but it never
ceases to enthrall me,
00:19:00.40\00:19:02.60
it's such a beautiful
tune, and you do it so well.
00:19:02.64\00:19:05.67
So let's, let's play now.
00:19:05.71\00:19:07.31
Claire de Lune, this
is Jonathan and Benjamin
00:19:07.34\00:19:10.38
Burchfield.
00:19:10.41\00:19:11.75
Beautiful. Well done, well done.
00:21:56.08\00:21:57.81
Very well done.
00:21:57.85\00:21:59.18
Jonathan, tell
us that story about
00:21:59.21\00:22:00.62
the guitar that you're
playing there you're saying.
00:22:00.65\00:22:02.42
That is a Martin guitar.
00:22:02.45\00:22:05.39
The Martin family
00:22:05.42\00:22:07.79
out east in
Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
00:22:07.82\00:22:12.86
Had one of the fellows
died about four years ago
00:22:12.89\00:22:16.16
suddenly at the age of 48.
00:22:16.20\00:22:19.17
To commemorate his life,
00:22:19.20\00:22:21.57
they built 48 of
these classical guitars.
00:22:21.60\00:22:25.37
And I'm playing the
12th one that they built.
00:22:25.41\00:22:28.78
So it's made out of
Engelmann spruce on the top
00:22:28.81\00:22:34.02
and mahogany on
the back and sides,
00:22:34.08\00:22:36.08
and it's a real soft
soothing instrument so.
00:22:36.12\00:22:41.29
So it's a real pleasure
to play that instrument.
00:22:41.32\00:22:44.03
Did you inherit
your dad's guitars
00:22:44.09\00:22:45.86
or do you have a
collection of your own?
00:22:45.89\00:22:47.76
Have my own
because most of the ones
00:22:47.83\00:22:49.70
I have were made for
me by particular Luthiers,
00:22:49.73\00:22:55.60
but this one is the only one
00:22:55.64\00:22:56.97
that isn't made
is this Martin but I,
00:22:57.04\00:22:59.24
I saw it and I thought of
00:22:59.27\00:23:00.98
such a beautiful instrument
00:23:01.01\00:23:02.48
I got that on my
own but all the others,
00:23:02.51\00:23:05.88
our people spread
throughout the United States
00:23:05.91\00:23:08.75
that just enjoy building
00:23:08.78\00:23:10.89
and they've been kind
enough to make me instruments.
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.36
Now, when you say
00:23:13.39\00:23:14.79
'cause that
fascinates me, it made for me,
00:23:14.82\00:23:16.73
okay.
00:23:16.76\00:23:18.09
A suit made for
you, they measure you,
00:23:18.13\00:23:21.13
sleeve length, inseam
blah, blah, blah, yada, yada.
00:23:21.16\00:23:24.50
How does one
make a guitar for you?
00:23:24.53\00:23:26.94
Is there a certain
sound you're looking for
00:23:27.00\00:23:28.47
that they're
trying to replicate?
00:23:28.50\00:23:30.77
There is a sound and
there is also a feel.
00:23:30.81\00:23:34.98
Now, for instance
one of my builders
00:23:35.01\00:23:36.91
is a fellow in California.
00:23:36.95\00:23:40.08
He builds wood that I love.
00:23:40.12\00:23:43.12
For instance I
love Jacaranda wood.
00:23:43.15\00:23:45.62
So he makes sure there's
Jacaranda in the instrument.
00:23:45.65\00:23:49.06
He carves the neck in a
way that fits my hand nicely.
00:23:49.09\00:23:54.30
He used a Sitka spruce
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.16
which is comes from
the north east somewhere
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.63
and it has a slightly different
sound than this Engelmann
00:23:59.67\00:24:03.20
that I'm playing today.
00:24:03.24\00:24:05.64
And then he makes the
thickness because he sees
00:24:05.67\00:24:08.78
how I lay my arm on it,
so he'll make a certain...
00:24:08.81\00:24:12.51
Notice it also with
most of these instruments,
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.48
I tend to have a heavy
arm when I play them well,
00:24:15.52\00:24:19.72
I'm hugging it too tight
00:24:19.75\00:24:21.39
and that can really stop
the really nice resonating.
00:24:21.42\00:24:25.06
So you know if
there's an arm rest
00:24:25.09\00:24:27.40
like a violin would have.
00:24:27.50\00:24:29.43
Well, that way I
don't stop to resonate
00:24:29.46\00:24:32.00
'cause I kind to tend
to hug the instrument.
00:24:32.03\00:24:33.74
Okay, so they
really tailor it to
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.30
how you play and what
00:24:36.34\00:24:37.67
and what your body
does when you are playing.
00:24:37.71\00:24:39.04
Even the strings,
00:24:39.07\00:24:40.44
he makes it just
close enough knowing
00:24:40.48\00:24:42.24
how I get under the string
00:24:42.28\00:24:44.28
and how I tack the string
00:24:44.31\00:24:46.15
and that way they know just how
00:24:46.18\00:24:48.75
high or how low to make it.
00:24:48.78\00:24:50.75
Boy, Ben, you don't get
to get all that stuff, man.
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.85
I'm worry, man.
00:24:52.89\00:24:55.12
Well, I used to
play the real marimba
00:24:55.16\00:24:56.99
and that was made out of wood.
00:24:57.03\00:24:58.36
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:58.39\00:24:59.73
But some of your mallets
were made for you though.
00:24:59.76\00:25:01.30
Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:01.33\00:25:02.66
Yeah, I had some mallets
made for me by a carpenter.
00:25:02.70\00:25:05.33
Now what we're looking
for when we're making mallets,
00:25:05.37\00:25:07.14
the length of or
thickness of wood
00:25:07.17\00:25:10.11
or how to put up your
fingers that kind of thing.
00:25:10.14\00:25:11.47
Yes, both.
00:25:11.51\00:25:12.84
Yeah, thickness, length,
00:25:12.87\00:25:15.04
the size of the
mallet, everything.
00:25:15.08\00:25:17.35
Yeah.
00:25:17.38\00:25:18.71
Incredible.
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.08
When you are
playing, can you tell when...
00:25:20.12\00:25:26.32
and I got to use kind of
pedestrian language here,
00:25:26.35\00:25:28.29
when you, when the audience,
when you've got the audience
00:25:28.32\00:25:30.26
when they're with you,
00:25:30.33\00:25:31.66
when they're kind
of on your wavelength,
00:25:31.69\00:25:33.03
can you feel that,
when you're preaching
00:25:33.06\00:25:35.56
there is a bounce back
for one of a better I think.
00:25:35.60\00:25:37.90
There's something that's
coming back from that audience.
00:25:37.93\00:25:40.10
You can tell
they're kind of with you.
00:25:40.14\00:25:41.47
Do you feel that
when you're playing also?
00:25:41.50\00:25:43.10
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:25:43.14\00:25:44.57
Sometimes I just feel it
00:25:44.61\00:25:46.01
and sometimes I can actually
hear the audience responding.
00:25:46.04\00:25:49.31
Yeah.
00:25:49.34\00:25:50.71
If there's
conversations, you know,
00:25:50.75\00:25:52.08
they're probably not with you,
you know but when they're...
00:25:52.11\00:25:57.59
When you can hear
everything in the room
00:25:57.62\00:25:59.95
and your music literally
00:26:00.09\00:26:01.42
bounces off the
wall and comes back,
00:26:01.46\00:26:03.56
you know people
are paying attention.
00:26:03.59\00:26:04.93
So when they're
real quiet and you look
00:26:04.96\00:26:07.13
and you see in the eyes,
that's when they are attentive.
00:26:07.13\00:26:09.50
Yes.
00:26:09.53\00:26:10.87
And of course, the
most of that is after
00:26:10.90\00:26:15.27
when people tell us
what's going on but during...
00:26:15.30\00:26:20.28
Yes, you sure can tell.
00:26:20.31\00:26:21.91
And, you know, if they're
into songs like Claire de Lune,
00:26:21.94\00:26:25.65
or if they'd
rather have, you know,
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.52
some more spirited peace.
00:26:27.55\00:26:30.29
You can kind of tell
00:26:30.32\00:26:31.65
what they're in
the mood for it, so...
00:26:31.69\00:26:33.25
But we don't rely on that,
00:26:33.29\00:26:34.69
because some of our
crowds might be a little stoic.
00:26:34.72\00:26:37.76
They don't know how to respond
until it's all done with.
00:26:37.79\00:26:40.96
Yeah.
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.30
Matter of fact,
00:26:42.33\00:26:43.67
we were doing a concert one time
00:26:43.73\00:26:45.30
with a major group,
we're on a tour with a group,
00:26:45.33\00:26:49.97
and we were at this one place
00:26:50.01\00:26:53.44
where there's
one cluster of people
00:26:53.48\00:26:56.44
that were so quiet.
00:26:56.48\00:26:58.18
They didn't respond to
anything and were thinking,
00:26:58.21\00:27:02.32
boy, that cluster of people,
it's dark so you couldn't see.
00:27:02.35\00:27:05.95
And I thought these people
aren't into this whatsoever,
00:27:05.99\00:27:09.26
and then after the
concert here came that cluster
00:27:09.29\00:27:12.99
and it was all of our relatives
00:27:13.03\00:27:15.86
and they're stoic.
00:27:15.90\00:27:17.27
I don't why they're so stoic.
00:27:17.30\00:27:19.13
And they said, "We loved it."
00:27:19.17\00:27:20.67
And well, I do, if I
would have known it was them,
00:27:20.74\00:27:22.50
well, they're
not gonna say a word,
00:27:22.54\00:27:24.01
they're not
going to do anything.
00:27:24.04\00:27:25.44
I didn't know they were
in the crowd that night.
00:27:25.47\00:27:26.98
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:27.01\00:27:28.34
You got to kind of feel
00:27:28.38\00:27:30.25
sometimes silence can
be disinterest or sleep
00:27:30.28\00:27:34.12
and sometimes a
little buzz is excitement.
00:27:34.15\00:27:36.69
I remember years ago
we went to New Zealand,
00:27:36.72\00:27:38.39
and I'm accustomed.
00:27:38.42\00:27:40.46
If you go up in
the black church,
00:27:40.49\00:27:41.82
there is this call and
response kind of thing,
00:27:41.86\00:27:44.16
for every out,
there is something back,
00:27:44.23\00:27:46.46
and it lets you know right away
00:27:46.49\00:27:48.86
if you're
reaching your audience.
00:27:48.90\00:27:50.23
It's very easy.
00:27:50.27\00:27:51.60
When you go to other audiences,
when we were in Australia,
00:27:51.63\00:27:53.70
Danny, we're all
down and I'm preaching
00:27:53.74\00:27:55.34
and I get nothing.
00:27:55.37\00:27:56.71
So you step it up, you
know, I think so you step it up,
00:27:56.77\00:27:59.71
you know, still nothing.
00:27:59.74\00:28:01.14
And at the end
00:28:01.18\00:28:02.78
we were at the door
and everybody is very,
00:28:02.81\00:28:04.85
you know, effuse
you with their praise
00:28:04.88\00:28:07.15
and but nothing
during the messages.
00:28:07.18\00:28:08.92
Oh, we never
say, that's impolite.
00:28:08.95\00:28:10.82
You know that's, we would never
say anything during the sermon,
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.99
and I'm really
breaking out sweat
00:28:13.02\00:28:14.49
trying to get some response
00:28:14.52\00:28:15.86
and it's just not
what they, what they do.
00:28:15.89\00:28:18.59
As far as your formal education,
00:28:18.63\00:28:23.37
where did you guys go to school?
00:28:23.40\00:28:25.27
We went up north in Bourbon,
Illinois, to south of Chicago,
00:28:25.30\00:28:29.74
went to all the schools
there and then went to all of it
00:28:29.77\00:28:33.98
Nazarene University.
00:28:34.01\00:28:36.31
I went to the conservatory
00:28:36.34\00:28:38.61
and studied jazz drumming there.
00:28:38.65\00:28:41.65
Yeah.
00:28:41.68\00:28:43.02
I tried to go to college
there, I lasted one month,
00:28:43.05\00:28:48.46
and then I was invited to leave.
00:28:48.49\00:28:51.59
They didn't feel I
was right for college,
00:28:51.63\00:28:55.40
and I was so
interested in guitar
00:28:55.43\00:28:59.30
and just wasn't interested
in the big thick books.
00:28:59.33\00:29:02.70
But you know what?
00:29:02.74\00:29:04.44
The Lord is so merciful I,
00:29:04.47\00:29:07.11
I remember being heartbroken
when they asked me to leave.
00:29:07.14\00:29:12.21
I went home with stack of books
thinking I can't believe it,
00:29:12.25\00:29:15.15
this is it.
00:29:15.18\00:29:16.52
What am I supposed to do now?
00:29:16.55\00:29:18.22
And I was asking the Lord,
is there another plan you have.
00:29:18.25\00:29:21.32
I'm trying to pray to Lord,
00:29:21.36\00:29:23.19
and that night in
the middle of the night,
00:29:23.22\00:29:25.73
one of my very all time favorite
00:29:25.76\00:29:28.00
traveling groups
called and they said,
00:29:28.03\00:29:30.57
"Would you like to tour with us?
00:29:30.60\00:29:31.93
And I said, "When?"
00:29:31.97\00:29:33.30
They said, "This
week, starting this week."
00:29:33.34\00:29:35.94
And I said, "You
know what, I sure would."
00:29:35.97\00:29:38.97
And so as that week,
00:29:39.01\00:29:41.24
I was gone on a
tour as a teenager,
00:29:41.28\00:29:44.15
and we were the
backup group for Roy Clark,
00:29:44.18\00:29:47.12
the country singer and,
and so the Lord was merciful.
00:29:47.15\00:29:51.92
He knew I was going to
be invited to leave college
00:29:51.95\00:29:54.62
and he already had a plan
00:29:54.66\00:29:56.66
where my little
education then would be
00:29:56.73\00:29:59.19
sitting around with
seasoned guitar players
00:29:59.23\00:30:01.96
and learning that
way, that's what I did.
00:30:02.00\00:30:04.57
It occurs to me
00:30:04.60\00:30:05.93
there are some who does
have a calling on their life
00:30:05.97\00:30:07.40
and a gift that supersedes
what you can learn in school.
00:30:07.44\00:30:10.77
There are lot of people in
this industry, in television
00:30:10.81\00:30:13.11
who are, who are really
at the high end of the game
00:30:13.14\00:30:16.81
and they have had some
basic education, some none.
00:30:16.85\00:30:19.28
But they just sort
of put their nose to it,
00:30:19.31\00:30:21.65
did what they had to do
and out of that those talents
00:30:21.68\00:30:24.29
that were there were
just, were just developed,
00:30:24.32\00:30:27.06
and it seems to
be that way with you.
00:30:27.12\00:30:28.76
So then I ask this question.
00:30:28.79\00:30:30.13
How much of what you do now
00:30:30.19\00:30:31.99
is a consequence of
what you got in school
00:30:32.03\00:30:35.86
or your focus and
growth after school?
00:30:35.90\00:30:38.57
Well, Benji has
a degree in music.
00:30:38.60\00:30:41.67
So he probably has a
whole lot more benefit
00:30:41.70\00:30:45.34
when he got in school than I do.
00:30:45.37\00:30:47.14
It's that you've expanded
so much though since school,
00:30:47.21\00:30:49.91
you know.
00:30:49.98\00:30:51.31
I have, I have.
00:30:51.35\00:30:53.95
There again I'm thankful
00:30:53.98\00:30:55.32
for the people that mentored me,
00:30:55.35\00:30:56.95
and influenced me.
00:30:57.02\00:30:58.69
Yeah, I was influenced
by listening to records
00:30:58.72\00:31:03.96
even when I was before
school, when I was a kid,
00:31:04.03\00:31:06.56
dad would put on
the Chuck Wagon Gang.
00:31:06.59\00:31:10.53
You remember
that group? I do not.
00:31:10.57\00:31:13.84
So listen to that classical,
but, yeah, after school.
00:31:13.90\00:31:18.51
I'd hear groups
like River Dance.
00:31:18.54\00:31:20.98
Oh, yes.
00:31:21.01\00:31:22.34
And that's why I was influenced
to play that low D whistle.
00:31:22.38\00:31:28.82
There're too
many groups to name.
00:31:28.85\00:31:30.39
Yeah, see, I hear
this fusion when...
00:31:30.45\00:31:34.22
I'm a New York guy and we
didn't go to theater too much,
00:31:34.26\00:31:37.29
but my wife and I,
00:31:37.33\00:31:39.43
we want to see the
River Dance three times.
00:31:39.46\00:31:42.56
And if it hadn't left,
we probably go on to see it,
00:31:42.60\00:31:44.40
because, first of
all just fantastic stuff,
00:31:44.43\00:31:46.27
but all of that is
fused in what you do.
00:31:46.30\00:31:48.64
You hear the country elements,
you hear the Ozark elements,
00:31:48.67\00:31:52.14
you hear the classical elements,
00:31:52.17\00:31:53.51
and you definitely
hear the Irish elements.
00:31:53.54\00:31:55.41
And it makes a
really beautiful thing
00:31:55.44\00:31:56.88
and it's in
everything that you do.
00:31:56.91\00:31:58.48
Everything is a fusion of
all of these kinds of things.
00:31:58.51\00:32:00.72
If we're listening, you
hear, oh, yeah, and you hear,
00:32:00.75\00:32:02.55
oh, yeah, you hear that, yeah.
00:32:02.58\00:32:03.92
Yeah, absolutely right.
00:32:03.99\00:32:05.32
You know I was
influenced by New York guitarist
00:32:05.35\00:32:08.99
named Tony Mottola.
00:32:09.02\00:32:10.43
When I was very young, I would
put quarters on the turntable
00:32:10.46\00:32:14.36
to slow his notes down
00:32:14.40\00:32:16.67
and just try to pick out
all these beautiful chords.
00:32:16.73\00:32:20.40
Very popular guitarist up there.
00:32:20.44\00:32:22.87
And then later in
life made a Christmas CD
00:32:22.90\00:32:26.11
where I do his influence
was in some of the songs.
00:32:26.14\00:32:31.55
And I incorporated that
and suddenly I got a letter
00:32:31.58\00:32:34.68
in the mail and it was
said, "Anthony Mottola"
00:32:34.72\00:32:38.19
I thought well who
is Anthony Mottola?
00:32:38.22\00:32:40.52
And I opened it up and said,
00:32:40.56\00:32:41.89
"I was just
listening to your CD,
00:32:41.92\00:32:45.26
I just love the stuff you did
and he signed, Tony Mottola."
00:32:45.29\00:32:49.16
And I wrote him
back and I said, "Tony,
00:32:49.20\00:32:50.97
you're a great influence on me.
00:32:51.00\00:32:52.93
Did you recognize your
stuff in the songs I..."
00:32:52.97\00:32:55.74
Because he was talk
about a CD he just got.
00:32:55.77\00:32:58.37
So I never would have guessed
00:32:58.41\00:33:00.31
to have gotten
a letter from him,
00:33:00.38\00:33:02.51
but it was just by
listening to his records
00:33:02.54\00:33:04.91
that it just got into my
soul and then in my mind.
00:33:04.95\00:33:07.65
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:07.68\00:33:09.22
It occurred to me
that you just began to grow
00:33:09.25\00:33:12.02
both of you as
you began to do it,
00:33:12.05\00:33:14.42
you know, in a
lot of other things.
00:33:14.46\00:33:15.79
I want to go to
"Near my God to Thee."
00:33:15.82\00:33:17.23
But let me make
this commercial for them.
00:33:17.26\00:33:19.86
If you really want good
seasonal stuff, these guys.
00:33:19.89\00:33:23.63
You got to get this really.
00:33:23.67\00:33:26.84
After having listened to
for last several Christmases
00:33:26.90\00:33:29.34
at my in-laws just
really all of the stuff is good.
00:33:29.37\00:33:33.14
But their holiday
stuff is just step up to me,
00:33:33.17\00:33:37.61
it's just, you know, put it on,
00:33:37.65\00:33:39.05
you let it become the
background of your day.
00:33:39.08\00:33:41.55
It's just there, it's present,
it's present, it is pleasant
00:33:41.58\00:33:44.75
and just kind of
moves your day along.
00:33:44.79\00:33:46.35
Really, really good stuff.
00:33:46.39\00:33:47.82
Our next piece is
"Nearer My God to Thee."
00:33:47.86\00:33:49.46
Anything you want
to say to set this up.
00:33:49.49\00:33:51.29
Absolutely, you
know on the Titanic,
00:33:51.33\00:33:55.13
historically the
final song that was played
00:33:55.16\00:34:00.17
while the ship was going down
was "Nearer My God to Thee."
00:34:00.24\00:34:05.94
So that's why we put it with
a little bit of Titanic melody
00:34:05.97\00:34:10.25
in there with it.
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.61
That's how this
arrangement came about.
00:34:11.65\00:34:13.15
Excellent, you'll enjoy
this, "Nearer My God to Thee."
00:34:13.18\00:34:16.52
Amen.
00:36:46.94\00:36:48.27
Now, that you
mention, I'm looking for,
00:36:48.30\00:36:49.64
I saw the rest on the armrest,
I'd never seen that before.
00:36:49.67\00:36:53.11
They're just, it
didn't occur it was there
00:36:53.14\00:36:55.01
and how your hand
kind of fits around
00:36:55.04\00:36:56.91
how an instrument
can be built for you.
00:36:56.95\00:37:00.25
Benji, I'm gonna ask
you, how long did it turn,
00:37:00.28\00:37:02.62
take you to master the
whistle or the whistles?
00:37:02.65\00:37:05.49
I'm still trying
to master it but...
00:37:05.52\00:37:08.82
You know, come to
think of it in fourth grade,
00:37:08.86\00:37:11.13
I had to take
that class in school,
00:37:11.16\00:37:13.73
is called the recorder
class or the tone nuts.
00:37:13.76\00:37:16.97
I loved that class.
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.10
I didn't pick up
whistles until oh,
00:37:19.13\00:37:22.44
it was a former agent of
ours gave one to me as a gift,
00:37:22.47\00:37:27.18
and I don't
remember what year that was,
00:37:27.21\00:37:29.28
and I just started
messing with it and it took.
00:37:29.31\00:37:34.48
I don't know it took a few years
00:37:34.52\00:37:35.85
to really start
learning how to bend the notes.
00:37:35.88\00:37:38.39
You know, I roll the
fingers to get that Irish bend.
00:37:38.42\00:37:43.63
So let's put it this way,
00:37:43.66\00:37:46.39
it's a little easier
than playing the clarinet.
00:37:46.43\00:37:50.63
Well, praise the Lord. Yeah.
00:37:50.67\00:37:52.47
Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:52.50\00:37:53.84
Now, you actually whistle
at the beginning of that song.
00:37:53.90\00:37:57.17
Lot of practice to do that?
00:37:57.21\00:38:00.31
It took some, I
think I got that from dad,
00:38:00.34\00:38:02.41
because he used to
whistle a lot in the mountains.
00:38:02.44\00:38:07.65
And I would practice whistling
even while I swam laps.
00:38:07.68\00:38:12.05
Because it's
impossible to whistle
00:38:12.09\00:38:13.92
with water on your face,
00:38:13.99\00:38:15.92
but it just
makes me work harder.
00:38:15.96\00:38:18.26
Work harder. Yeah.
00:38:18.29\00:38:19.63
Yeah, so.
00:38:19.66\00:38:21.00
Do you guys and I need
to ask, practice every day
00:38:21.03\00:38:24.27
or do you practice x number
of hours per day even now?
00:38:24.30\00:38:27.90
Individually, not as a group.
00:38:27.94\00:38:30.51
I have a guitar in
my hands every day.
00:38:30.54\00:38:33.07
Because I'm
constantly writing things
00:38:33.11\00:38:35.64
writing original music,
planning to record things,
00:38:35.68\00:38:39.18
our next CD is
going to be called,
00:38:39.21\00:38:40.62
"The Whistler."
00:38:40.65\00:38:41.98
So it'll be a lot
of whistling on it.
00:38:42.02\00:38:45.39
The artwork is done
and it's a picture of Ben
00:38:45.42\00:38:48.49
walking up what looks
like Chilhowee Mountain.
00:38:48.52\00:38:51.19
But dad walked up
there and he whistled.
00:38:51.23\00:38:53.80
So there's
always something to do.
00:38:53.83\00:38:57.47
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know.
00:38:57.53\00:38:58.90
I don't sit around
and play scales anymore,
00:38:58.93\00:39:01.00
but there's always playing
00:39:01.04\00:39:02.60
to do and working
on material things.
00:39:02.64\00:39:04.97
If and when you
have to miss a day,
00:39:05.01\00:39:07.51
do you feel any change
00:39:07.54\00:39:08.88
or are you at the level
now where you can skip a day
00:39:08.91\00:39:11.01
and not feel any kind of
diminution of your skills.
00:39:11.05\00:39:14.15
What happens if I
learned my lesson,
00:39:14.18\00:39:17.69
there were times
on these last 25 years
00:39:17.72\00:39:20.19
of touring that I would
get busy and not play for,
00:39:20.22\00:39:24.86
you know, two or
three days before a concert.
00:39:24.89\00:39:27.86
It was the hardest concert ever
00:39:27.86\00:39:30.77
because your fingers
00:39:30.80\00:39:34.60
are not moving fast,
00:39:34.64\00:39:39.14
they're sluggish.
00:39:39.17\00:39:40.78
Where as when you
play all the time there...
00:39:40.81\00:39:42.54
Whatever you're thinking
they're going to go there.
00:39:42.58\00:39:45.38
So I learned
don't miss, you know,
00:39:45.41\00:39:48.55
a day we're going to
understand 'cause things happen,
00:39:48.58\00:39:50.89
But don't miss
much more than that.
00:39:50.92\00:39:52.79
The worst thing too is
if I miss too many days
00:39:52.82\00:39:56.52
the tips of my
fingers get very sensitive.
00:39:56.56\00:40:01.06
So I can be in front
of audience and I realize,
00:40:01.10\00:40:03.47
you know what, that
hurts to play these chords,
00:40:03.53\00:40:05.63
doesn't it.
00:40:05.67\00:40:07.00
I can't let the audience know
that but if I play every day,
00:40:07.04\00:40:11.34
that toughness stays
there and there's no, you know,
00:40:11.37\00:40:14.78
no pain in playing these chords.
00:40:14.81\00:40:17.45
Well, you get so enraptured.
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.45
Sometimes it looks like
you're in pain, so it's not...
00:40:19.48\00:40:23.25
And they'll not know.
00:40:23.28\00:40:24.62
Sometimes it is pain
and yeah, usually it's just,
00:40:24.65\00:40:27.42
you're emotionally caught up.
00:40:27.46\00:40:29.46
And what I say for young people,
00:40:29.49\00:40:30.89
because it's even
at your skill level
00:40:30.93\00:40:32.59
as long as
you've been doing this,
00:40:32.63\00:40:33.96
as well as you do it,
00:40:34.00\00:40:35.30
you still need to
practice every day,
00:40:35.33\00:40:36.70
at least get your hands
on your instrument every day.
00:40:36.73\00:40:38.07
It doesn't go away,
you've got to stay with it.
00:40:38.10\00:40:40.80
You know it's a...
00:40:40.87\00:40:42.64
The old saying is,
"If you miss one day,
00:40:42.67\00:40:46.51
you'll know it if
you miss two days,
00:40:46.54\00:40:48.31
your teacher will know
it if you miss three days,
00:40:48.34\00:40:50.21
your audience will know it.
00:40:50.28\00:40:51.78
That's true.
00:40:51.81\00:40:54.18
Same with you, Benji.
00:40:54.25\00:40:55.58
Do you practice every day
or put some time in every day.
00:40:55.62\00:40:56.95
No, it's not the same with me.
00:40:56.99\00:40:59.19
I can take a
month off and be fine,
00:40:59.22\00:41:02.89
because percussion is
different, string players,
00:41:02.92\00:41:04.93
yeah, I can see where
they have to stay on it,
00:41:04.96\00:41:07.96
they build those calluses,
different with drummers
00:41:08.00\00:41:12.37
and percussionists
and whistle players.
00:41:12.40\00:41:15.30
Yeah.
00:41:15.34\00:41:16.67
If I was playing clarinet, yeah,
00:41:16.71\00:41:18.04
I'd have to practice every
day 'cause that takes jaws.
00:41:18.07\00:41:19.41
Do you have a
regimen that you follow
00:41:19.44\00:41:21.38
as far as
playing, trying to get to.
00:41:21.41\00:41:22.74
No, I just do what inspires me.
00:41:22.78\00:41:26.68
I've got a couple of
synthesized keyboards at home
00:41:26.72\00:41:30.75
and I arrange music on those.
00:41:30.79\00:41:34.12
Well, I don't wait
for the inspiration.
00:41:34.16\00:41:36.16
If you do that,
you'll never do anything.
00:41:36.19\00:41:39.76
Sometimes I force myself
to sit down and play something
00:41:39.79\00:41:42.83
on the keys until a
song starts developing.
00:41:42.86\00:41:47.27
So that's a new thing for
me, starting to write coral.
00:41:47.30\00:41:52.61
I like layer even
though I'm an instrumental
00:41:52.64\00:41:54.68
so I love good lyrics.
00:41:54.71\00:41:57.11
Working on one now
called, Hallelujah and Amen.
00:41:57.18\00:42:01.55
And I love the word, Hallelujah.
00:42:01.58\00:42:03.52
Because it's, you
know, you talk about music
00:42:03.59\00:42:05.42
being the universal language.
00:42:05.45\00:42:07.46
Hallelujah is the universal word
00:42:07.49\00:42:10.03
'cause it's pronounced
the same in every country
00:42:10.06\00:42:13.13
around the whole world.
00:42:13.16\00:42:14.46
Yeah, nice. Yeah.
00:42:14.50\00:42:15.83
Is there a pecking order
00:42:15.86\00:42:17.23
as far as your
creativity is concerned?
00:42:17.27\00:42:20.20
Both of you sort of
put it being in a pot
00:42:20.24\00:42:21.80
or do you kind of bring
something kind to digest it
00:42:21.84\00:42:23.77
or you work on things together
00:42:23.81\00:42:25.21
or do you work
more individually,
00:42:25.24\00:42:26.57
then bring it the
final thing together.
00:42:26.64\00:42:28.58
Every which way
you could imagine
00:42:28.61\00:42:31.45
sometimes for instance so...
00:42:31.48\00:42:32.91
Well, one of the Christmas CDs.
00:42:32.95\00:42:35.05
I heard a pianist in
Canada playing a lick is like...
00:42:35.08\00:42:38.45
I thought, wow, that's
so percussive and cool.
00:42:40.72\00:42:43.59
So I came, I grab my guitar
and I started playing that
00:42:43.63\00:42:47.76
and I said, "Do
this on your marimba."
00:42:47.83\00:42:50.00
So Ben started doing it
00:42:50.03\00:42:51.37
and suddenly I
started thinking in my mind
00:42:51.40\00:42:53.77
of this familiar
tune that would go with it
00:42:53.80\00:42:57.04
so it could
happen in any which way.
00:42:57.07\00:42:58.64
Or I can tell you
who that pianist was,
00:42:58.67\00:43:01.04
it was Anthony Burger. Yeah.
00:43:01.08\00:43:03.85
And we put that
with carol of the bells.
00:43:03.88\00:43:06.41
Oh, wow! Yeah.
00:43:06.45\00:43:07.78
Yeah. Yeah.
00:43:07.82\00:43:09.15
Which jazzes you more,
00:43:09.18\00:43:10.52
the kind of
contemplative meditative pieces
00:43:10.59\00:43:13.02
or the piece with
little more cayenne in them.
00:43:13.05\00:43:16.73
You know what?
00:43:16.76\00:43:18.09
Depends on the crowd and a day.
00:43:18.13\00:43:19.46
First of all, first of
all... 'Cause I like both.
00:43:19.49\00:43:22.20
That's an amazing question.
00:43:22.23\00:43:23.93
I don't think I've ever heard
anyone ask that question before
00:43:23.97\00:43:27.10
so that is a really
an amazing question.
00:43:27.14\00:43:31.31
There are times I just
want that impressionistic
00:43:31.34\00:43:35.34
contemplative so I could say,
00:43:35.38\00:43:37.21
I don't know what
would happen that day.
00:43:37.25\00:43:39.58
You know it could be
something that gets you.
00:43:39.61\00:43:42.72
But then there's times I love.
00:43:42.75\00:43:46.92
There's a style that guitarists
are using now called...
00:43:46.96\00:43:51.56
Well, it's just a real
aggressive right hand style.
00:43:51.59\00:43:55.20
And once you
learn it, you love that,
00:43:55.23\00:43:59.27
that energy that you
play with whatever chords.
00:43:59.30\00:44:03.10
So I...
00:44:03.14\00:44:04.47
Now I can't live
without that, but oh,
00:44:04.51\00:44:06.78
there's a time for
Claire de Lune, you know,
00:44:06.81\00:44:09.71
that's just dreamy and
soft and you know ambient,
00:44:09.74\00:44:15.22
so that's both.
00:44:15.25\00:44:16.58
So when you're
stuck in your concert,
00:44:16.62\00:44:17.95
you try to cross
flavors a little bit, you know,
00:44:17.99\00:44:20.99
a little bow for...
00:44:21.02\00:44:22.36
Absolutely,
everything. Yeah. Yeah.
00:44:22.39\00:44:24.03
Hits every age. Yeah.
00:44:24.06\00:44:26.59
Little tidbits, a
classical little tidbits
00:44:26.63\00:44:28.56
of grassy bluegrass type
stuff that we grew up on.
00:44:28.60\00:44:33.70
Gospel you know
just different flavors.
00:44:33.74\00:44:36.37
Yeah, we're
gonna run out of time
00:44:36.40\00:44:37.74
if I don't so to get
chop-chop here we've got.
00:44:37.77\00:44:41.94
Let's see, "Wayfaring Stranger"
which I've heard you do before
00:44:41.98\00:44:45.35
which I really, really love.
00:44:45.38\00:44:46.72
This is a nice piece. Yeah.
00:44:46.78\00:44:48.12
Yeah. So Wayfaring Stranger.
00:44:48.15\00:44:50.05
You know, it occurs to me
that when you just buy a CD
00:48:01.31\00:48:05.01
of you guys, you
miss half the fun.
00:48:05.05\00:48:06.95
Because half of it is watched
you guys play, it really is.
00:48:06.98\00:48:11.95
It's not quite a
complete experience
00:48:11.99\00:48:13.49
unless you get to see.
00:48:13.52\00:48:14.86
First of all,
all the instruments
00:48:14.89\00:48:16.69
that are being
played, and then the joy
00:48:16.76\00:48:18.73
that you get out of playing them
00:48:18.76\00:48:20.13
but you do have
in your collection
00:48:20.16\00:48:21.73
and looking at your work a DVD.
00:48:21.76\00:48:23.77
Talk to me real
quick about that?
00:48:23.80\00:48:25.37
You know, every
song we're playing here
00:48:25.40\00:48:27.34
we finally went to a church.
00:48:27.37\00:48:29.47
Someone invited us
to come to the church.
00:48:29.50\00:48:31.84
So we got a bunch of cameras.
00:48:31.87\00:48:33.61
Let's just have you do a
concert and let's film it,
00:48:33.68\00:48:35.61
and that's,
that's really what we did
00:48:35.64\00:48:37.98
as the audiences
were sitting there,
00:48:38.01\00:48:41.28
but DVDs do say a
lot more than a CD does.
00:48:41.32\00:48:44.99
Yeah. Yeah.
00:48:45.02\00:48:46.35
And people are so visual
now they want to kind of see,
00:48:46.39\00:48:48.89
so you have, you
have taken care of that.
00:48:48.92\00:48:50.83
I want to run to
"Be Still My Soul"
00:48:50.86\00:48:53.43
before we leave you this night.
00:48:53.50\00:48:57.53
Anything to set this up,
Benji, Jon, Be Still My Soul.
00:48:57.57\00:49:00.87
This is your
arrangement so if you want to.
00:49:00.90\00:49:02.84
You know what?
00:49:02.87\00:49:04.34
To me it's what
we all need to do,
00:49:04.37\00:49:07.01
we need to be still and let
God minister to us, that's all,
00:49:07.04\00:49:11.28
that's what
that song would mean,
00:49:11.31\00:49:12.98
so it's done very
softly and very beautifully
00:49:13.01\00:49:14.98
and let God just
move how He wants to.
00:49:15.02\00:49:18.12
Excellent, Be Still My Soul.
00:49:18.15\00:49:21.72