Thanks

At the end of this Thanksgiving weekend I'd like to take a minute to say thanks to some folks who've made a real impression on me as an artist.  It was almost ten years ago now while I was working on a music and liturgy research project in seminary that I sent off an email to Derek Webb asking some questions about music in worship.  Later that year at a Derek and Sandra McCracken show I was so honored to hear from the two of them that they'd worked on some responses to my questions and sent them in an email.  We were all bummed when we realized that those responses had gotten lost somewhere along the information superhighway!

But on and on these two have produced music that has continued to inspire me and ask great questions about faith, mission and art.  And, Derek's work with Noisetrade has provided a platform for helping artists explore a post-big-record-label way of making music for yourself and for fans.

Last week Derek gave another moment of thoughtful consideration to a conversation with me about the central focus of Noisetrade.  He didn't need to do it, but used the opportunity to help define the way thoughful Christians should communicate.

So thanks Sandra and Derek for the work you do, the way you communicate with us who love your work, and for the infrastructure you are building that will help all of us succeed in making beauty and truth come alive in this world.

Carl