WOW! Where did May go?

I can't believe May is almost gone! April seemed to drag on forever (because Easter was in March), May finally started and BAM!! (doing my best Emeril imitation) June is here.

The transition to our interim worship scenario has been smooth by most accounts, and that is because we have had so many people step up and get stuff done. Thanks to you all!

One particular group has been our sound team. Last Thursday, four of us went to NYC to receive training on our new Sound Board, the Yamaha M7CL.

This board is AMAZING, and will be the brain behind the system that goes in the new sanctuary. It has been a huge benefit for us to have the board early. That way we can learn it now, and hit the ground running when the new facilities open. It has also tightened up our sound in the gym. The band never sounded so good!

(This paid advertisement brought to you by Yamaha, now ... back to the story)

So... On Thursday, May, 22, Matt Douglas, Rob Elkins, Bill Ebbott and I made our way to SIR
(Studio Instrument Rental) in NYC for a day in intensive training on the board.

The training was of huge value! Having had two weeks on the board with the training we received from Advanced Audio Visual, we were able to get around. But the training we received from Yamaha took that knowledge and applied it to the rest of the board. It taught us ways to think about sound and the logic of the board. The best part, ... the one day event, including continental breakfast, lunch, software, jump drive, and polo shirt was...FREE! Yamaha does it right, and because of that we have nothing but high recommendation for their product and their customer relations.

On our first morning break, we walked out of our studio into the hallway to stretch our legs, and heard a band kickin' it in the other studio. They were VERY good, and we all wondered who they were. We happened to glance down at the road gear stacked in the hallway and saw this...


No... it couldn't be "Steely Dan", the 70's fusion band, could it? Sure enough, and at the next break, we had a chance to talk to part of their crew. They were in town for a week, doing some local shows, and were using SIR for practice. It was a blast to hear them play, and check out their gear.

Following a long day, we had a great meal at Don Giovanni's on 21st St. and 10th Ave, and caught the train home.

(Personal sidebar: I sat next to a gentleman on the way home who was from Edina, MN and who loved the TWINS! The hour train ride flew by as we discussed the Johan Santana trade, and the adventure in center field that is Carlos Gomez. It was very enjoyable! I think God delights in arranging those kind of small details in life to show us how much he loves us.)