Balogna Beats and Lunchroom Rappers
Thursday, June 07, 2007
I laughed so hard at lunch today I almost choked on my sandwich.
It all started when I was sitting with the 4th grade class of Hope Academy in the cafeteria. The class is only 11 kids, so we easily fit around one large lunch table. On a normal day these lively 10 year olds make enough noise to rival a freeway and carry on enough lunch food trading to give Wall Street a run for their bologna.
At some point after a slight lull in the cafeteria noise, as if on cue, Daniel starts beat-boxing like a madman, spraying saliva all over his, and his friends' lunches. Elijah is sitting next to me and adds his own beat and background rapper commentary. As soon as these two get going, Collin runs around from the other side of the table and starts freestyle rapping behind them like his life depends on it. (Not before taking a few deep whiffs out of an empty Lay's chip bag for added effect.)
Now the whole table is getting into it, jumping and swaying. Even the girls who usually just roll their eyes at the boys' antics join in. I glance over at Shanna, the teacher, and we just smile and shake our heads at what we are letting happen in the lunchroom. Tomorrow is their last day of school, so we let the dam burst. Just when the frenzy of energy is reaching it's crescendo, Marqeece finds an open slab of floor by the table and starts attempting to break dance. I throw in a couple of turntable scratches as Collin finishes up his fourth verse, something about walking down the street in the hood and other mostly unintelligible yet rhyming lines.
And just as soon as it started, it is over - the first ever 10 year old hip-hop show in Minneapolis, and I'm rolling on the floor laughing.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 6:20 PM 4 comments
Labels: Minneapolis, Music
What Do The Backstreet Boys, ACDC, And Benjamin Have In Common?
Monday, March 26, 2007
What we have in common is one glorious night at Wheaton College during the Senior Banquet. Me and 8 other guys from the French House fullfulled our life dream of playing a live rock show in front of all our friends. I feel it is absolutly necessary to post this video for posterity's sake, for your enjoyment, and so that other people can back me up when I'm 60 and tell my grandkids that yes, I too was once cool.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 9:23 PM 3 comments
My First Recording Contract
Friday, May 26, 2006
A bit of personal history with a surprising ending:
Last November a band drove from Frostburg, Maryland to Wheaton College to play a one-night concert. A friend of mine played in the band, and she told me to come. I did, and was surprised to hear the most unique, refreshing, fun, prophetic and musical group I had ever heard.
The band: Jon Felton and the Soulmobile, a unique indie acoustic fusion of folk, rock, bluegrass, gospel, and catchy storytelling. The band features Jon, who plays guitar, sings, and plays drums with his feet on pedals all at the same time, 
accompanied by the “Soulmobile,” five other friends who play ukulele, guitar, congas, harmonica, trumpet, piano, pedal-organ, trombone, screaming, trombone case, cello, and sundry catcalls and hand percussion. I was entranced not only with the music and the lyrics, but also with the band members whose genuineness and heart for ministry caught me by the heart. After hanging out with them after the concert I told myself, “I want to do whatever I can to help this band keep spreading their music and their good news.”
I asked them if there was anything I could do to help them. They mentioned half-jokingly that they needed to record all their new music into an album, but didn’t have anyone to do it for them. At that moment I felt a weird sense from God, my soul, or both saying – “GO for it! Why not?” I had spent the past six years immersed in music, and for the previous two years had been studying and practicing music recording and mixing. I sensed that God had brought us together that night for a very special reason, and I wasn’t going to let it go.
To make a long story short, we agreed that I would fly out to Frostburg, Maryland over my Christmas break and record their new music. When I arrived, we begged, bought and borrowed enough sound equipment to put together a ramshackle recording studio in Jon’s living room and dining room. My control room was an old alcove with a mattress leaned across the doorway for soundproofing.
Basically, we recorded 23 entire tracks in 7 days, and that included setting up the studio, and me learning new recording software - a miracle, really; and some of the most fun I've had in my entire life.
The new album we recorded is called All Creation Sings, and it will be available very soon. If you’d like to hear the demo, let me know and I can get you one with 13 tracks already on it. Otherwise, you can listen to a couple songs at their myspace site, the Soulmobile link highlighted above, or wait until the album is released in early June.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 2:52 AM 0 comments
Labels: Frostburg Maryland, Music
Goodbye World Christian Fellowship
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Tonight is my last night at World Christian Fellowship; a weekly, student-run service of Intercession, Celebration, and Mobilization for the church all around the world. As one of three rotating worship leaders, I have had the privaledge of leading worship every third Sunday night this year.
Creating music with a team of talented musicians is one of the funnest things I can think of to do, and combine that with the ability to lead a group of people into the presence of God - it is quite exhilarating. Not only this, but the gospel is demonstrated to me in a powerfully personal way when I stand in front of a group of people, fully aware of my sinfulness and weakness, and I can worship God anyway out of love and obedience. At those times, God's Spirit works mightily despite my fallen humanity.
It's hard to explain objectively, but putting on the mantle of being a worship leader does make me feel like I'm in a pastoral role, and the weight of that responsibility weighs heavily on me as I plan and lead. It keeps me accountable to my spiritual health, as the lack of communion with Christ is very noticeable to me when I'm am preparing for a night of worship. I enjoy the pastoral part of leading worship as much as the music part - the ability to teach and lead in an encounter with Christ in a way that helps the church mature spiritually.
Posted by Benjamin Washam 2:47 PM 0 comments
