Free Downloads Christian Psalms

As the previous Post described, I compose, record, and post my Psalms weekly on a web-site. Go to www.last.fm.com and type bucky gelo in music search. My songs are free to listen or even download. Enjoy!

The Psalm Story

I play in a rock band for the Life Teen Catholic Mass now, going on 4 years. It is still a Catholic Mass, complete with two scripture readings, a Gospel reading, and a Psalm. (There are many other things done, defining it as a Mass, but for today, I wish to talk about the Psalm. The Psalms were written by King David, and intended to be sung, as they are songs to God. The majority of the years I have played in the Life Teen band, I was the lead guitar player. For almost a year now, I have acted as music director,when the original band director moved to another city. The band not only plays music before, during and after Mass, but becomes an integral part of the Mass, providing musical cues to the priest, and other ministers. It took some time for me to get "comfortable" with all the subtle cues the band supplies throughout the Mass, but the Psalm, is something different, a new song that rotates on a three year cycle, 50 per year, for three years. The Psalm can be read, but the preference is to sing the Psalm. I had the task of learning the Psalm each week for the service. As I said, we are a rock band, providing the musical ministry for teens. I perceived the already composed Psalms as sorta corny, considering the majority of our music is rock related. Also, it took time to learn them each week. One night on the news, I heard a story about a computer programmer, who quit his profession, and started playing and composing music. When asking a friend if he thought it feasible, the friend replied "Write one song a week for an entire year and if you can do that, it could be feasible. Well, the guy started writing these funny little tunes which took on the label of "Geek Rock" and made a name for himself. I thought, well, if this geek can cut a path in that direction, I can do the same thing with my Psalm dilemma. So I began writing a Psalm a week, in a more contemporary style, better suited to the teens, and also taking on the challenge of writing a song a week. The main difference is, my focus is to magnify the glory of Jesus instead of geekism. I took on this challenge to myself the first week of January this year. I've had a few stumbling blocks with creativity, but for the most part, have written a song or Psalm a week, for the last nine months. Some are not as creative as I'd like them to be, but some are really special to me. Many, I have hastily recorded to pass on to my band to learn for the Mass. Many have not been recorded at all. Darn that summer; so many other things to do! Now that fall is here, I will attempt to go back and record the missing ones so that I will have a record of them. If I can keep this up for two years and three months, I will have completed the three year cycle of them! I have made available these songs on my blog site. The work is far from completed. Many of the recordings, are not too hot, and need to be fixed or totally re-recorded. So, my friends, that is the Psalm Story! Peace be with you!

Notes on Embedded Music

OK, so I did figure out how to get this Last.fm web site to host my music, and link to this blog, but the blog only shows three songs to choose from. Clicking on the Last.fm site, will take you to the actual Last.fm site and you can find the left side row of boxes and click on albums. That will show you two albums, with all the music posted so far. Check often, and I will continue to add as the compositions are recorded.

Peace be with you

Bucky

Let There Be Music

Well, hopefully, I have successfully added the appropriate links to bring my audio files to the blog. I have been converting, embedding, pasting, encrypting, and God only knows what else to try to get this done!

Music Lessons at your Home

Friends II

I have played in many, many bands over the 45 years or so that I have played. For the most part, once ya leave a band, you very seldem see the other musicians. Long about 1989, I got a call from a guy looking for a guitar player in his band. His bass player had seen me playing solo at some festival, and took my card. Well, it so happened that the guitar player I was replacing, and I met at our mutal friend's house. I ended up playing in this band for 6-9 months, but not only did I become very good friends with this guy, but his friend that left the band before me. This friendship has lasted over 17 years and growing. My friend, Shadow, as we call him, and I see or talk to each other on a regular basis. And Down Home Dave, the guitar player whom I replaced in Shadow's band, and I see each other a couple a times a week for lunch or jam on guitar. Its so strange how friendships overlap, and link others together. I have gotten to know these guys' families, friends over the years, and they too have become friends with the other friends I already know. If I tried to do a reunion with all the past band members I played with, wow, what a huge ensemble that would be!

FRIENDS

I am approaching 60 years old, and I guess I'm getting sentimental in my old age, but I was just this morning thinking of some of the old friends I had in high school, and later in life. High school, takes me back to the early to mid 60's. We moved to a small village (at the time) of Ontario, NY in 1960. The day we moved in, a kid was out in the road, watching us move in. He came up in the yard, and smile on face, stuck out his hand, and said "Hi, I'm Tom Briggs" Well, we ended up being great friends. As you can see, He's a clown, still yucking it up and making us laugh to this day. The previous pic, is him in high school, with the guitar. I taught him how to play, and we formed a band in high school, called the Chillers. We did dances at school, parties, etc. Just this week, we talked about doing a Chillers reunion, for fun! We ended up marrying two sisters, and becoming brother-in laws. One sister divorced me, and we're back to best friends. Our friendship has lasted 48 years. Life for me, would have been very different, growing up without Tommy.

The Irondequoit Bay

Sept 4,2008

So.........I have not blogged in way over a year!

I fell in love, I got married, I moved, I ..............

well, you get the picture!

Anyways, I have not had a chance to paddle canoe, since I did all of the above, either. But, last week, I paddled three days in a row! The first day, I went and forgot my camera. I saw so much! The second day, I had the camera, but after a couple shots, the batteries went kapout! The third day, I brought plenty of new batteries, and got some wonderful shots. The south edge of the bay is a labrynith of reeded channels. I used my otter-tailed paddle to go as silently as I could. I rounded one corner, and there was a Great Blue Heren, right off my port gunnel. I don't know which one of us was the more startled! As a rule, they see you coming, and only allow you to get so close before they take to flight. This time, I was already right next to him (or her!) It did take off, but it was closer than I'd ever gotten before to one. I most likely would have not had time to snap a pic, even if I had the camera! Later, I saw an Eagle way up, circling around and around. But the highlight of the day were these Swans. Two of them were doing this mating (I guess) ritualistic dance. I have seen this sort of thing on nature shows, but this time, it was 6-8 feet away from me. Their heads bobbed and swayed in perfect unison. It was a spectacular ballet. The climax was their head and necks entwined around each other. I was simply entranced. Wow! Life is good. The Lord has made such a wonderful world for us.

Peace be with you!