NEW CHRISTMAS {SINGLE}

Hey friends,
I've got a brand new Christmas SINGLE 'Lo, How A Rose' that released today on iTunes!

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON ITUNES!!!

I hope you all enjoy it!

Peace,
Ross

SLEEP

My grandma (Mimi) passed away on September 26th.  On the 25th the family stood around praying and laughing and loving.  As I left that night, I had a song inside that I needed to write.  I wrote it over the weekend and we played it at her funeral last Tuesday.  It was the hardest song I've ever recorded.  I'd get a line in and would break down in tears.  But I finally got through it - though you can still hear my voice is on the verge throughout.

SLEEP
© 2013 Ross Christopher

her light glows a little dimmer
as her eyes look back with care
as loved ones near
with tears

CHORUS
she has to sleep now
she's done so much
she's filled the world now
she's loved so much

i whisper love into her ears
and try to hide my cries
this is the last time
its time

CHORUS

too soon you came
and took her away
but she needs her sleep
cause she's loved so much

CHORUS

See Things Through.

While in Italy, I wrote a few new tunes (poetry)...here's another, See Things Through.  Enjoy!

See Things Through

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher 

She's here thanks to Simon says

I'm here to see her too

And we'll make foreign moves

To see things through

I'll be her fool

And she'll be one too

Just so we can love

And see things through

Through to moonlit seasons

One by one, taking time

No hurries, no worries

Just to see things through

I'll be her fool

And she'll be one too

Just so we can love

And see things through

Every moment's building

Ever second lasts

Every breath goes in and out

Just to see things through

Peace,
Ross

PAST

While wrapping up an instrumental piece yesterday, I wrote these lines...possibly a chorus or verse?  I like the overall concept; that linear-time constantly places things in the past.  By the time thoughts and words and experiences and sounds enter the brain, and register as beauty or darkness or joy or loss, they have already passed.  The present is miniscule and the future is fast-approaching!

Peace,
Ross 

PAST

(c) 2013 Ross Christopher

And by the time 

You hear this line

What was said

Will be the past

Momentary words

Are now and gone

Tomorrow's past

At last.

The Light of a Single Candle.

“All the darkness in the world 

cannot extinguish the light 

of a single candle.” 

-- St. Francis of Assisi

I love this quote.
I love it because too often we pit light as the opposite of darkness.
But just like the quote shows us, darkness cannot coexist with light.
Darkness is the absence of light, and the world is glowing with light!

Sometimes it can be difficult to see. 
Suffering does occur. 
Death happens.
Sickness and tragedy cripples.
But light still exists, and squashes darkness in its tracks.

As an artist, sometimes I feel like its my job to point people towards light.
As an artist I can use creativity (images, words, sounds, etc.) to expose what's (already) around us, and can send darkness running to the shadows.

How are you exposing light?

Peace,
Ross

It Began With Toy Guitars...

So today I thought I'd tell you the story behind the new EP. First and foremost was the process of developing these songs. I can truly say it was one of a kind...

Cora has a toy guitar with only 5 strings. It won't hold standard tuning, but I can get it to hold an open tuning. Most nights we spend 15-20 minutes before bed playing, singing, and laughing in the girls' room. Per Cora's request, I end up rocking out as she and Olive dance and add percussion of sorts. All of the new songs were written and developed in these 15-20 minute sessions (over the course of 6 months or so).

The lyrics and theme developed second.

You know (from previous posts) that I don't separate the spiritual from the secular - rather its all connected. Lately I've been surrounded by folks that typically fall into one of two camps. Camp one sees the world in black and white, those that are in and out, right and wrong, and that the in's are part of a "providential select." Camp two resides in the gray, more grace-filled, conversation oriented, and less motivated by the need to be right; they seem to embrace more mystery, mysticism, the permission and necessity to doubt, and something bigger than any systematic theology can describe.

This concept is why I wrote the line, "boxes and human fog." It's a phrase from the song Doubt Brings Hope, and is also the title of the EP. It's basically the notion that we (both camps 1 & 2) draw lines in the sand as to who's got it right, and put God in the box of our own understanding, which effectively creates in us (and culture) a fog that blinds and often misdirects us on the concept and size of God.

This is of course my commentary on the subject - and I could be wrong (again, something that's hard to say when you're in camp #1). But its what's consuming me these days and it worked its way into these songs.

I hope you're excited about this!

Get the EP for $5 and help spread the RC love - click the link below to download a FREE track of 'War on War' and PRE-ORDER the whole EP today!



Peace,
Ross

Song Idea Vlog...

So here's how I write (sometimes)...no lyrics yet, just a chord progression, a melody line, and a cute kid to talk to me straight!



Hope you enjoy it,
Ross