The Setup:

You know how every Christian person says at small attended events, ‘It’s not about how many people are here… Even if one person is reached, it’s all worth it.’

I think it’s over-stated and is generally just a justification/excuse for a lack of effort, promotion, or excellence. In other words… Yeah, it’s true, but it’s largely a crock. If this was a non-Christian show, everyone is losing money and everyone is NOT stoked. But instead, here we are, justifying it and smiling anyway. While we lose our shirts…

Let’s also clear this up before we get any farther. Hyland as a band wasn’t formed with the purpose or thought in mind to be over the top… Where we’re preaching at people from stage. We’ll let ‘For Today’ do that, cause they’re AWESOME at it. We have developed into a band that talks about OUR lives and what WE’VE been through, and the hope WE have found.

Last night was different. In the most unassuming way.

The Story:

This show was one of the last ones booked on this tour. We drove roughly 12 hours round trip do this show, and we arrived to a run-down venue and a warning that the show might be low attended, but were asked if we could still talk about God from stage.

We decided to keep the set short and let the other bands (who were being compensated for the show) do most of the talking/interacting.

During Desperate Man, I got this thought that I needed to talk about Fathers. I thought that was weird because I’ve never directly voiced that from stage, and if I did address that subject, it was in a more round-about way. So once we hit the bridge of Never, I talked a little bit about it and wrapped up the set.

So up to this point, here is my entire thoughts on the evening: low attendance at a show we are playing for free, short opening set, talked about fathers, voice felt great considering this is the 8th show in 8 days, I wonder if the host home has enough beds or if we should just drive and find a hotel on Hotwire…

I head to the green room to snag some water, and as I’m heading back towards the stage a lady stops me.

She goes, “I just wanted to let you know what happened tonight… There is only one person in this building that doesn’t go to this church, and he doesn’t know God. When you sang ‘even if you come from a broken home, never lose hope’ (I say this every night) I started crying… When you started talking about how maybe this wasn’t a coincidence that you were here tonight, I knew that this was God setting this whole thing in motion for this kid… His Father just left last week… “

I immediately started retracing my steps thinking back to see if anything I said was different from any other night. Then it hit me… I had said something VERY different, in a way I never had before:

“I’ve been told to say this: Jesus is not like your father. He won’t leave you like your dad did.”

No person told me to say anything specific in anyway. I hadn’t talked to anyone other than band members (it was a band member f/ We Are Leo that had asked me to speak during our set) and hadn’t talked with anyone local at the show beforehand, other than basic show needs. Also, I always speak indirectly to an audience. Always. If I would say something to that effect, it would be worded something like: ‘This is on my heart, Jesus doesn’t give up on us, even when our parents let us down.’

The other amazing thought is that if there had been MORE people at this show, there could be some margin of justification. But there were 25 people in the building, including the bands on the tour.

God literally brought us in last minute for this show, had us drive 12 hours round trip for NO money, had someone ask us to be open to speaking onstage, then I felt a call to speak on Fathers, then spoke directly (something I never do) to a kid who had tragedy strike last week. Two of his friends talked with him and got him moving in the right direction. They will be there to follow up with him long after we’ve gone.

‘It’s not about how many people are here… Even if one person is reached, it’s all worth it.’ This IS how God really sees it.

I’ve had a change of heart. This testimony is actually MORE powerful because we weren’t playing to a packed house!

There is a parable of The Good Sheperd leaving the 99 to find the 1 lost sheep. Last night, he used his sheep in an amazing series of events to reach out to ONE kid.

I met him at the end of the night. His name is Jonathan.

10. Creativity can’t be forced

Creativity is encouraged. Treat Creativity like an old best friend… Welcome them back, talk about your recent past, and get to know how you both have changed.

9. Write write write

Supposedly Jon Foreman wrote a song a day for 3 months in preparing for Hello Hurricane… That’s 90 songs for one album.

Throw-away songs are GOOD!!! Get that junk OUT so you can find the good stuff

8. There are stages of writing. Recognize which one you are in

A. Creative stage, (heart and moment)
B. Demo stage, (idea building/structure)
C. Re-write stage (cerebral)
D. Product stage. (PRODUCER)

7. Record everything

We all have smart phones. Get Evernote. The good, the bad, the ugly. It’s song material and it goes in your phone.

6. Melodies now, lyrics later

Creative Stage!!!! Get your basic idea. Don’t let lyrics dictate the melody. Let the melody guide your initial lyrics. You have plenty of time to re-write and re-hash and use your brain for lyrics. NOW is the time for that creative spark.

5. Hit songs are like finding diamonds. You have to write through an entire mountain of songs to find them.

Keith Richards f/ the Rolling Stones says if you write 100 songs, you’ll be lucky if people like 1 of them… If that’s the case, I wonder how many songs he’s thrown away…

4. A Co-write is your song’s best friend

The rumor is Taylor Swift has the first #1 Top40 song in 30 years that wasn’t a co-write… She is an extreme exception: Good songs are made Great with co-writes

What to look for in a co-writer: it’s kinda like marrying up. No one wants to settle, so find someone who is a better writer than you, someone that you respect. You won’t listen to their suggestions if there isn’t a respect level.

Don’t just co-write with someone in your band. Do that FIRST, then take the developed song by yourself and go do another co-write.

3. Always do what’s best for the song

Always always always. Just because your last song has the same structure doesn’t mean this one shouldn’t. Maybe that other song should change!

2. Study song structure

Listen to great writers. How do they do it? Is the pre-chorus the Hook or the Bridge? Is the Turn the Hook? Is the second chorus cut to go into the Bridge early? How many different ideas do your fav writers use in a song? (most pop songs have at max Four… Hook/Turn, Verse, Chorus, Bridge)

1. Write because it’s Art, not because you want it to be your Job

If you don’t write because you love it, you’ll never write often enough to become good at it. (much less great)

Extra: a rhyme dictionary, thesaurus, and a cliche finder are worthy tools of the trade. Creativity comes first, but these definitely come in handy during the re-write stage.

Since I blogged… I apologize. The reason for it is because Everytime I go ahead and write, it’s all so personal, random, and not necessary.

You ever do that? Just let your brain vomit on paper? Haha.

A lot has happened this last year. I live in Texas. It’s weird, I’m not used to it, and at times it’s both depressing and exciting.

I assure you, the future is bright. But it’s almost like watching a sunrise… You know it’s coming, You can start to see it peeking up, but where you are is still dark and street lights are necessary.

I want to be a streetlight. They never get credit. But those street lights point the Way, and they add up to a whole lot of light pollution.

Everyone wants to be a skyscraper, but they don’t want to put in the work or hire an architect.

See? This is why I haven’t been blogging lately. I’m random and thoughts just flow erratically…

Which could be good for creating music… Which is good, because I need to be. The first Hyland album is in the can, and it’s time to start writing for #2… The first album was written over a span of 3 years… This next one is looking to be written over a span of 6 months…

I’ve lived a lot of life this past year, so I know there’s a lot cooking. Just need to get out the pots and pans and start the process…

Part of that is just getting that random thought process out and let it cultivate. Apologies if you are still reading…

Yes, this is the beginning of a sunrise.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34 NIV)

Crap. This is a tough one.

Yea… I said it. In a society where you need to decide what you want to be by age 16… In a society where your success is determined by WHAT you are instead of WHO you are… Pride and Position and Fame and Fortune are our constant objects of conquest. Don’t worry about tomorrow?!?! That’s all I can think about! It’s all I’m TOLD to think about!!

In a band, I think 3-6 months out at ALL times. While it’s true that I procrastinate and I’m not necessarily the most organized person on this planet (my wife will instantly assure you this is true) it still remains that I struggle with this verse.

And when I mean struggle I mean COLD SWEAT.

You see, any level of change/success/failure/growth brings about new challenges, new upside-down scary moments, and unsure outcomes. Stress.

I’ve been stressing the details, stressing the overall picture, and stressing/questioning my own abilities as a leader, husband, performer, human being.

One constant remains: God knows before you do.

I got proof the other day on this one. It’s a remarkable story waiting to be told. Maybe I’ll share it someday… It’s still in process but it’s a good one.

My point is this: I prefer action in the face of worry. Stress causes action. Procrastination causes action. The more under pressure I am, the better I am at making things happen.

But the reality is I want to depend on that verse. I just don’t know how yet. To balance dependence with independence. To balance leadership with servanthood. The balance of humility and passion. The balance of Grace and responsibility.

I’m forever learning. That’s what change is. Change causes growth. So I will learn to wait and try hard not to worry. Lord help me. :-)

A Waiter is a great job. I did that for over a year… Worked at a restaurant, actually got really good at it… As fellow Waiters and Waitresses, we preferred to be called Servers and introduced ourselves that way…

So… How about that one bible verse.. You know the one…

But they that WAIT upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

What if… Waiting on the Lord actually meant Serving…

What if being Patient really meant being Pro-Active… Not seeking your own agenda, but Serving someone else’s until the timing is right…

We don’t control timing. That’s purely God’s thing. And if you want to renew your strength… And get where God wants you to go…

Wait. Serve. Renew.

To God be the glory.

In good times. In difficult times. In seasons of frustration. In everything.

God shows himself in the small things. We have had the opportunity (and the resulting mileage) to play everywhere from New Hampshire to Arizona this month.

And while our van has taken a beating and will be turning over 160k miles by the time we get home, (we bought it with 80k a year and a half ago) I’m reminded that each time we take the stage God shows up.

This hasn’t always been the case. Last night a lady came up to our table and said, ‘give me an example of this Hope you talk about.’ I simply told her MY story and how God has used me in spite of myself. When I had finished, she was crying.

I had never really told MY story to someone like that before, and it made me realize how incredible God is… He is committed to using broken people for His purpose and glory. He lifts us up when we finally give in. I firmly believe that I was called from the beginning, but I was determined to do it on my own terms and really slowed the process down.

I don’t know what God has in store for Hyland. Maybe this is our apex. Maybe this is our darkest hour. All I know is I’m living in ‘for such a time as this’ and as I feel purpose I’m determined to let God use me as much as he would like.

Whether it’s talking with Jake* in Arizona who is dealing with Social Anxiety and Bipolar or Amanda* in Indiana who is struggling with abuse and the devastating aftermath of rape… I dont have all the answers, but seeing people striving to rise above their circumstance reminds me that the Hope I’m living in is real and there is no past greater than a God who wants to show his love to his children.

We will play and write music as long as we are called. I will always write about life, and search for the genuine.

Steve reminded me that hearing YOUR stories of how our music is playing a role in your life is so important for us to hear. We’re stuck in a van with 4 other dudes sweating over finances and the lack of AC, and it’s not always easy to remember that God is working while we’re dealing with the day-to-day. We just read a hand written note from a friend that told us how This Love Is Free played at just the right time… Blew us away.

Pray for finance, family, and favor for Hyland. We have been facing down some incredible mountains this year, and have seen God’s favor in and through it all.

Press On.

I’m sitting in the back of the van in Indiana while everyone else sleeps. It’s been a tough summer for us, with a ton of driving, lots of gas $ and lower attended festivals.

I’m not complaining, I’m more describing the situation. There’s so much to be thankful for that I’d have to write a list. The two at the top of the list this year would have to be travel safety and my wife.

Yes. I got married in June. It was incredible. I highly recommend it. I was finally able to use my passport and honeymoon in Cancun. Not many of you know this, but our entire engagement (10 months) was spent with her living in Texas while I was in Minnesota, so getting to see her for two months straight was like rain in the desert.

The band has been crazy busy, and we leave for a full blown bus tour in a couple weeks. Until then we’ll be doing what we did all summer: music festivals.

We had one weekend off this summer and it was for me to move to TX. Otherwise we drove to festivals midweek and worked when we could.

I always laugh when people call me a rockstar. Lately I’ve been referring to myself as a weekend warrior. We’re still pulling the 3 day work week, leave at 8pm Wednesday and drive through the night to get to our first routing show.

In fact, not much has changed from the indie days… Maybe I’ll get in trouble for saying that, but it’s the truth. It’s a ‘less and more’ situation: instead of more work less band, it’s less work MORE band. Which, of course, equals a lot more work in the areas of scheduling, communication, and scrounging up gas money.

Things I have learned this year: I share the stage with the most selfless, hard working people I know. I am married to an amazing girl that loves me even when I’m gone. You are your best team, but a good booking agency is your best friend. Summer always goes too fast. My kid brother is 16, and junior in high school, and I miss hanging out with him. When your career kicks off, family friends and relationships comes into focus; it had always been about the band and my mission… Now, it’s how do I let this ministry/job fully become and STAY a job so that I can cultivate my relationships with the people. I’m more balanced in this area. I’m learning that God’s timing is the most important piece to any dream. Pursuit and Prayer. You will not be a success without both working side by side.

Gonna wrap this up and try and catch a nap. Catch Hyland on the Music With A Mission tour this fall with Hawk Nelson, Fireflight and Superchick!

This serves as a reminder to myself of what I’ve done in the last 6 months… Whoa…

Toured from Orlando to Seattle, Phoenix to Boston.

Released a full length album on Tooth&Nail Records.

Got married, went to Cancun. Got sunburnt. This is as understated as possible: Massive amazing brilliant blessed.

Slept in my own bed a total of 19 days.

Filmed 2 music videos in Florida in January. It was -25 back home.

Radio singles have hit #9 on Rock, #22 on CHR, #15 AC Indicator, #30 on AC Monitored… (Keep praying for them to keep moving up!)

Had our trailer and everything in it stolen.

Raised 8k in 3 days to buy new gear.

Was given an amazing acoustic guitar.

2 incredible CD Release Shows for the home crowd in Minneapolis. Filmed a live music video.

ATF Colorado

Produced/co-wrote/Mixed Seven Day Jones

Produced/co-wrote Shasta Blvd

Visited awesome radio stations… PulseFM, KLove, KLTY, PowerFM, Air1, Z88 and many others

Appeared on Kare 11 TV twice

Played for Journey’s Backyard BBQ

Toured with Fireflight, Children 18:3, Abandon Kansas, Wavorly, I Am Empire, Royal Tailor, and After Edmund.

So far have played 4 festivals, will play 2 more in the next week, and will play 8 more in the next 2 months.

Since Jan 1st 2011 Hyland has played in: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona

Thanks for all the support so far! It’s crazy to think how much we’ve done in the first 6 months! Looking forward to the next 6!!!!

Thanks 2011. We have lots of work to do.

What does that word mean? More importantly, what does that word require?

Our album is out. I feel it’s our best foot forward, and our sincerity is there for the taking. Or discarding.

Which is good. Because you can’t please everyone. And it’s something I need to learn.

If I had it my way, we’d be selling like crazy and the sky would be the limit. Our single would be Top 5 in the country and all of the opportunities that have come our way all panned out.

I’m not complaining. Not by any means. Our CD Release shows in Minneapolis will go down as some of my most fond memories. Our fans, friends and family that supported us will never be forgotten…

Some things happen and some things just don’t. And I need to be ok with that. And to stay vulnerable. Because when it comes down to it, this world doesn’t need more rockstars and it certainly doesn’t need another boy band. We are neither of those.

What the world needs is people that wear their heart of their sleeve, bring excellence to their craft, and seek to honor God with their life and their integrity in all they do.

Vulnerability is not easy. And it looks more like servanthood than it does success.

Until our album comes out. Until we find out what you think. Until you hear our best efforts. Until you determine whether or not we are a success. You invest, we thrive.

All I ask is this… Listen.

If you like it, share it. Talk about it. Brag on it.

If you hate it. Do the same. Drink that haterade. :-)

If it hits you deeper than you thought it would, tell us!

Thanks for the opportunity… To share our hearts, our passions, our art with you. Looking forward to this. To seeing what you think… From the ‘I love it’ to the haters, it’s gonna be fun.

Great meeting so many of you out on tour! excited to come back to MN and play some of this new stuff for friends.

-Jon