USAGEM TODAY
41st Edition
October 2017
Serving the Lord through entertainment
 
      The United States Association Of  Gospel  Entertainers & Musicians
A 501 (c)(3) Faith-Based Ministry/Charity
Award Show Viewing Party
USAGEM Writers of the Light
USAGEM Hallelujah Hayride
                       USAGEM PRESIDENT LYNN FOX
  FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
From The President's Desk . . . . . . . . . 

During the first part of 2017, the board members and officers of USAGEM felt very strongly that our organization should take a year of restoration and replenishing. With this biblical approach in mind, it was decided to take a year off from hosting the USAGEM Convention & Awards and just follow the Lord's lead and direction. Well, as we are now in the fourth and final quarter of this year, we are very excited about where God is leading USAGEM and all of us. 

One of the directions that God seems to be leading us is in the area of television and media. Our 13th Annual USAGEM Awards Show is now edited and ready for airing. Also the editing for the Friday Evening Showcase presentations are almost complete. I've seen these individual performances and they are all very good! I feel that all of our participating artists will be pleased with the outcome! 

We hope that you are planning to attend the Viewing Party for the 13th Annual USAGEM Awards Show now scheduled for Monday Evening, October 23, 2017 at the Nashville Association Of Musicians. Our Quarterly Membership Meeting will start at 6:00 PM and the viewing of the awards show will begin at 7:00 PM. 

Board member, Shelton Bissell has graciously agreed to provide the video screen for the USAGEM Awards Show Viewing Party event. There will be soft drinks, light food, and a cake provided for this celebratory occasion. DVD copies of the USAGEM Awards Show and the Friday Evening Showcase performances will be available to everyone! Mark your calendars!

Another film project that is coming to fruition is a brand new television program specifically geared for our USAGEM songwriters. Mike Dunbar is the director of this new show appropriately named "USAGEM Writers Of The Light".

Each of these programs will feature two guest songwriters who will perform two or three of their penned songs, and include an interview with the host of the show. Tom and Mary Campbell have graciously opened up their home and studio, Area 51 1/2 Studio, for the filming. 

The first two shows have now been filmed and will feature songwriters Lady Corder Chapman, Tom Campbell, Ann Hartmann, and Mike Dunbar. Presently, Juan Lopez is in charge of the cameras, lights, and editing. I understand that the "USAGEM Writers Of The Light" show will be first aired in the Nashville viewing area on the NECAT channels. 

Future plans are for  USAGEM to host a new television program called Hallelujah Hayride. You can read more about it in this issue. 

One more thing! As we are approaching the end of the year, we are proud to announce that USAGEM has a new Membership Chairperson. Becky Davis Short has agreed to take over the reigns of all things pertaining to membership, including the recruitment of new members and the day to day operations of keeping the membership dues/maintenance fees and roles updated. Becky was officially appointed to the position during the USAGEM Board Meeting in September and will be formally introduced during the next USAGEM Quarterly Membership Meeting on Monday, October 23rd.   

In closing, let's continually give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow! Also, please remember to keep all of our USAGEM members and friends in your prayers!

In His Service, 

Lynn Fox



                            
SONGS FOUND IN THE WORD OF GOD

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard? 
The Lord is the everlasting  God,
    the Creator  of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
                   
                         -Isaiah 40:28



Pray for USAGEM
and its members

Pray for God's favor upon the United States Association of Gospel Entertainers and Musicians, and all of its members and friends, pray for their needs  and blessings.  
Pray for our endeavors, old and new, that they may be in perfect alignment with God's will, and a blessing to your ministries. 
Pray for the victims of hurricanes, floods and earthquakes and violence around the world. 
Pray for our board of directors. The board of directors is praying for you at each meeting. If you have a prayer request, please  let us know. You can reach us at: www.usagem.org




MIKE'S TIP OF THE MONTH

More Random Tips: 

If you wear a hat on a lit stage, try to always keep the brightest lights in your eyes, there will be less of a shadow on your face and more twinkle in your eyes. 

Also, keep a friendly look on your face!  "...let your gentleness be 
evident to all..." 
Phillipians 4:5

*****

 When you are singing don't clear your throat with an "a-hem." Swallow instead or drink a little water. Clearing your throat can irritate your vocal cords, making your voice rougher.

*****

Keep an emergency gig bag with you. 
Mine has a decent microphone and cord, electrical extensions, plugs that can let a microphone be used with a mini jack, a cord to let a mini jack plug into a microphone jack, cords for rca jacks to anything and back etc. also there is a mic stand in the trunk of my car. 

Make sure you remember to keep a bunch of your cds in the glove box along with sharpies and business cards. 

If you depend on your iPhone or iPad etc. for your tracks, still bring along a cd with those tracks. iPhones etc. break down. (true story: since writing the above, my iPhone locked up for 5 hours last night.)

Add a couple of those three-prong to three-jack electrical cords, the kind that plug sound systems, amps, etc. into an electric socket.  Even if you don't have anything that uses some of these cords, they can save a performance. 

I even have a friend who keeps a gas generator in his truck, he has saved an entire festival with it. 

*****

When booking, don't get discouraged if you leave some messages or send some emails and you never hear back. I read an article that said it averaged about seven calls, emails etc. over the course of a year to several venues each before calls start coming back. Also, I've heard the best day to call churches for bookings is Tuesday. That makes sense. Don't give up!

*****

This was said before, but it bears repeating. If you don't know them already, make sure you learn a few of the old popular hymns. Learn and remember what keys you sing them in. You never know when a band or a singer might suddenly ask you up to sing. The most professional thing to do is to be able to say something like "OK Band, 'Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb' 
in Bb...a one, 
a two, and a one two three..." 

*****

Make publicity photos easily available for any promotional opportunities. Good head shots, color and black-and-white, as well as poses with interesting locations and backgrounds should be offered. Make sure these are all high resolution images.

You should have  300dpi hi-res images ready to email or transfer. Lower than that and the photos can look grainy and blurry, most media will not accept them. 
It wouldn't hurt to have some copies even higher for posters, magazine covers etc.

Keep hi-res images for download on your usagem.org  page, and make sure your page is easy to find and not titled as your email address. Keep hi res images on your webpages. Keep such images easy to download and save from social media. 

We try to upload photos of our members on both of our Facebook pages. If your photos are not on both, send them to each page in a message on Facebook Messenger so we can include them

*****

Peter tells us that we are a "royal priestood," being prepared for any problems shows the world we take that seriously.

God Bless You and Your Ministries,
                           Mike Dunbar 
                           USAGEM Vice President
                                   
The Words of our Lord 
Then Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him,  I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. -Matthew 18:21-22

 

AWARD SHOW 
VIEWING PARTY
Our Quarterly Meeting for October 23rd will also be a viewing party for the DVD release of the 13th Annual USAGEM Award Show. Everyone who attends the party can have DVD copies of the show.* There will be snacks, coffee and soft drinks. The meeting and party will be held at the Nashville Musicians Association Union Hall. 

11 Music Circle N,
Nashville, TN 37203
Our quarterly meeting will start at 6pm and the party will start at 7pm


*(If you can't attend the meeting/party and were a part of the 13th Annual USAGEM Award Show, contact us for your DVD copies.)
USAGEM 
Writers of the Light

Host Lynn Fox interviewing guests. left to right, top to bottom: Lady Corder Chapman, Tom Campbell, Ann Hartmann, and Mike Dunbar

USAGEM Writers of the Light is a new entertaining and inspirational television show* hosted by Lynn Fox and featuring our songwriting members. Episodes include two songwriting members performing three of their songs each.  During the show, each songwriter is interviewed by Lynn.  

The first two episodes have been recorded and are now being edited. These will be broadcast on the Nashville Education, Arts, and Community Television channels (NECAT). 

Episodes will eventually be available on YouTube. We will also be looking into cable, satellite, and internet broadcast services...anywhere we can provide our songwriting members with the ability to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. 
 
USAGEM Writers of the Light is hosted by Lynn Fox, directed by 
Mike Dunbar, and filmed and edited by Juan Lopez.

*If you are a songwriting member interested in appearing on a future episode of USAGEM Writers of the Light,  
see the upcoming November 2017 issue of 
USAGEM Today for information. 
USAGEM 
Hallelujah Hayride

Debbie Bennett

USAGEM Hallelujah Hayride is a new television show that will begin production later this month. It features our members with active music ministries* performing songs from their repertoire that they normally include in their shows. It will be shot in Lebanon, Tennessee at the Music Factory, a video production facility with a full stage and room for a small studio audience ( future shows will add a live audience of up to 30 people ). The first two artists to be filmed will be members  Debbie Bennett and Stu Martin. Episodes will appear on Ustream at  as well as on NECAT and YouTube.  We will also be looking into other opportunities for broadcasing USAGEM Hallelujah Hayride.


Reverand Stu Martin

* If you are a member with an active music ministry and are interested in appearing on a future episode of USAGEM Hallelujah Hayride, see the upcoming November issue of USAGEM Today  for information.

USAGEM Today is distributed to all of our members and to more than 150 churches and music industry personnel.  
If you have news items about your ministry please e-mail your press releases or digital flyers to Mike Dunbar at:  [email protected]

We may edit press releases as we see fit. Keep in mind that USAGEM is a 501c3  Non-Profit organization. USAGEM does not endorse a poltical party or worldly agenda. We are here to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel through song and entertaiment. 

Don't forget to send us prayer requests! 


 
USAGEM
MEMBERS NEWS

Mona Faith has a new album called "Loving God, Life and Country" that is very nearly finished.  Watch here next issue of USAGEM Today for more details. 

****

Becky Davis Short of the Davis Family sent this update on her dad 
Dave Davis: 

"Update: After 130 days post transplant doctors tell us that bone marrow biopsy is 100% clear and all blood work is in normal range!! Thanks to everyone who stood with us in prayer! PTL!!"

We praise Jesus for this wonderful report. The Davis Family has a new CD called "He Knows the Way Home," and they will be guests on Nashville Cowboy Church hosted by Dr. Harry Yates and Joanne Cash Yates this October 22nd. You can watch them live on the internet that day
at 10am central time here:    http://www.musiccitytelevision.com/ncc/
It will be re-broadcast the following Sunday at 5am central time on WSM radio and WSM online.

The Davis Family
   ***

What a blessing it would be for you to give a donation to USAGEM. It would be a blessing to you and all of our members. 

You can make a donation here: 

There you'll find a "donate" button in the left column. We're a 501 (c)(3) so it is a write-off on your taxes.   

While you're there, update your page with new pictures, songs, videos, bio information and etc.  Having trouble with that? contact us at: [email protected] We will be glad to help.  The United States Association of Gospel Entertainers and Musicians  is here for you because we know you are here for Christ


We are a volunteer organization. Don't wait to be asked...volunteer!

USAGEM ON THE INTERNET
 
to reach our  Main  Facebook Page . 
Make it a "favorite" and please share it!

CLICK HERE
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Make it a "favorite" and please share it!

to reach our Website . 
Register and begin filling out your page with music, photos and more 
to use in your ministry.


"The Greatest Assets of USAGEM Are Our Members"

USAGEM's members are a diverse group of people creating music and entertainment in various ways. Yet, we all share one goal. To reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Whether it is one singer in a small church coffee house, a praise and worship team, a Christian comedian, a Grammy winning quartet, or a family band, we're all here to PRAISE THE LORD.

We are a fellowship of servants using out talents to serve the                                                                 King of Kings.

God bless our members!