hair

why have I gone and cut off all my hair that i've been growing for years? (since before i met many of you)

well, there's a few reasons.

a few weeks ago I was talking to someone and during the course of the conversation someone yelled across the room and said they knew it was me - because of my hair.

my hair had become my identity in many ways. not just physically - but I recall many times being told "your hair's sooo cool", or "I loved watching your hair fly around while you were performing."

is that all that's cool about me? were you not listening to the performance so that you could say something a little more meaningful?

I was in the club a couple of weeks ago and someone came up and tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if they could take a picture with me. I had no idea why, but someone suggested that my hair was so cool that they just wanted to get a picture.

I have been approached by people in many different cities, towns, and even countries where people just come up and say "wow, nice dreads." or "i used to have dreads" or "can i touch them?"

if that's all people are going to notice me for...

...i'd rather not be noticed at all.

yesterday a girl looked right at me as I was walking by, and right in front of me said "OMG he has dreads!"

that was it.

don't get me wrong! there are other reasons I cut my hair. some like - it took over 4 hours for it to dry on a hot summer day, forget winter. or the fact that it makes things like wearing hats difficult...

or the fact, that every time I put on a suit or a nice outfit... I felt as if I didn't look good enough.

...then there are those mysterious headaches that I could only explain by the crazy amounts of weight pulling on my head all the time.

why didn't I tell anyone at home? simple. while some of you are overjoyed that the dreads are gone - others of you would have tried to talk me out of it... and I would have let you.

so there it goes... it's sitting in a pile on my table...

maybe I should keep a few.

-jason

I'd nearly forgotten...

...What a day without anything planned felt like.

last saturday I spent the day watching movies and sleeping (with a game of Phase 10 to finish out the evening). It was one of the best days that I can remember.

Sunday I had the opportunity to lead worship at Wesley Mission - a 600 seat auditorium in the heart of Sydney. The best part; it felt the same as leading worship for 5 people... God is the same no matter how many people are present!

Monday I had another cool opportunity - I got to accompany the Sydney Staff Songsters at performance that they had. I never thought that I would have a chance to accompany the SSS, especially since I'm only here for 4 months! but it was great, and in the middle Graeme Press asked me if I could do a little piano solo based off of a certain tune. Fortunately, the tune was one of my favorites (and one I've written a piano solo on) - Covenant.

Well, my blog about the Sound Relief concert has been chosen as one of the blogs to be posted on the student blog site! I couldn't believe it.

And now i'm off - got some homework to do, and a movie night tonight. (we're watching Ned Kelley)

-jason

Sound Relief (blog for class, but it's interesting... you should read it)

written to fulfill a requirement for my View from Australia course

In a country where many people look to the startling defeat on the shores of Gallipoli as the start of their nation, it is not surprising that a concert to raise money for the victims of the most recent tragedy - the Victoria bushfires - would unite Australians in a way that is seldom seen.

For nearly two months fires raged across southern Australia. homes and businesses were destroyed, and thousands of people lost everything that they had. The death toll reached well over 200 and thousands upon thousands of hectares of land burned. Animals that were typically reclusive were coming to humans for help. The animals were burned, dehydrated, and lost their habitats.

March 14th saw celebrities of several nationalities come together in support of the victims. the Melbourne Cricket Grounds was the gathering place for Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson (both American), Coldplay (British), Paul Kelly, Crowded House, Split Enz, Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, Kylie Minogue (all Australian) and others. Four of these bands reformed just for this concert (the lead singer of Midnight Oil, Peter Garrett, is currently the Australian Minister of the Environment). There was also an appearance via video by Princes William and Harry. People everywhere were on board.

Interestingly, there were no political speeches or sermons. Even Peter Garrett, who used to regale his fans with political speeches at every concert, let the music do the talking. Minogue led the crowd in singing "I still call Australia Home" as a way for the people to unite with a common message: "All the sons and daughters spinning 'round the world, away from their family and friends, but as the world gets older and colder, it's good to know where your journey ends. Someday we'll all be together once more, when all of the ships come back to the shore, Ill realise something I've always known, I still call Australia home." - what a fitting set of words at a concert performed by several expatriates.

The people really pulled together for this one too. the Melbourne event sold more than 78,000 tickets at $75AUD a piece, thus making it the largest paid concert in Australian history. All the proceeds from the concert went to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal (which has so far raised $245,000,000AUD). There was a simultaneous concert in Sydney which sold thousands of tickets as well. The people were 100% behind this.

The problems from the bushfires are far from over. It will be a long time of rebuilding, and people will never regain the loved ones that they lost. But the country has been united, other countries are backing it (such as Indonesia which donated $1million USD), and the people are resilient and ready to rebuild.

Advance Australia Fair.

-jason

it has been entirely too long

It's been a while since i last posted.

basically the noteworthy things that have happened include, most importantly, my trip to Canberra!

Canberra's the Australian national capital. It really was a great time, even though my second day was overshadowed by a migraine...

we visited:
Parliament House (amazing building... and we got human pyramid pictures on the roof)
British High Commission (great guy, some good discussion, and free tea and biscuits)
Indonesian Embassy (I think a few of us offended the guy with some very pointed questions... but hey, we were told to do our research)
Canberra City YHA (youth hostel... where we stayed... great times - playing games in the pool... rounds of poker... and a little apples to apples)
Old Parliament House (exactly what it sounds like... with the Aborigional Tent Embassy right across the street... that was an amazing experience)
National Portrait Gallery (new gallery, with portraits of australians, by australians, for australians (or at least one of the above))
National Museum (one of the best museums i've been to in a while... and there was a wedding outside while we were there)
National Gallery of Australia ($20Million Jackson Pollock - one foot away from me)
Australian War Memorial (one of the most beautiful, heartwrenching, and haunting experiences of my life)

yup... good weekend.

and i got to lead the contemporary worship songs and accompany the songsters on sunday.

yesterday i lead the Wesley Choir again and i definetly had a case of (hilarious) foot-in-mouth... you should ask me about it.

alright, i'm off!

-jason

just a note

to let you know i am still alive.

i survived my first rehearsal on double bass...

i survived a day at Manly beach

i survived the st. patties day parade

i survived slumdog millionaire

and i survived my first sighting of a huntsman spider

i'll fill you guys in more later.

as i sit here in an internet cafe

i think about the last few days.

Friday night found me being the bodyguard of a few of the ASC girls when we went out dancing...

Saturday found me handing out brochures and talking to people about StreetWork - the organization with which i am doing my service project, swimming and sunbathing at Bondi Beach, standing amid thousands of people at the annual "Mardi Gras" parade, and finally sitting in a cinema watching the Watchmen (somebody has to ;-))

Sunday found me at the corps... and the evening service found me playing the offertory as well as playing piano and singing with Ash and Brooke for the contemporary worship time. that evening found me at home having a nice little birthday celebration for my host sister, Ashleigh.

Yesterday found me watching Gallipoli, leading the Wesley Institute Choir, securing my spot in the ensemble performing at the Opera House, learning Double Bass (including 20 minutes on just bowing), and learning about the components of a mixer board...

Yesterday evening found me filling in as guest accompanist for Sydney Staff Songsters rehearsal, going out to dinner at Lazikos with Ash, and watching 300 with a bunch of ASCers... culminating in an unexpected overnight stay at the other guys' place.

Today has found me in class, and learning the stories of kids here in Chattswood - while sharing mine with them... tonight it will find me at a cheap cinema in Sydney... spending time with (at least) Matt and Chantel...

As for what tomorrow will find me doing? we'll just have to wait and see.

-jason

ok so...

i've had an interesting week...

wednesday night we went out to the three wise monkeys again and i had a bit of an unexpected/unexplained encounter...

some guy came up to me after i sang "living on a prayer" in the mic (totally different story) and wanted to have his picture taken with me...

i didn't get it until someone offered this idea:

<- Me

<- Guy Sebastian - the first Australian Idol

interesting.

so also, i may end up getting into an altercation with my orchestra director.

the first rehearsal after the whole alto clef situation that i'm pretty sure i talked about... i practiced up my alto clef... getting ready for the next week.

thursday he asked me to play french horn parts... but were they normal french horn parts? no. they were all written in C with the actual key just mentioned above each movement.

then! he passed me in the hall today... and said he wants me to learn something else

string bass

i tried to weasel my way out of it, but he said he wants me to experience playing strings in an orchestra, even if it ends up being just pizzicato one note a bar... he wants me to have that experience...

i just want a bass clef trombone part

in other news i'm getting really involved in the music department here. i performed on bass guitar and voice (as part of someone elses's bands) for "concert practice" which is kinda like the departmental recitals back home. i'll also be leading worship for music chapel thursday... and i'll be teaching a piece to the choir on monday! (which is awesome... i've never led an 80 voice choir before)

yup... now off to be a socialite!

-jason

He looked beyond...

So i had a great day at church. I cannot say that there was anything particularly spectacular that stuck out to me, but it was a great day nonetheless.

also great was the study party at student housing after the not-so-great service at wesley mission.

anyway, these words have been on my mind lately... check 'em out.

Amazing Grace, shall always be my song of praise.
For it was grace that brought me liberty,
I do not know, just why He came to love me so.
He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary,
To view the cross, where Jesus died for me.
How marvelous, His grace that caught my falling soul.
He Looked beyond my fault and saw my need.

that He did

-jason

it's the weekend!

so yesterday was a very interesting day.

the morning was spent in my View from Australia class... and for the afternoon we went to the rocks - a section of Sydney which was the first inhabited and also one of questionable repute for quite some time. it was a great time! there were so many amazing little places all close together and many of them were very, very old.

last night i went to Congress Hall youth group at the officer's quarters. it was a great time for everyone. i got to know a lot of the teens a little better.

this morning i had a corps songsters reading day, and this afternoon I've spent reading about 200 pages of View from Australia homework while hanging out at Ash Sellers' apartment (which is where i am right now)

i have about ten pages of View homework left and then I'm headed to Olympic Park again for a night of Eagles' music!

should be fun.

-jason

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday:

great day! i only had one class (Contemporary Christian Music) and it was amazing. there's so many people in the class and many of them are simply amazing musicians. we had to do one song for the gathering... and so we pulled together a band: two worship leaders (male and female), five backing vocals (all doing parts, don't worry joel), acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, synth, and drums. and it was amazing... people weren't stepping on toes, it worked out well.

then i went to the ash wednesday service at st. james anglican church. the first song was the same "call to remembrance" that university choir did last year! the rest of the service was unbelievable. it was very high church and i could tell that some of the people felt uncomfortable, but i was just captivated by the power and emotion in the service.

to top off the night we went out to a karaoke place... tons of fun - as always.



Thursday:

started with choir - great group! there's about 80 people (it's manditory for all music majors) and there's something about those numbers that just display the majesty of God. it's not as good technically as other choirs that i'm involved in, but it was great to have that variety. (also, we're singing Lux Arumque and All that hath life and breath praise ye the lord! - Rick, i'm hearing our songs everywhere!)

then came seven hours of homework - on the same assignment

I also got to talk to Caitie and Joel and Jonathan and Charm (charm, what's your maiden name? Dr. DJ and i were talking and i couldn't remember)... it was quite good.

then orchestra... i'd never played alto clef on trombone before. bass clef, tenor clef, treble clef, yes... alto, no... it was an adventure.

all in all, two great days...

another one tomorrow

-jason

classes etc.

ok... for those of you who call me/try to find time to talk to me online... here's my class schedule

Monday:
The View from Australia/Indigenous History, Cultures and Identity: 8:45-12:00
Choir: 12:00 - 13:30
Digital Audio Workstations and Live Sound: 14:30-16:30 (maybe switching to 16:30-18:30)

Tuesday:
Aural Perception III: 9:00-10:50
Harmony and Analysis III: 11:00-11:50
Harmony and Analysis III Tutorial: 12:00-12:50

Wednesday:
Contemporary Christian Ensemble: 10:45-12:35
The Gathering: 13:00-13:50

Thursday:
Choir: 9:30-11:00
Orchestra: 18:00-21:00

Friday:
The View from Australia/Indigenous History, Cultures and Identity: 9:00-17:00

lots of fun.

in other news - my harmony and analysis professor called me Joel today...

yup... called me Joel

also Neil took me out to lunch today... I had this amazing kebab. (i'll be visiting that place again)

and I went to Congress Hall band practice. it's a really good little group.

Ash Wednesday service at St. James Anglican tomorrow night! (o high church how i love thee)

great times all around
-jason

opportunities...

so in my first day of classes i found that i have an opportunity to sing in the opera house... (on live tv)

i was also presented with an opportunity to play trombone in a rock/funk band on live tv

but back home i was waitlisted during RA selection

you win some, you lose some

-jason

church

I am the new Bass Trombonist for the Sydney Congress Hall Corps Band
(I found my church yesterday.)

as I walked in the doors of the Salvation Army - Sydney Congress Hall Corps (a bit late) the songsters were singing "Be Thou My Vision" and I was hooked. The corps has new officers and there's a lot of interesting stuff happening during this change. I want to be a part of it.

after the service I introduced myself to a young man named Ash (i can't remember his last name, but those of you who listen to the Sydney Staff Songsters have heard his voice). we had lunch together and he told me a bit of what's going on in the Army here in Sydney.

next was Songster practice (yes, I went)... it was amazing! the songters are not the greatest group, but they learn fairly well and they want to be there... two awesome attributes.

then i got to jam a bit with some of the corps youth... they really didn't want to do anything else except play and sing worship music, and i thought - what a great idea!

my church experience yesterday ended with the evening service... it was great! all the recovery guys (and ladies) were there, as well as many of the people from the morning service. I got to sing in the songsters and play in the band!

and I made some great connections

(after that I went to the world's largest short film festival... there's always something to do here)

-jason

orientation over

so I've had a few very full days of orientation...

immensely fun, full days, but full nonetheless.

and as a final, unofficial part of the orientation, several of us decided to check out the local music/nightlife scene. it's very interesting how a club here is not all about drinking... it's about having a good time with friends. us ASC students are not allowed to drink, yet the fact that none of us had any alcohol was not out of place. there were some interesting times though. i never felt that i would be a trend-setter on the dance floor, let alone in a foreign country. and yet it took my friend Lindy and me to start any dancing...

soon the floor was full.

don't believe it? i didn't either.

today's been great so far. after a home-cooked pancake breakfast, my roommate Ty and our house-mom Jo went into town to do some grocery shopping. what an adventure! even stores that we have back home such as Aldi's are very different here.

no plans for the rest of the day... maybe a movie at one of the host family's houses. but tomorrow, Sydney Congress Hall.

should be fun. Ty's coming too.

-jason

First Full Day

after missing one bus, then missing a connection later... i had my first experience in an Australian taxi today...

great way to start the morning.

I had a great day to follow though.

after a couple of sessions in the morning we spent the afternoon in Sydney. we split up into six groups and had a Sydney scavenger hunt. from as far north as the opera house on one side of circular quay and the harbour bridge on the other side... all the way down to the ANZAC memorial (and all in between)

my team won... being not only the first team back, but one of the few with all the spots.

then we had a boat tour around the bay. it was simply stunning. words cannot express how amazing the scenery was (pictures will come)

then we finished off the day with a meal at a mongolian barbecue and a train/bus trip back home!

it was a great day! and tomorrow is promising to be just as good.

-jason

Address!

ok. I have an address now! (and a great host family to go along with it)

173 Majors Bay Rd
Concord NSW
Australia, 2137

for those of you that are expecting individual emails from me... you'll be getting them once I'm more settled and have caught up on some sleep.

-jason

Arrived

I have arrived here in Sydney...

It is beautiful here... and I'm definitely going to be breaking out a pair of shorts before too long.

I haven't yet my host family yet, but that will be happening in just a few hours.

my classmates/friends/peers for the next four months are a great group. (maybe spending 14 hours on a plane makes you feel like you've known each other a lot longer)

so that is all for now. thanks for all your prayers for safe travel, and keep them coming. I am, after all, going to be here for four months ;-)

-jason

Here it comes

I am looking at my luggage sitting in front of me (packing was a nightmare)...

it's finally a reality.

today I spent the last time with my family that I'll have with my family (and girlfriend) for four months. it hurts a little... but I know it'll be okay.

my parents bought me a going-away gift, so I now have my first ever ipod (yeah, I know... hard to believe)

tomorrow I head to LA... then monday Australia

-jason

Poster

If anyone is interested... you could print out a copy of this poster and hang it somewhere (school, office, church, wherever)

but only if you promise to pray for me whenever you see it

deal?

-jason

it won't be long

I've now finished all my paperwork, and all the logistics between now and when I leave. I booked my flight to LA, and I have someone to stay with once I get there!

Now I just need to get through my last big event before I leave... Angels of Harmony at my church on Sunday...

I can't wait.

-jason

Anticipation

It's amazing how anticipation can simultaneously be the best and worst thing ever. i'm looking forward to my adventures down under immensely! and yet i find myself wondering... will all the travel go well? will my host family's kids like me? will i make some terrible culture gaffe? will i be able to keep up with my studies in the excitement of a new place and new friends?

so many questions.

but ready or not, here it comes.

February 16th I leave behind all that is familiar and move on to another adventure.

let's hope that it's just as good as the others.

-jason