Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Congratulations to Eagle’s Wings and The Top 20 Bluegrass SGN SCOOPS Chart (July 2020)

Eagle’s Wings with Vonda Armstrong (Hey Ya’ll Media)

Congratulations to Eagle’s Wings and Hey Ya’ll Media for the # 1 Song in Bluegrass.

The song, “That’s What Mercy Does”,  Landed the #1 spot on both SGN SCOOPS and The Singing News.

The song was written by group member, Kevin Chambers…

Here is the Bluegrass Chart. It will be published in the July edition of the magazine. If you would like to subscribe, Email Rob Patz HERE.

Happy Birthday Momma Eagle!

Debbie Wilson, AKA “Momma Eagle”

Happy Birthday to this sweet lady today.  She is loved by all of us at SGN Scoops and our “Creekside Family.”   Prayer Partner, Friend, Encourager, and  Anointed Singer are a few names that could be used to describe her.

”Momma Eagle” sings with Eagle’s Wings from Jasper Alabama.  She shares the stage with her son Matthew, brother-in-law Kevin, Awesome banjo picker, Jacob Patterson, and the love of her life,Darryle. Her sister, Rhonda travels with the group and handles product, etc.

Please join us in wishing her a very blessed Birthday!

“A socially distant Greeting“ from Matthew and family!

“”Momma and Poppa Eagle”

Love to hear them sing and play this one……

Kevin Chambers: Kevin’s Rule of Four

Eagle’s Wings with Kevin Chambers

Is Your Music Pleasing? By Kevin Chambers

It is such a simple question, but the answer is more complicated than you might think.

The following is my personal opinion and philosophy, not a catalog of rules. I formed these ideas over several years and thought they might be of interest to someone. This is the method I use to decide if a musical recording or live band is arranged properly, if the focus is drawn in the right direction, and if it sounds good (to me). This is the science that must be applied before you get to the art. The concepts are nothing new, but they are rarely presented together as I am trying to do here. I truly believe that trained professionals, including  jam pickers, can benefit from a simple survey of their musical arrangements identifying what I call the Four Essential Elements for Pleasing Musical Sound or simply Kevin’s Rule of Four.

I’ve played several musical styles in my life; marching band, classical, jazz combo, country, even some of that rock and roll stuff, not to mention thousands of hymns, SGM standards, and of course bluegrass! I’ve listened to and analyzed so many more than that. And I’ve decided all music is the same, even when it is so completely different! What I mean is that there are four essential common elements that make a pleasing arrangement in any form, from Beethoven to Bill Monroe. I believe that any band of any size or genre, can focus on these elements, who is playing them at any given time, and improve their sound. For the sake of space and time, I’m going to get fairly technical right away. If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Nomenclature: I have to define the terms as I use them before I can teach how to use them. A traditionalist might be more comfortable calling the four elements: rhythm, melody, sustain, and counter-melody. However, my application for all this is fairly wide, so I often use the terms: groove, lead, continuity, and vamping. I use these words more out of habit than technical definition. You will easily see what I mean by each if you follow along.

In bluegrass music, it’s usually very easy to hear who is doing what. In other styles, it becomes more complicated, but the concepts still apply. I recommend that any performance arrangement of any song should be planned out using these elements in the order I will present them, taking care to build just deep enough to make the message or melody clear and pleasant. Also, as you will see, only one musician or section should hold any single piece of the pie, to avoid noise and confusion for the listener.

Kevin Chambers’ Rule of Four

First, we should think of groove or rhythm. This, very importantly, determines the style or vibe of the music. This element always has both a down and an up component. It is sometimes implied but usually played. In bluegrass, the bass always provides the down and either the guitar, mandolin, or sometimes banjo provides the up. In other styles, the groove of a song could be provided by vocalists singing “do-wop, do-wop” or constant pulsing eighth notes on a harpsichord. There is no rule. But, this is where the first critical decisions must be made. Make sure the groove fits the precise feel that you want for the song (as to instruments used and the technique). This will greatly help the other performers do their job. Now, if multiple musicians start playing the same groove foundation elements at the same time, then (at best) you will sound like a jam session. More often you’ll get a cacophony leading to a train wreck, especially if several different types of instruments jump on the groove wagon.

Next there is lead or melody. It may be a soloist or vocal group or an instrument. This is the core message you want to convey, the reason the piece exists. This is that important part of the music that you want the listener to really get. Harmony singing can still be part of this lead element, if the lyrics and timing match. The groove supports this. If the groove ever distracts the listener from lead, it has failed. Everyone in the band must keep in mind that your job is to support (feature / clarify) the melody or message of the piece and not to call attention to yourself or your talent. 

Third is what I call continuity or sustain. It may be chords on a piano, or long notes from strings, or the roll on a banjo. This is that one musical element that maintains the structure of the song. While groove is more about timing, continuity is more about tonal flow (chords ascending and descending, stress and release, etc.). This element can shift between players for every measure in some styles, but, of course, should not be played simultaneously by instruments (or sections), as this rapidly becomes confusing noise.

Lastly there is vamping or counter-melody. Vamping is not mandatory. It’s not always there, but, when done sensibly, it is barely noticeable, yet makes any song sound more professional. It’s is those tasteful fills that are often done on mandolin in bluegrass, but may be done on drums, piano or any instrument in any style.

Caution, vamping can be dangerous and addictive! Actually, any of these elements can be destructive to your music and your message. It takes honesty, humility, and attention to detail to purge out the noise and have only the essential elements going on at any given time. Sometimes this means (gasp) musicians don’t play constantly! I’ve seen many great shows with 15 awesome musicians on stage at once, but rarely do more than four to six of them play at the same time, just enough to cover the four elements. Pride must be left offstage.

Applying Kevin’s Rule of Four

Picture it if you will: The Nearly Famous Gospel Band is on stage! They are rolling along on their favorite Southern gospel music classic. The audience is tapping their toes in approval. The song, in the key of G, is about to transition from the G to the C chord. Everybody knows it. You can hear it coming like a freight train. Then, at the expected moment, the drummer vamps a half measure of syncopated “rebop-de-boom” right into the chord transition with a big cymbal crash, the bass efficiently walks up the G-A-B-C scale in eighth notes, the piano does the standard sanctified ritual of playing a full thick G7 chord for a couple of beats right before the change with a bonus Cramer-lick thrown in, the lead guitar eases down the neck to arrive at C after a nice pentatonic riff with some full step bends! So, for two full beats we had notes G-A-B-C-D-E and F (and some in between) walking all over each other during a drum solo.

The band may be competent musicians, but this would have sounded awful. Each one did a fine vamping transition between chords, but together it was bad. At most one should have telegraphed the obvious chord change, if any at all. This is what differentiates jam sessions from well-planned stage performances.

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Congratulations to Eagle’s Wings & The Top 20 Bluegrass March 2020

Congratulations to Eagle’s Wings on their NUMBER 1 SONG,  “One Such As I”, written by group member, Matt Wilson.

Here is a list of the Top 20 Bluegrass songs for March 2020.

Kevin Chambers: Are you “gifted” or “called”?

Be Who You Are — For God’s Glory! By  Kevin Chambers

I surrendered the call to preach in 1997. It was some time after that when I began to seriously study the scriptural concepts of gifts and calling. I’d like to share some things that I learned on that journey, in the hope that it might help you in your daily pursuit of Godly wisdom.

The best place to begin a study of these concepts is Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” I found in my studies that gifts is plural but calling is singular. I searched the Bible diligently for every occurrence of any form of the words “call,” “called,” “calling,” etc. 

After extensive study, I found exactly one calling in the Bible. It is the call to be saved, to come to Christ, to join the family of God. I discovered that every other religious use of that word was something invented quite recently (in terms of the age of the Church) and outside the Bible.

I learned that when John Bunyan wrote of his calling in his amazing autobiography, “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners,” he meant something notably different from what we think of today. In the section “Imprisonment in November 1660,” he wrote of being examined by magistrates who urged him to “content (himself) with following his calling” and not preach, since that was against the law! Bunyan himself answered that he could “…do both these without confusion, follow my calling and preach the Word also.”

My point is that any religious “calling” (other than salvation) is a new concept that was not known as recently as Bunyan’s day. In that courtroom, all concerned knew that Bunyan’s calling was as a tinker (one who repairs pots and pans). In 1660 England, one’s calling was their regular job. There was no religious connotation in the word.

Eagle’s Wings with Kevin Chambers (far right)

I also noted in my Biblical studies in I Timothy 3:1-7, qualifications for a Bishop, generally understood to be equivalent to the modern idea of a pastor/shepherd/overseer, there is no mention of a calling. Verse one says “…if a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work.” Honestly, there is no call to preach in the Bible at all. There are numerous commands to preach. There is desire to preach. But, you must look elsewhere to find the call to any ministry.

I learned that in the early church, any man who was of age, past his bar mitzvah, was welcome to read from scripture and make comments, or preach. They were to speak by two or three at most in any meeting to avoid confusion, and the pastor, literally “overseer,” should watch and call out any errors in love, not hostility; see I Corinthians 14:29-32. There was no “clergy” class. This was something conceived much later, for very questionable motives in the organized church hierarchy.

So, what does this have to do with Southern gospel music? I’m glad you asked.

There are many people in the ministry; preaching, singing, teaching, who at some point claimed or still claim an extra-Biblical “calling” on their lives. Once they made this claim and started down the path, they were trapped. They often have discovered that they do not have the gifts truly needed for that particular pursuit. That is not to say they do not have gifts, but they are afraid to manifest those gifts, since they have said that God called them to do some other specific thing, their “calling”.

Many times, this drives a person to literal despair, all while staying busy and active in their professed calling, knowing inside that they are not equipped to do the job.

The Bible is amazingly clear on the very plural subject of gifts. Paul, in Ephesians 4:7 and 4:11-12, speaks of the various gifts God has given to equip the Church. He also explains, like the body with many parts in I Corinthians 12, that we all have something valuable to contribute. Romans 12 puts it so beautifully. Please read Romans 12:3-8 if you get nothing else from this article.

Some people say they are specially called and that is between them and God. Others wait, pray and beg God for countless years, waiting for a mysterious calling, one that God never mentioned as necessary. Some believe they are gifted in one specific area, but, if they would be honest with themselves and God, then act logically and use their God-given strengths or gifts, they could lead much happier lives.

My earnest desire for you, the reader, is that you, courageously, “Be who you are… for God!”

We are all gifted in some way (Romans 12:3-8) 

We are all called (Philippians 3:14)

God has a plan for you (Ephesians 4:12) 

Don’t try to be something you are not (Psalm 84:10)

Never be afraid of failure (Proverbs 24:16)

Don’t let man’s idea of success be your standard. Noah and Jeremiah had public ministries that were dismal failures, by man’s account. Just do something to the glory of God. Keep trying until you find your gift. Remember this: “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:35)

Like the prospective pastor in I Timothy 3:1, if you have a desire to spread the good news of the Gospel in songs or sermons or books or any other way, then that desire is a good thing. I don’t believe the devil ever plants desires like that.

If you get to sing, “Jesus Loves Me,” and “Amazing Grace,” to a group of 10 people, God is praised. And one of them might understand a little bit more of the love of God, or how amazing his grace really is, that is a successful ministry.

Be who you are, for God. Don’t let religious language and concepts keep you from finding and using your God-given gifts to glorify him.

I hope this helps someone in their daily walk with the Lord.

Eagle’s Wings

By Kevin Chambers

Kevin Chambers sings vocals, plays mandolin, bass and guitar with Eagle’s Wings. He is the music director at Central Baptist Church in Jasper, Alabama. He is also a maritime security analyst.

Kevin’s credentials include: “U.S. Air Force Active Duty, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol-USAF Auxiliary, US Coast Guard AMSC Civilian… 35 years of working “in/for/with” the military in one capacity or another… I just hope we can keep a free country for the next generation… Then it would be worth all the trouble.”

For more Gospel music features, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Listen To Todays Gospel Music Here

Diamond Awards 2019 celebrate Williamsons, Triumphant, Jan Goff, more

The Williamsons at the 2019 Diamond Awards

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (October 30, 2019) — The 2019 Diamond Awards presentation was held last night, Tues. Oct. 29, 2019, at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Held as part of the Creekside Gospel Music Convention, the awards ceremony honored industry veterans Eddie Crook, Jan Goff, Kenna Turner West, and Gerald Crabb, as well as newcomers Jessica Horton, Chronicle, Day 3, and Justified. “King Jesus” singers, Eagle’s Wings, swept the Bluegrass awards, winning all four categories.

The evening began with Justified singing outdoors at the Creekside Singing on the Square. From there, the festivities moved indoors to the Creekside mainstage. The Williamsons, The Dodrill Family, Mark209, Cami Shrock, The Pine Ridge Boys, and Josh and Ashley Franks, were a few of the artists on the evening schedule. Pastor Josh Franks gave an encouraging and inspiring message.

The 2019 Diamond Awards were produced and directed by Jean Grady of Gospel Music Today and Rob Patz of SGNScoops Magazine and Coastal Media.

Robert York with Jan Buckner Goff 

Here are the winners of the 2019 Diamond Awards:

J.D. SUMNER LIVING LEGEND AWARD – Eddie Crook

MIXED GROUP OF THE YEAR – The Williamsons

QUARTET OF THE YEAR – Triumphant Quartet

TRIO OF THE YEAR – The Hyssongs

DUET OF THE YEAR – Josh and Ashley Franks

FEMALE VOCALIST Of THE YEAR – Sheri Easter

MALE VOCALIST Of THE YEAR – Jason Crabb

SUNRISE AWARD – Jessica Horton

Vonda Armstrong, Ashley and Josh Franks 

SUNRISE DUET OF THE YEAR – Chronicle

SUNRISE TRIO OF THE YEAR – Day 3

SUNRISE QUARTET OF THE YEAR – Justified Qt

SONG OF THE YEAR – “Sun’s Gonna Come Up” – The LeFevre Quartet

SUNRISE SONG OF THE YEAR – “Living For The Call” – The Ferguson Family

CHRISTIAN COUNTRY GROUP OF THE YEAR – Mark209

CHRISTIAN COUNTRY SONG OF THE YEAR – “Hide Me Behind The Cross” – Tonja Rose

Ken and Jean Grady of Gospel Music Today 

ANTHONY BURGER INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR – Jeff Stice

DOTTIE RAMBO SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR – Gerald Crabb

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL SONG OF THE YEAR – “King Jesus” – Eagle’s Wings

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR – Matthew Wilson

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR – Debra Wilson

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL GROUP OF THE YEAR – Eagle’s Wings

Gospel Music Today VIDEO/DVD OF THE YEAR – “When The Mountain Can’t Be Moved” – Tonja Rose

PAUL HEIL AWARD (Broadcasting) – Dave Taylor – KWFC

Kenna West and Cami Shrock 

PUBLISHER’S AWARD – Kenna West

MOUNTAINTOP INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL AWARD – Sheila Blackwell

JERRY GOFF AWARD – Jan Goff

For more information on Creekside Gospel Music Convention please click HERE.

Mark209

Eagle’s Wings

Mike Stankovic with Tim and Missy Kinchen of Chronicle at 2019 Diamond Awards

Hope’s Journey at the 2019 Diamond Awards

Rob Patz with Debi Crabb and Gerald Crabb at Diamond Awards 2019

Dennis and Leslie McKay with Jessica Horton at Diamond Awards 2019

Justified at the Singing On The Square at Creekside 2019

For live video presentations of the Diamond Awards 2019 and more from Creekside, visit the SGNScoops Facebook page HERE.

Creekside Gospel Music Convention is an annual event held in Pigeon Forge, featuring over 50 artists, daytime showcases, evening concerts, the Dr. Jerry Goff Honors, Diamond Awards and Midnight Prayer.  For more information, call Rob Patz at 360 – 933 – 0741.

For more Gospel music features, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Listen To Todays Gospel Music Here

Creekside Gospel Music Convention 2019 begins Oct 27

Creekside 2019

Family entertainment and outdoor music return to the Smoky Mountain Convention Center at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with Creekside Gospel Music Convention 2019. From Monday through Thursday, October 28 – 31, 2019, Creekside presents daytime and evening concerts, with artists such as 11th Hour, Gerald Crabb, the Hyssongs, the Down East Boys, the Williamsons, the Browders, Bill Bailey, Josh Franks, Eagles Wings, and many more.

Creekside’s new event, Christian Country at the Creek, will be held Wednesday and Thursday at Mill Creek on Florence Drive. Every afternoon from Monday through Thursday, there will be free outdoor concerts at Singing on the Square, with free dinners to the first 100 people. Thursday night will host a special Trick or Treat at the Creek, with free, safe fun for families from Pigeon Forge.

More about Creekside Gospel Music Convention:

WWW.CREEKSIDEGOSPELMUSICCONVENTION.COM
events@sgnscoops.com​
#creekside2019
#wearefamily

For more Gospel music features, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Download SGNScoops Magazine In PDF Here

Find SGNScoops Magazine On Facebook Here

Listen To Todays Gospel Music Here

Weekend Word With Vonda Armstrong- What Will Heaven Be Like?

What will Heaven be like?

I like what Crosswalk.com has to say about heaven.

“There will be no misunderstandings or tiffs or tension among us. Our relationships will be so much healthier in heaven than here. Down here we have problems even with our closest friends. You know what that’s like. Someone says something to you, and you aren’t sure how to interpret it. You react to it— perhaps overact. You say to yourself, “I wonder what he meant by that? I wonder why she said that?”

In heaven there will be none of that. Our relationships will be open, honest, interesting, loving, and uncomplicated by sin or our sinful natures. We will dwell with God, the angels, and one another in perfect compatibility and refreshing intimacy.”

The truth is that we all will have an appointment with death. And we must be ready.

The lyrics in this song by Eagle’s Wings says it best.

“Pain is a stranger, there’ll be no danger, it’s glory forevermore.”

Happy Saturday!

Vonda

Creekside welcomes Eagle’s Wings and Friends

Creekside Gospel Music Convention welcomes Bluegrass Gospel with Eagle’s Wings and Friends on Wednesday,  Eagle’s Wings will be joined by the Stevens Family Tradition, the East Ridge Boys, and the Family Sowell.

Creekside’s first all Bluegrass Gospel event will be held on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Showcase Hall.

Eagle’s Wings. Picture courtesy of Vonda Armstrong

The annual convention has long welcomed Eagle’s Wings as a favorite participant. This beloved family group will be joined by Brad Stevens and the Stevens Family Tradition, a relatively new band on the Bluegrass scene. The East Ridge Boys, Richie Rose, Fondo Fields, and David Taylor, from Lick Creek, Kentucky, will also be bringing some picking and grinning. The concert wouldn’t be complete without the Family Sowell. This family is based in Knoxville, Tenn., and presents high energy, acoustic music.

Stevens Family Tradition

Creekside encourages all bluegrass fans to make plans to join them for the best week of Southern, Country, and Bluegrass Gospel music, presented in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

East Ridge Boys

Held at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center, Oct. 27 – 31, 2019, Creekside presents music in a family atmosphere, morning through evenings, and ending with midnight prayer.

Family Sowell

For more information on Creekside and all Coastal Events, email events@sgnscoops.com or click HERE.

For Creekside VIP passes, accomodations, and more, call Rob Patz at 360-933-0741.

For more Gospel music features, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE.

Listen To Todays Gospel Music Here

Three Days Left to Vote for the 2019 Diamond Awards

Have you voted for your favorite nominee in the 2019 Diamond Awards? If not, click HERE and do so today!

September 15 is the final day to vote on the 2019 Diamond Awards so you need to visit the site today. Make sure your voice is heard!

The 2019 Diamond Awards are open to all fans, artists and industry personnel. Anyone may vote, but they must do so by September 15 for their ballot to be tabulated for the 2019 Awards presentation. Vote TODAY.

Three Days Left to vote on the 2019 Diamond Awards

The 2019 Diamond Awards will be held on Tuesday, October 29, at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., during the 8th Annual Creekside Gospel Music Convention. Creekside runs from Oct. 27 – 31. Tickets are FREE but must be reserved. For more information, click HERE or HERE for the Facebook site.

Gospel music artists appearing at Creekside Gospel Music Convention include Hyssongs, Down East Boys, 11th Hour, Gerald Crabb, Eagle’s Wings, Bibletones, Sue Dodge, the Browders, Josh and Ashley Franks, and many more. Daily showcases, workshops, surprise guests and Midnight Prayer are also among the Creekside happenings.

Special events include Creekside Honors on Monday, the 2019 Diamond Awards on Tuesday, Christian Country at the Creek, and Creekside Bluegrass. New daily event, Singing on the Square, will be a live presentation of Creekside artists outside the facility, open to all. Josh Franks, Bill Bailey, and Burl Cain will be the special preachers for the event.

Once again, we are offering a commemorative T-shirt, available in sizes small to 5x. If you are a VIP pass holder you can preorder your T-shirt for a special rate. To order your commemorative T-shirt or to get your VIP pass, email Rob Patz at rob@sgnscoops.com

For more information on Creekside 2019, including the Diamond Awards and free ticket reservations, visit www.sgnscoops.com or www.facebook.com/Creeksidegospelmusicconvention. For a $25 VIP pass, tickets and accommodations, contact Rob Patz by calling 360-933-0741.

Read the full SGNScoops August  Magazine Here.
Download the PDF of SGNScoops Magazine HERE

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Listen To Today’s Gospel Music Online HERE