I played 4 gigs over the summer. It started with playing special music at Pine Grove United Methodist Church in York, PA. I think I shocked the congregation by singing for the service. This is the church where I am a member and they were used to me only playing instrumental music.

I did a full concert at Immanuel UMC in Glen Rock, PA. I played some bluegrass music with Pastor Bob Vizthum at Chapel Church in Red Lion, PA. And my last gig was a full set at Dunkard Valley Live just south of Dallastown, PA.

We took 2 trips this summer. One was to Nashville, TN where we toured the Country Music Hall Of Fame, Studio B, had a dinner cruise and show on The General Jackson, and bought stuff at guitar stores. And also went to the Bluebird Cafe but it was closed when we got there so we went shopping at the nearby mall instead.

At the mall I met an interesting man who told me about all the dangers of the music industry. I took everything he said with a grain of salt. Anyway......

My daughter and I went to Pittsburgh to see Phil Keaggy do an awesome concert. It is amazing to me how one man and his guitar can keep an audience so riveted and interested for so long. We had a chance to say hi to him after the concert as well.

The next big adventure was a trip to Ocean City, MD for boogie boarding, mini golf, ice cream and too much food. I'm still trying to lose the pounds I gained on this trip. It was a lot of fun! 

I saw several movies over the summer starting with Iron Man 2 (technically I think I saw this before school was over last June), Toy Story 3, The Last Air Bender, The Expendables, and closed out my summer movie list with Vampires Suck. One of my former students is in the movie Vampires Suck.

Last Saturday night we went to the Jonas Brothers concert in Hershey, PA. My daughter said it was the best concert ever. I think The Phil Keaggy concert was better. I asked my daughter why she doesn't jump around and scream at one of my concerts like she does a Jonas Brothers concert. Guess she doesn't have a crush on me. 

Anyway, I didn't just goof off all summer. I used the summer to work on music and bookings. This summer gave me an idea what is like to me self employed, even if it was only for about 10 weeks. Here is hoping the work I did this summer will lead to more opportunities for gigs!

Musically most of my summer was used to practice and hone my music for future concerts. From the business side I worked on getting bookings. I picked up several bookings for the fall and at Christmas time.

Well, summer vacation begins again on June 3, 2011. Only 190 teacher days to go!

Hope to see you at one of my gigs,

Keith

And then I remind these people that, well maybe the people you think stink wouldn't like your singing or your personality either. And the same with me for the artists I think stink. Then they get mad. But if they don't like a certain artist there is a good chance that same artist wouldn't like them either. 

In the teen magazines and internet teen gossip sites kids read all these stories about how so and so broke up with such and such and then they don't like so and so anymore because they broke their favorite artist's heart.

And of course you can believe everything that you read in teen magazines and on the internet as the truth or the way things actually happened. Of course everything you read on my web site is the truth from my perspective. 

So just because someone thinks a certain musical artist stinks doesn't mean they do in actuality. It is just certain people don't connect with a particular musical style, artist, or personality. There are enough musical styles out there for everyone. So maybe people should listen to the musical styles they like and forget about the styles they don't like.

I can remember hearing stories about how a certain rock group was considered a "bunch of no talent bums." I also remember a story about another artist who was told that he should continue being a truck driver and he'd never make it in the music business. 

What happened was these artists didn't connect with a certain population of the public or music industry. I wonder what ever happened to these people?

I would be naive to think that my music is going to connect with everyone. My style tends to relate mostly to the adult population instead of to teenagers or kids. Of the general population people who are about 40 and older tend to relate to my music the best. Guitar players of any age tend to relate well as well.

So the trick is to carve out an audience of people who I can relate to and those who can relate to my music and personality. Because my roots are from the 60's and 70's, people who like that type of acoustic folk music would tend to be my general audience. People who also like instrumental music and vocal music with a Christian theme would be included in that audience. 

Anyway, when it comes down to it, it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like my music. I know my style isn't for everyone, but for those it is for, I hope to encourage and give hope to those people.

Oh, by the way the "no talent bums" I mentioned earlier in the blog are the Beatles and the guy who was told to continue being a truck driver is Elvis Presley. I wonder, which of today's "no talent bums" and truck drivers will become music legends in 40 years? Maybe me! (Except I am not a truck driver!)

Good music is in the ear of the beholder!

Until next time,

Keith

I will be playing on Sunday, August 8 from 2:45 until 3:45 PM. I have finalized my set list for the event! I am looking forward to playing as it is a fun event to play and is well organized. Hope to see you there!

This year I am planning to add vocals, instrumentals, and go on a mini world tour using my guitar synthesizer.

And without further ado, here is my final set list. If I get them all in cool, if not, that is cool too. But the idea is to create a meaning and encouraging time for the audience, and hopefully be a little entertaining too!

Medley: This Is My Father's World (Instrumental) / Looking For Something New (Vocal) / Jesus Loves Me (Instrumental) / The Two Brothers (Vocal)

World Tour Song: The Irish Medley! (Instrumental)

Medley: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Instrumental) / Good Bye My Friend ('Til We Meet Again)

World Tour Song 2: Lost In Egypt (Instrumental)

Guitar Joe! (Vocal)

Gospel Medley: Jesus Loves Me / Amazing Grace / What A Friend We Have In Jesus / How Great Thou Art (Vocal with audience participation)

World Tour Song 3: I Surrender All to a Caribbean beat! (Instrumental)

Medley: Beautiful Child Of God (Vocal) / Praise To The Lord (Instrumental)

Resurrection Medley: Christ Arose (Instrumental) / Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (Instrumental) / The Lord Of Lords Is Risen Today (Vocal)

World Tour Song 4: USA Patriotic Medley - Yankee Doodle / America, the Beautiful / God Bless America (All instrumental)

Medley: To Know You / My Strength And My Shield (Vocal and Instrumental) 

Looking forward to a fun weekend!

Next gig, August 22 at Pine Grove UMC York, PA!

Have a happy day,

Keith

It shocked me! Keith was the first Christian singer I had ever heard and I really liked his music. I still like it today. His message was sometimes challenging and controversial, but his music could also be very encouraging as well. I do not think I would have been as interested in pursuing Christian music if it had not been for his music.

His music made me realize that the message of Christ could be presented in song. I liked his catchy lyrics, his humor, and the challenge to live a life more faithful to Christ. Unfortunately I never had a chance to see him live in concert, although I did some of his live performances on Youtube. His concerts must have dynamic and I am sure he challenged his audience to live a better Christian life. 

He was taken way too early in life, but the legacy of music he left behind is still an inspiration to many even today! I often listen to his CDs and still love his music.

There are three covers of his I play a various events, all of them instrumental versions. They are: Your Love Broke Through, The Lord Is My Shepherd, and There Is A Redeemer. I love all three of these songs. Someday I'll have to learn more of his music.

I have many songs I like, but here are some of my other favorites:

Create In Me A Clean Heart

You Put This Love In My Heart

He'll Take care Of The Rest

Rushing Wind

The Prodigal Son Suite

Easter Song

Trials Turned To Gold

Your Love Came Over Me

How Majestic Is Thy Name

So You Want To Go Back To Egpyt

I Don't want To fall Away From You

The Victor

Well, there are more, but this is enough for this blog. I just hope my music encourages the people who hear it as much as Keith Green's music encouraged me! 

Well, that is it for today! Have a great day,

Keith 

PS: Keith Green and Keith Grim are very similar sounding!

The concert was free to the public. It was part of Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church's outreach program called Mission Possible. All week long they looked at their local community as a mission field and ministered to people in any way they could. I found the people of this congregation very helpful and friendly.

It is amazing to me how one man and his guitar capture the interest of an audience. Phil played two sets of about 50 minutes each. The time just seemed to fly by for each set. He was very personable with the audience. His guitar playing and vocals just seem to be getting better as his career keeps on going.

He was very comfortable and at ease on stage. And the sounds he gets using his Jam Man have always been entertaining and amazing to me. He really has a great time as he plays and sings.

The whole concert was great and I am not sure I can remember the order of the songs, but I will hit some of the ones that were highlights to me. During the concert he played all kinds of amazing instrumental music as well as adding his sweet vocals.

Here are some of the highlights for me. I love the song Thank You For Today. He also sang I Will Be There, which is one of my all time favorite songs. Salvation Army Band is always a crowd pleaser. And my daughter really liked, as she calls it, the Chasing Down Hot Air Balloons song! (I like it too!) The official title is Let Everything Else Go.

Other highlights for me were John the Revelator. Phil played a new version and mixed it in with the old. Another highlight for me was the cover of a Bob Dylan song called In The Garden. This is a Dylan classic from his gospel album days and Phil brought new life and passion to the song. I hope he covers it on an album someday! He also covered Dylan's other more well known classic, Make You Feel My Love!

How Can I Thank You, a song about his one sister, was also one of my favorites of the evening. My daughter also really likes the song. I enjoyed his cover of the song Hold Me Jesus by Rich Mullins. Phil also resonated with the crowd with this song as well.

After Hold Me Jesus, Phil left the stage to a standing ovation. My daughter said, "He can't be done yet, he didn't do True Believers!" I said, "Just wait, he will probably do it for the encore." And he did! It was a great way to close out the concert! I love how he sings into the guitar and harmonizes with himself and then somehow plays it back through his Jam Man.

I love the mixture of instrumentals and vocals during Phil's concerts. Phil truly has an amazing talent. But the most amazing thing to me is that he is more passionate about being a Christian than he is a musician and singer. Christ is the central theme to his music and life. His music has encouraged me in my Christian faith more than any other Christian musician.

One thing I always appreciated about his concerts is the message of Christ is presented, but never in a preachy way. It is almost as if he is talking to a roomful of friends during a concert instead of an audience.

And finally, he did come out after the concert to talk to some people. We got a chance to say hello and my daughter had her picture taken with him. Phil is very nice an cordial. Overall it was a great experience, and after getting lost in Pittsburgh after the concert, and listening to PK CDs on the way home, stopping a couple of times to stay awake,  we finally pulled into our driveway at 3:07 AM, and I hit the sack and my daughter went to sleep on the couch!

Keith Andrew Grim
July 16, 2010.

My daughter said she wants to meet Taylor Swift and my wife wants to meet Keith Urban. I am trying to convince them that guitar stores would be the best place to meet them. Famous guitar players need to buy guitar strings! But I am not sure they want to go to Nashville area guitar stores.

I am also looking forward to going to the beach. Some of my favorite things to do are boogie board, play guitar on the balcony, play mini golf, and eat at expensive restaurants we can not afford! And oh yes, eat ice cream!

Musically, I have been rehearsing and working on bookings. I have not done much as far as song writing goes, however I did write one song called Beautiful Child of God. This song is dedicated to my daughter. 

Here is the story behind the song. One Sunday in early June our pastor, Joel Coleman, was preaching about how we find beauty in God.

He talked about a girl who was told by her pastor that she was a beautiful child of God, no matter how life treated her. One day she was abused. When her pastor went to see her at the hospital she was looking in the mirror saying that she is a beautiful child of God.

That story resonated with my daughter, so I wrote a song called Beautiful Child Of God. I do not have any audio or video presentations of the song yet, I hope to in the near future, but here are the lyrics.

Beautiful Child Of God - Music and Lyrics - Keith Andrew Grim - Copyright 2010.

CHORUS:

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

VERSE 1:

It doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done,

God is ready to forgive through Christ His Son!

To make you beautiful in grace,To make you beautiful in love!

CHORUS:

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

VERSE 2:

You are part of God's divine creation,

Created in God's jubilation

To make you beautiful in grace, To make you beautiful in love!

CHORUS:

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful.

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful.

VERSE 3: 

Before you were born, God thought of you,

To give you a hope and a future too!

To make you beautiful in grace, To make you beautiful in love. 

CHORUS:

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

You are a beautiful child of God, God loves you, you are beautiful!

It is just a simple little song, but sometimes the simple songs are the ones that minister to people the most!

Have a great day,

Keith

This summer I will be working on getting bookings, working on improving as a musician, and working on song writing. It is the time of year where I am free of other work stresses to work on music. Sometimes the most creative things come out of me in the summers because I have the freedom and time to experiment musically.

Some of the ideas I add to concerts and some of them I don’t. Right now, for example, I am working on my Bob Dylan impression for his song Gotta Serve Somebody.  

Dylan wrote some great Christian and gospel songs. I love his Christian and gospel music. In that era of his musical journey is when I became a fan of his. I recently heard Phil Keaggy cover one of his gospel songs called In The Garden at a concert in Quarryville, PA.

The other thing I am working on is my only jazz/rock type song called Solitary Candle. If I can get it down I may be adding that to my concert rotation. I will also begin working on putting The Christmas Story On Guitar program together. I am hoping to work on getting bookings for this program as well.

But anyway, the point is I am working on music this summer. And hanging out at the pool and beach some too! Have a great summer!

Time to go hang out at the pool.....errrrr....I mean work on the creative side of my music!!!!

In addition to all the management stuff an independent artist has to work on music,  be their own roadie (that's the person who brings in the sound equipment stuff and sets it up) or have family members or friends help carry stuff around, not to mention trying juggle a day job, family life, and recording, just to name a few more things.  

So here is the delimma, how does an artist promote themselves and Jesus at the same time? My problem is that I like to get the word out about my music, but in the end I don't want it to be all about me. The goal of my music ministry is to point people to Jesus. The compliments are nice, but after a gig I would prefer the audience to have been ministered to rather than to say I am a good musician. 

I recently heard a pastor say that at the end of whatever ministry we do, music or otherwise, that our sole focus should be to have people say that Jesus is Lord. I am hoping during my gigs that people would remember the purpose of the Christian music I play, not to glorify the artist in the end, but to lead the people into glorifying Jesus Christ! 

Well, those are my thoughts for today. Love to know what you think!

Keith

The first one is called The Summer Concert Series. This concert would be a combination of instrumental music as well as some vocals. Here is a link to the presentation I have put together for this event.

http://www.keithandrewgrim.com/bio-group-203.html

The other event I am planning is called The Christmas Story On Guitar. The Christmas concerts I would be looking to book would start the Friday after Thanksgiving. This concert is still in the preliminary planning stages, but here is a link that will give you an idea of what I planning to do.

http://www.keithandrewgrim.com/bio-group-204.html

I am looking to book churches for worship services, special events, picnics, or any other type events where you think these presentations would be beneficial for your congregation.

And finally, here is a link to my official biography.

http://www.keithandrewgrim.com/bio.html

Thanks, and have a great day,

Keith