Song for Okinawa! Land of Peace!.mov

'AMAZED' CD cover

Dear Friends and Fellow Believers,

Here is the 'Amazed' CD cover for release.

Thanks

Vee

'Amazed' recording complete!

Friends/Fellow Believers,

Finally, we finished recording. Tetsuya, Tracy and I went to Climax Studio Sunday night for editing and an early morning mix down.

Editing in Studio 1

If only we could buy more time...that's what we kept saying because Tetsuya was running against the due date/time and we could only buy 5 hrs while running to finish 12 songs.

Mix down in Studio 2

We did get few more hours but still then it wasn't enough. We were 2 hrs late to sent the Master copy for CD Press. Nonetheless, we tried what we could within that very very short time. I am personally very thankful to each of my band members for their time, effort, talents; and most especially my thankfulness to God for providing all the needs. We recorded the songs using Korg D3200 at our church. Working on a tight schedule since all my members have their own teaching schedule; we recorded from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (4 hrs daily) from 4th to 11th August.

Talents wise, they were just great. A week before recording I made a demo CD for each one of them, to listen and create what they could while explaining to them what I wanted in the song. We rehearsed 2-3 times before recording live. I wanted to make it a worship live album because this way we could express our passion in the way we worship and offer to God what we were playing. Although we would wish we had more time there's always a reason why sometimes things do not happen according to our plans. I have decided to just trust the Lord to bless those who will listen to the CD. Again...the CD is mainly produced to use it for evangelism. I want to give it to non-believers for free with a Bible and a Gospel tract. For sure I will encourage Christians to buy the CD to help this ministry but my desire is to really get this CD into the ears of non-believers. I have printed inside the CD cover what the song means instead of song lyrics; so that when non-believers read it they will understand what the song is all about.

Well, I will post the CD cover in my next post.

Thanks and God Bless.


Vee

Amazed!

Dear Friends,

It's been an exciting week recording my worship album titled 'Amazed' is due to be released in September. Most of the songs are being recorded live except for additional instruments like Violin, Saxophone and other adlibs, including added back up vocals, which I and my friend Tetsuya Otani (Trained in Boston and San Francisco) is recording now. 'Live' not as a live worship concert but 'live' as the band plays in one take.

The Worship Band

From Left to Right
Standing Row: Minako Ikeda (Violin), Otani Tetsuya (Recording Engineer), Samuel Nakamashi (Drummer), Ikari Ishihara (Bass)
Sitting Row: Akiko Fukumura (Keyboards), Tracy Daniels (Back up Vocals), Vee Tetseo (Guitar, Vocals), Miyui Ikeda (Violin), Noriko Ishihara (Back up Vocals).

Otani Tetsuya

Interestingly this album is going to be a whole lot different from my previous 'Redeemer' worship CD. I have Bossa Nova, Latin, Rock, Ballad etc. Secondly, I am going to sell only 200 CD's and the rest of the CD's will be used for evangelism which means it will be given free with a Bible, a Gospel tract and Great Commission International Church's ministries informations. So I do pray this CD will draw people to Christ.

Wife Ai Nohara laying back up vocal tracks

Will update you all once it's finished. Meanwhile here are some pictures of the recording that I am doing at church.

Sincerely,

Vee

Myanmar Relief Concert in Tokyo

Dear Friends,

September 14th has been scheduled as Relief Concert for Myanmar victims of Cyclone. I will be flying to Nagoya, Osaka then to Tokyo.



Thought I should add this link in Nagaland where my interview was published.

http://kuknalim.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6365

Thanks for reading and sharing your blessings with me.

In Jesus,


Vee

An Icon for Christian worship music!

Friends,

God has a wonderful purpose for each life and this becomes true when we give our life to Christ. Kosaka Chu is one of them who is a totally sold-out to Christ person who comes from a world of secular music here in Japan during the 70's - 80's. A person who has made name in the music industry but left all the self-glory for God's glory and become a Pastor. Like everyone of us, he was touched by God on an incident of his daughter who had a 3rd degree burn when she was only 4 years of age (?); and had come out miraculously. This incident completely changed his life. Now, faithfully he and his wife Eika Ko has for the past 30 years founded Mictham Recording company; writing, composing and recording Christian worship music for people here in Japan.
Since 2003, I have been closely working with him and through the past years I have come to love him, his family and learning to be humble as we serve God.

(Vee, Nishigomi and Kosaka Chu)

With Nishigomi in his studio in Tokyo. Nishigomi San has recorded, arranged and engineered many of Mictham's worship music.

Keep them in your prayers.

Vee

New Opportunities!

Hello Friends,

It does take an effort to keep this blog updated. And as it happens oftentimes, I keep forgetting the password. After a handful 'trial and errors' I have finally gotten into my page. Only this time I have noted in my Bible so that I won't have to be randomly scribbling to refresh my memory.

This year's worship conference is scheduled in the last week of October. We are hoping to bring in some young bands to lead worship during our 'Evening Worship Explosion'. J4J Acoustic Band that I lead will of course be the main worship band leading the conference worship. We are also hoping to repeat some previous workshops (There has been few requests from friends and several churches) that will be like a continuation of what happened in 2007.

Besides the plan to host 'Worship Conference 08', I have been writing and composing new worship songs that I am hopeful to have it recorded for my 2nd solo worship CD. Please keep me in your prayers. I have few jumpy songs that has the flavor of a gospel-blues-rock n roll. Pretty unique as I analyze myself the songs that God has inspired me to write. Anyway, I am looking forward to recording sometime soon.

Beginning tomorrow we will be tightening our belts to host the 50th year anniversary of the Christian Bookstore of Okinawa Baptist Convention. We have invited Pastor Bill Wilson of Metro Ministries, New York to grace the anniversary by bringing God's message to our people here in Okinawa. His books have been a blessing to me and other Pastors as well. Our main event is on the 25th of May, at Okinawa Civic Hall. May 25th is also special because it happens to be my wife's birthday. Hopefully we can have time to celebrate her birthday.

Anyway, new opportunities to serve the Lord and the excitement never fades. Amen!

Never taking off our eyes from the cross.

Ciao!

Vee