Livin’ On A Prayer

I think I have to start with the most exciting news first (which also explains why I picked the track ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ as a title)…
You probably know that I’ve had RSI in my right wrist the past couple of months (and if you didn’t, you do now) which has stressed me out and upset me quite a lot. 2 weeks ago this Sunday we had a worship and prayer evening at my house, specifically healing prayer for my wrist, Paul’s back, a few people’s eczema (and then also various other things people wanted prayer for). We figured that, after getting nowhere with just moaning and complaining, praying about it in complete trust that God would do something was what we needed to do. SO the 15 of us spent 2 hours in worship and prayer. Something amazing happened in how this time brought us even closer together as a community. After this time a few of us stayed round to do some bible work and chat about the evening. It was only after sitting down with ease did Paul realise his back was healed. Before he literally could not sit/stand/walk without being in pain, and after this prayer he was pain-free and could do all these things as normal once again! In this time I was also typing a lot (as per usual) but it also took me a while to notice that my wrist wasn’t actually painful. But, as the pain had been intermittent anyway I decided I’d go and play something to test it out… for the first time in around 7 weeks I managed to play the piano with almost no pain whatsoever! I really enjoyed getting back behind my instrument and ever since that Sunday I have only had a few twinges/aches in my right forearm. I have been able to play a lot (and seemingly with more ease than before), which means I have been able to enjoy class by practicing what we are studying, rather than just sitting there and taking in the information but not being able to apply it. It also means I’ve been able to have fun with my LPWs! I am extremely thankful to God for healing my wrist, and thankful for all the support and prayer I’ve had over it =)

So term 3 is now well underway. We have had 3 ‘teaching’ weeks as per usual, and have just 1 more of these before RAG Week! It’s crept up on us majorly fast, time sure is flying! All the preparations for the big Cycle Challenge are going really well, but somehow we are still managing to find more and more things that need to be done in the next 7 days. I must say I’m absolutely fed up of maps now, having been a part of the team planning and mapping the route for the week (including everywhere we will be stopping for food breaks and the loo!). Just over a week ago I also got asked to join the food team and their planning – this is because I am now going to Holland (on support team) as one of the food organisers/overseers/preparers/cooks… all of that stuff. It’s very exciting but oh-so-stressful at the same time! I’ve already managed to raise a good £546, but I still need the other £456. If you’d like to donate, you can do so…

Online: www.justgiving.com/nstokescycle
By text: NICS93 £(4, 5, 10) to 70070
And check out our WEBSITE. This will be updated throughout the whole of RAG Week so you can find out exactly what is going on during the week =)
We REALLY need your prayers and support!

We have had 1 LPW so far this term. The task was to take a song and create a Radio 1 Live Lounge/MTV Unplugged version of the track (basically a more acoustic, stripped-down arrangement of it). I really enjoyed this task and being creative in a different way with my band. Because of my wrist I couldn’t practice much during rehearsals (the Sunday it was healed was 2 days before this LPW), so I took on more of a ‘musical/creative director’ role which was really fun. We did the song ‘Radioactive’ by Kings Of Leon which was lyrically significant for us as a band. The chorus goes “It’s in the water, it’s in your story, it’s where you came from. Your sons and daughters in all their glory, it’s gonna shape them”. For us this was really about our journey at Nexus, being shaped and going on this journey together.
Our next task (which we are performing on Tuesday) is a Pop Medley consisting of 5-10 tracks, lasting 5-10 minutes. This has been a MASSIVE challenge for us as a band… yesterday we had a 5hr practice from 8am onwards! It’s coming together well though, and (after a lot of stress) I am now settling down my parts. I’m enjoying this challenge of being creative in how we link songs, and I’m also enjoying learning more parts by ear as it’s something I really need to improve on… which makes this the perfect opportunity to do so.

In amongst all of this we are also very busily preparing for our Gospel Concert which is in just over a month. June 15th will be an evening full of us stretching ourselves in our playing and singing (yes we DO have a Gospel choir for this), while giving all the praises back to God for everything he’s done and is doing in our lives, and the skills he’s planted and grown in us.
I am so excited for the 2 tracks I’m playing. My journey the past few months has really been reflected in these songs and God’s been teaching me a lot through them. As I said, they are massively challenging me in my technique, theory, style and ability as it’s not a genre I’m used to playing by any means! It’s so rewarding learning them though, and I absolutely cannot wait for this one-night-only concert. I’ve also really enjoyed being a part of the choir as it’s given me a chance to do something musical other than play keys, and it’s helping me grow in that too. It is going to be an absolutely incredible evening and it’s not one to miss!

I was looking at our timetable/calendar the other day and realised that there’s actually not much of this year left! Graduation is coming up so soon (it’s less than 2 months away now!) which is a crazy thought. Who would’ve known just how quickly this year would fly by?! I’m so glad that I’ve been trying to make the most of every bit of it. It’s sad to think that the end of this year is getting really close, and I will surely miss those who are leaving. BUT I know a lot of us are back in September and it’s very exciting. I am definitely looking forward to spending another year here and I cannot wait to see what else God is going to do in my life and the lives of everyone around me.

I shall just leave you with a few prayer requests now (as this has been rather long for you to read). Please pray for:

1. RAG Week – this final week of prep is going to be insanely busy. Everyone is getting very stressed very easily, so please pray that there is calm in everyone and that we all feel well prepared for this massive event. Pray that God would be with us every step of the way. And please pray that we would raise sufficient funds to cover the cost of the event, and then some! (Maybe God is nudging you to help/donate. Maybe not. That’s between you and God… but if He is then I guess it’s between you and God and me/Nexus)
2. Pop Medley LPW – that our band doesn’t get stressed at one another, and that our final practice on Monday afternoon goes smoothly. Also pray that we do the best we can as this is our last LPW as a full band (sad times)!
3. Gospel Concert – that rehearsals continue to go well, that I manage to learn both my tracks… by Monday! And that God would really move in us and the audience at the concert.
4. 2nd Year – that we find a house to rent that we can afford, and that God would provide for me as he has done this year.

Thank you and bless you SO much. God is GOOD!

Sing it out, Jesus is alive!

I realise I haven’t updated you all in far too long! Things have been massively busy at Nexus and I’ve been finding it hard to fit everything in. BUT I’ve finally managed to find some time, during the Easter holidays, while relaxing for a bit in Holland!

We had our final two LPWs for this term, which both went really well. For the former, we were given a choice of 3 songs (Hey Jude, Radio GaGa, and Eleanor Rigby) from which we could choose one to re-style. Our band chose to do Radio GaGa in a soul/funk/motown fusion, which seemed to work rather well. We got some good feedback and good development pointers from our tutors. The latter task was entitled ‘Disaster Management’ and basically did what it said on the tin. We had to prepare a song of our choice to perform in more of a small, ‘pub gig’ setting (done in the guitar room instead of on stage). This meant a very small PA (just 2 front-of-house speakers, no foldback/monitors) for us to work with, and problems thrown at us that could (and have) very easily happen at small gigs like this one. We were graded on how well we figured out what these problems were and how we dealt with them. I actually found it quite a fun LPW because it seemed fairly relaxed, and all the problems I had I’ve previously had to deal with anyway.

2nd Year applications have all been handed in and are currently being read over by the tutors. When we get back after our Easter break we should be told if they’re offering us places for September. I’m rather excited to find out and am really curious to see what they think of my application.

RAG Week has taken a massive turn for me personally. Through training, on top of my practice and other things, I have developed RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) in my right wrist. The only way to make this better and heal up is to rest it… which means I haven’t been able to train  for over a month now, and I haven’t been able to play for around 3 weeks. Because of this I’ve had to make the very hard (but wise) decision to pull out of the cycle and be a part of the support team. I know that it was the right choice for me to make, and I am in no way ‘getting out of it’ as the support team is doing just as much hard work but mentally rather than physically.
The final week before our Easter break was ‘RAG Week prep week’. All the cyclists cycled roughly 60 miles each day to get a feel for what the week is going to be like. The support team (self included) stayed at Nexus doing a lot of logistical work. We were phoning/visiting businesses for sponsorship, arranging accommodation for the week, sorting out the menu and food sourcing, equipment sourcing, mapping the route and writing directions, and a whole lot more! It was such hard work and get very stressful, and we are having to continue doing bits of this work through the holidays.
As a part of the support team I still need to raise money for Nexus. If you would like to support me for this I have a Just Giving page set up where you can quickly and easily donate online. Click here to visit the page =)
You can also text a donation. Just text: NICS93 £5 (or amount from the following: £1 £2 £3 £4 £5 £10) to: 70070

In the last week Staff Concerts also took place. This was an opportunity for the staff to put together a show and have fun doing what they do best. My mom came up to stay with us that weekend so she could also see the show. I must say it was absolutely incredible, and definitely worth a lot more than the £8 they charged for the tickets! I was so impressed by their level of musicianship, and SO inspired to become the best I can be in God’s strength. Video footage of the concerts are slowly being uploaded to the Nexus YouTube page, and here is one to start you off:

This Easter break has been amazing. I went back down to Plymouth for a few days with Nynke to show her around where I grew up and a bit more of England. After spending Easter weekend in Coventry, we then flew over to Holland so she could show me around where she grew up. We’re here in Friesland (in the North) for a few more days before we return to Cov. I must say it is absolutely stunning here! The sun is now shining, everything’s green and flat, there’s a lot of windmills, and all the towns and villages are simply beautiful. Oh and the food isn’t too bad either.

Please pray:

1. that the rest of our time in Holland is good and we have a safe flight back home.
2. that the tutors enjoy reading our 2nd Year applications and are encouraged by them.
3. that RAG Week training and preparations continue to go smoothly.
4. that my wrist heals up.
5. that Term 3 goes really well and we continue to learn so much more about God and how we can reflect him through our instruments and lives.

Thank you for your prayers and support. You are amazing and such a blessing. May God bless you just as much.

Every Day My Faith In You Is Renewed

This past week has been absolutely incredible! God is SO faithful and NEVER fails to deliver! He has truly blessed me in a new way every single day and I am still completely astounded by a lot of it. Some of these things have seemed very small but have a far greater meaning, where others are massive and carry massive meaning too.

Our LPW last week went fantastically. As a band we really were one and could feel this through how we played and sang. The feedback we got from the tutors seemed great, and several people have commended us on what we wrote. I absolutely love how the process of writing and performing this song brought us even closer, and I am seeing how this has changed (for the better) how we are working together on our next task. God is truly amazing! This week we have to re-style an older track – out of the 3 tracks we were given we have chosen Radio GaGa. I’m finding it very exciting as, even though we have only just started learning it, I love how we’re doing it in a Soul style. And although it’s a fairly basic chord progression, the extensions and voicings of those chords are VERY tasty. Oh and I get to use the Rhodes (yes, a real one! And for those of you non-music-geeks, google it. They’re beautiful!) so that makes me happy!

Exciting point 2 is that 2nd Year applications are out and I’m currently in the process of filling mine in! God’s really been speaking to me about staying here for a 2nd Year (at least), telling me that I’m not done here and there’s so much more he’s going to be doing in my life and that I’ll greatly benefit from staying here. The questions we’ve been asked are really making me reflect deeply on the year so far, what God’s been saying to me, and how that merges with the journey that Nexus is on. It’s really helpful for me to be purposefully processing this and it’s exciting to be looking back on this so that I can look forward more clearly.

RAG Week training is going well. I have been to the gym about 4 times this past week… and realised how unfit I am! (Even in a week I can see the difference though) We have been put into training teams of about 8 people, with a member of the RAG Week team heading up each one… so I am having fun heading up my own training team. We have to do 2 mid-week cycles (this week an 8-mile and a 10-mile) and then on Saturdays we are going out in two massive groups (one guys, one girls) for a big cycle (which, this week, is 20-miles). The gym is very fun and so nice – I’m actually enjoying getting fit! – and I’m looking forward to cycling with my team.
If you would like to support me for this cycle I have a Just Giving page set up where you can quickly and easily donate online. Click here to visit the page =)
You can also text a donation. Just text: NICS93 £5 (or amount from the following: £1 £2 £3 £4 £5 £10) to: 70070 
This is all in aid of Nexus and the work we are doing to expand what’s going on and reach more people with it, enabling us to better equip even more musicians in God’s Kingdom. (More information to come as/when I have a lot more detail. Also there will be a website up shortly which will explain everything in even greater detail – I’ll link it on the right of this blog when it’s up.)

Last weekend it was nice to see my dad and sister again and spend some time with them, lead worship at a weekend-meeting which the 3 of us were part of in different respects, and see some other folks I haven’t seen for months!
My mom was up here this weekend too! It was really nice to spend some quality time with her, especially as I haven’t seen her since just after Christmas. We had a lot of fun going to watch some of the ‘Choir Of The Year’ Auditions for most of Saturday. There were really some amazing choirs there, and it was amazing listening to the quality of their sound. I also was very typical-keys-player in that there was a BEAUTIFUL Steinway grand piano on stage which sounded so good… I was very tempted to go and ask if I could play it (although I expected a no, so didn’t bother in the end).

Please pray:

1. that training continues to go well, that people enjoy it and that there are no disasters!
2. that RAG Week team preparations continue to go well and that logistics are sorted smoothly.
3. that our band gels even more in this LPW task and that we have a lot of fun with it.
4. that God speaks more and more to us all and that we listen to Him and do what we need to do.
5. that I (along with everyone else) learn a lot from the process of applying for a 2nd Year and that God will make clear to me various things that come as a part of this. Pray I’ll be able to word my application in a way that best reflects what’s been going on for me and what God’s been speaking into my thoughts about my application.
6. that God would continue to provide.
7. thanking God for those who are supporting me financially for my time here – I am so grateful for these incredible people. Pray that God would bless them even more than he is blessing me for their faithfulness and obedience to what He has spoken to them.

Thank you for your continued prayer – my time here really would not be the same and I would be struggling a lot without it, so thank you and may God bless you.

Sing Unto The Lord A New Song

Firstly, I know I haven’t yet written my page about Intreat, but there’s a LOT to write and I’m struggling for time at the moment!

The past few weeks have been interesting, with many high points and low points (the lows COMPLETELY outweighed by the highs!). God is doing some incredible stuff here at Nexus and He’s really speaking to us all in various ways. Personally, God is really challenging me to sort out some things in my life and help others to do this as well. He is showing me just how much my life can impact and influence other people’s and so I need to really live in a way that glorifies Him and is a good example to others. He has been speaking to me a lot about community and people and what that should look like for me, and about plans for next year (September ’12 to July ’13).

Our most recent LPW task is to write a pop song as a band that is a very ‘current’ sound (the sort of Pop we’re hearing at the moment) but is lyrically counter-cultural (in that it actually brings something of substance and isn’t about going out/getting drunk/one-night stands etc). Our band has had a lot of fun with this task and we’ve come together really well in producing our pop track. God’s been speaking to us all through Isaiah quite a lot recently (during Intreat, in Bible Lectures, Bible Work, Churches, and other things outside of this too) and so we thought it was appropriate to write our song based on one of the chapters which He’s been speaking to us through – Isaiah 52.

It’s now half term, and it’s really nice to have a little bit of time to relax – the past few weeks have been so busy it’s unreal! It’s not all relaxing though, as I need to be doing my Bible work and practice. Oh and I’m joining the gym! Yes, that’s really weird for me to be saying, but for this year’s RAG Week we’re doing an endurance event… the whole college is doing a long-distance cycle! And in long-distance I mean from Coventry to Amsterdam… and back… in a week! So I need to get my fitness levels up. I also need a road/touring bike to borrow between now (or ASAP) until at least the end of May – if you (or you know anyone who) could help me find/get hold of one it would be much appreciated! There will be more information coming soon, but for now I’ll leave you with that.

I also recently purchased some in-ear monitors (IEMs) from Minerva, which came through in the post this morning! These are for on-stage monitoring/foldback so that I can clearly hear the mix of instruments I need and protect my hearing from excessive noise at the same time. They are great for listening to music through my laptop/iPod/phone in general too. I’m a very satisfied customer!!

We have Staff Concerts coming up very soon (mid-March). Tickets are on sale here, and there’s some information on this Facebook page. It’s going to be an incredible concert you really won’t want to miss – I’ve heard some of the rehearsals and I’m SO excited! They will be some awesome nights of true musicianship.

And finally… we’ve had snow =)

Prayer pointers for the next couple of weeks:

1. Training and motivation – that we all commit ourselves to doing the training necessary to be able to endure our RAG week cycle from Cov to Amsterdam and back, and that none of us get injured through this.
2. Staff Concerts – that prep and rehearsals go soundly and that the nights are fantastic.
3. Work and practice – that we all keep on top of our bible work and practice and don’t get behind.
4. House – that our house would continue to grow closer in our relationships and that any issues/problems are cleared, that God would work in us and help us support one another even better.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support, it means SO much to me. I continue to pray for you too =) Blessings

These Are The Good Times

I know I haven’t updated in a while but things have been crazy here recently!

So my Christmas ‘break’ was really good. I had some time to just wind down after the Christmas Concerts (which were INCREDIBLE), spent a lovely week and a half back in Plymouth seeing family and friends and the sea, and then enjoyed another week back here with the house to myself before everyone else came home. In that time I tried to get a lot of practice and work done… not much of the latter happened, but I did some good practice and a few recordings I uploaded to YouTube (my channel is linked on the right of this page, and I’ll put one of the videos at the bottom of this post). I also enjoyed spending New Year with some of my Nexus friends who live in Cov anyway, and so had a good time with them and their family.
On the weekend most people got back we had a bit of a gathering at one of the houses just to catch-up and spend some time with each other. It was very exciting and we were all so happy to be back and see everyone again. The holidays felt like a lifetime, but at the same time it also felt like we never really went away.

First week of Term 2 was our second assessment week – we have to pass these first two in order to graduate the music part of the course. I’m so pleased that I passed everything first time round this time (although I may ask to be re-assessed on a couple of things to better the marks, but it’s not vital). To be honest I wasn’t feeling too well prepared and know I could’ve worked a lot harder towards it, but somehow I managed to come through and not forget much! As it was assessment week we weren’t on normal timetable for the week, so it was a nice way to be eased back in… although I really was itching to get started and get stuck straight back in to ‘Nexus life’. BUT it was a good opportunity to finish off the bits of work I still had left and to go and see people.

Last week we had ‘Intreat’ – this is basically like an in-house week-long retreat, so we were at Nexus but had a completely different timetable. It involved a lot of times of worship, sharing testimonies, small group times, time spent in fellowship, and a lot of food (always good!). God did some flipping incredible stuff, I’m still processing a lot of it! But there was definitely a tangible change for the good in Nexus and it’s all very exciting. I’ll be writing a separate page (rather than post, so you can find it at the top of the screen) on this to explain a lot more in detail about what went on, how God spoke and what has changed, but as I’m still processing it all it’ll probably be a few more days before that’s up.

Yesterday we got stuck in to normal timetable again and, I must say, it’s great! I’m starting to become a bit of a theory geek… I’m actually loving learning theory right now because it’s making so many things make sense to me and it just unlocks so much! We had some feedback on Intreat too which was great and made some more things from last week make sense to me.
Today I had an LPW where it was like an audition, so we weren’t allowed to practice with people before as they mixed up the bands and we didn’t know who we were playing with. So we had to learn two (quite annoyingly catchy) tracks which were ‘Good Times’ by Chic and ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis. It was a challenge for me to learn them as I’m not good/practiced at learning things by ear but rather like to just read sheet music, so that was interesting. The LPW went really well though; mistakes were covered/dealt with well and we just had fun grooving the tracks.

We have also been given our tracks for the Gospel Concerts (!) so we now know which songs we’re playing and who else is in the bands. I’ve listened to some of them and they are seriously incredible! VERY challenging to play, but we have around 4 months to get them sorted so I’m too worried… yet! This is very exciting – all the 2nd/3rd years and staff say Gospel is THE best concert every year! If you can’t come then you’re seriously missing out, so please do try to come along. I guarantee you will love it!

Prayer pointers for the next week or two:

1. Open Day – Weds 25th we have our second Open Day of the year. Please pray that everything goes smoothly, attendees are well-informed and that interviews/auditions go well for people.
2. LPWs – that we have fun being back together as a band (Yay for Band 2!) and that our Live Performance Workshops go well. Pray that we continue to grow closer as a group of people and musicians and that we keep being stretched and pressing further into our playing abilities.
3. Nexus – that we recognise and remember everything that God has done in us as a whole this past week and that we continue to push forward in this.
4. Elim – that I will have fun serving my church up here, that I will be valued by them and that I can help bring even more of God’s heart to our worship times through my serving.
5. Student Cell – that I will enjoy serving in this area of my church too, and that I build more strong relationships here with other students.

And finally, I leave you with one of the recordings I did during my Christmas break. It’s another cover, this time of Yiruma’s ‘River Flows In You’. I hope you like it! Blessings.

“Emmanuel, our God is with us…

… Yes, He is with us still. Emmanuel, He has not left us and he never will. Yes He is with us, Amen!”

These were the closing lyrics from our Christmas Concert this year – how much truth is in them! It is absolutely incredible that God has always been here for us and always will be here for us. His love for us is so incomprehensible yet so amazing. I’ve really seen that this first term at Nexus – through all the highs and lows God has still been right by my side guiding me along, helping me when I’ve messed up and encouraging me more when I’ve done something great.

I can’t quite believe Term 1 is over already, it all seems quite surreal that this term has gone so fast! I have already learnt so much and my playing has improved immensely. God has been teaching me A LOT and I am looking forward to this Christmas break to get the chance to look back on everything and reflect on what He’s been growing in me. We have assessments to prepare for (our first week back in January) and a lot of Bible work, and these 4 weeks are going to be good to get this work done. The break will also give me the opportunity to go back over lecture notes, think over them more, remind myself of how God’s been speaking to me and do more about it all. I guess even though it’s a break, I’m definitely not having a break from God – if anything I shall be digging deeper into all of this.

This week’s concerts have been phenomenal too. We all had an amazing time performing and sharing something of our hearts for God through our playing and singing, and there have been some really encouraging testimonies from people who came. Our final night’s finale saw people in the audience raising their hands in worship as we sung the lyrics above – at that point I was so in awe of God, thinking back over all He’s done this term, and it was so moving for me I must admit I shed a tear! I can really see how much closer everyone has grown through this set of concerts which is so good. God is really working in our relationships with each other and I just love it so much. All the hard work and effort – the many hours constructing, practising, filming, editing, producing, drinks tasting etc. – really paid off and it was so amazing to see everyone pull it off so well. Deconstruction is happening on Tuesday so I’m going to go and help rip down what we spent so long constructing (thankfully it won’t take anywhere near as long!).

God really has me where he wants me right now and this excites me so much. Thanks for all of your support so far, it means so much to me. Please pray that everyone has safe travels this christmastime and enjoys spending time with their families and friends back at home. Pray God will continue to grow us and shape us to be even more like Him. Thank you guys, I pray you have a very blessed Christmas this year!

‘You Came’ *SPECIAL UPDATE*

So I thought I’d also share this video with you guys so you could see something amazing that’s come out of Nexus already this year. Eden Canvas wrote this song for ‘School Jam Competition 2012′. They are amazing guys who are so musically gifted, it’s incredible!

Band lineup
Lead vocals : Elisha Baylif
Keys + vocals : Danson Gichini
Elec guitar + vocals : Emar van Rossum
Bass : Phil Hardwick
Drums : Joel Stevens