Change is Coming On!

Its in the air...change is coming on.

Our lives can change in a matter of moments. A change in our lives can lead to changes that conduct the movement of our lives from that very moment on. Friends are put into our lives to bring us to a new chapter. Decisions that you pray about that open a door bring us to a new place in the road.

Change can be a very scary thing, but if you know something is happening for a reason and it is to bring you to a new place - a place you should be, then why do we fear it so much? We like our lives cozy and simple, no complications. But, it is through the complications, struggles and trials that we figure out who we are. Truly who we are.

Our band has taken many changes over the past few years. Some have been painful and some have been happy and peaceful changes. Rhymshot has stepped into a new chapter. We honestly don't know how the book will end or what roads we will travel - but we look forward to the changes. Especially since we follow our hearts now. We trust our feelings, pray and try to make good decisions about what we do and how we get there.

I think 2009 is going to be a great year. A year for new friendships, new challenges and a stronger understanding of what life really means. Times are hard right now and things may get harder before they get easier or better, but maybe during the tough times we will become more aware as people of what is most important. Friends, family and God.

I was always told that whatever you are doing on New Year's Eve is what you will be doing for the new year. Old wives tale I guess, but when you stop and think about it, what do we want to do in 2009? I have made alot of resolutions that I haven't kept. Made alot of promises to myself that I never stood by but if it is true that what we do at the end of one year sets the stage for the next, then I hope I am doing something that makes a difference - don't you?

I hope our music reaches the place it is suppose reach. I hope we are better friends than we have been in the past. I hope we are more generous than ever before and I hope we put our trust in the one the sure thing. The surety that we do not know what tomorrow holds and we only have today to do the things we want to do and need to do.

Instead of resolutions that fail every time or most of the time, maybe we can make a "promise" to ourselves to simply be better people. People that simply live life counting their blessings and not expecting so much. Time passes so fast and we just need to "Have Faith" that things are in the hands of someone much larger than we are.

We hope the new year brings you peace of mind, joy and the ability to see the little things. We have alot of things we hope to accomplish with our music in the new year. Right now we are just looking forward to being able to have our CDs available and sharing our music with others. We don't have a grand scheme - just a dream.

Change is coming and so is the new year. Let's make 2009 a year of change in ourselves and the possiblities will be endless.

Take care and happy holidays!

Rhymshot

Hit Us!

It is an exciting time right now and a lot is going on. We have waited a very long time to be where we are with our music. For many years we had talked about one day having a CD of songs that "we" wrote and we have it. The final mix down is under way now and Billy Joe is adding the sparkly touches to bring out any vocals or instruments that might need tweaking.

Once the mixdown is finished we will be ready for packaging. As we have mentioned before, there are six songs on the CD. Less than we wanted but more than we imagined as far as having material that we feel good about. Perhaps we can be blessed enough to finish up with another CD with six more songs sometime soon. We will keep writing and maybe a few acoustic versions will pop up on our myspace when the time comes around.

We have a few important "business" folks listening to our tunes as we speak and we need your help. Please take time to visit our myspace, log on as a friend and give our songs a listen. We need all the plays we can get - so feel free to "hit us" on our myspace as often as you can. Every play and view counts as we begin the journey of sharing our music with industry folks.

Darrel our manager is working on the graphic design packaging and calling on some industry contacts to share the news of our CD release "Roads Yet Traveled". Appropriate we thought because we really don't know what road the project will take, but the ride is an adventure and one we are blessed to be on.

The CD will be available via our myspace and website soon. Our website at http://www.rhymshot.com/ is under a bit of revamping but feel free to take a peek and click through to our diary and myspace site. We have worked on the CD project for about a year now, and it is good to have it almost completed. Once the packaging is finished we will visit with some of our radio friends including our buddies at WBVR - the Beaver and others to see if we can spend a few minutes on air to introduce the songs to the airwaves.

We are hopeful and optimistic and look forward to performing the songs live. There is an energy that can't be explained when you are on stage performing songs you have put your heart and soul into. Especially songs that have an uplifting message as we feel ours do. Hope, endurance, strength, a positive outlook and most importantly faith are some of the key ingredients to the recipe of our songs.

Maybe they will pick you up when you are down and give you a new look on life.

I Still Do Chorus Lyrics:

I should be more thankful at the end of every day

And Give thanks for the little things when I bow my head and pray

I really shouldn't ask so much after all that I've been gave...but I still do.

We all should just be thankful each and every day. Life is precious - let's enjoy it for all its worth.

Take care - Rhymshot

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season could and can put us in a tizzy thinking that we have to purchase the perfect gift for family, friends and others we would like to show thanks or gratitude to. But, many this year may not be able to shop as they have in the past. Some may do as they have many times before...count pennies and buy what they can for the ones they love. Some can't buy at all. It is more important to keep the electric bill paid and food on the table.

Christmas is a time to celebrate and reflect on the reason for the season - Jesus. Giving is more than pretty packages with bows and ribbons. It means reaching out to those in need or people needing a friend. It doesn't cost alot, just our precious time which is most valuable in today's world. Wouldn't it be awesome to have an endless supply of money. Not to spend on yourself, but on others. To see a family in line at the grocery with smiling children and knowing in your heart that they might need a helping hand...so you pick up the tab on their groceries!

How about pulling up at a drive thru at your favorite fast food restaurant and paying the cashier for everyone's order behind you. Walking in to your electric or water company and having an idea of who might be struggling for cash at this time of year and paying the bill for them. All of this anonoymously.

The best gifts aren't usually the largest or prettiest, they are the ones that are true and come from the heart.

On behalf of our band family to yours, we hope that you have a safe and merry Christmas. Enjoy your family and friends and take time to look around you during the hustle and bustle. You may be able to share a gift with others that means more than you will ever know.

Good deeds usually get passed on and on. I hope we can take each and every day to slow down and pass along a good deed, no matter what size it is.

Thanks for your support and friendship. We hope to see you soon.

God Speed - Rhymshot

Fans and Friends

Fans and Friends - isn't that the tie that keeps alot of us crazy singers, songwriters and musicians dreaming and hoping that we might just have something to share with the world?

It sure isn't the pay, the hours and the back breaking load in and load out time spent setting up for a show. It is the ones on the side lines who look at you with a smile and say "Wow, that song you wrote really was amazing." Maybe it took them to another time and place in their life when something was good or maybe even painful.

Either way, the friends and fans that have been a part of our lives as a band to this day probably have no idea how much their faith and love carried us. In the very beginning of Rhymshot, we had only a few fans who knew one or the other of us from school or work, or maybe a time when we performed with another group.

I remember meeting one of our dearest friends in the hall way at a club during a break at our very first show as Rhymshot. Her first complimentary words about our performance opened a door to a friendship that has lasted for years. We didn't know each other at all, but through music and the spirit that rises up through songs, it began a lifetime friendship.

What emotions and feelings music can stir up in people. We have been blessed to have had fans that have followed us from one state to the next to be a part of our dream. We have often said as a group that if we were to ever be successful in the music business that we would never forget the friends who stood by us from the very beginning. Today, those friends are still there and some have passed on to a better place. But, one thing remains true to us - If it weren't for their strength and faith in the beginning - we might have not experienced all that we did in the past and have the chance to look forward to what the future holds. For everyone who has ever come to a show, bought a t-shirt, and been there in the crowd cheering us on...we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

To make it in the music business...um, what does that mean? To sell thousands of CDs and become wealthy? To become popular enough as a singer or musician that everyone knows who you are? I still am not clear on the recipe to success in the music business as the "business" might see it. But, what I do know for sure is that "making it" isn't all about the glitz and glamour. It is being able to write and perform in a way that touches someone at the core of their being. It is about being the same person on stage as you are off stage. It is about using the gifts God gave you to bring joy to someone else. It is just doing what you know you are created to do and having others support you.

Today it seems that youth and money might be the perfect combination for "making it" in the business. I have to say that I am a little bum-fuzzled about that. I have seen some beautiful people who had voices that aren't what I call star quality just race up the charts. I have heard perfomers who aren't the perfect age limit sing a song that would melt your heart. Now, I have to wonder what the legends of country music or legends of any genre think about that.

Can you imagine what the music industry would be today if people still had the chance to travel around from town to town in their cars stopping in at radio stations across the US asking DJ's to just "give it play", and the response was about the song, the voice and the emotion. That the response determined their destiny in the business. It worked for some of the stars from the past that I have read about. It wasn't about money, youth or who they knew. It was about what they could do to a crowd of people wanting to hear music. I know alot of people who have pretty much given up on writing and singing because of limitations that others have put on them due to factors and rules about what it takes to make it. It can be disheartening.

We write what we feel, we sing and play with the talents God gave us and I hope that one day, "making it" will become a new and different scale to climb.

Sing if you want to. Write if you feel it. Share your passions with the world. And when someone comes up to you and tells you how much they enjoyed your performance or a song you have written - just count it as a blessing. You've made it in the music business!

Take care - God Speed

Rhymshot

Songs Tell a Story

Each and every song that Rhymshot has written since the new project began late last year has been a story of its own. Truly it has. When we began putting words and pencil together and accompanied it with the beautiful acoustic sounds that Billy Joe creates effortlessly - things just started happening.

We have been writing songs for quite some time. We have written about everything you can imagine. Love, heartache, and all the great ingredients a good country song is made up of - but this time was different.

I can still remember the first two or three writing sessions we did. We started with a thought about teenage kids and within a few hours, okay...several hours - we had a song entitled "I know my way home". Once we had the first one we knew it would take several more to even begin to have enough material to call the project - well...a project. We made a promise to ourselves and to God that we would write songs that brought glory to him and hopefully lift up someone who might need lifting up.

We started a few songs in between the six we have now and somewhere between the first verse and chorus we knew it wasn't the right direction. So, the idea and thought were history never to be written about again. It has taken us a little longer than we had planned, but things come around in good time.

Sometimes when we get together for a writing session we accomplish a song quickly, and other times it doesn't come together so easily. To be quite honest with you, we finished writing the last verse of "I still do" in the studio just minutes before it was time to lay a vocal track. We seem to work better under pressure sometimes.

All six of our songs are now available for you to listen to on our myspace at RhymshotCountry. I have to say that I love the direction and motivation behind each and every one of the songs. I think the arrangements are strong and the lyrics are too. We recorded on music row and had the privilege of working with some of the top "A group" musicians in town. We went in with our songs and an acoustic and played while they charted and wa-la...a song is born.

It is amazing that God knows exactly what gifts to give to each person so they compliment another. If we all possessed the same talents, we wouldn't be able to help each other as much. We would only repeat what the other does. I am grateful for the time we have had on this project to work together, laugh together and sometimes cry together. It hasn't been easy to get to the point that we are today, but it has been worth it.

For years we sang other writer's songs. At one time, we had a CD of songs written by others that left us with no particular direction in style, just the hope that we would eventually find a style. We think we did it. We aren't sure what genre our music is, but it feels "right". This time, it was our choice to write the songs and musically design them the way we felt they should flow. With the exception of "Gods Up to Something" - the others are Rhymshot originals and we thank you so much for taking the time to visit our myspace and give them a listen.

We would have loved to have had a full 12 songs, but funding only permitted six. Now that these six are complete, we will get out the old tablet and acoustic and hit it again. I can assure you that unless we hit the lottery or we are left with a sum of money by chance, the next six songs might just feature a lonely acoustic and vocals. But, hopefully it will reach out and grab your heart or tug on heart string just the same.

We look forward to performing these songs live soon and hope to have a chance to meet the folks that are visiting our myspace and checking in with us. Our songs aren't really the kind you can boogie down to, or kick up your heels and two-step with...but we hope they will get you on your feet with hands in the air!

We will be sharing our music with some record labels and radio stations soon - so if you hear a song by Rhymshot in the coming months we hope you will keep us in mind and ask the DJ to play it again Sam!

Thanks for sharing our joy and for being a part of our journey. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving...

Rhymshot

What's In a Name?

What's in a Name?

When you hear the word "RHYMSHOT" you can think of many things. Is it rock, country, what genre of music is this? Well, this name has been used by our band for several years...I am careful not to say how many. When we begin meeting in our bass player's house for rehearsals without a name in the early years...it came to us loud and clear. "Hey, can't you just use a "rhymshot" on that song we shouted at the drummer?" Now, to us, that was it...the one name we were searching for. The one name that would stand out. Well, it has many times left us spelling the pronunciation to folks who just couldn't catch it. We have been called Rhythum shot, or Rhimeshot...and everytime we were happy that folks just remembered who we were. We have had the chance to change names many times, and just can't let it go because we have a heritage with the name.

Rhymshot has stood for a lot of things over the past few years. Mostly, a group of singers and songwriters that for some strange reason stopped playing, only to begin again. And this time...who knows what just might happen. But...we haven't stopped yet.

We have had the chance to open for many major label performers and spent several years on the road opening for legends like Johnny Paycheck and too many to name that made an influence on us in the early years. Singing beside Tammy Wynette and so many legendary singers that have left a mark in music are what have opened the door for those of us who still perform today. The early years...wow, I can only say that it is the early years that have taught us who we are today.

The songs you can now listen to via our myspace site are our way of expressing how we feel about life. http://www.myspace.com/ - RhymshotCountry. Two songs are posted as of today and there are 4 other songs coming - so stay tuned. Each of our songs were written by us with the exception of "Gods up to Something" which was written by our friend Terry Dennis. It just fit the mold of music we are drawn to and perfectly gave us six songs that we believe in and hope you enjoy.

It is the experiences in life that make us who were are. I am thankful for the chance to have gone through the journey with this special group of friends and fellow musicians who have always called themselves Rhymshot.

So, what's in a name? So much more than imaginable. It is journeys, struggles, hurts, smiles, laughter, adventures and years of looking back and thanking God for all you learned and all you continue to learn. Our songs are both country and christian and we hope you will share your thoughts with us on how the tunes make you feel.

When we started on the writing project last fall, we listened to our hearts and just let it flow. We feel like the songs we have written can lift you up and maybe help you no matter where your life is headed.

What a ride life is. We only get one go around. So ride it kicking, screamin all the way down. Keep keepin on ....your gonna make it through. He's given me and you - One Go Around.

Until next time, we appreciate the chance to share our music with you. Thanks for the myspace views and listens. Stay tuned for more.

Take care - God Speed!

RHYMSHOT

Introducing Rhymshot

Hi! This is a first-ever post on the Rhymshot Diary Blog. Wow! How exciting! In this first of many posts, I want to take a moment to say hello and thanks for taking the time to read and be a part of our diary.

You will find out more about us in the posts that we will keep updated as often as we can. Rhymshot is a Country/Christian music group from Bowling Green, Kentucky. We love writing songs, creating our music and sharing it with friends and folks who want to listen to tunes about love, life, hope, struggles and how the lord is always in control.

We have just started blogging, so be patient with us as we learn. We have just finished our first CD project. We have six songs that we hope to share with you via our myspace site really soon. So stayed tuned.

We will provide more info as things progress. We are really excited and look forward to sharing our diary entries with you.

Take care - God Speed.

RHYMSHOT