I'm going to try to make my blog more regular and (as far as I'm able) more spontaneous, including the things I'm reading, listening to, thinking about, pictures of small animals doing cute things and political / cultural commentary. I can't promise that any of this will be interesting . . . The blog will hopefully be somewhere between the average Xanga (typically centered around the events of someone's life) and a culture & politics blog, centered around current events & the author's analysis of them.

For now, I'm interested in suggestions for music for our wedding. (To those who haven't heard, Jeanette and I are getting married on July 7th, you could read more than you'd ever want to know about our relationship at our wedding website, http://www.jj.weddingwindow.com/).

We're planning to do

- 4-5 pieces of music while guests arrive at the church (Piano & Violin)

- 1 prelude piece for the bridal party to enter

- 1-2 congregational hymns

- 1 reflective / performed piece (in church-speak, you might call it an offertory, but without $)

- 1 funky postlude to which the bridal party exits


My roommates Dan & Hani are taking care of the prelude/entrance music, a piano-violin arrangement of Bach's Air on the G String.


For congregational hymn #1, I'm pretty set on "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", with a kind of folky arrangement. For Postlude / Exit Music, we're thinking of "He Reigns" or "Hosanna" from "The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin" (the videos have intros that we would cut).

I'm interested in all your suggestions for the 4-5 songs to be played while people are arriving, for a second congregational hymn (sung by everyone), and for ideas for a meditative piece performed without the congregation singing (I'm thinking of Great is Your Mercy , but am not sure). The 4-5 songs at the beginning and the meditative piece need not be church songs. Also, if you're interested in being part of our gospel ensemble, shoot me a comment or an email ASAP.


Alright, enough for now. This picture is from "Team Platypii", demonstrating the motion made during the part of the cheer that went "Platypii Platypii, snap your bill // Platypii Platypii Kill Kill Kill