Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads

Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads
Get the new CD, "The Third Time" HERE




WARNING: Listening to this music doesn't require parental approval. It's a bit of clean rebellion. It keeps your outlook up and your hope alive. It's got strong drums and screaming guitars. It pumps you up and drives your life. It's a hunger for exploration. It chooses the right and returns with honor. It's music you don't have to confess to your bishop.

It's not your parents' "Saturday’s Warrior".

It's "A Joyful Noise"

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

I spent a lot of time with my sister-in-law yesterday working on a project for her kindergarten class program. Lots of simple kids tunes on the piano. Lots of fun. You know.

Then, I was up late working on the tweaks of the "Pharisee" mix. I'm pretty stoked about getting that one done. It'll be hot.

And this morning I prepped "Toy Soldiers" for mix, but I didn't actually start mixing. My kids got up too quick. I still think I want to add the horn part, too.

Friday, April 23, 2004

Well, a lot musical happened in a short time tonight.

First of all, a lady in our ward came over and recorded some kids songs on the keyboard. That was for my sister-in-law, who teaches kindergarten. I'm very glad to have the toughest part of that project done! Now I just have to clean it up, put in the repeats, and burn them to CD!

Then, I had some more time, so I fixed the harmony vocals in "Toy Soldiers". Not too tough, and sounding good. Now, it just needs to be mixed. That will be tricky, because I'm not sure what to use as a reference mix. That song is just soooo... different.

Then, I listened to "Pharisee" again, and I'm not so convince that the vocals need to be recut on that one. If that's the case, I'm probably going to make that one my May release, and make "Soldiers" my June single.

Then, I got more excited about my showcase. I've got a date set for it, June 26. I've started spreading the word to the youth leaders. I've spoken with two possible opening acts, Kent Olmstead (Fast Sundae), and Ron Hill (Laconic Funk). I'm not sure that either one will actually do the gig, but at least I'm making contacts.

And I've set out a tentative setlist:

1 Here in Me
2 Standin' in the Fire
3 He's Out There
4 Toy Soldiers
5 The Sun Shone Through the Windows (acoustic)
6 Beyond Forever (acoustic)
7 Primary Rocks
8 Pharisee
9 The Taker
10 One United Generation
11 A Happier Day
12 Sometimes My Life
13 I Hear the Voices Singing


We'll see how that goes!


Friday, April 16, 2004

Thursday's normally the night when John comes over and we work on my songs. But last night, he was at one of the final rehearsals for "Bye Bye Birdie". He's playing trumpet in the pit orchestra for a community theatre production of it out in Tooele.

So, last night, I actually ended up working on other people's songs. First off, an old friend named LaDena had sent me a song to collaborate/arrange/record and we worked it through, figured out the chord progressions. There were some trickynesses with the form and the timing which we might have worked out, too. But it's going to be a fun tune. It's called "The Crack of the Wind".

She lives in Nevada, so we were actually doing that by phone!

Then, Andy came over with a song idea based on that "the least of these, my brethren" verse. He'd basically created it with the melody to another song in mind. So, we had to rework the melody. But other than that, it's a hot song. We worked up a chorus. Then he took me through the other songs he'd written recently. Just a fun time.

It was a kind of relaxing night.


Tuesday, April 13, 2004

And just now, I finished the vocal comps. All collapsed into one track. It's sounding pretty good, I think. This was a more difficult song to sing than "He's Out There" was, or even "Here in Me". It requires much more style, which is something I feel like I'm only starting to learn.

My friend Morey got a percussion controller the other day, and he's been having me take it through some paces. If I can get it configured (it works just fine), then I'll have him add fills for "What'll Save Ya" and that'll be my next single, I think...

I've booked a couple of gigs, up at Bear Lake for the Raspberry Days festival. That'll be fun. I love going up there every year, and last year I performed, too. Thought I'd make it a tradition.

I've also gotten the go ahead on this year's showcase, so I'll be starting to plan that one, too.

Monday, April 12, 2004

So, I've been comping the lead vocals to "Toy Soldiers". It's coming out pretty well, so far. I'm a little over half way done. It's been a little difficult, because I've been doing it in half-hour or fifteen minute snippets. I can't seem to find a good, solid coupla hours to sit down and make it happen.

But that's the story of my life.

Now, I've got to go to work, hire a new guy, and go crazy.

*sigh*

Friday, April 09, 2004

I had some real fun yesterday.

It started out with a guy named Jesse, whom I met online a while back. He runs a site at MSN called "LDS_Teen_Spot". I've been checking it out, you know, gettin' in tune with my audience...

Anyway, he asks me a few days ago if I'd consider doing a live chat session where kids could come on and chat and ask questions. It sounded like lots of fun, plus a chance to get my music right in front of my audience. So, I said I would.

Well, that was a smart move on my part. One of the few I've had lately, it seems.. Anyway, there were about 5-10 people in the chat at any given moment, and they were all energetic and friendly. They asked questions about music, downloaded my songs, and I thought we all had a great time.

So, I'm hoping to do that on a regular basis. I'm also going to try and set up some of my LDSM friends to do it as well.

Then, last night, John and Sherri came over and we cut the vocals to "Toy Soldiers". I haven't had a chance to listen to all the raw tracks yet, so that'll happen, but I was really confident with it the whole time. We'll just have to see if any of it's keeper.

So, that means that we just have to cut the trumpet and we're done (assuming the lead vocals all pass muster). The jury's still out on whether or not to cut acoustic guitar, but I don't think I will.

While I was singing, though, I got this wonderful sense that this is really a good tune. I'm really grateful that it climbed out of me, because it really helped me deal with some pretty ugly stuff. I mean, it tells the story of almost losing a friend. That's tough!

Tuesday, April 06, 2004

A weird night.

Actually, a weird morning, if you want to be technical.

I woke up at about 2:00, and finally at about 2:30 decided I wasn't going back to sleep. So, I got up and started working on a song. Just some rough ideas. It's going to be called "Turn it Up". Another hard rock tune. I've been doing a lot of those lately...

I started playing with some lyrics, too, but I'm not sure I'll keep what I started with. It's based on a riff that I've been playing with for years.

And yesterday, "He's Out There" got installed on a Christian weedshare site. Can you believe it? I chatted with the guy, and he was ok with me being Mormon. That was cool! Check it out at christianweed.com

Friday, April 02, 2004

The new tune, "He's Out There", is now live on the site, uploaded and installed yesterday. That's exciting. The second tune!

Last night, I decided to do some gear shifting. I've been good at that lately. There has been a lot of finishing of the rockers, most of which were just vocals away from the final mix. So, I decided to work on a softer tune, one that needs some more work.

So, I picked "Toy Soldiers". I'd hoped to get John in to play a trumpet part, but he didn't bring his horn and needed to have some more family time, anyway. So Morey came over and cut the REAL snare part. I'd been running with this cheesy snare sample playing this looped, semi-military beat. Cadences, you know... It just sounded bad. The sample was lame, the programming was lame. It was just crying out, "FIX ME!"

So, we did.

And it really took the song to a higher level. It set it up where I wanted it to be. This tune is really gonna work, and I'm stoked to help it along.

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