Weekend Updates and a Father's Delight
With a word of hope for the hopeless
Good weekend to you friends! I hope it's exactly as it needs to be for you and yours.
I finally slept in this morning (cue applause). My body wisely vetoed my mind in the work and play of their strange congress. Thank you. Lots of severe headache activity over the past weeks. Its good when some part of the me of me says enough is enough—sleep.
As a result, I'm able to begin this Saturday with some (almost) brain normalcy and a little public journaling. Half, updating you all—half, discovering life, what's up, what's to come.
The great delight of parenting is to champion my children and grandchildren. Son Sam Ashworth dropped a beautiful single yesterday—a reminiscence on California, the State of his birth and childhood. Like his producer father, this multi-hyphenate-awarded songwriter simply has to make his own music now and again. Writing the songs the whole world sings for other artists is a good gig, but hey, you can't silence Sam when it's time for him sing. No brag, just fact. Check it for yourself.
Episode 10 of Music & Meaning, "Heart In Motion" dropped on this past Tuesday and has been the most popular episode on Apple Podcasts so far. Amy Grant is a much-loved person, a true star for the right reasons. Highlighting her producers, Michael Omartian, Brown Bannister, and Keith Thomas from this landmark album was a joy! If you have not listened yet, please do.
My producer, Mike Cosper of CT Media, and I met recently to discuss the final episodes for the season. There will be four more, then a summer break. Season two begins in the fall.
I don't have a final title yet, but Episode 11 (Tuesday, April 23) explores the tech-fueled, ever-lowering barrier to making music—especially as it relates to AI, music education, and the latest global craze—fan-created music. You and 10 million other people put your AI-created voices on Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" and speed the track up to chipmunk level then post on Tiktok—that sort of madness (I mean fun). All of this begs the questions, who is a musician? And, what is music? Is the entry level now perilously too low? A real, flesh and blood, remarkable musician, Scott Mulvahill, will be a featured guest on the episode.
Because life never parks on one event, it's hard to accept that it's already been a month since our book, Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much, dropped. A few newsy items:
We've done over thirty podcasts in support of the book with a few more to come. Some are out now, some still to be released. Search Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock at your fave podcast aggregator and enjoy. Many thanks to all those who hosted us and asked such good questions! Here's just three pods that come to mind.
For you audio and Audible listeners, there's some bonus content available with the audio book version. We were privileged to include conversations with best-selling author, Dr. Curt Thompson, M.D., a pioneer in psychiatry, neurobiology, and Christian spirituality; Dr. Steven Garber, author of Visions of Vocation, Sr. Fellow with the Murdock Charitable Trust and cofounder of Wedgwood Circle; and our own Ruby Amanfu, Nashville recording artist and (2x) Grammy-nominated songwriter for Song of the Year (H.E.R., Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile). Find it HERE.
Attention book clubs. While I see that the goliath is currently offering a discount on the paperback, please note that Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts and Minds Books will give you a 20% discount on your order. Contact them directly HERE.
Thank you to all of you that have written to say what the book has meant to you. This is very encouraging. Note: charliepeacockmusic@icloud.com is your least circuitous route to an inbox. :-)
What's been a bit strange with the new book release is having to immediately jump to the next book, my memoir, Roots & Rhythm, to be published by Eerdmans in February of next year—which is just ten months from now. After posting this writing I'll be diving into checking a copy edit on the book and making notes on the cover comps. I've already done the photo shoot with Jeremy Cowart (an experience I recommend for everyone) and have an interview on Monday with a writer to craft a new bio. Sometime between now and then, likely September, I'll release a new vocal album. A collection of songs that may be "the one" I'm most proud of in its lyric transparency and cumulative craft. You'll have to let me know after you listen a few months from now.
Okay, that's enough for this morning.
Several of you have kindly shared with me your own sickness and suffering. For this reason, and the state of our broken world, I'll close with a short excerpt from this prayer written by my friend Douglas McKelvey. We share a Christo-centric view of reality and so he naturally addresses Jesus the Christ as the trustworthy, appointed authority for all of life—the uncommon, Good King.
Christ Our King,
Our world is overtaken
by unexpected calamity,
and by a host of attending
fears, worries, and insecurities.
We witness suffering, confusion,
and hardship multiplied around us,
and we find ourselves swept up
in these same anxieties and troubles,
dismayed by so many uncertainties.
Now we turn to you, O God,
in this season of our common distress.
Be merciful, O Christ, to those who suffer,
to those who worry, to those who grieve,
to those who are threatened or harmed
in any way by this upheaval.
Let your holy compassions be active
throughout the world even now—
tending the afflicted, comforting the brokenhearted,
and bringing hope to many who are hopeless.
Love you, Charlie. Thankful for the gift of you and your sweet Andi. Thankful for your prayer this morning and to that my “Amen” resounds. 🌞
In Him, as always, CP.