Now I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I do not have very balanced approach to listening to music.

Because typically my approach is to find a song that I love and then listen to it OVER AND OVER AND OVER until I have told everyone I know that they too must love this song and by the way, if they wouldn’t mind, it would be great if we could sit down and just quickly review the lyrics because, really – TRUST ME – doing that would make the song so much more meaningful for all of us, I PROMISE.

Oh, you can take the girl out of the English department, but you will never, ever take the English department out of the girl.

I don’t care how old and tired the girl is.

Even if she’s on the back side of 30 and exhausted.

So lately I’ve been trying to listen to some new stuff and – THIS IS KEY – not limiting myself to a one-song (or even a one-CD) obsession. Because as much as my whole family enjoyed the last Monk & Neagle CD, I’m a little concerned that one day when Alex is about 35 with a family of his own, he’s going to hear the opening notes of “Beautiful You” and immediately grab a fruit punch Capri Sun, hop in a booster seat, and beg someone to drive him to Walmart(s) because remember? back in 2007? when Mama played that song EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GOT IN THE CAR TO RUN ERRANDS? and then sang it AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS?

Good times. Precious memories.

Anyway, here are a few new songs that have made their way to the top of my playlist - and all of these songs come from REALLY excellent CD’s. I just thought it might be fun to focus on individual songs for a change.

Because I’m all kicky and wacky like that.

“Glorious One” – Fee - I love this song so much that I tend to SPEAK VERY LOUDLY WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT, but that’s actually sort of appropriate because I also play this song very loudly when I listen to it.

And you know what else? I don’t think it’s possible to listen to this song without lifting your hands just a teensy little bit. Consider yourself warned, Episcopalians.

OH, I AM A KIDDER.

And seriously, this is the perfect song to get you going during your morning or afternoon drive time. Just please don’t do any hand-lifting while driving unless you have some sort of auto-pilot feature in your vehicle. Because I would hate for you to be so busy getting your praise on that, you know, you forget to hold on to the steering wheel.

Safety first, internets.

“New Day” – Robbie Seay Band – I am not by nature a terribly romantic girl, but this song makes me all swoony and dreamy and I start to feel like I should wear more dresses since my husband likes it when I wear dresses. THE POWER OF MUSIC, MY FRIENDS.

And it just so happens that today Kat has a great interview with Robbie that you can read right here.

As an added bonus (BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!), you can download this song for free right here.

I’m not even kidding. FREE!

Now that is a bargain.

“Alright” – MercyMe - This is one of those songs that you’ll hear one time and then sing the rest of the day because it has, like, THE CATCHIEST REFRAIN EVER, not to mention that it’s totally going to make you want to dance.

It will also make you want to clap, but not just a regular kind of clapping – you will want to do the single clap / double clap combo, and what could be more funky fun that that?

Why, I can’t think of anything.

“How Sweet The Name” – Delirious? – The first time I heard the Delirious? “Kingdom of Comfort” CD, I thought it was cool but very different than the music I normally listen to. As it turns out, different is good. Because the more I listen to their music, the more I love it. The whole CD is really strong, and “How Sweet The Name” - which is all about the profound gift of salvation - is hauntingly beautiful.

However, I have to confess that I do not understand why the band’s name is Delirious? - like they’re not quite sure if they’re really Delirious - because based on their music, it seems like maybe their name should be Delirious! or even Delirious!!!

Perhaps I should consult the Google for an answer.

“God of this City” – Chris Tomlin - This song really encourages me to stop being so stinkin’ short-sighted and selfish.

The end.

“Washed By The Water” – needtobreathe - I love me a little Southern-fried flava (yes. I just used the word “flava.” I totally did.) in my music, and this song has such a strong undercurrent of blues and gospel that I found it utterly captivating the first time I heard it.

I think you will, too.

Okay. I believe that’s all for now. But if you have any music suggestions for the internets, feel free to list them in the comments.

And, in conclusion: rock on, interpeoples.

Oh please do rock on.

The first time I walked in our house, I eyed the sunken living room with wide steps on two sides, then looked at my husband and said, “If we buy this house, I want someone to come play the guitar in the living room. And I want for people to sit on those steps and sing. DO YOU THINK AMY GRANT AND VINCE GILL WOULD WANT TO DO A SHOW HERE?”

And we laughed because, well, I am insane.

But a few weeks ago, Emma Kate forwarded me an email she’d received from Trent Monk. Trent was hoping to line up some “living room concerts” in between bigger shows, and Emma Kate immediately asked him if he might like to play at her church instead. She was ecstatic when he said yes.

After I read EK’s email, I could not stop thinking about the whole living room concerts deal. And I also kept thinking about my love for Monk & Neagle, my iPod that is chock-full of their songs, and my deep desire for someone to play the guitar and sing in our living room. So I made the biggest no-brainer decision ever and emailed Trent to see if he’d like to do a show at our house.

(After talking with my husband, of course.)

(Because as a general rule it’s probably not a great idea to stage a real-live concert in one’s home unless all family members are on board with that particular proposition.)

So Trent said yes and David and I were thrilled and LO AND BEHOLD, about three weeks later, Trent showed up at our front door with his road manager Danny, and I promptly escorted them into the kitchen and fed them lots of lasagna. Then they set up everything they needed, and some people came over, and WE HAD OURSELVES A SHOW, Y’ALL.

WHILE I SAT ON MY LIVING ROOM STEPS AND SWAYED.

THE DREAMS, THEY DO COME TRUE.

It took Alex a little while to make sense of the fact that the guy on the Monk & Neagle CD in my car was the same guy who was sitting in the corner of our living room playing and singing his heart out, but once that five year-old mind put all the pieces together, he was ABSOLUTELY FASCINATED by the whole experience.

I’m telling you: his smile was approximately six miles wide.

In fact, after Trent finished the first song, “Into Orbit,” Alex apparently decided that he wanted to make the very most of his concert-going experience, because he raised his hand, stood up, walked into the middle of the living room and said, “Monk? Monk? Will you sing ‘Beautiful You,’ please?”

And Trent Monk did exactly that. While Alex sang along.

I totally cried.

A few songs later, Trent sang “More Than That,” and it was pretty incredible, my friends.

We had such a good time.

The day after the show Trent and Danny rolled out of their respective beds around the crack of noon, and they drank some coffee and checked their email and watched that week’s episode of “The Office” with us. Afterwards we sat around and talked a good bit about life and faith and grace and whathaveyou - then Trent and Danny loaded the truck so they could drive to their next concert.

We were sad to see them go. They were, in a word, delightful.

If you’d be interested in having Trent do a living room concert at your house or church, you should definitely get in touch with him (email me if you’d like contact info). He’s fitting in these kinds of shows wherever he can, and all you have to have is 1) some space where people can sit or stand 2) a bucket to take up a love offering (we used an Easter basket because we are very fancy) 3) a small table to set up some CD’s 4) another small table for Compassion packets and 5) a place for Trent and his road manager to stay.

And if you can help round up a crowd of folks to hear Trent play his music, all the better.

No doubt about it: you will have a blast.

Promise.

You know, if I had a lick of sense or forethought - which clearly I don’t - I totally would have asked the internets to submit questions for your various and sundry singer / songwriter people last night, and then I would have tried to ask some of the singer / songwriter people your Very Important Questions and posted the answers here on the blawg.

That would have been fun if I had thought of it about fifteen hours ago.

But don’t worry: I’m filing away that idea for all my future - albeit currently non-existent - liveblogging endeavors.

It may very well be the best bloggy idea that I never get to, you know, use.

So since I dropped the ball in terms of taking your questions to the famous people, I thought I could at least address a few of the questions that you asked me last night.

1. Lots of you asked: What kind of awards are these ASCAP thingies, anyway?

Confession: I totally paraphrased that question.

The use of the word “thingies” probably gave away my editorial license.

And you can read all about ASCAP - as well as their Christian Music Awards - right here.

2. Bella asked: You have a nice gig going there, don’cha know?

Yes, Bella, I certainly do - because I love me a behind-the-scenes project.

Remember: I AM A TOTAL HOMEBODY - my idea of an exciting night on the town is to put on my pajamas and write some blog posts while I drink diet Coke (OVER ICE! IT MUST BE OVER ICE!) with some sort of reality television playing in the background.

So to sit and blog in a room filled with people whose music has had an incredible impact on my life and my husband’s life - well, IT WAS VERY SURREAL.

It was also very, very fun. In a must-not-make-eye-contact-because-the-glare-of-the-songwriters’-brilliance-may-sear-my-corneas-forever sort of way.

3. LeeAnn and Nicole had really similar questions: Just exactly how are you live blogging? So is your laptop up on the table next to the peachy cobbler? How is this working?

The country club had wireless internet, but unfortunately I could not access said wireless internet. And I even took TWO laptops just in case one of them had trouble, because there is nothing that screams I LIKE TO GET MY GEEK ON quite as effectively as carrying some sort of back-up computer.

Fortunately, Sister also had her laptop, and she was able to access the internet. So I sat in the very back corner of the ballroom and blogged from the table. I’d put away the laptop when the servers brought out, say, the cakey peachy cobbler, and then when I finished eating that course I’d put the laptop back on the table.

I was sitting with a group of people who knew exactly what I was supposed to be doing, so they were very understanding and gracious about sharing their dinner with someone who pretty much typed the entire time.

And as far as I could tell, no one else at the dinner had their laptops with them, but there was A LOT of texting going on. Ohmyword at the texting. I’m starting to think the texting is an epidemic, because people don’t seem to be able to sit through any sort of event without texting.

Of course, I have no room to talk about the whole texting thing since I BLOGGED FROM THE DINNER TABLE AND ALL.

4. Cindy asks: Who is David Crowder?

Oh, Cindy. I am so excited to make this introduction. Not that I actually know David Crowder or anything, but still.

David Crowder is an absolutely brilliant worship leader who won an award last night for his song “Everything Glorious.” He leads a band called, oddly enough, David Crowder Band, and you can check out their (very cool) website right here.

And in addition to David Crowder’s passion for Jesus and people, he has hair that is a force of nature.

Don’t believe me?

Look.

I totally took those on the sly, by the way.

Because I am a chicken.

But after I put some things in my car last night and was walking back in the building, David Crowder happened to be walking out of the building and DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

David Crowder smiled and held the door open for me.

So obviously we are best friends now.

And I just thought y’all would want to know that.

Hey.

Have I ever told y’all how, when I was a little girl, I used to dream of being a background singer, a production assistant, or some sort of editor? And how doing behind-the-scenes stuff is pretty much my dream come true?

Because that is why tonight - sitting behind a computer, doing some heavy duty people-watching, listening to live music and writing blog posts in the middle of some large, celebratory event - is pretty much, oh, PERFECTION.

(Also, there’s a guy named Joel Auge singing, and I’ve never heard him before, but he is oh-so-very talented.)

Finally, I just ate a really good salad with tomatoes, asparagus, parmesean and proscuitto (in Mississippi we just slice that proscuitto stuff a little thicker and call it, you know, HAM). I really wanted to take my roll and drag it across the salad plate so that I didn’t miss even one morsel of deliciousness, but I thought that might be rude.

Up next: some fancy tenderloin something with some fancy grits.

And by the way, Chris Tomlin said the blessing.

IT’S JUST LIKE I’M AT HOME, Y’ALL.

My cousin Paige and I drove up this afternoon so we can hang out with Sister, and I’m going to liveblog the ASCAP Christian Music Awards because, well, Sister’s friend Dan asked me to.

And we love Dan.

So Paige and I went downstairs a few minutes ago and got ourselves all spiffy in the ladies’ locker room (we’re at a country club), and THERE WERE CANISTERS OF SNACKS THERE, so clearly I’m never leaving.

I take a large container of trail mix very seriously, my friends.

Especially when the trail mix contains M&M’s.

Anyway, now we’re sitting in the main room listening to Phil Stacey do his soundcheck (and he is ROCKIN’ IT, and don’t get me started about how surreal it is to sit here in a room where he’s, you know, PRACTICING), and just a few minutes ago I snapped a picture of Sister while another band you may have heard of did their sound check.

That would be Mercy Me.

So I’m going to sit back here in my little corner and snap pictures and write blog posts. It’s like I’m in my own little geeky heaven right here in the middle of the fancy singer people.

This is gonna be fun, y’all.

Check back in a little bit for more updates.