Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Happy 4th Bday Chap 1!
I wrote and recorded this album in 6 weeks at the start of the pandemic, while shut in my Brooklyn apt with my family in 2020. It was an exploration into biblical lament, and quite frankly a means of coping with a very terrifying new reality that had no foreseeable end date.
At the time, it was scary to breathe, but absolutely necessary to sing and create through it anyways.
And the experience gave me confidence to keep telling a very necessary story and continue giving space to things that we don’t talk about in church or admit in our life very often, but are very real. To confront a reality that all of us live with, but which we very seldom have words for. To cultivate a deep relationship with God and ourselves that living in the busyness of life does not allow us to do.
May we always hold close to God our sacred space, especially in times of trouble. 🙏🏽
You can listen to the whole album here on my channel.
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD...
#worship
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When the concert turns into a joy party
Always Music Video Out Now
https://youtu.be/ZNp_3aRi7lE?si=imzfe...
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Prayer Music Video featuring my wife Kelly Yarn Diaz
Watch here 👇🏽👇🏽
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIDoc...
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Wash Me Music Video Out Now!!!! Filmed with the LaGuardia High School Gospel Choir in the legendary Studio A of Power Station Studios.
Watch Here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6yGr...
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RETURN | MED CHAP 2 | Track 8
This was the last song we recorded for this project. I shared this earlier this week, but for about two years, the working title of this album was Prodigal. I wanted this to be a concept album about the prodigal son searching for fulfillment in life through deconstruction and outside experiences, only to find out that his purpose and fullness, and primary relationships (with others and with himself) was in the place he left all along. I believe this experience is what my generation is going through.
But around the end of this project, God told me to shift the focus from the prodigal searching to the prodigal returning. And when that happened, I knew that this song would be the key to pull it all together.
My wife wrote this song years ago, and we have both performed it in various context since then. She’s the most brilliant writer I know, and I think this is one of the best she’s ever written. It’s simple and powerful and prophetic and relevant and I’m honored she let me sing it for this project.
And also, we convinced my opera singing mom to sing on it! More on that later!
Let the wicked abandon his way, And the unrighteous person his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7
Listen here:
https://youtu.be/BemMvbQRxnI?si=WttHL...
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ALWAYS | MED CHAPTER 2 | TRACK 7
ONE WEEK OF CHAPTER 2 TODAY! And what better way to celebrate than telling the story of this bop.
Similar to Response, this was not a song that I wrote by myself. This doesn’t happen to me often, but I literally had a dream about this song. I woke up in the middle of the night, made a scratch demo, and then went back to sleep. When I woke up this was the song. Except for a couple of phrases in the verses, it was pretty much all there. Harmonies and everything. I just had to convince my dope friends to play on the track.
It was very surreal. To the point that whenever I sit down to play this song at the piano, I have to refigure out the chords every time, because I don’t feel like I wrote it. I was just entrusted with it.
So for all the people that tell me this is their favorite song on the Meditations Chapter 2, thanks but I don’t really get to take credit for it. It’s God’s song.
Listen here
https://youtu.be/iLpsLJd0rOU?si=nofBh...
#MEDchap2
#songstories
#worship
#songwriting
#propheticsongs
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RESPONSE | MED CHAP 2 | TRACK 6
I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but this song might be it.
A couple of years ago I was having a rough time. Honestly don’t even remember what I was upset about now (funny how that works 😌) but I remember scream/ singing / crying my song Prayer to God (see post yesterday), with an attitude of why aren’t you listening God? Where you at? Frustration. Anger. Confusion. All the things.
And I remember when I stopped and took a deep breath. I remember hearing God singing this melody to me in a perfectly clear voice.
I know the plans I have for you. I am good. You will prosper. I will hear your prayer.
And the way I heard it was honestly exactly the way it sounds on this project. One voice surrounded by a bed of big lush voices. Fully surrounded by the voice of God. Plus that lil bit of extra intentional autotune at the end, because if God was singing to you, wouldn’t that be cool if He put on the T-Pain filter? 😂 Not that he would need it, just purely for artistic effect.
This is was one of the first songs that I finished for this project. And ever since I finished this song, whenever I find myself in every one of those inevitable moments that life throws us back into... Doubt. Fear. Chaos. Frustration. I put on my headphones and close my eyes, and remember that God wants to sing this song over us.
With autotune.
Because He’s chill like that.
Meditations Chapter 2: Return out now everywhere
Listen here
https://youtu.be/CjU3G7DinXU?si=18KS7...
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DELIVER US | MED CHAP 2| TRACK 4
Out of all the songs on this project, Deliver Us was by far the hardest to get right. Over the past few years, I recorded this song at least 100x’s. And then when I thought I had it right, I realized I sang the words (the ones I wrote, lol) wrong, and I had to record it another 50 times. And the saga of Deliver Us continued all the way through the mixing and mastering stage.
But this song has also been the most rewarding to release and sing. Seeing how it has resonated with different audiences and different people has really made me appreciate the song even more.
The other day, a friend told me, “when I listen to Deliver Us, it gives words to the times when I am trying to pray, but don’t know what to say. It’s like you’re saying all the words I want to say, but I can’t put together.”
…And that’s why I write music. 🙏🏽🥲
#FaithMusic
#GospelArtist
#JesusMusic
#ChristianArtist
#SpiritualSongs
#songwriting
Listen here
https://youtu.be/SxMBDKLgoas?si=FCSix...
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WASH ME | MED CHAP 2| TRACK 3
Y’all know that song that goes “I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord?” Well, I always wanted to know what it would sound like if David played the Psalms today on a guitar, expect make it gospel / trap-ish. 😂 Finally got my answer.
Wrote this song with my wife @kellyyarndiaz over 12 years ago, before we were even married. And for the past 12 years I’ve loved this song and I would find myself singing it around the house often. I held it in a secret place of my heart until I finally found a home for it for many years later in the story of Meditations Chapter 2: Return.
This song is inspired by Psalms 51, which is an ancient song about repentance after screwing up. And who can’t relate to that? When we wrote it, the goal was to patch together much of the original prose from the NKJV, without diluting it. And why would I want to water down something that’s already lyrically perfect? I choose elevation over simplification any day.
Listen here
https://youtu.be/4OA0WlnjdGc?si=abKxi...
#GospelMusic
#NewGospelArtist
#ChristianMusic
#FaithMusic
#GospelArtist
#JesusMusic
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Marc Evan Diaz is an artist, educator, producer, and worship leader located in Brooklyn NY.