EXHILARATION!

Wanna know what band I'm auditioning to join in four years? Check out North Central University's One Accord!

It is official, guys. I have no idea where I'm going after high school. At first it was clear. Graduate from high school, go to Evangel University for four years, get a Master of Writing from New York University. I was gonna be a cheerleader at Evangel, join the worship team, join CROSSwalk, train at Missouri Valley Gymnastics, get involved in music.

But then I heard about North Central's state-of-the-art recording studio. And One Accord lead worship at this year's Ohio Youth Convention. I love cheering and athletics and all, but how can I turn down the opportunity to record an entire album?

And then I remember that I can make music forever. But I won't be able to do a back handspring twenty years from now.

And then I remember that I chose to quit cheerleading, whereas music has been a non-failing passion of mine. Ugh.

This band has not made my decision for college any easier. Thank God I'm a freshman.

Under the direction of Jeff Deyo (the "Moving Mountains" singer-songwriter), here's One Accord!

The lead vocalist, (the main guy talking really) used to go to my church! Pretty cool, right? Hardly any OA songs are on YouTube, and I am not technologically talented enough to make my own videos, but here is "Adonai," written by Evan John and performed by all of One Accord (I think that's Morgan Meade doing the lead vocals)!

Isn't this song so beautiful? This is only one of ten masterpieces.

Wanna know my favorites? I loooooooove the title track, "Exhilaration." It's super catchy. I showed some of my friends who had not gone to Youth Convention this song, and ten seconds in, they're going, "whoa ohhhhh, whoa oh oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhh..." and the message is not only fun, but energetic and lively. "You put the breath within my lungs. You put a new song on my tongue. Once I was bound by all my shame, now I have freedom in Your name! There's a fire bruning deep in my bones, yeah it's raging, blazing out of control, oh, EXHILARATION! I'm a new creation." Goes right along with my favorite Bible verse, 2 Corinthians 5:17. I don't know if that's coincidence or not.

"The Bride Arising" is another favorite of mine. The harmonics = perfect (see? I told you I cna do math!). This makes me think of the Biblical book Revelation. "I see a church on a new horizon." Why? Because "we are Your bride arising! We are Your church united! We long to worship."

And then, of course, "Adonai." This song, this poetry, this music, THIS.

I've even got David Tennant on my side, guys.

This sounds like something David wrote and played on his harp. Does this not belong in Psalms? I think it does. It's so peaceful and takes me out of the 21st century for five minutes and twenty seconds. "The mountains shake, the hills they run, seas they calm before You, God. The sun stands still, the heavens sing, the cosmos bows before You, God."

The serenity I feel listening to this album is like...



(Sorry, I had to post the puppy.)



Overall, my reaction to this album is...

EXHILARATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!