Hello Everyone!

This month’s Artist Spotlight is directed towards my good friends in the band Elyon’s Fire from York, PA. I grew up on these dudes and am in more than a few ways inspired by their own inspiration to write and perform music. They have recently released their sophomore album, “Flood”, and are touring their way across Pennsylvania. Please take a minute or two to hit them up over at virb.com/elyonsfire and say hi!

Here’s a little enticement…

Elyon’s Fire used to be a happy little punk band. Four high-school boys thought they were going to make it somewhere in life with their loud music.

And then it occurred to them that there are a million others louder than they could ever be. So they gave up. Two of them left the band. The remaining two have been trying to pick up the pieces.

Now go! Listen! Enjoy!

www.virb.com/elyonsfire

Yours Ever,

Ben Rothermel

We have a new student lounge here at Visible School! Woohoo! It smells like paint fumes but perhaps it is the new best place to write songs? Songwriting is going well! I’m doing well in most of my classes and am working hard every day! Here is a short video of what I do when I’m not working on homework and music! Enjoy!

Dear Readers,

What an adventure! How did I find myself here in Memphis, TN all of the sudden? Things happen so quickly in my life! I’m happy about that and yet it left very little (yet ample) time to say goodbye to everyone dear to me back home. God did work in that party at BJ’s house where I got to see pretty much everyone I know so that was really cool! 

Right now it is Saturday and I’m on the tail end of my first week here at Visible School. It’s been a good week full of fun and crazy studying. We have only one class right now but it’s a three hour class that meets every day for two weeks. I believe that call it a “Blitz” class. This week we had three exams and one paper. It’s been intense but I’ve survived so far! 

I’m definitely a little homesick but more for the little things than the large things. I miss going out with Amber for coffee, playing music with Mike and Jeremy, and seeing everybody at Jeremy Kuebler’s house. I don’t miss the crazy loud barking dogs, the loud house, or working full time! Haha! 

I think the sickness of missing home will hurt me harder later on this semester. Things are still sinking in and I haven’t honestly had much time to contemplate what I’ve done. 

Well, tonight is an awesome concert in Memphis! Some folks from here at Visible will be performing and I am siked! There is one band that is hardcore and I’m definitely looking forward to some crazy moshing! Yes!

Until Then, Ever Yours,

Ben

I just wanted to write a quick update to inform y’all of what’s up! Here’s the lowdown on what I have been doing in the last couple of weeks.

• Working on my application for Visible School (one year certificate program in music) in Memphis, TN. I put together a video audition in one week and just finished my essays and other assignments yesterday! Prayer and funds are needed and if you can help in either way (or both) please contact me! Thanks!
• Working hard at my workplace. It’s on the dl (down low) but I’m working hard and taking tests to stay up to date on current products. It’s hard work pleasing customers!
• Growing in my relationships with my girlfriend Amber, my family, and my friends here in York and abroad. It’s a constant battle not to lose contact with good friends. 
• Working on music. I’ve only written one new song since the beginning of July but it’s a start. I tend to have bursts of inspiration and then long periods of inactivity. 
• Struggling with depression. I get down on myself because I hold myself to very, very high expectations. Expectations so high that I can never reach them – hence my depression at never reaching my goals. I’m learning to set more realistic goals and stick to them.

We are officially in the studio recording our demo! Last night was our first night and we saw about four guitar tracks get laid down. Tonight should hopefully finish the guitar tracking and start the drums. Things are going well but we would definitely appreciate it if you guys would still keep praying for us! Thanks!

I’m running! Have a goodnight everyone!

Ben

I really should be working on my paper (A New Stance: Switchfoot Examined) since the final draft is due tonight but I seem to have a mental block. The paper is written and I don’t exactly know what more to say. Or, rather I don’t know how to say what I want to say. I want to touch on Switchfoot’s video podcasts but I don’t know how to draw it in to the paper. Hmm…Well, the paper will work without the podcast. It just might get turned in without it.

I could have easily spent $6000 tonight if I had been given the chance. Haha, yup my brother and I went to the Guitar Center in Harrisburg tonight. Whilst Mike perused the percussion section for a new cymbal (which he purchased – a new 20″ Sabian B8 ride) I got acquainted with the Vox amps. I ran a Gibson SG through a vintage’esqe Vox Custom Classic AC30CC2 30w 2×12 Tube Amp and was pleasantly suprised to find a very rich, earthy tone. The amp was low on effects but that made me even more happy. I am learning that the best effects are offboard pedals, not onboard effects. The amp seemed to be a musical workhorse and I was very impressed with it. The price tag was very large though…Above $1000. <sigh>

I also played with a Roland Juno-G Synthesizer and had fun with the ginourmous amount of samples that were loaded onto the synth! I found one that was perfect for a song I’m working on but alas, the Juno-G is very expensive. $1000 expensive…

I’m happy though! God has blessed me with instruments that work and sound just perfect for where I am now in my life! I’m especially thankful for my band and all the work they have been putting into the demo. Keep dreaming Mike!

Well, my paperastination is over. Goodnight all!

-Ben

I love being awake at midnight! These long hours feel like they have so much potential to be something great! The artist in me tends to wake up late at night. Maybe it’s just that I forget the worries of everyday life or maybe it’s just a mental attitude, but whatever it is I love being up in the early hours! Being able to look out on a city filled with humanity at sleep is just an amazing experience that most people miss out on during their lifetime!

I’m eating cold fettuccine and I’m loving it! I’m loving everything! It seems that at this moment, even though everything could go wrong, I’m content to be here at my desk, typing to you (my invisible reader) and eating cold fettuccine.

I think what I’m feeling is hope. Hope that life wasn’t meant to be lived suppressed, stuck in depression, and indecisive. Life is so huge! Do you even begin to realize how many people are here living their lives besides you? The same thoughts through your mind echo throughout the nations in many different colors and forms. The diversity of life is so amazing! At this moment, there is someone in your hometown who is being born, growing up, falling in love, and moving closer to death. Eventually, death overtakes every one of us. Even though life matters so much, do you know what is going to happen for the eternity after your life ends? Where are you going and what is going to happen to the part of you that remains? What is going to happen to your eternal soul?

Life is so amazing, please don’t miss out! I think that the San Diego, CA band Switchfoot summed things up about life in their song entitled This is Your Life.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
don’t close your eyes
don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
when the world was younger and you had everything to lose

I just wanted to take a quick note of everything that’s been happening. Life’s going by so fast I can hardly believe it! I was just reminded yesterday when a good friend called and I found out that I hadn’t talked to her for a solid two months! I totally got caught up in doing life and forgot to do something simple like calling her and talking with her! I’m hoping I’m not flying through life right now.

Ok, let me check my old post and see where I left you all.

A week and a half ago I wrote y’all right after I came home from World View Plus. Much has happened since then. The ever present school load has been (who-ho-ho!) ever present and I’m being challenged in many ways. I’m trying to learn more self-control so I can handle the extra schooling.

My weekends have been full. Last Saturday I went upstate to my Cousin Crystal’s wedding (Go Tim and Crystal!) with Amber and my family. We had a fun time if you don’t count the ride up and down. Haha! My brother’s were pretty whiny and the car was quite loud. I did get to see my older brother Rob there though and it was fun getting to hang out with him for a couple hours! On Sunday, Amber and I visited LCBC (Gi-mungous church!) and went to her Aunt’s house in Gap for lunch. Through a whole messy deal with cars I drove Amber back to York and she got her car and drove back home late that night.

Oh! I forgot to mention that my Anatomy and Physiology class went on a fieldtrip (Yes, they took me too. lol) down to Washington D.C. to see the Bodies Exhibit. What can I say but it rocked! I was very surprised at how cool it was! You should got check it out if you get a chance!

This weekend will be very full with a church retreat, the Chatroom Coffeehouse, the Ichthus Coffeehouse, and a trip out to New Jersey with Amber’s family to a family reunion! I’ll try and keep you guys updated when I get back!

Music

We had band practice tonight and it was weird. We are trying to work out a couple songs for the upcoming demo (Btw, we’re planning on a four song demo being released in December!) and we spent quite a while on This Love I Speak Of. It just doesn’t quite seem to be coming the way we were thinking. I’m at a crossroads on how I think it should sound and the band is too. Frustrations erupted tonight but we left on a happy note.

I’m off to bed! Goodnight everybody!

-Ben

Is my yearning for life artistic?

Is this beating in my chest the result of average or am I different than the normal?

Some days I want so hard to be a musician, so hard to be an artist that is not the same as everyone else. This yearning seems to take my focus slightly away from the truth and in the end it hurts me. When I focus on why I’m working so hard and who I’m persevering for, the light clicks on and everything that was so foggy comes into focus in slow motion.

You know, I hate to follow such a hopeful post with such a depressing post but I’m sorry, that’s how I feel. I’m really down right now. It seems that whenever I focus on my music it sounds horrible and I can never imagine anyone else ever listening to it. I believe I’ll call it the, “curse of the musician. ” It tends to rise and fall but especially when you have a huge flux of emotions or when you’re tired. I think that’s why so many bands break apart and why musicians leave the music business. They get tired and peter out.

Yet, there’s always hope. I believe as a Christian that God is the answer to my life petering out. He gives me a reason and new fire to burn again. If He can do that with my life then He can most certainly do that with my music.

God, please give me your holy fire to play this music for you with a passion.

-Ben