Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 17 October 2002 — Page 26

The Muncie Times, October 17, 2002, page 26

ENTERTAINMENT

Cockerham releases gospel instrumental CD

James Cockerham will release his new CD, “Morning Meditations,” Nov. 1. His label, Corpro Record Co. will distribute the CD through CD Street 7 cm, Amazon.com, and CDBaby.com. All songs are arranged and played by Cockerham, writer, arranger and producer of gospel music. This will be his eighth recording. The CD contains songs he grew up playing in church and his original composition “Morning Meditation.” Cockerham is minister of music at From the Heart Church Ministries of Atlanta. He loves playing keyboards and writing new songs. Church members would often come to him after service and ask if he had thought about recording a Christian instrumental CD. At first, he just smiled and said, “No.” But as different members kept coming and asking him for an instrumental CD, he began to consider it. Almost 2 years ago, he started praying that God would allow him the opportunity

to write, arrange, and produce music full time. There is a saying, “Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it.” Two years ago, he began working on “Morning Meditations.” Initially, some of the songs were up-tempo, some were slow, some old and some new and it was a good mix. But, late one night, as he played songs such as “Take Me Back” and “There’s Something About That Name,” he realized that some people want to listen to music that will help them calm down. The piano solos from that night are on the CD. “Morning Meditations” was originally all piano music. But after listening to three or four solo sections, he realized the music was monotonous. SO he added a bass, guitar, drums, strings and horns to “Be grateful,” “I Surrender All,” “Give Me a Clean Heart” and “Hear Our Prayer, Oh Lord.” These arrangements became orchestrations. He envisioned people listening to a

piano, bass guitar and drums softly playing “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” “Blessed Assurance,” and “Just I Am” as they begin their day with prayer. It was this night that “Morning

Meditations” was born. It has been almost 2 years since that night. Now, the long awaited birth is ready to take place.

GLOVER from page 25 own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle." After the performance and a standing ovation for MSO, Glover returned for a question and answer session with the audience, who inquired about a variety a topics ranging from his role in 1997's "Gone Fishin"' to his views on the current situation in the Mideast. "It's important to be supportive of those factions that support peace," he said. "Who does war effect more than anybody else? Not men, but women and children." Audience members cheered him when

agreed to stay on, even after university president Blaine Brownell suggested it was time for him to go. "I got one more question and then these two right here," he joked. His views on education seemed to have made the biggest impact, as he told stories of his work with adult literacy programs. "It was an excellent presentation, especially his themes of literacy," said graduate student H. Momo Fahnbulleh, who was there with his children. "I'm sure that by bridging the gap between the extreme intellectuals and those who aren't so fortunate, we will have solved many of the problems in the United States. His message goes beyond the borders of this country. It's global."

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