Craig McClellan: Archive

Be A Student

I started playing guitar when I was a sophomore in high school. There was something about the instrument that clicked with me more than any other I had played before. I was able to learn really quickly and was majoring in guitar at Belmont University just three years later. However, this was not because I had learned so much in those three years that I was qualified to be in the guitar program....

May 29th

2 tags

May 24th

3 tags

The Nashville Hello

Nashville has the tendency to feel like a small town sometimes. I frequently run into Belmont classmates, or other people that I’ve worked with while out and about. Often times, these aren’t people I know incredibly well, so one of us will inevitably give “The Nashville Hello.” “Hey man, good to see you. What have you been up to?” This seemingly nice question...

May 22nd

4 tags

How the iPad has Changed Songwriting for me

I’ve had an iPad for almost two months now, and I think my favorite use for it is songwriting. Obviously the iPad is not a necessity (especially for songwriting). However, if you’re a writer on the fence about whether or not to purchase one, or you already have one and are looking for ideas on how to use it, maybe this post can be of service. For Ideas I’ve already mentioned...

May 10th

4 tags

The Finish Line

I’m blessed to be a full time musician. I am living my dream of playing guitar and making records for people. The production side is still a lot newer for me though than the guitar. Currently, I’m simultaneously wrapping up my first and second projects. Because of the newness, every step in the process feels like a milestone for me. Yesterday was another one for me. I got to hold in...

May 8th

Musician Support

I love my job as a musician. I get to make music for a living. Almost every day is different, and I get to do so many fun things. However, it can also be a very lonely job. Unlike with a normal 9-5 job. I don’t have coworkers I see every day to build relationship and community with. I might write with a friend, then not see them again for a month. In more tedious parts of the record making...

May 3rd

6 tags

May 1st

4 tags

The Thing About Kickstarter

Since I’ve now worked on two musical projects that have used kickstarter to raise funding, a friend recently asked me to send him some thoughts on the good and the bad of the service. I’m obviously very thankful for kickstarter and the projects it has allowed me to be a part of, but it definitely has its drawbacks. I thought they might be useful to others as well, so I’m posting...

Apr 26th

1 tag

What's on My iPod? April Edition

I wrote my first What’s on my iPod post just for fun and to share good music. However, as I’ve contemplated the second installment, I’ve realized it can also be an interesting way to document seasons in my life. In March, I was listening to a lot of music while traveling and needed it to entertain me on the road. My choices were a bit lighter and eased hours in a van. ...

Apr 24th

2 tags

Why I Love the Inspire Worship Conference

The first Thursday and Friday of May are two of my favorite days of the year. On those days, you’ll find me at the Inspire Worship Conference. Inspire is put on by my friend Carl Cartee at our church, Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN. Carl has a passion and calling to equip others to lead worship, and this is his primary outlet. It is a conference for anyone who leads worship...

Apr 17th

A little blog change up...

Since February, I’ve been posting regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. Unfortunately, as of late, it has become increasingly difficult to prepare a post for Thursday, leave town on Friday, return home Sunday Night, and still post on Monday. For this reason, I’m going to start testing out a Tuesday/Thursday post schedule beginning this week. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll...

Apr 16th

4 tags

Apr 12th

1 note

3 tags

Apr 9th

2 tags

Finding Inspiration

Almost two months ago, I began regularly writing on this blog. It has been a great learning experience so far. The main thing I was hoping for from this was that it would help me to write consistently, and this would help me in my songwriting as well. I would say up to this point, it has been a success. I have posted twice a week for two months, and have been proud of my writing in all of those...

Apr 5th

3 tags

Apr 2nd

Validation

Back in the fall of 2010, I started meeting with a group of guys every Wednesday morning. The group is led by Jeromy Deibler, and consists of guys around my age all trying to find their place in music. It’s been a place of support and comfort, as well as study. Jeromy did a great post on his blog about the group if you’d like to get to know my friends. We’re currently reading...

Mar 29th

March Music Progress Report

I’ve talked about a couple different projects that I’ve been producing via this blog and twitter lately, and some exciting things are happening with both of them. So I thought that this would be a good time to update everyone on what is going on with me musically. First off, is Greg Wells’ EP. The progress of this album slowed a bit when I started traveling over February and...

Mar 26th

3 tags

Evernote: The Freelance Musician's Best Friend

A couple nights ago, my wife told me that I was “OCD, but not over things that are useful.” It’s true. I completely obsess over how to organize my apps on my iOS devices. When I was a kid, if I took a crayon out of the crayon box, it had to go back in the exact same spot. However, I can deal with an unclean house and never think of it. This need for things to be in their place...

Mar 22nd

2 tags

What's On My iPod?

I’ve been traveling a lot over the last month which is a blessing. I love getting to travel with friends and lead worship. It also means that I have spent a lot of time in a van. This time would not have been nearly as enjoyable without my iPod. This inspired what I hope will become a semi regular series here on my blog: What’s on my iPod? So without further ado, here’s some...

Mar 19th

1 tag

The Value of Pop Music

Everybody has preferences. Whether it’s about food or TV shows, sharing your favorites and least favorites is generally enjoyable, and a good way to get to know someone. Music however, tends to illicit a completely different response. All respect goes out the window (especially on Facebook), and words like “hate” and “garbage” start getting thrown around. There is...

Mar 15th

2 notes

Mar 12th

4 tags

What Dashboard Confessional Taught Me About Music

I have a confession to make…a dashboard confession if you will. Yes, I admit it. I loved Dashboard Confessional when I was in 10th grade. There was just something about how Chris Carabba screamed about heartbreak that connected with my 15 year old soul. My favorite album was “MTV Unplugged 2.0.” It was a live album (which I’ve always been drawn to), it had many of his...

Mar 8th

1 tag

Mar 5th

4 tags

Three Things I Thought Were a Waste of Time

On Monday, Jon Acuff posted on his blog about his “DCL” or “Doesn’t Count List.” Essentially, the list is of things that you might do in your day that don’t feel productive in pursing your dream. Yet in reality, they are healthy and good activities. This resonated with me in a huge way. As a freelance musician, I see my wife go to her 9 to 5 job every day...

Mar 1st

Stuff Christian Camp Kids Say

As a guitar player who mostly works in Christian music, I play at a lot of youth events. It’s just a part of the job. However, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I love it! I love getting to lead kids in worship. I love getting to be a part of what God is doing in their lives. I love getting to talk to them about music and what I do. I love getting to act goofy (read: like myself)...

Feb 27th

2 notes

5 tags

Why I've Stopped Trying to Single-Handedly Save...

There is a myth in music that the most talented people work alone, and for the longest time, I bought into it. I would hear John Mayer talk about sitting down and writing one of his biggest hits in an hour. I would read liner notes of artists playing almost every instrument on a record, and I thought that was the pinnacle of success in artistry. For me, that was a really discouraging way of...

Feb 23rd

4 tags

Feb 20th

3 tags

Four Takeaways from the Quitter Conference

This past weekend, my wife and I attended Jon Acuff’s Quitter Conference. If you’re not familiar with Jon, he is a writer, blogger, and speaker who gained popularity through his blog (and subsequent book) Stuff Christians Like. The conference was centered around the subject of his book, Quitter, which discusses how to discover and work towards your dream job while still holding on to...

Feb 16th

3 tags

Feb 10th

6 notes

3 tags

Lead Guitar in Worship - Filling the Space

For the past 2 years, I have been incredibly privileged to teach a class at the Inspire Worship Conference on Electric Guitar in Worship. In that class, my main point is always that electric guitar in worship is supposed to supplement what the rest of the instruments are doing. In my opinion, lead electric guitar is the least important instrument on a worship team. Take out bass, drums, or rhythm...

Feb 7th

2 tags

Feb 6th

414 notes

Watch

popculturebrain: New 30 Rock Webisode Featuring Donald Glover (as Childish Gambino with a brand new rap), Ryan Adams, Michael McDonald and Cee Lo Green. Because you know you’ve always wanted to hear McDonald’s version of the “Saved by the Bell” theme song. (via E!, Alec Baldwin) Yet again, Michael McDonald has made my day.

Feb 2nd

148 notes

Feb 1st

2 tags

It is difficult to put my experience from Friday into words. I find that all I can do is repeat the same phrases over and over again. “I’m so proud of these songs” and “I can’t wait to share this with you” keep coming to mind. Friday really was a spectacular day, and it was so cool to see these songs we wrote really start coming together under the incredible...

Jan 29th

47 notes

Jan 27th

1 tag

I haven’t blogged as much as I would like in January. The new year has brought with it a ton of great things to keep me busy and keep me away from the blog. However, the hiatus has all been leading up to tomorrow. I’m headed into the studio with Greg Wells to start tracking on his EP. Be prepared to be bombarded with updates tomorrow.

Jan 27th