Help Me Make the "Pilgrim Man" Music Video!

To celebrate the September release of my Pilgrim Man CD project, I would love your help with the creation of the "Pilgrim Man" music video! This video will be used to promote the album, and I will also use it behind me when I sing the tune in concert! The goal is to make this as inspirational and encouraging to other people as possible. So what can you do to help? Well, thanks for asking…


I would love you to send me video clips of you (or people you know) doing things like:

• Holding up powerful signs of encouragement, i.e. "Don't give up" etc. "You can do it," "You're not alone," "God Will Carry You," etc.
• Hold up a sign of testimony, i.e. "I had cancer…but I'm a survivor." "Didn't think I could do it, but I just ran my first 1/2 marathon," etc. Make it personal! Check out "Cardboard Testimonies" on youtube.com for some ideas.
• Helping someone else, i.e. Mission trip videos, working with kids, volunteering at a shelter or a nursing home.
• Singing along with the song in an interesting place.
• Doing something challenging or difficult - for someone it might be climbing a rock, for someone else it might be walking… what is it for you?

Here's a great example of a clip from Craig in St. Louis:



GET A COPY OF THE SONG: If you want, you can download the song on iTunes (itunes.com/marksmeby), or you can listen to/play the song on facebook.com/MarkSmeby - click on the "My Band" tab. While you're there, feel free to "Like" me. Heck, I'll even email you the tune if that'd help!

UPLOAD: Once you create your video (hopefully at the highest quality possible - HD is great!), upload it to YouTube, and then email me the link to see it: mark@marksmeby.com - subject line: My Music Video Clip! You don't have to record the entire song, just as much as you'd like.

DEADLINE: Please send me your link by August 16th!

SMALL PRINT: Once the CD is released I will send a FREE copy to everyone whose clip I use, so please include your mailing address. Your email will then be added to the semi-official Mark Smeby email list, so let me know if you don't want to be added to it, okay? The videos you submit must not be taken from anywhere other than your own camera or phone. They must be created by you. You are forfeiting your rights to the video once you submit it to me. Meaning, even if this video wins Video of the Year on MTV, you're not gonna get any money for it. Sorry!

I look forward to seeing your creativity and so appreciate your help!

Recording Vocals for Pilgrim Man

This is what I looked like while recording the vocals for my tune "Pilgrim Man." And unfortunately, this isn't what I sounded like. This is the finished mix after all the magicians do their tricks and make me sound like an actual singer. Thanks to Chris Davis for producing a killer track, Tim Brown for a killer mix, Matt Huesmann for the great studio, and JR & Johnathan Davis for shooting the video!

Movie, Music, Marathon - Smeby Update

This whole blogging thing is so strange to me. I picture an imaginary audience out there...you know, people who actually care...and think about what might be interesting for them to read. The problem is, when it's your own life, and it all kinda melts together in a mush of good and bad, fantastic and boring, it's hard to determine what another person might find interesting. (So if you're reading this, I'd love to get your feedback - what would you like to read about?)

Things are progressing well in my creative life. Filming has begun on "1 Message" - the new motion picture from Kelly's Filmworks. I'm so honored to have been asked to be a part of this fantastic story. It's a beautiful, poignant story about a young woman's battle with the ravaging affects of breast cancer. I have an amazing role that is going to really challenge me--so I'm thrilled about it. And you're going to absolutely love Ashley Kate Adams (on the left, with fellow actor Tom Luce on the right) as the lead. She's originally from Louisville (where the filming is taking place) but she's living in NYC and doing the Broadway singing/acting thing...I'm hoping this film could be a big deal for her...and that I get to ride a little bit of her coattails!!

Speaking of challenges, training for the Chicago 1/2 Marathon is right on schedule. I'm learning about courage and discipline. About saying yes when everything in your body says no. And saying no when your body says yes. It's a very spiritual experience. I highly recommend it. I wish someone would've told me sooner how my passion for life is so symbolized by running. How no matter the pain or the distance or the heat or the quality of the road, you have got to keep going!! (cue "Pilgrim Man")

Speaking of "Pilgrim Man" - the tune has unbelievably been added to 100 stations now and is making an impact bigger than I had ever dreamed. I'm looking forward to the launch of the next phase of radio promotions starting this coming week. In the meantime, I continue to plug away at finishing the whole dang Pilgrim Man CD. I'm so excited to be able to share some of these new songs with you. I'm really striving to put heart, sincerity, and emotion at the forefront. With a bit of fun thrown in for good measure. More than anything I want people to know how loved they are.

Here's something I wrote recently about the one word I believe will change your life.

Hope you are finding hope for the journey.  You are not alone.

P.S. Please send me an email if you know somewhere I could come do a concert! Thanks!

Time To Remove Some of the CANT'S and NEVERS From My Life

I just accomplished something I've never done before. And I'm feeling really good about it. I never thought I'd be a runner. And really, I'm probably not. But I did just complete my very first, without ever stopping, 5K up and down Hillsboro Rd.

See, just a couple of weeks ago, I decided to sign up for an adventure. It's called a Half Marathon, and I'll be flying up to Chicago in the middle of September to do it. But until then, I'll be training here in the heat of Nashville. Training for something I most likely vowed to never do sometime in the past.

It's easy to get to a certain time in life and say, "Oh, I surely CAN'T do that…" or "I NEVER will do that…" or how about, I'll "NEVER be able to do that!" I want to remove some of the CAN'TS and NEVERS from my life.

I'm in an interesting season in my life when I'm faced with several very huge challenges in front of me, and I'm not exactly sure I'm going to be able to pull them off. One of them is this 1/2 marathon. Another is working to complete the Pilgrim Man CD project. The third thing is a movie role I was just invited to tackle. It's going to challenge me to act at a level I've never had the opportunity to approach before now. And right now, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do it. I think maybe I can…but I'm not sure. The half marathon? I'm not sure I'll be able to do it without taking half a day. Or without passing out. Or wimping out. And the CD project is forcing me to take my creativity and my passion to a whole other level. My goal: create a CD that only Mark Smeby could create. Anybody can make a CD, but nobody else could ever make a Mark Smeby CD. I think I can do this…but I'm not sure.

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Behind the Scenes Recording the Pilgrim Man CD

From the luxurious Tenbury Wells Studio on Penbrook Drive in swanky Franklin, TN. HA! I'm so excited about this - my first real recorded piano solo! I'm doing this as a tribute to my friend Tom Howard who died earlier this year - it's his amazing arrangement. I'm so proud to have known him.