CHRISTOPHER PARKENING - A Musical Misfit?
Was Christopher Parkening a musical misfit? If you consider the popular culture of his day, then you would have to say yes. In 1964 Beatlemania had descended upon America, followed by the British Invasion. Most young people of his generation were not listening to classical guitar music, including myself.
Yet, Christopher Parkening is considered to be "...one of the most brilliant guitarists in the world," according to his former instructor, the late, and legendary Andres Segovia.
At age eleven, Christopher expressed a desire to learn how to play guitar. He mentioned this to his cousin, Jack Marshall, who was staff guitarist at MGM studios at that time. Jack suggested he begin with classical guitar in order to get a good foundation in technique.
As Providence would have it, the Romeros had recently moved from Spain to L.A. where Parkening lived. So, Christopher's first guitar teachers were Celedonio and Pepe Romero! He later performed at a competition in UCLA's "Royce Hall." The composer of the music sent a tape of Parkening's performance to Andres Segovia, requesting a scholarship for him to attend Segovia's first U.S. master Class. This event was held in 1964 at the University of California at Berkley and that is how a bright new star was born.
Like Christopher, I also had an interest in learning how to play the guitar at a young age. My brother was a drummer in several rock and roll bands and I was very influenced by this type of music. So, when I got my first guitar, I began to learn the popular songs of the day- Stairway to Heaven, Roundabout, Behind Blues Eyes, Southern Man, I'd Love to Change the World, etc. I had no problem with being a musical misfit because people loved these songs.
Over the course of time I began making up my own tunes too. This was a lot of fun and sometimes, when I was with a group of my friends, they would ask me to play a song. We were all hippies back then, so I liked to play a song I had written which expressed my concern about the environment.
But times change and so do people. Though I'm still concerned about the environment, the message of my songs has changed because I have changed. Instead of writing about my concern for the environment, I now write about my concern for people's souls, and this has made me a musical misfit of sorts. But it doesn't really matter because I desire to reach out to people who are searching for meaning in life like I once was. This is where my heart is, and it is this passion that drives me.
Christopher Parkening has a similar passion. He came to point in his career where he was burnt out from all the demands that were being placed upon his time due to his performing schedule. So he finally quit performing and bought a ranch in Montana. He decided that all he wanted to do for the rest of his life was fly fishing. So, for three years, that's all he did. He hardly, if ever, picked up his guitar during this time.
But something wonderful happened during this period of solitude and soul searching. He met Jesus and his life was changed forever. Now he is performing again because, as he puts it: "I am a Christian, and I read the Bible a lot. I desire to bring glory to the Lord in some small way with the music that I play, and that is first and foremost in my mind."
Today, Christopher Parkening is renowned all over the world as a solo classical guitarist. He has performed concertos with leading orchestras, played at the White House and been nominated for two Grammy Awards.
So, if you fee like a musical misfit, don't dispair. Just follow your passion and your dreams. Don't be distracted by what everyone else is doing. Some of the greatest musicians have most likely felt the same way at one time or another. And I believe if you are destined to be a star, then one day you will be.


Why are ringtones so popular?
Chalk it up to three main reasons:
1. Image. To everyone in earshot, your ringtone broadcasts a little bit about who you are . . . or who you'd like them to think you are.
2. Instant identification. If you have ever been in a meeting or with a group of friends and had to play the "Whose Cell Phone Is It?" scramble, you can appreciate the advantage of playing "Name That Tune" instead.
3. Caller ID. If your cell phone has multiple memory slots, you can immediately know which of your friends, co-workers, or family members is after you by programming specific tones to denote each caller.
The mobile market has been booming these past few years. All over the world, millions of people have embraced the mobile world into their life. The cell phone and their various ringtones have become status symbols. Ringtones show that you're up to date and happening. You can even take a test that defines which ringtone best suits your personality. You can truly display your lifestyle and certainly your musical taste on your sleeve.
A quick Google search will produce countless articles trying to understand the popularity of 'ringtones'; hundreds of bloggers waxing lyrical on the benefits of personalizing their cell phones. The figures are pretty serious too, in the U.S.A. alone, the Yankee Group predicts, ringtones will be worth $500 million. That's roughly the GDP of Fiji.
Obviously our cell phones need a voice, but does that voice need to be a polyphonic adaptation of 'Living on a Prayer'?
Ringtones are melodic sounds a cellular or cell phone makes when an incoming call or message arrives. Since cellular phones are significantly more sophisticated than landline phones, ringtones can be personalized to suit the owner's personal taste. A variety of ringtones have appealed to consumers, increasing handsets sale ability.
Types of Ringtones
There are typically three different types of ringtones: monophonic ringtones, polyphonic ringtones and realtones.
Monophonic Ringtones
Monophonic tones are simple tunes, most commonly compatible with today's cell phones. The majority of cell phones can only make a single tone at a time. The monophonic ringtone tune is comprised of a series of sequential tones at different frequencies.
Polyphonic Ringtones
Polyphonic tones are played on cellular phones that have the capability of playing up to 64 separate tones at once. The combination of tones creates a harmonic melody. Polyphonic ringtones are more musical than a monophonic ringtone. Newer phones support polyphonic ringtones. It is likely that future cell phones will be capable of producing musical ringtones of CD quality.
Realtones
Real Music ringtones or MP3 Ringtones, are ringtones that came from "real" or actual songs. They use original pieces of music along with lyrics, exactly as the original recording. The format is usually MP3, WAV, WMA, etc. This feature and support for real music ringtones is being built into most new models of almost all mobile phone manufacturers. Real Music Ringtones are also called true tones, real tones, voice tones, full music or MP3 ringtones.


Sneak Peeks at CCM Mag's Nov 2006 Issue
Contemporary Christian Music Magazine has been
featuring latest news in CCM, artist reviews and
interviews, new music releases and anything
Contemporary Christian for the past 25 years.
The magazine has also been conducting its own
awards and citations for the best and the top
ranking artists in the scene, which is widely
recognized by the industry.
Their November 2006 issue features Michael W.
Smith and the Best New Artist for 2006, Leeland,
on the cover. The cover story talks about how
Christian music legend Michael W. Smith came into
writing with teenager Leeland Mooring for his
nineteenth studio release.
Get Going section gives details on how the Newsboys
came to throwing in the towel during the year 2005.
They were too close, but the band emanated with a
new outlook, healthier relationships and a mission
to reach the world.
An article for hip-hop act GRITS is also included
in the issue. This dynamic duo released their last
album on Gotee Records in November 2006 before plunging
into the independent arena. The group shares their
thoughts on the Christian music scene and the status of
hip-hop.
Adrienne Liesching Camp, or simply Adie Camp, the wife
of singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp and former front woman
of The Benjamin Gate, has the story from how she decided
to leave the music circle in quest of being a mom to
taking a shot again into a new solo project. The article
delves deeper on how she raises her two daughters, manages
her married life with Jeremy, while having a demanding
schedule and a career of her own.
The music reviews for this issue include one from Jeremy
Camp, Redeemer from Norma Jean and new releases from Newsboys,
By the Tree and mewithoutYou. The book section on the other
hand offers reviews including titles that supplement the music
you like, plus Christian fiction and non fiction for the book
lovers. While Tour notes include ZOEgirl saying goodbye,
"The Revolve Tour," and more.
The Insider brings you behind the scenes to Skillet's video
"Rebirthing." It gives a glance of the new live offer from
Delirious, the exclusive on Lecrae, and many more. The
Independents section features 4 new Indies and Margaret's
gifted advice.
Things I Love showcases Natalie Grant, and Loose Ends speaks
about Nichole Nordeman's growth spurt. History Makers with
John Styll talks about celebrating the impact of the Gospel
Music Association's four latest inductees.
There are the snips. Subscribing on CCM issues truly brings
me the latest scoops and shears of what’s happening in and
around the music world.

Article written by Bienvenido David.
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