Swingin' Mandolins

Earn Online Money From Home

2011-08-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

I've been search online to find a way to make money online. I've been out of wohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrk for the most part for 6+ years. With the exception of a temp job here and there. The job market is rough, especially for someone like me in his 40's. So my focus of late has been trying to find something online to earn some money.

There are so many different offers out there. It's hard to separate the good from the bad. The scams from the legitimate offers. I have fallen for a few, that luckily had money back guarantees. I'm the type of person though that see's it can be done with the correct knowledge so I keep looking.

In my searching I have found one site that presents some honest ways to earn online. That site is Earn Online Money From Home. Go check it out and see some of the ways to make some money online. I will let you know if I find the one that works!

My New Website

2011-07-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

After years of thinking about a website and then listing all the reasons I shouldn't, this time I decided to go for it. I decided to put up a website for my music. If for nothing else but to satisfy my own desire and to be able to say I have a website, and when I'm older I remember when I had a website.

With the prices of hosting and the cost of domains, it really is a good time to try it out. Not only that the web design software that is available is easy to use. My hosting service has several available from easy to advanced. It only took me minutes to get my site up and running.

One concern I had was a store to digitally sell my music. That concern was addressed by a friend of mine Ken Bonfield, who mentioned Nimbit. Nimbit has 3 plans http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifavailhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifable. The free plan allows you to sell your digital albums and gives you a store. This is the plan I choose for now. I can always choose to upgrade to the Indie or Pro account, both of which have more services available.

Overall I'm glad I went ahead and put up a website. There is still that side of me that wonders why I spent the money on it knowing that very few people follow my music. I'm thinking maybe it was my poor man's mid-life crisis. I can't afford the sports car or the really nice mandolin so this is my splurge. Then again it could be that I really have nothing to loose by doing it, and if I get a few new fans or sell a book or album here and there all the better.

Here is the link to my site Terry Lewis, Mandolinist

Saying Goodbye To A Good Friend

2011-07-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Due to some financial challenges and a new baby on the way I decided to sell off one of my Holst mandolins. It is a blonde Holst with tortoise binding, cocobolo and ebony accents with curly maple around the fretboard. Top is red spruce and back is red maple, with Tone bar bracing.

This mandolin was my first small shop builder mandolin. A real beauty. Not only in looks but also in tone and playability. It inspired me to new height in playing and music. Not just another mandolin in my search for the best, but one of the best.

As much as I really hate to see it go it is going to it's new home in NY, where I hope the new owner appreciates how special it is. I hope too that more people will be exposed to Steve Holst's work. He builds playable work of art.

Links For My Music/Videos

2010-03-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post links to where my music/videos can be found.

www.myspace.com/terrymlewis

www.youtube.com/mandoswinger

www.soundclick.com/terrylewis

Christmas music can be found at www.soundclick.com/terrymlewis

Bass recordings at www.soundclick.com/tmlewis

Hope you enjoy!

nailed to the cross

2009-03-12T22:43:00.001-07:00

Download Terry Lewis - Nailed To The Cross

Seek and Save

2008-01-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

As a Christian we are to bring glory to God and spread his Kingdom. It's all for God even if we want to believe that life is about us. Here are some things to consider, and how to be saved and have eternal life:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

To be saved and added to God's Kingdom you must follow these steps:

FAITH – Romans 10:17
HEARING THE WORD OF GOD – Listening to the Word being taught or
careful study of the Bible.
BELIEVE – Mark 16:16
REPENT – Luke 13:5
CONFESS – Matthew 10:32-33
BE BAPTISED – John 3:5
SAVED – 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:41, Romans 6:3-4

Ultimately it is up to us to decide one way or the other how to live, and how to spend eternity. I know I for one would like to see Satan's face, I do in my mind, when he asks God's permission to tempt, or put hardships on me, and I still hold strong to God, and Satan once again through me has brought the Glory to God! That is what happened when Christ was given as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and Christ rose from the dead. Satan thought he won, by getting the people to crucify the Lord. In turn Satan scored the winning point for God and brought Glory to him! Try it to see what life is like with a little less evil in it!

God Loves You!

2008-01-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

Picture this:

A father showing his child how much he loves them with outstretched arms as wide as they can go.
"I love you this much!" He says. How great is the fathers love? A love that will last thier lifetime

Now Picture this:

Christ on the cross, thorn for a crown, side split open, nails in his feet. His arms stretched to their limits and nailed.
"I love you this much!" God says. How great is Gods love? A love that will literally last an eternity and is nailed in place.

Renewed Perspective

2008-01-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the start of a New Year once again. For me it's a year with a renewed perspective as well. For the past 2 years my wife's father has been battling cancer, and on November 29th he passed away. It was hard watching him decline especially the last few months. Even at the end he held his faith in God and the saving power that only Christ can give. When asked, on one of the last days of his life, if he was scared, his answer was a bold "Of What?" He knew he was right with God and that he was going to a better place. This experience renewed my lackluster faith, and made me realize how important it is to have a faith. I've been a Christian most of my life, but lately I've realized others need to know the hope that is in Christ. If you want to know more please visit http://seekingthelost.org/.

Now On Youtube

2006-10-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

I posted some webcam videos of me playing some of my tunes. So far I have a few up and plan on doing more so check often. Here are the links to the first few.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfTs1X8KJgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85k2FAW_Z9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQuWlDGo8Ss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DR24TtFI0k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTJzQeHDU_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD0lmtC5Rvg

Acousticfriends.com

2006-10-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

I recently heard about a site similar to myspace called www.acousticfriends.com. This appears to be a site with alot of potential, just low in numbers at this point. Unlike myspace this site is about music. A place to meet other musicians and find out about jams or set up jam sessions with your friends. You can post 5 songs, so it's another place for musicians to get heard. There are also groups and forums. You can comment, email, IM. Like I said alot like myspace. So if you are an acoustic musician, or like acoustic music check it out.

ALBUM DOWNLOADS NOW AVAILABLE!!

2006-09-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

My first 2 albums are now available for download at http://www.soundclick.com/terrylewis. They are priced at $5.99 purchased via paypay. Even if you don't want to purchase the albums, you can listen to all the songs. Enjoy!

Now on Myspace

2006-07-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I posted on here. I finally have something to post. First of all my music is now available on www.Myspace.com . I added my tunes and am networking trying to get new listeners and maybe even a fan base. The URL is http://www.myspace.com/terrymlewis. Second I just wanted to mention that I have 15 solo pieces ready for my next album which will be....you guess it an all solo album. I'm going to record it all "Live" with no multitracking. I like the tunes I wrote and in my head it will be a good album, but we will have to wait and see. In the meantime I'm perfecting the tunes. As always I'm one step ahead of myself and already have in mind what I want to do with the next album. For now you can only imagine what it might be.

My Bass Music From 93-94

2006-03-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

I have added a second Soundclick button to link to the bass music that I recorded back in the 90's. Me on a couple of basses and a drum machine. There is no mandolin but it was the beginning of my recording adventure. There are some good groovy tunes posted. I won't post it all but a few of the better ones.

Jazzmando Strings

2006-03-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to try the Jazzmando Labella JM-11's for some time. I was bassically afraid that I would like them and string change would be more expensive. Well I finally invested the money and made the plunge. The difference these strings made in the tone and playability of my mandolin made me feel like I had a new mandolin. They are everything I was looking for in strings for jazz. So my fear was confirmed and I now will have to put them on at every string change. In my opinion they are worth every penny that they cost and actually more because now I'm more satisfied with my mandolin and wont be thinking so much about getting something new. Go to Jazzmando.com to purchase these great strings.

My Instructional Book

2006-03-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

I self published a book of mandolin scales and modes to help mandolinists learn the fretboard and know where the notes are on the mandolin. I have 2 web press releases that explain the book one at http://jazzmando.com/new/ and the other at http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/frontpage.html. If you are interested contact me at mandolinpicker@gmail.com. It is available in comb bound book or in a PDF version.

My Music

2006-03-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

I have added a link and a Soundclick button to check out my songs on the side bar. I hope you check them out and enjoy them. I currently have 2 cds From Melancholy is my first and Wandering The High Wires is my second. You can order my albums($12 shipping included) by contacting me at mandolinpicker@gmail.com. If you can paypal you can use the same email address to order, just specify what you are ordering. I started working on my 3rd so I have posted a few of those songs on soundclick as well. I will be adding more as time allows.

Can a Mandolin Swing?

2006-03-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

Music has always been a part of my life in one way or another. I started with the clarinet in middle school, moved to drums in high school, then bass. It wasn't until I started playing mandolin in 2003 that I found my true voice in music. Now music is a passion rather than a hobby. I started off my mandolin education playing mostly bluegrass and even played in the Dill Family Band. About a year into my playing mandolin I found www.jazzmando.com, a site that is used to promote the mandolin as a legitimate jazz instrument. Curiousity finally got the best of me and I started learning jazz. At first I was just dabbling, afraid I guess that it would be too much for me to understand, as it started unfolding for me a new world of possibilities for the mandolin started to emerge. After about a year of walking the fence I finally plunged into jazz, bought some fake books and started learning how to play melodies while chording to play solo jazz numbers. After a year of learning, with more to come, I'm ready to take my jazz playing out to let others hear what the mandolin can really do.