AOL Chat 1995
South Carolina
ChristOnLi : Is everyone ready to begin?
ChristOnLi : Rich will be typing from an In-Store appearance in
South Carolina.
ChristOnLi : He is just finishing up with some fans.
OnlineHost : The auditorium consists of two major areas: the
: audience, where you are right now, and the stage,
: where the speakers appear. Text which you type
: onscreen shows only to those in your row, prefaced
: by the row number in parentheses, such as (2) if
: you are in row 2. To interact with the speaker,
: use the Interact icon on your screen.
ChristOnLi : Let's all welcome Rich Mullins to Christianity Online
and the Globe Auditorium.
ChristOnLi : Rich, welcome we are glad to have you.
ChristOnLi : Any opening remarks for us tonight?
RichMullin : I've never done this before and I don't type
RichMullin : or have a computer yet,,,,
RichMullin : so
RichMullin : here goes....
ChristOnLi : Well for not typing you're doing pretty good so far.
ChristOnLi : Here is the first question.
Question : When you were a kid did your parents make you
practice or did you want to on your own?
RichMullin : I wanted to....sort of
RichMullin : I would just sit and jam.
RichMullin : And they thought that I was practicing
Question : Who will you be touring with on the Brothers keeper tour?
RichMullin : Ragamuffin Band, is Rick Elias, Lee Lundgren, Beaker, Jimmy A, and Aaron Smith....
RichMullin : Mark Robertson, and Nicki Lundgren, and Beaker wife Julie.
RichMullin : Who is Aiden's mother....
Question : Hey Rich! Your new CD is great! Could you comment on
the meaning of the lyrics to the
Question : song "Promenade"? Also, any plans on your tour to
come to the North Florida area?
RichMullin : Promenade just a parable. About a guy who comes in
contact
RichMullin : with Christianity/life/music/goodness and is ah....
RichMullin : converted.
Question : Rich, you have often worked with Amy Grant. Is there a certain song that you both have
Question : worked on that you prefer over others?
RichMullin : Every song that I have worked on with her I have
preferred over others
RichMullin : only my favorite Amy Grant song is........
RichMullin : Lead Me On.....which I only wish that I had written.... LOL
ChristOnLi : Here is a question from a songwriter...
Question : how does one get original songs to people who might
want them?
RichMullin : I think....
RichMullin : the people for whom your songs mean the most
RichMullin : are people that you come in contact with everyday.
RichMullin : And you should play your songs for them. This may
not be the answer that you wanted...
RichMullin : to hear...but ah...I don't know what else to say.
Nashville is kind of over whelmed...
RichMullin : with songs. And I don't know how to get them to listen
to my songs.
ChristOnLi : Personal question?
Question : Rich, this is dear old John of Bellbrook. Had any
Skyline lately?
RichMullin : Ah! Yeh.....
RichMullin : I had another friend of mine from Cinci.
RichMullin : Make me some, in Colorado....
Question : Could you tell us a little bit about how your work on
the Indian reservation is going?
RichMullin : I'm just getting acclimated....
RichMullin : there's a lot new rules...
RichMullin : to learn about how to be polite....etc.
RichMullin : I'm enjoying the high value Navajo's place on
listening but its hard when you talk as...
RichMullin : much as I do.
Question : Hi Rich!! Your music has been a great influence in
my life. I think you are you of the
Question : best musician/song-writers of our time. How do you
keep your faith in the Lord so strong?
RichMullin : Same way that everybody else does....
RichMullin : "Read your Bible pray everyday, and you'll grow grow
grow."
RichMullin : Just a little something that I learned in Sunday
School.
Question : Rich, what do you feel about CCM artists trying to
break into the pop music world, and is
Question : that something you would be interested in doing?
RichMullin : I don't think about CCM artist that much......I have
no interest in doing it.
RichMullin : I want to be a teacher...
Question : Rich - any plans to put out a video for "brothers
keeper" like the one you put out for
Question : "Liturgy"? I really like those videos!
RichMullin : Thanks, ah but we are not going to be doing any more
video on this album.
RichMullin : I'm not as cute as I was on Liturgy.....LOL
Question : Which comes first, the words or the music?
RichMullin : First thing that I write is the accompaniment and
then I just kinda hang a melody over
RichMullin : the top of it....
RichMullin : and then... and then think of the lyric
RichMullin : as subtitles for people who don't understand the
melody.......:)
Question : What college do you go to and what is your major?
RichMullin : I just graduate....
RichMullin : from Friends Univ.
RichMullin : with a music ed. degree.
RichMullin : Friends is in Wichita, KS
Question : Rich thanks for your artistic talent in your music,
and your lyrics that speak to our
Question : soul. One ? .. what is your relationship to AIDAN in
Let Mercy Lead. Keep the Faith
RichMullin : I'm Aidan's dad's best friend....
RichMullin : Aidan's dad is Beaker...... Julie's husband ;)
Question : Who's this Beaker guy, anyway? How did you guys meet?
RichMullin : Beaker is my best friend and ah....co-writer and
RichMullin : we met when he was in the 7th grade.
RichMullin : I was in College.... really!!!
RichMullin : His youth pastor,
RichMullin : was a friend of mine
Question : Is Rich's band with him?
RichMullin : Yes...
RichMullin : No, not in this very room....
RichMullin : but, I think that they are in Greenville....I hope ?
RichMullin : The first concert of the tour is in Greenville, SC
but it will not be online.....
Question : Rich, when did you cut your hair?
RichMullin : A couple of years ago in Europe, because it was HOT!
Question : Rich: How has being on the Indian reservation
affected your music? Trying anything new
Question : musically?
RichMullin : Well....
RichMullin : Listening will certainly affect my music...
RichMullin : and since I'm learning more about listening....
RichMullin : but I doubt that I'll be using any tom
tom's........soon :)
Question : Who are some of your musical influences when you were
growing up?
RichMullin : All the 70's/60's guys.......
RichMullin : Stephen Stills, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, ah......
RichMullin : Blue Cheer...... the band that my mom hated.......
RichMullin : ah.....
RichMullin : Joni Mitchell, ah..... Carol King.
RichMullin : Bob Dylan.... I love Bob Dylan, I just turned Mitch
(a friend of mine who was born to late
RichMullin : on to Bob Dylan and he just bought about 10 tapes of
his.... that's a slight exaggeration.
RichMullin : I never liked southern rock.... jazz...... ah....
RichMullin : or.....
RichMullin : gospel.
RichMullin : But just about everything else was great with me....
Question : Rich, which of your albums is your personal favorite?
RichMullin : Newest one.....it's always the newest one..... or the
next one.
Question : Rich, what's the story about you quitting the music
biz and becoming a missionary to
Question : Indians-is this true?
RichMullin : LOL
RichMullin : Lets see..... I moved to the reservation......
RichMullin : I hope to teach in a couple of different mission
schools
RichMullin : as a volunteer....
RichMullin : so..... I'll have to keep making music.... to support
myself.
RichMullin : Otherwise I'll have to get a job......:)
ChristOnLi : We have time for a couple more questions.
Question : Mr. Mullins.. St. Augustine, FL here. I'm an aspiring
Songwriter. How did you get into the
Question : field of Contemporary Christian songwriting/playing?
RichMullin : In a former life.......
RichMullin : I murdered a church organist....
RichMullin : and now I'm paying for my sins..........
RichMullin : Actually....
RichMullin : I love being a Christian musician.
RichMullin : Started playing church music when I was in the first
or second grade
RichMullin : and just kept on playing.
RichMullin : I'm no more a Christian musician now than I was back
then
RichMullin : I just make better money.....
ChristOnLi : Thanks for being with us tonight Rich, any final
comments for the audience?
RichMullin : Hold on everyone....
RichMullin : Rich is going to type his finally comments or closing
arguments.....
ChristOnLi : Oh Lord be with us...
RichMullin : I make an awefull typer but.....
RichMullin : it,s very flattering to think that you guys are
interested enough to wait for me to get th
RichMullin : get these answer----how do you backspace?
ChristOnLi : Thanks for joining us tonight everyone! Please drive
home safely...
RichMullin : answers typed out. I appreciate this all very much
and i kind of feqr it. FEAR IT that
RichMullin : is......
RichMullin : Nothing is more deadley for attention freaks than
attention.... but, I will try to do
RichMullin : something worthwhile with whqat (that,s "WHAT"}
you,ve given me here.
RichMullin : So, as I write on every autograph, I,ll just try to
encourage you to "be God,s",
RichMullin : and to know that He makes us His, and He does a good
job of it--better than we can.
RichMullin : It,s funny to me how little able i am to give
accurate answers about myself--it,s scarey t
RichMullin : scarey to think that people so often want me to give
answers about God. Thanks for
RichMullin : avoiding theological questions--I could only sound
more stupider talking about all that
RichMullin : than just merely going on and on about myself. I am
sure that God is good, that God
RichMullin : real, and that God is love... that life is a giflt
and (with or without an extra "L" in it
RichMullin : an adventure and wee all do the best we can, we,re
all in this together and we're all
RichMullin : weirdly alone too. Be thankful. That I guess is
about all I can think of to say.
RichMullin : next
