from the PUBLISHER'S  PEN

Gene Farington
Publisher

If you are fulfilling 
the will of God 
in your life, don't fret 
if you come to a "Red Sea" or a Valley 
that seems to be "the 
Valley of the Shadow 
of Death."
If HE leads you TO IT, 
HE'LL lead you 
THROUGH IT!

     Those of you who know Micki and I, know that we believe that industry is only a tool for ministry.  In other words, it’s primary value is to help open doors to minister -- the more you are known, the more people will listen to you.  Many times I use this example:
     If my name was Billy Graham and I wanted to come to your church and preach a message while I was visiting a relative in your town, what would you tell Billy Graham.?  It would probably be, “Well yes, sir.  When would you like to come?”
     OK now – If I came to you and told you my name was Gene Farington and I wanted to come to your church and sing and preach while I was visiting a relative in your town, what would you say?. Your answer would probably be “Who are you?”
     See, the Power is in the name. Now I’m not saying that God can’t work on someone’s heart to let me come in and sing.  What I’m trying to point out is the power of name recognition.  Billy Graham – big name  --  Gene Farington – big zero.
     I’ve done something a little different this month, and I’ve asked a friend to share with you how he has used his music – recording and releasing his music to radio around the World -- and how it’s working for him to get more church dates.
     Some artist’s will send their music out to the world and they truly believe that they are going to become a star.  Or they send out 2 or 3 songs to radio and they don’t know how to make it work for them.  This is where Keith Caldwell comes in and is going to explain what you need to do and why.

Releasing Songs for Airplay: The Lord's Ministry                                                          by Keith Caldwell       A major misconception about releasing songs for airplay is that the primary reason for airplay is to achieve a high ranking in the charts.  In a ministry, this should never be the reason.  Charting is only a blessed result of favor with God for a well written song and a good recording of that song.  The

primary purpose for releasing a song for airplay is to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.             Hopefully, when the song you are considering for release was written, the message in the song is one the writer truly believes is meant to bless people at a specific time.  Upon receiving emails and letters from those your songs have touched, you will realize the importance of being a blessing over the airwaves.             Do you realize that in many countries, radio stations carrying Christian music are blocked?  One resource for the people in those countries is the internet.  In many countries today, as many as 40 and 50 people are known to secretly meet in private homes to listen together to Christian radio stations.  One of the most incredible blessings to me has been hearing how someone received Christ as their Savior after listening to one of my songs playing over the internet.             You never know how a song will bless someone.  I had one particular woman out of Tucson, Arizona call me and tell me that she used to be in a Gospel group that had stopped singing years earlier.  She had no desire to sing gospel music again until she heard one of my songs being played on the Gospel highway of the internet in Beaumont, Texas.  Vivian Bozich and I have had a wonderful friendship develop over the last two years when she searched for my website after hearing me that day.  This story is just one of many stories that has blessed me.             Just recently, I received an e-mail from Finland from a fan who had been touched by a particular song, “It’s My Duty to Pray,” a song that tells our soldiers that while “It’s their honor to serve, It is our duty to pray” for them.  I didn’t even realize there were American soldiers in Finland listening to internet radio.  Prior to this, I had received e-mails from soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Fort Hood, Texas.  I had originally only made this song available as a free digital download from my website and had allowed it to be emailed to anyone with family or friends in the service of our country.  Then I realized that the song should be released for airplay, and it is now blessing thousands upon thousands of soldiers and their families and friends.             I have had other friends who have more amazing stories of salvation from listeners around the world.  The point is, THIS is why we release songs for airplay.  We are tasked by God to go out and preach the Word to the entire world.  This is our job as Christians.  This is our responsibility.  Getting airplay should not be about charting and royalties.             However, hitting the charts and receiving royalties for airplay and internet play are ways in which God will bless us for our faithfulness.  As far as charting is concerned, you might be interested in knowing that only a minute portion of radio stations actually even report to the charts.  Therefore, only a small percentage of radio stations are used in the calculations to decide what songs will chart for any particular month.             I know several stations that play my music that do not wish to participate in reporting to any charts.  Yet they play my music on a regular basis.  You might be surprised as to how many stations are playing your music across the country or even around the world that do not report to any chart.  You may never know how one of your songs may have had an impact on someone’s life.             How would you feel if your song could have kept someone from committing suicide, saved a marriage, saved a soul, healed a relationship, helped someone pray for and receive a physical or emotional healing?  A song never written will never bless anyone.  A song that has been written, but is never heard will never be a blessing to anyone.             I believe this is why I was called into the music ministry for the Lord.  I have been called to write, record, and release songs for the world to hear and to spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Whether I ever make a dime on airplay or ever hit the top of the charts, it is my duty to send this music out to reach others in a way that a local concert cannot.             Pray for God’s wisdom in choosing which song, which message, you are being called to release to be a blessing for someone in the world today.  I will be praying for all of you to not only be a blessing to the world through song, but that God will bless you for your faithfulness. ******************************      Be blessed, and we will keep you all in our prayers as you keep on keeping on.      If you have a question, please feel free to call us at 870-741-1409, contact us by email at ccgnews@windstream.net  or  gene@countrygospelconnection.com or reach us by snail male at:   Christian Country Gospel News Gene & Micki Farington   PO Box 715   Harrison, AR 72602