The Matt Nightingale Newsletter - Issue #1

***WHAT'S NEW?***

Welcome to the first issue of "Still Standing," the Matt Nightingale Newsletter. I appreciate your support and interest. I hope you've had a chance to check out the website and listen to the music, and if you don't have a copy of the CD yet, you can order one online at www.mattnightingale.net, www.77s.com, www.covenantbookstore.com, and www.indieheaven.com/artists/mattnightingale. You can also pick one up at the Peninsula Covenant Church Resource Center here in Redwood City or The Door Christian Bookstore in San Carlos. I'm also happy to sell you one direct from the trunk of my car!

It's been a great month. We started off by getting the CDs in the mail literally 10 minutes before leaving to lead worship at Mt. Hermon Christian Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I was the worship leader for the Labor Day Family Camp, and it was a wonderful time. I loved the speakers, Rikk Watts and Mark Labberton, and the people were awesome. Mt. Hermon is starting to feel like home to our family.

I had the privilege of leading worship at Higher Power, a Christian Recovery Service in Foster City, CA last Friday night. There is nothing quite like singing and worshipping with people who have experienced the fact that they need God.

My producer, Mike Roe (77s, Lost Dogs), wrote about my album on the 77s website this last week. He calls it "an album of remarkable passion and candid personal confession with a hefty dose of pop confection thrown in for good measure." Check out the rest of what he has to say at www.77s.com. Click on "News."

My song "Always Entertaining Me (The La-La Song)" has been included in the soundtrack for a new independent film called "It All Goes Wrong." I don't have a lot of details, but I'll fill you in as I find out more.

***BREAKING NEWS***

"Always Entertaining Me (The La-La Song)" has been accepted by Indieheaven for broadcast on their streaming "radio" station. My song is currently at #13, but I'm hoping that you will help make it #1! If it's in the Top 15 on October 20, it will be included on a Compilation CD released by Indieheaven. Here's what you do: Go to http://indieheaven.com/go.idh?section=radioshow, find my song in the list, click on it and then rate it from one to five stars. Of course, I can count on you to rate it FIVE stars! You can vote for it once every day, so please help!

***HOW CAN YOU HELP?***

Remember, I'm an INDIE artist (Indie=Independent), so I have no label support. I do not have a marketing department, manager or booking agent! I rely solely on word-of-mouth efforts to spread the word and the music! I want to be humble and open to whatever God wants to do with this music... whether that means 100 people hear it or 100,000. However, I have the clear impression that I am to do the best I can at promoting this music and getting it out so God can work through it!

• Pray for me! I need guidance, balance and favor from God in this endeavor.
• Buy a copy! If you haven't yet, please pick one or two up! They make great gifts and coasters too! I make the most money when you buy directly from my site, but I would love for you to buy from the other sites as well. That way we create demand.
• Encourage friends and family to sign up for the "official" mailing list on the mattnightingale.net front page. I promise I'll never use this list for anything exploitative. Some of the online stores and sites I'm trying to utilize REQUIRE that their artists have extensive mailing lists. It shows that we're serious about building a fan base.
• Ask your local Christian bookstore if they'd consider stocking my CD or even allowing me to put it there on consignment.
• If you know anyone in music production, movies, artists, management, booking, promotion, radio... Get them a copy of my music! Ask for a favor!
• Read and comment on my blog and sign the guestbook!
• If you are a member of any online community, i.e. myspace.com or other message boards, please promote my music and encourage people to visit my site.
• If you know of a venue... coffeeshop, church, etc. that would be interested in having me play, let me know!

God bless you! I am grateful for each word of encouragement, each prayer, each CD purchased or shared. I am humbled and amazed that God is working through me in this way. Remember Galatians 5:1 as we make our way through our lives this week: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Much love and many thanks...

Matt