Saturday, May 14, 2022

Ukraine and Romania and Lost And Found

 

 

Those who’ve known us a long time also know our friend Justin Vetrano.  In fact, he was our manager for our first ten years or so, and really helped us get our footing in the earliest days.  (For example, he told us we needed to get some new-fangled thing called “an e-mail address” back in 1991.)  Justin left us to go on to bigger things, and was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 2010, serving at The LIFE Lutheran Church on Long Island.  On a European trip with his congregation, Justin met the tour guide Neina, from Romania, fell in love, and got married. 

 

 

Neina grew up in a town called Constanta, a lovely little Romanian city on the coast of the Black Sea, quite close to the border with Ukraine. 

 

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began at the end of February, Justin and Neina felt compelled to do something to help the Ukrainians.  Actually, the word Justin uses is, “obligated.”  They were uniquely positioned and equipped to make a difference to those who needed help and hope.  They went to Romania the first week in March to welcome Ukrainians fleeing for their lives into Romania, and to help them move away from the border and on to safety.  (Read about their first two days HERE.)

Justin and Neina contracted to rent an office building in Constanta, and with the help of some folks from The LIFE, began to make improvements to make it livable.  

  

 

 

The day after Easter, Michael and I flew over to Romania to help where we could.  Here we are, visiting a warehouse that receives and sends out supplies destined for Odesa.

 

 

  

 

We did small things, like hang shower curtains in the new bathrooms and help assemble furniture.  Our new friend Dana (an engineering student) came up with a creative way to cut a pipe without a hacksaw.  

 



 After a few days Michael had to head back home to his family, and I stayed on for a while longer, helping assemble dresser drawers, with lightning speed.

 


We continued to welcome more families into the center, and moved some families along to new beginnings in Germany and elsewhere.  Our friend Christian Utpatel’s congregation in Homberg has welcomed several families so far, and we continue to make connections with others across Europe.  At present, the LFU Center houses about 45 people (all women and children), and we’ve partnered with a smaller center across town to share overhead and expenses.

To celebrate the Orthodox Feast of Easter, we brought residents from both centers together to celebrate the resurrection, and it was a foretaste of the feast to come.

 

We don’t know how long this invasion will continue, but we know that people need help, and the Life For Ukraine center is providing exactly that and more.  A home for those with nowhere to go.  Safety for those living in danger.  Food for those with nothing to eat.  Healing help for those with no doctors.  Essentially, bringing into the present the Kingdom of God.

 

If you want to do something to help the people of Ukraine, we can promise you that Life For Ukraine is doing exactly that.  You can contribute securely online at this LINK, or if you’d rather send a check, make it payable to The LIFE Lutheran Church, 1 Old Westbury Rd, Old Westbury NY 11568

All donations—and we mean ALL—go directly to assisting refugees, giving hope to the hopeless, and sharing the life-giving message that they are not alone.

 

Please help if you can, and may God bless you always.

 

George & Michael

Lost And Found

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A New Song!

For your Reformation Day enjoyment.



Reformation Rock!  Here’s a video of a new song we recorded in Wittenberg, Germany this month.
Easy to learn and sing for your congregation for Reformation Sunday at the end of this month!
You can get the lead sheet and lyrics for free by following this link: FREE SHEET MUSIC!

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Luther: the Rock Opera

So, we thought it might be good for us to answer a few questions we've been receiving lately.  And, since George is the one writing this, it obviously ends up in a catechetical style . . .


ARE YOU GUYS STILL WRITING SONGS?
The short answer is, yes we are still writing songs even though we're no longer touring for a living because we have retired from touring but are still writing songs.  (Good thing we didn't give you the long answer, right?)

WHAT KIND OF SONGS ARE YOU WRITING?
We just finished writing 24 songs that comprise the text for Luther: the Rock Opera.  (Well, technically, 25, though one song didn't make it into the final script.)  Our friend Rich Melheim published a graphic novel, telling the story of Martin Luther's journey from monk to leader of the Protestant Reformation.  He approached us about writing songs to accompany the graphic novel, and that's how we came to write these particular songs.



HOW CAN I HEAR THEM?
You can hear samples of the 24 songs at this link.  We'll be rolling out full-song versions every few days at the Luther: The Rock Opera Soundcloud page, and also on the Lost And Found Facebook page.

ARE THESE WHAT YOU GUYS CONSIDER SUPER PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS?
Haha!  We can tell you've already listened to one of them, huh?  Actually, the recording quality is professional, but the performance was just a quick run through on our part.  These recordings are what we call "reference tracks."  They're just intended to give people a sense of how the songs go.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO KNOW HOW THE SONGS GO?
Aha!  Now you've got to the heart of the matter.  The whole intention of putting together Luther: the Rock Opera was so that people could present an easy-to-understand performance about the roots of the Protestant Reformation.  That is, we're hoping people will learn the songs with whatever singers and musicians are available in their own congregation and then put on a "performance" for the congregation, or neighbors, or even entire city.

WHY THE FOCUS ON MARTIN LUTHER?
As you may know, this year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg.  So, we wanted to create a way for people to observe Reformation Day in a way that is fun, memorable, informative, inter-generational, and engaging while using Lost And Found music.  So, we thought if we could get to every congregation in the nation we'd try to tell Luther's story using 24 songs.  But since we can't do that (see the first Question above), we thought it makes sense to have YOU perform and tell the story.

SO YOU WANT US TO PERFORM A ROCK OPERA?
Yes.

DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO GO RENT COSTUMES AND STUFF?
No.  (Have you ever seen how we dress on stage?)  And that's kind of the beauty of this way of telling the story.  You can go "bare bones" and just sing and play the songs.  Think of it like the Christmas Pageant for Reformation Day.  Or think of it as a Folk Opera.  Or, perhaps, leave out the Opera altogether.  It's a Folk Pageant!  (But it's much more fun to call it a Rock Opera.)  It's your collected performers singing 24 songs that tell a story.  Of course, if you enjoy the costume aspect of the Christmas Pageant, you could have singers wear a particular article of clothing like a hat to suggest who's who.  Or, you could assign parts and have the singers wear costumes.  Or you could bring in a director who sits in a tall chair with her name on the back and yells "CUT!!!" during rehearsals with stage lights and makeup destined for Broadway.

WAIT.  WHY ARE THERE THREE VERSIONS OF THE ROCK OPERA?
Good question!  The version we wrote (with our 24 songs) is called the Concert Version.  However, for those who want to do a lengthier and bigger production, there are the Small Stage Version and Stage Version where the basic Rock Opera is supplemented with additional text and choruses by our friends at Faith Inkubators, and interpreted by different artists, in order to create more singing parts for larger groups, and extend the show to be more in line with a typical theater production (you know, with multiple acts, stage lights, and a Director yelling "CUT!!!")  The Concert Version is something you can learn in a weekend with a group of singers, a worship band, a youth choir, or a duo on guitar and piano (ahem).  You can easily put on this show for your friends and neighbors, without an intermission, or anyone yelling "CUT!!!"  Afterward, you could even gather in the fellowship hall for coffee and cake (over which you can hold a knife and yell whatever comes to mind).

WHAT'S THE SIMPLEST WAY TO DO THE CONCERT VERSION?
Background tracks.  That's right, you also get recordings of all 24 songs with just the instruments, so you could sing the songs karaoke style, with just a handful of singers and no musicians.



WHAT IF WE WANT JUST A LITTLE SCENERY WITH OUR CONCERT VERSION?
Here's a really cool thing about working with our friend Rich Melheim:  He knows all sorts of talented people.  And one of those talented people (Jonathan Koelsch) has created some seriously awesome graphics.  Using a projector, you can display images from the graphic novel, and even use animations that are timed to the music!  The projected slides take the place of sets, by showing the key settings like the forest where the lightning rages all around, and the castle where Luther does his translating, and the Imperial Diet where Luther cannot recant, and so on.  Plus, Jonathan has created life-size graphics that you can print out, attach to foam-core and prop up around the stage!



OKAY.  HOW DO WE GET THE RIGHTS TO USE ALL THIS?  IT CAN'T BE FREE, RIGHT?
Unfortunately, it's not free.  However, you can get it, and we've done our best to make it affordable to even the smallest congregation.  (See details at What You Get)

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW?
You know we've always encouraged you to Rock On (Stein Auf).  Well, now it's time to Rock Opera!  (Stein Oper!)  We think you'll enjoy the experience of learning, practicing, and performing the show.  And we think those who watch it will enjoy it too.  Next year, you could have the Confirmation Class do the simple concert version for the congregation as part of their curriculum, and the students will remember the songs--and the story and meaning behind them--for many years to come.

CLICK HERE  to order the Concert Version today!

Stein Oper!
George and Michael
Lost And Found

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Free Shipping in Advent!

Free Shipping During Advent!
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It's your pals, Michael and George writing with an Advent Music Special.


During the season of Advent, we are offering free shipping on all orders, even EVERYTHING.

That's right.  No matter what you order from our site, we will ship it to you for free for the next four weeks.

Just enter the discount code Advent at checkout, and you'll get your stuff sent, free of shipping charges.

Check out the categories below, or just go directly to The Store to see what's available.  (Remember to use the discount code Advent at checkout for free shipping)
CDs!!!
Browse CD's
DVDs
The Final Concerts
Want to just download tracks?
Downloads and Samples
And speaking of, "Did we mention . . ."
LAST CALL to register for the Luther 500 Festival.
Spaces are filling up fast for all three weeks, but there's still time to register.
Click the photo above to check out the website and hold places for you or your group to join us in Germany in 2017!
Wishing you all the best things, and a blessed Advent Season.
Michael and George
Lost And Found


Saturday, July 9, 2016

THIS JUST IN!

STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE

· The powerful (of Church and State) abuse power

· Brave young people put their lives on the line for freedom

· Rich people buy political office

· A looming Muslim advance crossing Turkey into Europe dominates news

This morning’s New York Times? Yes. But no.

“All of these events came together in one place and time 500 years ago. Some would say the Medieval Era ended and the Modern Era began when one solitary monk put his life on the line and uttered his historic words: ‘Here I Stand',” said Dr. Rich Melheim, whose graphic novel on the life of Martin Luther will be featured at Comic-Con when Melheim is on stage in at the acclaimed convention next week in San Diego.

“Hollywood loves a flawed hero,” says Melheim. “Our dear Dr. Luther is simultaneously brilliant, bold and flawed, flawed, flawed. But once you get to know his demons, his struggles, his story and its profound impact on human rights and history, you can’t help but marvel at the guy… if not love him.

“Oh. And unlike the Puritans and Calvinists his movement helped spawn, he really loved his beer.”


TECTONIC AND TEUTONIC

“Everything from the defeat of the Spanish Armada, to the Pilgrims voyage to Plymouth Rock, to the settling of Jamestown Colony, to the writing of the Bill of Rights, to the founding of a Puritan Seminary called Harvard in 1636, to the end of slavery in England, to Lincoln’s stubborn determination to win the Civil War and free the slaves - - heck, even Gandhi’s ability to sway the conscience of the British Parliament and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s movement - - all of these were seeded and preceded by an event that took place on October 31, 1517 when Luther ‘nailed it',” says Melheim.

Melheim adds, “Without Luther’s death-defying stand for an individual’s conscience, there would be no nation states in Europe as we know them today. No original 13 Colonies in North America. No British Empire. No Harvard. No Yale. No Princeton. No Louisiana Purchase. No Lewis and Clark. Maybe not even schools teaching slaves and girls to read. As an educational innovator, Dr. Luther supported schools where both boys and girls could learn to read the Bible. Centuries later on it was Lutherans and other early Protestants who broke the laws and taught slaves to read. Where do you think Martin Luther King, Sr. got his name? From Aristotle on it was assumed slaves and women had no souls, so teaching them to read was a waste of time.”

The Graphic Novel Luther will be a useful tool for those who like to learn about the life and times of Luther and think about the implications and continuation of the Reformation he ignited. According to the press release for the novel in advance of Comic-Con, the story “begins in 1415 with Czech Reformer Jan Hus burning at the stake and predicting Luther’s rise 100 years later. It runs to and through the trials and trails of a restless young monk - a brilliant but flawed hero - who searched for peace at 21 by locking himself away from temptation in a monastery. As a monk Luther wrestled with God, experienced a spiritual awakening, and was condemned by the church for questioning the sale of indulgences (certificates guaranteeing forgiveness of sins). Luther - whose name means “freedom” in Greek - went to trial but wouldn’t back down, even in the face of near-certain arrest and death. In the end, he set the stage for a world where freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, and freedom from abuse by government would be core values. That one solitary monk became an annoyance, then an outlaw, then the voice of conscience and reason for the entire Western World.”

Come on and get a close-up view of the Reformation, of Luther, and the key players who changed the trajectory of Western Civilization. Open the door to history and to lifetime memories by joining us in 2017 at the place where it all began, Wittenberg, Germany.  Visit Luther500.com today!

Sunday, March 13, 2016

A Couple of Things, FYI



A little bit of news from Michael and George
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It's those Lost And Found guys, checking in.

Hey there!
We told you we'd be in touch, and here we are doing just that.  We wanted to update you on a few things since we last wrote.
GET THE ONLINE SHOWS IN YOUR HOME!
THING #1
We now have in our hands the DVDs from our two Online Shows we played last year, and you can have them in your hands as well.  As you may remember, we did two shows on December 29th, 2015, which we streamed over the internet to folks around the world.
We asked the filmer people (technical term) to turn that footage into DVDs, and they're now available to the interested at this link.
You can get the Early Show, the Later Show, or Both Shows by using the pull-down tab.
Note: If you added tips during the show in order to get your copy (or copies), we need an address to mail it (them) to you.  If you haven't yet received your DVD (DVDs), or haven't responded to our e-mail asking for your address, please drop us a note.
GERMANY, Y'ALL!
THING #2

Registration is in full function for the Luther 500 Festival in 2017!
Join us in Germany for a great week, visiting historic sites, singing along with some great bands (plus us), eating trays of interesting German snacks, meeting new people and getting reacquainted with old friends, and walking where Luther walked.
Answers to some questions you might have can be found here.
NOW LET US DANCE!
THING #3
You know what's coming?  Easter.  That's what.
Remember our song, (Now Let Us) Dance?  You know the perfect day to use that song?  Easter.  That's when.
You can get the sheet music for that song right here.
You can get an affordable license to use the song for a whole year right here.
You can see a video of us playing the song right here.

 
Once again, we want to say that we hope you're doing well, enjoying life, and looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection as much as we are.
Feel free to drop us a note any time, and follow us on all those social media links, below.
We miss seeing your faces all around the country, but we are grateful to have known your friendship and to have had your support for so many years.

Stein Auf!

George and Michael
LOST AND FOUND
Copyright © 2016 Lost And Found, All rights reserved.


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