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GENERAL QUESTIONS
Why are you doing this?
I have sometimes asked myself the same question! Seriously, I hardly ever just sit down to “write a song.” Usually the words and tunes come to me as a gift from the Lord and what He so freely gives to me I want to share freely with others. Fortunately, the internet makes this easier and more affordable.
Are your songs any good?
I hope most of them are a lot better than the rough recordings on this site represent them to be! :) --but that’s for you to decide!
When compared with many of the “old favorites” that have stood the test of time, such as the ones by Watts and the Wesleys and many of the gospel song-writers of the late 1800s, perhaps not.
But I have been tremendously encouraged through the years by hearing of one of my songs or another used at someone’s wedding, or a funeral, or in a church setting in another country.
Paul said “I judge not my own self” but I’ve spent 40+ years honing my skills with both the music and the words. Usually, no matter what mood or situation I’m in there are songs that uplift and help me... and I want them to bless others also.
How can I help you?
- Pray for us! There is sometimes intense spiritual warfare involved, and of course we have the daily needs of time, energy, money, and wisdom. Pray that God will show us His will for this site, and enable us to fulfill it.
- Tell others about us. If you know anyone who loves to learn new songs and hymns, pass the word along. If you use social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or Xanga, you might bless others by giving us a blurb and a link especially after CD-quality downloads are available.
- Share our web-site address www.brooksong.org in church newsletters and religious papers, and with local Christian support groups, newspapers and broadcasters.
- Bring this site to the attention of any musicians you know who would be interested in recording some of these songs as instrumental or vocal performances so we could put them on this site as a free download, with full credit to them.
- Link to us from your church and personal web sites.
Do you write CCM worship songs, or Christian Rock?
In the past few years the Lord has given me several songs with a simple worship theme, but I’m not personally a big fan of “7-11 Songs” (seven words repeated eleven times-- Matt. 6:7-8a), and my goal has always been to write excellent hymns and faith-building songs with lyrics that are metrically strong, simple, and picturesque, set to memorable melodies that complement the lyrics.
I’m sure God has used all sorts of music to help and even save people-- sometimes in spite of the music :) -- but I feel we need to return to the higher standards of past years to build a solid, sound, healthy, growing Church that will stand faithful through the testings that I believe will soon be coming upon us. As far as I am aware, no-one disputes the fact that good metrical verse is easier to memorize and to sing, and someday we will be glad for all the sound doctrine and encouraging faith-building songs we know. If we’re in prison for our faith someday-- yes, it can come to America-- we might not have BoomBoxes and ipods at our disposal, but hopefully we will have hearts and minds saturated with music God loves
Our prayer is that God will bless this generation with a returning to music that will stand the test of time and eternity.
Why have I never heard of brooksong.org or Stanley K. Brubaker before?
a)you live in a cave, or on a lonely island... b)nobody told you about us, or you weren’t listening... or c)there are a few million other people in line ahead of us...
Seriously-- there are hopefully hundreds or thousands of “unknown” Christian hymn-writers around the world. Some may be talented with words or music, but don’t know how to begin getting the songs out to the public. And I’ve done very little to make my songs known. Even though a couple of my songs are in a Hard Cover Hymnal that has sold nearly 100,000 copies, and I have other songs in other hymnals, most of my songs are still pretty much buried in their file folders. This web-site is an attempt to expose some of them to musicians who are looking for fresh, new, doctrinally-sound songs and hymns.
How are you supported? Do you ask for donations?
I work for a living, as you probably do. I’ve never asked for donations, but would probably accept them if you emailed me and said you wanted to share! I figure I’ve made much less than a dollar an hour on the 500 or so songs I’ve written to date. (If that sounds like a lot of songs, it averages out to only one a month if you divide it into the 40 years I’ve been writing. But of course it has added up to a lot of time and energy invested through the years. And if some well-to-do Christian brother or organization volunteered to help sponsor, underwrite or subsidize part of my expenses, I suspect God might consider it to be a decent investment, perhaps as worthy as putting that money in many of the other usual places. You may have heard it said that whenever God blesses His church with a revival of new spiritual life in Christ, a revival of new songs and hymns usually accompanies it. Surely He’s wanting us to turn back to Him with more sanctified lives and meaningful music.
If you’ve been writing songs for 40 years, you must be 100 years old!
...uhmm-m... bad math! I wrote the hymn “Lo, I Come” and a few other songs before I got married at age 20. Actually, I’m a 1950 model, so I’m not yet as old as I hope you get to be some day!
Do you have anything for sale? Do you plan to in the future?
Nothing at the present time. We hope to have professionally-recorded CDs and downloads available in the future.
Is it okay if I download a song I like? I see everything is copyrighted.
If you like a song, please feel free to download the words or music files or both. Yes, the songs are all copyrighted to establish the original words and music, and for those who want to use them commercially-- that is, to make money off of them-- such as in hymnals etc. But we’ve never required royalties or payment from an individual or group who wants to use them in a church service, or a school program, or for CDs and projects where no serious profits will be made.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS:
What is a .pdf file? and why won’t it play out when I click on it?
What is an .mp3 file? what is a .midi file?
I only have one screen on my computer. How can I see the words while the music file is playing?
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