The Holy Ghost Notes Podcast

On episode one hundred and five of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim record at the crack of dawn and Matt shares of his recent door hanging zeal. The guys chat about prioritizing, and naturally transition into their requested drum topic on coping with leaving the music industry. Tim tells a little bit about his music background and where his head was at when he ultimately “called it quits”, then Matt adds his perspective as a career musician. This leads into the topic of how to deal with failure. The duo coast on some cookie cutter ideals, then dig into how your identity plays a big part in facing failure head on.

On episode one hundred and four of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim talk about Tim's studio progress, Matt's vacations, ABR's upcoming tour with Ice Nine Kills, and talk about Tim's "work voice" then joke about his agreeable personality. Matt narrowly avoids getting himself into trouble and then kicks off their drum topic, "Trust Yourself". They talk about how in many cases, we are responsible for the pressure we feel when drumming. The guys talk about improv scenarios versus practiced scenarios and how it's important to trust your own abilities and relieve the pressure. Tim reads James 1:9-11 and Matt shares about when this verse resonated with him for the first time, asks some challenging questions and speaks about God as a judge.

On episode one hundred and three of Holy Ghost Notes, Tim records from his new house for the first time and Matt tells about a moment that threw him for a loop while buying paint. The guys then struggle to agree on some definitions prior to hitting on their drum topic; fills. They touch on their approach to fills, some iconic fills, and laugh about stating the obvious. Tim shares about a recent experience that inspires telling the story of the Good Samaritan, and dovetails into conversation around identifying the needs around you and obeying the calling on your life.

On episode one hundred and two, Matt and Tim talk about home renovations and being observant before Matt steps away to address a flooding washing machine. Tim kills some time remotely troubleshooting what the issue with the machine might be while pretending to know about these things, and the guys head into their drum topic upon Matt's return. Tim shares about his plans for the new drum studio space as Matt encourages him not to wait on the buildout. They follow suit and head into their faith topic around the Beatitudes as told in Matthew 5, prompted by a sermon that Matt's pastor preached the Sunday prior. The guys begin to realize the flaws in their instinctive approach to the scripture and carry on a meaningful conversation challenging that mindset.

On episode one hundred and one, Tim shares about his recent move and the nostalgia that set in while cleaning his old house one last time. Then the guys talk about the importance of "checking yourself" or examining the state of your emotions prior to a performance or a rehearsal and how your emotional state can show through. Matt tells a story that ushers them into the topic of stress. Then, Tim shares about a number of things going on in his life and how he's gained perspective through the anxiety surrounding all of it.

On episode one hundred of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim celebrate their 100th episode and reminisce by listening and reacting to "favorite" clips from various episodes chosen specifically by the Inner Circle community. Matt reads a note that he had been saving and a special guest sneaks their way onto the episode.

On episode ninety nine of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt finds himself recording from the back of the bus while the rest of the band and crew are asleep. The guys tease the fast approaching 100th episode and make their way into their drum topic; discussing the unique relationships between drummers and other musicians. Tim heads down the topic path of “how to work God in” to your life/schedule, only to be struck by the realization/revelation that the very concept of the topic puts God in a box.

On episode ninety eight of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim hit all expectations by ranting for a bit to kick things off. They head into their drum topic and shares some laughs while listing a number of common misconceptions around drumming. Being that they're recording on Good Friday, they dig into the topic of Easter. Tim talks through his thought process on the gravity of Jesus being separated from the Father while being crucified. They land on the simple idea of how to say, "thank you."

On episode ninety seven of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt talks about August Burns Red’s new release, Death Below, and Tim realizes that he always has to have the final word. The guys talk about a few things they would tell their younger drummer selves if they had the opportunity, and then venture into the listener-requested topic of loyalty. Tim plays devil’s advocate and presents a number of hypotheticals while Matt grounds the conversation with some spiritual truths.

On episode ninety six of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt talks about the ABR 20th Anniversary tour as they near the end of the first leg and Tim talks about his change of location amid moving out of his house. The guys start by tackling the topic of warming up, which they surprisingly hadn’t really covered in a prior episode, and challenge the common understanding of what a drum warm up should be. Then they hit the ground running into the topic of the little things; and how more care and attention should be put into the moments or choices that don’t seem as important when compared to other things in life.

On episode ninety five of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt finds himself, once again, recording from a hotel lobby on his day off from tour. The guys catch up and then revisit their previous episode topic after reading some listener responses. Matt presents the topic of drumming as a constant vs. a variable and Tim shares his perspective as a drum hobbyist and dad with young kids. They progress into their topic of “read the Bible”, and challenge themselves while discussing the value of this foundational practice.

On episode ninety four of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt talks about the upcoming tour and filming the music video for August Burns Red’s new single, Backfire. Just as exciting, Tim talks about his recent cooking adventures and the price of eggs. The guys jump into their topic about preparing for a tour and it takes a sentimental turn, then pivot to the topic of counseling and therapy. Tim expresses his distaste for the negative stigma around asking for help, which leads to a discussion shedding light on both sides of the argument.

On episode ninety three of Holy Ghost Notes, Tim talks about getting back behind the drum kit for a worship service for the first time in almost 6 years, and proposes a hypothetical question to Matt. This leads them into the topic of stepping out of your drumming comfort zone. The guys then follow a similar trajectory and Tim recognizes his own shortfalls while taking the same topic of the “comfort zone” and applying it to life and spiritual growth.

On episode ninety two of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim kick off the first episode of the year by talking about how they spent their holidays, recommending games, and chuckling about Jake’s viral Gretzky encounter video. They jump into their drum topic centered around their “drum heroes” or drummers they have idolized/looked up to and Tim catches Matt off guard. The guys proceed with their faith topic, summing up their year in 2022 with a singular word and assigning a new word to 2023.

On episode ninety one of Holy Ghost Notes, Matt and Tim finish out the year with their pal, and semi-frequent guest, Adam Gray. The guys catch up a bit and share some laughs. Adam talks about the humble beginnings and ultimate demise of his band, Texas in July, and hints at some upcoming activity. Then he shares a little about what he’s been up to and opens up about overcoming his physical and mental struggles over the past few years, what he’s learned in his deliberate solitude, and his appreciation for the simple things. Through many a laugh and inspiring tale, we hope this episode bring you joy this Christmas! From Matt, Tim, and Adam - Merry Christmas!