Christmas Eve with Andy James Court

December 21, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
Add Comment

andyjamescourt.jpgIt’s not always easy to go straight from the rush of Christmas preparations into enjoying a reflective and joyous Christmas Day.

If you’re looking for a way to make the transition a little easier you can join me at a free Christmas Eve concert with Andy James Court from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Altone Park Leisure Centre, 332 Benara Road, Beechboro.

Perth-based Gospel Singer/Songwriter Andy James Court has released 3 innovative CD’s, Only You, Two’s Company, and his most recent, Remember, which have won several prestigious national and International awards including, the 1998 ASA Australian Gospel Songwriter of the year, 2004 Gospel Winner of the UK Songwriting Contest, a 2004 winner in the Gospel category of Unisong International, a 2005 Finalist receiving Honourable Mention in the International Songwriting Competition, and 2004 & 2005 Musicoz Runner up.

Andy’s greatest strength lies in his ability to connect with audiences on an open and intimate level. His approachable and humorous character helps build a bond between him and those who attend his concerts.

Andy is no stranger to public performances, and has taken his music to churches, schools, prisons, stadiums and festivals. His concerts and performances have been warmly embraced, and have touched the lives of thousands.

I’ve seen Andy in concert a number of times in the past and I can highly recommend his performances. He performed a Christmas Eve concert last year and one of the guys who dropped in for the evening got in touch with me a number of times afterwards to rave about the concert and thank me for my part in organising the event.

Andy will be performing his own material as well as some Christmas favourites. His style is infectious and his shows feature visually stunning muti-screen muti-media effects. It was wonderful last year to see him connect with the youngest children through to the oldest members of the audience.

I’d love to catch up with you to wish you a happy Christmas in person so I hope you can grab a few friends and join us for a great evening.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Christmas Eve with Andy James Court? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Carols in the Valley

December 20, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

carols_small.jpgI love Christmas in Australia. It’s so good to be able to wander around in shorts and T-shirts and to enjoy the great outdoors on warm summer evenings.

On Sunday night we’ll be at Sandalford Wines for Carols in the Valley, presented by Swan City Church.

The event organisers do a fantastic job each year. Between seven and eight thousand people have enjoyed themselves on the grassy slopes of the winery for the annual Christmas event over the past couple of years. The venue is just perfect for an outdoor event.

The evening will feature Zoe Kikiros from WA Opera, vocalist Dave Smith, Heaven’s Strings Quartet, Outrage Childrens Entertainment and a fifty voice choir as well as a magnificent fireworks finale. There’s always something wonderful about fireworks close up.

A team of us from 98.5 Sonshine FM will be there to say hello to the assembled masses. I always enjoy being able to meet listeners and to promote the radio station to others who are not yet listeners.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Carols in the Valley? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

I just want to be normal

December 20, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

Most of us aspire to something beyond ‘normal’.

There’s a sense in which normal is equated with average or boring so a lot of the time we shun the idea of being simply normal. Yesterday afternoon I was more than happy to be normal.

A couple of days ago I dropped into a pathology clinic for a blood test. I’m never keen to have sharp metal spikes driven into my arms but I put up with it when necessary. The test was simply to check for a number of things such as cholesterol levels, diabetes and a few other bits and pieces.

I visited my doctor for the results and a check up yesterday afternoon and apart from a cholesterol level which is on the border of being high, everything was ‘normal’. In fact, when the doctor got to my Prostate Specific Antigen test he said it was ‘very normal’. With a history of prostate cancer in my family I was more than pleased to hear that my readings are very good in that area.

Most of the time I want to be more than normal but sometimes normal is the most wonderful word of all.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading I just want to be normal? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Male Female Differences

December 19, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
5 Comments

We’re less than a week away from Christmas.

Any woman who has not completed her Christmas shopping is now entering severe panic mode.

Meanwhile, the male of the species is thinking that he should probably start Christmas shopping sometime within the next few days.

What are you like at Christmas shopping? Is it a stressful exercise for you? Have you finished yet? Have you even started?



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Male Female Differences? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Once in a lifetime

December 19, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
Add Comment

You only ever reach 40 once.

I did it around four and a half years ago. Scott Vawser has reached that milestone today.

Even if you’re not familiar with Scott or his blog, how about helping him celebrate by dropping in and leaving him a birthday greeting.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Once in a lifetime? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.