DAVID FIRTH is a well known composer, liturgical musician, story teller and recording artist in the Pacific Northwest. For more than thirty-five years David has been providing music for retreats, conventions, concerts, weddings, funerals and memorial services throughout the United States and Canada. While David’s music ministry continues to grow (CDs and MP3 downloads are now available on iTunes, Amazon.com, CDBaby.com) he has released a new CD Center Field and is making more dates available for Concerts . David facilitates Retreats and conventions for church groups or organizations for all ages groups, denominations and size.
In addition, David is licensed to Preside at Your Wedding or the Funeral or Memorial Service ( Funerals ) of a loved one.
Ministry in its many, various ways has been a life-style and a passion for David. He has touched the hearts of thousands through his music either on CD, at a live performance, as a key-note speaker at a convention, during a retreat or a wedding or funeral.
David’s vast experience has fashioned his resources, spirituality, creativity and love of ministry that will enrich your life for years to come.
David…”reminds us that we are loved.”
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"There is a quality to any song sung by David Firth that is truly unique...warm yet very passionate." - S.Maranetti-Cinncinati, OH
"I attended a concert of David's 20 years ago while in high school. It had such an impact that when I stepped into a church resently I heard someone singing and immediately knew it was David." - Michelle Trump- Seattle, WA
"I grew up listening to David's LPs...how happy I was to learn they're all on CD now. I have a complete set with me all the time." - Bill Glass-Alberta, Canada
St. Paul encouraged his followers to "pray always". Over the course of my life I have tried very hard to do just that; however the words "pray all ways" are equally as befitting.
Music and especially, singing as been my favorite and most intimate way to pray. And for me, sharing my music, stories, laughter, some times even tears are most precious in a concert setting.
I have had the privledge and pleasure to present a hundred plus concerts all over the United States and Canada. They have been for very small, intimate groups or extremely large convention audiences. And while each one has been unique they all have the same meaning for me...the opportunity to remind people they are loved.
Reminding people they are loved has been a passion for me over the years, because all people regardless of age, culture, demonination, ecconomic and social status, healthy or ill; all of us needs to be reminded we are valued just as we are and deeply loved.
Here is a list of the various groups I've had the opportunity to address in a concert setting over the years:
- Children (1st - 8th Grade)
- High School Student
- Young Adults
- Engaged Couples
- Married Couples
- Divorced or Widowed
- Demoninations: Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Unitarian, Four Square, Church of Christ
Over the years I have been asked to develop a concert presentation based on a specific theme or issue. Here are a few of those themes:
- Please Be You / Self Esteem
- The Life Principle of Love / Learning to make healthy choices
- I Believe In You / God's faithfulness and unconditional love
- Relationships / Engaged and Married couples
- Prayer
- Healing through transition / Divorced and widowed
- Parenting
A concert in any venue is a difficult presentation to do. Personalizing that concert to meet the needs of those attending is an art that, in all humility, I do very well. I invite you now to call me at HeartSongMusic - 503-869-7761 or email me at david@davidfirth.net We can discuss the needs of your church group, connvention or civic organization and book a date.
I have been blest to have the gifts that can make any concert venue an intimate, enriching experience...one that will remind people who attend that they are loved.
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There is a myth about one's wedding day. It basically states that a couple begins their life of love together; their union as two becoming one and their promise to keep that relationship strong and healthy ‘til death do they part on their wedding day. The reality is that a couple who seeks to be married has, for a long while, already cultivating the important seeds of a married relationship in the fertile soil of love. What we as friends and family do is bare witness to your promise toward each other and likewise, vow to you to be there always and in all ways to support you on your life of love together. This is the essence of a powerful, memorable and sacred wedding day. And while the flowers, wedding dress, music and readings are all important elements for a beautiful wedding day, they are also simply an reflection of what has been developed already in the moments and possibly years since the couple first met.
As a licensed Minister of the Universal Life Church, I have had to privledge to participate in literally hundreds of weddings over the past 30 years. I have extensive experience in vertually all areas of planning for a wedding (other than the flower arrangements) in many of the major demoninations and cival weddings as well. One area of importance I can offer if you are in need, is a brief but thorough Marriage Preparation Process. Many times a couple will decide to marry, pick a date and a place, send out the notices, order the flowers and dresses, etc., but have never really taken time to explore how their soon to be life partner feels about some very important issues. The pre-marital process I've developed over the years is called, "My Beloved and I". It covers the following issues that are vital for a couple to have discussed before marrying to insure at least the awareness of the other's ideas, preferences, values and needs:Skip
"My Beloved and I"
Communication Skills
“But honey, I never said that. Weren’t you listening to me?” (Ouch!)
There is absolutely no other element more critical to cultivating a healthy, enjoyable, long-lasting marriage then good communications. Any relationship without good communication skills is like planting a tree shoot and never watering it. The relationship will quickly wither and die. However, a relationship that makes good communication skills a priority…thrives; abundantly, beyond your wildest dreams. You would be surprised at how deeply and often your communications skills; whatever they may be at this time, affects each relationship you are in. Listening and talking, asking the right questions and being open to perhaps unfavorable responses may take a great deal of time and energy. It does get easier, however, with time and practice. Learning good communication skills is like learning to play the piano or studying a foreign language…it is difficult at first; but the more you put into it the easier it gets over time and more you enjoy “the music."
Here are a few ways that you will communicate with your Beloved that we could explore:
- Talking & Listening
- Communicating through touch, affection, sex
- Communicating wants and needs
- Mixed signals
“My Beloved and I” will explore these communication skills with you and create opportunity for growth in any or all areas.
Finances
Finances in a married relationship can be a very sensitive subject. It requires excellent communication skills (see Communications Skills). And unless you and / or your Beloved is wealthy (millions or billions wealthy) it requires looking honestly at your current financial situation, having a vision for the future and perhaps also looking at what your perception of finances has been in the past. Questions like:
- Do you want to own a home, car, boat, etc.
- Do you want to have a savings plan
- Are you comfortable carrying credit
Those are just a few important questions that need to be explored before going into a marriage. The best way to answer those questions is before the wedding day so that both parties are completely aware of and understand the other’s view about finances. A strong and healthy married life is not measured by how much money you have or do not have. It is important though, to break the ice and venture into the subject openly. "My Beloved and I" will keep things comfortably warm to thaw the ice without loosing sight of the importance surrounding the issue.
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Children
Having children is an extraordinary adventure for both parents and child. It does take two to make three, or four or six (as I have). Children are unique gifts that enrich all of life in every possible facet. Having and raising children can be the most fulfilling part of anyone’s life and the life of a marriage. However, children need to be a choice; one that is thoroughly thought through and openly talked about. There are many questions to discuss when considering having children. And I think you’ll be surprised to know that there are no right or wrong answers…it is simply a matter of sharing where your heart and mind are in this matter before that process begins. Here’s a few:
- Do you want children? If so, when?
- Why do you want children?
- As you see it now, how would raising children impact your relationship?
- If you conceived a child before you are ready, will you keep the child?
The subject of raising children is a thread in vertually every topic presented and discussed in "My Beloved and I". It is a decision only the two of you can make. I hope to be a part of fascilitating that discussion so as to assist of getting into your hearts and minds to ready you for whatever you decide.
| Your Wedding |
Extended Family
“We’ve been invited over to my parents’ house for Christmas dinner. How’s that sound to you?”
What would you say to that question? An enthusiastic yes or a dreaded “do we have to?” or maybe at this point, your reply might be a luke-warm ok because you don’t want to rock the boat. It is a fact that when you marry your Beloved, you enter into a different kind of relationship with the members of the extended family, but it doesn’t mean you have to “suck it up”. What it does mean is that you will have the opportunity to deepen the relationships in the best way you know how and, possibly be greatly surprised by the experience. Extended family members can have expectations that are mostly very subtle and unstated. It is up to the two of you to discuss a head of time and at each juncture along the way as to how you will respond to invitations, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. However, unless you’ve probed this topic before marriage, you may find it more difficult to share how you are feeling when the moment is upon you. Here’s a few questions to consider:
- What is your current relationship with your future in-laws like?
- What is your current relationship with your own family like?
- Are you from a large or small family of origin?
“My Beloved and I” approaches this topic gently and considers how you relate to the extended family now with deep respect.
Religion Where It Applies
Most of the couples I have worked with over the past 30 years were affiliated with a religion to some degree. I have been blessed to assist couples from the major religions: Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Episcopal, as well as Four Square, Unitarian, and Christ of Christ. All have their unique message, journey of faith and yearning to serve God and others. One’s faith is very personal and deserves respect and support in living out that faith. There have been several times that I have worked with couples where one person is living out a journey of faith and the other is not or, one is a Catholic and the other Jewish. Faith does not change or begin over night. It is important to look at questions of faith between couples so as to understand and embrace each others’ choices concerning faith. Here are a few questions to consider:
- Are one or both of you living a life of faith? If so, please describe its meaning to you.
- Do both of you live a life of faith but from different denominations?
I have been actively involved in the Catholic Church for most of my adult life. I know how important it is and can be to the family as a unit, but also know how time consuming it can be. Discussing how your life of faith will be lived out as a married couple is a critical element “My Beloved and I” explore knowing we are (always) treading on “holy ground.”
| Your Wedding |
Personality Types
Each of us has our own unique personality that in many ways defines us and shapes our perception of ourselves, others, life, the world and God. We are deeply affected by who has loved us and who has not. We have developed preferences concerning virtually every aspect of life. And our personality grows with time and through relationships. No one is stagnate. Looking at this process in terms of extremes, we grow either bitter or better through the years. Life is forever challenging us. It is important to understand that our perception of self is at the very heart of how we move through life.
When a couple enters into a relationship that leads to marriage, it is absolutely important to know yourself and what your preferences are without any judgment. Who you are now is not who you were five years ago and will be five years from now. The same holds true for your Beloved.
“My Beloved and I” uses personality trait indicators that help you know and understand what your personality traits or preferences are and those of your Beloved’s simply for the sake of knowing. When we have important knowledge about another, we tend to be more accepting, compassionate and caring. Our love deepens and our relationships do too.
Below is a list of personality indicators we could explore:
- Are you an introvert or extrovert? (Energized by being alone or by spending time with others).
- Are you intuitive or sensate? (Views the world from inside or are simulated by external surroundings and needing facts).
- Are you a feeler or thinker? (Approaches issues based on feelings or by logic and thought).
- Are you a perceiver or a judge? (One who sees all the possibilities or one who needs closure to move on).
You may have heard of the above traits as they are the heart of the Meyers-Briggs Personality Test. It is a fascinating tool to understanding yourself and your Beloved without the added pressure of being wrong or right. You just are…you just are your Beloved’s. The time spent on this topic will open up some very wonderful opportunities to know and embrace each other more fully.
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Call Or Email Today
This might sound a bit funny, but I want your wedding day to be as enjoyable, memoriable and meaningful as you do. Let's to do together!! You can email me at david@davidfirth.net or call me at 503.869.7761. We can set up a date to begin preparations, plan time to go through "My Beloved and I" if you'd like and discuss my fee. Please keep the word NEGOTIABLE in mind as we discuss my fee.
I am blest to be married to my best friend; My Beloved. We work hard on our relationship and know the joy and peace that comes from such effort. I have worked with couples for almost 30 years and I would very much like to be a part of your lives as your friend and Presider.
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At the ripe old age of 19 I made my first retreat. It was an all men’s retreat called a Currsillo. That weekend was to beginning of a new life of faith, spirituality, community and service. Since then I’ve attended several retreats and have been blest to have worked with some of the finest retreat teams I could ask for.
And in that time, I learned what is needed to plan for, develop and facilitate quality retreats for virtually any age group, denomination and culture. I have also been asked by dozens of dioceses, archdiocese and non-Catholic churches across the United States and Canada. It has always been amazing to me that while each group is uniquely different; all need to hear the same message…God loves you unconditionally.
That one theme flowers into many petals of issues:
- Prayer
- Living out Scripture
- Faith in God and Self
- Community
- Service / Gifts
- Finding God in the little things
- Relationships
- Making loving, healthy choices
- Living through transitions
One other aspect to my experiences of ministry is doing workshops and key-note speaking at conventions. Here is another opportunity to address groups of all ages, sizes, cultures and denominations focusing on a specific theme.
I invite you to call me at HeartSongMusic 503-869-7761 or email me at david@davidfirth.net and together we can begin the process of planning and developing youir upcoming retreat or convention.
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“We will remember you…remember you, as loving us.”
Gathering with family and friends-remembering-healing. The beginning of a new chapter of your life without someone you love. Loosing someone you love to death can be a very painful experience and process. Life as you knew it has changed. There is an empty seat at the table of your life. It is important to process this, to face the emptiness and invite your memories and those of your family and friends to weave a tapestry of sacred moments to be wrapped in.
I have been honored to provide music for hundreds of funerals and memorial services over the years. As a licensed Minister of the Universal Life Church, I have also presided over many funerals integrating religious and non-religious rites. I have assisted families and friends prepare for funerals and, most notably, have sat with several individuals who were dying and together we planned their own funerals.
If you are in need of someone to walk you through the process of planning for a loved one’s funeral, I encourage you to call me at 503.869.7761 or email me at david@davidfirth.net. I have many resources available for you in the major areas of a funeral such as readings, music selections and musicians to name a few. We can create a memorable, customized funeral service that will assist you in the process of your healing, creating that tapestry of memories of your loved one that will last you the rest of your life.
Presiding at a loved one’s funeral is something I take great care in doing. I have an enormous amount of experience and I do it well. Call or email me today and let’s begin that new chapter of your life without your loved one…a chapter befitting of loved one’s life and the life you shared.
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Booking Info.
(503) 869-7761
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© David Firth/HeartSongMusic 2007