About Kairos

Kairos is a Greek word that means "the opportune time." Unlike chronological time, kairos marks the moments when God intersects with our lives. My hope is that through biblical lyrics, listeners will see these divine moments all around them.

Every song has a short write-up on where it came from, the full lyrics, a player, and an MP3 download. Play a whole album, or pick the songs you want. It's all free.

If you'd like new songs sent to you as they're released, you can subscribe on Substack. That's free too.

John 3:16 is where the 316 comes from.

Who's behind it

Kairos is essentially me, Tom Bernthal. I spent twenty years as a Lutheran pastor, and over those years I wrote the lyrics for many of these songs. I always intended to put them to music somehow. Many times I had a basic tune in my head that I'd sketch out. Sometimes I didn't have much at all.

With recent improvements to digital audio workstations and sampled instruments, I started experimenting with creating the music fully digitally. That's what this project is.

Most of the songs are original tunes that I've plunked out on the piano, hummed, or whistled. From there I build chord progressions, harmonies, and the other instrumentation around the melody. Once the framework of a song is laid down, I sing the lyrics and use a tool called Melodyne to correct some of my off-key moments. Then I use a tool called Audimee to swap in a richer-sounding voice and handle the key changes for the higher notes I simply can't reach anymore.

For me it's just a fun process, seeing what's possible and making music without having to play every instrument or hire a band.

Occasionally a tune is a public-domain melody that I've rearranged for a more modern sound. Sometimes the lyrics are public-domain hymn texts that I've given a new tune. That happens most on my next album, Cantus Nua ("new song," a mix of Latin and Irish), which comes right after I Am. The name says it: new songs built on either old tunes or old lyrics, but new in at least one way. On that album I started experimenting a lot with flute, pan flute, and violin, and studied Irish step dancing and traditional Irish, Scottish, and American folk music to flavor some of the arrangements and new melodies.

If you enjoy the music and would like to help defray the cost of the software and website, you can buy me a coffee ☕