Ian S. Tschirhart
Songwriter
Songs That Serve the Soul
For the Glory of
Jesus Christ
Hello, and Welcome to
Seventy-Seven Songs!
What would you expect from a man who doesn’t comprehend music theory, doesn’t play an instrument or sing very well, has a poor sense of rhythm, and struggles to sing in tune, but still loves and wants to create music?
Well, what you shouldn’t expect is 77 professionally
recorded, very good songs, and even a few great ones.
I have loved music my whole life. From the songs I heard
on the radio and TV and in elementary school, through
my teenage years when friends and I would share the
music we “found” from various sources, and throughout
the rest of my adult years, I have always been enamored
with music. There’s just something special and unique
about mixing together lyrics, music, instruments, vocals,
etc. to create songs.
Yet, I didn’t possess the skills to write or play music or sing very well.
As a young boy, I used to pretend I was a songwriter. I would come up with song titles and fantasize about my songs “making it on the charts.” A few times I actually tried to pen some lyrics. I didn’t share them with anyone, but one day, a friend of mine looked through my notebook, read some of my “lyrics,” and said, “Hey, this is a pretty good poem.” At that point, I shifted my trajectory from songwriter to poet.
About 10 years later, I caught the songwriting bug again. I bought a used classical guitar because it had nylon strings, which were easier to hold down than steel ones. I learned a few chords and tried to study it in earnest, but I quickly grew frustrated at trying to form the chords, especially some of the more complex ones, and had difficultly grasping music theory. I did, however, manage to write a song using the three chords I could play adequately enough. The lyrics to the song were simple but weren’t bad. One song led to a few more, but I never progressed well enough to be in a band or create more diverse songs. Suffice it to say, that was about it for my songwriting “career.”
But God had other plans.
A short while after I became a born-again Christian at the age of 41, I wrote a “Christian” song called, Little Ol’ Me.
I thought the tune had the potential of being a good song, so I searched the internet for a music studio that specialized in recording other people’s songs for them.
I found one and sent them my sung-out-of-tune, poorly played demo. What they did with it was nothing short of amazing!
The music was beautiful and fit the theme perfectly, and the vocalist put his heart and soul into it. (You can hear this song on this website).
And I owe it all to the Holy Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, God tells Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It’s hard to be any weaker when it comes to musical ability than I am.
The Bible teaches that God gives each believer specific spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit, not for personal status, but to serve others, strengthen the church, and help carry out His purposes.
Different believers have different roles, but all are important—and everything is meant to be done in love.
First Corinthians 12:11 tells us that the Spirit “distributes them (gifts) to each one, just as he determines.” So, the gift of songwriting was not of my own doing; it was given to me by God. Therefore, I cannot boast of it whatsoever.
Finally, I found a way to take my terribly rough songs and have them made into professional recordings. Back then, I sang most of my songs, but not all. When a studio vocalist did a much better job than I could have, I kept their version. That being said, I did manage, after countless takes, to pull off a fairly decent vocal now and then. (How’s that for self-promotion!).
This went on for years, and I was racking up quite a catalog of songs. Then, after I retired from my real job, upon looking for things to do with my time, I discovered Artificial Intelligence (AI). I found an AI song-generating app that allowed you to put your lyrics in, choose a genre, and suggest some instruments for the song. The results of the first few songs I made using this program blew me away!
The floodgates were opened, and I began producing songs like crazy! In fact, I had written the lyrics and had AI create the vocals and music to about 75 songs within a six-month period.
I made videos for many of my songs and posted them on social media, but I thought, I would love to be able to share more of my music with more people; I wonder how I can do that.
So, I came up with the idea of this website.
Although I have written just about as many secular songs as Christian ones, I wanted this site to be a blessing to God and to others. The name, SeventySevenSongs.com, came to me first. Then I had to see how many Christian songs I actually had. Guess what, I had a few more than 77. However, I chose 77 of the ones I thought were best.
My sincerest hope is that the songs God has given me bless as many people as possible.
After reading all this, you might be thinking, I wonder if this guy really did write any good songs. My response would be, “With the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe I’ve created some pretty awesome songs.” And I would suggest giving at least these three a listen: Little Ol’ Me, Tears of Restoration, and Say it with Music.
Thank you for checking out the songs God gave me. I pray they bless you in any way possible.
God bless you,
Ian S. Tschirhart
May I Suggest...
Perusing through 77 songs can a bit time-consuming. May I suggest that you just click on a couple of songs to see if you like them, and, if you do, you could always come back and check out some more at another time.
These collections are of my songs in alphabetical order. That is, the first collection contains the first eleven of my songs according to their titles, in alphabetical order, and the remaining collections go on from there, alphabetically. Therefore, all 77 of my songs are contained within these seven collections. When you buy a collection, you get 11 songs for the price of 7.
Song Collections
You will find the scroll bar next to the time or $1.00 box on each player.
As mentioned, although I sang many of my songs, many others were sung by other vocalists or AI. To know which songs I sang, listen to As Free As Can Be, He is Risen, I Get Renewed, Jesus I Love You Very Much, and Someone Named Jesus to get an idea of what I sound like.
Individual Songs
You will find the scroll bar when you place your cursor just to the right of the $1.00 box. All 77 songs can be found and listened to here.
Song
of the
Month
Every month I will feature a Song of the Month available for free downloading. Here, I will tell you more about the song, such as why I wrote it and some other interesting facts about it.
This month's song is Little Ol' Me. Just after I became a Christian at the age of 41, I wanted to write a song expressing my newly-found faith. I played around with a few chords on my guitar and waited to see what words would come to me. It didn't take long before I had the whole song written. I liked what I came up with but knew it would be a lot better if someone else played and sang it, so I searched the internet for music studios that offered song demo services. I found one, sent them my recorded rough version, and they turned it into a very beautiful song!
Song
of the
Month
Plan of Salvation
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE SAVED
In order to be saved -to receive redemption- you simply need to admit that you are a sinner and have fallen short of God's glory; acknowledge that you cannot make yourself "good enough" for Heaven -only Jesus, the perfect sacrifice Who rose from the dead can, and did, do that; ask Jesus for forgiveness for your sins and accept Him into your heart as your one-and-only Lord and Savior.
Once you've done that, then declare this out loud to others, repent (turn from) your sins, read the Bible to develop your Relationship with God, live out how Jesus taught us to live, and share the gospel -the Good News of what Jesus did and Who He is- to others. After reading the above, pray (talk to God) about it. Ask Him to show you Who He truly is. When He does, accept Him into your heart completely.
I would also suggest that you get a Bible -if you don't have one already, and start by reading the Book of John. Too, find a church that believes the Word of God (The Bible) is the infallible word of God and that teaches Jesus is the Son of God, indeed, is God Himself along with The Father and the Holy Spirit. Join a Bible study group; someone at the church you find and attend should be able to recommend one.
Doing these things will give you a good start in your new life as a born-again Christian. There is no guarantee that your life will be without struggle and strife and hardships, but with Jesus as your Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit guiding you, difficulties will be easier to bear and one day you will be rewarded beyond imagination!
God bless you on your new journey and always!
-Ian
God created humanity for a relationship with Him, but sin has broken that relationship. According to the Bible, all people fall short of God’s perfect standard, and the consequence of sin is spiritual separation from Him. Yet God’s love did not leave humanity without hope. He sent Jesus Christ to live a sinless life, die on the cross in our place, and rise again, defeating sin and death. This act made a way for forgiveness and reconciliation with God, not by human effort, but by grace.
The Bible teaches that a person is saved by trusting in Jesus—believing that His death and resurrection are sufficient to forgive sins—and turning from sin in repentance. This involves acknowledging one’s need for God, placing confidence in Christ alone rather than personal merit, and committing to follow Him. It’s not about earning salvation through good works; rather, good works flow naturally from a transformed life after one has been saved.
Many people trust the Bible because of its historical reliability, internal consistency, and the way its message has been preserved over thousands of years. Its accounts are supported by ancient manuscripts and corroborated in part by archaeology and historical records. Despite being written by multiple authors across different cultures and centuries, it presents a unified message centered on redemption. Beyond external evidence, many also point to the Bible’s enduring impact—its ability to speak meaningfully into human experience across time—as a reason they find it trustworthy.