Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 14 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold. Currently, the band consists of lead vocalist Michael Tait, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, guitarist Jody Davis, and drummer Duncan Phillips.

On 5 January 2009, Colman announced he would be leaving The Newsboys to return to his solo projects. At the same time it was announced that Davis would return to the band, after a 5 year hiatus. “I am thrilled to be returning to the band and back with my bandmates, who are some of my best friends,” says Davis, “this is a big change in my life, and I’m looking forward to the tour and new record with excitement.”

In 2009, it was announced that Furler, having toured with The Newsboys since the band's inception, had decided to step back into a support role and would continue as the band's primary songwriter and producer. Because of this, a replacement lead vocalist was required so the band could continue touring. On 9 March 2009, it was announced that Michael Tait, formerly of dc Talk, would be the new lead singer. "Michael Tait will be touring with the band as lead singer with Peter making special appearances throughout the year. Peter will continue with the band and his trademark songwriting and production will remain as he focuses his professional career toward future Newsboys recordings." On 17 March, Tait performed his first full concert as lead singer in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

The Newsboys released the studio album In the Hands of God on 5 May (on Inpop Records) with Max Hsu (Superchick and tobyMac) producing the album. Long-time collaborator Steve Taylor co-wrote all the songs and sang on one song. During their 11 September concert in Orlando, Furler announced that this would be his final guest appearance with the band.

The Newsboys' latest studio album, Born Again, was released on 13 July 2010 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200"Newsboys Album & Song Chart History". billboard.com. Retrieved August 21, 2011. , their highest debut position, and sold over 45,000 copies in its first week. On 12 October 2010 they released the Christmas album, Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday. In 2011, the song "City to City" from GO Remixed was featured in the trailer for the Disney Pixar movie, Cars 2.

Newsboys announced they are recording a new worship album for 2011 on their website. It's title is God's Not Dead and is due November 15, 2011.............

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Hillsong Church's popularity in Christian praise and worship music stems from the inauguration of the Hillsong Conference in the late 1980s and the first publication of choruses written by Hills CLC members, especially Darlene Zschech. Their first live worship CD The Power of Your Love was released in 1992. Since then, live praise and worship albums have been produced each year. Other music series include the Worship series, United, Youth Alive, Hillsong Kids and Instrumental series. They have also released two Christmas albums and several compilation albums.

Geoff Bullock's departure ::
Geoff Bullock, the worship pastor before Zschech, resigned from Hillsong partly because of their phenomenal success. He states:

People have said that Hillsong (conference) 95 was my highest moment - the heights from which I fell. Yet if someone asked me what was the worst experience of my whole ministry career it would be Hillsong (conference) 95, because I felt so out of my depth.

I kept thinking, 'I don't know what I'm doing here, I'm unable to be the person that I need to be'. I just can't be Mr Charisma and Mr Excited. That's not me. I'm a quiet, introspective, melancholic type of guy. I struggled throughout the week trying to lead the worship, but feeling very much that I was failing. I really fell apart emotionally within a month of the conference ending.
My face was on all the posters, I was writing songs which everyone was singing, but inside I was asking myself 'Why am I always struggling? Why can't I just rise up in faith and be the man of God that everybody else says I should be, that this movement says I should be?
—Geoff Bullock, reality.org.nz

Geoff Bullock has released a recent album with new songs and a few of his old songs re-written. He spoke with David Adams and Lloyd Harkness at Sight Magazine in an interview on the 13th of August, 2004 "I feel tremendously responsible that I led them [Hillsong Church] along the garden path of being so incredibly enthusiastic and incredibly faithful that eventually I sentenced them to disappointment because I was trying to fulfill something that I could never achieve..."

Popularity ::
Hillsong music is accepted and sung in many Christian churches worldwide. Some Hillsong songs have distinct gospel influences (see Gospel music and Urban contemporary gospel) and this has probably contributed to its acceptance. Hillsong Music titles regularly feature in the top 25 of most songs sung in all reporting countries recorded through CCLI.

People Just Like Us was the first ever Christian album to go Gold in Australia as well as the first to go Platinum. To date, all Hillsong live worship albums have achieved Gold status in Australia. In 1996, Hillsong Music reached international prominence with the release of Shout to the Lord produced by Integrity Music. This was Integrity Music's first live worship album featuring a female worship leader - Darlene Zschech.

The 2004 Hillsong live worship album For All You've Done, debuted at #1 on the Australian Record Industry Association album charts. This is the first time an album of Contemporary Christian music has topped the album charts in Australia. There was some controversy about this outcome as almost all of the albums were sold at Hillsong's annual conference held in early July. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) have defended the outcome noting that the album sold more copies than any other record on sale in Australia that week.

Awards ::
Hillsong Music Australia has been accredited with over 50 gold and platinum sales awards achieved worldwide. Hillsong Music has also achieved many international awards;

* The album Shout to the Lord was nominated for the 1997 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* The song Shout to the Lord written by Darlene Zschech was nominated for the 1998 Dove Awards 'Song of the Year' category at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* By Your Side received a nomination for the 2001 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* In 1999, Darlene received the International Impact of the Year Award from the American Gospel Music Association in Nashville, USA.
* You Are My World received a nomination for the 2002 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* Blessed also received a nomination for the Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* The song My Hope written by Darlene Zschech was nominated for the 2004 Dove Awards 'Inspirational Song of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
* The song Mighty to Save written by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan received the 2009 Dove Awards 'Worship Song of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.

Worship leaders ::
Former worship pastor Darlene Zschech (1995-2007) is perhaps the most well-known worship leader in Hillsong. She is the composer of the famous worship song "Shout to the Lord". Zschech became worship pastor after Geoff Bullock resigned. Bullock had composed most of Hillsong's early songs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Russell Fragar, former music director, played a large part in producing early Hillsong albums until leaving Hillsong Church for Virginia, USA in 2001. Other prominent worship leaders include Reuben Morgan, who rose to fame for his song I Give You My Heart and Marty Sampson who was integral in the success of early Hillsong United albums. Recently Joel Houston, son of Brian and Bobbie Houston, has become one of the Hillsong worship leaders and song writers and has also initiated Hillsong's I-Heart Revolution.

Hillsong Live - Born is the King 2011 musical instruments used by hillsong music
Currently the worship pastor of Hillsong is Reuben Morgan and Joel Houston serves as Creative Director, while Darlene Zschech is a Senior Worship Leader at Hillsong Church and tours throughout the globe with the Hillsong team, whilst still hosting the Creative Stream at Hillsong Conference. The Hillsong UNITED team also tours the globe reaching others with the music that comes from the very heart of Hillsong Church.

Darlene Zschech explained Hillsong's stance in her book Extravagant Worship. She wrote the Hillsong team prayer "Father, let them quickly get their eyes off of us. We just want to point them to you, God, because you are the Author of truth. You are the only One who is to be praised."

Albums ::
Early albums were released solely on cassette and CD. Video recordings of the live albums have also been made for VHS since the second album in 1993, and additionally for DVD since 2000, with increasing additional content such as documentaries and extra songs. The Hillsong United series CDs have included an additional free part-length DVD since 2004. Several music books have also been published. Including all the series (LIVE, UNITED, Kids, Kids Pre-School, Chapel, Español, Youth Term, Youth Alive, Worship, Compilation, Instrumental, Christmas, Preview, KIEV, LONDON) and other special releases (Like The 1st Album, Or Other special recordings) they have more than 125 albums, in 15 series......................

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Music is a calling and worship is a lifestyle. At that intersection of talent and passion, you’ll find Victory World Music (VWM), an eclectic blend of musicians of all cultures, styles and ages. Self defined ‘soldiers of Christ,’ this group of artists is emerging with a new sound of praise & worship. Marching forward with their debut album release, Shake Heaven, their quest is to ‘take back the music’ for Christ.

As Victory World Church introduces their powerful worship team to the world, at the forefront of the church’s ministry is Montell Jordan. Most of the world knows Jordan as the smooth-voiced singer responsible for such mainstream R&B hits as, “This is How We Do It” and “Let’s Ride,” but to fellow believers at Victory World Church in Norcross, GA, Jordan is a man who uses music as a vehicle to transport people into the presence of God. The title track and new single, Shake Heaven is an ear-grabbing wall of sound punctuated by soulful vocals that capture the latest chapter in his musical and spiritual evolution.

Jordan is the first to admit the transition from mainstream music star to music minister wasn’t necessarily an easy one. He and his wife, Kristin, had been attending Victory World Church and Jordan was working on a new R&B album. Kristin was the first to know change was coming. “God revealed to her that I was going to retire from the music business,” recalls Jordan. “In her infinite wisdom, she decided not to tell me that because if she would have told me I probably would not have received that type of message. I had been working on a new R&B album and was preparing to rejuvenate my career. I was doing this while I was serving in church and we were doing children’s ministry because I was an R&B recording artist.”

Within a few months, God’s will became evident to Jordan during a time of fasting and prayer. “During that 21-day fast, God spoke to me and confirmed that I was going to retire from the music business. That was extremely traumatic and a very difficult time for me,” Jordan admits candidly. “There was a lot of uncertainty because the only thing I’d known had been music production, writing, and recording. That defined Montell Jordan. Who was Montell outside of the music world?”

As Jordan wrestled with that question and the uncertainty, God honored his obedience by opening a new door for him to use his gifts. “When I retired I didn’t even have a job,” he says. “I literally left the business not knowing what I was going to do or where this was going to lead, and then the opportunity arose for a position at Victory World Church. It literally was the transition of me moving from R&B recording artist into full-time licensed minister, because of God requiring me to lay down my life to move forward.”

As he moved forward into his calling, it became obvious God had been ordering his steps all along preparing him for the new role he was assuming. “God was very patient with me,” Jordan says. “He just kept revealing Himself to me over and over again saying, ‘I’ve got you. I’ve got you.’ That’s how we were able to make that move completely and there was no looking back.”

For Jordan, the journey began at Carver Missionary Baptist Church in California. “I grew up in South Central Los Angeles in the hood,” Jordan says. “Gang violence was very high in South Central LA and I wasn’t expected to live. Young black men in South Central weren’t expected to live past 16-years-old, but this little church is where I was groomed. That was my schooling and my foundation for music with an old Mississippi preacher named Richard Stubbs. He took a bunch of us kids and locked us in the church and started training us. We had to learn how to accompany him on piano, the organ, drums and on the guitars. We learned how to play music by ear. I served as a musician in the church from the time I was about nine-years-old until until twenty-one. I’ve been in church all my life, so I’ve known God all my life.”

Victory World Music - Shake Heaven 2011 English Worship album band members
That relationship with the Father provided a strong foundation as Jordan moved forward. He graduated from Pepperdine University and though he considered law school his love of music prevailed. He signed a deal with Def Jam Records and soon became one of the industry’s hottest young R&B singers. His vast experience in the mainstream music world now enables him to serve God more effectively in his music ministry at Victory World Church.

“Part of my testimony of being from the secular world of music is I feel like I’ve been behind enemy lines,” he says with a sly smile. “I’ve been a spy going to survey the land and see what it’s like out there. I know what people are listening to, what draws crowds, and what makes the different sounds. There are certain rhythms and chords that just strike within people.”

Jordan’s music experience fused with the passion of the congregation makes worship at Victory World Church an exciting experience. “There are 105 different nations of people represented,” Jordan says of Victory, one of the fastest growing churches in the country. “We do world worship music that crosses all different lines. That’s part of the DNA in Victory World Church as we reconcile the races, reconcile the cultures, and reconcile ourselves to God. I think we’re going to change the way people hear, praise, and worship. This isn’t church as usual. There is no template for what is happening here at Victory World Church right now. There’s no book that’s written to say this is how you do multi-cultural worship in the 2000’s. I think we are definitely at the forefront of something new.”

Jordan is excited about the people he’s working with on Victory’s Worship team. “I get to work with some really talented musicians who are also growing and learning like I am, and that have a heart for God,” Jordan says. “We are trying to sing what we think God would like to hear, to worship Him the way that we think He would like to be worshipped, and not just create a new sound and different ways to say ‘we love you God.’ We also want to be catalysts to inspire the congregation, get the people to press forward, and get into the presence of God.”

The new album, Shake Heaven features original music penned by Jordan and other members of the Victory World Church worship team. The songs are lyrically substantive and musically vibrant, reflecting the diversity of the congregation. “There will be gospel songs, rock songs, and folk songs,” says Jordan. “When you have so many different nationalities represented on the team the music is eclectic, and it’s my job to make sure that somehow it fits together.”

The title track and first single, Shake Heaven, features Jordan’s friend, Beckah Shae. “She’s a ball of fire,” he says. “She’s an incredible vocalist and she’s a worshiper. There’s no question about it. She inspires me.” The album will also feature songs written by other members of the worship team and a couple of songs written by teenagers of the church. “We have some incredible artists at the church including some young writers and performers who will surprise the world. There are three 15 and16 year-old young ladies featured on the album as writers and performers who are amazingly gifted.” Jordan says.

“The album also includes songs featuring worshipers Todd McVicker, Christian Lewis, Tink McKenzie and Dove Award nominee Beckah Shae and also showcases several young upcoming singers, songwriters, composers and musicians with a passion for the Lord that is revealed in songs like Hungry, Breathe, Lifter of My Head, and the unforgettable worship song Usable,” explains Jordan. “Shake Heaven is for the next generation of worshipers to have quality Christian music available to them as an alternative to secular music.”

Another highlight on the project is “These Hands.” “We did that song on Easter. It’s from the perspective of God’s hands talking about the things He has done for us,” Jordan says of the powerful track.

Jordan is excited about the worship at Victory World Church reaching beyond the walls of the church and he couldn’t be more passionate about the new music he’s creating with his team. “It’s a gift to God. I’m giving him back the gift of music that he gave me that I used in the world. I’m giving it to him now,” he says. “Victory World Music is something that will belong to Him and doesn’t edify me as an artist. I want to take the light off of me and focus that light onto Him.”...........

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Grammy®-nominated metal group AS I LAY DYING is pleased to announce the details of their upcoming release Decas and the “A Decade of Destruction” tour; both coinciding with the band’s 10-year anniversary. With over 1,000,000 units sold in the U.S. in just less than 10 years, San Diego metal act AS I LAY DYING will celebrate this milestone with the very special release Decas, available November 8 in North America, November 7 in the UK and Europe, and November 4 in GAS. Decas celebrates the band’s accomplishments by offering three brand new songs, cover songs that pay homage to just a few of the bands that have influenced AS I LAY DYING, and remixes by INNERPARTYSYSTEM (Katy Perry, Ladyhawke, Thursday, Good Charlotte and many others), Benjamin Weinman (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Kelly “Carnage” Cairns (Austrian Death Machine, War of Ages), and Big Chocolate (Asking Alexandria, iwrestledabearonce, Suicide Silence).

In conjunction with the band’s 10th anniversary and the release of Decas, AS I LAY DYING will finish off 2011 with a national headlining tour that will include selections spanning the band’s career. Joining AS I LAY DYING on A Decade of Destruction tour are special guests Of Mice and Men, The Ghost Inside, iwrestledabearonce, and Sylosis. A Decade of Destruction kicks off on November 30 in Long Island, NY and wraps up in the band’s hometown, San Diego, on December 16........

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All across the world, worshippers are raising their voices making the simple, yet profound declaration, “I Give Myself Away So You Can Use Me.” This heart-felt anthem is stirring up a movement of renewed abandon to the cause of Christ. It was penned and first heralded by William McDowell. The song is the cry of William’s heart and the foundation of his worship ministry. Many have joined him in singing this song, but few know about the road William has walked, leading him straight to this place of sharing God’s heart with the world.

William’s humble beginnings on his keyboard at his home in Cincinnati, OH produced the passion and heart for worship that he possesses today. He spent hours alone with the Lord offering up his gift, in return receiving songs that he now delivers in congregations across the country. With a dream in his heart to learn how to effectively produce excellent worship music for the Kingdom, William moved to Orlando, FL. He attended the popular Multimedia Arts school, Full Sail University. While still a student, he became the Music Director for International Praise and Worship Pioneer, Ron Kenoly. Kenoly mentored William and helped prepare him for the call on his life to reach the nations.

After graduating from Full Sail with a degree in Entertainment Business, William went on to become the Worship Pastor at The Gathering Place Church (TGP). Under the leadership of Pastor Sam Hinn, William was able to further develop his gift of leading worship with a prophetic edge. It was at TGP, during a Wednesday night prayer meeting, that “I Give Myself Away” was delivered prophetically by William and Pastor Hinn. William served the multicultural congregation in Lake Mary, FL for 4 years before stepping out to share his ministry full-time. William’s live CD “As We Worship,” was recorded at TGP. That night, hundreds joined together in uninhibited, life-changing worship. The double-disc “worship experience” is currently climbing Gospel and Christian Music Radio and Sales Charts steadily. As for the success of the CD, William says God told him before the release “if you speak what I’m speaking, I will make a way for my message to be heard.”

William now ministers at churches and for conferences across the globe encouraging others to join the movement sweeping the nations. He says his ministry assignment is to declare the truth of God’s word by releasing an authentic sound that ushers people into the presence of God. His goal is to equip others in the Kingdom to carry out that same assignment. You can definitely expect a genuine encounter with God when William leads worship. He is revolutionizing the way churches view the simple act of “loving on God,” one congregation at a time. His assignment and his message are relevant, powerful, thought-provoking and transforming.

When William is not traveling, he spends time wearing another hat behind the scenes. He has written and produced songs for his own music projects, as well as other Christian artists. William also owns a recording studio in Orlando. Delivery Room Studios has hosted Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, Martha Munizzi, Group 1 Crew, Freddy Rodriguez, Dwayne Woods, Trent Cory, KJ-52 and countless others. Just like the artists he’s hosted, William’s musical production is versatile and engaging, all the while maintaining the purity of the message of the Gospel.

William McDowell certainly has a list of growing music industry and ministry accomplishments, but none that he is more proud of than his role of husband and soon-to-be father. William married his partner in life and love, LaTae McDowell, last May and they are expecting their first child in September of this year. William is excited about discovering all God has in store for his family and his ministry. He plans to continue “giving himself away” to be used by God to impact the Kingdom and raise up a generation of worshipers willing to do the same...........

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Christmas time is here again and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree is a must-have addition to your favorite Holiday collection. This album features your favorite Christian Rock artists singing some of their favorite Christmas songs. Bands such Hawk Nelson, Thousand Foot Krutch, Sent By Ravens, Ivoryline, August Burns Red, and many more.

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The Isaacs, a multi-award winning family group who began singing 30 years ago, are based out of LaFollette, TN (30 min north of Knoxville). The vocalists are Lily Isaacs, Ben Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs and Rebecca Isaacs Bowman. Playing their own acoustic instruments and joined by other band members, The Isaacs have a unique style that blends tight, family harmony with contemporary acoustic instrumentation that appeals to a variety of audiences. Their musical influences immerge from all genres of music including bluegrass, rhythm and blues, folk, and country, contemporary acoustic and southern gospel. They perform frequently at the Grand Ole Opry, are active members on the Gaither Homecoming Videos and Concert Series and travel throughout the year performing internationally. Concert venues include civic centers, auditoriums, arenas, fair grounds, parks, churches and other locations. They have performed the National Anthem for many sporting events, including a Cincinnati Bengal's football game, several Nashville Predators Hockey games, an Astros/ Braves pre-season baseball game as well as various political gatherings. They also received a standing ovation for their patriotic performance at Carnegie Hall.

Lily Isaacs is a vocalist and matriarch of the group. She was born in Germany after World War II to two Jewish Holocaust survivors and moved to the United States when she was 2 years old. She grew up in the Bronx, NY studying theatre and performing on Off Broadway and in 1968 recorded a folk album on Columbia Records with her friend as "Lily and Maria." She became a Christian in 1971 when a death in the family brought her and patriarch Joe Isaacs to church for the first time. That night, they began singing Christian music and laid the foundation upon which the Isaacs ministry has been built.

Siblings Ben, Sonya and Rebecca all sing and play different instruments. Ben, the oldest sings and plays upright bass on stage. He spends much of his off time in the studio producing and playing bass on numerous other artists' albums including Merle Haggard, George Jones, a Jimmy Martin Tribute Project and Cherryholmes, and has received 5 Grammy nominations for the latter two artists. He arranges many of the Isaacs songs and is their sound technician on tour. Ben and his wife Melinda and their three children, Jacob, Cameron, & Kyra, make their home in Hendersonville, TN.

Sonya, also living near Nashville, TN is newly married to Jimmy Yeary, and is the middle daughter and mandolin player/ vocalist for the Isaacs. Rebecca, the youngest sister, sings and plays guitar and resides in LaFollette, TN with husband John Bowman and their 2 children, Levi and Jakobi.

Sonya and Rebecca collaborate on many of the Isaacs songs and have penned most of their hits including , "Stand Still" , "He Understands My Tears" "If That Don't Make You Wanna Go", "Heroes", "Elisha's Song It Is Well" and "From the Depths of My Heart" (Sonya and Ben), They have also penned songs for many other artists including Gold City Qt, Trisha Yearwood, Mark Lowry, Vince Gill, Cherryholmes, Mike and Kelly Bowling, Jeff and Sheri Easter, and many others. In 2000, Sonya released a solo country album on Lyric Street Records produced by Vince Gill. She is a songwriter for Disney Music Publishing and appears in the 2009 Hannah Montana Movie as a background singer for Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus.

The Isaacs have made frequent guest appearances on many other artists records including Dolly Parton, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Paul Simon, Vince Gill, Randy Owen, Trisha Yearwood, Ralph Stanley, Mark Lowry, and many more. They enjoy singing and traveling most though, and provide a professional, style sensitive performance wherever they go............

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For starters, Michael Bublé wanted the doors of the studio left open during the recording sessions for “Crazy Love.” He wanted to hear the drums bleed into the horn section. He wanted his fans to feel what it was like in the studio - to feel like they were sitting with him - to have them be part of his experience. So the engineers miked the floor and put up sky stand microphones and it was all recorded just like that with the thrill of the moment in mind – even though the songs were written over the course of 80 years. It wasn’t all that different from the way it might have been in a Louis Armstrong session in the '40s or even Elvis Presley in the late 50s. The strings would get to carry an extra micro-vibration along with the bows. Sometimes acapella - other times with live bands and even huge orchestras - even some sessions with primitive 8-track recording devices that are a rarity in the crystalline perfection sound of 2009. But it isn't just the time period that is crucial but the breadth of emotional territory a man is willing to live through and share by coming clean emotionally -- in front of a bunch of strangers no less.

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Keith and Kristyn Getty have been at the forefront of the modern hymn movement over the past decade demonstrating the ability to successfully bridge the gap between the traditional and contemporary.

Keith and Kristyn Getty are currently living in the United States where they write have just finished their second album together ‘Awaken the Dawn’, a collection of hymns that takes you on a lyrical ...journey of grace and hope for all the nations. This follows their first collection of hymns, the successful 2006 realease ‘In Christ Alone’.

Whether on a recording or leading worship with a congregation, Kristyn's lilting, crystal-clear soprano is an ideal contrast to Keith's richly melodic piano arrangements and accompaniment. An acclaimed soloist in her own right, Kristyn began singing in her family's church in Northern Ireland - a congregation her father helped plant - as a teen. Today she is both an accomplished songwriter and artist, having penned children's musicals and been featured with Christian music's Margaret Becker and Celtic artist Joanne Hogg on the New Irish Hymns series, among her diverse credits. However, since her marriage to Keith two years ago, the plight and power of the modern hymn has won Kristyn's heart too, and she's equally dedicated to reviving the art alongside her husband.

A multi-talented instrumentalist and composer, Keith first learned to play guitar, but later began to study flute which included a summer masterclass under renowned Irish flautist Sir James Galway. Ironically, it was Keith's piano - not flute - arrangements that most intrigued Galway and helped open the world of the music industry to him. Keith has since orchestrated and arranged more than 200 projects for recordings, concerts, theater, television and film, including arrangements for Michael W. Smith's 2004 Healing Rain album, as well as producing and composing (with Kristyn) various projects for the internationally renowned African Children's Choir.

Though he was raised in a Christian home in Northern Ireland, it was ultimately a yearlong study of the life of Christ during his time at university that affirmed and crystallized Keith's faith. Since then, he has carried a passion to communicate the basic tenets of Christianity through music in a universally appealing way. Now, after several years in various aspects of the entertainment industry, Keith has returned to his roots to use his gifts for the benefit of the Church.

"I was challenged by a pastor in Belfast to perhaps try and bring some of what the old hymns of the faith had brought to the Church through the centuries to the contemporary Church," Keith remembers. "I didn't set out to create the modern hymn. I wanted to write songs that contemporary, traditional and liturgical churches could all use."

"There are two reasons we write modern hymns," explains Keith. "First, it's to help teach the faith. What we sing affects how we think, how we feel and ultimately how we live, so it's so important that we sing the whole scope of truth the Bible has given us. The second reason is to try to create a more timeless musical style that every generation can sing, a style that relates to the past and the future."

"Our hope is not in ourselves, it's in Christ," Kristyn says of their purpose. "We want music for the Church to be able to lift us beyond our circumstances and become a plumb line for bringing all of our life experiences to the Truth."

"In the Church, the purpose of singing is to express the community we have as the Body of Christ," his wife, Kristyn, adds. "To try to search for the melodic ideas and song structure that might bring more people in - that's what we're trying to investigate. Is there a way to bring everyone together musically?"

As Keith & Kristyn Getty stand at the helm of an emerging group of new hymn writers today, it seems the Church need not fear the death of the medium in this modern age. With songs that are timeless in theology and melody, much akin to the prolific works of Wesley, Crosby and Newton, it's not hard to imagine the esteemed roll call of the Church's greatest writers will one day include the name Getty, as they carry forward the great standard of the hymn for generations to come.............


Tracklisting ::

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Hi. My name is Matt Wertz, and this is my bio. Usually these aren’t written by the artist, at least at this level- but as I was trying to decide who could tell my story the best, I felt like that person was me. So, I’d like to be the one to tell you where I come from, why I write music, what I’ve seen happen along the way, and where I see things going according to my finite vision.

I’m from Libe...rty, Missouri, but have called Nashville, Tennessee, home for the last seven years. It seems fitting that I would be writing my own biography on the cusp of my first major label release, just as I did eight years ago before releasing my first independent album. This time, though, I’m not trying to play it off like I didn’t write it.

I grew up in a home where I was encouraged to explore and dive into whatever grabbed my attention. Sports? Sure. Art? You bet. Girls? Yep. Music? Obviously. There was no expectation other than to do my best “and let God do the rest,” as my Mom always says. With that kind of freedom end encouragement, I did just that—I played sports for the fun of them, made art because I loved to create, and eventually, I wrote and performed music… because I had to.

My love for visual art led me eight hours from home to the University of Illinois, where I studied Industrial Design. As a result of that experience, music became my respite—my escape from the responsibility of class work. Dorm life served to provide a small, built–in audience who graciously embraced my first attempts at songwriting. Before I knew it, I was recording versions of those songs on my roommate’s computer and burning copies for my new cohabiting fans. Eventually I started playing concerts outside the walls of Scott Hall and made the leap to register my name as a dot-com. That may not seem like a big deal today, but at the time, those were the early, shaky steps I took toward a full-fledged career in the music industry.

Early on, I was shown many graces—like a loan from my parents to pay for the first 1,000 copies of my debut record, Somedays (2001). To assuage their fear that I was throwing my life away, I democratically assured them that I’d get a job after the summer was over. Needless to say, that never happened.

What did happen was that my summer burst at the seams with bookings at camps for high schoolers… which spilled over into a fall schedule of touring their hometowns… which set up a spring full of shows at colleges… followed by more summer camps. Rinse, wash, repeat—and you have the first few years of my career.

The days between then and now have been a series of “baby steps” that have somehow afforded me success as an independent artist. All these things really kicked into gear after the release of Twenty Three Places (2003), the first record I recorded with producer and friend, Ed Cash. The album featured some of the songs that set the tone for the rest of my career—“Everything’s Right,” “Marianne,” “Red Meets Blue,” and “Counting to 100”— songs that are still staples in my set today.

On the heels of the Twenty Three Places release, people started taking notice. Creative Artists Agency got involved booking my shows. Nettwerk took over my management. And a bunch of record labels started knocking down my door. But none of them felt like a good fit. So what did I do? I did what I’d always done: I recorded another record on my own and kept touring.

Ed and I began working on Everything in Between in February 2005, hitting the studio sporadically whenever I had breaks from the road. “The Way I Feel” was the first song we approached and it provided the compass for the record, ushering in an energy and musical depth that redirected my career to a new level. The tone of the record was my musical response to what I learned playing hundreds of clubs a year—I realized the need for up-tempo, lively songs to get the room going. The album also meant a lot to me personally—it was written and recorded during my first dating relationship since college, and much of the album followed the progress of the relationship. “5:19” was written on July 7, 2005, at 5:19 p.m., while I waited for the phone call that would inevitably be the end of that relationship.

Everything in Between was the first record I released with any kind of organized push behind it. We came out of the gates strong, charting high on the iTunes pop charts and filming a video for the song “Carolina.” Some of the songs landed in unexpected places—on TV’s “Brothers and Sisters” and in theaters via movies like My Super Ex-Girlfriend.

Since the start of my career, I’ve sold around 75,000 albums, played shows with Ben Folds, Jamie Cullum, and One Republic, as well as headlined sold-out clubs around the country. This was all done, mind you, as an independent artist. Over time, momentum built and more labels took notice, including Universal Republic. Finally I encountered a label that felt right, a label that could pull the trigger, a label that understood where I was coming from. And so, I signed.

The record that will be released on Universal Republic is called Under Summer Sun and it is a combination of my favorite songs from my first few independent releases, like “5:19” and “Everything’s Right,” as well as four new songs. Among the new tracks are “Waiting,” an introspective bedroom song that deals with the fear that I’m “growing old but not quite growing up,” and “Summer Sun,” my best effort at a nostalgic summer love song in the vein of Stevie Wonder musically and Don Henley emotionally. And the rest of the songs will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys soulful, carefree, singer-songwriter pop music.

How do I know? Because these songs emanate from the pages of my life, and I’ve seen first-hand the way that people have connected with them from their own experiences. In eight years of touring through hundreds of venues, playing three albums’ worth of songs for thousands of listeners, that connection is what fuels my passion. Ultimately, the thing that you and I have here—between the words and the chords and the lights and the beats—that is the thing that encourages me to keep singing.............


Tracklisting ::

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