Spark+Echo Arts: Music

"I'm Small" is from a song cycle, "Cities", personifying biblical cities. It is sung from the point of view of Bethlehem, specifically inspired by the passage in Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

The bulk of this song was written a few years ago before my wife Emily and I had kids, imagining a small Bethlehem embracing this news, but it didn't come into focus until jamming with my then 20-month old Walter. I guess it takes playing with someone small to finish a song about smallness.

Jonathon Roberts: vocals, piano, drum programming 
Emily Clare Zempel: vocals
Ariana Rosen: violin
Kevin Gosa: soprano and alto saxophones, backing vocals
Meaghan Burke: cello, backing vocals
James Hall: Trombone, backing vocals
Walter Roberts: backing vocals

Music, lyrics, and production by Jonathon Roberts

Buy on Bandcamp

I'm Small

Christina Hanson's dramatic compositional piece uses a woodwind quintet to explore the story of Paul's conversion found in Acts 9:1-9, 17-22 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The story of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 is a staple in most Christian households. Oftentimes believers miss the truly dramatic nature of the story. Saul “breathes murderous threats” to the believers, sees a vision only he can see that tells him to change the trajectory of his entire life, and ends up preaching to the world the very thing he persecuted so fiercely. In "Damascus Catalyst," I let the text inspire the musical shape of the piece, beginning with the formation of Saul’s “murderous threats”, following his transformative journey on the road to Damascus, and ending with his proclamation of the Gospel.

This piece uses some contemporary compositional idioms but injects them into styles that are familiar to many, especially the style of hymns. I was inspired in part by two hymns, which can be heard fragmented throughout this piece: "Jesus Christ is Lord Today" (an obscure hymn tune I have only found in one hymnal but evertheless fell in love with) and "Christ be our Light" (a more modern Catholic hymn tune). By using these fragments as a backbone for the whole piece, Saul clearly appears as a character that transforms as the thematic material transforms.

The style of the piece is somewhat derived from musical theatre, using dramatic tension to tell a story. To this end, I was inspired by the versatility of the woodwind quintet—its ability to be as quiet as a small wisp of a thought, be as frightening as an unexpected vision, and to capture the jubilant cries of a recent believer as he proclaims his newfound beliefs. Loosely, Saul’s character is “played” by the horn, and you can hear his thought process rattling around in his head throughout the piece. By following the thread of the story from the beginning of Damascus Catalyst to the end, the listener can experience this vignette of Saul’s life—God’s presence, as a catalyst on the road to Damascus, transforming Saul from ruthless tyrant to relentless advocate of the Gospel.


ARTIST BIO

Christina Lauren Hanson is a composer, music educator, pianist, violinist, student, accompanist, and entrepreneur based in Appleton, Wisconsin. She is currently a candidate for the Bachelor of Music degree in Composition at Lawrence University in Appleton and has studied under Joanne Metcalf, Asha Srinivasan, and Lawton Hall. Her compositional career began in at a very young age, and since then she has written pieces for a wide variety of instruments including piano, strings, and woodwinds. As she studies composition, she finds myriads of ways to showcase God’s beauty through the medium of music—a medium that has been used to worship God since the beginning of time!

Christina frequently performs with her string trio, The III of Us, and lends her talents as an accompanist, pianist, violinist, and leader for choirs and worship teams in the Fox Valley (including for Bended Knee Ministries and Lawrence Christian Fellowship). Currently, by teaching piano, violin, and music theory, writing music for commissions, using her entrepreneurial skills, and trusting God’s guidance, she is putting herself through college so she can further hone her compositional craft to glorify the Creator. In the future, she plans to keep exploring music as a channel to reach others for Christ not just through composition but also through teaching and performing.

When Christina is not doing any of the above, she enjoys the company of her many friends and comrades, taking care of plants on her family’s apple orchard (she has thriving succulent and vegetable gardens), drinking coffee and tea, reading, improvising on her grand piano, listening to Christian radio drama, swing dancing, and volunteering in the children’s ministry at her church.

Damascus Catalyst

Damascus Catalyst - Christina Hanson

Taking the voice of an outsider looking in, and with a sound reminiscent of Patsy Cline, Taryn Randall's song of longing and mystery explores the community and supernatural events found in Acts 4:31-37 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT

When I first read this verse, I had a really difficult time relating to it.  Giving up everything you own for the good of those around you is very counter-cultural, especially when living in a city like NYC, where so much meaning is placed in your career and possessions. Writing from the perspective of someone inside of this lifestyle didn't sit right with me, so I decided to turn it around and write from the view of a person looking in.
 
As an outsider, the two things that stood out to me the most in this passage were the supernatural event of the meeting place shaking and the deep sense of community.  The house shuddering is a physical event, something tangible that can be seen and felt. The community speaks to all of our need for love and companionship; it's a gateway to the greater story of God's ultimate redemption of the world.


ARTIST BIO

Taryn Randall is a native Californian who has lived in Brooklyn, NY the last 4 years.  She recently finished recording her first full length album under the name COTE and is releasing the first single at the end of July.  When she's not working on music, Taryn is a jewelry designer for a number of companies, including her own, Jefferson NYC.  www.jefferson-nyc.com

House Shudder

House Shudder - Taryn Randall

Aaron Beaumont’s new song explores the psychedelic nature of Peter’s vision leading to his introduction to Cornelius as described in Acts 10. 

FROM THE ARTIST:

Acts 10 is an incredible – incredibly wacky – story. Intense heat, a meditation sesh on a seaside rooftop, culminating in a trance where exotic animals appear out of thin air THREE times. Raving mad or psychedelic?  Either way, Peter looks kind of like a person who, I confess, I would take pains not to sit by on the subway. This made me wonder, “What WOULD this story look like if it happened today? What would I have done in Peter’s shoes?” That’s the basis of Narwhal and Ocelot… that, plus, the irresistible opportunity to come up with a bunch of rhymes for “ocelot,” which I’ve never had an excuse to work into a lyric (and it was still a stretch) #lifegoals.

Joppa becomes L.A., my beloved former home and a place not especially scared of a little casual afternoon rooftop meditation (possibly paired with hot yoga). Peter’s dietary restrictions? So L.A.! Having grown up a vegetarian, I get it, and still dabble. I too would abstain from eating narwhal and ocelot, probably even if I thought it was the Lord’s bidding?

And therein lies the crux of this story: it isn’t simply that Peter gets this zany vision, but rather, that he also acts on it; traveling to a whole new city to rendezvous with an officer from foreign occupying forces. Highly taboo. And the outcome of all these absurd, weird decisions was (likely) the first non-Jewish Christian community. I, for one, as a healthy skeptic, given to perhaps excessive rationalization, would probably have dismissed this vision out of hand (perhaps even as a byproduct of the “shellfish that I ate”). But as an artist, and moreover, as a human, I’m constantly challenged to act on a tenuous vision – to organize my life around a conception of reality that is frequently at odds with the actual reality I’m confronted with.

In a recent interview, Todd Rundgren says something to the effect that he’s an idealist and boldly believes in a bright future for humanity – and as a result, he often finds himself angry at humanity for regularly challenging this organizing principle. Acts 10 illustrates the conundrum perfectly: the problems of perception and apprehension, and the elusive, complicated, sometimes absurd, and often frustrating nature of chasing a vision. This time, it works out for Peter. But what do we do with all the days when the crazy, transcendent rooftop vision isn’t accompanied and affirmed by an ensuing knock at the door?

ARTIST BIO
Aaron Beaumont makes music for stage, screen, and practically any other thing, whenever possible.

As a writer and performer, he’s shared his work in wide-ranging venues from the Sziget Festival in Budapest to KCRW Santa Monica to Theatre 80 in the East Village to the main stage of the West Hollywood Carnaval. L.A. Weekly wrote that Aaron’s music brings “a new life to the ancient music-hall/pop piano-man tradition, with clear-headed songs of genuinely witty lyrical oomph and, most of all, a historically informed musical depth – all delivered with style, grace, wit and elan, of course.” Most of which, Aaron’s mom agrees with, depending on the day.

He was a recent finalist as a composer and lyricist for the Fred Ebb Award, and premiered a new song cycle, Midtown Antoinette, with French soprano Lorelei Zarifian in April for Florida Tech/Foosaner Museum/WFIT. He’s currently developing a handful of musicals with collaborators in LA and NYC. Occasionally he helps produce outrageous Rebel Bingo raves such as L.A.’s Globe Theatre for Night on Broadway 2016.

He works as a producer/arranger/music editor for the Gregory Brothers, and is thrilled Sarah asked him to write for Spark and Echo. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys playing the piano, eating, making coffee, drinking coffee, going for brisk walks, being near coffee, and writing brief autobiographical sketches in the third person. www.aaronbeaumont.com

Narwhal and Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions)

Narwhal And Ocelot (Dietary Restrictions) - Aaron Beaumont

Singer-songwriter Anthony LaMarca worked with his brother to bring us a beautifully thoughtful song in response to suffering and Revelation 21:5 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

FROM THE ARTIST: 

This song is based on Revelation 21:5. This past August I found out I had multiple myeloma. It was a big shock and ultimately resulted in my having to have a bone marrow transplant in January. Before I went into the hospital my sister-in-law and her kids made me this painting that had that verse written on it. For the two weeks I was in the hospital that painting was something I could return to and find peace and reassurance. I was scared and uncomfortable. I missed being home. I missed cooking. But I knew that that verse was true. My body was being renewed. Learning to trust and face fear head-on is not easy. It’s hard to give up control, but it is also freeing to realize when you are in a situation that is out of your control. So, this song aims to illustrate a change from fear to reassurance and peace.

ARTIST BIO:

Anthony LaMarca is a musician from Youngstown, Ohio. He currently plays in The War On Drugs, sometimes with Dean & Britta, and previously with St. Vincent. He and his brother, Angelo, make records as The Building. He also has a wonderful German Shepherd named Petra.

All Things New

All Things New - Anthony LaMarca

The new work by musician Justin Keller of Land of Leland captures the sense of overwhelming awe found in the heavenly vision as described in Revelation 4:2-8.

FROM THE ARTIST:
I was always fascinated with Revelation when I was a kid. I didn’t understand the symbolism (not that I do now), but the images it conjured up in my imagination were astounding. I wanted to capture some of that daydreamy wonder with this song. My normal tendency is to pile lots of stuff onto an arrangement to build it to a climax, but I decided it would be better here to give the listener the feeling of being dropped into this amazing scene that has started long ago and shows no signs of stopping or creating a crescendo.
 
I also went against my initial instinct with the words I chose to set. The “Holy, holy, holy” chorus is the obvious choice, but it’s been set to music many times by superior composers. I ran the passage by an editor friend of mine, and he fixated on the “full of eyes around and within” phrase. As it’s repeated, it can take on different meanings, which I love. When I first read it, I just imagined these heavenly creatures with many eyes. As I recorded the song and sang and heard the phrase over and over, its meaning shifted according to my mood and what else was on my mind. I hope the listener has a similar experience.
 
A few nerdy notes about the music: I came up with the rhythm section parts by using some serial composition techniques with the numbers in the passage. I love having numbers to help me set limits on my musical choices. The saxophone part was improvised as I looped the backing parts and thought about the passage. Sort of my own musical narration.

ARTIST BIO:

Started in Brooklyn in 2007, Land of Leland is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Justin Keller. LoL’s releases include a self-titled EP and a full-length record, Home/Away, which just came out in April on Primary Records. Justin occasionally plays shows with different iterations of the band, from solo to sextet. More info at www.LandofLeland.com.

Lion, Calf, Man, Eagle

Lion, Calf, Man, Eagle - Land of Leland

We are thrilled to feature a follow-up version of Noah Lekas’ solo blues song, “Don’t Let Me Be Put to Shame.” This song was originally commissioned by Spark and Echo Arts in 2011 and is a response to Psalm 25 and Psalm 91. Now with a full band, Kenyon Adams & American Restless have ramped up the original and will be releasing “Shame” as part of their debut EP.

FROM THE ARTIST:

Noah Lekas: I really liked the idea of contending with God for His name’s sake – as if to say, “I know I am not worth helping, but You have to help me because of who You are.” So the song is sort of exploring that and this idea of being completely out numbered and surrounded in a Psalm 91 sort of way, with nowhere to turn but to the Lord.

ARTIST BIO:

The personal histories of Kenyon Adams and Noah Lekas (American Restless) have converged at the crossroads of the blues, where black music of the American south meets the Midwest, much as it did during the 1950's as many southern blacks (including Muddy Waters and Little Walter) headed north from their sharecropping communities to seek job opportunities and play for dollars on the city streets.

The blues was never nihilistic but presented a gut-wrenchingly honest spirituality which was, in its deep concern for the human situation, both theologically and philosophically concerned. The music of Kenyon Adams & American Restless seeks to represent these aspects of the blues in our post-postmodern setting in which we live among a generation which, while being privileged and educated to an unprecedented degree, is perhaps more confused and discontented than any in recent history.

To this picture and in this scenario we wish to contribute our own "cries" out to God in solidarity with all who struggle to reconcile inner longings with the besieging cruelty of the mundane.

Band Instrumentation: Inspired by Muddy Waters Band, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Little Walter, Jimmy Hendrix, Elmore James, among others.

Shame

Shame - Kenyon Adams & American Restless

Actor and sound designer Matt Bittner presents an intriguing musical exploration of the meal Zacchaeus shared with Jesus, and the change it had upon his life. This work is in response to the theme of “meals” and was inspired by Luke 19:1-10 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
When I first began to think about this project, I was attempting to view modern day meal experiences through a biblical lens. For example, a question I asked myself early on: “How can I somehow extract the beauty of the gospel (or the trinity, or Love) through the picture of a shared meal?” Then I thought of a small portion of a sermon I had heard during Lent. The speaker, as part of a larger theme, briefly examined the significance of Jesus sharing meals with people. He spoke of the act not as some spiritual gesture (or as a physical gesture wherein the spiritual world was magically accessed) but as the real life, every day, human event of sitting down to talk and eat. That event is necessary. So, I imagine, because Jesus knew this, much of his time of uplifting, teaching, nurturing, and redeeming was spent sitting down to talk and eat with people. After all, when we eat, we truly rid ourselves of all pretense of being anything other than simple humans with needs. And only then (it seems) can we begin to practice the world-toppling exercise of seeing others as simple humans with needs too.
 
I then reinvested in the project with a different approach: to find a biblical example of a shared meal as it ought to be. Suddenly the story of Zaccheus, which I’d known seemingly forever, took on a new meaning. There is an embittered, unloved outcast working selfishly to fortify himself against a world of which he is so wholly terrified and with which he is so wholly angry. He hears tell of a man that selflessly gives himself to a world with which he is so wholly in love and by which he is so highly esteemed. The outcast pushes himself to his physical limits just to catch a glimpse of what it must be like to truly live in communion with others. When Jesus spots the lost soul alone in a tree, he calls him down. Not to offer a sermon, not to lay hands on him, but to ask if Zaccheus would like to experience true community through hosting a group of people and eating with them. (I understand that the text does not clearly state that food was part of the deal, but culturally it would have been implied.) Zaccheus finally experiences the wonderfully simple reality of communion. The result? He does not suddenly have friends thronging to his house. Nor does he begin to preach. He doesn’t even leave his home to follow Jesus as so many did at the time. He instead subverts a lifetime of fear with a brave leap into generosity. He begins a new life of love and community.
 
This is the story I hope to have captured with this song.

ARTIST BIO:
Matt Bittner is an actor and sound designer based out of Ridgewood, Queens. He has composed original music and designed sound for collegiate, regional, and NYC theatrical projects. He holds an MFA in acting from Rutgers University and his musical education comes primarily from church and participating in choral groups in school. He is currently performing in Much Ado About Nothing — the first of this year’s Free Shakespeare in the Park productions.

Fellowship, Food, and Redemption

Fellowship, Food, and Redemption - Matt Bittner

Banjo player Cameron DeWhitt joins us for a look at yeast in his new piece Leavener. The work is in response to the theme of “meals” and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Recently I made the switch from commercial yeast (like, from the packet) to wild Philadelphia yeast. And boy, it’s sure made a big difference in my bread. I got my sourdough starter from my neighbors, who got theirs from a friend, so I like to think that all of our loaves and boules and baguettes are related.
I had a conversation with my good friend Jon Roberts about baking sourdough and maintaining a starter. Apparently some starters are very fragile; the yeast inside will die if they have any competition for the available sugars. He used to work at Sullivan Street bakery in Hell’s Kitchen, and when he’d try to bring home a lump of starter it would start producing acetic acid before he could use it. Once removed from its sheltered existence in one of America’s finest bakeries, it couldn’t handle the pressure of the real world, and allowed itself to be eaten up and turned to vinegar.
So, I’m proud to eat bread with the hearty and worldly yeasts of Kensington, Philadelphia. It’s yeast is like it’s people: determined to survive, willing to fight, and not deterred by a little pollution or systematic oppression. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven is spread. It’s a resilient culture, and it’s all around us, waiting to be fed.
If your culture is eating itself, and getting sour in all the wrong ways, throw it out, and start a new one. Maybe you need something a little less fragile, a little less pretentious. A culture that won’t disintegrate at the first sign of stress.  Chances are, you know someone who can help get you started.

Special thanks to Christian Guerrero for mixing this song. 

ARTIST BIO:

Cameron DeWhitt is an American clawhammer banjoist and songwriter born in Portland, Oregon. His live show is interactive, with sing-along sections, open discussions about song themes, and storytelling. His self-titled record is available on Bandcamp.

Cameron’s songs explore themes of love, death, marriage, judgment and forgiveness. His lyrics display a quick, profound wit, enriched throughout with weighty metaphors and literary cross-references. Through personal and biblical stories, he prompts the listener to contemplate the definition of love, the character of God, and the human struggle towards hope and redemption.

Cameron has developed a unique, melody-driven banjo style. While fluidly shifting modes and meters, he quotes popular melodies, improvises with other musicians, and makes musical jokes. His songs feature trumpet, string bass, drum set, complex vocal counterpoint and improvised solos.

Cameron lives with his wife, Rebecca, in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, where he is a part of the Circle of Hope Community. He plays an Ome Jubilee banjo with a Moon bridge and a John Balch goat skin head.

Leavener

Leavener - Cameron DeWhitt

We are thrilled to welcome the band, Lowland Hum, to Spark and Echo Arts with a new song in response to the theme of poverty and 1 John 1:5; 2:4, 9-11 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“The Father” was written on a day off during our first cross country tour. As we read through the scripture in 1 John, a few ideas struck and inspired us. The passage dramatically draws attention to the disparity between our identity as children of God and the way we treat one another. The subject that we were assigned by Spark and Echo was “poverty” and as we read the scripture we recognized our own poverty in a profound way. How can you say you love the father if you hate your brother who is made in His image? It is so easy for us to take a self-protective stance, putting others down, even if its just in our minds, to escape our own darkness and inadequacy. The story of this song is written in hopes of drawing attention to the lack inherent in our love for one another, especially in our families. At the end of the song, we hope to refocus on the freeing and glorious character of God, our only way toward wholeness. In the contrary way of Jesus, we aim to tear our eyes from our inadequacy and to dwell on His goodness and overabundance. In this act we are on the path toward healing, change and we are given the strength to love. In our poverty, He is rich.

ARTIST BIO:

Lowland Hum is Daniel Levi and Lauren (Plank) Goans. Hailing from Greensboro, North Carolina, the duo met in 2010. They married in 2012 and spent their first year of marriage touring the East Coast. During this time they began writing the songs that would become their first album, Native Air.

Since releasing Native Air in August 2013, Lowland Hum has performed for 70 audiences in 13 states. Combining Daniel’s musicianship and Lauren’s inclinations in visual art, Lowland Hum’s shows are a multi-sensory experience, engaging sight, sound, smell, and touch–inviting listeners to be fully present and reducing the space between artist and listener. During performances, Lowland Hum readily shares the stories behind their songs and invites listeners to offer real-time reflections.

Lowland Hum tours full time, playing house shows, listening rooms, colleges and universities, and other spaces conducive to an intimate listening experience.

The Father

The Father - Lowland Hum

Musician Aaron Kruziki brings us this beautiful and intricate song in response to the theme of “lies” and Ephesians 4:25 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“When We Lie” is a piece based on Ephesians 4:25: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Because we are all part of one body, we are part of one another. Humans are all part of a collective consciousness that bends and folds, opens and closes, much the same as a lotus flower. As a lotus flower opens at dawn, it’s neighbor  opens as well. At dusk, when the flower starts to close, it’s neighbor follows suit. Much in this manner,  humans open and close, often simultaneously with our neighbors, friends, lovers and strangers. When we close off, we don’t see others closing, and often assume we’re the only ones that are closing. This closing is the lie. This lie, whether it comes from family, friends, or ourselves, is this act of closing. We  are dishonest and go about our lives in a state of denial, making these lies sound true and be true. With  this new false-truth, we start to close, often not realizing how the lie affects those around us. When we  face the righteous truth within us, we start to open, and often find others open around us. Like the lotus flower opening with the sun and closing with the moon, we are all connected. The lies we tell neighbors and ourselves connect us, just as the inner-truth connects us. We have to make a choice: to choose the inner truth or the false-truth. We make the choice to either face our demons or to avoid them.

ARTIST BIO:

Wisconsin born and bred, Aaron Kruziki is a dynamic musician and composer, educator and producer.  Residing in New York City, Aaron’s training in jazz and classical music, his inherent ability to find good in all music (from David Bowie to American Barbershop), and his belief that every person may reinvent themselves to find happiness, sustains his artistic output.  As a saxophonist and clarinetist, Aaron has received consecutive degrees in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory and Western Michigan University, studying with George Garzone and Trent Kynaston respectively.  Aaron has received grants that include the Emerging Artist Grant from the Greater Kalamazoo Art’s Council, and in 2012, was commissioned by the Chelsea Music Festival to compose music based on John Cage’s “Lectures on Nothing”.  Aaron frequently performs with Andy Milne’s “Dapp Theory”, and is an active member of the Brooklyn D.I.Y. scene.  His voice moves fluidly from woodwinds to synths and vocals, performing in genres ranging from avant-pop to education reform rock and jazz.  Aaron has had the honor to perform at major music festivals in Canada, Europe, Africa and America.  In his spare time, Aaron likes to garden and practice yoga.

When We Lie

When We Lie - Aaron Kruziki

Anna Paddock’s beautiful song captures the seeming simplicity of Lydia’s conversion juxtaposed with the depth of the life changing event in Acts 16:13-15 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

This song is written from the perspective of Lydia. As I spent time reading this passage, it struck me as an interesting conversion story. Lydia seemed to have her life in order and wasn’t in a state of physical need or apparent desperation of any kind. She was already a follower of God, had a family, lived in the city, and was an established working woman. And yet, on presumably just an ordinary Sabbath day, she heard a message from strangers that inspired her to believe and be baptized. “The Lord opened her heart”, it says, and I wonder what that felt like to her in that moment. It’s a mysterious thing, and yet I can relate to the feeling of knowing that our seemingly mundane existences can be interrupted with inexplainable heart awakenings and understandings, and it was a reminder to me to stop and listen.

ARTIST BIO:

Anna Paddock is a singer-songwriter and pianist based in Brooklyn, NY, although her family roots are in Manitoba, Canada. Anna studied piano at Trinity Western University and then received her Masters in Music Theory and Composition from New York University. Anna has collaborated with filmmakers, choreographers, and other songwriters as a composer and vocalist, and released her first solo album, “Feel Better” in 2013. She currently teaches in New York, and recently released a self-titled EP “The Lay Awakes” – a collaboration with her husband (rockstar Canadian paralympian) Patrick Anderson. Anna and Patrick make their home with their baby boy, Stanley, and are members of Resurrection Williamsburg Church.

Stop Listen

Stop Listen - Anna Paddock

Musician and native New Yorker Russ Flynn has created a delightfully funky new work in response to the theme of eavesdropping and Ecclesiastes 7:21-25

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“Rumor Mill” is like a game of involuntary telephone; a conversation being overheard, perhaps taken out of context, and restated with misinformation/imperfection. There are two main voices, panned left and right, that begin a conversation. Another voice overhears and restates; but imperfectly. The process continues with the addition of two more voices until what remains is a complete adultery of the original statement having little to do with the original source, or conversation. In reading the passage from the scripture I was reminded of the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that stated, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” That also had influence on my thought process. There are so many hours in a day; those who concern themselves with the business of others will only find their time wasted while those whose business they’ve concerned themselves with have moved on to bigger and better things.

ARTIST BIO:

New York native Russ Flynn is a Brooklyn-based producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. Russ tours, both nationally and internationally, in the rock-oriented and improvisation-based music worlds. He is a member of Great Good Fine Ok, Glass Elephant, Alexandra Stewart’s band, Lewis and the Nathan Parker Smith Large Ensemble. He has also had the pleasure of working with such varied artists as Rubblebucket, Elliott Sharp, Natalie York, Sean Lennon, Le Zhang, Bartosz Hadala, Anthony Coleman and Hafiz Shabazz.
In 2010 Russ completed his graduate work at the Aaron Copland School Music where he studied composition with Michael Philip Mossman and Darcy James Argue. Russ has also studied with Alexander Stewart, Ben Allison, John Rivers, Joe Capps and John McKenna, among others.

Rumor Mill

Rumor Mill - Russ Flynn

Composer and musician Dan Musselman uses his musical talents to express the multiplying power of generosity. This work is in response to the theme of “meals” and was inspired by Luke 3:11 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Being generous does not deplete one’s own resources, but rather multiplies for the good of all. Whether regarding clothing, food, money, or energy, the gifts that we offer are exponentially increased by God to enrich and impact the lives of those around us. If we play just the small part that we are each allotted, our combined efforts transcend the single contribution that we individually make and coalesce into something profound and meaningful, capable of sustaining everyone in a self-supporting system based on compassion and giving.
 
“Do the Same” was composed with this mindset. No single part dominates the piece or demonstrates virtuosity. There are only small offerings from each voice that combine to make something larger and more beautiful than the sum of its parts. The individual parts may be even somewhat disjoint from one another—through different time signatures, harmonies and rhythmic cycles—but the collective result is that each part becomes affirmed in its role as the conglomerate grows to forge new meaning and conviction, just as we are called to work together within the body of Christ.

ARTIST BIO:

Dan Musselman started studying Suzuki piano at the age of 5 but had a very eclectic musical background. Beginning in middle school, he played trumpet in the concert and jazz band, and played guitar in rock bands. Dan would go on to receive the full ride, Diana Ross scholarship to attend McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he completed his bachelor’s degree in piano performance in 2008, graduating summa cum laude, salutatorian, and was the sole recipient of the “Outstanding Student Award.” Dan’s solo CD, Ruminations (2008), which contains all original improvised material, has over 200,000 plays on internet radio. 

Beginning in 2009, Dan has been teaching full-time at McNally Smith College of Music, teaching piano courses and lessons, music theory, and ear training. He has lead his own ensembles at the major music establishments in the Twin Cities, including the Artists’ Quarter and the Dakota Jazz Club, in addition to performances with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, John Moulder, Brian Hemstock, and many others. 

In 2013, Dan released his album Devotion–a jazz album is based off of books of the Bible–which has received airplay on over 200 radio stations internationally. He also is a musician and arranger for Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Dan is is currently finishing his doctorate in composition at the University of Minnesota, and is expected to complete his degree by January of 2015.



Do the Same

Do the Same - Dan Musselman

Theatre artist Timothy Giles explores the movement of Revelation 9:1-6 in the composition of his new song, “Abyss” for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My background in music is varied, but the explanation for the way I work on pieces like ‘Abyss’ is best understood through my work as a theatre artist. I have a habit of getting myself in over my head, taking on opportunities that put my skills in the crucible. It’s a habit that delivers varied results, but the best chances to grow. Most of the music I wrote before being asked to compose for my first play has never touched another person’s ears. Even though I knew that the best experiences I often had were having music that I created or performed fit into an experience that went beyond me, whether that was people dancing to a band or seeing physical theatre backed by something I had written. Because I have always experienced music physically.
 
I love music for its ability to seemingly take over my body and I create music from that inspiration. When I went searching for the Bible verse I wanted to use for this project I was of course pulled to this passage, to its intense imagery and action. I wanted the movement inherent in the story to guide the music, and I wanted to do my best to capture the specific vision, dark and chaotic, that the verses created in my head. There’s extreme conflict in these lines: A hell on earth permitted by God whose end is only torture and no absolution, hope and longing for the comfort of death that is never answered, and mercy for some at the expense of others.
 
As a piece all on its own these verses are terrifying–as dark as the Inferno. I tried to work as much of this as possible into this composition–the conflict, terror, chaos, and longing. Each line becomes a piece of a movement in this musical representation. Though this is not my first attempt, I am not a composer of great orchestral music. That has been my crucible for this project. But it was a journey I was glad to take and I hope I have grown from it.

ARTIST BIO:

Tim Giles is primarily a theatre artist. He serves as the Assistant Director of HUB-BUB in Spartanburg and also works as an actor, composer, sound designer, teacher and whatever else presents itself. As a sound designer and composer he has worked exclusively on new works: the collaborative You Need. Go Search., Wallop by Charles Cissel, Treasure Island adapted by Jay Briggs, The Reckless Season by Lauren Ferebee, Organic Shrapnel by Charles Cissel, how i learned to become a SUPERHERO by Dennis Flanagan, and Blood Potato by James McManus.

Abyss

Abyss - Timothy Giles

We are pleased to release a composition by musician Meaghan Burke, a response to Jesus’ foretelling of his second coming in Matthew 24 in which he describes to his the disciples that all the horrors of war and famine will be a mere prelude to the sorrows of the apocalypse – only “the beginning of birth pangs.” This work was commissioned by Spark and Echo Arts 2012 Curator James Hall. Meaghan holds degrees from Yale University and Konservatorium Wien.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Meaghan, with a few concerns: 
This image of birth led me to imagine the chagrin that earth must feel to be told that all the catastrophes it suffers, from earthquakes to civil war, are nothing in comparison to what will come.  I envisioned the earth as a mother unable to believe that, after suffering over and over and over again, there is any suffering left to spare. The song alternates between the perspective of this weary world, forced to destroy the children it has borne, and that of a human being, with the very human concerns of being separated from those she loves (“what if I am taken and you are left?”) and being deceived by the so-called “false prophets” (“what if I see Him where I’m not supposed to?”). The final chorus asks, simply, in an anguished bluesy lament, why anyone or anything would build such a beautiful thing as this world, only to destroy it.

ARTIST BIO:

Meaghan Burke’s debut album Other People’s Ghosts (for cello and voice) sounds like what would happen if if Jacqueline Du Pré were raised on rock and roll, and folk, and cabaret, and blues, and free jazz, and spent too long in Vienna. Or if Tom Waits picked up the cello, drank several pots of coffee, and had a sex change. Whatever that means.

Above all, Other People’s Ghosts is about stories – of bedbugs, of bedfellows, of things like love – and Burke’s rich yet vulnerable, smoky-toned voice and deep, growling cello keep these stories playing over and over in our heads long after the last track is finished.

reverbnation.com/meaghanburke

a few concerns concerning the second coming

a few concerns concerning the second coming - Meaghan Burke

Guitarist and composer Mark Lettieri’s “Spark and Echo” explores God’s role as the one true judge of man. This work is in response to James 4:12 and the theme of destruction for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

James 4:12 states, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?” (NIV).
I came across this verse while researching the biblical theme of destruction. I had planned on composing a piece about the literal destruction of something physical. I wanted the song to be dark and maybe even violent (which led me to Revelations first, of course). But when I found this verse, I ended up writing a song about destroying something emotional; ultimately a song about love. What I took from this verse is this: without God, we’re constantly tempted to judge and chastise others, as if we’ve always lived a life free of sin ourselves. This song is about the idea that as Christians, we must destroy that desire to judge, and replace it with a showing of His love instead. The heavy layered rhythm guitars, drums and strings represent the tearing down of this judgmental attitude, with the bright melody representing a reconstructed view built on love and respect.

ARTIST BIO:

Mark Lettieri is a guitarist, composer and producer residing in Fort Worth, TX. Originally from Menlo Park, CA, Lettieri moved to Texas to attend Texas Christian University, earning a B.S. in Advertising/Public Relations. After graduation in the spring of 2005, began pursuing his music career.

Since 2008, Lettieri has been a member of jazz/fusion band Snarky Puppy. The band tours heavily, performing an average of 150 shows a year in the US, Europe, Asia and most recently South America. In January 2014, the group received the Grammy Award for “Best R&B Performance,” for their collaboration with Lalah Hathaway on Brenda Russell’s song entitled “Something.”

Aside from his work with Snarky Puppy, Lettieri also travels occasionally with neo-soul songstress Erykah Badu, and NBC’s The Voice: Season 2 contestant Anthony Evans.

When not on the road, Lettieri is a session guitarist in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Proficient in a multitude of styles, he records and performs in virtually every genre of popular music. He works with several independent artists as well as major labels. Recent recording sessions include work for 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Adam Levine, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, LeCrae, Keyshia Cole, and Xzibit. He is also a member of Team SKP, a production collective led by award-winning producer Symbolyc One (Kanye West, Beyonce).

Since 2010, he has been a member of the house band for “Marcus & Joni,” a morning talk/variety show broadcast in 200 countries on Daystar, a Christian cable network.

As a composer, Lettieri has released two guitar instrumental recordings, “Knows” in 2011, and “Futurefun” in 2013. Through tours with Snarky Puppy and social media network shares, both records created sizable buzz in the indie guitar community. Lettieri looks to tour abroad with his trio in the next year.

Spark and Echo

Spark And Echo - Mark Lettieri

Trees of the Field is an original song reflecting on 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and Isaiah 55, written and performed by Wendell Kimbrough for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Trees of the Field is a reflection on the value of work in a broken world. Does our work matter? For all the time, toil, and frustration we put in, will our work ultimately be of any value? The song wrestles with these questions in light of 1 Corinthians 3 and Isaiah 55. It sees the Corinthians passage as posing a question to which Isaiah 55 suggests answers.

ARTIST BIO:

Wendell Kimbrough grew up in tiny Mt. Olive, Mississippi, listening to his Dad’s James Taylor, Randy Newman, and Simon & Garfunkel records. After a short stint playing bluegrass in the Carolinas in college, Wendell landed in Washington, DC in 2007 to help plant a church. Though he’d been songwriting since high school, it was the support and encouragement of his friends in DC that gave him the courage to begin pursuing music as a career. Since putting out his first album in 2009, Wendell has shared the stage with Damien Jurado, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Revolver, and Dennison Witmer, to name a few.

Find Your Way Home

Trees of the Field

Trees of the Field - Wendell Kimbrough

Composer and guitarist Lily Maase explores the theme of healing in her beautiful and personal new work in response to Dan. 10:8-19 for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
 
I took this commission almost on a whim nearly 18 months ago, and when I was assigned “healing” as a theme I had a sense that I might write something that was a sort of sideways nod to my life as an adult learning to live with a trauma disorder, or some oblique reference to my unpleasant childhood, and that would be that.  I let the idea percolate for a bit, and went on about the business of trying to make a living writing music and playing the guitar.
 
And then…
 
Eight months ago, I was driving home from a rehearsal and was stopped at a red light when I became aware of a familiar presence beside me in the van. Unknown to me at the time, three blocks behind me a carjacker had just stolen a vehicle at gunpoint and was speeding in excess of 70mph an hour down Bedford Avenue, trying to flee the scene. Two seconds later I was involved in a rear-end collision that totaled seven vehicles, dislocated my hips and one shoulder, and broke the necks of the two people who were in the car directly behind me. I survived.
 
I might not have, and since that moment I have had an awareness of a powerful force at work both within my body and in my life.
 
The sense I have of it is, I had begun to think I was “healed enough.” My life was sufficiently positive and proactive for a person living with my condition, and I had learned to live and be content with the things in my life that just weren’t quite right. I was Doing Okay, and that was fine by me, so I had stopped working on myself.  So once again, I was grabbed. And I was shaken.
 
Here’s the thing about PTSD: it lives in your body like a parasite. Like a parasite, you sort of get used to it and it becomes a familiar companion. An old friend. So, if you want to get rid of it, you have to encourage it to let you go. You don’t let IT go. Because having PTSD is like being possessed. And when you are strong enough to let it, little by little IT lets go of YOU.
 
The accident completely changed my plans for the future, because it forced me immediately and irrevocably out of denial and back into my body. It completely changed my concept of myself as a person who HAD healed, into a person who HAD TO heal. In order to recover from the dislocated hip, the tear in my shoulder that has left my left arm with an uncontrollable tremor, the whiplash, the herniated discs–in order to get my life back, I have had to . . .

To Read More Visit: http://www.sparkandecho.org/look-out-below_lily-maase/

ARTIST BIO:

Lily Maase is a country, rock, jazz and classical guitarist and composer educated at the University of North Texas and currently living in Brooklyn, New York.  She was raised in New Mexico by her father, the guitarist Steve Maase, who is still a local legend in their hometown. Steve, Lily, and Lily’s younger sister Arielle all teach and play the guitar professionally, which makes their love of the instrument a bit of a family business.

Lily is currently the lead guitarist with the Rocket Queens. She has toured nationally with the Suite Unraveling, JP & the Gilberts, the High Life Band, and as a solo artist and educator.

Lily’s playing has been featured in All About Jazz, Teen Vogue, Nylon Magazine, the Weekly Alibi, New Mexico Magazine, Vans.com, Guitar World’s Acoustic Nation, Maxim.com and the New York Times. She is endorsed by Godin Guitars.


Look Out Below

Look Out Below - Lily Maase

Musician Daniel Brew explores the theme of healing and Mark 5:1-20 in his hypnotic piece, "Away and Began," for Spark and Echo Arts' Bible Illumination Project.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

[...] I was concerned about setting the scene. I want to take the listener on a journey and help them feel, be it only a reflection, something of the transformation that we see in Mark 5. I also want the listener to enjoy sound. Not just relationships between sounds, such as harmony and rhythm, but simply the sounds themselves and how they are all beautifully and complexly detailed in themselves, but then come together to paint a picture which I have tried my best to reflect the narrative we read in the Gospel of Mark.

To Read More, Visit: http://www.sparkandecho.org/away-and-began_daniel-brew/

ARTIST BIO:

Daniel Brew: At the age of 17 I moved to Manchester from my hometown of Cleethorpes to study music. I have just recently finished those studies and graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a 1st class degree in Music. My principal study was guitar and I feel was very fortunate to be able to study with some great world renowned musicians both from the jazz world and the classical. Having the opportunity learn form such excellent and inspirational teachers has helped me to excel greatly in many areas of my playing and overall musicianship.

During my final year studying at the RNCM I began working closely with a composer and teacher of mine called Mauricio Pauly for whom I recorded one of his most recent compositions written for solo electric guitar. This was a huge learning curve for me and provided the main platform for me becoming involved in contemporary music. I am currently preparing some more pieces in preparation for a concert with his ensemble, Distractfold. I have also recently been offered a place to study at Impuls 2015 Academy for Contemporary Music in Graz (Austria) that will be taking place in February for 13 days.

I now work as a self-employed musician in and around the north west of England and I am always involved in many different projects covering a wide range of musical styles. I have my own contemporary jazz trio (Apes Grapes) in which I do the majority of my composing and we are all very influenced not only by jazz but a wide range of contemporary music which no doubt leaks into our compositions.

I have also recently started working with the Architectural Association Interprofessional Studio in London exploring ways of translating structure and spatial design into/through music, challenging the frontiers of working in between art, architecture and performance.


Away And Began

Away And Began - Daniel Brew

Spark and Echo Arts is creating or commissioning a work of art, music, theatre, poetry, dance, or film in response to every verse of the Bible.