Sara Bethany Ham - Wanna be Brave

Is the only good uplifting LDS music available found on Sunday radio programs? Is there anything out there with a good beat that isn’t preachy? ABSOLUTELY and you’ll find a ton of it featured on The Neighborhood Jukebox.

One of the great new artists featured on the site is Sara Bethany Ham, and you can catch her awesome new song, Awake, off her debut album, Wanna Be Brave, in the pop/rock/alt section of the neighborhood jukebox.

Greg Hansen sent me an e-mail a while back introducing me to his first artist, Sara Bethany Ham, with his new label “Eagle Springs Records”. I was really excited about her sound and voice.

An excerpt from Sara’s website bio, gives us this bit of background:

Even though Sara has been singing her entire life, she discovered her love for music at the age of 14 when she joined a mixed choir as a freshman in high school.

After graduation in 2004, Sara attended an enjoyable first year of college at BYU-Idaho…Late in her first semester, her mom, who says she is Sara’s biggest fan, called from Southern California and told her about a vocal competition to record on Jenny Phillips’ 2006 Young Women’s album in Utah. Sara flew to Salt Lake City and competed with 130 girls for the chance to record “I Call Your Name” on Jenny’s Arise and Shine Forth album. Sara won the competition, was chosen to record the song and felt very honored to have her picture put on the cover of the CD. Sara was then invited to join the prestigious Jenny Phillips’ fireside Group and it was here that she realized she had found the right path.

“Wanna Be Brave” is an upbeat and truly contemporary album with songs full of energy and positive messages teens will love. And that is just who Sara is trying to reach…teens.
As Sara told me “The reason I made the album…when I’m performing, for the youth especially, the main point I want to bring out is the youth can be who they are and still be cool. The youth don’t have to lower their standards to fit in.”

And she should know, barely past her teen years herself, Sara survived those crazy confusing times strong in faith and determined to help other youth stay on a positive course. “Wanna Be Brave”, the title song of her new album, is all about being brave enough to be true to the faith in this world of temptation. And Sara has made it her life’s mission to inspire the youth of today to reach higher and “Be Brave”.

While her first album is a major accomplishment she is even excited and proud of her upcoming wedding to fiancé Kimball Mack. They first met during a High school choir festival in Las Vegas then met again at BYU after Kimball’s mission. Best of all…he sings too! I have a feeling that music will be playing a great roll in their life together and hopefully continue to bless the lives of others.

So do yourself a favor and check out Sara Bethany Ham at The Neighborhood Jukebox or at www.sarabethanyham.com and find out for yourself what great contemporary LDS music is all about.

Till I write again,
Julie Keyser

Return to the Neighborhood.

Hilary Weeks Workshop with NSAI

Have you ever juggled your aspiring music career with the pulls of your family? Ever said to your spouse “Honey if I can just get this one song to be picked up by an artist it will be worth the cost of the demo.” Or “If I can just perform out enough I can build a fan base” and yet in the process feel torn by the needs of your family and the restraints of your budget? HELLO…you are not alone.

So when the idea was presented to me to have Hilary Weeks give a workshop for the Utah chapter of NSAI, (Nashville Songwriter’s Association International of which I recently stepped down as head coordinator), I thought great! But I wanted her to present something that was unique for the group. My co-coordinator, Cami Morrison, came up with the perfect thought. How to balance your music career with your family life.

Who better than Hilary Weeks? Hilary has a family of her own, travels year round to concerts and speaking engagements, and is very popular with Deseret Book’s “Time Out for Women” events. Just take a look at her schedule on her website at and see for yourself.

Is her life a bit hectic? Yes…but she has a wealth of information to share about how she manages her own journey in the crazy business of music. This is a unique opportunity for those of you seriously looking into a songwriting/music career or who are trying to make it right now in the business and feel that constant tug and pull between family and finance like I do. After Hilary’s presentation we will allow our NSAI members, along with a few non-NSAI members, to have a short group evaluation of a song. Hilary will be participating in the song evaluations.

Refreshments will follow.

Hilary is a much sought out speaker and performer and she has offered our NSAI group, since we are a not-for-profit organization, a special rate so we are able to offer an incredible intimate evening with her for only $15.00 for NSAI members and $20.00 for non-NSAI members on Wednesday October 8th from 7:30-10:00 pm. The location is the Piano Gallery at 650 S. State St. in Orem. Please e-mail me, Julie Keyser, at keyser65@msn.com if you would like to attend.

Over the last few years the Utah chapter of NSAI (Nashville Songwriter’s Association International) has been privileged to host some of the best songwriters in the country, several of whom live right here in Utah.

NSAI is committed to helping aspiring and independent songwriters craft songs which are commercially marketable and give them the tools to move forward with their music careers. NSAI does this by offering monthly workshops; through it’s over 100 chapters worldwide, where songwriters come together for one hour lessons, developed by any one of NSAI’s pro-songwriters, followed by an hour of individual song evaluations lead by a trained coordinator.

So if songwriting is in your blood, as it is mine and thousands like me, do yourself a favor and check out NSAI and see what we can do for you.

Until next time,
Julie Keyser

Julie Keyser ©Sept. 2008

Jennifer Griffiths: Inspiring others with “A Song and a Prayer”

Just the other day I received this invitation from my good friend Jen Griffiths via e-mail:

"I decided...to share my music with people online again, but with a little different approach than I did last time. So, Jen Griffiths Music is officially online! My site www.jengriffithsmusic.com has a free weekly 5-10 minute podcast called "A Song and A Prayer." Each podcast has an inspirational message followed by an original song. Let me know what you think!"

So...I checked it out, like any good friend would, not realizing what a difference it would make in my life by just listening for a few minutes. But before I go into what a difference it made for me that day let me get you caught up on Jen Griffiths the person, the singer/songwriter extraordinaire...the friend.

I first met Jen through the www.ldsmusicians.com website. She was looking for a co-writer and I answered the call. We found out afterwards that we lived less than ten minutes away from each other. Our first co-write attempt was the song "Tempted" found at the www.theneighborhoodjukebox.com pop/rock/alt section and while it turned out to be a great song, and has had a few labels and artists seriously consider it, it hasn't gone farther than the demo stage at this point...however, the best thing that came out of that first co-writing experience together was a lifelong friendship.

In time we became part of a foursome of singer/songwriting women that included Jen, myself, Lindy Kerby and Stacilee Whiting. We performed our original inspirational music at Relief Society Enrichment Night gatherings and even the state prison. Our theme was always the same: "Don’t be so hard on yourself for not being perfect. The Lord loves you and we are all human and make mistakes." We gave this message in our own inspirational and somewhat corny way but hearts were always touched.

Jen always sang one song in particular called "Forgive Yourself" that really addressed the theme of our musical mission as a group. It's a light pop song with a deep message. In our first performances I would play backup on my guitar to her keyboarding while she sang the song. We felt like such rockers...in our own highly toned down Mormon Mom sort of way. But only this past weekend did that song effect me at the level it was truly intended.

When I got Jen's request to check out her site I was dealing with some personal issues and feelings of discouragement. As I listened to Jen's story and prayer that went along with her song "Forgive Yourself" I started to feel the Spirit and then as the song played I became deeply touched by the words...

"She'd been told she was beautiful, but each time she looked in the mirror she saw a thousand flaws appear. It's an age-old story of which we've become a part by expecting perfection from all we are."

Then the chorus hit me hard

"Every tree has hidden scars. Every sky can turn gray, but the bird still loves the old oak's branches and we still pray for rain. If we can look beyond life's imperfections then why not our own...forgive yourself your human."

I couldn't get through the song without the floodgates of my tear ducts opening up...thank heavens I was by myself.

Well okay, my writing of the words does this song no justice at all, so do yourself a favor go to Jen's website at www.jengriffithsmusic.com and discover for yourself the powerful healing effect of Jen's beautiful pop vocals blended with her incredibly inspirational lyrics. The website isn't perfected yet so be patient with the downloads cause it's definitely worth the wait.

And now, so you can get to know this great musical talent, Jen Griffiths, better I've included her bio from off of her website and asked her to answer a few questions for me as well.

Jen Griffiths is a singer-songwriter, originally from Northern California, and has been writing music for almost 20 years. Jen has performed her original music in numerous venues and has been mentored as a writer by some amazing music industry pros. She currently resides in Utah County with her husband and three children.

What was the underlying inspiration behind your new website theme of a "Prayer and a Song"?

Well, that's exactly what it was--inspiration! The idea for the podcasts and the title "A Song & A Prayer" just came to me all at once. When you get those kinds of ideas (that are whole and complete) you know they are not something that originated with you, but rather from a Greater Source. I had all these songs that I had written and all these experiences that I could share with other people and I knew I needed to do it, so I acted on that inspiration.

What do you hope to accomplish in the hearts of your listeners?

My greatest hope for my listeners is that they will feel a renewal of hope, an uplifting of spirit, and a measure of peace when they hear the messages--that they will reconnect with the Source of all strength and joy, which is God.

Where does your inspiration for each song you write come from?

I find inspiration everywhere--life, people's, trials, celebrations, phrases I hear people speak, stories--everything has the potential to become a song topic!

Will you be performing again anytime soon so we can hear your terrific music live?

On the FAQ page of my website I answer the question "Are you available for presentations?" The answer is yes. The page gives more specifics on how to go about that, but interested parties should email me at jen@jengriffithsmusic.com to check availability.

Until next time,
Julie Keyser
© By Julie Keyser

Return to the Neighborhood.

LDS Musicians Festival 2008

Getting our peculiar groove on.

As I write this I’m recovering from six months of planning, organizing, and near stomach ulcers from helping put together this year’s LDS Musicians Festival for 2008 sponsored in part by www.ldsmusicians.com and www.yourldsneighborhood.com and several other great sponsors.

Our group, of die-hard internet musician friends at www.ldsmusicians.com, has been together and growing since 1999 when folk singer and founder Brad Thompson first put out a call to the World Wide Web in search of other LDS Musicians. The first to answer the call was LDS hard rocker Mark Hansen. Since 2000 there has been a yearly gathering of some of our members to share music amongst ourselves and the community almost every year.

This year, with the help of www.yourldsneighborhood.com and many other great sponsors like www.modestbydesign.com, a few of my favorite online music friends were able to meet face to face and share an inspiring weekend of music at the Springville Arts Park and at Showtime Utah, www.showtimeutah.com, in Pleasant Grove Utah. Everything from rap to soft Sunday sounds was heard as we came together for our annual fest. Most arrived in spirit though since our members, nearly five-hundred, are spread around the world via the internet and getting to Utah to attend is expensive.

Friday night was dedicated to the youth, a first for our group, and while the numbers were small (note…text messaging among teens is the best advertising…try it next year) we showed the teens of the Springville community that came that you can rock hard, like Mark Hansen, with positive songs or dance to great beats and clean lyrics with the help of DJ Shawn Phillips of Movin’ fm 100.7 in Utah and hip-hop artist Arythmatik from Arizona.

Arythmatik is a Mormon hiphop/rapper who focuses on positive and clean living messages for the youth with his very urban sound. My teenage son and nephew totally loved his style and had a great time when he performed, especially when he had my nephew get on stage to show off his break dancing skills.

My nephew also loved break dancing on stage with Alex Boye Saturday night at the end of our headliner concert featuring the great folk/jazz/singer/musician Sam Payne and Alex Boye fabulous pop artist and Mormon tab choir member. The concert opened Saturday night with power house singer Jen Marco Handy and her group “Shine” and blues man Neil Bradley Owen. It was a great concert on a gorgeous summer evening with only a few crazy sound blips due to wind. Thanks to the support and efforts of the sound engineers with London Sound we were able to have the best sound, overall, our fest has ever had.

Saturday, during the day, was filled with a chance to meet and hear the music from new and old friends of our group like children’s songwriter Annie Bailey, members of the beautiful harmony group “Musically Inclined”, Mark Hansen, Sam Payne, Steve Brown (this year’s Fest President), Neil Bradley Owen, and many more including some we’d never heard of. They came in from the community to hear the music and wound up sharing their own during our open mic.

This year we celebrated one more first that everyone agreed was great fun…The “Green Jell-O Awards”. A clear plastic fancy swirled trophy with a picture of a bowl of green Jell-O in the middle and a little green plaque below telling what the award was for. A homage to the early fest’s days when a few bigwigs of the LDS music industry referred to the fest gathering as a ward talent show on steroids and a “Green Jell-O” event. Our founder took that as a complement as we are the music of the people…but hey, as they say “We’ve come a long way baby”. And as Greg Hansen, of Sounds of Zion noted when he joined us this year “I can’t believe how much talent is in your group?”…Yup, indeed we’ve got that covered. Our awards were few but fun with such areas of achievement as “Longest Poster”, “Most Encouraging Member”, “Farthest Traveled”, etc. with our first “Life Time Achievement” going to Mark Hansen.

Since I had been so busy preparing the fest behind the scenes, and taking care of my family over the last few months, I had only briefly noticed that I had been put on the “Songwriter’s in the round segment” for Saturday afternoon. Songwriting rounds, often seen in Nashville bars and clubs, are where a few selected songwriters share the stage and take turns sharing the songs (often well known ones) they’ve written. The songwriters generally don’t make them famous, the singers do, but there’s nothing like listening to the heart of a songwriter as they sing a popular radio tune the way they first played it out on their acoustic guitar.

So when it was time for me to get up there I wound up on stage in between two very well seasoned performers Sam Payne and Neil Bradley Owen (who not only write their songs, but make them popular by singing them in concerts often) along with Mark Hansen who’s usually heard singing his songs to a rockin’ minus track. I felt so unworthy, especially considering I’d hardly had time to practice and was the only one up there of the four of us without an album. But it was a blast to perform again, nervous as I was, and be the one who could be counted on to humor the crowd with my inability to remember my own lyrics.

Sunday was the culmination with our music devotional held at the Showtime Utah theatre in Pleasant Grove. Joan Peterson, who is known in Utah for hosting the “Sounds of the Sabbath” on KOSY 106.5 every Sunday, graciously allowed us to use her theatre for free. It had a great sound system and we were able to hear from such terrific singers as Jen Marco Handy, Lindy Kerby, Musically Inclined, songs by Annie Bailey with her young guest artists Hannah Ford, Natalie Gale, as well as Jen Marco Handy singing with her sweet daughter. Award winning songwriter Steve Brown endeared the crowd to his wonderfully funny folk style when he sang his hilarious song “Sister Hathaway’s casserole”. Nicole Sheahan with her beautifully unique vocals, Mike Weingarten, Jen Marco Handy and Lisa Harris with the group “Shine” also shared some amazing songs. The evening ended with the powerful and soulful vocals of Hope Goshurn and Kavita King singing “When You Believe” from the musical “Prince of Egypt”. Punch and cookies were served afterwards in true Mormon style.

So now, that months of planning are done and my life is slowing down again, I’m left with the wonderful memories of another fest, ideas on how to make it better next year, and plenty of leftover pop and snacks that didn’t sell…a near year supply of junk food which are making great fillers in my kid’s lunches.

Take care, till I write again and I hope you will join our LDS Musicians fest next year and discover some great new artists in person.

Julie Keyser

Return to the Neighborhood.

You're Invited to the LDS Musicians Festival

To all my Musically inclined Friends, family and associates,

Your friends at LDSMusicians would like to invite you to attend the annual LDS Musicians Festival, sponsored in part by yourLDSNeighborhood.

I'm excited to let you know of a three day music festival coming up August 15-17 in Springville, Utah. I've been helping with the committee for the LDS Musicians festival over the last several months and we're so excited with the entire weekend's programs . . . and it's this next weekend.

Friday night will be a youth dance for ages 18 with DJ Shawn Phillips of FM 100.7 and a fashion show put on by Modest by Design as well as live entertainment.

Saturday is the main portion of the LDS Musicians Festival with opportunities for all kinds of musicians, singers and songwriters to share their stuff, and,

Saturday night, LDSmusicians.com will be hosting Sam Payne and Alex Boye in a fabulous concert. Saturday night is a music devotional that will be held at the Showtime Utah Theatre in Pleasant Grove.

Both Friday night's dance and Saturday's concert are paid events. Everything else is free.

Please check out Arhytmatik, LDS Fest 2008 or Showtime Utah for more details.

Also, for those of you living in Utah you can catch one of two interviews that Sam Payne, Lindy Kerby, along with me, are doing to promote the fest on KOSY 106.5 with Joan Peterson.

Monday, August 11th at 9:00 am on KJZZ TV(channel 14) we'll be interviewed by Julie De Azevedo about the festival and using the internet for music in general. Hope you can catch one of those shows and hear Sam Payne's music, since the first portion of Joan's interview with us has already taken place and they played Lindy's gorgeous song already.

Also, if you can, please spread this invitation across the internet and to all family and friends. Since we are a group of musicians who meet via the internet we rely on sponsors and word-of -mouth to help us spread the word for this event every year.

If you have youth ages 14-18 who would like to attend the youth dance we would love for them to text the details to their friends . . . with your permission of course.

Thanks so much,
Julie Keyser
keyser65@msn.com
Co-Coodinator for the LDS Musicians Festival 2008

Return to the Neighborhood.

yourLDSNeighborhood Wins Rights to 2008 Especially for Youth Music

yourLDSneighborhood.com wins distribution rights to 2008 Especially for Youth™ music CD; The disc will be available for sale starting August 23; Popular artists include Jessie Clark Funk, Dan Beck and Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band

Salt Lake City, Utah (August 5, 2008)

The 2008 Especially for Youth™ CD, featuring the songs of local recording artists such as Jessie Clark Funk, Daniel Beck and Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, will be available for commercial sale beginning August 16.

yourLDSneighborhood, which was awarded distribution rights to the popular CD, announced that the disc will be sold through its web site and at retail music stores along the Wasatch Front. The CD is a compilation of songs chosen to support the theme and focus of this year’s program “Steady and Sure” and has become a vital part of the EFY™ tradition. EFY™ is a summer program sponsored by the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and held in locations through the U.S. and Canada.

Gaylen Rust, president and founder of yourLDSneighborhood.com, said the commercial release edition will contain an additional track not available on the CD distributed to EFY™ participants and feature more robust instrumental accompaniments.

“Music is an integral part of a young person’s life and the songs on this CD really speak to the everyday challenges and exhilarating experiences that youth encounter. It’s uplifting and inspiring but also the kind of music that’s fun to listen to anytime. It’s also a way for teens unable to attend EFY™ to catch the spirit and joy of the whole EFY™ event.”

The “Steady and Sure” CD features 12 tracks including

• “Steady and Sure” – the title track on the disc by Jessie Clark Funk, as well as
  
• “Amazing Grace,” by Daniel Beck,
  
• “A Woman’s Heart,” by Felicia Wolf,
  
• “Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee,” by Mindy Gledhill and “
• Dream Big,” by Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band

Other artists include Ben Truman, Megan Flinders, Greg Simpson, Hilary Weeks, Terry White, Tim Gates, and a group song “Hurrah for Israel,” by Daniel Beck, Megan Flinders, Jessie Clark Funk and Dan Kartchner.

yourLDSneighborhood.com is a new virtual neighborhood launched in November, 2007 where a wide variety of goods and services are sold from clothing and jewelry to sports, scrapbooking, travel, and things of interest to home and family. Visitors can stroll through the neighborhood, stop and browse at retail stores, purchase merchandise, or stop at newsstands to chat with more than a dozen bloggers, read timely articles or listen to audio interviews with newsmakers and hometown heroes.

At the Neighborhood Jukebox, a new music feature in the neighborhood, visitors can listen to hundreds of new tunes and download them. A music directory lists dozens of musicians who are available for family reunions, concerts, weddings and other occasions.

Besides the virtual neighborhood, yourLDSneighborhood.com produces an informative lifestyle newsletter four times a week delivering thought-provoking and inspiring ideas, and offers special marketing opportunities for artists, musicians and authors – as well as those interested in buying artistic works.



Return to the Neighborhood.

Sam Payne: Father to Son

The 1970’s was probably the best all around era for the singer/songwriter and out of that came some amazing greats. Like Don McLean , Jim Croche, David Gates of Bread, Carly Simon , and the list just goes on and on. The gift each of these amazing artists shared was not just their voices, but their lyrical artistry, some of the best the 20th Century produced.

Out of this same era of music sprang another great, but lesser known singer/songwriter named Marvin Payne and from him was born, what I truly believe to be, the greatest poetic lyricist of the 21st century thus far…Sam Payne!

From his website, we learn a little more about him:

Sam Payne was born in Provo, Utah and raised in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains. The son of folk singer and actor Marvin Payne, he grew up to serve a mission to Argentina, after which he returned to marry Kristie Lott, his high school sweetheart. He studied jazz and theater in college, which took him to stages from West Coast Universities to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Brother Payne served as a full-time Seminary teacher from 1995 to 2006, teaching most recently at Tuacahn (pronounced “TOO-uh-con”) High School for the Performing Arts. He holds a degree in English from Weber State University, and a Masters of Education degree from Southern Utah University. Brother Payne writes books for elementary school students, and has recorded a growing catalog of original music, which he performs before audiences large and small. Brother Payne hosts “the Sounds of Sunday,” a popular weekly inspirational radio program, and clients of his radio writing include Glenn Beck, the popular syndicated radio and television host. He and Kristie, together with their four boys, live in Lindon, Utah.

“Like father like son” in so many ways musically yet, there is something about Sam that is entirely different and has made him completely unique. Is it his incredibly cool rectangle shaped glasses or his amazing ability to “scat?” Only you can decide, but there is no doubt in my mind Sam is the ultimate contemporary Jazz musician, singer/songwriter, entertainer…bar none!

Not since Ella Fitzgerald, in my humble opinion, has there been a better scat artist and it’s this truly unique vocal ability of his that Sam fans love to hear the most. Well that, and of course, his terrific voice melded into his incredibly rich poetic lyrics that weave tales of adventure, heartache, triumph, and the joy of our human journey.

Maybe that’s why so many of his fans were begging him for the album with “the stories on it”. So now the totally cool album “Father to Son” is found for sale on his website …a compilation of song, Sam’s musical followers will rejoice over. This album is Sam; with his band the Sam Payne Project, singing to an intimate audience while filling in the blanks between songs with his remarkable story-telling. I invite you to find out for yourself why so many have become “Sam Fans.” Two men in dark suites and white shirts will not try to knock on your door and convert you to his music, but…your I-Pod might!

While you're at Sam's website, check out his upcoming concerts. We, at your yourLDSNeighborhood especially invite you to join us on Saturday, Aug. 16th at the Springville Arts Park, in Utah Co., as Sam Payne and Alex Boye headline this year’s LDS Music Fest put on by www.ldsmusicians.com, and yourLDSNeighborhood, Find more information about the weekend fest at LDSFest 2008.

Enjoy discovering yet another great LDS artist till I write again…or we meet up at the LDS fest in August. (hint, hint)

Until next time,
Julie Keyser

© July 2008 by Julie Keyser