Vine Street Music Series 2013
On Sunday, April 7, Vine Street begins a five-week exploration of the place of music in worship and spirituality. Each Sunday, Nashville singer/songwriters and music professionals will talk about the influence of church music on their faith and their music careers, and will share some of their music.
As part of the vibrant Nashville music and faith community, we joyfully welcome all guests to join our conversations. All sessions will be held on Sunday mornings at 9:30a.m. in the Vine Street Fellowship Hall, followed by music during our 10:45a.m. worship service. We will post more information and video updates at vinestreet.org/musicseries2013.
April 7 - Session 1
The guest to kick off the series will be Dave Barnes. Dave is a Nashville based singer/musician and Grammy nominated songwriter. He is the son of a minister, growing up in Mississippi and Knoxville TN before coming to Nashville. He released his first EP in 2002. His September 2004 release Brother, Bring The Sun was critically acclaimed for Dave's songwriting and overall high-quality presentation for an independent release. Through its release, he gained notability among singers Amy Grant (who later performed on Dave's wedding song "I Have and I Always Will"), Vince Gill and John Mayer.
In 2005, Dave co-produced the five-song EP Today & Tomorrow for his friend Matt Wertz; he also co-wrote one of the songs on the EP.
Dave's songs were featured on the show What I Like About You, including his song "On a Night Like This", which was featured on the "Three Little Words" episode.
In April 2010, Dave released his fourth full band studio album What We Want, What We Get after having released his single "God Gave Me You" from the same album. The single rose into the top-five Contemporary Christian music chart by June. Blake Shelton released the song as his second single on his album Red River Blue in fall of 2011. It became Blake's fifth number one song at country radio and has sold over one million units. In 2012, Dave Barnes was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song for writing the song "God Gave Me You."
Dave is a friend and songwriting colleague of Vine Street’s own Gabe Dixon. They will have a conversation about songwriting inspiration, as well as sing some of their favorite songs. Dave will perform a couple of his own songs during morning worship at 10:45.
April 14 - Session 2
Our guest this Sunday is Jason Eskridge. Jason was born and grew up in Rockwood, TN. After high school he attended college at Tennessee Tech University where he played football and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. After college he accepted an engineering job in Huntsville, AL where he worked for approximately a year and a half. During that time Jason could never shake his passion to make music. So he packed up, left Huntsville, and moved to Nashville, TN where he currently resides with his family.
Since moving to Nashville Jason has served as a studio vocalist for such acts as Lyle Lovett, Randy Travis, Jonny Lang, Nicole C. Mullen, Marc Broussard, eLi, Micah Dalton, Grits, Verbs, Circadian Rhythm, Sammy Ward, DJ Maj, and Toby Mac. Jason has also traveled opening or singing backup for Lyle Lovett, Nicole C. Mullen, eLi, Micah Dalton, Grits, Knowdaverbs, and Pigeon John. He has been featured as a guest vocalist on numerous projects, including singing on one of Gabe Dixon’s albums, and just released a six song EP entitled, "the ep...".
Jason has traveled across the country playing for youth groups and campuses as well as playing at various music venues. He has also had the opportunity to take his music abroad as he has traveled to South Africa, Amsterdam, and England. Jason’s desire as a musician is to create music that causes the listener to love God, love themselves, love their fellow man, think harder, think deeper, think broader, laugh until they cry, laugh when they want to cry, try something new, remember something old, and ultimately live life to the fullest.
Jason and Gabe Dixon will talk and share music with us at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall, followed by a couple of songs during our morning worship service.
April 21 - Session 3
Our guests this Sunday will be the Gallatin High School Performers, conducted by T.J. McLaughlin, Vine Street’s Chancel Choir Director. The Gallatin High School Chorus Program consists of three talented and hard-working ensembles: GHS Performers, Ladies Ensemble, and General Chorus. The choirs perform many times throughout the year; including seasonal concerts, community events, MTVA Contest, a Coffeehouse Night, and a full-scale Broadway musical. The GHS Chorus Program has been under the direction of T.J. McLaughlin since 2007.
The GHS Performers are a vocal ensemble comprised of thirty-four mixed voices that perform a wide variety of music with a high degree of difficulty. Throughout the year they can be found working on pieces from the medieval time period through modern vocal jazz. They have consistently received Superior marks at the Middle Tennessee Vocal Association and Tennessee American Choral Directors Association contests. Many individual choir members have been selected for the Mid-State and All-State Choral Festivals. The GHS Performers are held in very high regard throughout Sumner County and the surrounding area, and they are in constant demand for performances at private and community functions.
T.J. and the choir will demonstrate and discuss the characteristics of many different styles of worship music, including Renaissance music, a Romantic Period setting of an ancient hymn tune, American revivalist songs, and African-American spirituals in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30am. The choir will sing full versions of the songs during the 10:45a.m. worship service and will combine with the Vine Street Chancel Choir for a special offertory anthem.
April 28 - Session 4
Our guest, Julie Lee, is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Maryland, now living in Nashville. She is also a member of the band Old Black Kettle, with Sarah Siskind, and has collaborated with Sarah Masen, Ron Block, Mike Farris, Vince Gill, Tim O'Brien, and Kenny Vaughan. Her songs have been covered by a wide range of artists, but most notably by Alison Krauss. "Away Down the River" and "Jacob's Dream" were recorded on Allison's collection album, A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection (2007). Julie has toured extensively in the UK and US as an Americana Folk Artist. Most notably, she has opened for Alison Krauss & Union Station at The Ryman Auditorium in 2001, and played her own set at The Newport Folk Festival (2007).
"Julie Lee is a winning combination of folk, bluegrass, gospel and a touch of blues that establishes her as an artist to watch."
- No Depression
" As a vocalist, she's a powerhouse, owning a solid gold tremolo laced with attitude and blessed with range that she wields with style...a world-class singer."
- Billboard Magazine
"Her soprano sounds conversational, even confidential, but it grabs the high notes and milks them dry. Her songwriting strikes a perfect balance between sharp details and universal resonance, confessional lyrics and sing-along melodies, earnest spirituality and self-effacing humor."
- Washington Post
Julie has ties to Vine Street, most recently playing a concert in November 2012 to raise funds for Week of Compassion water projects. She counts Senior Minister Thomas Kleinert as a friend and fan. They will have a conversation about music and inspiration, interspersed with many of Julie’s songs. Julie will share her music with us during worship at 10:45.
May 5 - Session 5
Our guest, David P. Sartor is a concert music composer and conductor, and is Adjunct Professor of Composition at Trevecca Nazarene University. Sartor's compositions have been recognized with prestigious awards that include the American Bandmasters Association's Ostwald Prize for Symphonic Wind Ensemble Music, the National Fine Arts Award, a New Music for Young Ensembles composition prize, twenty-four consecutive ASCAP awards for compositions of unique prestige value, and a “highly commended” award in England’s Oare String Orchestra's Third Annual International Music for Strings Composition Contest. He was a Finalist in both the Columbia Symphony Orchestra’s American Composer Competition and the Fauxharmonic Orchestra's Adagio Composition Contest, and the First Prize winner in the Burlington, VT Chamber Orchestra’s Composer Competition. Most recently, he received double honors in the 2012 American Prizes, national awards celebrating American excellence in the arts, garnering Third Place in the Choral Composition Division and Finalist status in the Orchestral Composition Division.
Dave believes that "Composition is an act of faith. While most composers strive for artistic excellence in their work, music also serves to communicate. Without willing players and attentive audiences, any composition is merely a complex set of instructions. Every piece of music, whether new or historical, is a testament to its composer's faith in the partnership among composer, performers, and audience."
T.J. McLaughlin and Dave will lead us in exploring the place of music in worship, spirituality and inspiration. During the 10:45a.m. worship service, Vine Street’s Director of Music Emerita, Julia Callaway will present one of Dave’s compositions for organ, and the Chancel Choir will sing Dave’s setting of Psalm 67, both of which were commissioned for Vine Street Christian Church.