St-st-Studio

I have been known to be cheesy. Yes, the title is supposed to sound like an old Phil Collins song- Sussudio. I still have no idea what that song means. Wikipedia’d it, but it still doesn’t make a lotta sense.

Anyway, this post is about my time at the studio this last Friday.

Here’s a couple pics of where I recorded-American Sound Recording Studio in Bakersfield, CA…isn’t it fabulous?So, I was in there to make a demo to send off to Chris at Integrity Music, and let me just briefly tell you the story behind all o’ that!!

For many years (since I was a kid, and now I’m at the ripe old age of 36), I’ve dreamed of being a career singer, in the Christian music industry. After marriage and kids, and now in music ministry as a worship leader, I have felt the “tug” of this dream again. So, when you decide to return to your dream, it can be rather emotional. There’s a lot of passion and fire in me for this.

I started to pray over it, and ask God if He wanted me to revisit this, because above all, I wanted it to #1-glorify HIM, not ME. #2-Be driven by HIM, not ME. With those two things in mind, I prayed for God to open and close doors, as He sees fit, but I let my request and the desires of my heart be made known to God, as He invites us to do in His Word.

The name “Integrity” has been on my heart for several months. I spoke at a Womens’ Retreat in the Spring, on the subject of worship, more specifically worshiping God through the storms in life. Through that speaking experience, I learned a lot about myself and the Lord. I also met a gal who is a worship leader, and who used to work at Integrity. I told her, “Man…I would be the mailgirl in that place! Anything to get to work for Integrity Music! What a dream!”.  A few months prior, a friend, Fermin Whittaker told me about how his son, Carlos (many of you know him as @loswhit) had talked to Integrity Music about working with them.  So, it was a name, planted in my heart, and the dream was re-ignited, over several months’ time. I couldn’t get it outta my head. I knew that many of my favorite artists are with this label…Hillsong, Gateway Worship, Kari Jobe, Israel Houghton, etc.

So as I said, I began praying and seeking God about this, and one day in my bathroom, while I was getting ready for my day, I just stopped and really cried out to the Lord about this. I talked to Him about my passion for leading worship, and how I dream of leading many, many people to the throne through worship. How I love my office job, but that I long for the day when I can just SING.  I don’t need to be a big star or anything…I just want to sing. To live out my passion. To lead many different groups in worship. To use my voice to minister to people. And I prayed specifically, that He would allow me to come in contact with the company, Integrity Music, in some way.

So I get a message from a guy via Twitter, asking me if I’d like to preview the new Hillsong album before its release. I’m like…UmLemmeThinkOkYES!! What a privilege to hear such anointed and gifted musicians and ministers, but before most people get to hear it? SURE! So we talked a little about it, he asked me to write a review on it eventually, and so forth. Then I said, “…by the way,… (haha) who are you?”

He said he was the Digital Marketing Director for Integrity Music.

<insert my jaw hitting the floor here>

We talked a little further, and well, you just KNOW when it’s a God thing.  Long story short, I’m sending my demo to him this coming week! (Thanks, Chris!)

So back to Friday night…we went into the studio, my husband, my children, my mom, and a friend, Marsha, who is in the Tommy Coomes Band and travels and does a lot of recording. She offered to come in and coach me some, as needed, and turns out, she was a great help! What a blessing it was, to have her with me. She sat, taking notes on her iphone as I sang, listening closely to every detail, so that she could assist in the entire process. And that, she did. Thanks, my friend!

We started at 5, and were out of there at about 9. It was a great experience, and of course I’m feeling some nervousness about sending the finished product to Chris…I should’ve done that line differently…my voice didn’t have “pow” here because they compressed it…I should’ve done this ad lib, and not that ad lib…I’m not good enough to go “pro”-what am I thinking??

But then my Heavenly Father reminds me that if this is His design, He will lead me down the path of His perfect will, in His perfect timing. So, because of that, I have nothing to fear. I can trust Him, no matter the outcome, because He is trustworthy.

So, there’s the story. I’ll let you know soon, how it turns out. I hope to send it off tomorrow.

Much Love and Singing,

LeAnn