Audrey Hatcher Woodhams Interview

Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 3:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

ITT: When / how did you decide that you wanted to sing / write professionally?

Audrey: I grew up singing in churches and for local events. I think there was always this hope in me that I would get to keep singing, but I was honestly afraid to pursue it beyond my local area. There are so many people out there chasing that dream; I was afraid to try and fail. But God kept leading me, first to Nashville, then to make an album. I think it was my senior year of college when I finally admitted I wanted to be an artist.

ITT: Any advice / encouragement for InTheTimes.com girls who desire to be a professional Singer / Songwriter like yourself?

Audrey: Seek the Lord, bring Him all your secret hopes. Dare to dream, don’t hold anything back from Him. Ask Him what He wants for your life, remember and believe with all your heart that He has great plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).

Hold your hopes with open hands before Him, and allow Him to be the one to guide your life. Many times I have dreamed a dream, sometimes that dream was exactly what God had in mind for me and it came true. Many other times, God had something even better in store. It is a great adventure to follow Him, to trust Him, and to share everything with Him.

ITT: Give InTheTimes.com girls a little insight on the songwriting process for you--how long have you been writing, is there a specific type of song that you prefer to write or that you feel you are gifted to write, etc. ?

Audrey: I remember writing songs on the bus in Kindergarten. I was lonely and didn’t have many friends so I sang, "Alone...nobody to talk to..." Even at that early age, God was giving me music and songwriting as a way of expressing my feelings and my life. Later in high school, I wrote songs to express my faith in Jesus to my friends. Even now, songs usually flow out of my experiences in following Christ and the lessons He is teaching me. Lately I especially like writing worship songs.

* Fast Fact - Audrey's song "All My Praise" was recorded by award-winning group Selah, which earned Audrey "Song of the Year" award nominations and the song spent 5 weeks as the #1 song on Inspirational Charts!

ITT: Above all, what is the goal of your music / concerts--why you do what you do, what you hope your songs will communicate to the listeners, etc. ?

Audrey: Well, on one level, I just hope to make good music, songs that move me and connect with other people. When I perform concerts, I hope that it’s a fun night, and that people leave uplifted. But deeper than that, the reason I get in the car or on the plane to the next show is this : I truly believe God has something He wants to do there. He loves those people and He wants to build His wonderful Kingdom in that place, and I get to be a part of it. He’s given me gifts and songs, and those are some of the tools He will use.

It is a wonderful thing to partner with God. It is a great feeling to do what He made you to do and see it make an eternal difference. He is awesome...He could do it all on His own, but He lets me take part and have a great time in the process.

tags: audrey hatcher woodhams interview, celebrity behind the scenes interview

Cadia "Radiate" / Editor's Currently Listening To

Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 12:20 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

Hi InTheTimes.com Girls!

New girl Pop-Rock duo Cadia's single "Radiate" is currently on mega-repeat! My fav lyrics? For sure the Chorus, the Chorus is now officially my new "theme song"! Love it!

"Take this time to shine, don't waste a minute / 'Cause the love you've got inside is a gift you give away / Come on come on and radiate / Don't be shy you know you gotta live it / 'Cause the light you've got inside can be the difference today / So come on come on and radiate"

The clock of our life is ticking away... God wants us to shine in life, in whatever we do. He has given each and every one of us a gift, a gift that is meant to change the world around us, a gift that will make a difference somewhere, big and small.

When we use our giftings in love, love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves, God can make great things happen! We all are tempted to 'shy away' from things in life, not wanting to 'bring attention to ourselves' we sometimes just want to 'blend in' But every moment of our life should be used for something and God will give us the strength to do whatever that is for the moment, big or small... Love this song! So inspiring!

When I first heard the single, it reminded me of fav Singer / Songwriter, Joy Williams. The track has the flavor of her Genesis album. Well, for sure Joy is a writer on the "Radiate" track. Joy is also going by her married name now, Joy Yetton, and is working as a professional songwriter!

Another cool fast fact, is that Cadia group member, Courtney Myers, is the sister of pureNRG's Carolyne Myers! The resemblance is uncanny!

If you haven't heard the single, click the link above to preview it for free!

Talk soon!
RUTH

tags: cadia tori smith courtney myers, cadia radiate, editor's currently listening to blog

Jeni Varnadeau / Something Changed Stories Behind the Songs --- Part I

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 1:49 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

I'm Waiting >>>

I've lived in Nashville now for like, 14 years. I've never lived in a place that long before. I love living in Nashville, but just felt like it was time to move on and try somewhere else, try something new.

I love traveling, exploring new places, and discovering new things. I was wanting a new place in my career, a new place with God, and a new place to live. I felt like my husband would flourish in his life if we lived somewhere else too, so I wrote this song.

We haven't moved yet, and we may not move anytime soon. But I am moving into a new place with God, and a new place in my career, so life is exciting as we anticipate and wait to see what God's gonna do.

Cutting Strings >>>

In Christ, we have freedom. The problem is, a lot of us choose not to walk in it, we make poor choices instead.

Those poor choices--bad habits and sins, start wrapping strings around us and entangling us. God has already given us freedom, we just have to choose to walk in it, we have to be the ones who say, 'Okay, God, I'm gonna obey you this time' and we have to actively choose to let go of things in our life.

Things like, that boyfriend you know you shouldn't date, those secret lustful thoughts you have, the times you sneak behind a tree to grab a smoke, when you lock yourself in your room and cut yourself, and those days you act like a "good Christian" (which is such a weird thing to say, because if you are a Christian, you are good!!) around your Youth Pastor and Parents, but then you're a totally different person with certain friends at school--those are things that are enslaving you and weighing you down.

The things we do in darkness will eventually be brought to light. Choose now to let go of those sins, you have the be the one to cut the strings, and God will even help you and give you the strength to do it.

It's not fun living a double life, it's not fun hiding, and it's not fun being weighed down with things that destroy us, and God knows that, which is why He wants us to cut those strings.

There is a better way, an abundant life of freedom that we can have, we just have to choose to cut the strings, take hold of His abundant Life, and walk in it.

>>> More Jeni Varnadeau Something Changed Stories Behind the Songs next week!

tags: jeni varnadeau partin interview, something changed stories behind the songs

Carolyne Myers Interview / On the Debut Year

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 12:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

ITT: Congratulations on a great debut artist year! Our InTheTimes.com Readers love your music / ministry! How do you feel you have grown as an artist during this debut year?

Carolyne: I have learned so much this year! I have gotten to be around and work with some incredible artists who love the Lord. I have learned so much from watching them express their faith in God from the stage. I have learned again and again that we really do dance and sing for an audience of One--Him! And it's been fun to have a lot of people in the crowd joining us!

ITT: Tell the InTheTimes.com Readers a little bit more about how Brandon and Brittany Hargest from Jump5 and their family are great mentors to you personally and to pureNRG as a group?

Carolyne: We have known Brandon, Brittany, and Robin for a long time, because we danced at the same dance studio :)

I have always loved how close their family is. They work hard together and play together too! Brandon and Brittany's brother / sister relationship is a good example to me of how to treat my brothers and sisters!

We are with Robin, their mom, every week, she is the best! She pushes us to be our very best! Brandon teaches us every week how to live on the road!

ITT: You've released several DVDs during this debut artist year, what has been your favorite part of the DVD recording process?

Carolyne: Wow! I enjoyed making the "Sing and Dance" DVD with Brandon and Brittany from Jump5 and with some of our best friends!

The "Behind the Scenes" DVD was fun because we got to video parts of our personal lives in our homes!

The "Live and More" DVD was an awesome experience because we got to do a fun concert in our hometown with lots of family and friends there with us!

The interviews were fun! I just learn so much every time we do something, I realize how many different people, do so many different jobs, to make it happen!

ITT: You've also recorded several Music Videos during this debut year, what has been your favorite part of the Music Video recording process?

Carolyne: The make-up, of course! Just kidding! I've learned so much through the whole process! It's amazing how much goes into a 3-minute video! So many people do sooo much work to make it happen! We are a very small part of all that goes into making it.

It's always fun going all out with Caroline and Jordan and having fun with our music! In one of our last videos, we got to play in the lake, ride in a boat, and ride in a convertible while filming. It was so much fun!!

ITT: You meet a lot of fans out on the road and they let you know how your music has impacted their life, are there one or two stories in particular that really stand out in your mind and that encourage you to keep doing what you are doing for the Lord?

Carolyne: Before every show, my Mom tells me to BRING IT - bring the Good News to the kids that come.

Last week, a lady stopped my Mom to tell her that after she heard the testimony, she told her Mom that she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart!!!

That's why we do this, so that was so exciting to me. It makes me happy when parents and kids thank us for doing fun, clean music that they like!

tags: carolyne myers interview, purenrg interview, pure nrg interview, celebrity behind the scenes

Mandee Radford of Alathea on "Love Came Just In Time"
/ Story Behind the Song

Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 12:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

"The night before our songwriting day, I was trying to think of waiting for Christ to come, and the line came to me 'when everybody's looking for a sign, love came just in time.'

I talked to Cristi Johnson [Alathea band member] about that, and she and I looked up in the Bible, the story in Luke 2 about Simeon and Anna.

Simeon was a priest and Anna was a prophetess who spent their whole lives at the temple. They knew they weren't going to die until they saw the Messiah. I thought, 'There's no better picture of anticipation and waiting for Christ than what they went through their whole lives, living that out.'

I was really touched by this story about Anna, she was an 84-year-old widow, and she had been married as a young woman for only seven years when her husband died. She spent the rest of her time at the temple praising God and waiting for the Messiah. Her tired old eyes got to see her salvation and ours.

Her story isn't just the story of the day that Mary and Joseph came to the temple with Jesus, but the story of all the days that led to that one. Day after day of hope and belief that love would come, and He did."

tags: mandee radford interview, alathea interview, love came just in time gloria a christmas celebration story behind the song