Alumni Profiles
Alumni work music scene
Alums join the mission of Word Made Flesh
Alumni work the music scene
By Scott Rees
The greater irony of No Greater Sky and its life-changing Australian tour is that pianist/guitarist Curt Anderson BA ’08 considers booking gigs his greatest weakness.
From late August 2008 to mid-February 2009, the Anderson-based pop rock band traded cornfields and livestock for kangaroos and eucalyptus trees. And it all happened “by accident,” says Anderson. He received a seemingly random e-mail in his inbox one day inquiring about the musicians sharing their talents Down Under. It provided the foundation for the group’s first international tour, he says.
The tour proved a huge lift for the group — also made up of Nic Byron, Clark Hubbard, and Adam Bocik — which was looking to expand its visibility in its seven-year quest to stay relevant in the competitive world of music.
“[Australia] was really beyond what we pictured it to be before we left. There were some shows where we had six or so days in the same kind of 15-mile area, and we had a whole group of people following us around and going to every single show, and it was just fantastic. It was well received,” says Anderson.
Anderson and friends interviewed with one of Sydney’s top radio stations and sold out nearly all their merchandise.
“Our MySpace traffic soared for the next few weeks after that interview. It was bigger than we possibly imagined it would be,” says Anderson.
Much of the band’s appeal lies in its ability to share the Gospel while staying grounded in the reality of everyday struggles of life.
“We don’t want to be preachy. We don’t want it to take a backseat either. Our songs are about love to faith to heartache. We want to make sure our faith — our real life — comes out through music,” says Anderson, who compared the group’s sound to Switchfoot and Coldplay.
The Australia experience proved typical of his musical journey. If you want to go places, you have to be willing to put in the work, he says.
“It was real affirming in that it was our first big international tour, and it kind of put it into perspective that I need to put in the time to make it happen,” says Anderson.
Singer/songwriter Jake Brothers BA ’02 has been putting plenty of work into his own music career — an idea that he had originally given up on.
After graduating with a music business degree, plans of moving to Nashville and becoming a recording artist were derailed when God called him to local ministry at Faith Church in Indianapolis, where he is serving as director of contemporary worship.
“Really, I kind of gave up on the recording aspect of music. I continued to write for the congregation for worship, and over the past six years, the congregation has encouraged me to write an album, so I did that, and since then I’ve been taking the music beyond the local church and playing different places,” says Brothers.
“It’s kind of neat. What I’ve given up, God has turned around and blessed me with. And I just feel like it was more in his timing to help me grow in local ministry before sending me out.”
When he isn’t planning and leading worship at his home church, Brothers can be seen touring the local music scene, such as coffee shops. Brothers concedes that it can be difficult striking a balance, but is encouraged by similar artists such as Chris Tomlin and David Crowder.
“It is challenging. You do have to have a supportive staff to be able to that. It is tough to balance the two. I usually try to protect my base here in the local ministry. It takes a lot of work and a lot of time, but with prioritizing and diligence, it can be done for sure,” he says.
Brothers’ album, Reflection of You, was named a finalist in the Independent Music Awards, as well as two songs from the album, “Wonderful” and “Be the Change.”
Similarly, pop/jazz musician Sarah Scharbrough BA ’01 has been making a name for herself while balancing identities — in her case, wife and mother. The challenge for her is explaining her priorities, which might seem backwards as compared to others in the business.
“In an industry that values often being willing to drop anything, and sometimes anyone, for a gig, that just doesn’t fit the way I do life. This is an area where I choose to trust God that the first things simply must be first and the hard work I do for music comes after that,” she says.
The approach has worked. She’s opened for Bill and Gloria Gaither, Sandi Patty, Jon McLaughlin, Tracy Lawrence, Dierks Bentley, Ray Boltz, Avalon, Watermark, and Women of Faith speaker Jennifer Rothschild.
“One of my favorite things about getting to do music is that it’s a family affair. I get to do what I love with the people I love — for this I’m so very grateful,” says Scharbrough.
Joining her on stage is husband Jeff McLaughlin BA ’00 on drums and percussion, brother Stephen Scharbrough BA ’04 on bass and guitars, and sister Suzanne Scharbrough BA ’09.
Scharbrough says something unique to the group is being able to play in and out of the church and the ability to incorporate what musically and thematically works in both places.
“I believe that all people are looking for life and love and, at some level, searching for God and we all — in and out of the church — have that in common. This new album, Draw Me Back, is all about that hope of common ground,” she says.
Anderson’s advice to undergrads seeking a similar path is to dream big and not to sell themselves short.
“We could’ve said, ‘Wait. We are an independent band and we don’t have label backing. It won’t work out, because we don’t have this and this and this. How are we going to pull off this international tour on our own?’”
He strongly encourages aspiring musicians to utilize all tools at their disposal, especially Web resources such as MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, and most importantly, to never shy away from asking questions.
Scharbrough warns against the dangers of being too consumed by ambition.
“I have a deep sadness when talking with musicians who have lost their joy for music or ministry because they’ve let it overtake their lives or schedules or because they’ve let the desire for success, fame, or fortune eat them up,” she says.
She adds that it’s important for any musician to sing and play all the time — taking advantage of any opportunity to learn about music, performing to hone the craft, and listening to as wide variety of styles as possible.
“I would say, if they are specifically a believer, get involved in the local church,” says Brothers. “They will keep you accountable. I have seen a lot of musicians fail over the years because life on the road is tough. And it is good to have a good church backing you. It also gives you a sounding board, and people to give you feedback on your music as well.”
Anderson and No Greater Sky hope to eventually make a move to Nashville and are already in the process of planning a return to Australia in 2010.
“I guess my goal is to use the music that God has given me and hopefully to bless more people beyond just my local ministry. The goal is to be able to do both,” says Brothers.
Scharbrough says she has been in talks with various labels but has not yet found the right fit.
“For now, the hope is pretty simple — to keep making music and to enjoy meeting the fabulous people with whom music allows us to cross paths,” she says.
A Ripple of Hope premieres at The Paley Center for Media in New Alums join the mission of Word Made Flesh
By Stefanie Leiter
Journalism. Computer Programming. Missions. All different career fields but each is utilized in diverse ways at the not-for-profit organization Word Made Flesh.
Located in Omaha, Neb., Word Made Flesh (WMF) founder Chris Huertz, a popular chapel speaker, has made quite an impression on students at Anderson University. Since 2006, three students have felt called to work at the organization with others volunteering or interning.
Linsey Higgins BA ’06 is in the middle of a three-year term on field staff in Lima, Peru. Higgins coordinates a girl’s Bible study, helps those in her communities struggling to leave the streets, visits those who have started a new life away from the struggles of street life, and serves as a field administrator keeping the Lima mission running.
“The people who serve with WMF are amazing people who seek to live in a way that gives dignity to those among whom they serve,” says Higgins. “So often the poor are dehumanized, but the poor are my friends. We believe that our poor friends have so much to teach us, so much to share and give, while many people only seek to give to the poor, not recognizing their beautiful and unique gifts.”
Higgins, a family science major and Spanish minor, took a semester off her junior year to be on the WMF servant team in Lima. After graduation, Higgins returned to the field staff in Lima.
Combining her passion for people and a story, Mandy Mowers BA ’06 struggled in college “to work in a role that would allow me to use my journalism talents for the good of people in need.” While serving as an RA, Mowers expressed to her RD and other RAs her desire to find a meaningful way to use her journalism and writing major. Higgins, her friend and fellow RA, encouraged Mowers to contact the WMF Advocacy Department.
After graduation, Mowers went on a Tri-S trip to India. Her time spent in Kolkata volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity — even meeting some WMF Kolkata staff — confirmed her desire to work with WMF.
Following a one-year internship that started in October 2006, Mowers said the choice to stay on staff was an easy decision.
“I get to advocate on behalf of friends who need help,” says Mowers. “You may have heard a saying like, ‘We’re a voice for the voiceless.’ At WMF, we assert that our friends are not voiceless — they just aren’t always heard. Our job is to amplify these voices as we advocate on their behalf,” adds Mowers.
Now serving as publications editor, Mowers works mostly on The Cry, WMF’s quarterly journal, and makes assignments, edits pieces, and creates layouts. Mowers edits most print materials that WMF produces and offers editorial assistance to staff submitting articles to other publications.
In the fall of 2006, Paul Yoder BA ’06 visited Mowers. During his visit, Yoder met with the director of administration at WMF to discuss their computer needs and realized he could make a computer program to help automate a time-consuming task for WMF. Yoder continued his contact with WMF for a couple of years while living in Anderson and created software for WMF in his spare time. During the spring of 2008, Yoder pursued moving to Omaha to work for WMF and in October was hired as an office manager working on staff computers, programming, and serving other office needs.
“I have two main passions in my life: ministry and computers,” says Yoder. “I’m able to pursue both these passions while working at Word Made Flesh as I serve the field missionaries by creating programs to help automate their administrative tasks.”
Word Made Flesh was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit organization existing to serve among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. In 1994, Word Made Flesh opened its first children’s home in Chennai, India, focusing primarily on pediatric AIDS care. Word Made Flesh has since established communities in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Visit www.wordmadeflesh.org for more information.
