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In episode 76, Brenton sits down with guitar legend Stu Gerrard. Stu G is a guitarist, songwriter, producer and soon-to-be author. Stu is best known as the guitarist for the British band Delirious?, who, for nearly two decades, penned many of the best known worship songs in modern Christendom. He was also a member of the distinguished CompassionArt songwriters collective, which also boasted heavy-hitters Paul Baloche, Darlene Zschech, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Israel Houghton. 

Like countless wannabe rockstars, Stu G’s journey as a professional musician began in his bedroom, learning songs of his favorite bands - Queen, Rush, The Police, and Led Zeppelin. After studying at London’s Guitar Institute, he formed the Stuart David band, lighting up the London club scene in the late 80’s, before rebranding himself as The Treasure Park. Stu quickly emerged as a sought-after session guitarist, which eventually led him to a young Martin Smith, who was leading worship at youth outreach called “Cutting Edge”. The band changed its name to Delirious?, and after seventeen years and several world tours, they singlehandedly reinvented church music and the Christian entertainment-meets-worship experience. 

Stu is currently a member of One Sonic Society, with Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury, whose single “Forever Reign” has been a mainstay on the CCLI chart and Christian radio. In 2014, Stu recorded and released his first solo project Of Burdens, Birds, and Stars, citing musical influences as Radiohead, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Manic Street Preachers, Nick Cave, Blonde Redhead and Elbow. When not touring with Michael W. Smith, Stu is writing, recording, speaking, leading worship and working with JHS on a custom line of guitar pedals. 

Stu lives in Nashville with his wife Karen, is writing his first book, and is always discovering new ways to express the truths he holds on to. “People are my energy and inspiration. It’s in people that I see why creation was such a good idea.”

For more information on Stu, check out his website www.stugworld.com ⏪

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In Episode 75, Brenton and Bryant sit down with Dr. Michael and Dr. Cassie Major of Major Family Chiropractic. In an attempt to always be creative, we're always looking for the source of inspiration. Always seeking out the things that inspire us most and push us the next creative level. When is the last time you though about your health?

Whether we realize it or not, our health plays a HUGE role in our levels of creativity. If your body isn't functioning at 100% how do you ever expect to be able to create at 100% of your potential? We get it. The late nights when the creative juices are flowing are the times where some of the most amazing things can happen. The early morning writing sessions, the long days of grinding out that next great idea, and the endless need for adrenaline and energy can come at a cost if you're not taking care of your body.

Enter Dr. Michael and Cassie. They are changing the the world thinks about health and being healthy. It's not just about following a diet routine or going to a fancy gym. It's a lifestyle change. It's realizing that our bodies were designed to heal themselves and if we take care of our bodies and become "aligned" with the way they're supposed to function we can actually operate at 100% and be at our best all of the time. By focusing on the five main essentials (which you'll hear more about in the interview) we can radically change our outlook on what it means to be healthy and create with energy and clarity that we never knew existed.

It's time to change the way we view our health and our bodies and live life to the maximum every day. Find more information about Dr. Michael and Cassie at www.majorfamilychiropractic.com ⏪

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 75, Brenton and Bryant sit down with Dr. Michael and Dr. Cassie Major of Major Family Chiropractic. In an attempt to always be creative, we're always looking for the source of inspiration. Always seeking out the things that inspire us most and push us the next creative level. When is the last time you though about your health?

Whether we realize it or not, our health plays a HUGE role in our levels of creativity. If your body isn't functioning at 100% how do you ever expect to be able to create at 100% of your potential? We get it. The late nights when the creative juices are flowing are the times where some of the most amazing things can happen. The early morning writing sessions, the long days of grinding out that next great idea, and the endless need for adrenaline and energy can come at a cost if you're not taking care of your body.

Enter Dr. Michael and Cassie. They are changing the the world thinks about health and being healthy. It's not just about following a diet routine or going to a fancy gym. It's a lifestyle change. It's realizing that our bodies were designed to heal themselves and if we take care of our bodies and become "aligned" with the way they're supposed to function we can actually operate at 100% and be at our best all of the time. By focusing on the five main essentials (which you'll hear more about in the interview) we can radically change our outlook on what it means to be healthy and create with energy and clarity that we never knew existed.

It's time to change the way we view our health and our bodies and live life to the maximum every day. Find more information about Dr. Michael and Cassie at www.majorfamilychiropractic.com ⏪

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 74, Brenton and Bryant have a chat with Jon Guerra. With a penchant for thought-provoking lyrics, innovative instrumentation and pleading vocals regularly wrapped around an entrancing, worshipful undercurrent, Jon Guerra is steadily being recognized as one of today’s most gifted, intellectual and groundbreaking singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalists. But just because he’s meeting the world at large with Little Songs(Essential Records) doesn’t mean the Chicagoan (raised in Wheaton, a salt-of-the-earth Midwestern small town) is a newcomer to his craft. 

While diligently studying Bob Dylan, Rich Mullins, Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright, along with influential poets Emily Dickinson and George Herbert, plus novelist Marilynne Robinson, Guerra essentially spent his entire artistic journey switching between local band and solo life. He’s been courted by mainstream labels, opened for the likes of .fun, and even served as a jingle writer for massive companies like Comcast, Chase Bank and Allstate Insurance. By 2013, the artist of many associations also became a member of Vertical Church Band, the worship band from Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, where he continues to serve when not on tour.

“I was invited to write songs with Vertical Church Band, and I went on one of their writer’s retreats, though I’d never done anything like that before,” recalls Guerra of the eventual road that led to Little Songs. “I’d done faith-based music - not corporate worship in the way we understand it today - but I figured ‘well, I’m here, I want to help and I’ll try my best.’ It was on that trip that I wrote ‘I Will Follow,’ which first came out as a single on my Glass EP last year and is also on Little Songs. My church really took to that song, and I thought, ‘maybe I can do this. Maybe I can write songs in a way that makes sense to me, while being helpful for people in my church.’”

Like many of his groundbreaking muses, Guerra brings intelligence, passion and originality to every angle of Little Songs, which shows just as many shades of a timeless troubadour as someone with a truly revolutionary approach to congregational contexts. It’s no wonder he’s attracted a sizable listener base within and without the church community, while becoming a recurring favorite for the folks at Relevant Magazine and its massive audience of those thirsting for spiritual authenticity. 

“The most personal songs are the most worshipful. For this record, that’s just where it went,” he confirms. “All of these 11 songs are my best effort at being a songwriter, at pleasing God, at giving something that I think is going to be useful to my friends and family in their journey of faith, and something that will be useful to churches on a Sunday morning as they’re trying to engage with God as a faith community.”

Continues Guerra: “For me, art is hewn from my heart, from my personal experience and what happens in those moments of solitude. Every song is written from a very private place, and then it’s also consumed in a very private place, generally speaking. People have their headphones in, people are in their cars and it’s like deep calls to deep in that regard. Some of these songs are written in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. Some of them are written with very dear friends when we’re talking about something and we feel like a song needs to be sung about that subject in a way it hasn’t been before.”

While Little Songs is replete with examples, perhaps the lead single “Nothing Better” is an ideal place to start. Listeners are sure to marvel at Guerra’s vocal gymnastics spanning several different octaves, his unexpected yet suave blend of acoustics and synths, plus plenty of deliciously catchy hooks. “Pop music so beautifully captures a moment. ‘Nothing Better’ speaks of those very acute moments when we experience the love of God with complete liberation and freedom. The song is meant to capture the joy and exuberance that comes in those moments.”

More than any other track on the ambitious album, the ethereal and delicate “Every Little Song” seems to best summarize Guerra’s visions for the collection and it’s clearly no coincidence to find it ranking amongst his personal favorites. “It completely encapsulates everything that I think this record ought to be about. There’s no consistent theme or concept, but every song is an offering and every song is an attempt at writing faith-based material in a way that stays true to the faith and true to my sense of art. And I just love singing it. It’s a fun finger-picking pattern, and I love the melody.”

Thus far, everyone from capacity crowds in cozy clubs to arena-sized audiences on The Rock & Worship Roadshow (alongside Crowder, Matt Maher and more) are agreeing wholeheartedly as Guerra previews Little Songs, which is slated for national release in April. And that’s only the beginning of what’s sure to be a fruitful touring cycle that also includes a summer stretch with fellow Roadshow alum/label mate Maher. However, no matter what the platform, the tunesmith simply seeks to enlighten both Christ followers and seekers alike with creativity and spiritual connectivity at every turn. 

“My general goal is the ministry of art, if that’s possible,” Guerra lets out with a little laugh. “For a long time, art and ministry have been at odds, but I don’t think that needs to be the case. I think artists can love their neighbor as they love themselves, while keeping their finger on the pulse of what makes a good song and what makes good art. Hopefully I can say beautiful things, sing beautifully and then let the beauty do its work.”

Find out more about Jon at www.jonguerramusic.com ⏪

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 74, Brenton and Bryant have a chat with Jon Guerra. With a penchant for thought-provoking lyrics, innovative instrumentation and pleading vocals regularly wrapped around an entrancing, worshipful undercurrent, Jon Guerra is steadily being recognized as one of today’s most gifted, intellectual and groundbreaking singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalists. But just because he’s meeting the world at large with Little Songs(Essential Records) doesn’t mean the Chicagoan (raised in Wheaton, a salt-of-the-earth Midwestern small town) is a newcomer to his craft. 

While diligently studying Bob Dylan, Rich Mullins, Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright, along with influential poets Emily Dickinson and George Herbert, plus novelist Marilynne Robinson, Guerra essentially spent his entire artistic journey switching between local band and solo life. He’s been courted by mainstream labels, opened for the likes of .fun, and even served as a jingle writer for massive companies like Comcast, Chase Bank and Allstate Insurance. By 2013, the artist of many associations also became a member of Vertical Church Band, the worship band from Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, where he continues to serve when not on tour.

“I was invited to write songs with Vertical Church Band, and I went on one of their writer’s retreats, though I’d never done anything like that before,” recalls Guerra of the eventual road that led to Little Songs. “I’d done faith-based music - not corporate worship in the way we understand it today - but I figured ‘well, I’m here, I want to help and I’ll try my best.’ It was on that trip that I wrote ‘I Will Follow,’ which first came out as a single on my Glass EP last year and is also on Little Songs. My church really took to that song, and I thought, ‘maybe I can do this. Maybe I can write songs in a way that makes sense to me, while being helpful for people in my church.’”

Like many of his groundbreaking muses, Guerra brings intelligence, passion and originality to every angle of Little Songs, which shows just as many shades of a timeless troubadour as someone with a truly revolutionary approach to congregational contexts. It’s no wonder he’s attracted a sizable listener base within and without the church community, while becoming a recurring favorite for the folks at Relevant Magazine and its massive audience of those thirsting for spiritual authenticity. 

“The most personal songs are the most worshipful. For this record, that’s just where it went,” he confirms. “All of these 11 songs are my best effort at being a songwriter, at pleasing God, at giving something that I think is going to be useful to my friends and family in their journey of faith, and something that will be useful to churches on a Sunday morning as they’re trying to engage with God as a faith community.”

Continues Guerra: “For me, art is hewn from my heart, from my personal experience and what happens in those moments of solitude. Every song is written from a very private place, and then it’s also consumed in a very private place, generally speaking. People have their headphones in, people are in their cars and it’s like deep calls to deep in that regard. Some of these songs are written in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. Some of them are written with very dear friends when we’re talking about something and we feel like a song needs to be sung about that subject in a way it hasn’t been before.”

While Little Songs is replete with examples, perhaps the lead single “Nothing Better” is an ideal place to start. Listeners are sure to marvel at Guerra’s vocal gymnastics spanning several different octaves, his unexpected yet suave blend of acoustics and synths, plus plenty of deliciously catchy hooks. “Pop music so beautifully captures a moment. ‘Nothing Better’ speaks of those very acute moments when we experience the love of God with complete liberation and freedom. The song is meant to capture the joy and exuberance that comes in those moments.”

More than any other track on the ambitious album, the ethereal and delicate “Every Little Song” seems to best summarize Guerra’s visions for the collection and it’s clearly no coincidence to find it ranking amongst his personal favorites. “It completely encapsulates everything that I think this record ought to be about. There’s no consistent theme or concept, but every song is an offering and every song is an attempt at writing faith-based material in a way that stays true to the faith and true to my sense of art. And I just love singing it. It’s a fun finger-picking pattern, and I love the melody.”

Thus far, everyone from capacity crowds in cozy clubs to arena-sized audiences on The Rock & Worship Roadshow (alongside Crowder, Matt Maher and more) are agreeing wholeheartedly as Guerra previews Little Songs, which is slated for national release in April. And that’s only the beginning of what’s sure to be a fruitful touring cycle that also includes a summer stretch with fellow Roadshow alum/label mate Maher. However, no matter what the platform, the tunesmith simply seeks to enlighten both Christ followers and seekers alike with creativity and spiritual connectivity at every turn. 

“My general goal is the ministry of art, if that’s possible,” Guerra lets out with a little laugh. “For a long time, art and ministry have been at odds, but I don’t think that needs to be the case. I think artists can love their neighbor as they love themselves, while keeping their finger on the pulse of what makes a good song and what makes good art. Hopefully I can say beautiful things, sing beautifully and then let the beauty do its work.”

Find out more about Jon at www.jonguerramusic.com ⏪

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 73, we unpack the journey of professional musician and keyboardist, Ian Macintosh. Ian is the keyboardist for Jesus Culture, and can be heard on albums by Jesus Culture, Bethel Music, Kari Jobe, Chris Tomlin, and more. He also helps keyboardists and synth players (especially in the worship community,) learn exactly how to grow and gain the understanding, confidence, and tools to excel creatively. He specializes in synthesis and sound design as well as programming, songwriting, and producing.

Ian's story is one of persistence and the relentless pursuit of all things creativity. Since his early days of growing up in the church and playing in youth group with the like of Chris Quilala and others he's been honing his craft and falling more in love with music and what it takes to be successful in the music industry. He's played professionally since 2004 and has travelled the world with Jesus Culture and many other artists. 

Ian's perspective and outlook on creativity is one that all creatives can relate to. Join the conversation as we unpack his journey and let us know what you think! ⏪

For more info about Ian and his keyboard training videos, visit www.ianmcintosh.tv

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 73, we unpack the journey of professional musician and keyboardist, Ian Macintosh. Ian is the keyboardist for Jesus Culture, and can be heard on albums by Jesus Culture, Bethel Music, Kari Jobe, Chris Tomlin, and more. He also helps keyboardists and synth players (especially in the worship community,) learn exactly how to grow and gain the understanding, confidence, and tools to excel creatively. He specializes in synthesis and sound design as well as programming, songwriting, and producing.

Ian's story is one of persistence and the relentless pursuit of all things creativity. Since his early days of growing up in the church and playing in youth group with the like of Chris Quilala and others he's been honing his craft and falling more in love with music and what it takes to be successful in the music industry. He's played professionally since 2004 and has travelled the world with Jesus Culture and many other artists. 

Ian's perspective and outlook on creativity is one that all creatives can relate to. Join the conversation as we unpack his journey and let us know what you think! ⏪

For more info about Ian and his keyboard training videos, visit www.ianmcintosh.tv

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 72, Bryant sits down with Nashville based award winning producer, composer, and songwriter Jordan Critz. His work has been featured on numerous recordings as well as film and television. Jordan believes that every melody tells a story. His goal in composing and producing is to craft the melodies and music to enhance the story that’s being told by the artist or by the film director. 

Critz's classical training on piano and guitar from the age of 8 fueled his love and unorthodox approach for making music. Because of his broad experience in working with many different styles of music, he’s right at home producing a rock band, working on country/folk music or scoring an orchestra for a film.

Over the years Jordan has become a multi-instrumentalist and has toured with numerous artists and played on many records from around the world. His solo artist work has also been featured on numerous popular TV shows.

Jordan’s music has a way of exploring the space between human joy, pain and spiritual wonder.

Music is not just a job for Jordan. Above all he is a purist. His philosophy is to give the songs room to speak for themselves. His end goal is to create the best art possible to help us along in our experience in the wonder, the joy, the pain, the struggles, and the beauty of life. 

If you're a creative in ANY field you're not going to want to miss this episode. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #reversepodcast on social media or dropping us a line at [email protected] ⏪

For more information about Jordan, visit www.jordancritz.com or check out his portfolio on musicbed - https://www.musicbed.com/artists/jordan-critz/43082 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 72, Bryant sits down with Nashville based award winning producer, composer, and songwriter Jordan Critz. His work has been featured on numerous recordings as well as film and television. Jordan believes that every melody tells a story. His goal in composing and producing is to craft the melodies and music to enhance the story that’s being told by the artist or by the film director. 

Critz's classical training on piano and guitar from the age of 8 fueled his love and unorthodox approach for making music. Because of his broad experience in working with many different styles of music, he’s right at home producing a rock band, working on country/folk music or scoring an orchestra for a film.

Over the years Jordan has become a multi-instrumentalist and has toured with numerous artists and played on many records from around the world. His solo artist work has also been featured on numerous popular TV shows.

Jordan’s music has a way of exploring the space between human joy, pain and spiritual wonder.

Music is not just a job for Jordan. Above all he is a purist. His philosophy is to give the songs room to speak for themselves. His end goal is to create the best art possible to help us along in our experience in the wonder, the joy, the pain, the struggles, and the beauty of life. 

If you're a creative in ANY field you're not going to want to miss this episode. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #reversepodcast on social media or dropping us a line at [email protected] ⏪

For more information about Jordan, visit www.jordancritz.com or check out his portfolio on musicbed - https://www.musicbed.com/artists/jordan-critz/43082 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 71, Bryant sits down with songwriter and entrepreneur, John Chisum. John is widely known for his songs recorded by Christian artists Ron Kenoly, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris, The Gaither Vocal Band, Truth, First Call, The Cathedrals and many of Integrity’s Hosanna! Music recordings. John has been a long-time music industry professional in music publishing, artist development, songwriter, and producer roles for over 200 projects.

John is now using all of his 30+ years of experience to inspire and coach songwriters with his company Nashville Christian Songwriters. He uses techniques and tools that he's learned over the years to help shape the next generation of Christian songwriters. For more information about John and Nashville Christian Songwriters, visit - www.nashvillechristiansongwriters.com ⏪

Join the Facebook Group Successful Christian Songwriters HERE

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.