I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2001 with a degree in music and continued my masters work, but I felt at loose ends. I knew God had called me into music ministry but I was scrambling all over, trying to make sense of His direction, and to be honest, trying to do his job for Him. I had contacted several Christian record labels, only to be met with the standard answer: unless you know someone in Nashville, we won’t be wasting our time with you. To quote Nate Sakany,
One morning at church, a friend of mine met me with a smile while clutching a rolled up copy of Christian Planet magazine. She chatted for a few minutes and then started to walk off. Then she quickly turned and said “Oh, I almost forgot! I was in town eating and saw this ad in this publication. I thought of you. You can have it if you want.” I said thanks and took the magazine without ever glancing at it. As she retreated down the hallway I shouted “Hey, what’s it about anyways?” She said “Oh, just an ad for some Christian record company.” I blew out a skeptical breath and shrugged in dismissal. Been there, done that.
When we got home from church, I threw the ad on top of the mail pile and forgot about it. A couple of weeks went by and my need for clean forced me to attack the neglected mail. I unearthed the magazine ad and considered tossing it into the trash, but the first few lines caught my eye. I sat down and read about this company, Incubator Creative Group, who specialized in helping emerging artists. They were offering free auditions for anyone willing to try out.
I thought about it for a little bit and finally decided that it never hurts to try. After all, I admitted, I’m not God, no matter how much I try to do His job for Him, and only He knew where it would lead. So I began the audition process and the rest is joyful history!
Incubator has been invaluable to my ministry and growth as an artist. I treasure this company for their commitment in seeking God first, above all other pursuits. They taught me the value of building a ministry based on brokenness, instead of just singing pretty songs. Before I began working with Incubator, I had no real foundation for my music ministry; they taught me that to be real, to be a good communicator and to be useful in God’s service, I first had to be honest about my own struggles and how God has led me into a deeper walk with Him. At first the thought of sharing my sin struggles with an audience was terrifying; now I can share with ease and I have discovered that there is great freedom in Christ when we are open about what He has done. (Consequently, the more honest I am, the less power Satan has to keep me wrapped in fear.) The results have been astounding. I learned that there are many broken, hurting people in God’s churches who simply need to know that they are not alone, that God still cares, even when they mess up, and that Hope is still available to all. I even met one sweet lady who was about to commit suicide; after hearing my battle with depression, she confessed to me that she had a plan to end her life but felt hope when she realized she is not alone in her feelings. The ability to reach out and be Jesus’ hands and feet is not possible if we bottle up our brokenness. That is when His redeeming light shines brightest.
Incubator gave me intense training in ministry and how to help people. Reading books like Safe People, Divine Appointments, Boundaries, The Search for Significance, and The Heart of the Artist (just to name a few) taught me to look deeper in my own walk with the Lord, as well as giving me the tools I need to encourage others. I have also received time to work with Doctor Martin, the best vocal coach on the planet! He taught me how to use my voice more effectively as a communicator. After about 4 months working with him, my church family and friends began remarking about how amazing I sounded. He does wonders with the human voice!
They also taught me how to run my ministry as a business, which I needed desperate help with. I am a very right brained individual and the idea of a business plan was nebulous at best. They took my ministry and taught me how to build it into a workable, profitable business. It’s never about the money, but they helped me see how to make enough money to keep the ministry going. It’s hard to have one without the other, and too many artists end up giving up because they lack knowledge of business basics. Incubator also trained me in songwriting, which I dearly love. I used to consider it a hobby; they taught me how to make it into a craft. I know songwriters who have written their whole lives who are just now at the place where I was after working just two years with Incubator. They gave me the tools I need to write and write well! They showed me how to build a home studio and with the set up we have, I am able to record at home and send the demos to them for mixing and production. What could be easier than that?
From ministry, to business, to songwriting, to recording, to writing, to counseling, performance training and vocal work, Incubator has helped build my calling into a ministry machine! They have always led me with love, compassion and godly counsel. I pray that I will be working with them for many, many years to come.
