Without Words features ten songs composed by Matt, plus bonus tracks of two of his songs that were remastered with additional instruments.

I had the chance to speak with Matt during an interview he did with me on the Catholic Music Express, and I was impressed with his desire to share his faith with people wherever possible. He has shared the stage with other Catholic artists like Dan Duet and Fr. Kent O’Connor. Several videos are available on YouTube featuring Matt and some of these other artists.

You can learn more about Matt Di Filippo and his music on his page on MySpace.com/MattdiFilippo.



Copyright 2010 Jim Logue

“In the Silence of the Heart” – guitar, violin, finding God in the silence, in the desert. Reflects Danielle’s pursuit of God in her own heart.

“Pursue Me” – guitar, light percussion. A song asking God to “pursue me”, to come into my life. “You stretched Your loving arms across the world into my heart.” Sometimes we keep running away from God, trying to go after our own selfish prizes. God comes to pursue us, to bring us back to Himself.

“Nothing Compares to You” – light waltz. Unlike other songs with a similar name, this one is not about “you” going away and me being sad. Nothing in this world can separate us from the Love of God, as in the passage from Romans.

“Hail, Mary” – In honor of our Blessed Mother. The beautiful prayer to Mary expanded, a devotion to the Mother of God, mixed with the Doxology.

“Abraham’s Offering” – a song written about the story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. A song about true faith, obedience, and trust in God.

“Anointing at Bethany” – midtempo 6/8 song about Jesus’ annointing with the expensive oil by the woman, as told from the perspective of the woman.

“Follow Me” – “If you lose your life for the sake of my name…”, this is a song about God calling us to follow Him. “I call you by name, I call you my friend. From now on I call you a fisher of men.” Beautiful choir arrangment on this one.

“Walk on Water” – song about Jesus’ walking on water, the apostles’ fear when they saw him, “Come to me and walk up on the water; Come in faith my grace will be enough. If you believe you come to know love’s power, come to me and I will hold you up.” The harmonies give the right touch.

“Psalm 139 (Wonderfully Made)” – “Lord, You search me and you know me.” A beautiful setting of the psalm. A haunting piano accompaniment accentuates this song.

“Sing a New Song” – A definite Bluegrass tempo, “I will sing a new song, to a new song. I will sing a new song to the Lord. He has turned my mourning, turned it into dancing, silence ends in melody.” Turning everything over to Jesus. This is the song that gives her that Alison-Krause-like quality.

“See You In the Eucharist” – a light ballad, a song about Jesus’ True Presence in the Eucharist. Something that even Catholics need to be reminded about, that the Eucharist is not just a symbol of Jesus, it IS Jesus!

“Gates of Heaven” – A light bluegrass/folk song, duet with her father, Dr. Daniel Skorich. “…and if I never see you face again, we will meet at the gates of Heaven.” Reminds me a little of some of the Irish ballads I’ve heard. Danielle said she cried for two hours after first hearing this song.

While we will definitely miss Danielle’s music, she is being called to a different life. We offer our prayers for Danielle in her vocation in the convent. 100% of the royalties of this project will go towards vocations.

The CD can be purchased at the WLP Website: WLP.JSPaluch.com.

Copyright 2010 Jim Logue

Music: “Lord, Send Out Your Spirit” written and performed by Susan Bailey

Masses for the Unemployed – submit your name to have masses said for you for one month

During the course of this great evening, we had the opportunity to hear Jackie Kelley sing her new song “Stronger”.  I was able to find this video of Jackie online, and I’m so happy to share it with you.  There is something about the words to this song that truly captures what’s in my heart these days.  God has blessed my life so abundantly, and I wake up every day wanting to do more for those around me as a sign of my love for Him.

Lord I want you to know that I am grateful in every way
that’s why the longing in my heart keeps getting stronger every day
through every trial and experience
my love for you is serious
since you have shown me the way…
Stronger by Jackie Kelley

p.s. That dessert up there was up for auction – we weren’t the winning bidders, but I walked away from this night feeling like a true winner for having had such a great date with my husband.

Video Link

Please introduce our readers to yourself and your family.

I am Adrianne Powell Price and have been blessed with my husband, Thom, for 23 years.  We have been blessed with our son, Spencer, who is a graduate of homeschooling and is a freshman at the University of Dallas.  We live in Birmingham, AL, where Thom is the Program Director for EWTN’s radio network.  We are blessed with 7 Godchildren and several “adopted Godchildren”.

Please tell us a bit about your musical training and educational background.

I started singing at 12 years of age, began singing professionally at about 15 and graduated from the Univ. of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a BM in Vocal Performance.  Here is where the REAL story of how the Lord has blessed me:  from age 18 – nearly 38, I was plagued with vocal nodules from too much singing (4-5 hours of daily practice at the Conservatory).  It took me 6 years to get my undergraduate degree because I was forever having to go on voice rest.  When I graduated, my professors and doctors told me I’d never be a soloist.  I could lightly sing in choruses, but not have a solo career. That’s what they told me.

I have read that your faith journey took you through a time of separation from the Church.  Would you please expound upon this and let us know how you came back into the fullness of the Church.

I went through a crisis of faith, left the Catholic Church, got into doing regional and national voice overs, went to Los Angeles and got into the film industry, and sang in a choir under Gregorian Chant master, Dr. Paul Salamunovich.  Spencer was born while we were living in LA and it was an older woman who babysat for us who helped to bring us back into the Catholic Church by her zeal for the Church and by her example.

How have you come to focus on the type of music you now perform?

We moved to Minneapolis for awhile, had an incredible conversion experience while being parishioners of Holy Family Church, in St. Louis Park, MN.  Within 1 1/2 years of living in Minneapolis, the Lord answered our prayer of him finding work in a Christ-centered company.  EWTN hired him to come work for the radio network.  On the feast of St. Blaise in 1998, I surrendered my singing voice and nodules and begged the Lord to heal me of the nodules.  I prayed, “Lord, if the healing of my voice aids in the salvation of my soul or anyone who hears me, through the intercession of St. Blaise, please heal me.”  To this day, I have had no sign of ever having nodules.  There are no scars.  The Lord healed me and this CD is my way of saying “Thank You, Jesus, for hearing my prayer.  For You, I will only sing sacred music to thank You for all You have done for me.”

What type of music do you enjoy personally?

I enjoy listening to a variety of music.  It all depends on what my mood is.  I really enjoy Sacred polyphony and Gregorian chant, but I also enjoy Pop Classical music (like Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Il Divo, and the Swingle Singers); Renaissance and Baroque music (a GREAT singer of that genre is Julianne Baird); and oldies (Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Rosemary Clooney).

With Lent coming up, how does music play a part in your family’s devotions?

Music plays an important part of Lent, as it should throughout the year.  I decorate my home with touches of purple during Advent and Lent; white during Christmas and Easter; and green during Ordinary time, usually with colored candles that are kept lit most of the time.  I try to do the same with the music I play.  This is a time of solemn reflection and anticipation.  When we go to the market or other stores, we’re bombarded with loud secular Christmas music.  Our homes should be a refuge from the world, where peace and prayerfulness is something we try to experience within ourselves and provide for those around us.  Hopefully, we can carry that prayerful peace out into the world.  Soft Gregorian chant is helpful.  I also enjoy an album I found by the Van Trapp family that I play all year round.

A bit of advice I’d like to pass on to parents of teens:  playing sacred music softly in the background helps to keep everyone’s moods calm and I believe the devil just hates it when we play that kind of music, too.  It sure helped us get through a couple of difficult years with our teen!

How can listeners learn more about your music and order your CD?

For more information about “Sacred Classics” go to:  www.adrianneprice.com

I must admit that I know nothing about the rap/hip-hop world and who are the “movers and shakers” in the industry. However reading other reviews of Paradox (which can be accessed from the Paradox website, ParadoxHipHop.com), it is apparent that Paradox has brought in some “heavyweights” for this album.

Probably most readers of Grapevine would not be interested in an entire rap album, but I would recommend that “Called to Mind” might be an opportunity to stretch one’s musical tastes. Several of the tracks I found to be more “approachable,” such as “Put ‘em Together” (I find the hook to be quite catchy), and the sampling for “Let Your Life Speak” and “On Second Thought” to be really great. Lyrically, my favorite tracks are “Help Wanted,” which is very playful with its rhyming and imagery (with a good message to boot), and “Ruined for Life,” which is the most explicitly Christian track. Both could find a happy place in some high school/college retreats.

Please check out Paradox’ “Called to Mind” on iTunes, CDbaby, or Amazon.

Reviewed by Fr. Kent O’Connor

Like so many young rock bands, The Thirsting is “on the road” trying to get their music out there. They sleep in their van, eat at truck stops, drive for hours on end, set up their own gear, and play for whoever will listen. It’s not an easy life, but they’re passionate about what they do. And what they do is play rock n’ roll…Catholic rock n’ roll.

In the small world of Catholic rock music, the “Do It Yourself (DIY)” philosophy is not an alternative to working with a large record label or publishing company, it’s the only option for most artists. If they want people to hear their music, then they must handle every facet of the artistic process themselves. They produce their own recordings, book their own gigs, and market and sell their own merchandise. There is no record label, no manager, no agent, and no publicist. If they don’t do it themselves, it doesn’t get done. “Booking our gigs is a lot of hard work,” Josh Olson, the guitarist for The Thirsting explains, “phone calls, and emails. A lot of it has been us sitting by the phones. One thing we’ve been doing recently is compiling a big data base of all the dioceses, and youth leaders all across the country. And so we try to call them and get events booked that way.” This is a common situation for most Catholic rock artists. Mike BeLoud of the LA-based band Rise makes it clear that every aspect of touring, not just booking gigs, is usually left up to the artist. “We have generally paid for all our own travel,” he states, “including our trip to Germany (for World Youth Day 2005). Occasionally, a promoter will offer a small stipend for travel, but mostly we take care of our own logistics.”

David Vogel, an award winning Catholic artist, also survives without the help of a booking agent or manager. He matter-of-factly declares, “I have slept in the back seat of my car, on the tour bus, outside on the ground, hotels, motels, guest houses, in churches, church rectories, a wing off a convent, homeless shelters, even under a bridge.” It certainly isn’t the glamorous life of many secular performers as portrayed on MTV. There are definitely no all-night parties with groupies, no expensive hotel penthouses, and no stretch limousines to take artists to their gigs. On the contrary, the Catholic rock artist lives a humble, no-frills life receiving little recognition for all their hard work. A few make enough money from their ministry to support a modest life style. However, most Catholic artists must work full-time day jobs in order to pay their bills because their music just doesn’t generate enough income.

Although the financial rewards are usually minimal, and the work is hard, most Catholic artists find themselves playing for very appreciative audiences no matter what the situation. The Thirsting said that in the past three years, they have played about 200 shows. Mostly churches, retreats, youth rallies, and Christian music festivals (like the Joshua Fest in Quincy, CA, or Common Ground at Ester Short Park in Vancouver). Kyle Heimann of the group Popple says, “We are on the road for 2 months straight every summer playing at camps, and a good chunk of the weekends the rest of the year. We�ve played at retreats, conferences, youth rallies, camps, Mass, parish picnics, parties, youth nights, praise and worship events, and adoration. In 2009 we played 110 days, and with travel it was 150 days (on the road). We have played in Mexico, France, and all over the country (USA).”

By far, the largest and highest-profile concert event for Catholic rock artists to perform at is the International World Youth Day Celebration (WYD). This event is held in a different international city every two or three years, and is scheduled for Madrid, Spain in 2011. It attracts hundreds of thousands of teens from all over the world, and is also internationally televised. Artists such as Critical Mass, Rise, and Tom Booth have all had the opportunity to perform at this event over the past several years. WYD is an unbelievable chance for any artist to share their music with a young international audience. Surprisingly, even for an event of this magnitude, the performers receive little or no money. Furthermore, they are not allowed to sell any of their merchandise at WYD, and typically have to arrange for all their own travel, and housing accommodations. David Vogel performed at WYD 2008 in Sydney, Australia, but not before enduring enormous trials for months leading up to the event. He was badly injured in a severe motorcycle accident, his house was burglarized, and his band quit on him. Yet, he was so determined to play at WYD 2008 that he borrowed money against his home, and sold most of his belongings to cover the cost of the trip to Sydney.

Enduring hardships is just part of the experience. Touring is a labor of love, especially for Catholic bands that cannot turn to a tour manager, or record company to help out when they hit bumps along the way. “One time, in the middle of a spring tour of the South-west,” explains Dan Oberreuter, lead singer for The Thirsting, “we were in Flagstaff, Arizona and our bus broke down. It was really cold, about 20 degrees out and there was a blizzard ahead of us. That kind of sucked because we were supposed to have a concert in Amarillo, but our bus broke down before we got there. In hindsight, we think it was probably God protecting us from the blizzard.” The band Rise has also seen their fair share of touring disasters. They say, “We often consider ourselves as the ‘Spinal Tap’ of Catholic Music! We can write a book about the disasters and funny things that have happened to us, from traveling across the country at our own expense to perform at what was billed as a huge arena gig, but only about 6 people showed up in a venue that could have held 10,000…to Mike’s ‘exploding’ suitcase at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany!”

There are also many unexpected rewards for the brave artists who venture out on the road. As they perform in small towns and large cities across the globe, they come in contact with many different people. It’s not unusual for them to find that when they arrive at a town to perform, their music has preceded them and already touched individuals in that community. They often find that while they are ministering to their audiences with their songs, God is ministering to them as well. A beautiful example of this is retold by the members of The Thirsting: “One tour, we roll up to Dinuba, California, and this guy comes up and greets us. We’re like, ‘who is this guy? Is he part of the Church or what?’ He goes, ‘Do you know who I am?’ We say, ‘No.’ He says, ‘Well, I know who you guys are. I’ve been waiting for you guys for a week.’ Turns out, he’s a homeless guy in the area that had heard about us coming. He hasn’t had a roof over his head for 15 years. He had our concert poster on his shopping cart, and he’s a member of the parish there. He took us to the church. Everybody knew him. He helped us set up. He was just a fun guy to talk with, and hang out with. He wouldn’t accept a food offering. He said, ‘You guys need it more.’ He was the first one to greet us and the last one to see us go when we left. He gave Josh a gift: a (sweet) watch. He was the least among us…Jesus among us.”

Whether it is receiving a warm reception from an ecstatic young crowd who are witnessing their first rock concert ever, or enduring the critical comments of elderly parishioners about the evils of rock music, Catholic artists have to keep a positive attitude. Without that they would never last. They must be passionate about their music, as well as their faith. They must be firmly grounded in the belief that what they do truly matters, and playing their music for others is their calling. In regards to Catholic artist who are on the road playing their music, Tom Booth may sum it up best when he explains, “Generally speaking, these are people who have been profoundly touched by the grace of God, and feel pushed to go out and tell the world the good news. Mostly, it is work for the gospel; meeting people, listening to their stories, praying with them, giving advice and asking advice. The music is a small part of the overall picture. It is ministry, not music performance.”

• World Youth Day…the numbers:

  • 2000: Rome, Italy (2,000,000 in attendance)
  • 2002: Toronto, Canada (800,000 in attendance)
  • 2005: Cologne, Germany (1,200,000 in attendance)
  • 2008: Sydney, Australia (223,000 in attendance)
  • 2011: Madrid, Spain

• Some of the best places to catch live Catholic rock in the US:

  • 1. Steubenville Youth Conferences: Over a dozen different weekend conferences in all areas of the US.
  • 2. National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC): always some of the best Catholic performers are on the agenda.
  • 3. Crossroads Music Festival: One of the best-known Catholic Music Festivals in the Midwest.
  • 4. Los Angeles Religious Education Congress: One of the nation’s largest Catholic Conferences with lots of good music all weekend.
  • 5. Monkfest (Canada): Tons of great indie-rock Catholic style.
  • 6. UNITY Awards: the United Catholic Music and Video Association’s annual awards show held in a different city every year featuring performances by a variety of Catholic artists.

1. Catholic Rock Fun Facts:

   1. One of the guitarists from the band Rise is also an LA police officer and co-founder of the Catholic record label, Spiritwing Records.
   2. The Catholic rocker, David Vogel recently played an original composition that is set to the poetry of Pope John Paul II for Pope Day in Warsaw, Poland.
   3. The lead singer of the band Critical Mass works days as a college professor.
   4. The duo Popple is known for their humor, and playing kazoos.
   5. The Thirsting had to officially discontinue “stage diving” at their concerts.

Copyright 2010 Hugh van der Linden

Please briefly introduce yourself and your family.

My name is Lisa Howard and I am 32 years old. I have been married to my Husband, Adam for 5 and a half years and we have 3 children named Matilda who is 3 and a half years, Tristan who is 2 and a half years, and baby Quinlann who is now 12 months old.

I am a full time Mother and work from home part time, teaching singing to people of all ages.

Please share about your musical background- is this your first CD? What led you into the music field and enabled you to produce this lovely CD?

I have been classically trained as a Soprano since the age of 14and continue to have the occasional lesson for a “tune up”.  I completed my Associate Diploma of Music at the Australian Institute of Music and continued to perform in various shows for other musicians and directors (during my studies) as well as my own shows and solo work in Perth, Sydney and Overseas in London.

I now sing in my local parish as well as impromptu performances about town or for the promotion of the CD. My most recent and major performance was singing at the World Youth Day Festival at Darling Harbour in Sydney last year.

Whispers of My Spirit is my debut album.  I was led into the music field by my passion and the need to sing.

First of all I wanted to pursue a career in Musical Theatre, however, I was never content and didn’t really believe in what I was doing. It lacked my focus and vocal purpose……I just didn’t seem to fit in.

It wasn’t until I personally experienced the Love of God in my life after going back to the church, that I realised how much I desired to sing for God on all levels of my being.

When I began to sing in Church, people felt closer to God and became emotionally charged. It was through this, and my own faith walk, that I wanted to help people and give so much more than just singing at a Sunday Mass. I wanted to be instrumental in God’s healing Love through my singing and music.

I prayed, fasted and discerned about it a lot more than “usual”.  I had a desire and yearning to make a healing CD. I didn’t know when? or how? But I knew I would do it. It was through being open to God’s will and I would bump into musicians,  people in the industry, and  people from reputable music institutes.  They were able to help me, and could hear what I wanted to do.

The prospect of pursuing this project further on both sides was becoming evident. They were excited creatively, having not worked on a project similar to mine.  I may add that this discernment period became at times very frustrating due to many set backs along the way but the desire to continue was still there.

Can you tell us a bit about the process of selecting the songs for the CD and the actual recording process?

The selection of the 4 copyright songs completed the ‘healing’ theme for the CD and having sung them before they held a special place in my heart.

The 4 copyright songs on the CD were also fitting for the other 6 originals that were my own prayers, and they each flowed on from the other working towards ministry.

I wanted to make the CD a healing/prayerful journey opening up with ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and ending it lightly with God’s blessing and reassurance, hence the last song being ‘The Lord Bless You and keep You’.

In regards to the recording process I had 2 solid hours every Saturday over a 10 week period, to work with an arranger and figure out musically how the songs were to be structured and the overall  musical theme and tune of the song.  We would quickly record them with the piano backing and then pass them through to another arranger/composer to complete the final orchestrations and have all the songs completed, edited ready for the real and final recording.

Being 7 and a half months pregnant for the final recording, time was of the essence due to the restrictions I had with breathing and the expectation of  solid vocal quality within the songs.  I worked one full solid day from 10am -5pm over a 3 and a half week period.

To cut down on major costs in regards to studio hiring and labour, the production manager maintained a state of the art home studio set up with hi-tech equipment and modern music programmes that had come about from the U.S.  This programme was very effective in helping me achieve the overall sound and feeling of the CD.

The music is predominantly piano and strings. The songs had been pre-recorded with the pianist and arranger making changes to suit the style and theme of the CD. This was also done in their own time, and we would maintain contact via the web. The backing music for the songs on the CD had previously been pre recorded and were ready to be used purely for the vocal recording.

In this instance, it reduced the amount of ‘recording live’ sessions, and the necessity of all the musicians together at one time, which was incredibly impossible due to their own work demands elsewhere.

As a busy wife and mum, how do you find the time for your music? How does being a mum impact upon your creative process?

My time for my music can range however, when I am doing monotonous chores like the dishes, I feel and hear God’s presence of music and will quickly jot down the words or tune.

During the children’s sleep time I try and journal  or just sit and contemplate. Praying the Rosary (sometimes not finished) helps me unwind as well.

I have been extremely blessed with a supportive husband who allows me to achieve and if it’s viable, he can take care of the children for a couple of hours on a week-end or week night.  Unity and compromise have won, however, this stage of our relationship can sometimes take little longer than others!

In the long run it means that we are both happy and supportive of each other, which works (prayer helps too).

Being a mum, I think makes me so much more creative than any other time for the reason, that every emotion and feeling within myself is challenged and discovered, it creates an opportunity to express that into song.

You experience love on so many levels because of the love you have for your children and this is a reflection of God’s love for us.  Love is always a core catalyst to express something creative and beautiful if it’s for someone or something.

Having 3 young dependant children I am very limited to my spare time that when I have an opportunity, I maximise it wisely and push that little bit further than what I could the day before. This keeps me focused on quality.

I may add that my continued pregnancies within this period made me more determined to finish what I started.

On a more serious level, the birth of my first baby Daughter was extremely traumatic and our lives were in God’s hands. I was tested severely in trusting God, my faith and how he allows situations to happen that aren’t joyful, but will one day fit a much greater and bigger picture in his plan for us.

It was through this experience I embraced Motherhood so soundly. I retreated more within myself to search and pray on a deeper level and the completion of my songs for the CD came about.  I had once again experienced God, and his healing Love for me on a deeper level than previously before.

It took a while to make the decision of “yes” I am going to physically make a CD and the time is nigh, because I was struggling with the fact that I had this most precious, gorgeous and healthy baby girl and I was loving Motherhood but I still yearned to sing and keep focused on my dream.

I felt guilty due to the fact I had achieved something so incredibly wonderful and I should just be content with that.

I experienced an inner struggle of thinking is this me and my human level of selfishness? Or is it really God’s will? as the desire consistently consumed my thoughts and who I was as a Mother and myself, Lisa Howard.

I have always been passionate about being a Mother and being able to maintain my singing alongside fulfilling my dreams and desires, particularly if they were from God. I kept asking in prayer that “surely with the grace and being Gods will it’s possible to combine both.”

I knew there was only one way to find out and that was to step out in faith and make the first move in getting started.

In a nut shell my introduction into Motherhood was raw and real, but through this initial phase, it catapulted me into making a healing CD with the completed written material content for my songs.

How has your faith journey influenced your work as a musician?

When I decided to come back to my faith, I experienced Gods love in an overwhelming way that my whole self and direction in life changed.

My Mum having been a witness to me during this moment, also had a deeper conversion and healing.  I realised in heart, mind, body and spirit that God had created me for his purpose and I was excited to find out.

My original plan didn’t work out, so I was open to letting go of everything and just wait on God seeing that he gave me life in the first place and I was prepared to give it back to him.

Through this year of transition and growth God took me on my own journey of healing and forgiveness of my past (prior to my daughter’s birth scenario) that I gained an understanding as to why I had made many mistakes and choices.

Over time I didn’t realise I had morphed myself into somebody I wasn’t. I was actually running away from the real me, who was actually a broken, vulnerable person and had been for a very long time. The career and life I was chasing was a bandaid I kept replacing.

It took grace to find this out and have a deeper understanding to the poignant questions in life.

In this particular year I continued to journal my experiences, and there a pattern emerged of prayers that were the actual beginning material for my songs on the CD.

I felt that one day I wanted to share Gods healing Love with so many. And I didn’t want the songs to be ‘fluffy’ , As Gods true joy is experienced in great suffering and we can truly appreciate a blessing when it comes.

I wanted the songs to portray the effect of our humanity with God, and the realness of our relationship with him.

Circumstances in life beyond our control can really hurt sometimes, but  become pivotal in changing our whole being and direct us to do something good, give purpose and most of all give God the Glory.

In embracing the cross I found who I was, what I was running from and what I needed to do.

I couldn’t keep the Miraculous Lord to myself , and I have never believed in something so much, that I couldn’t not share it.

The CD had become a desire by then, however the birth of my first daughter was the conclusive point in which I made the commitment to make the CD really happen.

What has been really refreshing of late is hearing how some of the words in the songs have really touched people deeply. What I love most is that in my moments of hardship and pain, God has used this to annoint somone else and the suffering isn’t in vain. It actually has power to turn someones heart around ……….back to God.

Who are some of your favourite musicians and musical influences?

I would have to say that I have a fair list of names. They are predominantly known for their singing. They are:

Enya , Sarah Brightman, Lisa Gerrard , Cecilia, The Secret Garden and Marina Prior.

I fell in love with the music from The Passion of the Christ, and Lord of the Rings.

How can readers learn more about your music or order your CD?

Whispers of my Spirit is my debut album. You can order it on line on my website www.lisahoward.com.au. It’s $20 AUS plus postage and handling. I usually work on a cheque or wire transfer for purchase.  Otherwise it is stocked in the Catholic bookshop Shop here in Perth, W.A.  I am thinking that my website is more convenient and a better way to purchase.  You can actually view and listen to the songs on my website.

The website is updated with information from time to time and I am currently working on an information page, as well as material towards further promotion and another CD.

Are there any additional comments you’d like to share with our readers?

I am most grateful for your support.  Motherhood is by far the highest and best vocation God calls us to and what more of a role model could we have than ‘Our Lady’ . I must say that a lot of her intercession has kept me grounded and still continues to do so today.  Your children don’t always do as they are asked and God can minister his healing Love to us in the best of times !!

God Bless You greatly.

For more information on the music of Lisa Howard visit her website at http://www.lisahoward.com.au/

There must be nine or ten songs that are wrapped up in that time for me.  That May, those weeks following his death.  His friends, all younger than me, all graduating from high school, yet missing this crazy guy who they had grown up with.  He and I were so different.  So different, that I think that I lived a little through them during that time.  I got to know them, because I couldn’t get to know him now.  “Tuesday’s Gone” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Runaround Sue,” “Little Sister” by Elvis and so many more just take me back.  Put me right back in that moment as this young 20 year old who had just come to know that life just sucks sometimes.

Almost a year after his death I was listening a lot to The Indigo Girls.  Their song “Ghost” is a love song, and some of it didn’t fit, but the idea of being in love with someone’s ghost…with the memory of them was real to me.  My brother was in many ways not a nice guy.  He was someone you wouldn’t want taking care of your kids.  He was just mean sometimes.  But his memory was something we all reveled in.  In love with his ghost.  And we still are.  We still watch home movies of him and there is this sense as we laugh and joke about some of the funny things that he did that underlying the laughter is a sense of sadness.  A sense of doom almost when here’s his last Thanksgiving and his last Mother’s Day.  His last prom and birthday.  And behind it all the music – Jewel’s first album which was in the CD player in his truck when I cranked it up.  “Strawberry Wine” that I heard coming from his room at night.  Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” that he played because the girl he liked was named Mandy.  All songs that will forever remind me of him.



Copyright 2009 Katherine Barron

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Throughout my academic career, I have maintained a commitment to the arts, and since my conversion to Catholicism in 2006, I have aspired to promote an appreciation for artistic beauty within the context of the Catholic faith. It was through my own encounter with the brilliance of Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa and The Fountain of the Four Rivers that I was awakened to the truth of the theological perspectives which informed them. It is now my earnest desire to facilitate a greater awareness of the indissoluble marriage of truth and beauty, in order that a demand for beauty might permeate the production of sacred arts today, and thus allow others to encounter in them the radiance of Christ.

The Foundation for Sacred Arts has been established for precisely this purpose. As a Catholic non-profit organization, we aim to stimulate a renewed vibrancy in the patronage and production of Christian sacred arts (art, architecture, music); and to advance the pursuit of excellence in conformity with truth, goodness and beauty in these arts; for the glory of God, the life of His Church, and the transformation of culture.

The Foundation’s initiatives include educational opportunities such as lectures, conferences and symposia; tours of museums, shrines, churches and places of pilgrimage throughout the country; an on-line archive of artists, architects, and composers; and events such as competitions, exhibitions, and concerts. Our objectives are thus in accord with Pope Benedict XVI’s directive “to stir up awe at and desire for the beautiful, form the sensitivity of souls and nourish the passion for all that which is an authentic expression of the human genius and a reflection of divine beauty.” Indeed, as Pope John Paul II stated is his Letter to Artists, “in order to communicate the message entrusted her by Christ, the Church needs art.”

Through the generous support of private donations, our organization has already been able to realize two national traveling exhibitions featuring the highest caliber examples of contemporary sacred art. Spring of 2009 brought our Washington, DC based lecture series, The Beauty that Saves: Art in the Life of the Church, and our Chicago, IL day conference, A New Way of Seeing: Understanding Christian Art. Both were met with enthusiasm and lively discussion.

Fall of 2009 will feature two additional highly anticipated events. Dr. Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at BostonCollege and author of over 45 books, will speak about “The Power of Beauty in the Sacred Arts” on September 12th at 7:30pm at St. Mary’s parish in OldTown, Alexandria, VA. The Foundation will also sponsor The Mysteries of the Rosary: an exhibition of 20 paintings by the renowned artist Anthony Visco, on view during the month of October (the month of the Rosary) at the National Shrine Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Mr. Visco was recently commissioned by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke as a principal artist for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The looming recession, however, has already encumbered many otherwise enthusiastic supporters of our work, and while private donations have already been allocated to cover the costs of our remaining 2009 projects, we are still in need of an additional $20,000 to cover general operating costs through the balance of this year. We have a number of exciting projects that we are eager to commence even in 2010, including a third national traveling exhibition and competition entitled, I Believe: The Creed in Art and our first sacred choral composition competition (details can be found at: www.thesacredarts.org). We also aim to update the Foundation website in order to feature an online archive of the finest examples of contemporary sacred art, architecture, and music, as a resource for art enthusiasts and patrons alike.

Though our tough economic climate may seem unfavorable to this aim, it is precisely during this time of anxiety and uncertainty that the beauty of Christ will offer hope to a troubled world. As the preeminent 20th century Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand wrote, “Beauty opens our hearts, inviting us to transcendence and leading us ‘in conspectum Dei’- before the face of God.” We have been offered a pivotal moment for the transformation of culture, but our apostolate cannot succeed without continued prayers and support.

Ann Marra
Executive Director, The Foundation for Sacred Arts

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002…

The release includes gospel, Tibetan, Eastern Orthodox, Mayan, Gypsy, Tahitian, African, Baroque and Gregorian chants. Chant aficionados will discover choir music from the USA, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Russia, the Balkans, Tibet, and Syria among others.

For more wonderful music visit: http://www.milanrecords.com/jade/arti…
To learn more about Gregorian chant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregoria…

Wrong!  He took the initiative to locate a local pipe band, reschedule his flute lessons and even save up some money for the eventual purchase of bagpipes.  Blessedly, the first stage of learning to play is to use a “chanter” which is a very quiet equivalent of a full set of pipes. So last night, we went off to his first lesson.  I deposited him in the company of some very nice men who seemed very enthused about seeing a fresh face.  When I walked back to my car, the strains of “Danny Boy”, “Amazing Grace” and that one famous Scottish anthem were droning loudly outside the practice room as the pipers warmed up.

Adam will start off for a few months with a one hour beginner’s lesson.  If his interest continues and he practices diligently, he can join the band – which means his own kilt and set of pipes.  Last night when I picked him up, he was positively glowing with excitement.  His teacher was impressed by his site reading abilities and interest level and gave him very positive remarks.  It’s so wonderful, as a mom, to see that look of unadulterated joy on your child’s face (even if it’s caused by bagpipes!)

I will keep you posted on our path towards a full set of pipes.  I’m still not convinced that this latest instrument choice will “stick”, but if last night was any indication I may be investing in bagpipes and earplugs very soon.

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At her Prayer Chapel, Susan is offering daily Lenten retreat experiences for those of us who are very busy, but want to take a few moments for quiet, prayerful reflections every day. Click here to visit Susan’s Prayer Chapel.

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Check out more of Matthew Baute’s inspirational Songs for Prayer here.

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