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Kelly Minter
Biography
Kelly Minter
In listening to Kelly Minter’s debut release, it’s hard to believe that someone with the performance savvy and writing skills of Word Record’s newest "gal with a guitar" hasn’t been honing her craft since birth. Hard to believe that music filled a very small portion of the Virginia native’s time until just after high school. Hard to believe that growing up, she was more interested in the kickball game down the street than the piano lessons her family encouraged. In high school, the kickball games gave way to basketball, and it was much more likely that you would catch this preacher’s kid dribbling a ball rather than strumming a guitar. And that old classical she had picked up as a child (which for some unknown reason seemed to hold more promise for her than the piano) got much less playing time than Kelly did out on the court. During her senior year of high school, it all seemed to be working out. The team captain, a stellar season and a verbal scholarship offer from a prestigious university in South Carolina had Kelly looking forward to realization of her dreams. That’s when the call came. The coach had run out of scholarship money…and Kelly knew that her parents could not afford the out-of-state tuition. Lying in the middle of her parents’ bed in a pool of tears over the broken dream of playing college basketball, Kelly had a hard time seeing that God was about to take her on the most exciting part of her life’s journey so far. Thumbing through her bible, seeking some sort of solace, Kelly was cut to the heart when she came across 1 Thessalonians 5:20 which read "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Says Kelly, "It would take me several years to understand the magnitude of this verse in my life, but it took only a few seconds for me to know that I needed to thank Him…even for broken dreams." The basketball disappointment fit squarely with past wounds she had wrestled with throughout her life, and the years that followed were filled with internal questions and struggles for Kelly while she commuted to a local university and coached basketball at her old high school. Somewhere in the midst of that, she picked up her guitar again. Knowing all of eight chords ("Still twice the amount needed to write a Beatles’ hit," she quips) Kelly began the process of reconciling the truth she found in scripture with the internal struggles with which she grappled. "Music was the perfect outlet in that disruptive season," says Kelly, "The Lord used my college years to strip me of all I had ever trusted in, and brought me to the lowest, most confusing point of my life. Little did I know that it was His unfailing kindness that was keeping me on my knees." Soon Kelly began to realize, with the encouragement of friends, family, and a providential meeting with Christian recording artist Kathy Troccoli, that music was more than just an outlet for her. It was a gift she had been given. A gift that she was to share. Early on Kelly performed for the Gospel Music Association, winning awards for her songwriting and performance, and put together an independent recording. That CD made it into the hands of Word Records, and the rest is history. Paired with producer Kenny Greenberg (Joan Baez, Ashley Cleveland, Edwin McCain) Good Day captures both the whimsy and depth of this self-proclaimed extrovert. Built on the solid sonic foundation of rollicking guitars, insightful lyrics and flint-n-steel vocals, the album explores basic Christian themes of faith ("Any More Sure"), hope ("Good Day") and love ("Return To Me"), sung with the confidence of someone with wisdom beyond her years -- the wisdom of one who has been through the fire and emerged refined. "I wanted to make an album filled with songs that people could put their arms around," says Kelly with trademark intensity. "My goal was for the songs that comprise Good Day not to require you to sit and ponder for hours, but still offer a lot of depth. I wanted them to be contemplative, yet still be very get-able." It has been those "get-able" lyrics that have proven to be a connecting point with people who hear her music. And that ability to connect has opened other doors of opportunity for Kelly to share her music with a broader audience. One such opportunity is Operation Starting Line, a ministry of Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship. As a psychology major with a bend toward biblical counseling, this affiliation served to intertwine her passion for music and people. "I will never forget my first experience in stepping over the line from freedom to confinement," remembers Kelly. "I wasn’t sure what to say -- and finding common ground with these men felt like a daunting task. It didn’t take me long to realize that all they wanted was for me to be myself. Since then I have continually been pierced with the truth that we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God, and yet His grace is sufficient for everyone. That’s all the common ground we need." Kelly relishes the places through which God has lead her and the lessons she has learned on this journey so far. She relishes the gift of music and the chance to share and "engage with God’s greatest treasure -- His people." "I am thankful for all the opportunities God has given me," says Kelly. "I was recently asked to sing the national anthem for a professional women’s basketball game. It was startling to find myself on the court again, this time with a microphone in my hand instead of a basketball. God has a way of crucifying our dreams and resurrecting them in a way that is far beyond all that we could ever ask for. It has been anything but an easy journey so far…but there is peace in knowing that He has truly given me the desires of my heart." |
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