Break Free is Geri Conant and her guitar. I have visions of a kickin’ band playing with me, but for now I’m acoustic. It started when I was 14 and my grandma, who had very little cash sitting around, decided to buy me a guitar. Outside of God, I’m not sure what possessed her to do that. I wrote my first song on that guitar, although it wasn’t like the cool stuff you hear coming out of 14 year olds today. It was more like kumbiya. But it was the start of something God was working in me. I played and wrote for a few years, then set down my guitar for many while occasionally plunking a tune here and there on the piano. In the mean time, I went to Christ For The Nations, and ventured out on some awesome missions trips. I came back home (I’m a Minnesota girl), got married, had kids, but I didn’t live behind a white picket fence. It was more like barbed wire, which was created by my own struggles, fears and insecurities. I finally came to the cross roads of “I can’t do this any more.†My prayers seemed unanswered, and a part of me thought I had been abandoned by God, a part of me rebelled, but there was still something in me hoping that God was still there. And so began a continuous flow of writing, like pulling logs from the dam, allowing the water of all my emotions and struggles to rush past me. I would sit at my piano and write the feelings I had lost, kept hidden, or didn’t understand. They were my songs of deliverance (Psalms 32:7). I began to write worship songs. I began to see that God never left me, nor will He ever. I began to see hope. Music is an amazing language of the soul that God uses to speak to me in a way nothing else can. It’s what I hope to pass on to you: songs of worship, healing and inspiration.
Three years ago I picked up my guitar again. Writing on the guitar takes me different places than the piano. This led to buying a Taylor acoustic guitar. Being the eclectic type of gal that I am, I’ve written rock, pop, blues, country and a bit of folk. You wouldn’t want to see me rap. Trust me, I can’t go there. I confess I do love rock n roll. I find so much passion in it. I just want to direct it all to the One who saved me and keeps me. That would be Jesus, the One I hold on to, but more importantly, is holding on to me.
The music you're hearing on this site is in the extreme raw form. I'm sure you couldn't tell! Three of the songs were done "live" style at my church (Cedar Valley in Bloomington.. come out and visit us!) with the help of some talented people walking in cold to play through with a girl that's trying to figure out what she's doing. The other song I recorded at home. This is a start and a push for Geri to do it the right way.. hopefully. Besides, my husband is dying to use the recording equipment we invested in.
Josh Wilson - Amazing Grace Loop
One of the coolest versions of Amazing Grace I have ever heard. Josh Wilson is amazing!