I've had a lot of musical influences in my life. I grew up in the South where gospel music is infused in nearly every genre of music that has been born in that part of the country.
When I was younger, anything played outside of the four walls of a church was considered "the devil's music". I've since come to discover that music is music. The only ownership that can be taken by a tune is that of it's original writer, composer. The influences of that individual somehow finds it's way into any given tune composed by that particular writer/artist.
For me, my influences have been pretty eclectic. Growing up in the inner-cities of Lake Charles, Lousiana and Birmingham, Alabama, soul & gospel could be heard all around the community intermingled with the then up-and-coming sounds of rap. However, I attended a small private Christian school where I was one of only a few African-American students. The music that I heard and learned there within the confines of that small community differed greatly from that which I had grown to know and love at home in the inner-city. However, soon I began to develop a love for artists like Sandy Patty, Amy Grant, Peter Cetera, Petra, Chicago, Wayne Watson, Degarmo & Key, and Phil Collins in my early years. It was then that I developed a love for the contemporary sounds of both Christian-themed and secular tunes of the 1980s.
Fast forward to high school and college where my musical taste spread like a wildfire, I found myself not only listening to contemorary Christian tunes and gospel songs, but anything from rap to rock to classical and jazz. I love it all - yes, even some country. My music has been seasoned with all of the above plus some and I am so grateful for the exposure that I have had over the years.
My exposure to so many styles and genres of music has allowed me to adapt my singing style to fit nearly any standard. Music is simply amazing!
