In this age of the church when generation gaps are prominent within the context of worship and music, one independent Christian music artist crossed lines that very few in her industry even attempt to approach.
Maybe someone should tell Holly Starr, 19-year-old singer, songwriter, and farm girl from the small town of Quincy, Washington, that preschoolers, young adults, and the elderly generally don’t listen to the same music.
Or maybe not.
Starr said in an e-mail that on her most recent tour, she and her band played at their first preschool as well as a church of 90-year-olds. Starr also sang at Creation Festival Northwest in 2009, according to her website.
“Seeing God mold me to be able to serve any generation has been incredibly beautiful to be a part of,” she said.
Tapestry, Starr’s second and latest release, which was produced by Dove Award winning producer Rusty Varenkamp, is almost as diverse as her tour audience. The album ranges from slower reflective songs, such as “My Cry” and “Psalm 23,” to more upbeat pop songs like “Undertow” and “Surrender.”
Starr said that “Psalm 23” means a lot to her because it’s the Bible. “What better words to sing than ones that are God’s, you know?” she said. “I wrote that song right after God was teaching me the importance of the Bible in my life.”
On her blog, Starr talks about the importance of spending time with God and urges people to read the Bible.
Her heart for people of all ages is also evident in her work with Compassion International. She said that after seeing firsthand during a mission trip to El Salvador what Compassion is doing, she was amazed by how the beauty of the gospel shows in their work.
Starr encourages people to make a difference in the life of a child through Compassion's child sponsorship program.
“After all,” she said, “once those 20 extra coffees we buy a month go down our throat, they don’t change our life at all…But that money can completely alter a child’s life.”
Starr said she and her band views what they do as missionary work and that “being able to share that heart with all of them is amazing and makes what we do pretty unique.”
While being away from family and not being able to keep in touch as much as she’d like with her friends is difficult, Starr said that overall, she loves touring. “I’ve learned that letting go and trusting God even in that area of my life is part of His call on my life,” she said.
Trusting God is also the theme of Starr’s favorite Bible passage, Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)
“I have a difficult time not trusting what I know, or trusting in general,” she said. “My 2nd grade teacher gave me this verse and [it] has been my favorite ever since.”
No comments:
Post a Comment