Whats been happening!

It has been a while since I have had a chance to sit down and write out everything that has been going on the last few months.

If you haven’t been able to follow recently, I was in a competition online to ultimately be in a band managed by Johnny Wright out in L.A..  There were several thousand people who tried out for this and I thought it was a pretty cool idea just to throw out my audition for fun.  I never thought that I would even hear anything back at all, but I was wrong.  Throughout the process of writing songs, changing some style, dancing and an assortment of other things, I quickly realized how much amazing support I had from my friends, family and the people I’ve built relationships with over the years.  I never realized how much support you can gain just from facebook and twitter! Hah!  

I went through countless things that seriously stretched me to a place where I wanted to quit several times, but knowing I had all of your support I knew I needed to stick it out.  You guys seriously helped me stay determined through everything and I can't express how much I appreciate everything you have done!  

Against all odds I made it through 3 months of grueling challenges to stay in the competition (view my progress in the challenges here: http://onthespot.cambio.com/profile/jarofclay01/), but in the end I was one of 11 contestants to make it to Los Angeles.  I met countless people who I had only ever seen on tv or heard of through a grape vines grape vine.  We worked with people like Doc Holliday, Candece Cambell, and John Taylor. Even though I was finally among some of the most well known people in the music business and they were teaching me and showing me ways to be better (a dream many musicians have) I still felt totally weirded out being there.  I knew from the minute I got off the plane that I didn't belong and couldn't wait to get back to Dallas! At this point I really had no ambition to be there or to win but I stuck it out, remained committed and trusted that in the end, God would work it all out. I knew that just being there was a great learning opportunity and took it as so.  

On the last day of the training camp, the final decision of who would be in the band was being made (view here: http://t.co/NMZZWoH ).  Before we started our last performance and last chance to sway the judges decisions in our favor, two of the contestants bailed out, along with one other guy who did the same thing the first day.  In the end I didn't make the band, BUT I was the only one who didn't quit or didn't make it, so I feel good about the way things played out.  I don't ever quit something I have seriously committed to doing and I trust that in the end it’ll all work out for the best.

Now you may be thinking, "What are you going to be doing now?"  That’s the best part!  For about 13 years I have wanted to be a full-time musician, but I have always had a strange tugging between two worlds.  I grew up with a love for worship music like no other.  I would sit in my room for hours and listen to early Passion or Hillsong albums and just worship.  Later on I found this awesome school called Christ For The Nations and it was there that music took me to a new place in God's presence that I hadn't been before.  During this entire time I was also a lover of music that wasn't part of the “worship” genre, so I began playing music that I believe has familiar ground in both worlds.  For a long time this confused me because I wasn't sure what I was called to do.  Was I supposed to be a worship leader, or was I supposed to play more positive music that would capture the attention of the world?  

After being out in LA and seriously having some alone time with Jesus, it all made sense.  The answer is “both”. Why not? Who says I can't write music that pleases Gods ear and Peoples ears?  This is the way I was created and these are the things that I love so I will do both!  Now I have come home with a new mindset and a new desire to chase the things I am called to now more than ever.  I have met up with the members of my band and have set into place a manager to take care of a lot of the details for event planning and traveling.  I have a goal and I can see the trail I am to run on, not just a big open field.  

If you are interested in bringing my band and I to do a Night Of Worship OR a concert of original music, please let me know and we will be there!

You can check out my website at chrismartin.us and it has all the details for booking information.  

I look forward to hearing from you and keeping in touch with each of you.
Thank you for your support!

- Chris Martin