Eclipse!

Kevin Jones, the amazing beatboxer from the popular A Capella group, Eclipse, is a friend of mine from high school. If you've ever heard any of Eclipse's music or seen them perform, you know what I mean when I say this group is tremendously talented.

(This is a picture they took during their concert and posted on FB....we're up in the grass near the big spotlight...) 

I've gone to Kevin in the past for advice as to how to run a performing group....the behind the scenes, day-to-day stuff. And he was hugely helpful, giving me details of who does what and how and when and all those things that keep the group running without hurt feelings or stepping on anyone's toes. I can't tell you how much we've appreciated his feedback and encouragement!
























A few weeks ago he sent me an email offering comp tickets for Higher Ground and our families to Eclipse's big summer concert at the Sandy Amphitheatre. We gratefully jumped at the opportunity, and though at the last minute Kami and her family were not able to make it, mine and Julie's families had a such a great time!

Go catch one of their shows if you can....you won't be disappointed. They are doing a free concert at Brigham City Peach Days on September 7th. Or their traditional Christmas concerts at the Grand Theater in December. (Click here to go to Eclipse's website.)

-Sarah

4th of July

The 4th of July is one of my very favorite holidays. Is it yours too? Parades and fireworks, family and community...all wrapped around patriotism and love for our country. How can you beat that?

We were asked to do a 30 minute set for the Kaysville City Independence Day carnival. We were excited and flattered because this wasn't something we called about or auditioned for....the organizers had heard about us and got our contact info from the people running the Kaysville Arts Festival.

So though I had to come back to town from the middle a family camping trip down in Springville and Kami left a household full of extended family and friends BBQ-ing back at her house, we got ourselves all dolled up in red, white and blue and did our show. The summer heat was intense....we were red-faced and sweaty by the time we were done. But we had an energetic audience and we had a wonderful time! When we stepped off the stage, the organizers came running over to tell us how great we did....and then asked us right there on the spot if we'd come back and do it again next year! I guess they really liked us....

-Sarah

"Oh Say Can You See....."

Last June we had the opportunity to be a part of Davis Arts Council's Broadway talent show. (Remember this?)

A few weeks later they had us back again to sing the National Anthem for their Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband concert. Both experiences had been fabulous...we've really enjoyed our association with the Davis Arts Council and singing at the Kenley Ampitheatre is always a lot of fun.

So it was with great pleasure that I took a phone call from Brianna of the Davis Arts Council a few weeks ago. She said they'd love it if we could sing the National Anthem at their season opener. It was going to be a big bash, she said, and they wanted someone who was a familiar face and who people really liked....and they thought of us.

Well.
Color us flattered.
So we said yes, of course.
Even though we were getting ready for our Cherry Hill concert that same week.

The performers for the "season opener bash" were two bands, actually, who went out on stage together and played not only their own sets but also collaborated on a bunch of numbers together. Code Blue and Midlife Crisis...and they specialized in 50's and 60's music.
















We had a great time hanging out with them backstage in the green room...even singing Don McLean's American Pie all together before we took the stage.

We then got comp tix to the show and cheered for our new friends from the audience. They were singing all sorts of well known oldies but goodies and were absolutely terrific!

Davis Arts Council says they'll call us again sometime soon. I hope they do....

-Sarah

Rocking the Lucky 7 stage

I tell you what, I think all three of us were so much more calm performing at Cherry Hill this time around as opposed to last summer. Basket case of nerves...well, me at least. Having already performed much of our repertoire at the Kaysville Arts Council and kind of feeling like we'd had a dress rehearsal of sorts, was really nice. We felt so much more casual this time around, playing off each other and the audience and just having fun with the whole thing. Our theme loosely wrapping all the songs together was, "It's a beautiful life"....sharing music and talking about our freedoms and blessings. 

(We went all gospel-style with our version of "Down in the River to Pray" with choir robes, swaying, snapping...the works!)

One of our favorite new songs we've added to the show...."This One's For the Moms." It's a funny little tribute to mothers, the new lyrics put to Martina McBride's country-stye accompaniment of "This One's For the Girls." Props to Kami for coming up with the idea, the lyrics and our choreography! 

Vs. 1

This is for all you moms with a new baby

No sleep at night can drive you oh-so crazy

Poopy diapers seem to never end

And a shower...wish I could fit it in

This one's for the moms.

Vs. 2

This is for all you moms with kids around 4

Spilling their milk and breakdowns at the store

You can't hear a talk in church at all

Don't get through an entire phone call.

Chorus

This one's for the moms

Who drive around a mini van

Eats chocolate when she can

Has every size of Pyrex pan.

This one's for the moms

Who've memorized the Wal-mart

Who's fridge is like a work of art

All around the world

This one's for the moms

Vs. 3

This one's for all you moms with busy teens

Always hungry and needing a new pair of jeans

Late night chats and homework always due

Oh and mom, can you bring me my gym shoes?

Chorus

Bridge

Ya we're all the same inside

Sometimes you just need a cry

Repeat chorus

We've been booked twice this summer for Cherry Hill so we have our next performance on the Lucky 7 stage on August 9th. We have plans for a few changes, taking out a song or two, adding a few more in. We're looking forward to it!
(And maybe next time I won't have the stomach flu....ha!)
-Sarah

Kaysville Arts and Music Festival

The festival was an audition sort of gig. We decided, "Hey, why not? It is our hometown after all...." So we made an appointment, filled out an application and sang a song for the judges. We weren't entirely sure what kind of music they were looking for, having never been to the festival before. (This is only the 3rd year.) But we happily found our name on the official list of performers a week or so later. And then realized that we must've made a really good impression on the powers that be when we got a phone call from the organizers of the Kaysville 4th of July celebration saying we had been recommended to them by the Arts Festival people and wanted to know if we would do a half hour show at the big Independence Day carnival. Oh! Well, certainly! We'd be happy to!

But first, the Arts Festival....held at a nearby park and housing all sorts of booths and tents with various kinds of arts, crafts and food, it also had two stages at opposite ends of the park. We were assigned to the bigger, main stage. Can I just say how nice it is to have professional sound guys? And cordless mics? We were spoiled. And we had a really good time. All three of us decided that this was the most prepared and confident we'd felt for a performance in the whole year and a half we'd been singing together. And to have our families in the audience rooting for us....it was a good afternoon.

We have such amazingly supportive husbands! They are not only willing to take care of the kids and hold down the fort when we rehearse and perform, but also take an interest in how things are going and are willing to be a listening ear. We often find that when each of us go to our sweethearts with a specific question as how to handle something we are wondering about or struggling with....we get back together only to discover that each of our husbands independent of each other, have more or less given the exact same advice. They are good men and lift us higher.

-Sarah

Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago we had a photo shoot with the talented Brady Burrell and Bret Applonie. It's their handiwork that adorns the top of this blog and our Facebook page. Brady and Bret took us over to a fruit orchard of some kind, in the early morning hours of a Saturday when the light was still soft and temperatures cool. Apparently that's important in the photography world for getting good shots. Here's a few more shots to accompany the ones you've already seen. We had a great time and laughed a lot. And boy, didn't they make us look good?

Here's a few outtakes when they caught us mid-joke or something equally silly. And we've also learned that it's never a good thing to ask me to make a non-smiling, pleasant face. Because apparently I just look annoyed. Hmmm.

-Sarah

Changes...

There have been some changes with Higher Ground.
Big ones.
And I know that not all that long ago we sprung a new name on you.
That was pretty major.
What could be bigger than that?
Well...
Rather than a quintet, we are now a trio.

(We'll let that soak in for a minute or two....)

Maybe you saw this coming based on the new pictures that adorn our blog site.
But if you weren't looking all that closely, let me fill you in.

Higher Ground now is comprised of Sarah, Kami and Julie.

Life is always full of change....
And we are often looking for ways to better ourselves, to fulfill dreams, to live more meaningful and authentic lives.
Sometimes we have to make sacrifices.
Sometimes we have to change priorities.

At the end of March Stephanie and Catrina made the difficult decision to leave Higher Ground.
As amazing as this past inaugural year of Higher Ground had been, at times it has perhaps taken a toll on our families, on our health, on our own personal dreams.
Stephanie and Catrina made the choice to step back, take a break and re-evaluate where they wanted to go, what they wanted to do.
That they both still will perform and keep up with their music, there is no doubt. They are following their hearts but even more than that, they are following what they feel is the will of the Lord.

Kami, Julie and I have decided to continue on. And though we miss Catrina and Stephanie keenly and are tremendously thankful for the shared experiences, friendship and love....we are excited about our new direction.
Because though this came as a bit of a surprise, we too feel, just like Catrina and Stephanie, that this is God's will.

So stay tuned. We have upcoming performances we are working on. We are anticipating wonderful new opportunities and experiences. We are so excited to continue to share our love of the gospel and our love of music!