So many blessings...

Last night my husband and I went with our families to "An Alpine Christmas" concert at Timberline Junior High up in Alpine.

It's an annual Christmas concert put on by pianist Todd McCabe and vioinist April Moriarty. They were joined by artists Jessie Clark Funk, Dan Beck, Marvin Payne and Cherie Call, as well as violist James Rhodes and young vocalist Isabelle Johnson. All I could say about the concert was, "Wow." The music and lyrics were moving; the voices, phenomenal.

During intermission, a family friend and I were chatting about how lucky we are in Utah to have such amazing musicians putting on incredible productions so close to home.

And it's true. All over the state are people who have sacrificed so much time, talent and energy into sharing the gifts they've been given with others. How blessed we are to have such people among us who lift us with their voices and the songs of their hearts.

I had the privilege after the concert to meet Todd and April. What incredible musicians they are. I also chatted with Jessie and Dan, people who have become great mentors and examples to us. We feel blessed to follow in their footsteps and learn from their amazing talents and testimonies.

And I can't forget our amazing producer and arranger, Jim Funk. He has become such a dear friend to us, and it is always so good to see him. He has a confidence in us as musicians that helps us over whatever stumbles we may come into, and we've been so blessed to have him work with us.

And while I'm listing who I'm grateful for, I definitely can't forget Gaylen Rust and everyone at RLegacy Entertainment. They sponsored last night's concert, and as I was watching I couldn't help but think about all the doors they've opened for us over the past couple of years.

We're so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible people who want to help us succeed. These people are all so talented and still are so humble and down to earth. I am so grateful for who they are, what they stand for, and the unique way in which they serve our community.

-Audrey

What are you thankful for?

We've been working on Christmas music for a couple of months now, and I can't wait for the season to begin! However, I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving this year. For some reason, it's always the holiday that gets overlooked. The radio stations begin playing Christmas music right after Halloween, the hustle and bustle begins in the stores as they set out their red and green decorations with twinkling lights, and families start planning their holiday parties.

With all the excitement for Christmas, it's easy to forget about Thanksgiving. Of course, it's a holiday that comes every year. For me, the experience goes something like this: my family gets together, eats a lot of food, and briefly talks about the things everyone is grateful for. But I want it to be more meaningful. So here's the conclusion I've come to as I've thought about this the past few days.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all we've been blessed with. As a country, a family, an individual, we've all been so abundantly blessed. The biggest of all my blessings is, of course, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through recognizing and remembering my blessings on Thanksgiving that I start my holiday season with gratitude. The season then becomes one of giving as I desire to share my infinite blessings with those I love and with those who are less fortunate.

There is no better way to start the holiday season. If I fully recognize my blessings, I will take the focus of the holidays off of myself and instead place it where it should be: on the Savior.

I hope that we will be the representatives of Christ this Thanksgiving and through the holiday season that we should be all year long. We want to testify of His birth, His divine mission, and His gift to us--the greatest gift we could ever receive--of His atonement. Through His sacrifice we can be with Him and the ones we love forever.

For that, I am eternally grateful. And that gratitude is what encourages us as a group to be a little better, to love a little more...and to sing a little louder.

What are you grateful for?

~Audrey

FREE Download!

Hey friends!

Just thought I'd let you know about this deal at positivemusicanddownloads.com.
This week you can download "Trust in Him" for free!

Take advantage of this great opportunity and let us know what you think!

-Audrey

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

photo from Festival of the Trees 2007

We're starting to dust off our Christmas show!

We realized when we opened our iTunes folder at rehearsal this past week that our repertoire needs to be updated a little. We have a couple show-stoppers we love but some of the more...predictable Christmas songs are just a little overdone.

So here's the question:


What are your favorite Christmas songs?


We're looking for upbeat songs that are well loved but not...cheesy...

So we'd love your help!

And maybe we'll give you a sneak preview before we officially release this year's program!

Concert Highlights

We did it! After countless hours of practicing, coordinating and working hard the concert was a success. Thanks to all those who came to support us! Here are a few highlights from the night...

We welcome to the stage the amazing dance group, Sojourn

Performing our Instrumental Number

Country Music Time!

Audience participants playing Mario Kart on the Wi (yes this was part of the concert--and it was a big hit!)

Our contestants helped us finish out the song! "Life is a Highway!"

Little girls choir singing "Daddy's Little Girl"--these girls were so cute and sweet!

Our teen choir was talented and great to work with.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

"Trashin' the Camp" with our amazing Trashin' the Camp Band

The Finale--"He Lives in You"

Encore!

Simple Grace Fall Concert!

Join us for Simple Grace's biggest concert of the year! Mark your calendars for our Fall Concert on Saturday September 12, 2009. It's a great show including a mix of original songs from our current album "Now is the Time," as well as fun and upbeat popular favorites. We will also be introducing new original material and featuring the popular dance group Sojourn. You won't want to miss it!

Simple Grace will be in concert at the Farmington City Arts Center on Saturday Sept. 12th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in advance by contacting Launi at 801.755.3359 or by emailing us directly at simplegracemusic@gmail.com. Tickets are $5 each or $25 for a family of six when purchased in advance and $7 at the door. Contact us for special prices regarding groups with more than 10.

For questions, please visit our website at www.simplegracemusic.com or email us at simplegracemusic@gmail.com. We're excited to see you there! 

Who: Simple Grace

What: Our exciting new fall concert!

Where: Farmington Community Arts Center 
             120 S. Main Street Farmington, UT

When: Saturday September 12th 
           7:30 p.m.

Admission: $5 in advance
                    $25 for a family of six in advance
                    $7 at the door

Free Concert Tonight at Cherry Hill!

Come bring your blankets and join us for a night of fun, upbeat music as the sun sets at Cherry Hill's summer concert series. Bring your families, friends, dates and come participate in a fun and FREE community event that will get your feet tapping, hands clapping and voices singing. This is a chance to hear positive and uplifting secular music, as well as some favorites from our album, "Now is the Time."

What: Free Simple Grace Concert on the Hill
Where:Cherry Hill -- 1325 S. Main Street in Kaysville. For driving directions and a map, click here.
When: TONIGHT July 10 at 9 p.m.
Admission: FREE!

For any questions, please email us at simplegracemusic@gmail.com or contact Launi at (801)755-3359.

We hope to see you there!

New Music Show with Greg Hansen

We had the opportunity to interview with producer Greg Hansen for his weekly radio show on yourldsradio, The New Music Show with Greg Hansen. It's now online at yldsr.com. It can be streamed at any time of the day and will be up until next Tuesday.

It was so fun to be in the studio with Greg, talking with him about some of our experiences. He is a great conversationalist and a talented producer. We're hoping to cross paths with him again in the future.

It was also fun to reminisce about the early days of Simple Grace and to share our story with Greg and all you listeners. We came out of the interview feeling very blessed for the opportunity we have been given to develop our talents and share our testimonies through music. We hope you enjoy this interview! Let us know what you think about it!

Audrey

"It's better to become an excellent version of yourself, rather than a second-rate version of somebody else."

yourLDSradio.com

Hey friends!

If you haven't heard about yourldsradio.com, you're missing out! It's a great way to hear positive, uplifting music from your favorite local artists anytime and anywhere you go! I've been addicted to it all week. I love all the different interviews you can play at any time, and yldsr plays all the current music that usually you only get to hear on Sundays if you listen to other radio stations. They've also made a special stream for the LDS Classics--like Janice Kapp Perry, or Build Me a Rainbow, you know, all the good stuff. It's great because you can listen to those if you want, but if that's not your style, you don't have to worry about hearing them play in between your EFY favorites. Let us know what you think! And watch for our music coming up on it in the next few weeks!

Audrey

Do you "twitter?"

Well, now WE do! We're finally on the Twitter scene, so you can keep posted on our daily happenings. :) We'll see how it goes!

Mormon Times!

Hey friends! Check out the article that came out in Mormon Times today, highlighting our recent events. How exciting! Thanks to Sharon Haddock for helping us share our message!

http://www.mormontimes.com/arts_entertainment/music/?id=7234

-Audrey

Website

We are so happy we finally have our website up! This is a fun place to get to know a little more about us, our music, browse some pictures, contact us, look forward to upcoming events, and purchase music. Check it out at www.simplegracemusic.com and let us know what you think!

-Mal

We're online!

You can finally get downloads of our music online! Visit http://www.positivemusicanddownloads.com/ to listen to some music and download us. Check back for updates on stores and other places you can find us. It's in the works :)

We also had a blast performing for Showtime Utah on Monday! Stephen Nelson was wonderful, of course, and we all had a great time there. It is the cutest and funnest place! I highly recommend that you go sometime. You would love it. They have a wide variety of stuff that goes on! Anyway, we'll keep you posted on our upcoming events! There are more on the way!

-Mallory

Upcoming Event!

Hey everyone! Just thought we'd let you know of a fun thing we have coming up. It's called Showtime Utah, and on Monday, Feb 23 they are having "Family Night Live!" We are singing with Stephen Nelson, a wonderful artist, and it will be a blast! It would be a fun family night, date night, or just a fun night to get out and enjoy some good music!

The address is 20 S. Main, Pleasant Grove, UT. It goes from 6:30 pm until about 8:00, and ticket prices are $5 per person at the door (children under 5 are free). You will also see our CD's sold there. For more information you can visit ShowtimeUtah.com or call them at 801-636-9669. We would love to see you there- the more, the merrier!! :)

-Mallory