Jeremy Laura

I play live each Sunday at New Hope Church in Canton, MI. It is always amazing to lead worship and share in such an intimate and wonderful setting. One of my greatest moments was having one of my hockey heroes and his incredible family come and see me play. That was a feeling I could never really describe.

Billy Joel and Elton John were my earliest and most powerful influences. Throughout my teens and early 20s I played piano ballads almost exclusively. In 1993, I saw Steven Curtis Chapman live in concert and it changed my life and outlook completely. It was then that I saw a beautiful blend of talent and faith that was incredibly moving. A deep desire to use music to communicate was already there, but the idea of what the message was became more important. In college I picked up my first guitar and was opened to a whole new world of playing. I cling to a lot of the great music from the 60s/70s and 80s to continue to grow. The Eagles (Joe Walsh and Don Felder), Eric Clapton, Santana, Lenny Kravitz and Slash were all early influences for lead guitar. Lincoln Brewster and Steve Lukather are some absolute favorites.

Carvin guitars and amps as much as possible. Currently playing an AE185, CT6T, DC127T and a Vintage 16 amplifier. I also use a Peavey Classic 30 and Visual Sound pedals (Route 66, Jekyll and Hyde and H20 Chorus). I use a Cort strat with Carvin pickups as well. My favorite non-carvins are a Washburn hollow body and a Cort Matt Guitar Murphy.

The most important things in my life are my Christian Faith and my wife, Jennifer. I can't imagine anything meaningful without these two things.