Lisa Crum

Hi...I'm Lisa Crum and I'm a Christian songwriter.

I always had an ear for music, and began banging out melodies on a kiddie piano when I was just a toddler. Mom and dad bought a piano when I was seven, so at that point I began seriously trying to learn to play. No piano lessons...mom played by ear, and I just picked it up from her and everyone else I could sit and watch. I began taking sax lessons in elementary school. Although reading music has never been my strong-point, I did well enough to rate well in county and all-area competitions. Even now I feel a little rebellious when I'm forced to read and play from a piece of sheet music! Anyway, after I graduated, I played for a couple of years in a local (black) gospel group. Career, marriage, and close connection to a home church have tamed down my itch to travel and play music, but I've continued to write. Music gets in your blood. I don't think you ever stop wanting to do more.

I'm a praise band musician at my local church, which keeps me extremely busy. I'm a keyboardist, mostly piano and organ, and I play the saxophone as well. I'm the "pinch-hitter" type...never know from week to week if I'll be going in on an instrument or fill-in vocalist. But I love to play live, the spontaneity and challenge of having to be sharp and ready for anything...and our church has a great music ministry. It's challenging, and if I can do nothing more with my music, I get great fulfillment in doing that.

I love music of all kinds. Influences? My absolute favorite artist of all time is Michael McDonald, but I very much like the stylings of Alison Krauss, John Elefante, CeCe Winans, Faith Hill...I've soaked up gospel, soul, blues, jazz, country, pop, southern rock. Instrumentally, I love to hear Kenny G, Sam Levine, Dave Sanborn, Kirk Whalum, and Grover Washington Jr on sax, and piano-wise my favorite would have to go right back to Michael McDonald.

Mostly just an acoustic piano, but I do use a keyboard and of course, my sax (which so far is only on Hold Up That Mountain in my Soundclick offerings.) I'm sure most listeners can tell these are home-grown recordings. My intent isn't to present these as final cuts, merely demos. We did most of this straight-through with very few retakes and overdubs. When I do have the opportunity to do a full-blown album, however, I don't plan to be a "one-man-band." And I won't just do a halfway job! The holdup? Money! Equipment! The right connections! Voice coach! Timing! And of course, I do have a day job.

I thank my family for putting up with me all these years...they've been proud of me even in times when there wasn't much to be proud of. My parents and grandparents, when they were all alive, instilled Christian values in me from day one, and I never wanted for love. My soul-mate, my husband Dana, is incredibly supportive. What a blessing to have him at my side. He's open to whatever God's will is for my life. Finally, I'd like to humbly thank God, for He's the One who has blessed me with the gift of music. If there are any accolades to be received, I give the glory to Him...