Come Meet MaryJustice Lucas!

MaryJustice Lucas

 "Music is what I love! I started writing little songs when I was five and more detailed lyrics by age seven. Believe it or not, I was a dancer for seven years. Something I loved very much.  Long story short ... when I was younger, I was knocked down at a skating rink and injured my knee. I wasn't able to dance like I used to. Down the street from the dance studio was the Coffee Tree Books & Brew and I happened to drop in one songwriter's night. It's so true that God opens another door when one closes. I started singing at the Coffee Tree Books & Brew Songwriter Open Mic. At first, I was shy about sharing my songs, but a songwriter friend encouraged me by saying God gave me the gift to write music and I should share that gift. I joined a songwriting group and  met some great people who have been very encouraging!"

"My favorite part of a song is its lyrics.  Sometimes people say “Oh, I love this song!” and when I ask 'What’s it about?' they will sometimes say they don’t know, that they don’t listen to the words.  If you are someone who does that, it’s perfectly all right, but as for me, I find it impossible to NOT listen to what is being said. I love listening to the story being told in the song, just as much as I enjoy sharing stories in the songs I write."

"I love drawing, painting, photography, reading and the performing arts.The past couple of years have been like a whirlwind with competition wins, lots of traveling, learning guitar and leaving public school for a college preparatory home school program! Although I have a flexible schedule that allows for songwriting, performances and trips, it gets very hectic.  My faith and love of Jesus, my friends and family keep me going and give me inspiration for my songs." 

Whether Pop or New Country, MaryJustice's songs appeal to teens as well as older music lovers.

MaryJustice Lucas is performing with fellow songwriters, Chapman James and John Tinger at the Madison Gazebo, Main Street, Madison, Alabama, Thursday, July 7th at 6:30pm.  

Come Meet John Tinger!

John Tinger

 

Some of life's most powerful interests and avenues of expression begin at an early age. My desire to play the guitar started at the tender age of eight. A neighbor first introduced me to the wonders of this marvelous instrument. My interest was immediately sparked as I watched her play. I was hooked! I knew that music would play a major role in my life. The first guitar I held was a modestly priced instrument, (red, white and blue!), of questionable quality. 

Formal instruction was essential and with tremendous motivation and dedication, I made rapid progress in my studies. By the time I had reached early adulthood, my talents were such that I was able to enter into collaboration with like-minded musicians, eventually leading to the creation of a band focusing on cutting-edge experimental rock and heavy metal. After many well-received live engagements and promising recording sessions, my disillusionment with the commercial music scene began to grow, eventually leading to my putting aside my beloved instrument for nine years.

As I grew personally, exploring other methods of artistic expression,  my music career came into perspective. I realized just how important music was to me. It was becoming more apparent with each passing year that the genuine expression of my musical soul might best be articulated in acoustic styles rather than the more provocative and energetic electric medium of my earlier years. Finger-style artists such as Alex Degrassi (with whom I have studied) and Michael Hedges spoke to me in ways that other guitar virtuosos had not. It was their commanding influence that brought me back to music, this time focusing exclusively on the acoustic medium.

Once again I was dedicated to music with a passion I had never before experienced ... as though a higher power was guiding me to a deeper, more spiritual involvement with this medium, resulting in a satisfaction and fulfillment unmatched in my younger days. I hope that, in some way, I can reach and inspire others to similar interest and expression. Ultimately, arousing and nurturing such interest in others is undeniably even more fulfilling. This would explain my compelling desire to instruct others willing to study music and the guitar, a pursuit that has harnessed my wholehearted commitment.

John Tinger is performing with fellow songwriters, MaryJustice Lucas and Chapman James at the Madison Gazebo, Main Street, Madison, Alabama, Thursday, July 7th at 6:30pm. 

Come Meet Chapman James!

Chapman James

 

 

Born James Chapman Polhemus in Stuttgart Germany and brought up nicknamed 'Buddy' in the deep southeast (now residing in Huntsville, AL), Chapman has had unique insights into the development of a Folk musician. "A writer is not necessarily the one that shouts 'Hear Me!' (that's the performer talking) , but one that listens and seems to whisper 'I heard you'." Whether it's the sound of a human trotting across the prairie, the epic life of a tree, the loneliness one needs to combat garden gnomes or a view of war through the eyes of a 4 year old boy, Chapman's songs are honest and simple. "If the song is good, the genre doesn't matter! Choosing among frames for artwork has never been my passion, that's for the talented producers & cover artists" "After having written my first song at the age of 12, I have finally found so many decades later the exact reasons I write songs. I write to remember. Once I have learned either a complex idea that I think is important to answer back to life, or a humorous perspective I want to recall to bring some levity to the insanity, I make a song out of it... selfish as it may seem I do it for me so this is why I share it and welcome everyone to the therapy session I call a 'Live Performance'. I write so the things I've learned just won't become lost like so many raindrops in the ocean and just maybe they'll shed a little light on what is to be expected from this seemingly insignificant species called human"...

Chapman James is conducting a "Therapy Session" with fellow songwriters, MaryJustice Lucas and John Tinger at the Madison Gazebo, Main Street, Madison, Alabama, Thursday, July 7th at 6:30pm.