Getting God out of the box:California Christian musician to headline event in park
By Laura Bacon, Atlantic News Telegraph Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 9:08 AM CDT
Jean Chamblee, a Christian singer and songwriter from Camarillo, Calif., will be bringing her music to Atlantic in a family concert at the Bandshell at Sunnyside Park on Sunday, July 1 starting at 7 p.m.
“Iowa Arise” is the name of the program, which Chamblee describes as “Interfaith,” a music and drama outreach event.
“It’s about the message, not about any one particular church,” she said.
The program will include music by Chamblee, as well as local talent from the Freedom Players putting on a dramatic piece, called “You’re Special,” taken from a children’s book by Max Lucado.
“It’s a great message,” she said.
Also performing that night will be Holly Turner and her band.
Chamblee is a friend of Atlantic residents Allen and Melissa Stark, and they invited her to visit and stay with them in Atlantic. She said the Starks encouraged her to “do things,” while she was here, like performing her music, and that led to the concert and a number of other events.
“I love what I do, and I love to share the gift and meet people,” she said.
She has also performed at Relay for Life in Atlantic, at the Exira Christian Church and at the Bethany Farms Junior High Camp, in addition to the planned Iowa Arise event, and will also be performing at the Exira sesquicentennial event on July 3 at 6 p.m. at the Exira city gazebo.
Chamblee said she had always wanted to play her music, and take her message out doors, and said the bandshell location was “beautiful.”
Born in North Carolina, she now lives in California. She said she had been playing the guitar since she was 18, “I taught myself,” she said. She was interested in music and Bible studies, and led worship and helped pioneer three different churches over a period of 10 years, but then felt called to “come out of that, and do my own original music.”
She said she writes and sings her own songs, and has put out three CDs. The first, Closer, she said was primarily peaceful music, while Closer 2 You, her second CD was more encouraging. Destiny, her latest CD is more thought provoking, she said. She said her music included elements of many kinds of music, “like country, honky-tonk, sweet songs, rock music, there’s even some Messianic Jewish sounds there,” she said.
Her latest CD includes the song that inspired the Iowa Arise event, and she said she would perform it during the event.
She said her music was being played on several radio stations as far away as Europe, and at several radio stations around the US, including Iowa.
“I’m getting radio play in England and also on the internet,” she said, as well as on the New Life Christian radio station in Russia.
She said the concert and program was intended to bring unity, and to “encourage people to draw close to God.”
“It’s about the Lord, not about this and that little difference,” she said.
And the concert is for people who don’t feel like they fit in as a “church person,” she said. God, she said, was everywhere, and people could get closer to God outdoors, “You can do that in a park,” she said.
She said many people limit God in their thinking, but she wanted to change that thinking. “Let’s get God out of the box,” she said.
The program will be held at the Sunnyside Bandshell on Sunday, July 1, at 7 p.m. All are welcome and while the concert is free, “love offerings” are also welcome. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, free refreshments will be offered. Chamblee said she will have copies of her CDs available for sale at the program and on her website at www.jeanchamblee.com.