[CM] I know you are Louisiana-proud, just like
loose!” I was so nervous. I didn’t know if I was
I am. So let’s establish your Louisiana roots by
singing right…I had never had any training or
getting a few questions out of the way…
anything. So, I ended up singing it and he was
like, “OK, you’re going to take the lead on that!”
Gumbo or Etouffee?
So, I joined the church choir and shortly after, I
Lauren: Oh, that depends on the roux, but I’ll
started leading worship each Sunday.
say gumbo for now.
[CM] Do you play an instrument?
[CM] Boudin or Sausage?
Lauren: Boudin!
Lauren: I do. I love the piano. I’m not a “savant”
by any means, but I do tinker around on it.
[CM] Crawfish or Catfish?
Lauren: Crawfiiiiissshhh!
[CM] Would you play piano in a live setting?
[CM] Crab or Shrimp?
Lauren: Absolutely! That’s my goal, to be able
Lauren: Ooo that’s hard! I’ll say crab for now.
to.
[CM] Praline or Peanut Brittle?
[CM] Did you have a mentor as you developed
Lauren: Ooo my grandmother’s praline’s!
as a worship leader? Who did you learn from
remotely…just watching their leading ministry?
[CM]: Creole or Cajun?
Lauren: I’m straight down the middle. I love
Lauren: I was about 16 when I first started
the creaminess of Creole, but I like the different
leading, and I remember Brooke Frazer from
spices of the Cajun – So I’m right down the
when I was a kid. I saw her name come up
middle.
on the screen with one of the songs we were
singing, so I was like, “I’m going to start listening
[CM] Bread pudding or King Cake?
to this as often as I can.” I found the Hillsong
Laura: I have a friend that makes the best King
videos. It was so beautiful just watching the
Cake I’ve had in my life, so HER King Cake!
people respond to worship. I remember
thinking just how rich the lyrics were and how
[CM] Thanks! That was great!
my heart just longed for that. So, I watched
Tell us about your first exposure to leading
Brooke Frazer and when I got a little bit older, I
worship.
loved Kim Walker. Same thing, I was in college
and a friend gave me a Jesus Culture DVD and I
Lauren: Well, it was kind of funny. I was
was like, “Oh my gosh! How have I never heard
thrown into it in a funny way. I used to sing
of this?” I just wanted to go deeper. I wanted
ALL the time at home, and my mom went
to know more about worship. So, I just studied
time” until God completes the vision. You know,
to our worship leader and said, “If you ever
them for a little while.
like He was just holding me here at college, so
I’m just going to have fun! So, I took a bunch of
need anyone on your worship team, Lauren
might be a candidate.” We were in a smaller
[CM] What were your plans in college? Tell us
classes…I love the ocean and marine biology,
church setting… and he was like, “Let me
about LSU.
so I took an oceanography class…I love interior
design, so I took a class in that…I was in the
listen and see what she sounds like.” So we
went to the back porch and he asked me to
Lauren: My plan was music! I always knew…
LSU Women’s Choir. I also did Child and Family
sing “Hosanna” by Brooke Frazer with Hillsong.
when I was little, God would give me like visions
Studies and that became my major because
I had never heard the song before and was
about leading worship and singing around the
I wanted to start a non-profit organization for
like, “I don’t know if I can sing this!” So, I was
world. At one point I was like, “Is this real? Or
human trafficking victims, and you can do such
singing really soft. He said, “Lauren, that’s not
is it ‘American Dreams?’” God started showing
a variety of things with that degree…medical
going to fool me. I’ve heard you laugh before! I
me, “This is what I have for you.” So, I kind of
missions and different things like that.
know what you sound like. You need to just let
went into college thinking it was like the “holding
22
Nov Dec 2016
ChristianMusician.com