upstairs of our church. We were just praying [Kim] I just had a conversation with a friend a habit that kind of stuck with me. Over the
for our youth group, praying for Jesus Culture, who was trying to convince me that my voice years I’ve grown my range simply by practicing.
praying for revival. We would get in there every was, as you said, “anything but ordinary”. I Practicing scales and each time trying to go
Friday night with however many teenagers guess I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking a little further. Practicing with breath control,
would join us. Sometimes it would be three about that, and in my head, I’ve always just singing while lying on the floor. It’s much harder
and sometimes it would be ten. I would try thought, “Oh, lots of people can sing.” You to have breath control while lying on the floor
desperately to get a band to come and play. know, maybe I’m still learning about my voice and its really good exercise in getting a good
But it was a Friday night and nobody wanted and the unique qualities of it. breath. I kind of figured out that if I can learn to
to spend their Friday night doing that except
have really large lung capacity and take in a lot
me most of the time. Every now and then I I started something when I was a really little girl. of breath, that I can do a lot more with my voice.
got someone with a djembe, and I would lead My mom was a singer and I grew up in the ‘80s I’ve even practiced holding my breath as long
worship just a cappella with a djembe (laughs). when MTV had come out and that was when as I can, just getting as much air into my lungs
It was so special though. These teenagers MTV was still music. My mom was obsessed as I can and then slowly releasing that air while
would show up and we would spend hours and that was all that was on in our house. So, I making different sounds and shapes. I’ve never
praying and worshiping together. Very special got exposed to a lot of different kinds of music had a voice lesson in my life, that’s something I
times crowded in a little room with the smell of and singers. always wanted but my mom could never afford
sweat! But it was great – it was really special.
it. So, I always practiced in all of the different
Something that I did just for fun as a kid, I
ways that I could think of to practice.
[WM] Everything, the first Jesus Culture album would get against a wall, or in the car I’d get was recorded at the Jesus Culture conference in against the window, and I’d sing to myself. I [WM] That’s awesome! Kim, what you do
2005 and features the song “Dance”. Although loved that if I sang against the wall or a window, musically is part of a larger ministry. Like many
you’re well known for ‘going up the octave’, on my voice would bounce back at me so I could of the people who come to see you in a live
that track you do this slide where you fly from hear it really well, and I would try to imitate other setting, you are a worship leader at church.
the root to the third above the octave and back singers. Every kind of singer that there is, I would What are some of the most valuable lessons
down. That’s freakish, but in a great way! At try to do all the crazy things that they did with you’ve learned as a worship leader you’d like
what point did you realize that your voice was their voices, and I would practice and practice to share?
more than just ordinary, and what are some of until I could do some of the different runs and the specific things you did to develop that gift? licks and things like that which other singers [Kim] I’ve learned that it’s really important not
would do on their albums and songs. That is to judge people by how it looks from the stage.
6
September 2018
WorshipMusician.com