βArt is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better.ββAndrΓ© Gide
In the late 1960s, President Spencer W. Kimball shared The Gospel Vision for the Arts: βFor long years I have had a vision of members of the Church greatly increasing their already strong positions of excellence till the eyes of all the world will be upon usβ
Since this pronouncement, we have seen the likes of Donny and Marie, the Tabernacle Choir, Lindsey Stirling, David Archuleta, Brandon Flowers, The Piano Guys, Brandon Sanderson, Jerry Molen, Stephen R. Covey, and a myriad more command the spotlight in their respective disciplines and amplify light and goodness to the world.
Today, a number of relatively new Latter-day Saint artists from all fields, including writers, musicians, painters, and performers, are filling the earth with truth, goodness, and light.
Four of the rising artists you must experience are highlighted below.
Obeeyay
Oba Bonner (Obeeyay) comes from a very musical family of gospel singers in Utah.The youngest member of The Bonner Family, his musical roots run deep.His mother, Debra Bonner, is a revered voice teacher and one of his sisters currently performs on Broadway. Obeeyay’s parents heavily supported his musical ambitions and helped nurture his talents by facilitating his move to Los Angeles as a teenager.LA was where Obeeyay started shadowing Grammy award-winning producers and songwriters who worked behind the scenes with superstars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B.Obeeyay is now back in Utah, and his high-energy persona has helped him build a loyal and quickly-growing fanbase.
Check out his Sunflower cover and Obeeyay’s original content on his YouTube channel.
Gary Mills
Inspired by the importance of looking for and capturing the moment, Gary Mills picked up landscape photography later in life.βWe too often pass by remarkable beauty without really taking note of itβ Gary shared. Documenting and sharing the beauty of God’s creations has become a key objective for Gary.
That’s why he created his site: https://www.capturingthemoment.org/.
Gary’s collections include Peace that Nature Brings, Allure of Iceland, Brilliance Below, Monuments of Light, Tranquility of the Pacific, and The Heavens.
Guy Richey Gibbons
Retro pop rock mega jams + safe for all ages and ears = Guy Richey Gibbons.
His songs, lyrics, and music are all straight from his heart, and his ability to play the piano, synthesizers, drums, guitars, and sing will amaze you.
Watch Guy’s βIn This Momentβ music video on his YouTube channel where he uploads music videos, shorts, funny videos, covers, and more.
Kari Jobe
Kari Jobe is a singer/songwriter originally from California, but is now living in Salt Lake City. She is best known for her work with the Dixie Chicks.
Kari Jobe’s career trajectory has been anything but typical for a female musician. Growing up in a small town in southern California, she never imagined becoming a professional musician. But after graduating high school, she moved to Utah to attend BYU and started playing guitar. While there, she joined a local cover band called The Dixie Chicks, which eventually became one of America’s most popular groups. They went on to win three Grammy Awards and sell over 30 million records worldwide.
After leaving the group in 2006, Kari continued to pursue her musical ambitions. She wrote and recorded several albums as a solo act, including her debut, Kari Sings, which was released in 2008. It featured collaborations with such big-name producers as T Bone Burnett, Rick Rubin, and Dave Cobb. It also included a song written by Bruce Springsteen (who named it “If I Should Fall Behind”) and another by Tom Petty (“The Waiting Game”).
After releasing her debut album, Kari signed with Sony Records and released A Little More Like Me in 2012. It was co-produced by Jason Isbell, who also played pedal steel on the album. The album peaked at number one on Billboard’s Top Country Chart and won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 2013 Grammys.
Kari has since released two more albums, Love & War and The Other Side of Down. Both were self-released and both feature collaborations with musicians like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, and Brandi Carlile.
In addition to her music, Kari has become a successful author. Her book, The Power of Storytelling, was published in 2014. It explores storytelling techniques that can be used to inspire people to change their lives.
dyejo
Guest Author
