Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Bruce Seawood
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000023
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00:01 Do you love choirs?
00:02 Well tune in to see and hear the largest 00:05 Seventh-day Adventist Gospel Choir in the world! 00:07 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:10 Urban Report... 00:32 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:35 Today we're going to talk to Bruce Seawood, 00:38 Founder and Director of "Spring Into Praise Music 00:41 Conference" Hey Bruce... 00:44 Hey, Yvonne, how are you doing? 00:45 Thanks for having me on the show today... 00:47 Oh thanks... I'm doing great... I'm so glad you are here 00:50 thank you so much for being with us on Urban Report... 00:53 You are more than welcome... 00:54 So Bruce, before we get started talking about the 00:58 Spring Into Praise Music Conference, 01:00 tell us a little bit about you, who is Bruce Seawood? 01:05 You know, I like to characterize myself, Yvonne, as a 01:09 Musical Missionary for the Lord, I've lived in so many places, 01:13 from the East Coast to the South to the South Atlantic 01:17 Southwest Region where we met years ago... 01:20 and every place that I go, God always has a mission for me, 01:24 I mean, that's not my formal education... 01:27 I have an Engineering Degree and an MBA... 01:30 but I feel my greater calling... is the term I coined... 01:34 "To Be a Musical Missionary" 01:36 Wow, I love it... I love it... so, I know that 01:40 when we were in Dallas together... 01:42 you headed up the Music Department there... 01:45 so everywhere you go... and you are an Engineer and 01:48 an MBA... which is amazing... you use your gifts 01:51 for the Lord... and God has a purpose 01:54 and a plan for you everywhere you go... 01:56 Everywhere I go... from Indianapolis where my 02:00 humble beginning started... I worked with many of the choirs 02:04 there and was the Musician 02:05 alongside of a good friend of mine, Lamar Campbell, 02:07 for many years at the Capital City Church 02:09 out to the East Coast where I worked with Oscar Lane 02:12 I landed in Delaware working with Dupont 02:15 and ended up working with him to baptize 570 plus souls 02:20 into the Adventist Church... 02:22 Praise God... praise the Lord... 02:23 so, how did you get involved with music and 02:26 when did you start playing the piano and all that? 02:30 So, my mom started me and my siblings as well... 02:35 taking music lessons from a gentleman named John Oakley... 02:39 and I just really resounded with it and 02:41 and loved it... and we started this in the 3rd Grade 02:45 and I've been going... I guess you would say... 02:47 40 plus years since then... 02:49 and still going strong for the Lord... 02:50 Amen... in the 3rd Grade you started playing piano... 02:53 Do you sing too, Bruce? 02:55 Only when I have to... 02:58 of course, I can sing 03:00 to teach the choir members their parts 03:02 and that type of thing... and on occasion, 03:04 I have actually been known to do a lead part 03:07 but my wife actually, Shirlean, she advised me against it... 03:11 Well, listen to your wife... 03:14 You know what they say, "Happy wife... happy life... " 03:17 That's right... that's right, so tell us a bit about 03:21 the Spring into Praise Conference... 03:22 What is that about? 03:24 Okay, so this is a conference we started eight years ago... 03:28 actually, when I was living in Austin, Texas... 03:31 to get Adventist Choirs together and it's grown... 03:33 we've taken it from Texas to Indianapolis... 03:36 to Detroit... to Atlanta in 2010 03:41 where I might add we did the recording, 03:44 the DVD and CD of which we'll talk about more, 03:46 and this year we're taking it to Music City USA... 03:49 August 2 through 4... Nashville, Tennessee 03:52 at the Riverside Chapel Church, 03:53 and this is where we bring Choir Directors together 03:56 to collaborate, ministers in music, 03:58 we give out scholarships to our young people that are in Academy 04:02 and College-age as well... so we want to foster 04:06 investing in the students of tomorrow... 04:10 and we also give to a benefactor 04:13 in the local community as well, Yvonne... 04:15 How wonderful... how did this all start... Bruce? 04:19 This started when I was living in Austin, Texas... 04:24 and I used to play for the Church there in Austin 04:29 but I had been working with Bud Dean and Diane McNeil... 04:33 and those folks on the Tri-City Music Festival in Texas 04:36 for the youth... and it brought the youth 04:38 from the Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Austin... together 04:41 on a yearly basis... and I said, "Hey, this is great, 04:44 why can't we do something large-scale for the... 04:47 like this for the adults as well" 04:49 and so, that's really... where I got the idea 04:52 and I guess I owe them the credit for "Spring Into Praise" 04:54 Well, let's give them their props... for sure, 04:57 let's give them their props... 04:59 so, you started this... a few years ago... 05:04 and it started with a small group 05:06 and just evolved... or... 05:08 how small was it when you started... and where is it now? 05:11 We started out probably having a mass choir of about 60 people 05:16 and that was Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, 05:20 right... our friends from the Texas area... 05:23 it grew to probably 05:24 a 150 folks when we moved to Indianapolis 05:28 we had Cincinnati there... Louisville, Nashville, Detroit, 05:31 Flint... so it's grown over the years 05:34 and we've taken it to Detroit, and then we came to 2010 05:38 during the General Conference Session 05:40 and we had about 325 singers 05:43 in our mass choir for the recording... 05:45 it was quite incredible... God really blessed... 05:48 Amen... that's amazing... we have some... kind of... 05:51 behind the scenes footage that I'd like to show our viewers 05:55 just so that they can see just some of the things that 05:59 go into... pulling something like this together... 06:02 let's take a look... 06:04 Before we go to the clip, I also wanted to say 06:07 when we did this in 2010... we had an international presence 06:12 as well... we had a large choir 06:13 Owen Simons who is the Co-founder of Dynamic Praise 06:16 brought a large group from Bermuda 06:18 so we had Bermuda, we had California and Nashville, 06:22 Huntsville, we had Indianapolis, Detroit, 06:26 Flint and of course Atlanta... so, we brought Adventists 06:30 from all over the world... literally together 06:32 to do this project... and the clip we're going to show 06:35 my wife, Shirlean, actually 06:37 put that together... so, I have to give her credit 06:39 for that as well... sorry for getting you there... 06:41 Oh, no, no, that's fine, that's fine... 06:43 let's take a look at it... Okay... 06:44 Choir Singing... 08:12 Wow... all right... clapping... that's wonderful... 08:16 Wow! what a sound they have too... 08:18 Yes, it was... 08:19 So, Bruce, let's go back for a minute because 08:23 I'm not clear on... how did you get the word out 08:26 about the Choir so that people would know to come and join 08:30 and all that... how did you get the word out? 08:33 so, the word got out... in a couple of ways... 08:36 One... there's me... picking up the phone 08:38 calling friends... and I have to give a large shout-out 08:41 here to Dr. Carlton P. Byrd... 08:44 who is our Pastor at the Berean Church at the time... 08:48 he was such a wonderful supporter of this Project... 08:51 and we worked with some great people... 08:54 in putting this together behind the scenes... 08:56 Dr. Wayne Bucknor who is the 08:59 Chair of the Music Department at Oakwood University 09:02 Mr. Kelvin Wooten... they were our two Producers... 09:05 we got Dr. G. Ian Fisher-Curley from Berns Avenue in Detroit... 09:10 he was our Music Director as well... 09:13 and they brought together their folks as well... 09:17 as I mentioned... we had Owen Simons 09:20 who brought a large contingent from Bermuda, 09:22 we had Dr. Alan Woodson from the Mount Rubidoux Church 09:26 and I have to give a shout-out to Dad Evans for it 09:30 because they were finals in the House Week... 09:33 the Sound Competition... I'm sure you've heard of them 09:35 but Dr. Alan Woodson 09:37 was a great sponsor for bringing his folks from California... 09:40 we have other people as I mentioned from Indianapolis 09:43 Donna Harrison from Nashville... 09:46 other folks were Madison Mission that came to sing as well 09:50 so, working with a great group of people... 09:53 to put this together... by no means was it an individual act. 09:58 Wow! wow! that's incredible because what's happened is... 10:03 word has spread that this gathering is taking place 10:07 and to me... you're not just singing... 10:10 this really is... evangelism... 10:13 tell us a little bit about what your vision is 10:16 for the choir... 10:18 So, I actually believe that I'm going to hit on your 10:21 evangelism point with the Choir... 10:24 there have been times when I've been driving in my car 10:28 and people have actually called me from Virginia 10:31 and other places out of the blue... 10:33 saying how they are being blessed by "Under His Wings" 10:37 and other songs on the CD... so what you're hitting at 10:40 this is an evangelistic project it's being used in Crusades 10:45 in Atlanta... Dr. Byrd has used it 10:47 in Crusades as... most recently this Spring... 10:50 at the Oakwood University Church we baptized 10:52 over a 100 and some people there... 10:54 so, it is an evangelistic tool and I totally believe that 10:59 when we get to Heaven... there'll be people 11:00 that walk up to us and say, 11:02 "I am here... I found out about this great message 11:05 through your music... thank you so much 11:08 for putting that together... " so, that is what I believe 11:11 is going to happen... I believe that's taking place 11:14 we know people are listening to this music in China, 11:16 in the Netherlands... in London... 11:18 around the world, Yvonne... 11:20 Oh, Bruce that's wonderful... you know, 11:23 everything that we can use whether it's media, 11:27 music, print, everything that we can use to share this 11:31 beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ we have to do... 11:34 we have to use everything at our disposal 11:37 and what you're telling me is this Choir... 11:40 is a way to reach people with the gospel... 11:43 music just touches people in a place that 11:46 words just can't... words alone just can't... 11:49 music is a way to reach them... 11:52 Sometimes, it is the sermon that's not preached... 11:55 Yes, yes, that is very true, so, walk us through 11:59 a typical day at the Conference itself... 12:02 Let me see if I understand this, the Conference culminates 12:06 in the concert, is that correct? 12:08 Yes, and this year, is really the first year 12:11 that we're talking it to the next level... 12:14 we have individual educational sessions... 12:18 we have sessions during the day... 12:19 that will cover Voice, that will cover Choir Decorum, 12:25 that will cover the basics of understanding music theory 12:30 getting back to that... we have Jason Ferdinand... 12:33 coming in from the Aeolians Choir 12:35 to help us understand 12:36 how do you really sing those spirituals 12:38 how do you really use that... that voice 12:41 as the true instrument that it should be... 12:43 so we've got some great presenters... 12:46 Dr. Russell C coming in... to talk about 12:48 the marriage of the ministry between praise and worship 12:51 and the spoken word... so, we'll go through those 12:54 seminars... and then we'll have our concert 12:57 and we'll have our culmination on Sabbath 13:00 with the Preacher's word and the concert that evening... 13:02 My! my! so, you've put together this Conference 13:08 that is kind of a philosophical and theoretical underpinning 13:13 for the whole concept of Springing into Praise... 13:17 is that correct? 13:18 Yeah, we originally started out with that thing 13:22 because we had the Conference in the Spring of the year... 13:25 but what I want people to realize is that 13:27 in each of us... we've got energy 13:30 just as a spring has energy... you pull that spring 13:33 and then that spring can do work... 13:35 so, we need to use that energy that's within us 13:38 to spring into praise... be it through 13:41 whatever ministry the Lord has put on your heart 13:43 so, use the energy the Lord has given you... 13:46 let it be shut up in your bones... 13:48 and then go out and do the ministry 13:50 that God has called you to do... 13:51 Amen... do you have any 13:54 stories for us 13:56 about how someone's life has been changed 13:59 as a result of 14:01 the last Conference 14:02 or any of the Conferences that you've done? 14:04 I do know that there have been people 14:09 that have come to Berean 14:10 and have come to me personally just to testify about how 14:15 different songs on the CD... have touched their hearts 14:18 and I've even got co-workers that have gone through 14:21 several experiences and told me how they are listening 14:24 to some of the songs in the presence of the Lord... 14:27 and they're listening to it every morning 14:30 as they get up so they can be closer 14:32 in the presence of the Lord, so it is... reaching people 14:36 and as I see it... it is that evangelism tool... 14:40 Yes, yes... Pastor Byrd... what else has he... 14:44 what other role does he play in this 14:46 because I see that he plays a prominent role 14:49 in pulling this together... 14:51 what kind of support has he given? 14:54 So, Pastor Byrd was very instrumental 14:56 when we did the recording... as I mentioned 14:59 his influence along with allowing us 15:02 to tie into Dr. Bucknor and other people... 15:06 but also... getting the venue... 15:08 we recorded this at Morehouse... 15:10 and he worked with us to do... helped with the funding 15:14 for Morehouse and he just underpinned it... 15:17 in many, many ways... Pastor Byrd is a blessing... 15:20 He's a wonderful man for our Church isn't he? 15:24 Yes, yes... on a personal note, several years ago, 15:28 my son, had a ruptured appendix and my son lives in Atlanta, 15:33 Hmmm... hmmm... and... I didn't know Pastor Byrd 15:35 but I flew to Atlanta... from Dallas to check on my son 15:40 and I called and asked Pastor Carlton Byrd 15:44 who didn't know me from Adam, 15:45 would he come and pray with my son 15:47 because my son was very, very ill... 15:49 and he came over there, prayed with my son, 15:54 my son really was at death's door... 15:56 prayed for and with my son and praise God 16:00 that my son was raised up and... 16:02 so, I have a special place in my heart 16:04 for Pastor Carlton Byrd... because he didn't know me... 16:07 Yes, yes... and I do as well... 16:09 Yes, amen... amen... so, let's talk a little bit more 16:14 about what's coming up next week... 16:17 I mean... I know that this Program... 16:20 is going to tape next week... 16:22 but it's also going to tape in the future... 16:25 but we know that this Conference 16:28 is a yearly Conference 16:30 so, we have this 16:32 particular event coming up 16:34 in August but then... every year "Spring Into Praise" takes place 16:38 so, this Program will be relevant to people 16:41 who will want to join in... and be a part of it... 16:44 not just this year but in the years to come... 16:48 tell us, if you would, about the Concert itself... 16:52 and what we can expect... those that come... 16:55 give us the dates again for this year 2012... 16:58 and then... tell us what they can expect... 17:02 Okay, the Conference is August 2 through 4 17:05 at the Riverside Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church 17:07 hosted by Pastor Furman Fordham II 17:11 and we will be meeting there on Thursday 17:14 starting our workshops... the workshops will go all day 17:18 Thursday and Friday we will have 17:21 mass choir rehearsals Thursday evening and Friday evening, 17:24 and Saturday, Sabbath afternoon, 17:26 then we have John Boston II who will be our Keynote Speaker 17:31 on Sabbath morning... he is an Assistant Pastor 17:33 at the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church 17:35 in Atlanta... so, we look forward to having 17:37 Dr. Boston... now... that evening... 17:40 get ready... get ready... get ready... 17:42 there's going to be some Church in the house... 17:44 in the evening, Yvonne... All right... 17:46 we're going to have our mass choir 17:48 which the Churches in Atlanta 17:50 are going to be at the anchor for us... this year... 17:53 but we've got my group, Psalms 3, coming from 17:56 Huntsville, Alabama, if you've never seen them 18:00 they will just take you closer to Heaven... 18:03 then we're going to do some of the songs off the CD 18:05 we get requests for a Lamar Campbell song 18:09 it was actually playing on seven radio stations 18:13 around the Country... "I Command my Soul" 18:16 then the title track... with Grace Dorsey-Landy 18:19 "Under His Wings" written by Stephen Manders 18:22 a recent graduate of Oakwood University, 18:26 and we'll be doing that song as well... 18:29 and then... we also have a special guest this year 18:34 we tried to take it up a notch, we've got Stellar-Award winning 18:39 Grammy-Award winning... Lady Tramaine Hawkins 18:44 is going to be in the house with us 18:45 and she's going to be doing some of her largest 18:48 hits that have blessed people all over the world... 18:51 to culminate the concert this year, Yvonne... 18:54 Wow! sounds like you have some amazing events lined up 18:59 with this... let's take a look at... 19:01 we have some footage of the concert... the last concert... 19:05 that you did... Okay... 19:07 let's just take a look at some aspects of 19:10 what our viewers could be in store for... if they come... 19:14 All right... 19:15 My Brothers and Sisters get ready, get ready, get ready, 19:18 because it's time to Spring Into Praise... 19:21 It's my honor to introduce to the world... 19:23 my friends from St. Louis, Missouri... 19:25 Detroit and Flint, Michigan... Indianapolis, Indiana... 19:28 Riverside, California... Nashville, Tennessee... 19:31 Huntsville, Alabama... Atlanta, Georgia... 19:33 the Country of Bermuda... 19:35 "The Spring Into Praise Mass Choir" 19:37 come on let's give them some love... 19:40 We're going to clap our hands, stand on your feet, 19:46 do what you want to do... give God the praise 19:49 like you want to give Him some praise... 19:50 because you know... God's been good to you... 19:52 We serve an awesome God, Oh, He's able... He's able... 20:01 we serve an awesome God... 20:05 He's able... He's able... 20:10 Let me say it again... We serve an Awesome God... 20:19 Trust in the Lord... with all your heart... 20:31 Don't depend on your own understanding... 20:48 I Command my Soul... O bless your holy name... 20:55 Come on let's give God the glory... 21:24 In the Presence... 21:25 A place where I can find a rest the presence of the Lord... 21:32 hallelujah... a place where I can find thee... 21:40 a place to call... my home... 21:46 where I can lay before God's throne... 21:51 leaving my care behind... 22:01 Two Steps... Come on there's a Holy Ghost 22:02 party in here tonight... are you trying about Jesus... 22:05 Each step by faith... the rest of my way... 22:26 Trust and Obey... there's no other way... 22:46 to be happy in Jesus... but to trust and obey... 22:56 Trust and Obey reprise... 23:25 Under His Wings... I shall be in thy arms forever, 24:24 Wow! Under His Wings... that is where we want to be... 24:29 how beautiful was that... Yes... 24:32 and I could just sense how that could just transport you 24:36 into Heavenly places... 24:37 It does... it does... everywhere we sing that song, 24:41 it has a unique experience, because it's really an old hymn 24:47 of the Church... re-arranged... 24:49 so, it touches people... Yes... yes... 24:52 that's where we need to be, under His wings... 24:55 be protected and held there... 24:58 so, Bruce, give us one more time the dates of this year's event 25:02 the dates and the location so that our viewers can... 25:06 those that are in that area can come... 25:09 Yes, and we want everybody to come too... 25:11 it's August 2 through 4... Nashville, Tennessee... 25:16 Riverside Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church 25:20 August 2 through 4... 25:21 Riverside Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church 25:24 we look forward to meeting you there... 25:26 Is there any cost for coming? 25:30 No, there is a cost only for... 25:33 if you're going to the classes, Yvonne, 25:35 but to come and be part of the fellowship... 25:37 on Sabbath or Friday evening, at the Consecration Service... 25:42 there's no charge for that at all... 25:43 we just ask that you come with an open heart 25:46 and bring a freewill offering... 25:47 Thank you... do you have a closing thought 25:52 for our viewers, Bruce, as far as them participating 25:57 in this Conference and all... if you do.. 25:58 share that with us as we close... 26:00 I just would like to tell all the folks that 26:04 this is something that is dear to my heart 26:07 that I really would like for people to understand 26:12 what we're trying to do... is to make our musicians 26:16 in our Churches more skillful... 26:18 I've been to some Churches where the musicians 26:20 are not as skillful as we would like for them to be... 26:23 and the Bible talks about our musicians 26:25 through the tribe of Levi... 26:27 should be skilled at what they do... 26:29 so this is a way... that we want to give back 26:32 to our Churches... through all of our Conferences 26:35 that help our musicians, our choir members... 26:38 our Praise and Worship Leaders to be more skillful 26:41 at what they do... and to serve locally 26:43 that we might have a global message 26:46 to go out... and save souls... 26:47 Thank you so much, Bruce, thank you so much 26:50 for being with us today on Urban Report... 26:53 may God bless you as you continue 26:55 to evangelize the world for Him... through music... 26:59 Thank you for having me, may God bless you 27:01 and your ministry... Thank you... 27:03 Music is so healing... it reaches a place in the spirit 27:08 that mere words just can't penetrate... 27:10 one of the ways to renew your relationship with God... 27:14 is to listen to music that draws you into His presence 27:18 every day... 27:19 several times a day... 27:21 you should be listening to music 27:23 that actually can re-kindle that flame 27:26 that flame... that passion that you had for God 27:29 you can use music to renew that 27:31 each person's renewing music is different... 27:35 find what transports you into the Heavenly courts... 27:38 and then meditatively play it... 27:42 well, we've come to the close of another 27:43 Urban Report Program... 27:45 we hope that you're blessed by these Programs... 27:48 we hope that it will reach you in that place 27:52 of need for you... tune in next time... 27:55 we really want you here, you know, 27:58 it just wouldn't be the same without you... |
Revised 2015-07-06