Charlie Vasquez Cody Veteto Lauren Vetters Rachel Wagner Justin Walker Meagan Wallace Selena Warren Andrea Warzecha Hailey Weare Sara Webb Woody Weeks Rachel Weiss Mary Welch Josh West Julie White CAMPUS TROUBADOR H arding's student body possessed talents in a multitude of areas such as sports, art and music. Heath Church, a sophomore double majoring in management information systems and web design, was one such talented student who used his passion for music to reach out to people. On any given night, he could be found under the bell tower or around campus with his guitar playing by himself or with friends. Although the guitar was his favorite instrument, it was not the first he learned. "My mom forced me to take piano lessons," Church said. "I absolutely hated it, but I stuck with it and learned all the basics and the notes. Eventually, she finally let me quit and got me a guitar for Christmas. I started playing around and writing songs, and I really loved it." Church's song-writing came from many different sources, and he said he enjoyed writing about whatever was on his mind. "I try to write lyrics that have a truth about God and our relationship with him," Church said. "I try not to make it so blatantly obvious so that nonbelievers can be drawn to it too." After playing and writing for several years, Church bought his own recording equipment and made a CD called "Colorblind" that he sold whenever he performed at a show. He also designed heathchurchmusic. com, where fans could learn more about him, view pictures, watch live videos and sample his music. The music Church played and wrote was important to him because of the connections he could make through music and the impact he could have on others who heard it. "You can go into a room and play a song for hundreds of people, and 160 I People Musician sophomore Heath Church sings under the bell tower to meet new people they can all relate to the song in a different way," Church said. "I want to share my faith and inspire people. My goal with my music is to grow closer to God, to others and to grow personally." For Church, part of the joy of playing music was meeting and playing with other musicians. "I was walking back to my dorm room from the Alison Krauss concert last year and saw him playing under the bell tower," sophomore Breanna Curtis said, recalling the first time she met Church. "I asked if I could get mandolin and join him. Heath's music talks about a lot of stuff people go through, like heartache and sadness. It gives people a different perspective to view things through." Daniel Calder, a freshman mechanical engineering major and a friend of Church's, recommended that everyone buy Church's CD. "His music lightens people up and is enjoyable for all to hear," Calder said. Church had the opportunity to play for Relay for Life Oct. 12, a charity event that raised money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. "My mom actually had cancer three times, and she overcame it," Church said. "I thought it was a really cool opportunity to play music and support a cause." Church planned on performing at other local places and events such as The Bridge and Midnight Oil. For Church, the most effective way to share his faith and music was to visit different Harding and Searcy venues and to interact with lots of students. He knew that he had truth to share and that people needed to hear it. Rachel Weiss
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