This week, we have a little bit different type of Music Monday. The series is semi-retired, but my pal, colleague, & generally super-helpful fellow entrepreneur Katy Weirich released a Christmas EP, Lullabies from the Stable, with proceeds benefiting Verity Pregnancy Resource and Medical Center. It’s released on the new indie Christian label at His feet records. Katy wears many hats (recording artist, businesswoman, wife, mother), but today we’re focusing on her recent recording project. To celebrate this EP, I emailed her 5 questions. Keep reading to find out more about this great project! (This post is not sponsored.)
The Interview
What inspired this album?
A local annual event with my MOPS group ultimately inspired the idea. Every year there is an expo for all the moms in business to showcase their products or services. We also do a raffle where each business provides an item valued at a minimum of $25. All raffle ticket proceeds go to the really awesome local Christian outreach called Verity. So, I had the idea to do a little home-grown kind of music project and raise funds for Verity at the same time. I also was beginning preparation for for leading worship for the women’s advent program at the church that hosts my MOPS group on Dec. 2 … so in doing the album, I’ve been able to essentially rehearse at the same time for that event.
Why should people purchase “Lullabies from the Stable”?
People should purchase this album because it is for a great cause. Verity PMC is a Christian-run organization that is beginning their 31st year providing free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and STI testing to our community and ultimately transforming the role of family, pioneering the pro-life movement and advancing the kingdom of God via the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How long was the process of completing this project?
The total process took about a month. Most of the time was spent arranging the instrumentals and mixing the individual tracks. The shortest part of the project was the singing for sure.
How did you choose which songs to put on this EP?
“Silent Night” was an absolute [must]; it’s my signature cover of the Mannheim Steamroller version that I grew up listening to since I was an infant. It’s a tribute to my Dad who would tell me off and on as I got older about how he would hold me on his shoulder and listen to that song during a really trialsome time in his life and how it brought him so much peace.
“Angels and Joy” was one of those divine revelations from God – I sat down to the piano and wanted to do a traditional carol but have it be a laid back folksy style. So after some tinkering on the ivories it just sort of happened. The “Joy to the World” overlay was one of those moments during the project where I got super giddy and excited after hearing it first in my head and then seeing if it actually worked…. it did!
“What Child is This” has always been one of my favorites… and it just happens to talk about Mary singing a lullaby to Jesus – so the lyric content looking back is just perfect! The chordal progressions are so unique too since they implement different key tonicizations and modal mixture – sorry I’m starting to geek out with my music theory.
“Here With Us” has always been a favorite – I was already familiar with [this] and had performed [it] live for a crowd so I felt confident enough to release [it] on the record.
What’s one stand-out memory of this experience?
The one standout is my little girl Emma doing the vocal reading of the Bible verse at the end of “Silent Night.” We had just gotten home from school and she wanted to contribute so bad to what I was doing… So I had her repeat after me into the mic and then went back and edited it to sound like she said it in one continuous stanza. It’s special to have her be a part of the album.
Thank you, Katy for being part of this interview, and for this generous project you’ve produced!
I am so proud of this lady! And she’s such an inspiration too! Make sure to purchase “Lullabies from the Stable” wherever digital music is sold. And don’t forget to subscribe to at His feet on YouTube!
Fischarper interviews may be edited for accuracy (spelling, punctuation, etc.), sentence flow, space, etc. Interviewee views are not necessarily endorsed or shared by Barbara Fischer or Fischarper, LLC.
Founding artist of at His feet records, Katy Weirich is a singer-songwriter passionate about music ministry. Her mission is to bless others with the music she pens while providing new corporate worship songs for the church, and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in leading worship for various ministerial events.
If I say, “I Will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9
Barbara Fischer runs Fischarper, LLC and loves her job as a harpist and private music educator. She enjoys blogging about various aspects of the music field on fischarper.com/blog. For more music resources, check out the Fischarper store. Find out where you can find Barbara on the interwebs here. And you can sign up to receive Fischarper updates by joining the email list.
What an uplifting and totally magnificent blog about Katy! She is a woman of God, promoting His love through music!
She is pretty great!