Jen Urban

Q: I know you're working on putting together a full length CD. How is that progressing and what are the biggest challenges you face as a working mother in accomplishing that goal?

The progress has been slow going but little by little I chip away at some more. I find myself going a few weeks at a time without sitting at the piano because I basically hold multiple jobs in life like most people....working at the hospital, being a wife and mom, tasks and jobs I do at our church, I also nanny a little girl when school is out, etc. Life seems to catch up with you fast and then when I realize it, 3 weeks will have passed where I didn't accomplish anything. The biggest challenges when it comes to the actual recording process will be two hurdles...trying to find a studio that I can work with for cheap or even free. I had a connection with someone who graduated at the Madison Media Institute but he has since moved to another state. Arg! I'm a mom, and we live paycheck to paycheck, so paying an unGodly amount of money is out of the question. The second is the fact that the musicians I would like to use are all just as busy with life. So, I know when the recording process does come along it will be difficult to get everyone together many times to accomplish the goal. It will probably take longer than the normal length of a CD recording process. Luckily, I have wonderful musician friends who are willing to give their time to the process, but considering that they'll be donating their time to it...it will take a long time to complete.

Q: Are there any people in your life you credit for encouraging you to make music?

Other than the obvious...(God), growing up I got the pleasure of watching my dad and my uncle and their friends play in a band. My dad played guitar and sang. He was the one that taught me how to play piano. I would go to their practices and just stare in aww. He would let me play with the mic, the drums, and his guitar. He really fostered my love of music and encouraged me to continue on with it. He was my first role model as a musician, and the most important in my life. However, my self esteem wasn't always all that great when I was younger so I kind of kept it all in a shell until I got to high school. I was always too nervous. Once I got to high school and started singing in choir I started coming out of the shell. Since then, I haven't stopped. Ha! When I got to high school, my high school choir director noticed me and then started giving me solos. He also encouraged me to keep singing and encouraged me to sing at church. He gave me the little push that I needed. Had I not been pushed I might not have accomplished as much as I have already. It's interesting as you look back on the past, where God placed certain people in your life. There are other people today as well that keep me going, especially my family and friends. I have wonderful and supportive friends and family...especially my husband. :-) I am certainly blessed!

Q: Do you envision a particular audience for your work? If so, who?

I am not sure what category of music (meaning rock, alternative, indie, etc.) it fits into just yet , considering all the songs I have written are different sounding in some way. They all point to one source (God/Christ), but the sound of each song is somewhat different. I am trying to not allow my songs to all sound the same, especially when the product becomes final, because I really have a wide appreciation for many types of music and like to experiment with different sounds. I don't want to be one of those artists whose songs sound all exactly alike when you listen to them either...it begins to sound uncreative. All my songs so far have had a faith-base because I believe my gifts have been given to me by God so I want to use them to glorify Him. However, I also like to write about the struggles and life hurdles that God throws at me because I also want people to listen and be able to relate to the things I write about. At best, I'm sure I have the Contemporary Christian audience nailed (pun intended)...*ba dum ching*, but I am hoping to reach other people as well that perhaps don't understand who God is. I don't want to make "cheesy" music though either. I also don't want to just repeat what we have all heard one hundred times before. I want it to have substance and meaning, not just the same old, same old. I want my music to sound different than other things we hear on a regular basis. I've never been a "hymn-ish" type of girl...I like flavor and deep meanings that make a person think about what they are listening to. I want people to listen and say "Wow, that was a really creative choice of words".

Q: These songs are definitely inspired by your faith, yet I don't consider you what some would call a "bible thumper" - not to diminish your faith, I just admire that you obviously don't feel the need to force it onto others. Is this a difficult balance? How do [non-religious] people react to your music?

A: You know, I've never understood the term "Bible Thumper". I always picture a guy dressed in a rabbit costume jumping up and down on the Bible. ;-p I think there is a huge difference between pushing your faith on someone, and 'sharing' your faith. I share my faith in everything I do, whether it be talking about God or just being kind to someone...doing things I believe God would want me to do. I don't hide my faith and my beliefs. I think if I hid it, it would set a bad example of what a Christian stands for...and it would basically discredit the faith I have to not stand by it. In all, I don't worry about what others think of me and my beliefs, I worry about what God thinks of me. ;-) However, I think it's important to know when God is handing you a situation, and when he's not. It's important to know what to say, and when to say it...just like with anything. I also think it's important to handle people with care. Kind of like the ole saying "there is always a nice way to say something". There is always a nice way of sharing your faith without making others uncomfortable. It's really all in the way you handle yourself and your choice of words. I try to put myself in someone else's shoes, and know that I wouldn't appreciate some random person coming up to me and getting in my face. It only turns people off, and if someone is only going to be turned off by something I say then it really does them a disservice and pushes them further away. I don't find it a difficult balance, as I am who I am, and since God loves me for who I am and I love others for who they are, I hope others would do the same for me. Even if I don't agree with someone, I wont judge them...it's not for me to judge. I am no better of a human being than the next person, we all have flaws. I hold true to my faith, but at the same time I also consider myself a pretty down to Earth person. I'd like to think when I get to heaven that God would kick back with me while relaxing with a Bloody Mary and a stogie. Ha!!!

I'm not sure how non-Christian people would/do react to my music, but I would like to think two things. #1, that they could appreciate my music for the general beauty of music regardless of what it's about. I appreciate all kinds of music as well so I'd like for others to appreciate mine the same way. Music is a gift from above no matter what the lyrics are about. #2, that it could be used as a tool to guide people closer to God...even if it's unexpected.