Monthly Archives: March 2013

Mar 31 2013

Jeff Beach: Playing for My Creator

Jeff BeachCurrently living and working in Atlanta, Jeff Beach is a professional drummer who is quickly becoming a first call for live performance, recording sessions, and educational clinics all over the country.

A graduate and former instructor of the Atlanta Institute of Music, Jeff has had the opportunity to share the stage with acts such as Maroon 5, Tonic, Ringo Starr, The Killers, George Thorogood, and many others.

 “God gave me this gift of drumming and I connect with Him as I play. Now instead of just connecting to the crowd, I connect up. I’m playing for my Creator.” ~Jeff Beach

Listen to Jeff’s Art as Worship interview on Empower Radio.

Jeff is active in praise and worship bands and works with a variety of churches in the greater Atlanta area including Dunwoody Community Church, The Village Church of Dunwoody, Lawrenceville Church of God, 12 Stone Church, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Hope Chapel, Mt. Pisgah, Cross Pointe, Roswell United Methodist, and First Baptist Church of Atlanta.

He says, “I love the energy of the crowd when I am performing—whether it is a secular concert or a praise and worship service. In a worship setting, I’m able to help people who are in a special place at a special time get into that moment of worship.”

Tanani Church Choir

Tanani Church Choir

Owner of Atlanta Drum Lab located in Duluth GA, Jeff has been teaching privately for ten years. Using professional equipment and a classroom that is conducive to being creative, Jeff creates a program where both he and the student play and learn together.  It is Jeff’s desire to take a student’s interest in music and cultivate it into a passion that will transform both their life and the lives around them.

In addition to performing and teaching, Jeff is working on a project that combines the vocals of a 40-member African vocal choir with his percussion. When complete, the Tanani Church Choir project will help raise money to build a new church in their town of Xai Xai. Jeff arranged the recording session on his second mission trip to Mozambique and played drum rhythms with the singers. He says, “We just made music. I don’t speak their language and no one at the recording session spoke English. It was awesome to see it come together. We’ll see where God takes the project from here.”

emily's-ring-in-box-of- chocolatesVisit www.jeffbeachdrums.com to find out more about Jeff and his work. His creativity finds expression in more than just his drumming and mixed media visual art. Check out DrumInk and his creative marriage proposal to his wife Emily.

Find out more about show host Vanessa Lowry at www.vanessalowrycreative.com.

Mar 24 2013

Janine Hoefler: Worlds Open Up

Janine bio photoJanine Hoefler is a painter, photographer, lecturer and teacher.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arcadia University and has taught art classes to both children and adults.

 “I’ve always had a real sense of empathy and sensitivity so whenever I can be quiet, worlds just open up. I find that Spirit talks to me and translates into my paintings. My art is a manifestation of Spirit.” ~Janine Hoefler inner-vision

Listen to Janine’s Art as Worship interview on Empower Radio.

Along with her career as a painter, Janine is an award-winning photographer and a speaker. She teaches individuals to take emotionally meaningful photos and how to bring families together with photography.

She has been a member of both the Bon Air Artists’ society in Virginia as well as the Professional Photographers of America. Now working primarily in watercolors, Janine says, “There is a certain spontaneity with watercolors—it’s the quality of the unexpected that I enjoy.”

Lucy-HoundcatJanine is the owner of Jazzy’s Smile Animal Painting and Photography, which is created to explore the love, joy and peace and spirit that animals provide to us every day. She says, “My family has been involved in animal rescue for many years. Pets are healers—a great respite from the intensity of life. People are transformed through relationships with pets.”

Janine currently resides in Virginia with her husband, two children and two loving and very opinionated dogs.

nap-timeVisit www.jazzyssmile.com to find out more about Janine and view a gallery of her paintings and photographs. “Like” her Facebook page for the stories behind her most recent art.

Find out more about show host Vanessa Lowry at www.vanessalowrycreative.com.

Mar 17 2013

Seth Casteel: Dogs Inspire Me

Seth with Buster, the first underwater dog.

Seth with Buster, the first underwater dog, and a tattoo portrait of Buster.

Seth Casteel is an award-winning photographer and New York Times Best Selling Author. His series of Underwater Dogs photographs have been seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world and have become one of the most famous series of images in the past decade.

In 2007, Seth began volunteering to photograph homeless pets to help them find loving families. These improved photos showcased unique personalities, resulting in countless adoptions. Since then, Seth has developed a career as a Lifestyle Pet Photographer, accepting commissions and commercial assignments, collaborating with dozens of publishers and exhibiting his artwork in galleries around the world. SCasteel2

 “I like the fact that life is unpredictable. A dog jumping into a pool during a photo shoot inspired my career with underwater dogs. Dogs inspire me. They teach us so many things about how to be better as human beings.” ~Seth Casteel  SCasteel Underwater Dogs book

Listen to Seth’s interview on Empower Radio.

Seth’s work has been published in National Geographic, The New York Times and in hundreds of other magazines, newspapers and calendars. You may have also seen him on Good Morning America, EXTRA, Jeopardy!, The Insider, and Inside Edition. He has traveled the world in pursuit of his passion, working with animals on five continents.  Watch this fun video segment from Good Morning America. SCasteel1

He says, “If you have something you want to do—if you have a story to tell or something to say—then find a way to do it. There’s always going to be obstacles and some reason that you can’t. But that’s the fun of it—the challenge of it. If you believe in something enough, you can make it happen.”

Seth lives and works in Chicago and Los Angeles. He loves 80’s music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile.

SCasteel Second ChanceVisit www.littlefriendsphoto.com to find out more about Seth and view a gallery of his photos—underwater and on land. Find out more about Seth’s mission to help animals at www.secondchancephotos.org. “Like” his Facebook page for the most recent postings of underwater dogs and updates on events and appearances.

Find out more about show host Vanessa Lowry at www.vanessalowrycreative.com.

Mar 10 2013

Crystal Slagley: My Cakes Represent Joy

Crystal Slagley picCrystal Slagley is an award-winning cake concept artist. She holds fifteen certificates in a variety of cake decorating techniques, including a master’s certificate in sugarpaste, royal icing, and sugar flowers. Crystal is one of only ten people in the United States to have this exclusive certification. CSlagley1

 “When my son was six-years-old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. The first cake I created was three years later to celebrate the end of his chemotherapy. Making that cake celebrated all the emotions that I have for my son—love, appreciation, amazement and joy. Every time I create a cake, I’m helping a family have the same joy that I have because of my son. I help them celebrate a milestone like a birthday or anniversary or help them make a friend feel special. What an amazing gift!” ~Crystal Slagley

Listen to Crystal’s Art as Worship interview on Empower Radio.

She goes on to say, “We learned CSlagley3a lot through my son’s cancer. Things like fear and medical jargon, but also things like hope and joy. My art helps me remember the positive lessons.”

Crystal is constantly seeking to educate herself on the newest, most exciting cake decorating techniques in the industry. Her attention to detail, educational experiences, and natural artistry all blend together to make her an amazing creative cake artisan.

CSlagley5She says, “When I learn a new technique, I get ideas and explore them to make the technique my own. I recently took a class on using gelatin. It can be used to make flowers and other decorations that you can see through. Using that technique, I created bubbles for a child’s birthday cake. Now, I’m working on a cake design inspired by Dale Chihuly’s glass art to have brightly colored spikes that resemble blown glass. Even when I’m not working on a client’s cake, I’m still learning and trying something new.”

CSlagley2Find out more about Crystal and see a gallery of her cake designs at www.crystalscreativecakes.net. “Like” her Facebook page for the most recent postings of creative cakes.

Find out more about show host Vanessa Lowry at www.vanessalowrycreative.com.

Mar 2 2013

Burke Ingraffia: Participating in God’s Creation

Burke Ingraffia picBurke Ingraffia is a southern singer/songwriter who writes jazzy folk music, or perhaps folky jazz music.

He grew up in New Orleans and now gets his mail a couple of hours away in Alabama. He plays and writes using the jazz structures commonly found in New Orleans and emphasizes that feel with the leisurely wisdom of the Deep South. He also has a folk/Americana side with less 7th chords and more story lines.

 “I approach songwriting as a receptive process—positioning myself to receive something. I’m participating in God’s creation more than actively creating myself.” ~Burke Ingraffia

Listen to Burke’s Art as Worship interview on Empower Radio.

Although he doesn’t do liturgical or “praise and worship” music, Burke has been featured on EWTN’s Life on the Rock and Backstage. On these shows, he performed songs he wrote about St. Francis of Assisi and on the themes of a Catholic worldview such as forgiveness, mystery, and the contingency of our lives. BIngraffia Jazz Animals

He says, “The Catholic church has a liturgical calendar with a different patron saint every day. Sometimes when I’m looking for inspiration, I’ll study the saint for that day and see what the themes of their life were. Then I take those words and ideas and turn them into music.”

In addition to writing and performing, Burke owns a web design and marketing business. He says, “I got into web development and marketing through doing it for my own music. I taught myself how to design websites and how to integrate multimedia into the web. These technical skills have turned into my day job. My music is always play—it’s creativity for creativity’s sake.”

jacoverlargesquare-300x300Burke’s most recent album, Jazz Animals, was released in August 2011. He was a finalist in 2012 for the Kerrville New Folk award. Find out more Burke and his music at www.jazzanimals.com.

Find out more about show host Vanessa Lowry at www.vanessalowrycreative.com.