E1: Singing The Good News – Featuring Nadra Montgomery

 

(Lively gospel music plays with soulful vocals and a groovy bass line)

Dr. Dave: (In an upbeat and welcoming tone) Thank you for tuning into the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Dave A. Cornelius, affectionately called Dr. Dave. This new series is called "Singing the Good News." Within the "Singing the Good News" podcast series, we go beyond song melody to explore the heart and soul of the music that moves us. We're here to see how worship leaders find their own voices to deliver the Good News. So let's go ahead and head into the booth and have a conversation with Nadra Montgomery, a worship leader at The Gathering at Tucson.

(Music continues as a transition)

Dr. Dave: Hey Nadra, thank you so much for coming onto the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast and for giving your time to talk about singing the Good News. And so we're going to kick off and ask you to provide an overview of who you are as a worship leader, or who you are as, you know, someone who serves in the Kingdom.

Nadra: Hi, good morning. Thank you for having me. Um, so, who am I as a worship leader? I believe that I'm an usher. So what I mean by that is when you go to church and um, you don't know where you're going, the ushers they kind of direct you. So, I think with the gift that God has given me, I usher in His presence. Um, I'm humbled, I know that God has given me a gift and I want to use it to the fullest capacity that I have. And I'm honored and even just blessed with the gift, because not everyone has the gift, and they don't use it to glorify Him, to give back to Him. And so with my gift, I'm... I'm just in love with the fact that I get to honor Him, I get to praise Him, and then I know that my gift, it breaks yokes, it allows those who just come to church or, you know, worldwide who are going through different scenarios, life changes, to be able to receive what He has for them, whether it be through the word of the song, whether it be the introduction before church. So, that's what I believe me as a praise and worship leader does.

Dr. Dave: Amen, that's... that's great. An usher, I... you know, that's a great way to describe a pathway and an invitation for people to come in, right? And connect with um, with the Word. So when you first read the lyrics to "Trust in the Lord," you know, um, was there any line that made you say, "Yeah, I really... I have to sing this, or I want to sing this"?

Nadra: (Chuckles) Sure. Um, one of the integral parts that really stuck out to me was the "still small voice whispering out." And so just those words, you know, how we're always told there's so much external noise, there's so much um, distraction, and God is talking to you at all times, it's just, are you in the mind frame to hear Him? And so even though it's small, it's very impactful. It's life-changing. And so when I saw that I was like, "Okay, I like this."

Dr. Dave: No, and the way you expressed it was really beautiful, you know? It's really great just the way you sang it, right? And made that come to life. You know, getting into the studio, right, is really... it's a lot of work and a lot of preparation. You know, was there anything that you did to get in the right headspace, um, so that you could be more of a worship-focused session to be able to pull this off? Because I know this was a tough song.

Nadra: It was a tough song, but I was actually excited to be back in the studio. I hadn't been in the studio in years, um, before I had a family, you know, I used to go in the studio with a couple of friends back when I lived in Miami, and then when I was 19, I went into the studio for the very first time in LA. And so it had just been a lot of years, so I was excited, I was anticipatory, but just on my way to the studio, I just worshipped. And I just said, "Okay God, you know, pull out of me whatever you want, you know, this session to be about. Use me, obviously." Um, and I just worshipped. I listened to praise music, you know, all different genres, whether it was fast-paced, slow, you know. So it just got me in the mood. And also with me doing that, um, I was also able to warm up, also.

Dr. Dave: (Laughs) Yeah, yeah. That was so good. That... yeah, I mean to just get in the right space to be able to... be able to deliver that song, you know. But when you think about, you know, the words in the song itself, you know, was there a specific passage in "Trust in the Lord" that was, you know, technically difficult to capture? And then think about how did you prepare for that? How did prayer or focus help you push through it?

Nadra: So, you know, um, there were a couple of um, parts that were a little difficult to capture, especially just because, you know, um, wanting to deliver the right note or the right pitch. And the reason why I say that is because even though I do have some classical training, um, and I've only had a little bit of um, knowledge with playing the piano, it's... I usually have an ear where I can hear the note and then I can mimic the note. But there were a couple of, you know, pitchy parts where I'm like, "Okay, this isn't sounding right." So I was just like, "All right Lord, you know, tune my ear to the right frequency so I can hear it." And that's what happened.

Dr. Dave: Yeah, yeah. I mean, you had to hit some really super high notes! And sustain them for a while so we could get into different segments of the song, which was just amazing. I could just tell.

Nadra: And with your assistance with, you know, helping me find the key as well with, you know, your... your guitar, it was very helpful. So.

Dr. Dave: Well, thank you. I mean the Lord, like, you know, two or three of us come together, there He is, right? Yeah. I mean, so after hearing the final mix for the first time, you know, did the song take a new meaning to you or that you... you probably didn't hear while we're going through the process?

Nadra: Um, when I heard the final press, it was... it was very melodious, and I was like, "Lord, you know, you... you orchestrated everything." And so this is what we're giving back to you. And so I just listened to all the different complexities of it with the different inflections with the voice, with the strings on electric guitar, you know, just a whole bunch of the different combinations of everything, whether it were the vocals or even the instrumentation. So.

Dr. Dave: Yeah, I mean you pulled that off, you know, you really pulled that off. That was just... it took the anointing of you, you know, in the space of doing this song to make it really work. So I was just so grateful for that. So when we think about aspiring singers looking um, to sing in the Good News, you know, what is the one thing they should remember when they step in front of the microphone?

Nadra: Um, I would say one thing definitely is remove all your distractions. And the reason why I'll say that is because I know even though during the session, I'm a mother of five. So sometimes, you know, I have to leave my phone on in case there are any emergencies with my children. But if you can remove the distractions, then you can let God use you how He, you know, sees fit, and you can actually get in the spirit completely. And whatever, you know, is produced is going to glorify Him. Um, so that's... that's one of the main things I can say is try to remove the distractions. Um, also if this is what you want to do, commit to it wholeheartedly. Because I know there are a lot of distractions even with worldly, you know, different age ranges, whether it's your family, whether it's your friends, you know, and sometimes it can, you know, it can pull you to the left, it can pull you to the right. But if this is what you want to do, stay focused, and you will... you will see the reward from it afterwards. Even through the process. Um, that's what I feel.

Dr. Dave: No, no, that's so good. You know, is there any final thing you would like to share um, with the audience who will be listening to our interview and delighting in the song that you sang?

Nadra: Um, I'm excited for this um, journey. Thank you Dave for the opportunity. Um, I'm excited to get in the studio and, you know, let's do more and worship God and, you know, um, He's been downloading some things in me like we talked about as far as, you know, further collaborations, and like we said, you know, it's about spreading the Good News. And, you know, even if we reach someone in a small Tibetan city or, you know, wherever, is that music transcends anything, um, transcends all languages, it transcends um, you know, even if it's a different language. You know, once you hear the chords, once you hear the music, once you hear the words, then it speaks to you, it ministers to you, and then, you know, it piques your interest. "Okay, what is it about? Who are they about? You know, who are they singing about? You know, let me find out more." So.

Dr. Dave: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Well Nadra, you know, thank you so much for, you know, leaning in and wanting to participate in this process with me. Um, and... and I look forward to us doing worship at The Gathering at Tucson, right? At our church, our small... our lovely small community that we have. So I look forward for us um, you know, maybe one day playing the song there or um, just what we do, you know, on Saturdays and Sundays at The Gathering at Tucson. So thank you so much.

Nadra: Thank you, Dave. Um, have a great day.

Dr. Dave: Yeah, you too.

(Music fades back in as the main focus)

Dr. Dave: Thank you for listening to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast with my guest and sister, Nadra Montgomery. As we finish this episode of "Singing the Good News," one thing is clear: the music doesn't stop when the fader goes down. The Good News lives through our actions, leadership, and love for each other. If you want to carry on the Good News with you, uh, listen to Nadra sing "Trust in the Lord," now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, or wherever you find your music. Just search for "Trust in the Lord" by Kingdom Living Shalom. That's Kingdom Living Shalom. Let the rhythm and thanksgiving become the soundtracks of your day. Until next time, keep your heart in tune and your spirit in rhythm. This is Dr. Dave, and you've been listening to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast, "Singing the Good News." Be joyful always.

(The song "Trust in the Lord" plays as the podcast ends)