Taylor Jordan
I\'ve grown up in a strong Christian home all my life and I accepted Christ as my personal Savior at the early age of 5. At that young age, I didn\'t quite understand what it meant to be a Christian, but I knew all the right answers, Bible verses, and manners necessary to get by. And being home-schooled, I was very sheltered from many of the negative influences one might have in early childhood.
As I grew older and began to spend more time outside of the house running track and playing saxophone through a Home School extension program at a nearby Christian school, my conduct began to slip more and more. Even though I attended classes in a Christian school, it didn\'t mean that the students enrolled there lived Christ-like lives. Soon I was gossiping, cursing, and chasing the affection of young ladies like most of my other guy friends.
I snuck around texting and lying to my parents until the cell phone bill finally arrived. My whole world as I knew it blew up before my eyes as my sin was exposed. I lost my cell phone, my iPod, the door to my room, and all privacy I once had. It was in this state that I reevaluated my life. In this state, I had to re-examine my faith and beliefs. Was I living the Christ-like life that Jesus called me to? Was I glorifying God in my walk? \"No,\" I had to answer myself, \"I\'m a Christian hypocrite.\"
So I decided that it was time to choose, I would either be all-out for God or all-in the world. I would live for Him or for myself. That\'s when I began to sincerely seek God\'s face and that\'s when I really came to Christ. I ran to Him whole-heartedly and of my own will, tired of living for myself and my sin. That time period, which was actually the summer of 2007, was my turning point. I made the decision to truly seek God and no longer be the hypocritical \"lukewarm\". Since that decision, I\'ve done my best to walk with sincerity and live according to God\'s law and will. It\'s been a blessed adventure in the name of the Lord ever since.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I\'ve always had an interest in music. My mom always tells me stories of how, when I was four years old, she would turn on the CD player and I would run around the living room singing and dancing with joy. As long as I can remember, I\'ve always had a radio or an mp3 player laying around with my favorite tunes on it. I would go everywhere with my mp3, listening to it at every opportunity.
Unfortunately, at that time in my life, I didn\'t really care what music I listened to. I loved all kinds of music and sucked in as much of it as possible. But following the rededication of my life to God, I decided that, for me personally, it would be best to pull the plug on any and all artists that tended to glorify their sin nature.
When I made this decision, a door opened to genres of music like Christian Rap, Rock, R&B, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, and Country that I didn\'t even realize were so extensive! My lyrics took on an entirely different purpose. I tried to use my music to articulate how a relationship with God the Creator is the most important thing in life! All else falls second to God -- career, family, wants and needs. Although you can drive the sweetest car, own the largest house, and have the greatest family, if you don\'t have a relationship with God, and haven\'t lived your life sincerely to the glory of Him, you\'ve lost!
I\'m still learning how to best communicate God\'s word through music, but personally, I\'ve grown a lot. I hope and pray that people who hear my music will be impacted by the testimony of a changed life and influenced by a reckless love for God. Because for me, music is but a means of spreading God\'s message of truth, grace, and judgment. A vehicle for discipleship and evangelism.
Influences
People that have influenced my approach to music or me as an artist include: Lecrae, Michael Jackson, Switchfoot, Stevie Wonder, Toby Mac, India Arie, Flame, Crystal Lewis, Kirk Franklin, and above all, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Sounds Like...
I'd like to break out of the box with a whole new sound. The sky truly is the limit in my mind and I love all genres of music. I'd like to explore and experiment with each one eventually :)