A few years ago when I first began to perform music for local churches, I was made aware of this annual competition that was held by the Gospel Music Association called , “Music in the Rockies.” The festival included 3 days of classes and speakers on the latest happenings in the Christian music industry. People would talk about how to book shows, songwriting techniques, publishing, promoting, etc. There were also nightly concerts showcasing the best of the best in CCM. The highlight of the weekend, however, had become an American-Idol-style contest that was held in search for the best undiscovered independent artists. Very notable names have come and gone through Music in the Rockies. People like Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, and other now famous names had gotten their start at the event. Maybe the most famous attendee who didn’t even end up winning (she got 1st runner up) was Jordin Sparks. Of course she went on to win the most prized contest of American Idol and is doing quite well.
The event got its official start in 1974, and until 2008 was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and this was my dilemma three years ago. Even though the event wasn’t that expensive to attend (a couple hundred dollars for a weekend pass), I still had to fly myself out to Colorado and pay for 3 or 4 days of lodging. This caused the cost of the event for me to top well over $1000. There was no way I was paying that much to attend an event like this. So you can imagine my delight when the event was finally moved from Colorado Springs to Nashville, TN in 2009 and was renamed, “Immerse”. Finally, I could attend the event, and so this past July, I did. From a field of extremely talented artists, I was fortunate enough to make it all the way to the finals that were held on the closing Saturday night of the festivities. My wife, Colene – who had been with me all weekend – and I both invited our parents up for my last performance of the competition. I would be playing for a crowd of 500 or so and a panel of 13 judges. Needless to say there were a few butterflies in my stomach as I played, “I’ll Find You.” After I finished, three of the judges (who were surprisingly harsh) gave me verbal feedback, and they seemed to be pretty impressed. They applauded my songwriting and performance, and basically said that the world of singer/songwriters (which is pretty much what I’m labeled as) is saturated to the maximum already, so the only way to really break through is a fantastically written song. I couldn’t agree more, and so I thanked them, and that was it. Moments later the judges deliberated and the results were announced. I had placed 1st runner up in my respected category. Overall I thought the event was a blast. I learned a great deal, met some amazing friends, and got some positive feedback on what I’m doing from people in the know. So even though I didn’t win it all, I’m in some pretty good company with another previous 1st runner up - Jordin Sparks.
