Music, says Spanish Fork singer/songwriter Trudy Seely, is a dynamic means of communication. "It builds bridges to emotions in ways that words can't. It can be healing. It can be calming."
She learned that, Seely says, when she worked as a counselor at a residential youth center for troubled teen girls. "I started singing some of the songs I had written for them. It got to where they would want me to sing for them every night, and they began requesting some of the songs over and over."
Seely also learned how comforting music can be, she says, when she had a 5-year-old nephew who had to go through chemotherapy. It was a difficult time for the whole family, and she turned to her music to help her cope.
A lot of the music on her new CD, "He Is Real," came out of these experiences, says Seely, adding that the music is intended to take the listener on a spiritual journey of discovery. "I feel that music can be such a powerful tool for good."
Seely is one of several new LDS recording artists with debut CDs on the shelves. Their styles, their music, their experiences might be different, but they all have one thing in common — they are dedicated to making music that not only pleases the ear but also touches the soul.
"I hope my music will touch people's lives," says Christina England, whose "Be Still My Soul" album features a collection of traditional Christian and folk hymns. "I'm not here to make millions. Music is a gift that I was given to share. I want to use it for that purpose."
Doug Walker says he's always been in love with composing music and writing songs, "but in recent years I've become absolutely taken by how a song can move a soul."
Some writers, he says, are into the art of music and want it to be commercially viable, and there's nothing wrong with that. "But my goal is the feeling, the emotion."
He has been touched deeply, even brought to tears, by certain songs. "I hope that I can do that for other people, can help them feel better when they are having a cruddy day or help them feel grateful for what they have."
Wayne Burton, too, hopes the songs on his "The Quest," which are filled with emotion and expression, will "make a lasting difference for listeners, like music I have listened to has done for me. I often go back to songs that strengthen me, that are uplifting and inspirational."
Burton, a native of Alberta, Canada, lives in Salt Lake with his wife and two daughters while he's attending medical school at the University of Utah. "The Quest" is actually his second CD. His first was "Closer to Heaven," and music from that one is playing on local radio stations, he says. Two of its songs won third-place honors in the New Era Magazine Contest in 1998.
"The Quest" has been two years in the making — medical school keeps him plenty busy — and combines music and meaning in exciting ways. Burton has the heart of a storyteller. While each song on the album stands alone, together they tell a moving prodigal-son story. And, in fact, he is planning a stage production to expand on that story.
He wrote all the music, sings and plays the piano. The album also features other local guest vocalists, including Katherine Thompson, Eden Morris, Justin Smith, Emily Castleton and Cory Bench.
Burton is excited about what is going on in the LDS music market these days. In recent years, "There's been a lot of change, a lot of growth. Now, there are so many different styles, something for every taste."
He also writes pop and country music, but he's realized that spiritual music is his priority right now. He has always liked music. "My mother was very musical. I can't confirm it, but she says I was playing the piano at age 3."
Christina England's musical roots also go deep. "My mother says I would come home from church when I was about 2 and start humming the hymns, so I guess I began singing before I began talking."
The native of Logan sang in a children's choir when she was 5 and began taking voice lessons at age 9. Now 19, England has a number of plays and musicals to her credit, as well as appearances in Utah Festival Opera productions.
England, who has been compared to British sensation Charlotte Church, brings a lyrical, delicate quality to timeless songs on her album, which was arranged and produced by Jay Richards. The songs were chosen to appeal to a wide audience, she says. And she wanted songs that aren't heard over and over. These traditional melodies showcase the range and beauty of her voice, and she takes them in new, appealing directions.
It's kind of overwhelming, England says, to go into a store and see all those CDs with her picture on them. "I don't recognize myself; I look taller there."
England is getting married in May and plans to go to college in the fall (she's had several scholarship offers) and would like to go into music therapy.
If you hear country overtones in the music on Doug Walker's "Stones In the River" CD, that's no surprise. Walker, who graduated from BYU with a degree in music media composition, spent some time in Nashville, honing his songwriting skills and performing at Opryland.
Now living in West Jordan with his wife and two children, Walker still writes country songs, working with a friend and mentor in Nashville. "It's the one genre where it's still OK to sing about family," he says.
But his music has folk and gospel touches as well. "I see him as a cross between Dan Fogelberg and Steven Curtis Chapman," says Mahra Serfustini, promotion director at Deseret Book, which has released both Walker's and England's CDs. The album was produced by Tyler Castleton.
Walker says he spends about equal time on music and lyrics; "I keep going back and forth. Sometimes the lyrics are the easy part, and I try to find the music to support them. Sometimes, it's hard to come up with a new way to say something."
He keeps a journal where he jots down ideas and song titles. "Sometimes I'm just driving down the freeway, and something hits me."
Walker's songs are about life — dealing with some of its trials and tribulations, but also finding the joy and peace it offers. They are thought-provoking and meaningful, filled with emotion and strength.
And that has been the most gratifying thing, says Walker. "People come up and tell me that my songs have made a difference. One boy said he heard 'Stones In The River' just at the time he was contemplating a mission and that the song helped him decide. Another person said one of the songs helped him in dealing with a family member's terminal illness."
To be part of people's lives in that way is amazing, says Walker. "To think that you are able to share something that helps others is a great feeling."
It's a feeling that Seely also understands. "When I started writing music, it didn't really dawn on me that I would be a part of people's lives, be in other people's homes in that way."
It wasn't until she started getting letters and e-mails from people who said her music had touched them, that she began to realize the impact music can have. "One man came all the way from Ohio just to meet me because of what my music had meant to him." That's exciting, she says, but also humbling.
Seely also has enjoyed meeting other people in the industry. "They have been so kind, so encouraging. It's nice when people who have been doing this for years are so welcoming to the newcomers."
Her album is sponsored by the Righteous Ways Foundations, and all proceeds will go to that charity.
Working with Greg Hansen, who produced and arranged the album, was a great experience, she said. "I found I could take things only so far. He would take them to a higher level. He could take what I hear in my heart and turn it into reality."
Seely started singing when she was 5. She has sung professionally with jazz, country, blues and pop bands as well as with choirs and musical theater productions. She also has studied opera with Ron Paul in New York. Her music shows a depth and maturity that reflect this experience. "Working professionally in everything from opera to pop, I have learned what works melodically and musically for the listener and what doesn't."
She says she wants to communicate with her listeners, but like all these other young artists, Seely wants to do something more. "I want to share a bit of my soul with them. I hope my music creates an uplifting experience, even if it may only be in a small way."
E-mail: carma@desnews.com