With a career that has spanned some 20 years, Kenneth Cope is one of the most recognized and revered figures on the local inspirational-music scene.
He has produced seven solo albums, contributed songs to countless other CDs, taught and mentored young artists, ventured into the world of film scoring and is currently collaborating on a multimedia presentation titled "Son of Man" that will chronicle the life of Christ.
Those achievements are being celebrated with the recent release of a "greatest-hits" CD, "Face to Face: Kenneth Cope Collection" (Lumen Records).
It's probably more correct to call it a "favorite-song" collection, says Cope. It includes some of what he considers his signature pieces, a couple of songs that he had written but not sung before, and some that are the most-requested at his concerts.
But there's also a new song, "Come to Jesus," a contemporary Christian song written by Chris Rice. "It has such a nice message. Everyone who hears it is blessed by it. I wanted to introduce it to our local audience."
Cope's previous "Hear My Praise" CD also includes several songs written by contemporary Christian and gospel artists. That's one big change he has seen over the course of his career — this mingling with the larger Christian community. "We've been at arm's length; it was 'us' and 'them.' But little by little, that's changing. We're reaching out to each other, embracing good music, exciting music, where we find it."
As Latter-day Saints, he says, "we are taught that if there is anything virtuous, praise-worthy, of good report, we should seek after those things. But how many of us really seek them? How many of us just wait for them to come along. I think if more of us did seek them out, more good things would be made. There are so many great ideas in the world. We need to seek for them, find them, use them."
That principle and that desire have been at the forefront of Cope's musical career. Faith is at the core of his music. "I decided a long time ago that I was going to devote my energy and my talents to making the name of Jesus Christ greater on the Earth. That is what I am about. It propels every choice, every decision. I hope to create new ways for people to see Jesus Christ — to offer a new vantage point and open eyes. I am passionate about him, and I want that passion to flow out of everything I do."
Music has always been a part of Cope's life. He was born in Salt Lake City but grew up in Houston, where he attended the High School for the Performing Arts. But it was after an LDS mission to Switzerland and France, that music took on a new dimension for him. "I got a job as a counselor with the (LDS Church's) EFY (Especially for Youth) program, and I took along my guitar."
It was fun hanging out with the kids, playing and singing, Cope says. But soon, that wasn't enough. "I wanted to write songs around the themes." So, he began to do that. His first song was called "Lovin' Life."
It so happened that Emily de Azevedo, daughter of musician and record producer Lex de Azevedo, was at one of those EFY sessions and told her dad about Cope's songs. Cope moved to Utah shortly after that, and de Azevedo asked him to work on more EFY albums. "We did about 10 or 11."
Cope's first solo album was released in 1987 and titled "Heaven — Don't Miss It for the World."
Up until that time, he says, he had been performing at weddings and restaurants and a few other places. "I loved music, but I was not sure what to do with it, what I was supposed to do." But his success with the EFY program gave him confidence to take the next step. "I moved to Los Angeles, and began working in the music scene there. It was challenging. They made me work harder than I'd ever worked before."
But it was a good experience. "I honed my craft. But after four or five years there, I realized I needed to come back. I knew I could come back and do a better job."
His body of work includes thematic CDs about women of the Bible and Joseph Smith, as well as songs of prayer and worship. He produced an original score for "Joseph Smith, The Seer," an interactive CD-ROM that examines the life of the LDS prophet.
His "Son of Man" project, which he is doing with artist Liz Lemon Swindle and author Susan Easton Black, began as a book/CD effort, but has turned into a full-scale musical. "I've got the first act written, and soon as we get the orchestrations done, we'll jump in the studio and start recording and release that. Act Two will come out about a year later, and then we'll work on mounting the full production."
Over the years, Cope has won numerous Pearl Awards from the Faith Centered Music Association, and he received an Album of the Year nomination from the Association for Independent Music.
Those awards and accolades are nice, he says, but that's not what it's all about. "There's no mystery about my message. I want people to know where they can turn when they feel broken. I want to encourage peace. In reality, we are one big family. We bump into each other and we hurt each other all the time. But we can help each other. We can have hope. We can add to the body of good in the world."
E-mail: carma@desnews.com