Love Broke Through
Artist: Jennifer Shaw
URL: www.jennifershawmusic.com

Out of the abundance of the heart the mind speaks (Luke 6:45), and Jennifer Shaw has a lot on her heart.

Talent-wise, extensive vocal training, including a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, led to numerous opera and musical theater roles, appearances with symphony orchestras, a professorship at Cedarville University, and music directorship at her church where she led the congregation--and herself--in a successful transition to the contemporary music style.

Family-wise, things are a bit rougher as complications from a miscarriage brought her close to death, followed by the rapid decline of her father because of Lou Gehrig's disease. Finding solace in music, a CD of original songs written as a present to her father recouped its cost just six weeks after its independent release. The diagnosis of her new baby's bizarre behavior as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) started another difficult yet hopeful journey, and this second project embodies the fruit from these trials and triumphs.

"Before, I wanted to follow Christ and live a nice, comfortable, respectable life with some accolades thrown in there to remind me that I was special. Now, all I want is for people to see Christ. I feel a definite urgency and impatience with wasting time on things that don't matter. Christ matters.And that's it."

Professionally produced in Nashville by Paul Marino of Lifeway, the project already has a hit. "Your Great Name," is seeing frequent play on worship format stations. Jennifer Shaw has writing credits on 60% of the tunes and a couple more are surely destined for frequent-play; I wouldn't be surprised if Michael W. Smith picked up "Asante Sana, Jesu," Swahili title to a humble, yet catchy song of gratitude sure to be appreciated by the missionary-minded.  "Who's Kissing You Tonight" is a warm, multi-cultural ballad, and look for original "To Your Glory" and "Love Broke Through" on a PowerPoint screen in your local church soon. 

Jennifer Shaw is still finding her contemporary musical voice. When she sings songs in her sweet-spot, "Before the Throne of God Above," "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come," the material meets her talent with stunning force. When she shifts to more contemporary fare, the sound seems thinner, and "dumbed down." If Shaw can learn to trust her audiences' better natures and bring them along on a deeper adventure, everyone will be the better for the experience. Nevertheless, her heart is in the right place, and, as a successful independent artist, she is in a good position to continue to develop as an artist.

Linda Thompson LaFianza
11/22/09