James Ward, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Paul Simon, Bruce Cockburn, Motown, Stax, Franco, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Herbbie Hancock, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, The Police, Earth Wind and Fire, Bob Dylan,
Sounds Like
John Mayer, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bruce Cockburn, James Ward
I am a song writer, worship leader, guitarist, father, and the music director for New City Fellowship in St Louis. At 12 years old, I learned to play the guitar and wrote my first songs. I was mentored by my father, James Ward, and studied guitar with Mark Boling at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 2002, I recorded "Only One", a collection of songs I had written or arranged for worship. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in Studio Music and Jazz from UT, I taught guitar, wrote more music, and did freelance worship leading. After getting married to Sarah in 2004, we moved to St Louis and I began working at New City Fellowship. Now I have a daughter, Joanna, and a son, Samuel.
Currently, I'm working on a new recording at Sawhorse Studios with the help of Jacob Detering, Joe Meyer, Eric Grossman, Ryan McMillen, R.Scott Bryan, and my dad, James Ward. There are 12 songs that we've been working, born out of the past 5 or 6 years in worship ministry. The songs reflect my passions for music of diverse cultural origins, for community in local church congregations, and to see the call for justice and mercy that's found in scripture reflected in the music we sing in worship.
