"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." (1 Corinthians 3:7-8), for "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Standing Small is more than a band. It is more than a ministry. It is four guys who have been totally transformed by the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is the word of God poured out into four souls who can do nothing more than express it and share it in the only way they know how - through music. Standing Small the ministry is the desperate seeking to share this love and forgiveness with the rich and the poor, the healthy and sick, the comfortable and the downtrodden; and to bring forth fruit in the Kingdom of Heaven. Standing Small the band is familiar with the weight of their calling. Having played over 250 shows in nearly two years- balancing jobs and bills with flat tires, 13-hour drives, trailers snapped in half, and near-death illness - They have played in 20+ states, and performed at Cornerstone, Lifelight, and Icthus festivals. They recently signed with Future Destination Records, an indie label out of West Virginia, and have released an EP titled "Oh Sweet Child," with a new full length album in the works.
Ultimately, what Standing Small is and would have anyone see in them is the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ poured out. Whether it be music, or beards, or fireworks, or late night conversations at Waffle House, or just four young men worshipping, their sole desire is to see Christ and Him glorified, to share the greatest gift they have ever received, and to praise the name of the Holy Son of God.
Standing Small are what I would categorize as “The impressive opening act.” You know the type. You went to see the headliner or maybe one of the bands in between, but after this smaller unheard-of band played the first set, you were rushing back to the merch table to pick up a CD (or at least trying to remember their name so you can become friends on myspace). Well my friends, consider yourselves having already attended that show and having already run back to that merch table, where you would see Oh Sweet Child, buy it, and play it in the car on the ride home. What you would find on this disc are six tracks (five songs) full of smart melodies, well-developed instrumentation, and subtly-crafted vocals. It’s mostly light pop/rock with an obvious alternative nod, led by acoustic guitars and a lacy piano with solid bass and drums. As a warning, the production works much better on larger home-stereo speakers than it does with headphones, but either way the songs are still enjoyable. “Grace through Iniquity” would be the standout track in my mind with a really catchy chorus, but none of the songs are bad. With a great voice and great music, this is one set of talent to watch in the future.
Tollbooth.org
This fine Cd merges first-rate mainstream rock with Psalm like lyrics of confession and devotion to the God of Judeo-Christianity with depth and passion. The opening and strongest track on the disc, "I Need You," is an example of these two streams running through this all-too-short six song CD. The production values are strong without being slick or superficial. Oh Sweet Child represents an impressive marriage between accessible rock and themes soulfully bringing to light both the simplicity of peaceful surrender and the complexity of a daily relationship with Christ.
Terry Roland
Christian Rockers Online
The four guys that make up Standing Small are, Ryan Fletcher, Ben Howard, Corey Goins, and Jeremy Taylor. This is a band that keeps the focus of their music on the ministry part.
They take their faith very serious and that comes through in their songs. These guys are totally sold out to serving the Lord and want to spread His love to everyone that they meet through their music.
The band's Oh Sweet Child EP consist of new recordings of five songs, "I Need You", "Strings", "Oh to Know", "I'm Coming Back", and "Grace Through Iniquity", along with one previously unreleased song, "When You're Lost".
The songs have a modern rock feel to them that's interspersed with worship. The songs offer up smooth melodies along with from-the-heart vocals that are filled with passion.
My favorite song was track-6, "When You're Lost" a really nicely done acoustic guitar ballad.
Standing Small is one of those rare band's that really get what real faith is all about and show it in the way that they reach out to others in a loving Christ-like way with their music.
LifeFest NC... North Carolina's Christian Music Festival! All day Festival - Pillar, BarlowGirl, Superchick, Rush of Fools, Stryper, VOT, Flight Patterns, and more TBA... 2 Stages - 17+ artists!
And on the Second Stage: Flowers for Faye, Greystone Chapel, Wake the Fallen, Written in Red, Jon Lloyd Band, Runaway City, Crimson Refuge, and Philmont!
We're adding a 3rd Acoustic Stage! E-mail: jared@lifefestnc.com if you are interested.
5+ more acoustic artists still To Be Announced….
If you are interested in helping promote the show or volunteering the day of the event send an e-mail to: jared@lifefestnc.com
hope you guys are having a blast! don't worry, we're holding it down at home. you really missed out on watching Princess Protection Program tonight, though.
Enjoyed the show at The Channel! Awesome Ministry ya'll have, Maybe we can do a show with you sometime. God Bless! (Greg, the lighting guy at The Channel)
I am super stoked to be getting married. I am so stoked, that I am having the entire store 40% right up until we get married. Use the coupon code MATTANDERIN at checkout and you will get 40% off your entire order.
Thanks for the support and for helping us have a good time on our honeymoon!
Hey guys! Just wanted to see what you were up too. I see you have a lot of awesome shows coming up that i would love to come to. See you later! God Bless!
Keep up with what? How are you guys!? We need to get together sometime. Play together or whatever. We're in some transition but we're trying to get back on the saddle! Peace my brothers!