Live for You (CD)

About Writing the Songs

A Day With Rachel Lampa

Her Discovery

It soars, then gently retreats, swooping gull-like over waves of emotion, rising to a crystalline high then plunging to a quavering depth. It is wise beyond its years, the voice of one who has traveled many paths before finding the road Home. It is arguably one of the most amazing voices in music today.

So it's somewhat of a shock to find the unlikely owner of this powerful instrument is a diminutive teenager.

At 15, Rachael Lampa is every inch the typical American high-schooler: she talks in the halting teen-speak of likes and you-knows, plays basketball, is on the Monarch High student council, and listens to pop princesses like Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey. Yet, when she opens her mouth to sing, an amazing transformation takes place, as if this youngster had somehow tapped into the wisdom and experience of one three times her age.

"A girl like that comes along once every 20 years—maybe," says Word Records' Brent Bourgeois, who first saw Lampa perform at 1999's Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park and was immediately sold.

Bourgeois' instincts were correct: Lampa took the music world by storm over the summer, logging a number one hit with "Live For You," the Latin-tinged title track of her Word debut. Appearances on such coveted network programs as The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and The View soon followed. But while it seems the teen phenom has come out of nowhere, Rachael is actually something of a seasoned pro.

"People come up to me and they're like, You're so lucky, you're so talented," says Lampa on a clear summer morning in Nashville. "It's just because I found my gifts earlier in life. I guess they need to realize that everybody has gifts, and their gifts are what they're good at. My gift is singing, and it might be more public, but their gifts are just as powerful. And they need to realize that sometimes you don't find it as early on in life as I have."

RAISED OUTSIDE Boulder, Colo., Lampa made her performing debut at the age of five, when she sang a nursery school ditty at church.

"I told her she didn't have to do it ever, ever, ever again after the first time," notes mom Marianne Lampa. "And she said, Oh no, Mommy! I want to do it tomorrow!"

That Rachael took to performing like a bird to flight comes as no surprise to her family. "She was singing in the crib, before she was talking," says Marianne, herself a former singer who performed in pop bands in college. One of four children, Rachael early on impressed her family with her precocious ability. "My mom noticed it when Rachael was 2," recalls Marianne. "My mother is a mom of eight kids, so she knows babies, she knows kids. And she said to me, Marianne, this one—there's something different here!"

Different indeed. Word of Rachael's talent spread around her home state of Colorado; at a time when most girls her age were still playing with Barbie dolls, she was regularly singing the national anthem before crowds of 50,000 at Colorado Rockies baseball games. When one of the organizers of the Estes Park Seminar heard her voice on a Columbine tribute album, he immediately booked her for the 1999 Cafe Estes program, then called every A&R guy he knew and urged them to attend.

"Cafe Estes is really one of the funnier events around because you never know what's going to come up next," says Bourgeois. "They bring up new acts that are already signed, like Ginny Owens, to play in the midst of really bad karaoke versions of Point of Grace songs."

While everyone had been tipped off that something big was coming up, "nobody expected her to be that good. By the middle of her first song everybody is looking at each other going, Who is this?"

By the middle of Lampa's second song, Bourgeois had quietly made his way backstage, where he ambushed the Lampas and, he jokes, "basically kidnapped them and locked up the next couple of days with dinners, concerts, more dinners, meeting Point of Grace, more dinners ... I more or less iced everyone else out!"

"My whole life I always wanted to be a pop singer and a Christian singer," says Lampa. But when it finally did happen, she says it was unexpected. "It was weird, because that was kind of a time that I wasn't even looking for it. I went up there, and I didn't know those [A&R] guys would be there until like an hour before I sang. My mom called and said, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but there will be some important people there. I really didn't expect it.

"But I had just been to a really big youth conference, and it really kinda changed my life around," she notes. "I did a concert there and I just realized how music can pull people up and change their heart. And so that kind of made me realize that I need to take this ministry more seriously."

Marianne Lampa observes that Rachael's youth conference experience took place two days before the Estes Park performance—as if once Rachael's eyes were opened to the power of her gift, God wasted no time throwing open the doors.

DESPITE HIS EFFORTS to the contrary, Bourgeois admits that Rachael Lampa inspired a bidding frenzy in Nashville, the likes of which hadn't been seen in some time. Word eventually landed Lampa, causing Bourgeois to break his own personal rule against signing singers. "I sign singer-songwriters," he explains. "I think they connect better with the material because it came from inside of them."

Partly for that reason, Bourgeois took another unprecedented step when it came time to find material for Lampa's debut. Instead of the arduous task of listening to demo tape after demo tape—a process he despises—he rented a horse farm outside Franklin, Tenn., and enlisted a few of his songwriter friends to hang out and write songs over a period of five weeks.

The result was that all of Live For You was written specifically for Lampa, unheard of for a new artist. Among the stellar talents tapped for the assignment: Cindy Morgan, Ginny Owens, Michelle Tumes, Chris Eaton, and Chris Rodriguez—a virtual who's who of Christian songwriting.

"At the beginning I spent a week with all the writers and told them what I wanted to sing about, and about my life and stuff like that," Rachael recalls. "I told them a lot of my life experiences, how God had pulled through for me. One of the things I told them was about when my best friend's mom died; I just told them how prayer got me through that, and how God was there all the way through."

Most of the material on Live For You is basic love songs to and about God, though issues like unity in the Church are also addressed. But the songs are daring musically, showing Lampa's breathtaking vocal range and her uncanny ability to bring to life the words she's singing.

Says Bourgeois, "We had a lot of discussions amongst ourselves about not getting too heavy lyrically. Especially concerning lines like, ÔI've been down this road so many times and as I look back over the years.' We'd catch ourselves: That was a good line, but was it a good line for a 15-year-old?

"That was another really good thing about having all the songwriters there, it was a good checks and balances. We had the opportunity to craft a whole record and look at it every day—what do we need to do? What are we missing? We could try out the songs on the singer as it was going along."

WHILE BOURGEOIS SAYS the songwriters' retreat wasn't a huge expense—"We basically paid this person's mortgage for five weeks and some catering"—he admits that the rest of what he calls "Rachael Lampa, Inc." has indeed cost a fortune. The reason that Word has invested so heavily in this artist is because Lampa's powerhouse talent, and the artist herself, have targeted the mainstream market. Already she's generated tremendous media interest outside the Christian fold—her Leno show appearance, for example, was booked well before her album's release, a rarity for any new artist but certainly unheard of for a Christian act singing Christian songs.

Says Lampa, "I want Christians to hear [my music] and love it and find joy in it, but I want to reach out to people who don't know God and don't know Christian music at all. 'Cause, like, if I gave the Plus One album to one of my friends, they wouldn't know it's Christian, but it's such a positive message. I hope that's how they see [my record]. Hopefully it will comfort somebody if they're sad or make somebody happy."

So while she may be going head to head with the Britney Spears and Jessica Simpsons of the world, don't expect to see any Britney-like dance moves from Lampa. "My songs are really hard to sing live," she explains. "Bouncing around on stage would not help with my vocal ability!"

Instead, she has been compared to a different class of pop star—Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand. "This is a singer's singer," says Bourgeois. "We don't want her to be a Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera—her voice is beyond that already. Stacie Orrico can have the teen thing; I think they've made a pretty teen record, and she's 13 so that's appropriate for her. But this voice and personality do not call for a bouncy teen record."

But Lampa is, of course, a teen. Instead of trading her youth for a life in the spotlight, she has chosen a more difficult path. She plans to remain in school as much as possible, and play catch-up on school work when the music career forces her to travel.

"When I'm older I don't want to look back and say I missed out," she says. "Just doing as much as I can when I'm home and doing as much as I can when I'm here [in Nashville] will even it out."

Whether that approach is realistic or not remains to be seen. Already some sacrifices have been made: softball and basketball will have to go, though she hopes to stay on the student council. While she's not famous yet, Lampa has already seen the downside of a public life: following a local newspaper article announcing Lampa's recording contract, school pranksters spray-painted her name and a rude remark on the walls of her high school. It was an unpleasant experience, but also quite possibly a small taste of what may be in store for her down the road.

One who's traveled that road is Jaci Velasquez. At 20, she is a seasoned veteran of the business, having issued her first record at 16. "For me to say that you are not going to care one day what people say about you is a lie," says Velasquez. "Because I care to this day. You're not going to forget about it, it's there. The thing you have to know is, look: you get to do what you love to do!"

In other words, find a way to deal with it. Which begs the question: is an artist like Lampa too young to be sent out into the world? Lampa's debut was rushed out with astonishing speed, at least from an outsider's perspective.

"Her talent is ready now," counters Bourgeois. "There was no reason to sit around for a year and what, let her ferment? She's a world-class singer today."

Mom Marianne weighs in on the argument by noting that, "I'm not sending her [out], I'm going with her. There will be one parent with her pretty much at all times. The most important thing, I think, is the team we have around us—we have a lot of love on our team, a lot of good people. I can see God putting these people in place on her team."

Velasquez's advice? "Find who you are artistically, find who you are spiritually. Don't let people make you into a product. Don't let people tell you what sells, you figure out what sells, and you figure out who you want to be."

That might be a tall order for someone as new to it all as Lampa. Right now she's focusing on the positive side of her new-found visibility. She says, "I've always wanted to, like, sit my high school down and be like, OK guys, don't ruin your life! This is probably the closest I can get to that."

Having unleashed her powerful voice on the world, Lampa is ready to see where it takes her. Considering how far she's come already, one imagines this is one newcomer who will go very far, indeed.

Pick up the latest issue of Release Magazine at your local store or check out their website for more artist interviews.

Used with permission, Release Magazine

Fifteen-year-old Rachael Lampa loves the pop divas: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and their like. But this 5’ diva-in-the-making had to tape the “Divas” TV special to watch later; a phone interview with an entertainment journalist kept her up past her bedtime and her first period Spanish class starts at the un-lovely hour of 7:30 a.m. “I don’t mind it,” she insists. “I’m a morning person...after 10 minutes, I’m fine.”

A day in the life of Rachael Lampa looks like that of any given 10th-grader at Monarch High in Louisville, Colorado, near Boulder. “I get up at 6:30, crawl to the shower, dry my hair and finish my homework from the night before,” says Rachael, a typical American suburban teenager who occasionally peppers her usually articulate conversations with “like, you know?” and this-or-that “thingy.” There’s basketball; she’s a stand-out point guard on the girls’ jr. varsity team (“I love playing, but I don’t watch it on TV--it bugs me”), school (“My favorite subject is lunch—it’s very educational. I taught myself how to peel an orange in one piece with an aluminum pop-top”) and church (“I love my church...our youth group leader is so cool...”).

But Rachael Lampa, the Monarch High point guard and champion orange peeler, and Rachael Lampa, the budding pop diva, would seem to have very different schedules. Sports and school lunches had to wait when Rachael went to London for the recording of the prestigious London Session Orchestra’s contribution to her debut CD, LIVE FOR YOU.

And her brother Ryan drove to Monarch High by himself the week that Rachael flew to Nashville to record a duet with the legendary Aaron Neville, (“The guy who sings ‘Don’t Know Much’ with Linda Ronstadt? I’m singing with HIM? Oh my gosh!”).

Aaron Neville wasn’t the first to be wowed by Rachael Lampa’s prodigious talent—it was evident early on in her young life. Very early, in fact: family legend has it that Rachael belted out tunes from her baby crib and could sing perfect harmony by age four. From time to time, her singing got her in trouble—despite her parents’ pride in their child’s talent, enough was enough, and singin too loud at the dinner table won Rachael a trip to her room more than once.

“We knew she had a God-given talent from the beginning,” says Marianne Lampa, a stay-at-home mom of four who met her husband Phil while both were working as nurses in an Indiana hospital. “We’ve encouraged her to sing whenever and wherever it’s appropriate. Just not while the rest of her brothers and sisters are trying to eat or do their homework,” Mom says, laughing.

“I’ve dreamed of being a recording artist, for as long as I can remember,” says Rachael. She was quickly at home on a stage, from The Jenny Jones Show’s Young Talent Search (at 12) to winning three medals at the World Championship of Entertainment and her frequent performances of the national anthem at Colorado Rockies baseball games, Rachael’s childhood dreams seemed destined to come true.

About The Songs

Live For You
To me, this song explains how all lives should be lived. Jesus Christ gave his life so that we could live; and even though He died, he is still present and working in our lives. He has found his way into our hearts and willingly counsels us through our trials. I have personally found that it does take sacrifices, but I am willing to try to live for Him the rest of my life. It’s the least that I can do when I think of all He has done in my life.

Blessed
This song emphasizes the small, but significant blessings in our lives. Even though we may not have the opportunity to experience all the thrills in life or always have the ability to take the easy way out, one thing is always clear—we are blessed by the guiding hand of God. Nothing we say or do is left unaided because, just when we enter a narrow path, we are blessed by the fact that He is right there ready to take us somewhere else. This song also reminds me that my gift of song is but one of millions of gifts in this world. Some find their gifts later in life, and some may not find them at all; but we all have our gifts. When we do find them, we should remember that they come only from the Lord and they should be used for Him and His glory.

Always Be My Home
This song has especially helped me through the whole industry part of the music business. The decision making process was a very stressful thing; and I sometimes found it hard to keep in mind the reason for all of it. There were many times that I had to put my emotions on hold and face reality. As a teenager, that was very hard for me. Thankfully, I found comfort in the fact that, no matter where this world can take me, God’s heart will always be my home. Even when I returned home to Colorado after being on the road, feeling a little out of place, I knew that I always had a home with my Father’s heart. The London Orchestra brings out the pure emotion in the song and just helps to emphasize the power of the love in God’s heart.

Hide Me
I interpret this song as a way to say that God will never lose sight of me. I sometimes have a tendency to hide myself in the shadows when I think things aren’t going right. But my Father always finds me and holds me in his loving arms. He has a way to hide me and to block off the entire world to make me feel safe and free.

Father's Heart
This summarizes the perfect way to be for Christ. He has cast his beauty over everything and made this world complete. He invented love and has since spread it all over the world. And while all of this is being taken for granted, the least that I can do is live my life in every part only to please my Father’s heart.

God Loves You
What better way to talk of God’s love than through song? This song reminds me that just when everything’s going wrong, there is something going right. I know there are people out there who say they are your friends and that you can always count on them, but you may find they don’t turn out to be who you thought they would be. There is almost nothing worse than having that happen, especially at a young age. So for all of you who have experienced this before, I know a friend who has never let me down; and He wants to be your friend, too. He is sitting right next you; and He already loves you.

Free
This song is very easy to relate to. Living in this world, it is hard to feel safe, especially after the Columbine incident and all of the violence that occurs in this world. Even your own feelings inside of you can make you feel unsafe or unstable. I have started a journey in finding out who I am, and the very thing that keeps me going is my firm belief in Jesus Christ. I have made and will make many sacrifices and compromises; and I’ll risk many tears, but the freedom and comfort that I feel because of my belief in Christ is all I’ll ever need. It is absolutely worth the cost; I can’t even imagine what heaven will be like!

Secret Place
This is yet another one of the songs on the album that has brought me comfort. It’s a reminder that all people ages 1 to 100 are and always will be sons and daughters. We all have the same Father who is with us 110% everyday! He watches you at night and guides you through the day. That reassurance in this song is so relaxing.

Lift Me Up
This is just a fun song that gives glory to God for His ability to brighten up a day. You’ll never have to worry about feeling low if you just open up the communication line between you and God. All you have to do is ask, and He can take you to a place where you’ll want nothing more than to be taken even higher and closer to Him. Once you are there, you’ll stay and heaven will be forever waiting for you.

Day of Freedom
Our day of freedom came when Jesus died on the cross for us. We need to remember that Jesus wasn’t held to the cross by nails but by his love for us. That teaches us that above all else, we must love one another. We are all sisters and brothers in His name. With the love he’s made in us, we can celebrate the common ground beneath us and build a bridge across the world joining our hands and hearts. Let us live our lives to celebrate the day that Jesus gave His life—the day of freedom.

Shaken
This is a message to the world from the pilgrimages of the Old Testament through today. It’s awesome to me that the journeys of people thousands of years ago can still be referred to in a song in the year 2000. Despite all the technology and advancements of today we still make our own journeys through life. This song reminds me that through our own journeys we need to fully rely on God. It also reminds me that through God all things can be done; anything that can happen will happen. As with Jesus who shook down the walls of death, someday God is going to shake the whole thing down.