Sandra Mccracken

Sandra McCracken’s prolific contributions as a songwriter, modern-day hymn writer, and record producer has brought grace and clarity to her soulful, folk-gospel sound. Whether in a theater or in a chapel, she is a dynamic performer who blurs the lines of what church music sounds like, captivating and inviting audiences to sing along. While many of her songs like “We Will Feast In The House Of Zion” and “Thy Mercy My God” have settled into regular rotation in Christian worship services internationally, she has also had songs recorded by All Sons And Daughters, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Audrey Assad, A Rocha Compilation, Bifrost Arts, Caedmon’s Call and others. She is further a founding member of Indelible Grace Music and Rain For Roots (children’s music) and has been a guest writer for Art House America, She Reads Truth, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, RELEVANT Magazine and more.

Part of a new phase of post-1960s U.S. Latino literature, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz and Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros both engage in unique networks of paratexts that center on the performance of latinidad.

Caught halfway between the earthy punch of alt-country music and the dreamy swoon of folk-pop, Lindsey Luff's self-titled debut album tells the story of its creator. It's a story that begins in Memphis, where Luff was raised in a household with a hard-working mother and absentee father. She began singing during Sunday morning church services, graduating from the children's choir to the worship band. Back at home, the Beatles' records could be heard on the family stereo, rooting Luff's musical upbringing in pop melodies and classic songwriting.

Singer/songwriter Audrey Assad, a New York native, began her musical journey after relocating to Florida at the age of 18. It was there that the deeply spiritual Assad decided to focus all of her energies on her faith. A flurry of local shows and worship events followed, resulting in a move to Nashville and a five-song EP called Fireflies that drew the attention of CCM label Sparrow Records. Assad continued to hone her craft, writing songs for other performers and touring with Dove Award-winning artist Chris Tomlin. Her full-length debut for Sparrow, The House You're Building, arrived on July 13, 2010. It did well commercially and critically, paving the way for 2012's Heart, which primarily featured writing work from Assad but also included contributions from Matt Maher, Christopher Stevens, Derek Webb, and Sandra McCracken. An independent album, Fortunate Fall, appeared in August 2013, followed by Inheritance in early 2016.

Although he works out of the thematically conservative contemporary Christian pop genre, singer/songwriter and guitarist Derek Webb has an agitator's soul and a flair for the controversial, approaches he uses in his music to force careful thought on vitally important issues. Born on May 27, 1974, in Memphis, TN, Webb attended high school in Texas, and was one of the founding members of the Houston-based Christian pop group Caedmon's Call when they formed in 1993, and he remained with the group through several albums before leaving to go solo in 2003. His first solo project, She Must and Shall Go Free, released that same year, demonstrated Webb's refreshingly maverick and uncompromising approach to Christian music, and the album drew a lot of critical attention, both pro and con. A sophomore effort, I See Things Upside Down, followed in 2004, along with a live album, The House Show.

Tim Rose's November 1967 self-titled debut album "Tim Rose" did bugger all business chart-wise - but cast a huge shadow then and ever since.