IH: Please tell us about yourself..

SV:  Artistic Freak pretty much sums it up.  I LOVE music, it is pretty much the ONLY thing that has ever been on
my mind, but I also love being creative in many other art forms and outlets....one fun one being my hair and
wardrobe.  I should charge admission to see what I'll look like next.  No seriously, if you've heard the
words to my song "Tell Me" from the new CD "a thing or 2", that's totally me....I don't think like normal
people do, I go about doing things in weird ways, not your ordinary girl - a little extreme and always
manage to raise an eyebrow or two or three (or four or five).  But I've found that being yourself and the way
God intended you to be is the best testimony to His glory.  I think too many people try to meet other's
expectations and only end up disappointed when they fail.  We were meant to live and have life more
abundantly.  Part of that is knowing who you are in Christ no matter what anybody else says you should be.

IH:  How did you get started in music?

SV:  I have always been around music and grew up in the gospel music scene; writing, singing and traveling
since 8 years of age.  As I grew up, I just kept doing those things because I knew it was my calling in life.
 When you're doing what you love, things just fall into place with opportunities to share it.  I also
took 14 years of piano lessons and several years of classical voice training, theory classes, led worship
several years, and took a few years of dance, but did a lot of theatre as well...I'd love to get back into
that.  Look out Broadway!

IH:  What inspired you to produce a CD?

SV:  Pretty much just having a calling to do music inspires one to do whatever it takes to share it with people.
It's the music and message that is there for people, not just for the artist to express.  It's meant for
other people to hear and be moved to a new place in their life.  I love producing music - it's like
getting another puppy all over again - intoxicating and one of the best gifts you can ever get.  I love
hearing what's inside my puny little brain come to life in a real way that affects people.  God is
amazing for inventing this expression in us!

IH:  Did you write the songs yourself?

SV:  I always write all my own songs.  On this CD however, I wanted to bring in some other influences with other
writers.  Sometimes it's hard to find people who can let go of their music enough to co-write. Many people
don't want anything changed and haven't grown to the point of letting go in order to make something even
better.  A lot of that lies with wanting full credit.  I've written so many songs in my life that I don't
feel I need to take full credit for everything.  It's great when you find other people who get that too.  I
found some awesome people who got the bigger picture and had the honor to co-write with my producer Chris
Shandrow on a few songs with his musical input as well as my friend Teresa Garcia and Jerome Fontamillas of
Switchfoot.  The additions to what I'd already written on some of these songs was worth the collaboration!  


IH:  What was the process in making your project?

SV:  Most people think that to go record a CD you have to go to a big mega bucks studio somewhere in Nashville.
However, with technology we can do anything these days.  Most of my songs were written on the beach, in
the car and filled up my answer machines at home and on my cell phone.  Then I did most of the demos in my
home music studio and would send mp3's over the internet to my producer. He put all the tracks
together, (extremely talented guy and did all the instruments) then I came up to his studio in Normal,
IL of all places for vocals and broke it in for him as his first project in the new home studio.  It was fun.
If I could do anything, I would just be recording music full time non-stop with the hundreds of songs
I've written and continue to write...but as every musician knows, that takes money and that's why most
artists can only produce one project every year or other year.  


IH:  What are your goals and vision for your music?

SV:  To always follow what God wants for me despite other's misconceptions or expectations.  I've disappointed
myself enough with having unrealistic expectations, let alone trying to meet others demands - no one is
ever happy when you try to do that.  God's plan is much better.  When I write for a project, I usually
have a unique vision for each one.  "a thing or 2" was different than most of the music I've written.  It was
completely designed and meant for people who probably wouldn't want to listen to Christian music.  The
lyrics are easy to understand, don't preach, or use Christianese and it has a crossover feel to it.  Most
of Christian music is meant to build up and edify the believer.  This latest project was meant to reach the
unbeliever or the one still seeking God, questioning if He's real and if so, does He really love and care
about them or hear them when they pray.  In order to get them to listen, it had to be written and produced
with a modern day approach. I think it's much different than most of the Christian music you hear on
your Christian radio station and I get a lot of positive feedback from people for it's originality.
But I've got a lot of secular stations playing it for those who need to hear it as a result of following the
vision God gave me for it.  Unfortunately, there are still a few Christians who don't get this and think
every song has to be a rehash of a scripture song and only kept "in the house" for believers, but God meant
for this project to go outside those walls.  It had to relate to real people living in the world not
sheltered by the church walls as many of us still are.   As a result, I get to talk to many people about God
that normally would turn Christian music off.  All that being said, yes, I still do write blatantly
Christian songs and have been working on some new worship material for release at the right time in the
future.  It rocks.  That's all I'm gonna say!

IH:   What do you think about the Christian Music  Industry?

SV:  Hmmm....loaded question and I have way too many thoughts. Maybe this calls for a full article!  I
think that there are some great things about it and some not so great things about it.  But I know there
are people trying to just reach people with their music and that's the main point of doing it, not to
become superstars or win awards, get recognition or fame.  I appreciate both those artists and labels
continuing to bring sacred music to the Body of Christ and those who are venturing out and being a Christian
influence in the secular world. We need to pray for them. It's a hard place to be and we are all only
human, capable of making mistakes.  When you're in the public eye like that, it magnifies your mistakes even
more than the average person nobody knows who makes the same mistakes.  I think the listeners or consumers
need to work on some things too...stop judging people so harshley and pray more for them.

IH:  What would you like to be doing 5 years from  now?

SV:  Aside of continuing to write, sing/perform and produce music for myself and others, I'd like to continue to
find new ways to do it by going outside of the box. I'd also like to find a really modern rock church to
share my worship gifts in.  

IH:   Any other comments?

SV:  Thanks Keith for all you do for independent artists!  You rock!