By Staff
As they wrap up two tours of the United States before their concert in Israel this October, the Christian vocal and instrumental band, known as Seeds, will present a special Friday evening concert in front of City Hall during this week's Dowagiac Fun Fest.
Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) who coordinated this year's 20th-annual summertime bash, said she is pleased to host this exciting Christian music group from Chicago, which has inspired people across the country.
Phillipson said Friday's performance, beginning at 7 p.m., was coordinated through the assistance of Danette Fish of Dowagiac and is being underwritten through a fine arts grant the Downtown Development Authority received from the St. Denys Foundation of Dowagiac.
Seeds is one of four vocal and instrumental groups that will perform Friday
evening at Fun Fest. Appearing on the main stage Friday evening at the Haggin-Wimberley Memorial Bandstand will be Afro Jabe Afrikan Village Drum and Dance Group at 5 p.m., followed by the Kalamazoo Bag Pipe Band at 7 p.m. and Sophisticated Swing at 8:30 p.m.
According to vocalist and instrumentalist Colleen Davick, members of Seeds have been serving the Lord through their music since 1995. All six members of Seeds live and work at Jesus People USA, which is the 500-member intentional Christian community, located in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood that Fish visits on an annual basis.
"Within our Christian community, our ministries include a shelter for homeless women and children; another shelter for families, as well as single men and women; a neighborhood youth mentoring program; and a retirement home for low-income senior citizens," Davick said.
As the group's flutist, Davick also plays mandolin, didgeridoo, Irish whistles and percussion, and sings harmony.
Mike Troxel is one of the group's songwriters, who plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, and sings lead and harmony vocals. Mike's wife, Kristin, who is originally from Norway, is a percussionist who also takes on lead and harmony vocals.
Songwriter Scott Knies, provides guitar leads, acoustic and electric, as well as providing lead and harmony vocals. The group's bass man is Tom Crozier, who Davick describes as having strings and nerves of steel. The most recent addition is drummer Chris Sheppard.
In addition to ministering to people through their music, members of Seeds play important roles in their Christian community, from being a men's coordinator to working at the various shelters and in the kitchen, and home schooling high school students.
Soon after meeting at the commune, Davick said the six new-found friends realized they shared a common appreciation for music and in March of 1995 they began playing at a coffeehouse. "While we were influenced by many folk and folk/rock bands of the late-60s and 70s, our performances are unique in that we have incorporated world elements with the use of hand drums, didgeridoo, Irish whistle and ethnic stringed instruments."
From their meager beginnings before a coffeehouse audience, Seeds has since gone on to produce three original and full-length albums, which are now available on CD, as well as a fourth CD that the band collaborated on with other members of their community. Their first album was self-titled, "Seeds," which was produced in 1997. In 2000 "Parables, Prayers and Songs" was produced, followed in 2002 by "No Greater Love," with "Rooted" being released last year.
Due to their duties within the community, Seeds typically takes on no more than two two-week summer tours, in addition to their weekend performances.
Their travels this October, however, will find them on a three-week venture to Israel, where they have been invited to perform at the Beresheet Festival, performing at both Christian and non-Christian events.
Phillipson said this is the third year for the St. Denys Foundation to provide grant funding to the festival through the Downtown Development Authority. The fine arts grant will also fund the performances of: The Reggae Boyz, Miss Kathy's School of Dance, The rock and roll music of The Blisters, Encore Dance, the Kalamazoo Bag Pipe Band, the music of Due Process, Lake Effect Jazz Big Band and Afro Jabe Afrikan Village Drum &Dance Group.
In addition to the fine arts grants received from St. Denys Foundation and the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation, the three-day summertime bash is being underwritten by the following corporate sponsors: Drs. Charles Burling and Jonathan Gillesby, Creative Vinyl Signs, Felpausch Food Center, Franklin &Son, Leader Publications, Mennel Milling Co. of Michigan, Southwestern Michigan College and Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.