Q&A with Lisa Weyerhaeuser
"Growing Light" CD
Q: Talk about why you waited over 10 years to do another solo project.
A: My last solo project was released in 2006, since that time I recorded a children's CD, a Christmas CD with a madrigal group that has been singing during the Christmas season for over 15 years, I re-released a project that Larry Norman produced for me back in the 80's, and I was executive producer on a project for the worship leader at my church. I have also been raising my three boys and teaching as an adjunct professor at Trinity International University. So, I guess I was keeping busy doing music and a few other things and kind of lost track of time. And interestingly, some of the songs on my new project I actually started writing about 30 years ago, and I honestly could not have fully finished them in the same way without 30 years of life happening in between.
Q: Tell us about the CD title, "Growing Light."
A: "Growing Light" is actually a line from one of the songs on the CD which says simply, "My burdens grow light.” This CD is ultimately about freedom -- freedom that comes through living the circumstances of life, and learning how to be freed from the things that entangle us, like Hebrews 12:1 calls us to do. Sometimes it's a process. I think the term sanctification applies, as slowly, gradually, we learn to "grow light" from letting go of those things that hold us back from being all we are meant to be on this earth. (Ephesians 2:10). And this project tells a story -- my story -- about the process of letting go of things, relationships, habits or whatever, that pull us away from what we are created to be. It was a very personal project to record. It is actually very emotional for me to listen to some of these songs because it reveals to me how God has been working through every situation to teach me about who He is and how He wants me to live.
Q: You have a duet with Randy Stonehill on the CD. Talk about that song and how you teamed up with Randy.
A: “You're Beautiful To Me” is a song that has us looking at God's beauty in His handiwork, His creation, to bring us to our knees and then we hear from Him how beautiful we are to Him. And in grateful response we say to Him how beautiful He is to us. Like the verse that says “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). I had mentioned to Randy last time I saw him that I wanted him to sing on my next project, and so when this song came about it seemed like it was the right one for us to sing together — his voice representing the Father and mine representing the child. So it's a beautiful interplay of the Father reassuring the child that He thinks she is beautiful (and what child doesn't need to hear that from a father), and then the child letting the father know how beautiful He is to her.
Q: You mentioned the song "Freedom" is a pivotal song on the CD. Why is that?
A: The song “Freedom” is really the theme song of the project. For me, this song came from the journey I have been on for several years. When we first come to know Jesus, we often have that initial exuberance and sense of joy that comes from being released from the darkness that was once part of us. And that is a beautiful season. But sometimes, for many of us, some of the struggles that we faced before, come back to drag us down again. And sometimes our journey toward Jesus is about trying to free ourselves from "the sin that so easily entangles us "(Hebrews 12:1). That is not always an easy passage, and we fight with our own inner voices that say "I'm not good enough” or "how can Jesus still love me when I am still struggling?” But that is part of why we need Him, and why we need to cling to Him. We are broken, and need forgiveness, and need to continue to hold on to Him and not ourselves for our hope and healing. So this song is an expression of coming to a new place, further down the journey, when we know we are free in a new way from things that have held us back. It's another way I am growing light. It doesn't mean I won't struggle, but it does mean there is a new and deeper freedom I have found as I continue to move closer to who Jesus wants me to be. It is a song of hope for all of us who have been weighed down by the stuff of this world.
A: My last solo project was released in 2006, since that time I recorded a children's CD, a Christmas CD with a madrigal group that has been singing during the Christmas season for over 15 years, I re-released a project that Larry Norman produced for me back in the 80's, and I was executive producer on a project for the worship leader at my church. I have also been raising my three boys and teaching as an adjunct professor at Trinity International University. So, I guess I was keeping busy doing music and a few other things and kind of lost track of time. And interestingly, some of the songs on my new project I actually started writing about 30 years ago, and I honestly could not have fully finished them in the same way without 30 years of life happening in between.
Q: Tell us about the CD title, "Growing Light."
A: "Growing Light" is actually a line from one of the songs on the CD which says simply, "My burdens grow light.” This CD is ultimately about freedom -- freedom that comes through living the circumstances of life, and learning how to be freed from the things that entangle us, like Hebrews 12:1 calls us to do. Sometimes it's a process. I think the term sanctification applies, as slowly, gradually, we learn to "grow light" from letting go of those things that hold us back from being all we are meant to be on this earth. (Ephesians 2:10). And this project tells a story -- my story -- about the process of letting go of things, relationships, habits or whatever, that pull us away from what we are created to be. It was a very personal project to record. It is actually very emotional for me to listen to some of these songs because it reveals to me how God has been working through every situation to teach me about who He is and how He wants me to live.
Q: You have a duet with Randy Stonehill on the CD. Talk about that song and how you teamed up with Randy.
A: “You're Beautiful To Me” is a song that has us looking at God's beauty in His handiwork, His creation, to bring us to our knees and then we hear from Him how beautiful we are to Him. And in grateful response we say to Him how beautiful He is to us. Like the verse that says “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). I had mentioned to Randy last time I saw him that I wanted him to sing on my next project, and so when this song came about it seemed like it was the right one for us to sing together — his voice representing the Father and mine representing the child. So it's a beautiful interplay of the Father reassuring the child that He thinks she is beautiful (and what child doesn't need to hear that from a father), and then the child letting the father know how beautiful He is to her.
Q: You mentioned the song "Freedom" is a pivotal song on the CD. Why is that?
A: The song “Freedom” is really the theme song of the project. For me, this song came from the journey I have been on for several years. When we first come to know Jesus, we often have that initial exuberance and sense of joy that comes from being released from the darkness that was once part of us. And that is a beautiful season. But sometimes, for many of us, some of the struggles that we faced before, come back to drag us down again. And sometimes our journey toward Jesus is about trying to free ourselves from "the sin that so easily entangles us "(Hebrews 12:1). That is not always an easy passage, and we fight with our own inner voices that say "I'm not good enough” or "how can Jesus still love me when I am still struggling?” But that is part of why we need Him, and why we need to cling to Him. We are broken, and need forgiveness, and need to continue to hold on to Him and not ourselves for our hope and healing. So this song is an expression of coming to a new place, further down the journey, when we know we are free in a new way from things that have held us back. It's another way I am growing light. It doesn't mean I won't struggle, but it does mean there is a new and deeper freedom I have found as I continue to move closer to who Jesus wants me to be. It is a song of hope for all of us who have been weighed down by the stuff of this world.
Q: The song "Petrified Forest" is interesting. What is it about?
A: The first week I met with my producer, Matthew Clark, we worked only on choosing what songs we were going to include. I brought in a song about forgiveness, and we just started talking about what forgiveness really looks like. Forgiveness has a big role to play in being free, but it is a process. Sometimes our feelings don’t catch up with our decision to forgive for quite a while. This song is obviously a pretty personal song to me. I think even difficult relationships can define us in good ways if we let them. I was in a relationship like that, and it took some therapy and hard work to get through it and come out of it a healthier person. But it was instructional to go through, and I found a stronger part of myself in the process. So writing this song was really quite freeing, and another reason the Freedom/Growing Light theme was so interwoven through my life and songwriting in this season. If this song can help one person deal with a very difficult relationship, then my struggle and my story has been worth telling.
Q: You had a long friendship with Larry Norman and included one of his songs on the CD. Talk about that.
A: I did have a long-time friendship with Larry Norman, who passed away in 2008. I met him when I was 18 when he did a concert at my college. I had to interview him afterward for my college newspaper. We became fast friends and he ended up producing a record for me after I graduated. He had a huge influence on my songwriting and on my life as I continued in Christian music. Even before he died, I decided to include a song he wrote on all of my projects because I want future generations to hear the messages he was able to capture in his own unique style. The first song on this CD is his song "I Hope I'll See You in Heaven.” It fit with the Freedom theme because I think the first thing we need to do to experience true freedom in our lives is to admit our brokenness and our part in the mess of our lives. This project begins with the words "I was wrong.” I think that is where humility and freedom begin, by facing the fact that we messed things up and we need healing. Through that realization, we begin to find true freedom.
Q: The post-Civil War song "Oh Freedom" is an African American spiritual. What inspired you to include that song?
A: The song "Oh Freedom" is a song I first heard on a Chris Rice CD. I loved it and my family sings it in the car almost every time we go on a road trip. My husband is the Senior Pastor of our church, and we have been a part of that church for over 30 years now. When our family heads out together for an adventure, it is usually after a long season of not being together as a family and just the “being together” brings us a sense of joy and freedom. When we sing that song together, we are reminded of so many brothers and sisters who have endured great hardship, but have held on to the hope of true freedom in the next life. So as much as we can grow in our freedom on this side of heaven, I know that true freedom will be fully accomplished when we see Jesus. That is a freedom I look forward to the most.
Q: You have been offering retreats for songwriters and musicians for many years. How did that get started and what is the benefit to those involved?
A: StrongTree is an initiative I started back in the 1990's with the goal of helping artists to grow in their walk with Jesus and in their ability to communicate it through the arts, and also help connect them to other artists and venues. Our mission statement is "Deepening roots in Jesus by creatively communicating Truth.” We started providing artist retreats in 2007 to give musicians opportunity to hone their skills and share them with other artists. We brought in artists-in-residence for many retreats so that emerging artists could glean wisdom and knowledge from the years of experience from seasoned artists. We usually have retreats in the fall and the spring, and they are open to anyone who wants to come and grow as an artist. Former Artists-in-Residence include Glenn Kaiser, Nancy Honeytree Miller, Randy Stonehill, Matthew Clark and Andy Gullahorn.
Q: Talk about your continued relationship with Teen Mother Choices International.
A: Teen Mother Choices is a unique charity that utilizes volunteers from local area churches to help provide teen mothers with a support system. One of the goals of Teen Mothers Choices is to keep all the girls off of welfare by helping them graduate from school and find jobs to support themselves. Over 600 teen mothers have graduated from the program, and all of them got their diplomas and none of them are on welfare. The founder, Christa March, is a gracious and innovative person who continues to grow her ministry by adding new groups of Teen Moms all around the country and beyond. It has been an honor to be part of fundraising events and continue to support TMCI through prayer and financial support.
Q: How has your view of God changed since your very first CD?
A: I first started writing and recording music when I was in my late teens and 20's. I wrote about things that I was experiencing in that season of my life and faith. I think that as we get older our faith has to grow up too. As difficulties and temptation and grief and life and children and relationships happen, we are faced with new challenges and decisions that were never in the picture in our heads of how life was supposed to be. Holding on to my faith through difficulties and growing deeper in my love for God through the pains of life are all part of what comes out through my music now. Learning how to fit our orthodoxy into our orthopraxy is a life-long process. But we know our labor is not in vain as we hold on and stand firm (1 Corinthians 15:58). And we can live in this freedom as we serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
A: The first week I met with my producer, Matthew Clark, we worked only on choosing what songs we were going to include. I brought in a song about forgiveness, and we just started talking about what forgiveness really looks like. Forgiveness has a big role to play in being free, but it is a process. Sometimes our feelings don’t catch up with our decision to forgive for quite a while. This song is obviously a pretty personal song to me. I think even difficult relationships can define us in good ways if we let them. I was in a relationship like that, and it took some therapy and hard work to get through it and come out of it a healthier person. But it was instructional to go through, and I found a stronger part of myself in the process. So writing this song was really quite freeing, and another reason the Freedom/Growing Light theme was so interwoven through my life and songwriting in this season. If this song can help one person deal with a very difficult relationship, then my struggle and my story has been worth telling.
Q: You had a long friendship with Larry Norman and included one of his songs on the CD. Talk about that.
A: I did have a long-time friendship with Larry Norman, who passed away in 2008. I met him when I was 18 when he did a concert at my college. I had to interview him afterward for my college newspaper. We became fast friends and he ended up producing a record for me after I graduated. He had a huge influence on my songwriting and on my life as I continued in Christian music. Even before he died, I decided to include a song he wrote on all of my projects because I want future generations to hear the messages he was able to capture in his own unique style. The first song on this CD is his song "I Hope I'll See You in Heaven.” It fit with the Freedom theme because I think the first thing we need to do to experience true freedom in our lives is to admit our brokenness and our part in the mess of our lives. This project begins with the words "I was wrong.” I think that is where humility and freedom begin, by facing the fact that we messed things up and we need healing. Through that realization, we begin to find true freedom.
Q: The post-Civil War song "Oh Freedom" is an African American spiritual. What inspired you to include that song?
A: The song "Oh Freedom" is a song I first heard on a Chris Rice CD. I loved it and my family sings it in the car almost every time we go on a road trip. My husband is the Senior Pastor of our church, and we have been a part of that church for over 30 years now. When our family heads out together for an adventure, it is usually after a long season of not being together as a family and just the “being together” brings us a sense of joy and freedom. When we sing that song together, we are reminded of so many brothers and sisters who have endured great hardship, but have held on to the hope of true freedom in the next life. So as much as we can grow in our freedom on this side of heaven, I know that true freedom will be fully accomplished when we see Jesus. That is a freedom I look forward to the most.
Q: You have been offering retreats for songwriters and musicians for many years. How did that get started and what is the benefit to those involved?
A: StrongTree is an initiative I started back in the 1990's with the goal of helping artists to grow in their walk with Jesus and in their ability to communicate it through the arts, and also help connect them to other artists and venues. Our mission statement is "Deepening roots in Jesus by creatively communicating Truth.” We started providing artist retreats in 2007 to give musicians opportunity to hone their skills and share them with other artists. We brought in artists-in-residence for many retreats so that emerging artists could glean wisdom and knowledge from the years of experience from seasoned artists. We usually have retreats in the fall and the spring, and they are open to anyone who wants to come and grow as an artist. Former Artists-in-Residence include Glenn Kaiser, Nancy Honeytree Miller, Randy Stonehill, Matthew Clark and Andy Gullahorn.
Q: Talk about your continued relationship with Teen Mother Choices International.
A: Teen Mother Choices is a unique charity that utilizes volunteers from local area churches to help provide teen mothers with a support system. One of the goals of Teen Mothers Choices is to keep all the girls off of welfare by helping them graduate from school and find jobs to support themselves. Over 600 teen mothers have graduated from the program, and all of them got their diplomas and none of them are on welfare. The founder, Christa March, is a gracious and innovative person who continues to grow her ministry by adding new groups of Teen Moms all around the country and beyond. It has been an honor to be part of fundraising events and continue to support TMCI through prayer and financial support.
Q: How has your view of God changed since your very first CD?
A: I first started writing and recording music when I was in my late teens and 20's. I wrote about things that I was experiencing in that season of my life and faith. I think that as we get older our faith has to grow up too. As difficulties and temptation and grief and life and children and relationships happen, we are faced with new challenges and decisions that were never in the picture in our heads of how life was supposed to be. Holding on to my faith through difficulties and growing deeper in my love for God through the pains of life are all part of what comes out through my music now. Learning how to fit our orthodoxy into our orthopraxy is a life-long process. But we know our labor is not in vain as we hold on and stand firm (1 Corinthians 15:58). And we can live in this freedom as we serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
Americana folk singer/songwriter releases first solo project in over 10 years
For Immediate Release (Gurnee, IL) – In her first solo project in over a decade, Lisa Weyerhaeuser (pronounced “Ware-house-er”) drew upon an assignment at one of her artist retreats a couple of years ago. She asked all the songwriters to write about one word —freedom—and then share their songs later that day. That simple task birthed songs for several of the artists in attendance, who went on to record them on their own individual projects. And the bulk of the 14 songs on Weyerhaeuser’s new CD, “Growing Light,” revolve around that same theme. The new CD also gave Weyerhaeuser the opportunity to work with someone she has known for many years — renowned Christian singer/songwriter Randy Stonehill.
“I had mentioned to Randy last time I saw him that I wanted him to sing on my next project,” says Weyerhaeuser, “and so when the song ‘You’re Beautiful to Me’ came together it seemed like it was the right one for us to sing together — his voice representing the Father and mine representing the child. It's a beautiful interplay of the Father reassuring the child that He thinks she is beautiful (and what child doesn't need to hear that from a father), and then the child letting the Father know how beautiful He is to her.”
Stonehill was an artist-in-residence at one of Weyerhaeuser’s retreats which are held each spring and fall and open to any singers and songwriters who wish to hone their craft. Weyerhaeuser began the StrongTree initiative back in the 1990s to help emerging Christian artists learn how to communicate their faith through music. The goal is to help artists grow in their walk with Jesus and in their ability to communicate their faith through the arts, as well as help connect them to other artists and venues. Weyerhaeuser began hosting retreats in 2007 and brought in artists-in-residence so that up-and-coming songwriters and vocalists could glean wisdom and knowledge from the years of experience from seasoned artists. In addition to Stonehill, former Artists-in-Residence include Glenn Kaiser, Nancy Honeytree Miller, and Andy Gullahorn.
Although “Growing Light” is the first solo project for Weyerhaeuser in over ten years, she has kept busy with several other creative ventures. She recorded a children's CD under her youth camp moniker “La La Lisa,” as well as a Christmas CD with a madrigal group. She re-released a project that Larry Norman produced for her back in the 1980's, and was executive producer on a project for the worship leader at the church where her husband serves as pastor. Add to that being a pastor’s wife, the mother of three boys, and an adjunct professor at Trinity International University, and it is conceivable she might have other priorities. Plus, she says, the wait turned out to be necessary.
“Some of the songs on my new project I actually started writing about 30 years ago, and I honestly could not have fully finished them in the same way without 30 years of life happening in between. As difficulties and temptation and grief and life and children and relationships happen, we are faced with new challenges and decisions that were never in the picture in our heads of how life was supposed to be. Learning how to fit our orthodoxy into our orthopraxy is a life-long process.”
“I had mentioned to Randy last time I saw him that I wanted him to sing on my next project,” says Weyerhaeuser, “and so when the song ‘You’re Beautiful to Me’ came together it seemed like it was the right one for us to sing together — his voice representing the Father and mine representing the child. It's a beautiful interplay of the Father reassuring the child that He thinks she is beautiful (and what child doesn't need to hear that from a father), and then the child letting the Father know how beautiful He is to her.”
Stonehill was an artist-in-residence at one of Weyerhaeuser’s retreats which are held each spring and fall and open to any singers and songwriters who wish to hone their craft. Weyerhaeuser began the StrongTree initiative back in the 1990s to help emerging Christian artists learn how to communicate their faith through music. The goal is to help artists grow in their walk with Jesus and in their ability to communicate their faith through the arts, as well as help connect them to other artists and venues. Weyerhaeuser began hosting retreats in 2007 and brought in artists-in-residence so that up-and-coming songwriters and vocalists could glean wisdom and knowledge from the years of experience from seasoned artists. In addition to Stonehill, former Artists-in-Residence include Glenn Kaiser, Nancy Honeytree Miller, and Andy Gullahorn.
Although “Growing Light” is the first solo project for Weyerhaeuser in over ten years, she has kept busy with several other creative ventures. She recorded a children's CD under her youth camp moniker “La La Lisa,” as well as a Christmas CD with a madrigal group. She re-released a project that Larry Norman produced for her back in the 1980's, and was executive producer on a project for the worship leader at the church where her husband serves as pastor. Add to that being a pastor’s wife, the mother of three boys, and an adjunct professor at Trinity International University, and it is conceivable she might have other priorities. Plus, she says, the wait turned out to be necessary.
“Some of the songs on my new project I actually started writing about 30 years ago, and I honestly could not have fully finished them in the same way without 30 years of life happening in between. As difficulties and temptation and grief and life and children and relationships happen, we are faced with new challenges and decisions that were never in the picture in our heads of how life was supposed to be. Learning how to fit our orthodoxy into our orthopraxy is a life-long process.”
About Lisa Weyerhaeuser:
Lisa Weyerhaeuser (pronounced “Ware-house-er”) is a worship leader, a licensed counselor, a Professor of Adolescent Psychology, as well as a pastor’s wife and the mother of three young men. She has earned Master’s Degrees in both Religion and Counseling Psychology. She has recorded several solo albums including a children’s album entitled Big Green Alligator under her “youth camp” moniker, La-La Lisa. Lisa and her band have performed for numerous Christian music festivals such as Cornerstone, LifeFest, the Joyful Noise Music Festival, and Fisherman’s Fest, as well as opened for artists such as Phil Keaggy, Larry Norman, and Whitecross, among others. She has toured in the United Kingdom and Europe and throughout the US. For more information, visit www.LisaWeyerhaeuser.com.