The Heartbeat Behind "Give Me Jesus"
How a rural children's choir teamed-up with one of America's most notable evangelical singers to produce a stunning arrangement of "Give Me Jesus"
As a content contributor for Veritas Chronicles, I am deeply committed to our mission of improving human flourishing. Our About Section notes that, in addition to alleviating human suffering and reducing poverty worldwide, Veritas Chronicles is dedicated to highlighting people, programs, and projects making notable advances in fields such as science, arts, energy, health, medicine, and the principles of human flourishing.
Beyond my work at Veritas Chronicles, I am also a choral director and music producer, focusing on creating inspiring works featuring children’s choirs performing with notable guest artists. In 2018, I founded one of the largest children's choral programs in the Mountain West. Since then, we have produced a portfolio of cinematic-quality choral music videos that have captivated millions worldwide through YouTube and Facebook, and reached even more through streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Our choir's inspiring music has been featured on national broadcasts, including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and Inside Edition. We have had the privilege of singing with Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, Disney stars, American Idol alumni, and No. 1 Billboard artists, striving to make a significant impact in the music world and in the lives of our audience members.
However, my intent as a music producer isn't simply to “reach the masses” for the sake of driving up vanity YouTube views or earning royalties through online streaming, although these metrics are relevant. My primary goal is to produce music that inspires and lifts the individual listener. The one. I cherish reading personal emails from people around the world who have stumbled upon our music videos and shared how the music was "just what they needed" or how watching a video "caused tears to flow freely, something that hasn't happened in a very long while."
Give Me Jesus
The motto of the choir, and all my creative works, is: "Seek to express, not to impress." The power of our productions arises from the fact that the children and guest artists perform with this paradigm in mind. The magic isn't in what you hear with your ears as much as what you feel in your heart. At that moment, the true power of music takes shape.
Because the choir isn’t focused on producing music videos based on pop culture trends, we are free to create productions that align with our mission to “seek to express, not to impress.” Several years ago, I envisioned a music video with Fernando Ortega for his famous song “Give Me Jesus.” That song had been a favorite of mine for years, and I would listen to it repeatedly. Once the idea was fixed in my mind, I set forth to accomplish it. As one of my favorite authors, Earl Nightingale, once said, “If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it.” This has been my modus operandi for all the videos and concerts I’ve produced. And therefore, with my goal in mind, I reached out to Fernando’s management team, and they graciously responded that Fernando was very interested and happy to be part of the production.
With the ball in motion, I commissioned an arrangement of “Give Me Jesus” from one of America’s most sought-after choral arrangers to adapt it for a children’s choir. Fernando recorded his vocals at his studio in New Mexico, and we recorded the children’s choir vocals at our studio in Idaho. Once the engineer mixed and mastered the arrangement, it was time for the music video. Fernando flew to Idaho Falls, where I met him at the airport and drove him to rural Rexburg, Idaho, in the heart of potato country! The next day, we filmed on location at the historic Rexburg Tabernacle with videographer Nick Sales, whose cinematic-quality music videos have reached hundreds of millions over the years, and who drove up from Salt Lake City to do our production. The resulting video was a masterpiece that has been shared far and wide, continuing to touch thousands worldwide. It is my favorite music video in our portfolio.
The Memorial Service
Just last month, I was contacted by a staff member of a U.S. Senator involved in planning the memorial service for two children in Idaho who had tragically been murdered—a story that had attracted international media attention. The staffer asked if I had any suggestions for a children’s choral piece to be presented at the service. Instantly, I thought of “Give Me Jesus” and suggested showing the video at the start of the service. And this is exactly what happened. As I sat quietly in the audience watching the video play, knowing it was being seen by viewers around the world tuning in to honor the memory of these beautiful children, I realized this was yet another reason we produced “Give Me Jesus.” It was another example of how God works wonders with us if our intent is to praise Him and show our love to others, rather than seeking the praise of the world. Indeed, as we live our lives seeking to express rather than to impress, at that moment we become instruments in God's hands to work miracles in the lives of those around us.