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Interview - Steve Cass

GCM: How did you begin creating music?

S.C.: Ever since I first picked up a guitar, the tunes started to dance in my head. I didn't realize it at the time, hey I was only 12 years old, but what was happening was the discovery of the talent that would define my every breath. It was the unveiling of God's call to me to start learning and giving. Although there aren't any compositions that stuck from those earlier years, what did stick was all those self-taught music lessons that formed the songs later on down the road!

GCM: What musician or musicians have inspired you the most? How about other artists or authors?

S.C.: I have such a diverse love of music. Well, maybe more diverse than some, but probably not as diverse as many. I grew up on the classic rock of the '70s, so practically everything popular then was an influence. Since I play both acoustic and electric guitar there are separate influences for each, really. For acoustic guitar, there is absolutely no doubt that the artist that influences me most is James Taylor. Man! "Somethin' in the Way She Moves" sends shivers up and down my spine just thinking about it! There's no doubt that that song is a "James" song in the sense that the song is speaking about his own experience. BUT he includes the listening audience by appealing to our raw need of companionship. Very cool stuff.

The other major influences I have for the acoustic are the St. Louis Jesuits and John Michael Talbot. I love JMT's smooth approach when it comes to fingerstyle and how beautiful he makes the guitar sound on ANY chord where he plays a slow series of strings. As far as electric, I gotta laugh! It's such a blast for me to wail on electric. I probably have everyone in my style of play from Tom Scholz of Boston to Neil Schone of Journey to Alex Lifeson of Rush! The blues style of Clapton has me captivated and completely mesmerized.

GCM: What do you want your music to communicate?

S.C.: There's absolutely no doubt about the message I wish to convey. I want people to hear how I deal with and understand my walk with Jesus Christ. I want to minister to those who can relate to the way I feel or where I've been. But it doesn't stop there. I believe that where a person is in regard to their relationship with God is quite personal. I'm not getting at the point of whether or not we have a need to express our faith, because we do--it's just that we need to learn to express our gifts in the manner in which we have been gifted. I believe that unless each one of us takes the time to search out how it is that we need to live our lives and learn to understand why God made us and how He sustains us, then we roam in classical "darkness" and live without light. This journey is one that you, and only you, can define. I just hope that my meager words and music can spark you to mend your relationship with God and to realize what an awesome, no, ultimate advantage it is to do so. The benefits are here and now, folks.

GCM: What record would you rescue first from a burning house?

S.C.: Green Grass and High Tides by the Outlaws. The country rock band from Florida, not Waylon and Willie. The reason is is because there is no other song on the planet that I'm aware of that has a guitar solo like this one. These two guys go back and forth exchanging leads and burning up the frets like no one, I mean no one, I've ever heard before. It's funny though, I don't care for country, but I like rock. I'll listen to anything with good guitar work!

GCM: In what direction do you believe God is calling you for music or for your life in general?

I believe that God is calling me towards the business of music. We've all heard just how corrupt the industry is, yet I feel drawn nonetheless. God has some plans for me. Rather than trying to put words in His mouth, I'll just tell you that he's blessed me so much. I'm now in the studio for my second CD, I'm just finishing up producing and performing on another artists CD, and I'm continuing work in my publishing company. Solid Walnut Music exists to try and get songwriters heard that may otherwise never have the chance. My second CD features six songwriters, including me.

GCM: Tell us briefly about your family, hobbies and hometown. Tell us the places you've lived. And lastly, share with us how you could tell someone that Jesus Christ is Lord in a paragraph.

S.C.: I was born and raised in Des Moines, Ia and the oldest of four boys. My hobbies when I was growing up were the guitar and drama. I developed a love for disc golf and bowling, and now I'm just having a blast learning to play regular golf. I lived in Kansas City, MO for 5 years and now I live in Phoenix, AZ.

When God calls you, listen and follow your heart. He made you, He made your heart and He knows how you long for a relationship with Him because He put the desire there. What's a relationship with Him all about? It's all about the fact that we are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. We all belong to the Designer of the puzzle. We're inherently blind to the fact that we belong to Him, or even know about Him at times. That's where Jesus Christ comes in. All the Designer wants from us is to fully recognize who the Father and the Son are and how we can mend our relationship with the Father through believing in the Son. Once we learn about this, the pieces of our lives start falling together.

Don't go on another day without Him. He only wants to provide for you and to protect you.

GCM: Thanks, Steve.

Get Steve's CDs by clicking here.

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