ABOUT THE ARTIST.

"Sholty is all heart!” – Kevan Breitinger, Christian Music Guide

"Sholty’s voice is strong and commanding on every track... Lyrics like this point out the authentic relevance which endears Sholty to her audience.... " - Ken Mowery, Indie-Music.com

"Her stage presence is captivating and her delivery is at once demanding of your attention, and yet warm and intimate. God and His grace are present and very evident in her music, and Jade’s style makes you feel as if she is singing just for you.” - Gary Schippling, Event Director - Faithfest Music Festival, Michigan

Those who have heard Jade’s music will tell you “You NEED to listen to this song, or “Play this song with your kids”, or “This song is going to make you cry, but you’ll love it.” Those who have met her will tell you that she LOVES God, and is all about being small so He can take the credit. Jade is not larger than life. She is just like you and me, yet there is something compelling that shines through in her music. It is this lyrical humility and melody combined into one that draws people to the music and causes them to listen over and over again. Kids learn the words by heart, moms listen to it in their cars, those battling disease or in tough times have used it as a tool to keep their spirits up. There is a song (or more likely many songs) on this CD for everyone.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jade’s heartfelt lyrics and melodies have struck an honest chord with audiences in many states. Her writing and perspective come from someone who has had the same struggles we have, doing a full time career, raising kids, trying to juggle life while keeping God as priority. Her music ranges from upbeat, edgier tunes celebrating God’s passion for us and His gift of family and life to poignant melodies soothing hard questions, sickness and death. Her style speaks to all ages and she regularly receives enthusiastic correspondence from kids, teens and adults alike.

Jade has shared her story and music on several broadcast radio stations, cable television, in churches, at festivals, and with groups of all sizes Her music has received compelling reviews from “Christian Music Guide” , “Indie-Music.com”, “Chicago Music Guide” and more. Her honest presence and visible passion for God lights a spark in audiences. She will challenge you to pursue God with new vigor. With her music, she hopes to encourage us all to enter His intimate circle, where everyday life becomes ‘alive’ with God’s purpose and love.

How was your childhood?

Our house was very warm, full of love and fur and kids. We had 4 dogs, 4 cats, 2 horses, an assortment of hamsters, turtles and other adopted animals from time to time. I had a younger brother and sister and I remember a lot of laughing in our house. That is still my favorite memory. Everyone just sitting around and laughing, sometimes at the silliest things. When I go home we still sit around and laugh like that.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Minnetonka, MN, just a few minutes outside of Minneapolis. My parents still live in the same house today, so going home is full of memories for me.

How big of a family do you have?

I have a younger brother who was a rock and roller. He had long blonde hair back then, longer than mine, and we used to tease him because the girls chased after him. I also have a younger sister who we adopted from Korea when she was five. She went on to become a second degree black belt. My parents are awesome. My mom is a psychologist turned children’s author and my dad serves in so many places at the church. They both have huge hearts. Then of course there were all the animals. They count as family too ;-)

When did you come to faith?

I always believed in God, but I didn’t always follow Him. I remember having little church services on the back porch with my friend when we were only 6 or 7. We’d have our animals in the ‘pews’ we’d made and we’d organize a whole service. As I got older, I got distracted by so many things and really wandered for years. I always believed in God and I knew He was there, but I was too busy doing my own thing to try and listen to Him. Secretly, I think I was always afraid that if I really gave my life to Him for real, that I would be bored out of my mind. Boy, was I wrong. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I really needed Him in a more permanent and personal way. Over the years, I have gone through ever deepening levels of commitment. I have several milestone memories where I chose to make deeper commitments and each time I can only say that God has made life more exciting and purposeful each time. I laugh now when I think about how I used to fear being bored. God’s ways are more creative and more fun and exciting than anything I could have ever thought up on my own.

Do you come from a Christ centered family? Or are you the first in your family to accept Jesus?
My whole family grew up believing in Jesus, but we weren’t always a church going family. In some ways we’ve grown together in our faith over the years. Still, God was always part of our home and our lives all the time I was growing up and beyond.

Were you a performer before Christian? Or vice versa?
No way. I tend to be a quieter person. I remember doing a lip synch and dancing in a competition with a bunch of other dancers when I was younger, but that was about it and there’s no way you could have gotten me to sing a note in front of people when I was younger. Singing terrified me. My parents had never even heard me sing until the inspired music came along. But when God gives you something that you know is going to encourage someone in a hard time, how can you say no? How can you hold back when you know it’s a gift for people besides yourself? I could never have done this by myself, but with God as my partner it is purposeful and fun.

What struggles in your faith do you face while being a performer?
I think there are two hard parts. One is that as a performer, you have to promote yourself and your music to some degree or no one ever gets to hear it. As a Christian sometimes that is a hard balance as the real goal is to have the spotlight shine on God throughout all this. The other hard part is going to a show when I feel I haven’t been my best as a person. Everyone has times when they feel like they’ve failed. At times like that I feel unworthy to be going out to talk and sing about God. But God has shown me that the success of the show and the music isn’t dependent on how ‘good’ I’ve been, but on His power. The show is about Him, not me and it’s His power that is doing the work, so I don’t have to be perfect. When you realize that, it really takes some of the pressure off. As long as we’re open, He can use our humanness and frailty to draw people to Him.

Besides the more obvious meaning behind the title, “One Breath at a Time” is there a more personal meaning to naming your first album that?
I have several songs on the album that I wrote long before I realized the full impact of their meaning. To me, that only points more to God. That particular song was written for a woman who had lost her son to a drug overdose. I can’t even imagine the pain, but even in the midst of that situation, God provided fingerprints all over to let her know that her son had made it home. I have often cried for other people as I think about what they’re going through and that sometimes comes out in the music. Still, it wasn’t until a year or so later that I had to go through a really horrible time myself. During that time, to even think about getting through one day was overwhelming. I remember telling God, “Lord, I can’t even think about taking one more step, you have to get me through the next minute, the next breath or I just give up. I can’t do it without you.” It was during that time, that I ended up leaning on those very same words, “One Breath at a Time” and I came to realize what they really meant.

How long did it take you to put the album together?
The songs were written over the course of a few years. I had never written them with the idea of doing a CD, but just as a way to connect with God and encourage a few special people. On occasion I would send a basement CD to a friend, or a song I’d written for someone to on a home CD, just guitar and vocals, no effects or anything. It wasn’t until we learned that some of the teenagers were burning copies of the basement CDs for their friends, that my husband and I started to think about doing a real CD. Even then, I don’t think I would have dared take that plunge if it weren’t for my husband. He was the one who really believed the music was for a bigger audience and that we were called to do more. He had the vision and since he was a producer in his earlier life, he had the skillset to get it organized. Up until the time the music started, he didn’t even know I wrote or played guitar. Neither of us ever dreamed his producing skills would be used for his own wife one day. Funny how God works out those details.

How accessible is your album to non-Christians?
While the majority of the people who purchase the CD are already strong in their faith, we do have people who enjoy the music who never really thought much about God before. The music has a contemporary beat and though they might not have made up their mind about God yet, they enjoy the lyrics and positive words. We’ve gotten great feedback from teens, parents, punk rockers, grandparents, first graders, drug addicts, you name it. I think it’s not so much about the CD as it is about how open someone’s heart is. The words are written from places of pain and joy and they are real and I think open people can relate to them.

Do you have any plans on releasing an album that may focus more on outreaching to them?
Boy, that’s a hard question. I so much want to reach out to people who might not know how real God is and I realize that my CD is definitely “Christian”. I would love to stretch my style, go a little more heavy rock to hit some of that crowd (I love rock ‘n roll), but I just know that in the end, the words would still be all about God and the message would still be “Christian” because God is part of who I am. I can never get away from His love, nor would I want to. His love is everywhere. I really pray that I may get the chance to tell a lot of people that with the music.
What would you say are the toughest struggles kids have growing up in the world today? (Christian and non-Christian)?
I think dealing with all the pressure of the media and hype is probably one of the worst parts. It makes me so angry sometimes as I watch how the media often glorifies dishonorable role models and teaches disrespect. How sad is that and how confusing for kids and teens. The pressure to ‘be cool’ and ‘fit in’ is huge and I think that what the media sells us as’ beautiful’ and ‘desirable lifestyles’ are so shallow and fall way below the standards we should hold for ourselves. Why should any of us want to ‘fit in’ to that? Still the kids see it on TV and they feel pressure to‘fit in’, trying not to ‘stick out’ or be different. My friend whose son died of a drug overdose, probably started out trying to ‘fit in’. Damn. God made us all different for a reason and the fact that so many kids are ‘hiding’ those beautiful differences so they can ‘fit in’ is sad. If I could say one thing to them it would be “You are beautiful, just the way you are, and God has a special plan for your lives. Don’t let the media sell you a false standard. You are so much more valuable than that.”

What are your plans for the future?
Well, I hope I won’t sound cliché if I say I’m just taking it “One Breath at a Time”. I used to plan and organize and plan some more, but God’s plans are so different than mine (and way more exciting). If I’m too invested in my own path and all the planning, it makes it harder to hear what He wants. So rather than be so set on a particular path, I’m just trying to be really open so He can use me anywhere He wants. Need me to sing with teens this weekend? Great, I’m there. Need me to go pray with a hurting mom this week? I’d love to. I’ve really learned that His ways are so much more fulfilling and so much more interesting than my own. When I’m following His plan for my day, the smallest, most mundane task can seem like the best and most purposeful task in the world, and the biggest, scariest challenge doesn’t seem as scary. Who wouldn’t want to work with a partner who could do that for your days?

What would be your greatest aspirations for your life and your career?
I once heard Pastor Bill Hybel say something profound. We’ve all heard the old saying, “You can’t take it with you when you die”. Well, I was visiting a Willow Creek service one day and I heard him say, “There’s only one thing you can bring with you to heaven.” Immediately my mind was searching for answers. ‘What? We die, everything stays here, the money, the power, the ‘things’, everything.’ At first I thought I heard him wrong and then he said it again. “There is only one things you can take with you to heaven… People.” COOL! I thought that was so awesome and it made me feel sort of tingly just thinking about it. And it’s so true. That’s the only thing we can take with us to heaven. People. So my prayer for my life is that I invite lots of people to my Father’s house and that someday we will all hook up together there in heaven for a huge party, celebrating . I know that God will be there, celebrating with us, so happy to see each of one of his children that made it home safe.

Thank you for your time today!