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Mark
Schultz :
Do you ever have that feeling when you walk out of a movie
theater after watching some totally engrossing film, that
feeling of still being suspended somewhere in the imaginary
emotional world of the film, so that the concrete realities
of walking through the parking lot, fumbling for your keys,
and talking with your friends all seem a little out of place?
For a bit more
than a year now, that's how listeners have been describing
their reaction to the songs of Word recording artist Mark
Schultz. Mixing melodic pop sensibilities with an instinctive
talent for plucking eternal treasures from the experiences
of everyday life, Mark's self-titled debut immediately proved
his ability to craft songs that go straight for the heart--songs
that take listeners on an emotional journey beyond the limits
of the present moment. "I was pretty nervous about releasing
my first album. Those were songs I had written for specific
people in my life. I didn't know if their stories would mean
that much to people whom weren't somehow connected to them.
What I found though, after the record was released, was that
the things I had written about were pretty universal. I can't
tell you how many times people have written or come up to
me since and said 'Thank you. Your songs express exactly how
we feel. They tell our story in a way that we never had the
words to say.'" Even so, the quick and stunning success
of the project took everyone by surprise, Mark included. Garnering
seven Dove Award nominations and numerous other industry accolades
(including #1 Best New Artist and #3 Best Album as ranked
by CCM Update, and Christian Song of the Year as picked by
American Songwriter Magazine) it became apparent that Mark
had tapped into a universal reservoir of emotion and expression.
Song after song raced up the charts, securing three #1's-"I
Am the Way," "Remember Me" and "He's My
Son" (which also landed a #22 spot on the Billboard AC
chart)--and thrusting Mark into the headlining spot on two
separate tours. Tens of thousands of people experienced for
the first time the unique, intimate, and personable atmosphere
Mark creates in a concert setting. And those numbers continue
to increase dramatically as Mark headlines another tour this
year. In short, since the release of his first record just
a few short months ago, Mark Schultz's fairly predictable
life as a Nashville youth minister has been turned on its
head. "The last year has gone so fast it's been like
living five years in the space of one," Mark says. "I'm
still trying to make sense out of everything that's happened.
The biggest struggle I have now is to balance my time so I
can stay plugged in to the important relationships in my life.
That's where I grow spiritually and where the inspiration
for most of my songs still comes from. I can't let the touring
and the media pressures draw me away from there."
Mark Schultz's
much-anticipated new sophomore project, Song Cinema, still
draws deeply from those relationships. In that way it's almost
like a second chapter to his critically acclaimed debut album.
Mark teamed up again with producer Monroe Jones (Third Day,
Chris Rice, Ginny Owens), Song Cinema carries the same poignant,
heartfelt sentiments and the same instantly accessible sound
while revealing a bit more maturity and breadth in both music
and lyric. Having traveled in Europe for a year since the
release of his first record, Mark seems to have absorbed and
incorporated some of the diverse artistic and cultural influences
he encountered there. "Song Cinema definitely branches
out some from the first project," Mark says.It's centered
in a lot of the same things but it has some added elements
that are just a result of traveling and seeing God work all
over the world. I knew God was busy in my little corner of
the world, but now I've experienced a bigger picture and I
know that it's changed me."
 _.:Mark
Schultz Official Site
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