My Life For The Last 20 Years or So In 701 Words or Less.

I left Up With People in September of 1984, after serving for almost five years on road staff. I returned to college life, confident in my own abilities to conquer most anything. What I was not prepared for was the change of pace from living on the road to actually working and attending school, paying bills and, really, no one understanding how wonderful and special I am/was for having been in Up With People!

I struggled in school, frankly, because of a lack of focus and discipline and dropped out in the middle of my junior year. I was 25. I found employment at a nice music store in Muskogee and while working there, met this beautiful, wonderful, native American singer who was looking for a sound system. I assured her, not only could I sell her a sound system, I could help her set it up and even run it for her during her next performance

Well, to make a long story short, I've been running sound for her now over 17 years, as well as raising our 2 sons, writing songs/arrangements and playing some piano/bass as well. We have 2 sons, Josh age 15.9 (6'2", 180 lbs) and Joe age 14 (drummer boy). They are fairly remarkable boys, a hand full at times, but remarkable.

When they were 2 and 3, Mary Kay had decided to stay at home with the boys and the thought hit me that I would need to feed those children for a while SO.... I took a night job doing data backup at a bank and went back to school full time. Slightly suicidal but we were desperate.

After several seemingly odd turns of God's guiding hand, I finally got! my unde rgrad in instrumental music, which qualified me to be a high school band director. There was one problem. I didn't want to be a high school band director. SO.... I found a very unusual but way cool job in higher education, (get this) booking international jazz artists for a smoke-free jazz club Northeastern State University had built. I also got to sharpen my arranging and composing chops in the jazz department there as well. I was there for almost ten years. Great job, while it was great, but due to some administrative changes, the job was fast becoming a real drag!

At this same time, some friends of mine in various arenas of Christian music were using more and more of my arrangements and original music. In March of 2001, I received 4 calls from different churches with job offers after posting ZERO resumes. Very strange. I took the position of Worship Associate at First Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK, working with a very good friend and here I am today. I've been at the church almost 3 years. I'm also getting a lot of my arrangements published at Praisecharts.com and arranging for various orchestras and churches. Wow, imagine that, getting paid for doing what you love to do.

Life is good. My family is healthy. God is faithful and true, meeting all of our needs and even a few of our wants. We have been able to travel a bit through music. Some of the music ministers from the Baptist church in Oklahoma (and there are hundreds) have a men's chorus and orchestra, about 300 strong. Often reminds me of that Russian men's chorus our cast heard in Madrid. We toured Australia last year and yes, I played the new Steinway in the Sydney Opera House!!!!! Mary Kay and I travel to Alaska at least twice a year to lead conferences and do concerts. In 2004 we are taking the boys. They play with us, Josh on guitar, bass and lead vocals and Joe on drums, sort of the Family VonHendersons. This is also the 1st commercial flight for our 14 year old. He's "syked" sp?

When I look back at all my UWP years,! I remem ber most fondly the tour of Spain and Cast E 78, B 79-80, E 80, E 81, E 82, C 82-83, A 83-84 and of course D 83-84. A little humor there.

Brad Henderson

Meet the Henderson Family