July 04, 2008 11:15 pm
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By KANDACE MCCOY
kandace.mccoy@register-news.com
MT. VERNON — A former Mt. Vernon Township High School student has not only met the man of her dreams, but she has also fulfilled another dream — creating her first contemporary Christian CD.
Dave and Jess Ray recently released their self-titled debut CD May 30, and as they were in the King City this week visiting family for the holiday, they were also celebrating their new album.
Music has been an important part in the couple’s lives, Jess Ray said. “Music started with my family,” she noted, explaining that from the age of 5, she played bluegrass and gospel in church with her family — Jim and Nancy Herzing and sister Jennifer.
After she graduated from MVTHS, Jess attended Greenville College, where she met Dave. “He was pursuing a music degree and started leading services at Greenville,” she said.
Dave also has ties to Southern Illinois — his mother, Becky, was born in Salem and raised in Greenville before marrying Rick Ray, Dave’s father.
The couple married three years ago at Logan Street Baptist Church and moved to Nashville, where Dave had a band which released a record. Following the release of that album, the couple moved again, this time to Houston, where Dave took a position there leading worship at a church.
Last year, through their love of music and their faith in God, they said they decided they wanted to write songs and put out a CD. Their hard work paid off.
For Dave and Jess, the project was not only challenging, but one of hope and faith — something they hope listeners can relate to.
“We want people to see the way God works in our lives — our faith story to be one of transparent hope and seeing that [our album] gives them hope, in difficult situations, give them joy and ultimately draw them closer to God,” Dave Ray said.
However, no project is without struggle, and Dave and Jess said that despite putting the album together, they are a couple like any other. “We deal with the same struggles and difficulties every married couple faces, such as moving to a totally different place, establishing new friends. What we found is in each of these situations, we can trust God to be faithful to us. We’ve tried to present difficulties [in the album] while showing hope.”
Jess Ray said there’s one particular song on the album that has deep meaning for her, which she believes will be challenging to listeners. “All the songs have deep meaning. [But ‘Face of God’] challenges you to view your daily interactions differently and view people in a way to love them.”
“It challenges them to view people and treat them like Christ,” Dave explained. “No matter the difficulties in their lives or the boundaries between them.”
The couple say their families have been “extremely supportive” and have been a “great source of constant support.”
“It’s fun to celebrate this [CD] with the people who have been helping us along the way,” Dave said of their families.
Dave and Jess are in the processing of scheduling concerts at churches in the Houston area. They hope they will be able to further develop a playing schedule beyond the Texas area in the future.
“Eventually we’ll do another CD,” Jess noted. “The experience of creating a CD with Dave — we came at things with two different perspectives, but that helps you be creative. The process of creating — this is fulfilling.”
Dave and Jess Ray’s CD can be purchased at Day Star Bookstore or at independentbands.com. For more information about Dave and Jess, visit their Web site at daveandjessray.com.
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