Mindy Gledhill

“My music is a reflection of my beliefs,” Mindy says. “I want to show people the beauty and art in spirituality, and that this art also lies within them.” Mindy’s debut album, The Sum of All Grace, is the sublime result of this desire. It brings together Mindy’s ethereal voice, rich piano accompaniment and soul-searching lyrics. Such a combination makes this album unlike any other on the market. Since childhood, Mindy has seen the world through curious, determined eyes. The eclectic entourage of musical influences surrounding her only fed her free spirit. Raised on the north coast of California, Mindy recalls her grade school music hours with Mr. Lindsay, and the marimba, drums, and flute she played in the school band. She was surrounded by the music of Native American pow-wows and blue grass bands, the Jewish fiddle of her fourth-grade teacher, and her mom singing the classics from the 20s and 30s—even the lullabies from her older sister at bedtime. These are the memories Mindy claims to be the essence of the music she creates. “There was always music,” Mindy says. “But there was little formal training or discipline.” Mindy and her family moved to Spain when she was 13. This is where she first began to sing and perform. It also offered the introduction to yet another musical influence. “Oh, the impact of Spanish music!” Mindy says. “Spaniards are not timid singers. They praise God when they sing and I’ve always wanted to adopt that passion.” Passion is exactly what drives Mindy’s life. After returning from Spain, she realized she wanted to be serious about music. She dedicated herself to voice lessons and auditioned for every performing opportunity. She always made it to call backs and final heats – but never quite got the part. However, coming so close every time only fed the fire inside. “A persistent force continued to draw me towards music.” Mindy says. “I learned that my free little spirit had to come down from the clouds for a while and be disciplined in order to handle the competition.” Mindy had her first breakthrough when she was accepted into Brigham Young University’s School of Music, something she calls “a miracle.” And in September 2002, acclaimed producer and composer Kenneth Cope discovered her at a songwriter’s workshop. Impressed by the depth of her songwriting and the emotion in her voice, Cope offered to produce Mindy’s first album and immediately began to mentor her. “Kenneth helped me find my voice,” Mindy says. “He taught me how to sing with my soul—to really spill my guts out. I would take him songs every week and he would bring them to life.” Since that day at the songwriter’s workshop, The Sum of All Grace unfolded . . . in more ways than one. Mindy was named Best New Artist of the Year in 2005 by the Faith Centered Music Association while her album won Best Inspirational Album of the Year. She has recorded on a number of additional projects including Stand in the Light and A More Excellent Way, the 2004 and 2005 Especially for Youth albums for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most recently was a featured soloist on A Child’s Prayer – Primary Songs for Bedtime, an album which quickly gathered an underground following among young adults and college students for its artistic approach to lullabies. A highlight of Mindy’s career took place in 2005 when she recorded the song “Emma” under the direction of award-winning producer, Jason Deere on the best-selling album Joseph: A Nashville Tribute. The song won Best Inspirational Recording of the Year at the Faith Centered Music Association’s 2006 Pearl Awards. She performs regularly with Deere and Diamond Rio keyboardist, Dan Truman performing the album for sell-out audiences across the United States. With another solo album planned for 2007, Mindy is quickly becoming an established influence in inspirational music. “I really believe once I showed God that I was ready to work hard that He showed me the opportunities,” Mindy says. “I don’t completely view this as my music. I am simply the servant.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.