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Genre:		Pop, Folk/Acoustic, Inspirational/Worship
For fans of:		Rita Springer, Kate Bush, Kim Hill, Margaret Becker, Amy Grant
Label:		Floodgate Records

	Buy 'em here! Prodigal Martha

Kate Miner is an artist who "can't separate her performance from the song. The song, singer and performance are one and the same, inseparable." says Chuck Plotkin (producer for Bruce Springsteen and a host of other various artists.)

Kate likewise refuses to compartmentalize her life from her art, her spirituality from her humanity, her family from her ministry or the calling of God from her identity. As such, her music possesses a raw emotional transparency that crosses all demographic boundaries and cuts deftly to the listener's heart. Kate is "…someone who can move you and soothe you in equal measure." wrote Chris Willman of the L.A. Times.

A lifetime has been spent on the stage and in the studio, with Kate having her first public performance at the age of 4. At 10, she was recording commercials, and by 21 had landed her first recording contract with Word Records and an impressive co-publishing/development deal with Sony Music Publishing. Her career was in full swing and Kate appeared to be on the high-road to musical success. Then in 1993 something amazing happened—Kate started attending and singing at Malibu Vineyard Church.

"It was amazing. We were so drawn to the church, because the Lord just showed up there. The place was made up of the attributes of Christ (or we could say something like the fruits of the spirit or something like that), and that's what we were craving. Malibu Vineyard really was our home," explains Kate. Soon, several of her songs were becoming standards at the church, and within 2 years, Kate had recorded her first full worship album, "Sacred."

By 1997, Kate found herself at a dramatic career crossroad. While the road to music business success and celebrity seemed hers for the taking, it became obvious that her involvement with the music at church was becoming more meaningful and gratifying than anything represented by Hollywood.

Realizing God was pointing her toward a specific purpose, Kate walked away from her pop music career and never looked back. She states, "There were no 'what ifs'. I just knew that this worship music thing was the reason I was born."

Malibu Vineyard gave Kate and her husband David the opportunity to pursue what would ultimately blend the whole of their artistic passion, using their musical gifts for the service of God's purpose for modern worship music.

Over the next few years, Kate would release several Worship projects, including: "Old Hymns My Mom Loves" which she produced as a tribute to her mother, "Live From the Sunset Strip" produced at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, "Old Songs My Dad Loves" so her father wouldn't feel left out, and the cleverly titled "(These Could've Been My) Greatest Hits", a collection of previously unreleased songs that chronicled her career track.

In 2002, Kate and her family were at a crossroads. Out of complete obedience they moved to Nashville for no particular reason other than feeling God's leading. In less than 6 weeks they had packed up and left the sunshine of the west coast for the hills of Tennessee. Now three years later, Kate still wonders exactly what God has in mind for the family of 6 in Tennessee.

One reason might have been to be closer to Vanderbilt Medical Center. Kate was diagnosed in 2004 with polyps on her vocal chords, which would require surgery. This surgery required her to sign a consent form stating that she could completely lose her voice after the surgery. But to Kate, the really scary part is that healing would require her to not speak for a week, and then only increasing 5 minutes a day for the following months.

And out of this experience Prodigal Martha was born.

Being a woman who has made a career from making noise and who just generally loves to be in conversation, not speaking was a huge hurdle. Expecting to spend the time completely connected with God, Kate had a rude awakening. Instead she spent the time in the "wilderness", learning that she didn't have to earn God's love. The songs were written in or inspired by this silence.

Prodigal Martha, Kate's debut on Floodgate Records, are strong, direct songs of worship that "will not be confused with lovesongs for my husband." These are songs to lead the listener to a place of understanding that life with Christ includes both a time for action and a time for peace and joy and quiet. And that in Jesus, there is all we need. Period.

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