FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/16/01

CONTACT:
Robyn Florian (robyn.florian)
Director of College Relations
Greenville College
(618) 664-6504

Greenville College Band "For All the Drifters" Takes Top Honors at Gospel Music Association Competition

Drifters Join Fellow GC Alumni "Jars of Clay" as Recipients of Career-Launching Award

GREENVILLE, IL - Greenville College professors, staff and students celebrated a welcome sense of deja vu when campus favorites "For All the Drifters" became the second college band to win the Gospel Music Association (GMA) top award for unsigned musical acts.

The 2001 annual talent competition, which attracted hundreds of vocal, ensemble and instrumental music acts in six divisions, recognized five Greenville College students, Justin "J. T." Daly, Josh Heiner, Chad Howat, Brian Lee, and Andy Smith, for their "Best Performance" in three categories, Contemporary Christian Division Ensemble/Band Spotlight - Regional Finals, Contemporary Christian Division Spotlight - International Finals, and Overall Winner - International Finals.

This year's competition concluded at the Gospel Music Association 27th Annual Seminar in the Rockies, held July 29-August 4 in Estes Park, CO, with regional divisional competitions held earlier this year in Nashville, TN, Washington D.C. and Canada. The international finals were organized by the Academy of Gospel Music Arts (AGMA), a division of GMA, and sponsored by BMI, an American performing rights organization.

Competition Highlights
"For All the Drifters" took their first steps toward their mountaintop experience at the Estes Park Spotlight regional event, held Tuesday through Thursday, with a first-place win in the GMA Contemporary Christian Ensemble/Band Division. They performed original songs "Call You Right Back on Sunday," "CRS," "My Jesus," and "Devon's Song" as they advanced through preliminary and semi-final rounds to the regional finals.

This victory advanced the band to the AGMA International Finals where they attained their second and third honors of the week with a repeat performance of "Call You Right Back on Sunday." Commenting on the competition process, Drifters' vocalist Justin "J.T." Daly states, "It was a very stressful week. We had to win Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to receive the overall award."

But, in the midst of strenuous competition, the band also found camaraderie among the other competitors. Drifters vocalist and guitar player Andy Smith states, "We enjoyed the sense of community we developed with other musicians. Even after we won the other bands were very congratulatory." Adds J.T., "We worked on diffusing the element of competition right at the beginning. We talked to people and made some good connections with other groups."

Competition Prizes and Performances
Along with significant recognition, the Drifters also received a $5000 prize package that included a $3000 Mackie sound system, Roland keyboard, complimentary recording time and accommodations Eagle's Nest Studios in Denver, CO and White Horse Studios in Nashville, TN, vocal coaching and products from Chris and Carole Beatty, and a performance consultation with Tom Jackson.

Their regional win also saw the band headlining Thursday night's Café Estes with their song, "Penny for the World." Their international success put the Drifters on the artist roster for the closing seminar concert on Friday night. During this event, the band shared the stage with Third Day.

"For All the Drifters" Background
"For All the Drifters" formed at Greenville College in September 2000 as a lab band under the direction of Dr. Michael Johnson, CCM professor and program coordinator. They recorded a CD during January 2001 and continued as a lab band under the direction of Johnson and Warren Pettit, founding professor of the CCM major at GC, this past spring.

In May 2001, the band appeared on the main stage at the Agape Music Festival in Greenville, IL, after winning the festival's "Battle of the Bands" competition earlier this year. The overwhelming response at this event encouraged the Drifters to pursue new opportunities, including their current mid-America summer tour. The first "For All the Drifters" tour includes stops in Wisconsin, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois.

"This band has a 'now sound'," states Johnson. "They reflect a key philosophy of our CCM program as a whole, to stay on the cutting edge of today's contemporary music."

"For All the Drifters" is Justin "J.T." Daly on vocals from Wellington, OH, Andy Smith on vocals and guitar from Topeka, KS, Brian Lee on lead guitar from Saginaw, MI, Chad Howat on bass guitar from Arlington Heights, IL, and Josh Heiner on drums from Wauconda, IL.

The GMA Seminar in the Rockies is an annual six-day event featuring talent competitions and educational seminars for aspiring songwriters, artists, and musicians, as well as programming for music industry and ministry leaders, professional songwriters, church music leaders, drama ministry enthusiasts, and music publishers.

The event, held at the Estes Park Center/YMCA of the Rockies, is known for launching the careers of new artists. Artist and Repertoire (A&R) representatives from major record labels judge the competitions and scout new talent for their labels. Greenville College alumni and Grammy-winning CCM group, Jars of Clay, are also products of the GMA talent competition.

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,200 traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis.

For additional information, visit:
For All the Drifters: www.forallthedrifters.com
Greenville College & For All the Drifters: www.greenville.edu/drifters
Greenville College Contemporary Christian Music Major: www.greenville.edu/ccm
Gospel Music Association: www.gospelmusic.org

Last updated: August 15, 2001